Cursed Sword

by Kneenaw

Irisviel could not accept her own end, even corrupted she wishes to return to save her beloved. And so, as Shirou sits waiting to die, he is reborn as the host of a dark miracle, creating cascading effects that would alter the world. This fic spans from the end of the 4th HGW to the 5th. Currently it is starting the direct lead up to the 5th war.

40. Act Three: Clock Tower

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Act Three: Clock Tower

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Witching Hour (Music) /EQC0DcXFxvE

I can still recall that day I lost everything. The blood and the screams will inhabit my mind for as long as I can recall them. It is not that which troubles me, nor is the smell of burning flesh and melting blood. It is not that which troubles me at all. ...It was the silence. After all of the death was done, there simply wasn't anything more to be heard or found. They told me to hide, and so I did. I stayed quiet even as the world itself turned into a gray abyss.

About then was when my eyes started seeing things in droll shades of gray, and I gave up a lot of the sort of hopes that a kid shouldn't have to give up. Even so, I always knew that I was different. The villagers were clear that I was special among the rest and that I would turn into the once and future... Well, it is better left buried. They died, so now they are just shades of gray like all the rest. I didn't die. Mother had left me alone even before the bloodshed back then. She left and told me to find a way to live. So somehow, I just went on despite all that. I went on hating myself and my face more than anything.

I recall the day after I was saved. Two odd men came and took me away from the silence. One man left; he was gruff and looked tired. I never saw him again, but the other man became my master. I recall what he told me when I was hopeless. He brought me to my burned-down home to look over the ruins of a cemetery.

"...Do you think humans can grow?" He spoke, almost as if praying. On the surface, it may have seemed like an arrogant thought that an ordinary person could never become more than that. While most may have derived that sort of implication from those words, in this case, they were said with honest sincerity, as if revealing a cherished, heartfelt wish. Considering the stage on which they were offered, that may have been appropriate. In that old, desolate church, with a black-stained visage of the Mother Mary looking down on us. In reality, it wasn't something so grand as could be called a statue of Mary, but at the very least, the local people had considered it as such. And so, he asked. "By repeated study, I became good at calculations. I memorized history. Of course in that respect, growth is certainly possible. Even among my students, just by giving some trivial advice, plenty of them have risen to remarkable heights. But...if we're talking about a person's true essence, can that really be considered growth?"

The true target of his question cut straight to the heart of the matter - the beginning of his own life. Yes. In a sense, maybe it was impossible. After all, considering everyone around me, I couldn't point to one person who had. Within my own group, I was special from the start, always treated as special and separate. Thanks to that, the only 'person' I could really talk to was the personality given to a particular Mystic Code. In those unnecessarily spacious church grounds, I was always just cowering in fear. With the expectations of everyone around me on my shoulders, all I could do was try to avoid their gazes without accomplishing anything.

Why was it that this world had no colour? That was always what I had thought. No, I did understand that the problem wasn't with the world. Because of my own eyes being clouded over, I was trapped within a world of black and white.

Ashen. Gloomy. Vague and ambiguous. Gray.

No matter how far I ran, I understood that that was the nature of my existence. Compared to that, how much more sincere were those who were already buried deep in the ground? Free from lies, released from vanity and ambition. Truly free, in every respect. To say the difference between us was like heaven and earth didn't do the comparison justice.

...When that person had finally shown up, I had already given up. I was already tired of giving up, thoroughly exhausted by my constant cowering. Just like always, I remember him smoking on a cigar. His jet-black suit was lit from behind by the light of a stained glass window. Though the face, hidden in that shadow, was undoubtedly that of an adult, I felt like somewhere in that hard expression, I could still see a child.

"But..." I raised my voice. "Aren't you...the most successful person in the Clock Tower?" Considering who I was at the time, it was a rare thing for me to say words that undeniably stepped into someone else's situation. I barely spoke at all for an entire year after what had happened to my home. But, because it was him, I felt the need to ask. Even if it meant bending my way of doing things a little, I wanted to know about him.

Reluctantly, he answered. "Right...I've held this position for a little more than six years now." His voice was full of regret, as if the achievement belonged to someone else. With a sound like the squeaking of old, rusted gears, he opened his hands and clasped the fingers of his black gloves together. "I've learned to use magecraft better than before. I've learned the boring skills of scheming and negotiating. Even my scholarship of magecraft has become somewhat considerable. But...where is the meaning in that?"

A time probably spent entirely as a desperate, frenzied climb. Even I could sympathize with that situation. No doubt it was like having your flesh ground up, and your bones crushed to pieces every day. I wasn't very smart, and I didn't know much about the Clock Tower he had come from, but I could well imagine the intense study and harsh discipline that must have been required to reach where he was now. But now, he was denying all of that.

"...long ago, I participated in a battle in the Far East." Ignoring me, who was unable to keep up with the sudden change in topics, he continued. "In that battle were a number of Heroic Spirits and their Masters. Of course, the Heroic Spirits too, but even the Masters were all elites and professional killers that I could never compare to even now. If you ask how a me that was even less experienced than I am now managed to get through that battle alive, I'd have no answer to give you than luck. Because of my complete lack of ability, I avoided everyone else's attention. Yes, if it was me now, I would probably be marked and killed right away."

'Probably,' he said, but with a weight in his voice that spoke of the hundreds, the thousands of times he must have replayed those battle differently in his head. And in those different simulations, how many times had he seen himself die? In the chilly air of the church, he spoke again. "In that case, does that mean the me of the past was actually better than I am now?"

"...As you said, I think that's a matter of luck." Mumbling, I shared my own thoughts. Those words demanded an objection, or so I thought.

But. "Yes, that's exactly right. But can someone who was just carried along by luck and coincidence really be thought to have grown?"

Once again, he returned to the original question. It wasn't that he had led us back to where we started, but more that we had never left. It wasn't that he was particularly eloquent, just that his simple frankness made him drive that one question ever forward. That was just the way he did things.

His manner was so serious it made one want to give a bitter smile. Not that I was sure anyone else could take what he was saying seriously. "The course we take when life comes to a crossroads is always determined by the smallest coincidences, the tiniest twists of fate. If that's the case, can we really say that humans grow? Even as a child, anyone can get caught up in the desire to just quietly follow someone greater than they are...someone who was just born great, born a king. Isn't that the case?" He spoke as if he had already accepted that that was the way of the world, yet as if he was chastising someone for taking it as fact. Who could that have been?

As if glaring back down at hell itself, he continued his angry rant. "I haven't grown at all. Nothing has changed since that time. I haven't gotten any closer to becoming the person I wanted to be." Those words came out thick with blood. The wounds on his soul were completely raw, and even now bright red was flowing from them. Or rather, it was like he was digging his nails into the wounds himself, demanding that they stay open. As if the throbbing pain in his heart was a reminder of the impulse that had first set him on his path. "I...want to change." He was probably close to 28 years old.

At that age, someone from the same line of work would no doubt look at his success and question, why on earth would you want to change? But that desire was not some desire for a bright new future. It was nothing close to the everlasting ambition of a genius that had already reached the stars.

...Disgusting... So I thought. It was a feeling I was quite familiar with. Like a buildup of mud under your skin. "...Ahh..." At that time, I understood. The people of my hometown always told me that I should change. That I should nurture the rare nature I possessed. That refusing to contribute when you had the ability was in itself a sin that could not easily be forgiven. Alternatively, like the books that reached even to our rural part of the country, you should accept yourself exactly as you are. Irresponsible words, telling you to accept even the pathetic and absurd parts of yourself, which even I found hard to swallow. But he wasn't like either of those.

Without seeing the creases carved between his eyebrows, or the thin line his mouth was drawn into, his message was still clear. A rejection of that simple, easy kind of change. A rejection of that slothful, lazy refusal to change. "Even so...no, because of that, I want your help." He spoke. "This is entirely my selfishness. I have no guarantee I can provide you with a future or compensation that would satisfy you. Rather, it's more likely I'll just put you in danger. And I'm not so arrogant as to say that I'd be able to protect you. It's quite likely you could end up risking everything to protect me, and I'd be the only one who walks away." One piece at a time, he laid out the honest truth. I thought he had no need to lay out all the negative points like this, but that was just who he was. But thanks to that honesty, I was able to get a glimpse of another truth. Just as his words ran thick with blood, just as his soul was scarred deep with wounds, this person was even now still suffering. His past choices, his current way of being, his future possibilities, all of these were agony to him, as if he still held the spear puncturing his heart. That's why, rather than logic, it was those words that soaked through me. I didn't care that he saved me. I just... "Even so...I want you to come with me."

"..." In that case, it would be fine. It made me think. If you will worry with me. If you will suffer with me. If you will get hurt with me. If it's this man, then his guidance would be better than the words of any sage. That's what I thought. "...can I ask you to promise me one thing?" I finally spoke. "Please...keep hating my face." Even now, I can still remember his flustered expression.

He must be a good person, I thought. So much so that he still felt the shame of his first terrifying reaction upon seeing my face. But even so, after a few seconds' pause, he nodded heavily. "I promise." So said Lord El-Melloi II - my master - the first day of my service to him.

I wake up...

I had no idea that this day would be the last peaceful one for some time.

---

Into the Sunlight (Music) /tjyZosf0y1o

My morning routine is always the same, and I end up starting my daily walk to where my master resides. To the Clock Tower and all of the insanity that lays inside.

The name "Clock Tower" has two meanings. One is, of course, the headquarters of the world of magecraft, the enormous organization. The second meaning was the school in London - consisting of the Faculty of Fundamentals (Mystile), five Major Classrooms and seventy or so Minor Classrooms, it was the highest institute of learning in the world of magi. To those on the outside, the mass of students just seemed to be attending an old university. And of course, utilizing both mystical and psychological barriers, it was precisely constructed and strictly monitored so that passers-by wouldn't carelessly walk in.

Once you entered the school for real, everything changed. According to my master, "while the school has its own rules, the laws of Human Society no longer apply." So while it at first appeared to simply be an illustrious university, with just a small change in direction, rampaging mystical beasts and unchecked Elemental Magecraft would become everyday sights. Even now, in a great labyrinth beneath the ground, one could find the ruins of all sorts of Mysteries, or the remains of any number of phantasmal creatures. Carelessly walk into that, and even a high-ranking magus had no guarantees of a safe return. So I was warned when I first came to London.

In addition to the main school that was the Clock Tower, the remaining eleven Faculties had their own independent college towns scattered throughout the London suburbs, though that was as much due to the geopolitical situation of the Magic Association. Now, my master was sitting in his private room within the Clock Tower. Compared to the city of the Faculty of Modern Magecraft (Norwich) - compared to the accommodations on Slur Street, this room was much better equipped and was as spacious as a hotel suite. The official-looking desk and single sofa gave the air of well-storied pieces of furniture, antiques in their own right. The gentle autumn sunlight pouring through the unconventional window over the delicate granite fireplace strengthened that image. In the end, though, that was all insufficient for the guest now sitting before my master.

"-So, how did it go?" The question came from lips as beautiful as flower petals. Her eyes stared straight at my master, like jewels of amber. The ringlets of her blonde hair were tied up in a blue ribbon, giving her the impression of a work of art made by the hand of heaven itself. While her raw beauty may have fallen behind that of the Princesses of Gold and Silver, the gold-like pride she exuded from her entire body more than made up for the gap. The fact that beauty was not dependent on form, but on the way one lived, was vibrantly expressed by that girl as if it was a matter of course. No matter how large the Clock Tower may have been, it would be a challenge to find another girl like her.

Luviagelita Edelfelt. Having become rather involved during the events that transpired at the Castle Adra, she had now come to pay him a visit. They had, after all, agreed that he would tutor her, so it was only natural she would visit, was her excuse. He said he would think about it and definitely didn't make any promises, or so was his reply. But just looking at them, I could tell which of them would get their way.

"'How did it go?' That's it, there's nothing more. That was the end of the story." With a frustrated air, my master sat behind his desk shaking his head. Cigar smoke rose into the air, wavering around the ceiling as if pushed by a false wind. Within the Clock Tower, depending on where you were, air conditioning was managed by different magecraft based on wind, or by your more conventional ceiling fans. My master's private room was an example of the latter.

It seemed that Luviagelita was grilling him on the most recent incident. The twin towers of Iselma and the murder that occurred there. Long story short, it was another investigation that my master had to deal with. ...But he wasn't alone. Both Reines and I were there with him.

One does not need to know the full story, but it is enough to know the meanings of the names involved in that incident. Inorai Valualeta Atroholm: The head of one of the Mage's Association's Three Great Families, the Lord of the Department of Creation, and one of the major leaders of the democratic faction. Touko's former teacher. Byron Valualeta Iselma: The head of the Iselma family. Father of the Gold and Silver Princesses, the two most beautiful people in the world made using magecraft. Touko Aozaki: A magus who attained the highest rank of Grand by being a peerless doll maker and finding and reconstructing the lost Primeval Runes. Was once under Sealing Designation before it was rescinded a few years ago. Maio Brishisan Clynelles: Magus from the Faculty of Lore and a member of the neutral faction. The Iselma family's personal pharmacist, as the the Clynelles family has been for generations. Atrum Galliasta: An arrogant rich playboy from a Middle Eastern family. I didn't like him very much.

As to the events of what happened there... Let us just say that the fate of the Iselma was the same as all the modern magi clans that push too far and greedily towards something they cannot have. That was enough explanation to make this conversation coherent.

"Well, there's no way that's the case. After all, you haven't told me the most important part. Even if you and Gray passed out, you still returned home alive, did you not?"

"With his lower body devoured, Maio became thoroughly and permanently crippled. Lord Byron returned to his senses, only to immediately begin complaining that we didn't just kill him." Maybe that was the obvious result. His entire life had come to an end. After the pursuit of ultimate beauty for untold generations, their goal had been forever stolen from them.

"Due to the killings and all-around fraud at the Assembly, Iselma's holdings were entirely frozen by the Clock Tower. The Princess of Silver, Rejina, and Islo Sebunan are all to be investigated along with Lord Byron, but I doubt much more information will come out. Even Maio's act of murder was written off by the Brishisan family as an individual's act of violence, unrelated to them."

While I cleaned the room, I watched the two of them out of the corner of my eye. Though my master had attempted to stop me since I was still recovering, I felt better to be doing something. As I was often in charge of cleaning the church of my old home, it was something I was good at. If I had to put it in words, it was something I could do without thinking. And the feeling of wiping that last bit of dust off of the window sill, or getting the polish of the floor done, so it shined just right, was work I found pleasant.

Sitting deeply in the sofa, Luvia was enjoying the tea prepared by her Japanese servant. The same servant that followed her everywhere, she had red hair with strips of the same blonde that Luvia wore so well. However, where Luvia shined, that servant tends to stay in the shadows. Hence the name she bore, 'shadow'. Luviagelita had once more come to see my master. It appeared she was here to experience the Clock Tower before officially applying as a student. Though it was entirely unexpected, it appeared she was considering taking up accommodations in the Norwich dormitory. Though I had overheard she was planning on taking the entire top floor of the dormitory for herself, so in the end, it still ended up sounding a lot like her and the extravagant lifestyle she must lead.

By the way, Norwich was famous in the Clock Tower for being the Daddy Long Legs clan. The Faculty of Modern Magecraft had taken that as a second name, as since even before my master had become its Lord and Dean, it was the Faculty that doled out the most in student loans and financing. For a similar reason, the name of Norwich had come to be associated with adopting in students around the Clock Tower. Putting down her porcelain cup, she fiddled with her hair a bit as if thinking before speaking. "Since the Edelfelts are a member of the Democratic Faction, we've been hearing all sorts of rumors. It is the most disturbing event to have happened these days."

"One of Valueleta's strongest families has just suddenly been extinguished, after all." My master's reply was melancholic as his fountain pen continued moving. Speaking only of the results, as part of the Aristocratic faction, the El-Melloi family scored quite well thanks to this event. After delivering a crushing blow to the Valueleta family of the Democratic faction, they had returned to the Clock Tower triumphant. Praised roundly by the nobles of the Clock Tower, even a great deal of assistance towards handling the El-Melloi family's debt had come pouring in. But for someone who was in the middle of that incident, such a result was far from what we had all wished. Who on earth would celebrate such an ending? The sound of his pen scratching on paper highlighted the empty feeling in the room. "Actually, I heard Miss Touko's body was a puppet, and that it contained some sort of monster," Luvia said, causing my master to look up from his writing. "She said she has recently been spreading herself out, right? Even when she was under a Sealing Designation, she was able to escape capture numerous times. Apparently, the losses had become so severe, they had to put a temporary hold on the Enforcers chasing her." A story that sounded very appropriate for her. At the same time, pressing him for that much information was also appropriate for one belonging to the Edelfelt family, "the most beautiful hyenas in the world."

My master gave a deep sigh. "I wonder if she always operates using a remote-controlled puppet for a body."

"I find that hard to believe. If it was just a puppet, there's no reason the memory-blocking drug would have worked on her. And after spending a month with Iselma, surely she would have been discovered at some point."

"...Then, why?" I blurted out by accident.

Slowly, Luvia turned her gaze to me, opening her mouth after a short pause. "Though it may just be a fake rumor, it's always circled around that she is a puppet user who has lost the Concept of an actual body."

"No...actual body?"

"Yes. If you make a perfect replica, one that perfectly copies the ability of the original in every respect, there's no real distinction between that and the original." A shiver ran up my spine. Logically speaking, that seemed correct. If there was a puppet that was a perfect copy of me, maybe there wouldn't be much need for me anymore. But, how do you come to that decision? No matter how much a puppet resembled yourself, you would always see it as someone else, wouldn't you? To let a puppet take over your life, to let a puppet take the glory for your successes... what kind of person would ever find that acceptable?

"...If it was her, then I suppose it's not impossible," my master said.

"Though it's a lifestyle I find hard to imagine," Luvia added. "Though, what of you, Shadow? You have met her before, haven't you?"

"I met her only once... She did seem like a strange sort of character then. I was lucky she didn't turn me into an experiment, to be honest." The maid had a cold voice, almost like a machine's. She rarely showed emotion unless her master was in danger.

"If I can surmise it, was it her that gave you those glasses?"

"Don't you know that prying is bad manners?" Luvia said to my master without stopping a beat. Her words were always lined with threats despite her usual demeanor. "Speak directly to me first if you wish to speak to my servant. Or perhaps you bear ill-will against me and my house. In that case, perhaps you need to be taught a lesson?"

"Fine. I apologize." Though it seemed that my master had a reason for the exchange. I did notice that Luvia was especially protective of her servant. I had also seen her with a different servant who was a seven-foot-tall Mohican, but she never treated him as defensively as this.

"Very good."

Passing her now empty cup to her maid, he replaced it with a dish carrying a scone. It appeared she was perfectly in sync with her master's pace. If one ignored the Japanese sword she wore in a scabbard at all times, she would seem like an ordinary servant. "Would you like one, Professor?" Luvia said, offering him another scone.

"I'm not in the mood for sweets. Also, don't call me that."

"Oh? Would you prefer I called you tutor, then? Instructor El-Melloi? Or perhaps you've picked up a liking for the term sensei in Asia?"

"...Professor is fine." With a bitter expression, he set down his fountain pen. It appeared he had completed whatever he had been writing. Luvia had ignored it, but suddenly I had become curious.

"...Master, is that a letter you're writing?"

"Yes, to Caleena's little sister. I couldn't give them precise information, so I thought I should at least return their family charm to them." Caleena, the maid, had been one of the unfortunate victims of the Tower situation.

"...So, she had another sister."

"It appears there were three of them, of which two were employed by Iselma. Well, I had figured as much."

"As always, sticking your nose in to take care of others," Luvia said, looking at the broken, whorl-engraved stone in her hands.

"It was probably broken into three," my master said. "The Celtic whirl is threefold, after all. Since each of the twins had one of them, I predicted there was likely a third somewhere. Actually, the reason I realized the Princess of Gold at the party was a result of plastic surgery was because of that." The idea that there were three of them. The realization that the Princess of Gold was a forgery made by plastic surgery was only a single step from there. Since the Princess of Gold and Silver were twins - maybe there was one more.

Luvia's eyes closed slightly. "Twins...seems like a story close to my own, then."

"I heard the Edelfelt family had two heirs each generation, called Scales," my master said, pulling out more stationery. Normally, a Magic Crest could only be passed down to a single heir. Not that it was impossible to do, but that splitting the crest was pointless. As such, the number of heirs of a typical family was limited to one, so even among rather powerful families it was normal not to teach magecraft to any other children in the family. But there is no rule without exceptions. The Edelfelts were one of those, it appeared. The presence of two heirs in one family, which in any other case would have been abhorred, came instead to be known as Scales. "Though I can't say I've heard of anyone except you who will take up the position for the next generation."

"My little sister is rather quiet, so she stays at home," she said with a faint smile. Judging from that smile alone, it appeared the relationship between the two sisters was good. "As for anyone else who may take up the third position, they act as a binding for the other two." Raising her fingers, she wrapped them around each other. With her two index fingers touching as if kissing, her hands looked like mirrored images. Her other hand covers it as if to say there is a third power that binds them together.

"..." But what, or who would be that third force?

"Magecraft developed around the concept of twins is like, for example, uniting with your own reflection. In exchange for being perfect in power while working in concert, they must never forget that they each have a dagger at the other's throat. Once you lose sight of that, the mirror breaks." Luvia spoke quietly. Was she speaking of the Princesses of Gold and Silver? Or was she talking about herself and her sister? After a pause, "There's one question I still have, then," Luvia said. "Who on Earth was willing to give Iselma such a sum of money that they could even repel Atram Galiasta in that black-market auction?" Right. That was something I had never figured out.

The auction in question was one that sold the linden leaf, a relic connected to the hero Siegfried. The money to obtain that is something not insubstantial, and the Iselma family couldn't have funded it all themselves.

"Though the Clock Tower pursued that first in their cross-examination, it appears Lord Byron has no memory of the events surrounding the auction."

"No memory...!" Luvia's eyes went wide. On top of that, a significant number of magi acquired their funds by illicit means, and kept the true extent of their wealth hidden in various forms. Even if one were to pin down how he had paid for the auction, it would still be difficult even for one well-versed in the world of business to accurately predict his total wealth.

"And I also have one remaining question," my master added. "Was it really a coincidence that the Princess of Gold's spell was completed with the addition of a third person?" In the case of the Castle of Separation, the Faculty of Law had been behind the scenes, pulling the strings. Though it had been my master who, having seen through the secret of the Castle, worked together with Luvia to defeat it, that all lined up perfectly with the schemes of the Faculty of Law - with the goals of that Hishiri Adashino. I still remember the bitter, resentful expression my master showed when he discovered he had been dancing to her tune all along. But, this time? Was it just a coincidence that Lord Byron acquired the services of a Grand to make up for the loss of the Princess of Gold? And was it a coincidence that Caleena reached an even higher level than the Princess of Gold after the procedure? Both of them fell silent. From somewhere far, far away, I thought I heard the faint sound of laughter.

---

Cool Wind (Music) /lzBbQd0_4wo

At that moment, the door to my master's private room burst open. "Professor! Is it true that Luvia came here?!" Of course, the blonde-haired blue-eyed boy poking his head into the room was none other than Flat. He was one of my master's best students, but his personality was more like an untrained puppy.

"You-!" With the way Luvia immediately rose to her feet, it appeared as if this wasn't the first time they had met. As the maid nonchalantly caught the precariously jostled dish, the boy clapped his hands together.

"But I heard you were coming for a viewing of the Clock Tower, so of course, I have to come say hello! And you've decided to apply for the El-Melloi classroom, right? In that case, I'm your upperclassman, and strong greetings are the basis of humanity!"

"First of all, I have no intention of allowing you to refer to me so flippantly!" Despite Luvia's scathing tone, Flat's smile remained unflinching, causing her to flush red. Perhaps Flat was good at seeing through his partners in conversation...though for me, who was so thoroughly inept in these kind of social settings, I had no way of really telling. Ah, even Flat's intervention into the Gandr shot she just fired was probably just a link in the chain called communication.

"Flat! What is wrong with you?! Why can't you greet our new junior properly?!" This time, the one yelling was Svin, another student of master. He resembled more a wolf than a puppy, more literally in this case. Perfectly groomed, Svin's face showed no signs of the injuries he had sustained last month when he fought a demon summoned by none other than Aozaki Touko. While he had been hurt to the same degree I had been in the incident prior, perhaps thanks to his Bestial Magecraft, it took him only three days of the week that had passed since then to reach a full recovery.

My master's brow furrowed. "...You guys..."

"No, seriously, I was just here thinking about our new classmate- ah, Gray! Ahhhh, a pink aroma today! With just a little bit of that melancholic, square blue flavour..." As Svin descended into a sniffing, ecstatic trance, I instinctively stepped behind my master.

The strong scent of cigar smoke coming off of his shoulders made me feel a moment of dizziness. "I told you to stay away from Gray, didn't I?"

"...R-right..." At my master's reprimand, Svin's head sank. The way his curly hair moved back and forth made it look like the ears of a dog.

"Call (Awaken)!" Luvia's hand became a gun, charging energy through it.

"Begin Interference! Ahaha Luvia, there's no need to get so excited!" As Flat mixed incantations into his speech, the conflict between him and Luvia continued to escalate. Being the private room of a Lord, it had a reasonably solid mystical security, and Flat was already specialized in receiving enemy magecraft without harm, so nothing had been destroyed yet, but...if someone with the same nature as Luvia became her opponent, I wouldn't be surprised to see a classroom or a lecture hall or two destroyed.

In the middle of that escalating conflict, "...My my, how noisy things are today." Stepping calmly through the room's door, Reines entered with an amusing turn to her lips. My master, on the other hand, returned her look with much less pleasure.

"Then I would be grateful if you said something to them as well."

"If I did that, then everyone would lose respect for you. As your humble sister, I am of course obliged to take pains to protect your dignity in the workplace."

"All you care about is seeing me suffer, don't you?"

"Hey, revealing such a truth so quickly isn't very tasteful, now is it?" Reines smiled, completely unperturbed by admitting to the accusation. Watching the battling Luvia and Flat - and Svin, who had somehow got himself tangled into the mess as well - out of the corner of her eye, Reines cut across the room with Trimmau to stand at her brother's side. "...You were hoping for a better solution, weren't you?"

"...An odd thing to bring up now," he replied, turning away. The Twin Towers incident. The obvious case of Maio's maiming aside, the fact of the matter was the Princess of Silver, and her maid had also tried to embroil us in their mess. Even if it was to escape the control of Lord Byron, there was no arguing that they had tried to abuse the El-Melloi name and Reines herself to do so. But, beyond that. There was no way my master would be satisfied with this situation, where everyone loses. The acceptance of the logic of a magus (monster) did not necessarily mean discarding the logic of a human. BUt perhaps that makes him someone strange in the Clock Tower. Because my master hoped to cling to both of them, his suffering was more than double that of other magi. Reines, who understood that better than anyone, had said that. I'll just choose to ignore that saying so had made her smile.

"I said don't call me Le Chien!" Svin yells at Flat.

"If you are supposed to be my upperclassmen, could you two at least act like it?!" Luvia demands.

"Ahaha, no way! You won't find any upperclassmen as good as Le Chien and I! So if you have any questions about the Clock Tower, please feel free to ask- oh, I forgot! I needed to tell Atram how to improve his Weather Manipulation!" No matter how big my master's private room was, it had begun to shake with all the commotion going on. It was like the melancholy air left by the aftermath of the incident had never existed - like we were in the midst of a warm dream.

"Ihihihihi! What, you're not crying, are you?!" The stupid thing on my right hand spoke up.

"...Shut up." Snapping my right hand in a way no one else would hear it, I stepped forward. After an impressed hum from Reines, my master tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Gray?"

"As your apprentice, I'll scold them a little." So saying, while still just acting on a whim, I stepped into the middle of the three of them. I went a bit overboard and yelled at everyone.

---

Later that night, I was still working cleaning the halls near my master's study.

I recall what happened at the end of the last incident. As I watched one of the two towers collapse, I felt some inscrutable pain. We had saved a single life, and yet that was all. There still remained a vaguely empty feeling. Seeing that level of work disappear, the efforts of untold generations all erased, created a sense of loss in my chest that came close to physical pain. Though I only witnessed it for a moment, I nevertheless felt like they should have had a brighter future, that they should have achieved a more brilliant glory.

I was not the only one there. "...Dammit. This is nothing but a complete loss." From a bit farther away, Atrum Galliasta was grinding his teeth in open frustration.

At the same time, my master called out in a calm voice. "I'm glad to see you're safe."

"Of course I'm safe! Though thanks to the backlash from that defense, many of my elites have been knocked out." Even so, the fact that he himself was completely unharmed spoke volumes of his power as a magus.

"...Heh. Serves you right," Reines whispered. The fact she couldn't quite hide the smile twisting her face was ample proof that she was enjoying this from the bottom of her heart. Though we had been pushed to the utmost limits of our physical bodies as well, it seemed our composure was suffering more than our bodies were.

"-Well, whatever. This trifling contest is now over. The true battle is yet to come," Atram said, turning around. Giving my master a heavy look, he continued.

"As you said, the Linden leaf I sought is no more. As your conjecture was correct, it's my loss. But it's not like I'm completely incapable of finding another relic. I have another plan already lined up. The previous Lord El-Melloi may have treated this Holy Grail War as no more than a game, but I-"

"Allow me to give you one warning, sir," my master said, cutting him off. Looking directly at Atram, he spoke shortly. "Don't take the Holy Grail War lightly." How heavy were those words with feeling? Atram, who had been looking down at my master since the beginning, for a single moment, went stiff. As if forcing his stopped heart to start moving again, he took a deep breath.

"Well, well, it seems I've struck a nerve. Hahaha, perhaps rather than your predecessor, it was you who was blessed throughout that Holy Grail War? This Holy Grail War is different. The Association will not choose you to represent them, or else they would have lost two lords one after the other." Atram's voice held a mockery that was hard to miss.

"You...!"

"It's okay, Gray." As I stepped forward, my master reached out to stop me. "It's as he said. As a representative of the Clock Tower, there is no chance for me to join."

"Ha. It seems you know your position well."

"However, that only means 'as a representative of the Clock Tower.' There is no reason for you to worry. There is nothing more for you to gain here. I suggest you return home and begin your preparations as soon as possible."

"I don't need to hear that from you. I'll show you, and I'll show all the other magi. A battle is decided long before it starts." With an exaggerated flourish, Atram straightened his suit before turning his back on them. "...Ah, that's fine," he muttered as he took his leave. "...If I can't get the dragon slayer, I'll just take the dragon user." Now, that dark-skinned magus must have been preparing for his next battle. Even still far out, the Grail War was attracting people with wishes like flies to light.

As time marches onwards, so too do our lives. No matter what incident, it never truly ended. Whether explicitly or not, the repercussions of those events created an ever-expanding chain reaction. After throwing a stone into a pool of water, even once the ripples became invisible, that energy was nevertheless spreading throughout the water. That was more than obvious. I didn't know how this incident would affect the various people involved in it. Maybe people like Luvia and my master could see a little further ahead, but even they could hardly view the whole picture. What a complex tapestry time weaves.

While still entranced by that thought, I finished a number of classes and returned to my master's private room. On my way, I suddenly remembered I had forgotten my tools for shoe polishing. Though there were some left both here in the Clock Tower, and at our place on Slur street, they occasionally needed replacing. Luckily, like our place on Slur Street, the room here was divided into a study and a greeting room, and because I had a duplicate key for the latter, I could come and go as I pleased.

'...Did I go too far?' After chastising the three of them earlier, I was still feeling angry at myself. Maybe they weren't that big of a problem. Maybe I had just made them hate me for no reason. Such a storm of regrets raged in my head. At least as far as Flat and Svin were concerned, I knew in my head that they wouldn't hold it against me, but that understanding hadn't reached my heart yet. And so, before I fell into dark thoughts, I needed to continue with my task.

"Umm..." Opening the shoebox in the room, I found what I was looking for. While there was still plenty of cream and remover, the brush I was using was one that Mr. Krishna from the dorms was just about to throw away, so I would need to get a new one soon. I also wanted to get some new cloth. Though the quality of the tools didn't impact the end result all that much when it came to polishing shoes, it certainly affected how I felt about it. "...Maybe I should get a part-time job."

I remembered the dormitory's request for workers. I also hear that Mr. Emiya will be arriving soon so that makes me glad to see him again this summer so that will help. Though my master, of course, provided me with enough for my usual expenses, I felt that using some money to get those new supplies wasn't uncalled for. Not that I knew how much he actually cared about me polishing his shoes. Just as I put them back in the paper bag, I heard a sound from inside the room. '...Master?'

Normally, he should have moved on to the Faculty of Modern Magecraft's own town at this time of day, but it seemed like today he was still here. I opened the door to his room just a fraction. If I were to make excuses, it wasn't that I was trying to peak. Before I could call out to him, I saw him utter a short incantation as he turned the key on a cupboard in the back of the room. It seemed it was a cupboard with both a physical and magical lock on it. From inside the cupboard, he took out an oaken case, opening it and taking out the contents. Though I couldn't see clearly from this distance, it appeared to be a kind of antique red cloth.

"Is that...?" A certain word jumped to the front of my mind. Relic. The thing my master had gambled with Atram. Holding that scrap of red cloth carefully in his hands, my master looked down on it with a terribly complicated expression. He didn't squeeze it. It was as if he was hesitating to do anything that might wrinkle it even slightly. Though all I saw were the faint trembling in his brow and lips, it was like viewing a kaleidoscope of emotion.

Anger. Grief. Pain. Happiness. Sadness. Affection.

"...I feel like you'd just laugh and call me a novice again, wouldn't you?" How long did he stare at that cloth before those words leaked out? Instinctively, I spun around, leaning up against the wall. Pushing my hands onto my mouth, I desperately tried to suppress my voice. This time, right now, I definitely couldn't interrupt. That's how I felt. Slowly I slid down the wall, falling to sit down on the floor, still holding my hands over my mouth. Just, my heartbeat was too loud. I felt like I had just seen something very important. As if I had just carelessly snuck a look at someone else's treasure. No, not just a treasure - more like I saw his heart, the core of his being. If that was the relic he used during the Fourth Holy Grail War... If that was the reason he wanted to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War... I let out a quiet sigh. '-I hope they can meet again...' That one thought pushed painfully through. Since I had come to London, that was probably the first "wish" I had ever had.

---

After Gray had scolded everyone, the room was emptied of all except for Luviagelita, Lord El-Melloi II, and Reines. They had a topic to discuss that was to be only between them. That being the incoming arrival of a certain boy. The one that the El-Melloi family had created a tenuous alliance with and one of the reasons that Luvia chose Lord El-Melloi as her tutor.

Luvia had a simple demand. "You want to do what...?"

"I wish to meet mister Sherou at the airport. Or the port if he arrives by private yacht. Is that not acceptable? Pardon me if I do not believe that you will be able to tell me where he is if I leave it to you."

"Of course not... My payment is blessing your classroom with my presence when I decide it is time to enter the Clock Tower.

"Oh, do you know him, miss Luvia?"

"Yes, I know him. Hmph."

"...But you won't say how or in what manner. He is not exactly the sociable type, I dare say. Could it be that you are secret lovers?" Reines puts out the idea nonchalantly.

"A-a-a-absolutely not! It is not like that at all...!" Luvia lost her composure at the thought of it. "...Regardless, why is it that you think it is us that is allied to the Einzberns? I have heard that it was the Einzberns that caused the death and near destruction of your predecessor."

"...I would be interested in where you heard such a thing, but I will not deny that it is true. The Einzberns had hired the most dangerous master in that war, and he... my teacher should not have tried to challenge him." It was clear that he regretted it. Waver did not blame Kiritsugu nor the man who was now his predecessor. He could only blame himself for his immaturity in that war. "As you say, there is no reason why you should think we are allies."

"Fufufu. No, I know that is not true. Both your enemies and your allies want to destroy the alliance between your families. The Democratic faction wishes that it could take the Einzberns as allies for themselves, the neutral faction wishes they could gain the research of the Einzberns for themselves, and the Aristocratic does not want a family as powerful as the Einzberns to suddenly start intervening in the power structure of the Clock Tower. Thus the capital that flows towards the purposes of the killing or kidnapping of the famed head of the Einzberns tends to move opposite your direction. This is enough to tell that you are at the center of it. As for the reason, I can only think that this was the only way you would have a chance of paying off the debts of the El-Melloi in less than a century."

"...A good supposition, yet it demonstrates no reason that I should acquiesce to you."

"The real question is why you are allied to him in the first place? The true reason."

Reines answered. "The deal that was made was heavily in our favor. The Einzberns asked for very little and gave very much. The things that they did ask for are things that my dear brother becomes stressed about, so that is extra."

"You didn't have to say it. It would have been much easier to maintain deniability with Luviagelita than try and argue with her."

"No, I didn't. However, it seems to me that this path will be more troubling for my dear brother. You will help out your poor student find her lost lover, will you not?."

"...We are not l-lovers. He is no more than a tool for my own ends. Now, then. I wish to meet Shirou Von Einzbern myself as soon as he arrives. Will you tell me, or will I have to take the knowledge from you by force?"

"Hah... Fine." Lord El-Melloi was always being pushed around. He was used to it, and dealt with stress by chain-smoking cigar after cigar.

"Good. Does he own his own private jet? Or will he come on a luxury yacht?"

"...No. Tomorrow, August first. I don't know the flight, but he will arrive in the early morning at Heathrow. As for the transportation, he will certainly be taking the economy class."

"Economy class? For a man of his status? He deserves a slap, if only for that. That is very like him, however..." Luvia lamented the fact that Shirou had always held onto his commoner ideals no matter how much she tried to tell him to change. However, deeper down, it was exactly that which attracted her to him in the first place. She had never met a diamond that she could not crack. She was sure that it was only a matter of time before she won over Shirou to her side.

"You...you are going to slap him?" Waver's headache only worsened much to the enjoyment of Reines.

"Of course, I won't. I can control my emotions effortlessly. I will convey my anger at him nobly and gracefully. To slap him would mean he and his... ridiculous commoner thinking has defeated me. Of course, I will not fall to his tricks! I-its not like I want him at my side in that way...!" She swore at no one in particular that she wouldn't lose a battle only she saw.

"You seem to know more about him than simple acquaintances. I was unaware he would know someone like you."

"Someone like me? I am perfectly able to find people with potential, and he was my first such case. Him being a Von Einzbern simply means that I don't need to hold back against him." Her mother had told her about the truth of what had happened to that generation. How the twin Edelfelt sisters found ruin in the land of Japan, and how the ones responsible were the Tohsaka and the Einzbern families. This was in addition to the fact that the Einzbern family was one of the few richer families than the Edelfelts, which was a sour spot. Luvia struggled to forgive how the Einzberns hid all of it away, isolating themselves from the world entirely. Both Luviageltia and Katarina, her sister, had soured on the land of Japan. Their views of it are tainted by bad memories and bad stories.

"Then I won't intervene further. If you do come to blows, don't come to me. I will be far out of the conflict in that case. I don't wish to become involved in personal issues."

"Come now, brother. If Shirou starts killing everyone, then that is partly your fault as his teacher, is it not?"

"I wish that I could wipe my hands of it. ...But I cannot push even a monster like him away." Waver did not use the word monster lightly. Magi (monsters) were already heretics dedicated to deviancy and taboo. However, some can only be known as 'true' monsters. People that went beyond what should exist at all.

"Why would Sherou start killing people? The Einzbern magic is well-known for its flaw of lacking combat usages. One such reason they are the inferior house to the Edelfelts." Of course, they made up for it with their Homonculi that could be created to be on the level of Phantasmal beasts. That is why the Einzberns struggled to find victory in the Grail war that, by all measures, they should have been winning simply based on the fact that they controlled the preparation of the Grail.

Luvia remembers the boy in her letters. Didn't he loathe violence...? That wasn't it, was it? Or was it the other way arround, and he was simply in denial?

Regardless, she knew enough of him to know that he was her antithesis. "He is dangerous, Luviagelita. You know him as a Von Einzbern, but he takes perhaps more from his paternal side. ...Including the title that his father once wore."

"And what title would that be?" Who was Shirou's father? Who was his mother? If Shirou is human, then how can he be in the Einzbern family, which lost all of its human members? What is his magic? If so many people wanted him dead or otherwise, how is he alive? Was the obsession about him really as simple as people desiring the money, prestige, and knowledge of the Einzbern clan? "Why do you fear such a simple boy?"

Questions that she wanted to learn from the man himself, yet it seemed that the answers to each one were important enough that the truth of value to even Lords of the Clock Tower.

Lord El-Melloi would leave her with a single warning and answer.

"Magus killer. That was his father. Do not make the mistake of underestimating him, and do not think that he will exist within your own rule-set. He is a greater heretic than even the Clock Tower can manage." A magic-user without any pride who could kill any target regardless of their magical defenses. The sort of person who lacks any care for their own magic and works only for the results. A destroyer who left only ruins in his wake.

The sort of magus Luviagelita Edelfelt hated more than any other. That made Luvia smile. "That makes him no worse than you then, Lord El-Melloi II." She left the room ready to see him for herself the next day.

"...Maybe so." Lord El-Melloi's words were full of regret, spite, and sentimentality. His emotions towards the man that was the Magus Killer were as complex as his nostalgia and hatred of his former self. The fourth war still cast a long shadow, but as it would turn out, even the reflection of the third war still had a part to play for one player.

Luvia reaffirms herself. He may have written strange letters, but those were all just codes for his struggles in becoming a magus. Becoming the 'devil' was not an uncommon view of magic, and all those crazy things he wrote down simply could not have happened.

She had no clue who the true Shirou Von Einzbern was. It was one of the personal reasons she couldn't just let him disappear from her life entirely. Allowing him to use her advice and then run away without showing anything for it would be a great shame for Luvia. Luvia prides herself on not regretting anything, so she can't just let it go.

Yet first and foremost, she knows she needs to stay focused on the true goal. That being the benefits to her clan by attaining him as an asset. "Exactly. He isn't anyone special, not at all. He's just another pawn to be moved..." Yet her teeth clench at saying it. She hated herself at that moment for multiple reasons. The sort of hate that only seemed to manifest in her when he was on her mind.

As if it were a curse, it was hard not to hate him. As if that was his entire purpose: to receive hate. And once you feel such potent emotion towards something, it breaks down all the other barriers for the rest of the emotional spectrum. Luvia was genius enough to realize that her feelings may not be totally honest and that she was going further than what the benefits to her house would justify, but even knowing that, she couldn't resist it.

That pissed her off even more, and it made her feel her least favorite emotion: the feeling that somehow she was losing a hopeless battle. So she swears to herself, "Come now, Luvia. Treat him as the rival that he is; that is how it will be. He is the head of a magus family; why do you think that he will be the same clueless commoner as back then?" Why is it that you want him to be the same as who you imagine him to be? "Yes. I will treat him as I treat everyone else.. I won't lose control, or else Katarina is right, and somehow he is my 'weakness.' What foolishness. I have no weaknesses."

"Sister, finally, are you gone from that smoky room?"

"Kat-or should I call you Shadow?"

"Katarina is fine, as long as there are no unwelcome ears..." Katarina looked arround with her signature dark gold eyes but found no one. "Go ahead."

"Direct as always..." Katarina had only become even colder with time. Now that she had grown, she could be said to be a cold Asian beauty if not for the fact that she ruined it by hiding her best attributes. It was like she was ashamed of looking good, or perhaps looking Eastern.

"...Why...?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you insist on this folly? You don't need him for your inauguration. He doesn't need to be your guest of honor to bring you prestige in taking leadership. You don't need to move into that dorm; let me build a mansion for you instead."

Luvia ignores Katarina's suggestions. "Katarina, does the name truly curse you so? Is this what the land of Japan imparts on those who dare live there?" Luvia could be said to make what must be the closest face she had to sad. This was the girl she considered her blood sister. Yet it had always been him who was a shadow over their relationship.

"I saved every letter he wrote me. From the moment I read them, I knew they were mine; I knew that he was- ...When I read his bizarre lines, all I can think is that they are mine. Every night, I reread the letters he wrote me. I'm searching and scanning for answers in every line, for some kind of sign, and then..."

"What?"

"The world seems to burn, and I feel the rapture of staring right into the sun."

"Luvia... don't meet him tomorrow. There is nothing gained in finding someone who is no different from a burned-in shadow."

"Always so dramatic. The name aside, he is not the person you so project him to be. Even if he was, why would your fear the return of the brother you were always crying out for at night?"

"He..." Katarina looks at her hand, and all she can think of is what it would look steaming and turning to black ash. But, she swears it isn't imagination as much as it is memory.

"What?"

"He would make me burn."

"Then hide in the dark for your whole life, afraid of what the light would show you. Every prophecy and fear comes true when you do nothing and sit waiting for them. Your fear makes you hesitate far too much, Katarina."

"...I hope... that my fears are wrong. I just don't want you to burn too."

"Trust me, will you? When have I gone out of my depth before? I shall treat him as I treat any man. It will be trivial. Your worries will be rendered over tomorrow, and the questions that you so fear will burn so high are more likely to simmer out, exposed as being naught but small flames. There is nothing to worry about."

"Please... just... Let Icarus fly alone; when the time comes, don't follow too close to the sun. Don't go where even a shadow can't reach."

"That's enough. Good night, Shadow. Complete your duties as my servant tonight and leave me." Luvia speaks to her sister as no more than a servant, sternly telling her to leave her.

Luvia leaves her sister behind. She doesn't take Katarina's worries seriously.

That night, Luvia feels the world burning once more as she holds the letters in her hands.

---

"Eh?" My cheek was stained with the print of a red slap. It hadn't been the first time I had been slapped by a girl, but never so publicly and never so surprisingly. It was like the whole train station stopped for a second. Her hand's reverberation on my cheek was loud enough to stun everyone for just a moment. ...But then it all went back to the normal bustle from before as people simply saw it as some kind of lover's quarrel between two strange-looking people.

"..." She looked a bit shocked at her own actions as if it was her that had been slapped. Her emotion at that moment was shame. It was as if she was shocked that she had lost at some internal battle.

What did I do wrong? No... Where was I? What is my name? Why was I just slapped? What is a slap anyway? My brain was frozen blankly, looking at the blue figure in front of me. It seemed that she regretted the action as soon as she did it, but she seemed like the type not to give up and freeze in strange situations. So she went along with it.

"H-hate me if you will, but I could not allow this slight to go unpunished. Let it be known that the Edelfelt family does not suffer betrayal and dishonor." She explains herself as if it is clear and logical, but her red face betrays a certain emotion that forced her hand at my face impulsively. "Of course, that slight being... that you stopped writing me letters!"

"Oh... I see."

"It is certainly a valid reason..." She murmured to herself. It was as if she had pushed herself into a corner and didn't know how to justify her own actions.

An awkward silence ensued. I don't know what this extremely gorgeous girl is talking about. At this point, I was finally coming to understand what had just happened about a minute ago. Her name was Luviagelita Edelfelt, and she and I were once pen pals. No- we were more than that. Those letters held far more than a simple casual discussion between kids. Those were letters in which I desperately looked for answers to all the insanity that was happening in my childhood. The things I put in there expose me in a way I really haven't matched since.

...In some ways, it may have been 'him' who had been writing all that. Thinking back on it now, all I can feel is embarrassment about how unbelievably edgy and crazy those letters really were. She must see me as an insane person.

"Ah..." My humiliation starts dissolving my brain. "Hahaha... Well..." I laugh at the feeling of my brain slowly melting away.

Luvia mistakes it for me being offended. She is the first to break. "This was not as I wanted this to go... Could I ask for your forgiveness, Sherou?"

"Y-yes. I forgive you. ...But don't get into the habit of doing again. I can't have that much abuse considering who I already have to deal with." She is too embarrassed by her action to notice my words. Speaking of those two... where are they? Still caught up in customs, I guess.

"Perfect! ...Shall we try this again? Ahem." It was probably right to forget about the last few minutes for the sake of our sanity. "It is my honor to make your reacquaintance, Shirou Von Einzbern." She curtsies, but not like Illya used to. Luvia makes sure that her shoulders are always held high, and she never lets anyone ever look down on her. "How long has it been since we met? Five years?"

I bow to her. "Yes... five years nearly to the day. So let me say it, I am glad to see you once more, Luviagelita Edelfelt. Or can I still call you Luvia?"

"Please go ahead. There is no need for you to be formal. Were you never one to care about that in past? Or has become the head of the famous Einzbern clan changed you?"

"Desiring change is something everyone has, but it is not so easy as declaring it. The day that I no longer need to say I am an adult now is the day I have grown up. But you... seemed to have passed me by. I can't help but feel like I was disrespecting you all that time, acting like a kid when you have already made it five steps ahead."

"Ohoho. Now that is the sort of conversation I have expected of you. It really is you... Who else would be foolish enough to wear such a heavy name yet show themself as a commoner?" She winks. "You see, I have been looking for you for some time now. Finding you"

"...I am sorry, Luvia. ...I would like to say that choosing not to keep in contact with you was because I had to for safety, but that would be a lie. I cut off our letters because-"

She holds her fan to my mouth. "Shush."

"..."

"I understand, Sherou. You do not need to say more. I have forgiven you over time. I can not hold grudges against a commoner who knows no better." This is quite a change from the act of slapping me. The emotions she had then were real; it's just that she has gotten too good at suppressing them.

"Then we are still friends?"

"F-friends?" She looks at me with awe. Then she sighs. "T-that is..."

"Jeez... I didn't think that immediately on landing here, I would find someone who knows me." I probably would never have opened up to her if I knew that one day we would reunite. ...But it was inevitable. I was the careless one to think that a relationship forged could be thrown away so easily. I think I can live with the consequences. "Speaking of which, how did you find me?" If she could, then others may as well. My body suddenly tightens, and I go on alert. Such an open place... I scan the crowd with the eyes of a hunter. I will have to respond in kind if that is the situation. Magi are not supposed to ever fight in public, but I can't let that-

But Luvia dissuaded that notion. "No, no. Do not think I am here to hunt you. In fact, the man who told me made me swear that I wouldn't cause a too big of a scene in such a public place." Though, even without magic, she stood out here at the airport with me. Her slap wouldn't go unnoticed by people even if they saw it in their own slanted way.

Someone who would know when I was coming? "...Waver Velvet..?" My face must have been serious because hers became similar.

"If you wish to call him by that name, then I will not deny it. ...I understand that you will have reservations; I am a magus renowned as a great huntress, after all. Perhaps you are terrified that I have come for you now?"

I shake my head. "I wasn't worried about you. You wouldn't do that."

She stood up to me. "How can you be so sure? You seem too confident in yourself. Do you think I am so weak to be afraid of you?"

"No, nothing like that. It's simple. We're friends, and you are a good person so that you wouldn't do that. I was only worried because if there was trouble, then I would have to protect you, and..." The two girls could be here at any moment.

She freezes once again. "Ah... How are you even still alive with a mindset like that? ...I-idiot."

"I think it's a normal mindset, Luvia. Although I do admit, it is not one that goes unpunished." I have the scars to prove it. Many of them represent what should be fatal wounds. "Regardless, is it not that I am a part of a noble family by your standards?"

"Even if you have inherited the position as leader of the Von Einzberns, you are still the same helpless commoner beneath. M-maybe even an old friend. I-If that is what you want me to see you as?"

"You don't need to look at me the same way if that troubles you. I can act out even the role of a noble if it makes it easier for you to be around me." That's how magi are. Even if Luvia and I were long-term penpals, that means nothing here in London. It's cruel, but I learned the hard way that there isn't much I can do about it. "I mean, if you don't see me as a friend, then I wouldn't want to force you to act it out on my behalf. I am fine with whatever you wish for, Luvia." I smile at her as best I can, and her face turns a little red.

But she takes my sympathy as a haughty challenge. "Hah...! I am Luviagelita Edelfelt, and I can answer any question easily and without embarrassment!"

"So answer it then."

"...W-we... are maybe... f-friends." She says quietly. She was normally like a hyena, but sometimes she sounded more like a mouse. "B-but don't misunderstand! I can't condone a commoner, even if it is you! So you are my rival first...!" She points her finger out at me. Somehow this whole personality feels familiar.

"Rivals? I don't think that is possible."

"You don't...? Do you look down on me and my house to such a degree? I will show you, you haughty Einzbern-" She started getting mad again. She was quite prideful, perhaps even more than Tohsaka.

"No, it's the opposite." I wave my hands at the idea.

"...You admit then that I am better in all respects to you? That you would have no chance of defeating me? That the Edelfelt family is superior in all respects to the Einzberns?"

That sounds about right. "Sure. ...That's probably true when it comes to almost all things." I am only good at one thing, which allows me to do a few things with my life. I'm satisfied with that much.

She seems surprised. She sighs."Hah. That is all wrong, Sherou. You aren't supposed to say that."

"I'm not?"

"It seems that you have yet to learn the important lessons of being a magus, even now. ...I guess that means I must take responsibility. You are far too meek. There is no sense of victory in defeating someone who doesn't care if they win or lose. Consider me your etiquette teacher from now on. Now, come with me. We can't hold the most important lesson of your life in some shabby airport, can we?" She grabs my hand.

"Uh... Luvia. I..." She was essentially pulling me along with her. But what about Sakura and Tohsaka? "Hah... what to do?" I look arround and don't see them.

"Hmph. Come now, don't resist. This is for both our goods. I don't know London very well, so you must show me the sights. You don't have any engagements, do you?"

"...Is that it? I can do that with you." I smile. I'm glad she didn't ask for anything too troubling. "But it's not like I know London very well, so-" I was going to say that maybe I could do that tomorrow when I was ready with my room at the dorm. However, there was a mistake in communication. We were speaking in a strange mix of English and Japanese, so it was inevitable that intricacies in what I said would get lost in translation.

'Let's spend some time together,' had two meanings. It could mean that we would spend time together at some time later, or it could mean that we will now spend some time together. She understood it as the latter, and I as the former. However, I think that she had entrapped me far in advance. No matter what I said or did, she would have pulled me to the same conclusion.

"Perfect! Then we will explore the city together. You see, I have yet to see my own lodgings for this summer. There is much that I wish to see for the first time with you as my companion." This was a dangerous situation. "I did want to speak to you once again after you stopped contacting me. Or was I mistaken when you said earlier that you wish to get to know me too?"

"I-I do." I lose.

She wrapped her arms arround my own in an immediately intimate way. "Splendid!" She has an impulsive side to her. Is this what happens if you are never told no as a child?

"L-L-Luvia...?"

"What? Oh, w-well. Don't misunderstand! This is so you won't try and run away. It's this, or I will have to use binding magic on you." I am sure that there were many alternatives to this, but my brain wasn't helping me today. Thus, she guided me into the train that leads to the center of London, and I left both Sakura and Rin behind. Hopefully, they will forgive me, but it was the only way.

"I'm not a dog..."

"Now, don't pout. You have a woman as flawless as me as your companion; you should be honored. Consider this my consideration for you. Now, where shall we go first? Westminster Castle? Big ben? I have also heard of some kind of wheel that the commoners use to entertain themselves." It's called a Feris Wheel, Luvia... Though her entertainment would be based on something different from normal people. Not that I can say anything, considering my preferred hobby is chores.

"But I have this luggage with me..."

"Well, then call on your servants to pick up some slack and carry them for you? Where are your servants anyways? Hiding from me?"

"No... I don't have servants."

"No servants...? Is the Einzbern family not known specifically for their homunculi fit as servants?"

"...I never thought of them that way. I don't have servants." To me, they are just a part of my family. I could not care less about how they were born.

"I see. You wish to do things yourself? How commoner of you. So, you must be a strong man then. Or shall I call on my own servants to look after your items?"

"No, there is no need for that. I don't bring that much with me anyways." Some things should never be given away.

"Fufu. I, too, am a light traveler. This visit, I only brought along twenty or so bags."

"Only... twenty?"

"I know. It does make me sound like a peasant to have such a low number. However, I value the speed at which I can move more than my sister. She would have brought the entire house along if she had come along with us."

"Us?" Did she come with someone else?

"Me and... well... I can not be the one to bring that up. She has to introduce herself to you herself. You see, I have another important person to me who wishes to make your acquaintance."

"I see. A family member?"

"Yes. She snuck in and read our letters when I was away once. Now she has all sorts of terrible delusions relating to you. Forgive me if she treats you coldly when you meet."

"Oh, well... I'm used to that. I'm sure she is a good person underneath."

"Hah. Wrong."

"She's not?"

"No, not that. She is a precious person to me. It is you who keeps making the same fundamental mistake. First rule for you to start remembering: when another magus starts considering you an enemy, you must strike back at them with overwhelming force. For example, when I declare that you are my rival that means that you should-"

"Try and become friends instead?"

"No! It means that no matter what

"Alright, if that's what you want."

"Hah, what is it with you? Why do I always have trouble with you, just you?"

"Yeah. But to be honest, I do not believe in such a thing as coincidence. All meetings are fated." And so I was abducted for a while. We became lost fairly quickly, and I simply took in the sights and places as I tried not to think of the beating Tohsaka was going to give me later for leaving her. Though, somehow I dreaded Sakura's small disappointed face even more.

After fulfilling her wish of exploring, we get lost, and she simply starts dragging me from place to place in the city, asking me where I'd like to go and what I think she would like to see. Of course, I would like to find a part of the Clock Tower to show her, but neither of us even knows where to go to find it. It is split into so many different buildings even magi wouldn't be able just to discover any particular one.

So I treat her as I would any rich girl. I do have experience appeasing Illya, at the very least, and she was easily appeased in one place: a high-end store for fashion.

"What looks better on me?" Luvia held up two gloves. They were both white, and they both looked the same. Their price tag was beyond expensive for no real reason.

"I-I wouldn't know..."

"Come now, Sherou. When you are alone with a girl looking at clothes, then you need to be honest with your opinions."

"You look amazing, Luvia," I say honestly.

"W-well... don't just come and say that! How can you not be embarrassed?"

"You told me to say it?"

"Yes, yes... well, what about you? What is your fashion preference?"

"Me? I don't know..."

"Hoho, it is just a simple question that answers why I am here today. It is not like I would purchase any of these commoner items. I have a personal tailor who designs my clothing to my liking. It is you that needs to be improved upon. Now, what is your desired look? A rugged adventurer, perhaps? Or a dashing knight?"

"I just put on anything that fits." Fuji-nee would give me old clothes she got from Raiga, and that was my main clothing plan. Or I would just wear the school uniform otherwise. Westerners are more like Tohsaka... they value standing out.

"I see. That is a serious problem. If you look lousy, then don't expect anyone ever to respect you. Commoners need to be reminded of who is their better. If you cannot show them that, then you are dropping down to their level."

"I mean... do I really look that bad?"

"...I wouldn't say that... You have a particular rugged charm. The sort that a competent commoner would have. With thick arms and- Jeez, w-w-what are you making me say?"

"..." I have learned not to say anything in these types of moments.

"Listen. Your... c-charms... are beside the point. You are an Einzbern, Sherou. You hold the power in your hands to influence even the Great Houses if you so choose, so why act like a commoner?"

"Well... I'm not exactly advertising myself out here."

"That is another issue! You should be proud to bear your name, even if it is a dirty one in my view."

"Um... thanks?"

"You do want to be seen as powerful, don't you? As influential and effortlessly better than everyone?"

"...And what if I said that I don't care about any of that? Would you condemn me for that?"

"Yes. A waste of potential is something I hate more than anything. So I am going to choose to prevent that from happening. Now, come with me." She pulls me into essentially the most expensive tailor in London and starts commanding the workers there as if she were the owner. Soon enough, I have people taking my measurements and pulling at my clothes.

"Luvia... I don't think that- I really can't afford any of this."

"Nonsense, price is a trivial indicator that we are beyond." Tell that to people who can't even afford rice. "This place may not be as high standard as what I would use, but it will have to do on such short notice. Consider it my donation to you so that you may look more pleasing to my liking. Hmm... You will look good in a suit. It fits your reddish hair- huh? When did you dye parts of your hair white?"

She only just noticed? "It's not dyed."

"Then what is it?" She puts her fingers through my hair without any shame. "I can feel that it is natural... yet it is as if it has lost a part of its luster..."

"Ano... Luvia, you are touching my hair..."

"W-w-well, it is only natural... Pure white... smooth hair- ahem, it isn't very common even among magi. I had heard that it was a signature of the Einzbern clan, but it doesn't explain why you would have it only in patches. Is this your commoner definition of a fashion statement?"

"That is... It wasn't by choice. It just sort of... happened?" That would be the diplomatic way of saying that I hurt some of my nerves bad enough that even my hair lost its color.

"Hmm. I have heard stories of what happens when magi push their circuits past their capacity. The circuits start cracking and turn on the body, destroying a person from the inside. However, such a case only happens to incredibly stupid magi who attempt magecraft that is far beyond them. In order to achieve the result of losing even the color in your hair, your nerves first would have to be destroyed throughout your body."

"I wouldn't say that all of the people who feel the need to push themselves that far are stupid, Luvia. Most people do not have half of your potential, so if there is something that they need to do, something even more important than their own safety, the sacrifice is a non-factor."

"Then you hold something to be more important than your life?"

"I do."

She sighs. "Hah... It seems that your training will need to be far more intensive than a simple makeover. However, I am as a noble I can not ignore you as you beg for my help." I don't recall that I begged for this, but I will let her get her way. That was what she desired, so that is what I will give her. "Ah, it seems that the attendant is finally done lollygagging and has your size done. Your suit is ready. Now, get dressed, or else I will have to continue this conversation with a harsher tone."

"Fine... but only to try it on."

Later after putting on the western tuxedo suit and feeling like a businessman or some kind of high-end butler, I come and meet with her once more. I don't feel much of anything. Maybe I could put on a cape next and look like some over-the-top western lord. The kind that would be the villain father who won't let the hero marry his daughter.

I come out disappointed, but she beams at me, and somehow, her eagerness makes me feel a little better.

"Fufufu... It is everything I was dreaming of and more... You look truly majestic in a tuxedo, Sherou. It would be even better if I were to have you custom tailored, but that can be done at a later date..." She looked at me, almost drooling as if I were a ripe steak and she was... well, a hyena. "Excuse me? Service? I wish for mister Sherou to have at least four sets of this style in his possession in about, let's say, ten minutes?"

"Miss, but we do not have-"

"Five sets sound great! ...Do I make myself clear? Or shall I remind you of what happened the last time I was here?"

"O-of course, Mistress Luviageltia. We will have five sets for this man!" The man ran away as fast as he could.

"Can you believe the service here? I say at least five sets, and he takes that to mean he can just get away with finding you only five? It truly is pathetic and shameful; my apologies can not be enough for the disgrace of this place."

"I see. Do you enjoy looking down at people, Luvia?"

"Fufu. If it was anyone else who asked that, then I would take that as a challenge. You are simply too kind to these plebians. The fact of the matter is that I am better than everyone, so why deny it? That would be the far greater sin."

After that, I begrudgingly had to accept her gifts. In the end, she bought herself and me all sorts of things that I had little interest in. I carried all of it, on top of my luggage from earlier, making it even worse. It was like she was tiring me out so she could easily kill me at the end of the day. I had never seen so much money spent so quickly in such a short amount since a certain tiger. We looked for a place that could end this unexpectedly long day.

"Of course, but even so, you will return to me. Who else would look after a peasant like you if not for me?" Her smile was far too beautiful for me to look at without embarrassment. Her beauty was made almost luminous by the conviction of her nature. She wasn't like me. Her confidence was not vested in an ideal, but rather in the simple idea that she was the best and would never lose.

"Well... I guess there are some others."

"There are?"

"You know of Rin and Sakura, don't you? ...They look after me, so I don't go too far."

"Oh yes, those imaginary sisters of yours. I was always fascinated by that code."

"Yeah, they are like imaginary sisters to me." I see them as family.

"Forget about that for the moment. They can't look over you like I can. I am real, and they are not." That's cruel but correct advice. I can't try and force Sakura and Rin to protect me. If Luvia is offering, I can't say no, or else that's arrogance. "As much as I wished to continue our correspondence, I don't want you to think you have to go back to who you were before. The last thing you told me was that you had become the head of your family; thus you must embrace the change that best helps you to fulfill that role." I had yet to fully realize the scope of the miscommunication between us at this point, but it would become very apparent later.

In the early afternoon, we stopped for tea at a quant place in middle London. Neither of us had any clue as to where we were, but I think that at that point, we didn't much care. Meeting an old friend can be like returning home after many years. It is like nothing has changed between us, even if we both have become different people. She reached the natural conclusion of a first-rate magus while I fell down the path of nothingness.

She had become quieter all of a sudden, perhaps calculating her next move. Or to finally get to the actual point of why she had been hunting me down all this time. As much as I liked to think of her as a friend, I was all too aware that it was my name that had value. Kiritsugu fashioned himself as a bringer of gifts at Irisviel's suggestion. Why she was so adamant on that, he couldn't know, but it did serve the purpose of obscuring the truth of what had happened to the Einzbern family. To the perception of the Clock Tower, it was still the isolationist family of homunculi that were obsessed with the useless Holy Grail.

"British tea tradition is different from Japanese, or so I hear. They do not drink tea with their meals but rather before and after them."

Her manners were sublime and definitely gave off the air of aristocracy and nobility. Although... she did not reach a certain moon princess's angelic and royal etiquette. Not that any human could.

"How interesting..." She said, completely disinterested yet still sounding sincere enough to convince anyone but me. It was clear that she had wanted to say something for some time now. Then, as if it were also a nothing topic, she says some damning words in-between sips of tea. "Is it true that your father was Emiya Kiritsugu?"

"...!" I know she wanted to see my reaction. ...It goes unsaid that I do have an expressive face to my regret, as Tohsaka wouldn't enjoy teasing me so if that were not the case. Thus, I tend just to take the road of honesty whenever I can. "That is... It is true. " I don't recall that I ever mentioned his name in our letters.

"...Then you must not be ignorant to the fact that he was the worst type of magus? The worst and most filthy magus-user in the last few decades. A man who was known to destroy anything he came too close to."

"Absolutely. If you look at it that way, he really was the worst of the worst."

"You won't defend your own father?"

"I speak only the truth that even he would admit. There was no dignity in what he did, nor would he care for anyone else's thoughts. There were only two things he ever cared for, and magic was not one of them." I sip my tea. "But I can't say I am not the same as him. Even if I were branded a heretic by the Association, there is nothing gained nor lost for me."

"Then you are like him after all. A spell-caster, a magic-user, a magus-killer." Her words are lined with true vitriol. She hates those terms as they are everything she looks down upon.

"That is... not entirely true. My wish is not the same as my father's." My wish is even more hopeless than his. "But if you are to ask if I am more of a magus or a magic user, then I can't say that I am either. It was my mother who prevented me from becoming completely like my father, and it was my father who prevented me from becoming like my mother."

"Your mother? You didn't speak much about her in your letters." She was better left uninvoked. "And when you did, it was fairly nonsensical, even for you."

"Between the two, Kiritsugu was somehow both the responsible and good one."

"The Magus Killer was the responsible parent...?"

"The man that I knew was not the Magus Killer. He had lost everything, so in that family, I was the one you could call 'responsible'. I wasn't nearly as helpless as my letter must have felt to you. Those letters... they were outlets for my fear, so they show only one slanted view of what was going on back then." That was a golden year for me... even if it hurt so much in the end.

"...I am remorseful; it is an insensitive question. I had no desire to put you into a corner." Even a hyena has limits to what they will cackle at. Or perhaps, it was that this hyena had decided to look at me as something other than prey?

"You wanted to know the answer, and I am not against talking about it. You are likely aware by now that Kiritsugu was not my original father... I was adopted, no- saved by him. So I will always be trying to follow him."

"Yet he was heretic without compare."

"Indeed..." A long silence comes between us as we sip our tea in the sizzling sun. She keeps fanning herself, but I am used to sizzling heat.

She sits so perfectly it makes me feel inadequate, and I keep my back straight. She is the sort of person who elevates everyone around her by relation. If you don't at least try to keep up with her, she will walk right by you as if you are trash. "So you truly were adopted...?" That seems to set something off in her. "There was one more topic that I would broach with you today. Did you have a sister? A sister whose name-"

She stops when seeing the dark visage on my face. "..."

"I apologize. It is not I who should ask you such questions. I am not the one who searches for answers. I just see you, Sherou. I don't see a shadow from the past." She spoke, but I could not understand her words. "All I see is you, here and now. We live in the same town, if only for the briefest of moments. Am I not allowed to be concerned about you disappearing once more?"

"...You are worried about me?"

"D-definitely not! Don't misunderstand a noble's obligation for a commoner's basic worry. And don't try to deflect; all you are is an asset to me, nothing more."

"Then why were you referring to me as your dearest back?"

"What? You started that! I was just going along with you!" Mother did say that when contacting a woman by mail, you must start referring to them as your 'dearest' by the fourth letter. As the stupid kid, I was, I listened to her instructions. Irisviel must have planned this exact conversation many years ago.

"Did you bring it up because you want to start using it again? My dearest Luvia-"

"S-s-s-s-stopp! I said stop! Y-you can't call me that! Definitely do not call me that or else!" Despite her passionate outcry, my eyes were flaring at the sting of a total lie. Most lies are not so complete, after all. Yet this was a lie that even she was trying to believe. "That sort of p-prose is for letters only!"

"...So you would call me that in a letter?"

"Definitely not, but perhaps if you insisted."

"If it is something enjoyable, and you wish for it, then what force could make the great Luviagelita Edelfelt yield? I don't see it, personally. Even if her entire family was against something, and everyone else was afraid, then I don't see her backing down to anything." Even when she ought to run away, this was a girl who jumped in with absolute certainty in her own victory. Of course, this was overconfidence... but it really was beautiful all the same. "So I don't believe I could make you do anything you don't want."

"D-don't patronize me... But also, don't stop complimenting me. It is a novel sensation. I find it hard to disagree with you." It seems I flustered her too much. Though, this was dangerous in a different way from the cold conversation from before. "Being next to you... It is like the entire world starts to burn. Times turns as if it is running out."

"..." Our tea was empty with the next sip, as to confirm her thought.

"The day runs late; I still yet have my accommodations to take care of."

"It's only early afternoon, Luvia. You can't be that tired."

"I totally wasn't waiting at the airport since last night... so don't get the wrong idea. However, i-it has been a long day."

Not long after, I call for the cheque, and our reunion tour comes to a natural end. "Will I see you again, Sherou?" She asks almost hesitantly and vulnerable. She fears I will disappear again like the last few summers.

"Yes. If you would still have me, then you can find me by harassing that same source that you found me by in the first place."

"Have you? Well, next time, it will be more personal. Just us two involved."

That sounded like the plans one would make for a... "That is... is that a date?"

"D-d-date!? That's not-! Don't misunderstand; this is simply good manners for a... business transaction!"

"I'm only joking, Luvia. Of course, you'd never go on a date with me."

"I-I never said that... Despite your faults, you should not sell yourself short."

"But if we do need to talk soon, then I don't want to make you be the one who organizes it... Would you be willing to let me cook for you? I know I can't quite match the usual professional chef's meal you must be used to, but I do have a commoner's confidence in myself."

"You would cook for me? ...I can not say I am not interested." It was one of the skills that Shirou did hold over Luvia, who was certainly spoiled by the cooking of her servants. "Of course, the ability to cook is a commoner's skill. I can't see what purpose it holds if you want to make a new image for yourself." For the first time since Arcuied, I would have to go all out on a meal again.

"We'll see. Goodbye, miss Edelfelt. See you later. I still have to do a few things on my own."

"Of course, I leave you to it, mister Einzbern." It was too late for me to go and meet Waver today, so I can postpone that for tomorrow... "May fate keep bringing us together."

In truth, I walk the city and simply check up on a few people who I have helped before. Then I check up on those people who sell information to those like me. I essentially keep track of all the people and things that my father did, for he was the one who knew all about how to keep yourself safe and in the know in this world.

When I turn towards the dorm, I discover that Luvia was right. Fate did find a way to bring us together again without warning.

---

"What mediocre bureaucracy! To think they would keep us for two hours!"

"Nee-san... I'm sorry. If I hadn't pushed myself into this, then it would never have taken so long. The fact that my passport was fake wasn't helping anyone."

"Well, Emiya-kun can project an almost flawless fake, but he can't make their records suddenly recognize you. Stupid technology!"

Senpai never did show up. Nee-san was not pleased. "I see how it is." She says and starts stomping off.

"Nee-san, where are you going...?"

"I'm leaving. He's gone and left us, probably for a lousy reason, but we don't sit and wait for him. You get my luggage and meet me at the dorm later. Slur street, just remember that."

"You... but I don't know-"

"Do you want me to hold your hand? Sakura, you are my assistant. Why would I get my luggage when you can do it for me? I have to go and find some teachers to endorse me. I can't let Shirou's name get me places, or else he will start thinking he has some power over me." It was a very Tohsaka idea. Finding Clock Tower endorsements was something far harder than a single day would give, or at least for anyone else but her. Yet she was unlikely to give up until she forced them to acknowledge her talent.

"But..."

"No buts. Shirou may be a big softie when it comes to you, even if he tries to act cruel. ...And I do want to treat you as, well... family. However, consider the rules of the game invalid in London. Here, you are my servant and not my sister. You

"Y-yes, Nee-san. Or should I call you Tohsaka-sama?"

"Nee-san is fine, as long as you don't give that away. Good, see you later at the dorm. I just have to register us in our rooms. "

The girl had familiar red hair. In a similar way that I have some strips of white hair due to my sins, she had some threads of radiant blonde. Somehow it was too real to be dye and too fake to be natural. "Are you Japanese?"

"Y-yes."

"I am sorry... It is my big sister. She keeps running after something she shouldn't be... Sorry, I know that it means nothing to you."

"No... Haha. It is just that... my own big sister just did the same thing."

"I guess we are lost." I laugh at the misfortune of it. Everyone immediately became lost. Such a thing must be fate. What would Senpai do? He would make a friend easily, considering how perfect he is. "Are you also from Japan? You speak such good Japanese." I asked her.

"...I was once...I moved to Europe a long time ago, but I still finished learning the language." She seemed uncomfortable answering.

"Sorry if that was a bad question."

"...It's fine."

"What is your name? My name is Matou Sakura."

"My name is Kat- Err, you may call me Shadow. It's easier that way."

"Shadow...?" I may not be very good at English, but I knew that was a word. It was unlikely her real name, but that was fine... We all have secrets that we want to hide. I couldn't damn someone for that without first punishing myself. "Nice to meet you."

"Yes... It is good to meet you as well."

"Well... I am looking for my sister as well. You don't have to pay any mind to me; act like I'm not even here."

"...I would ask the same of you." I see. So we are the same. Therefore there is no need for further words. Neither of us ever did find who we were looking for. It seemed that both Senpai and Nee-san were pulled into their own circumstances, leaving me behind. But... that isn't entirely true. Because I, too, was given the chance to meet someone unfamiliar. Has fate noticed me? ...No... I won't dare to say that anyone has noticed me, because the only person I could meet was someone who was like me: a person that has fallen into the cracks and is stuck in shadow.

Later, without any fanfare, she talks to herself, but I guess to me too when we pass the way though town kind of hopelessly searching for some answer. Where is Senpai? Where is the dorm? Who is this girl?

"'Promise prosperity. Promise passion. Promise pride. Wish upon a star, and pray to be shown the way. Yet that star will never come for you.'"

"Was that a poem?"

"It's just something that my sister should be remembering. ...Don't hope. Wishes only come for other people as you burn." I know that.

"My sister is like that; she won't understand no matter what, and she doesn't care to. ...Because she lives in the light, she doesn't need to wish upon any star. She will burn bright while all I can do is manage to barely keep myself together. But... I don't think it is wrong to burn. If all you have is darkness, then I would keep burning for as long as I can." Just like Senpai was always burning as my only star in front of me. Senpai wants me to shine too, but... what if I burn? Doesn't it hurt? How do Senpai and Nee-san do it without a thought?

This girl was the same as me. I didn't need her true name. No- I didn't want to know.

We walked around aimlessly for hours until, eventually, the girl's older sister contacted her, and they went their separate ways. Still, I couldn't help but feel sick looking at the girl. Few things do make me sick anymore, but that is one of them. It was what Nee-san taught me about, the uncanny valley of magic. One can sense an illusion if they are aware of the real thing. The illusion will make you feel almost sick as if your mind is mad at the fact that it should not exist.

The girl's hair was simply too perfect. No one should have that red hair except for him.

I do all sorts of chores and buy needed things for making dinner before making my way to the dorm. There, I hear a story about what went on between older sisters who came to blows and nearly brought the Clock Tower to its knees, if not for the intervention of a specific boy.

---

Reunion (Music) /Xwr1r6ZJqfE

Inside the dorm, Tohsaka Rin was already in a tepid mood. She had lost both Shirou and Sakura in the bustle of the city and was feeling troubled by all the unfamiliar sights. Not to mention the fact that the airport security and customs kept asking her the same redundant questions over and over, and that she had to explain that Sakura really was her sister to get a visa and all that. Tohsaka Rin hated normal people's problems. "Baka Shirou! You are supposed to be my guide! Where are you, stupid boy!? What is more important than attending to me, your mistress? ...Or perhaps he has another mistress entirely... Baka Shirou!" She screamed internally at the boy who was absent when she finally found the dormitory that would house her for the next month. The intensity of Tohsaka's irritation is steadily increasing, and now even her magical energy is pulsing along with the vein on her forehead. It seems like she's just venting.

She walked up to the receptionist and handed over her papers. It included a letter of recommendation from a Lord of the Clock Tower, so there was no way that she would be denied. The Clock Tower is a meritocracy, but only to the degree that the Lords and higher-ups decide that you are useful. Using her influence to get the support of not only Lord El-Melloi, but also others who were intrigued by her talents, she built a solid foundation for what would become her school in less than two years.

"Yes. That should be all. I will inquire about rooms that fit your requirements; please wait a moment."

"Phew, I somehow managed to make it. Now just to wait for the outcome... hm?" She took notice of the desk.

"Pardon me, may I? This is the registration desk for this summer's residents, correct?" A blonde woman who wore a long dress that fit her character well came after Tohsaka. She seemed almost tired yet happy as if she were coming from a day of child-like intense fun.

Tohsaka was struck by her beauty for the moment, and somehow she almost felt a certain spark at first sight of this woman. Somehow, Tohsaka could feel that this person was somehow... particularly special. "Y-yes, please go ahead. Sorry for the obstruction. If you're here to register, you should hurry-"

"I am aware of that. There are seven minutes remaining, yes? You and I, we are not quite used to this place's time, are we?" Tohsaka surmised she, too, was a foreigner.

Tohsaka regarded the receptionist once more. "Pardon me. I have brought the necessary documents. Will that be all?"

"Ah, yes, this is sufficient, madam. Then I will take these and register you. ...Oh my, did our maximum capacity increase by one? My apologies. Please wait a moment. I shall confirm this right away." The lady went away, leaving Tohsaka alone with the luxurious blonde.

"..."

"..."

"Um..."

"Say..." Both girls were truthfully the shy type. Most people they looked down, however there were a select few that they did treasure intensely. It was hard to start the conversation, but their background took over for the rest. "Sorry, please go ahead. Or would you prefer if I go first?"

"No, since you went through the trouble to offer, I shall humbly accept your consideration. Would it be alright if I ask a question?" The blonde asked Tohsaka with casual interest.

"Of course. It seems we are both bored, and it feels like the work of some fate that we should meet like this."

"I feel the same way... Fufu. It may have been simple intuition, but I had a feeling we would get along from the moment I first saw you."

"Although, for those who practice magic, relying on one's intuition based on a first impression is the same as making a premonition without any basis."

"Not at all. If it is a premonition instead of a prediction, then it is an incredible feat to rely on your intuition alone."

"Besides, I trust your intuition has never led you astray before, correct?"

"Oh? Could that be your intuition?"

"Yeah. If we feel so similar to one another that we've let our guard down, then that must be the case. After all..."

"You're saying your intuition is never off the mark, either?"

"...Fufu. Yes, there is no error in your intuition. I have never misjudged another's personality, even on the first meeting."

"That's quite some self-confidence. So, what's the impression you get from me? What sort of person do you see me as?"

"Stubborn, but a rival worthy of respect, someone like that, I suppose. In a much different way from the one, I saw just before now."

"From your appearance, you seem to be just an informal preliminary student as well. You look a little different from other Oriental people I have met. I had thought they all had red hair. No matter. I know this is impolite, but are you Chinese?"

'Red hair?' It wasn't common at all. In fact, Tohsaka knew only one person who had that deep red and white that she always wanted to feel in her- "Ahem. In other words, do I appear Chinese to you? That's quite a baseless assumption. What makes you think that?"

"The way you move your feet and shift your center of gravity, perhaps. In the past, I received lessons from someone who gave off that same kind of aura. Although, that person was an expert of my homeland..."

"I see. But your homeland... Oh, I beg your pardon; I haven't answered your question yet. Unfortunately, I'm Japanese. However, I'm not purely Japanese, as a quarter of my bloodline is European."

"...So you were Japanese. Well, such mistakes can happen. I should be less careless in the future, considering my own prior relationships with Japan. Perhaps this is yet another sign for us to deepen this friendship during our time here... Greetings, freshman from the Orient! My homeland is Finland. Compared to yours, it is practically right next door. Japan is on the other side of the earth, is it not? Surely, you did not come here all by yourself?"

Tohsaka knew better than to talk about Shirou or Sakura so carelessly. The truth was that both of them were clear-cut Sealing Designation candidates just waiting to happen. Since they were too hopeless to look after themselves, it was up to Tohsaka to prevent them from getting themselves killed or worse. So she figured it was best never to give any information away at all. "My parents have already passed away. That's not the reason why, but I'll be coming by myself to enroll at the Clock Tower in the next two years. It just so happens that I was able to obtain preliminary courses before then. Are Asians a rare sight in London?"

"I have heard there are not many. However, those that have left their names behind are all top-of-the-line magi, apparently. You should see that there is no handicap based on race. I hold nothing against them myself, considering who I hold close to me..."

"I see, that's good news. Frankly speaking, I was a little disheartened until now. I'm only here for a month to get a feel for this place, yet everyone I meet here is a monster, you know? Well, even a Tengu's nose can break... Though I suppose you aren't familiar with that saying."

"Ah, I have heard of Tengu. The hermit of Japan, with the long nose, right? The proverb, "A Tengu's nose can break," refers to a powerful and talented person bowing before an even greater power... Is that correct?"

"Yes, you got the nuance right. I was brimming with confidence in my home town, but once I ventured outside, I had to reaffirm my resolve. You see, I have to follow this certain idiot around to make sure he doesn't fumble at everything he does... But when I come here it is like he is the one now looking after me. It isn't right."

"You too? Actually, I had been thinking the very same thing myself. My family can be overbearing at times. ...We really are going to get along well."

"Say, we have both come to study abroad by ourselves, right? In that case-"

"Excuse me. Miss Luviagelita Edelfelt, could I have a moment of your time?" The receptionist entered the hallway and asked the simple question.

"...Of all the times to interrupt. What? Is there some problem with the documents?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with the documents, but... Um, the situation has changed from what it was a week ago. To put it bluntly, we cannot comply with your request. Your request was for the entire top floor, but there is a new applicant wishing to move in..."

"Wishing to move in...? Even though it's already widely known that an Edelfelt had chosen this dormitory? Just who exactly is the country bumpkin that would move in here for the sole purpose of ruining my mood?"

"Um... That would be the young lady next to you. We received a recommendation from a Lord in regard to her about half a year ago. The Edelfelts'

authority may not be enough to override it.."

"Very well. I cannot overlook your implication that my family's crest is inferior to another, but if she is just sharing a room with me, I may consider it.."

"Umm... She won't be sharing a room with you. She will be using only one of the 28 rooms you booked..."

"Hm? Is not that what sharing a room is?" Luvia mused. "Two people living on the same floor, if that is not room-sharing, then what is? She isn't my servant, is she?"

"Ah... haha, ha..." There was a sense of unbelievability at the degree to which a person can become utterly rotten with haughtiness.

"...Well, that cannot be helped either. I normally would not allow for such a thing, but fortunately, this gives us the opportunity to deepen our friendship even further... How does that sound? If it is with you, even sharing a room does not sound bad, wouldn't you agree?"

"No problem... I wouldn't say I have any complaints... But you sure are rich."

"Then it's decided. You there, she and I will be sharing a room... Ah, come to think of it, we still have not introduced ourselves."

"I am Luviagelita Edelfelt. And you are...?"

"Tohsaka Rin. A Japanese magus studying in the Department of Mineralogy."

"...Tohsaka...? Wait a moment, that name... I have certainly heard-"

"Then, Miss Tohsaka, the documents to sign."

"!? W-Wait a moment, that contract...!" Luvia stole it from Tohsaka's hands.

"What the, hey, what are you doing, that's my...!"

"Tohsaka... Japan... Fuyuki... Tohsaka Rin... Rin... Y-You're THAT Tohsaka!?"

"Wha... What on Earth is wrong? Sure, you did strike me as kind of a space case, but there's no reason to-"

"Silence! How, H-h-h-h-How dare you trick me! To think you were that Tohsaka! A daughter of the cowardly, sneaky, and petty Tohsaka family that calls forth magi with a fake rumor of some Holy Grail and then stabs them in the back!"

"Wait, what did you say just now? Could it be that you know about the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki?"

"Yes, I know much about Fuyuki. I thoroughly investigated your ancestry and the level of Japan's magi as well. The results were terrible. While it seems rare talent does appear once in a while, other than those exceptions, they are an inferior race that is not worthy enough to study the mysteries..." So much for Luvia's preaching of egalitarian ideals.

"What did you just say? I don't know who you think you are, Little Miss Aristocrat, but I can't forgive what you just said."

"I have no intention of seeking your forgiveness. Understand? You lot haven't a single drop of noble blood in you. I do not know what sort of mishap led you to begin studying magic, but know your place! You there. What we agreed upon just now is null and void. This girl's room is not on my top floor. Understand? These documents, by my Edelfelt name, I declare these shall-"

"Ah. Eh. Huh?"

"Be turned into garbage like so!" Luviagelita tore the paper in half, then destroyed it so thoroughly that it would never allow Tohsaka to get her apartment. Not to mention the fact she would have also had to negotiate for a room for Sakura. Tohsaka Rin wasn't having a good day even before this.

"Eek! Mistress Edelfelt, what are you doing!? Tearing up a recommendation letter from a Lord... Never has such a thing happened since the founding oof this dorm!"

"..." Tohsaka's face was one caught in shock.

"Hohohohoho! Cat got your tongue, Miss Self-Proclaimed Magus from the Sticks!? This place doesn't suit you at all. How about kindly returning to that dirty and cramped island nation from whence you came?"

"Y-You anachronistic tube curl girl...! What is this, were my ears malfunctioning when I heard you say you don't discriminate a moment ago...!?"

"Hmph, the Japanese alone is another matter from other Orientals. They have slighted my family many times over. Only because you looked extremely lonely, like an abandoned rat did I offer you any pity before. But that also ends here. Now that I know you are the special Tohsaka breed of non-human, the only things I have to offer are a blast of boiling water and Gandr."

"...You really went and said it. Thanks to that, I remember now. Edelfelt. Yeah, I thought that name rang a bell. So it's that Edelfelt, huh? The Edelfelts who participated in the third war. The stupid aristocrats who split up early on due to internal conflicts within their ranks, right? Judging from that grudge of yours, I suppose after they ran away, they told their children about how scary and detestable the Tohsaka are, is that right?"

"Tch...! Looks like you are only good at cracking humorless jokes. You do realize that these words cannot be unsaid?"

"That's my line. You should know that I won't forgive you even if you kneel down before me, right, Miss Pure-Bred Rich Girl?"

"I'm all fired up now. My rage can no longer be extinguished. You! Do you have the courage to take up my glove!?"

"Bring it on. I'll take that whole tasteless dress off your hands for you, if you want."

"That's the spirit. One room, two residents. There is only one way we could go about resolving this now, correct?"

"Yes. The loser will give way to the winner. Obviously, it's the universal rule."

The receptionist started panicking. "D-d-d-don't get all fired up on your own! Personal rules are forbidden! Super forbidden! What on Earth are you two thinking!? This is the Norwich Student Dormitory, where we prize politeness and reconciliation! Pointless personal conflicts aside, the use of magic is strictly prohibited within the dormitory!"

"Calm down; I am the head of the proud Edelfelt family. Regardless of who my opponent is, if they do not use magecraft, then I will also respond solely with my body. Is that fine by you as well, Miss Tohsaka?"

"My pleasure. But you're saying you will actually fight hand to hand without magic in that sort of dress? It's fine. You can rely on your forte, Gandr, if you like. I'll fight bare-handed, like a proper magus with decorum."

"That advice shows a good mental attitude for a Tohsaka. I have a slightly better opinion of you. But do not worry. In my hands, a dress like this-" Luvia tore off her dress.

"!?"

"Hup, ho...! Well? As you can see, it is a simple matter to modify it for use in combat!"

"S-Simple you say... Just what is that dress!? S-So right from the start, it was sleeveless with attachments!?"

"Of course. This extent is well within the tastes of a lady."

"No. Not a single person in the entire world has that sort of taste."

"Well, I said I do, so there clearly are! First of all, tearing up dresses every time I get into a quarrel would cost a fortune in tailoring fees!"

"...Don't tell me... you used to tear up a dress whenever you got into a fight?"

"Ah... No. Ahem. Listen, as the heads of our families; we cannot choose when or where we will be assailed by ruffians, can we? It was made like this for exactly such times."

"..." Tohsaka made an exasperated face.

"W-What's with that face that screams 'yeah right'...!? Very well, if you won't believe me, then I will just have to beat the truth into your body directly...!"

Luviageltia assumed a forward stance that also kept her balance. "Hmm... Looks like you actually have some skill, Luviagelita. Ignoring your taste in dresses, if that's how it's going to be, then I'll knock you down without holding back..."

"I feel the same way. Make sure to say thank you to the hallway's wooden floor, Miss Tohsaka."

Then the receptionist pulled out her landline and tried fruitlessly to call for help."Eeeek! Hello, hello, Mister Shepard!? Mayday, hazardous materials have appeared in the student dormitory! W-What little remains of my wages will be docked again!"

The two women were too focused to hear anything that the panicked woman warned. Her opponent was impressive, but the same goes for Tohsaka who jumped into the fray without any hesitation. It was the first time, but that would certainly not be the last time that Tohsaka rampages on school grounds. The convergence of the two girls would soon be known as a calamity that even the Lords of the Clock Tower learned to fear. But... there was one thing that could act as the antidote for their rivalry. And that one thing happened to be walking into the room at that very moment.

---

I reached the Norwich dorm on Slur street after about thirty minutes.

I had been staying as the dorm mother for the last three summers. This was the economical plan that Waver gave me to continue on as his student and complete the promise made between him and Kiritsugu. It was a good deal. I didn't need much room, and it was paid for as long as I did my job. The fact that I also got to cook was a bonus in my book. Those that do take summer classes apparently know me as some kind of cooking wizard, but I am not really that impressive. I think it's just because of what they are used to with British food that they flock to me. I learned that magi tend to be good people once you show you just want to feed them. Information slows easily in those casual conversations.

I put my hand on the door, and I feel heat. The heat of battle. Suddenly, I feel an aura of danger. There is a mass of hate collecting inside the dorm. "...!"

What is happening in there!?

I jump in quickly.

Then I heard a scream, and my blood ran cold. "Eeeek! Hello, hello, Mister Shepard!? Mayday, hazardous materials have appeared in the student dormitory! W-What little remains of my wages will be docked again!"

I projected a sword into my hands without a second thought. I know magic is banned, but I can't take any chances if there is an intruder. It could even be an assassin or a vampire who comes to kill me. I run up into the hall and find that it has already taken some damage. Who would dare to attack the Clock Tower, and why!?

"Is everyone okay!?" I yell. "What... Huh...?" For the second time in one day, it is like my brain hits a wall at the sight I am seeing. What I see inside is a nightmare... for a janitor, at least. The hallway is mostly trashed, and on the ground, there is a mass of blonde and raven hair.

Is that... who I think it is?

I take the panicking receptionist by the hand and save her first. "I'll clean up, alright? You don't have to worry about anything. This way they won't dock your pay no matter what, so I'll take responsibility for it. Now just look into my eyes and calm down, alright?"

"O-ok. I leave it to you, mister Shirou. Thank god... you are here..." She falls asleep in my arms. She should forget all about this because I can't let the Clock Tower ban Tohsaka from the dorm. I put her in her chair, so she will think it was all just a nightmare.

I am already rubbing my forehead and asking for Kiritsugu's guidance in this. I'm just going to have to do what it takes to save them from themselves.

"Are all orientals so easily slammed to the ground? Hoho." It seems like Luvia suplexed Tohsaka out of nowhere to start their fight, and it was far from over.

"Ah, get back here, you tube-girl bitch...! You ruined my hair!"

"Ohoho, and you ruin my skin with your mere presence."

"What is going on here?" I pick both of them up. "Are you two alright?"

"What?"

"Who?"

"Emiya-kun?"

"Sherou?" They look at each other and then at me.

"You know her!?" They both say.

"Uh... Tohsaka meet Luvia. She was my pen-pal for a long time, and Luvia meet Tohsaka... Rin. I told you about her, right?" I respond.

"Pen-pal!?"

"Rin!? As in your fake sister?"

"W-well don't tell her I said that..."

"I'm going to let it go now because I am already living in a world turned upside down, but I can't just let the fact that you know her, Emiya-kun? Traitor!" She stabs me with an accusatory finger.

"There's nothing wrong with knowing someone."

"Not when they are the worst, most despicable-"

"Wait, why do hate Luvia? You two are the sam-"

"No, we aren't!" They both say. "Don't talk with me!" They yell at the other, ready to return to blows.

I am physically between them now. "Please. Let's talk like the civilized people we are, not like children."

"Tell that to miss tube girl here who ripped up my dorm papers!"

"Oh, I agree, Sherou. We should talk, you and I, about your choice of company. However, miss Tohsaka here is anything but civilized. You, of course, must know her based on how lowly her house is."

"Her house is actually pretty high up on a hill."

"..." They both cringe at my sarcasm. It was a poor joke. Though, it does take a little hate from them and points it at me.

Tohsaka stops again to regard me. "Emiya-kun, why are you here? Where were you all day, and now you are taking this woman's side!?" If you are not with Tohsaka, then you are against her.

"Oh? Of course, Sherou would take my side, for he was already by my side most of this day."

"What...? That's a lie if I have heard one!"

"Well..." I rub my neck guilty.

"You... You ran off with this western girl and left me to find this place alone, you-"

"Now, don't blame me. Luvia was the one who insisted. If I knew that you two were going to meet now anyways, then I would have introduced you then. She was there at the airport, after all, looking for me. I did it for your safety." It sounds all very noble in my head.

"Oh, thank you, Sherou. You must have felt ashamed that she forced herself to accompany you, so it's only natural he wouldn't want you to be seen by anyone."

"Emiya-kun~ Is that true?" Tohsaka asks 'calmly'.

"That's not true! I just thought that it would be bad for us to be seen together in public. It's not safe."

"That's always the problem with you; you keep trying to 'think' even though you are not very good at it."

"Ohoho, you want to keep your relationship a secret then? I see, then you two are an item? You are his consort?"

"N-n-n-no! We are not an item! But that's his fault; I'm not the one who can't realize- never mind! What would you know, miss Luvia? Why are you even still here? Go back to fighting men in spandex if that's what you like. Hmph!" Tohsaka seemed more flustered than she had to be.

"I see; then you wouldn't mind if I take a bite out of him?" Luvia's hand rests on my shoulder.

Tohsaka's face goes dark. "Listen here... you get your filthy paws off of him, or I will fuc-" I need to put a true end to this.

"Tohsaka, take a deep breath and-" I fail.

"-ing kill you!" Her fist crashes into the space where Luvia's face was with fatal force. Luvia responds with shooting in at Tohsaka's legs, but Tohsaka is wary of being slammed again and falls back.

The next thirty minutes are me desperately protecting the dorm from the rampant destruction of two monsters. I have to wait until they weaken one another, and I can subdue them without absolute destruction. By then, my clean job looks pretty miserable, but I at least protect the foundations of the building. The issue is that their stamina is greater than the structures arround them. Thus it will take a truly great place to hold a full-out fight. Perhaps one of those reinforced gyms that the Clock Tower did have to hold fights could do it, but not an old dorm.

I subdue both of them once they reach that point, then project chairs for them to sit in. "Now, are you two going to sit and listen to me? Or do you want to keep going? Because if that is the case, then next time it will be chains, not chairs." Perhaps I would need to even try and bring out the Chains of Heaven if nothing else works.

I stand between them as they sit looking menacing and annoyed. They have said enough inflammatory phrases at one another to last a lifetime, and if they weren't magi, then their fight would have been one where only one of them was left standing. "These are fine projected chairs, Sherou, but why not simply give us real ones?"

"Because you would throw it at Tohsaka as you did with all the other chairs in the hall. This way, we don't need any more property damage." I had to catch those chairs and then quickly repair them.

"Hmph." They refuse to look at the other. Their clothes are disheveled, yet both girls fail ever to look less than perfect. It is a bit off-putting to see such matching personalities turn on one another.

It seems they are listening to me if nothing else. They are pouting like children after a fight. Come to think of it; we are all not so old anyways. Maybe they just need to grow out of this? ...Right?

"I think it's time to solve the root of all this. Now, Luvia. You may have the authority to tell her no on the third floor, but if it comes to this, then I can open up a room next to mine on the first floor for Tohsaka and her... assistant. Is that satisfactory for both of you? I'll let you guys go as soon as I know you aren't going to go back to being harbingers of destruction."

Luvia shakes her head. "...No. I refuse to be in a dorm that would even accept a 'woman', like this. An Einzbern I can forgive if it's you, but a Tohsaka...! I will never forgive her for existing!" I have no idea where this is coming from. Luvia made it clear that the Einzberns and the Edelfelts had a rivalry, but if she always had with the Tohsakas, then... It wasn't a European rivalry; it was a Holy Grail War rivalry. I should have put this together.

"Well, it's easy to dislike someone because of past events that were probably miscommunicated. I get it, Luvia. But... That's too bad. I would have liked you to stay. I'm dwelling here, after all, so I thought it might be enjoyable for us to live in the same dorm. However, I see that not everyone should live in the same place."

Tohsaka was cackling at Luvia now. "Hehehe. Now, rich girl, I think we are all quite satisfied with you walking out of here once and for all. Don't wait for our sake; you can leave now. Emiya-kun and I will be quite fine next to each other." Tohsaka felt elated and waved at Luvia, signaling her to leave.

"Hmm..." Luvia was considering something. "Perhaps I was too hasty in my thoughts. My natural revulsion to a Tohsaka has led me to think that I should let her remain in a prime location and that I should leave, but that would be a mistake.

"What do you mean?"

"Fufufu. There is something valuable here, so why should I let it be in the hands of an enemy? I have made a decision! I will be staying on the third floor, and miss Tohsaka will be taking a room there with me! What a brilliant idea, Sherou! Why don't we share in our accommodations and get to know one another better? You always know what to say."

"That is very generous of you, Luvia..." I say. "That would make it much easier for me here. Tohsaka accepts-"

"I won't do it!" Tohsaka stomps.

"Oh? Miss Tohsaka does not wish to stay in the dorm. Then it can be just Sherou and me. You can not force a wet dog like her to be trained indoors anyways."

I stand near Tohsaka and talk to her so only she can hear. "Tohsaka, this is the room you negotiated for. It has taken a few steps getting to know your new dorm mate, but Luvia is at least... err, rational? You need that room."

"I'm not going to do it. I won't live with her."

"Tohsaka... You need to."

"Why? Why should I do anything related to her?"

"Because that room would house more than just you." That's all I need to say.

"..." Sakura can't just put in some hotel. She needs a very specific environment to keep her on track. Not to mention that she is a clear-cut Sealing Designation if we let the wrong person find too much about her. Not that I am different, but I have many more ways of protecting myself.

Tohsaka bites her lip and looks at her enemy with contempt. Yet Tohsaka hates herself in that moment for having to give up and compromise. "I... need that room."

"Say that again? I can't hear you from across the hall. You need to speak up. I may not have heard a magic word?"

"Give me that room, you antiquated tube-girl. ...Please."

"Perfect! It is yours to have. I am sure that this month will be a trying one with you dirtying this place with your presence. I stay for Sherou, not for you. Of course, he will be paying me for allowing a rat like you to be on my floor. Perhaps he can be my personal butler?"

"Grrrrrr..." For some reason, Tohsaka was growling at Luvia ever more intently. Her bloodlust is like a mother lion when a hyena stalks its young. "You have made your points, and you have scored your victories, but I promise you this on the honor of my father: you will be the one who kneels in true defeat by the end."

Luvia looks back at her coldly and accepts the promise. "Fufufu. Here's my own promise, miss Tohsaka. I never back down, and I always win. You deserve nothing that you have, so I will rip it all from you and take it for myself."

The altercation that would become well-known across the Clock Tower for generations to come ended. Somehow I was able to prevent them from being expelled outright from the dorm, but only because I projected everything, all the things that broke and reinforced all the things that were breaking. So began the month of August, known as the 'prelude to the apocalypse' to the department of Mineralogy. Because teachers and students alike surmised quickly that if two students who were not even enrolled yet could cause so much mayhem in a single month simply by being near to one another, then the years in which they would be at the top together would be even worse.

---

Fragment of Happiness (Music) /S77ZhgCWtas

Tohsaka was venting at me in her room. She didn't so much blame me for what happened as much as she simply wanted to complain about every last defect that Luvia had. It was almost lonely for once that it wasn't me on the receiving end of her wrath. Am I really so well-trained?

Sakura arrived not long after the drama was over. It turns out that Luvia also granted Sakura her own room without resistance. Apparently, Luvia took a liking to Sakura in a way that was a reversal of her treatment of Tohsaka. Keeping the secret of their names was important because Sakura hates conflict. It didn't seem that the Edelfelts had much memory of the Matou, but she was aware enough to know that the Matou were powerful curse-users. I couldn't give her too much of my time since I was still busy negotiating terms with Luvia for what I needed to do for her (because apparently, it is my fault that Tohsaka is at the Clock Tower?) Which is very unfair, but that is what my role is at the end of the day. I take the blame.

Luvia's terms were fairly simple. I need to wear my new suit when I am cleaning her floor for some reason, I need to regard her first in all conversations 'especially when miss Tohsaka is present,' and I need to make her a home dinner from time to time. There are other things, but I stopped reading after the fourteenth rule. All sorts of arbitrary rules that... I probably would have done it anyway. Except for the suit part, I'm not sure, but I am starting to think that Luvia has a thing for guys in suits.

Yet still... even while Tohsaka was in a generally bad mood due to the day's events, I couldn't stop grinning at one specific thing. Tohsaka had made a good friend. Maybe there is still a chance of convincing the two to ally instead of fighting?

"...What are you grinning about? If you have something to say, just say it." She commanded.

"Alright, but don't get angry. This is just what I feel. You and Luvia are practically the same people; I think that together you will get along well, Oow!?" Tohsaka struck me down with her full might. I saw them! I saw the stars shining, and everything was peaceful forever! Oh... That was just my brain cracking due to Tohsaka's cruel treatment of me. "...Kuh, that ended too quickly. If only I had lashed out like this back then, she wouldn't have pulled off that back-drop...!" Her fists shake with self-satisfaction. I see, so Luvia's death blow was a suplex. Tohsaka had lost their first round, and they were in the midst of their second round when I broke them apart.

Of course, she is mad at me for not letting her even the score. However, if allowed that, they really would have trashed the entire dorm.

"So, why did that blow pay me a visit?"

"Hehe. When I heard the words I didn't want to hear the most, my body just responded on its own."

...Like they say, one rotten apple spoils the barrel. It seems that, due to meeting Luvia, Tohsaka's level of violence has risen considerably. "...Hmph. I will say this before you make any weird misunderstandings. I will never ever get along with Luvia. That girl hates Japanese people and loves bullying them. She even threw a glove at me in the end when you left." Luvia has always been cordial to me, and she never cared about how I looked. Even if I do look a little strange with my white and red hair.

"Yeah..." I was on the initial receiving end of that stick. I don't think she is a racist as much as Luvia simply is willing to use anything in order to look down on Rin. They really are good rivals. "...That is a bit extreme..."

"The Edelfelts are a well-known and relatively prestigious noble house. Although they are aristocrats, they hold mercenary-like precepts in their family. Whenever there's a conflict, they would happily show up and snatch the best parts away. They are said to be feared as 'the most elegant hyenas on Earth.'"

"I am aware of what the Edelfelt family is like first-hand. Say, don't you think this sounds more and more like a certain someone, Tohsaka?"

"Be quiet and listen! And so, because they like fighting so much, they participated in a ritual in a far east island country out of idle curiosity. It was over sixty years ago. A pair of twin sisters headed the Edelfelt family, and although they were very famous magi, they were utterly defeated. The younger sister was killed in action, while the eldest somehow survived and returned back to her country." This entertaining story suddenly took a stark turn. Edelfelt. The twin heads of the family. And also a ritual that was performed sixty years ago in a far east island country.

"Tohsaka, you mean..."

"I'm referring to the third Holy Grail War. As a result of that, Luvia hates Japanese people. But then, we were also underestimated by them. It's said that the twin heads back then didn't get along with each other to an unusual degree. There's even a rumor that the younger sister died because she got into a fight with the elder sister."

"...Oh yeah. If I recall, there's a Western-style house somewhere around here they built to spite the Einzberns. Something like a hideout deep in the forest. Actually, the sisters had separate houses. Although siblings, it seems that they hated the idea of even breathing the same air." ...A hideout in the forest...? Somehow it was almost a familiar sight.

"Spite the Einzberns?"

"Indeed. They were rivals then, and you can call them rivals even now. ...Even if she seems to treat you like some kind of prince. Hmph! Now you know that's just her faking it. She detests you and your family deep down. Don't fall for her tricks; I really wouldn't forgive you!" She huffs when thinking about Luvia.

If Luvia detested me, then I would know it. Luvia may have all sorts of overlapping motives for coming to find me, but the part that wants to be my friend is a real one.

"I'm not sure about that. She is like you, so she can't be bad all the way down." I don't sense Luvia ever lying about her true hatred of me. She may look at me as a rival, but to her, that seemed like another form of friendship.

This time I dodge her blow in time.

"Don't dodge! We are not the same! Don't say that out loud again, or I'll have to remove the idea from your brain by force again!" Tohsaka roars firmly. ...The more she resists the idea, the more the picture becomes focused. She really couldn't stand Luvia. What a great relationship they have already. I shouldn't intervene more than I have to for the sake of the Clock Tower's stability.

"A Western-style house built sixty years ago...? So, Luvia owns a villa back home?"

"Ah. I see, I guess she would inherit it. But wouldn't anything here has been abandoned ages ago? The Edelfelts apparently said they would never step foot onto Japanese soil again. So, I think they would have handed everything over to the Mage's Association."

"That's right. Those sisters built those houses in the middle of a battlefield in a foreign land, so the so-called Twin Houses of Edelfelt are pretty famous. Well, the one I discovered was near my house. I don't know where the other one is."

"Wait. When you say it's near your house, you mean it's in Miyama? Why have I never heard of this?"

"Correct. They hid it in plain sight. Building a house under the very nose of the Tohsaka family, the supervisors of this town, what nerve." That's exactly right. ...But somehow, I could feel that this conversation would have deep implications for the future. That there had been a fourth family with ties in Fuyuki, and it was a sleeping bear that could awaken at any moment. "As for why you never learned about it. First of all, you never asked nor said that you had a connection to the Edelfelts all along. Secondly, it is not exactly a topic that I care to speak on. Considering all the lies you told me, consider it revenge. Hmph."

"Hah..." I sigh.

"What, are you interested, Emiya-kun? If you like, shall we visit that place when we return?"

"Yes... That would be a good idea." I give her an absent-minded reply while holding back my dizziness. "It's just that I think I know why I met Luvia in the first place, and I don't really like it. It's all Irisviel's fault. She planned all this out far in advance."

"I see; well don't look so pathetic about it. If it is something your mother did, then fix it. Or better yet, leave it to me to remove that rich-girl from your life once and for all."

"Well, you are both trying out the mineralogy department, aren't you? What is that place like?"

"What kind of place? It's just an ordinary museum, really. Like all the other departments, I would gather. A dusty old place where magi gather to discuss heresy."

"What about transportation costs? Food? All the things I need to plan out..."

"Don't worry about that. Let me, your master, decide your money problems. Oh, I forgot. H-here, I got you a souvenir."

It was a red gem. I knew enough that it was mostly useless for magic, but it still looked pretty. "Thanks..."

"You're welcome. After all, I'll expect you to work hard if I ever have money troubles. You should start learning how to project things other than weapons. Sculptures are too bulky, so aim for the paintings instead." That's Tohsaka for you. Even a souvenir is an investment for her.

"...I won't support criminal activities. First of all, there are certified appraisers who deal in magic, aren't there? It wouldn't take them much more than a glance to see through my counterfeits."

"Ah, you don't seem to fully understand your unique skill yet. There's no one who can see through your projections at first glance. Experts who check the composition would be the first to fail. Spiritual practitioners may sense something out of place with it, but only items with a shady history are sent to the Department of Spiritual Invocation. If you just sell the artwork and escape, you can make a fortune."

"Eh, really...?"

"Really, really. So much so to make me proud as your teacher as well." Ugh. It's a bit complicated, but I actually might be feeling pretty good about this. "Well, if we did that, it would come back to haunt us, though. We're not Bonny and Clyde. I couldn't take being on the wanted list even in exchange for a huge fortune."

"I couldn't bear that either. I treasure my life more than money." Plus, I couldn't bear being treated as an accomplice when I was only forced into it, either.

"That's right. It might be fun to earn money in a showy way like that, but it all means nothing if you're exposed instantly. It's a business that doesn't require any capital, so let's just crank them out without attracting attention instead."

"..." A joke. That was just a typical Tohsaka-style joke. I repeated that three times in my head, then decided to completely change the subject. "It seems that there is some trouble brewing here about some kind of Mystic Eye train."

"If it is trouble, then don't get involved with it. I don't ask you too many questions about it on purpose. Trouble is best left to those who are involved."

"..."

"What? This is the moment you say you are going to do it anyway, and you go off on some stupid adventure for no reason."

"In this case, it may be a little more important than a stupid adventure. I just have a feeling that this may be my chance to see a greater thread that is being woven. ...And if I can seize that thread, then I can be the weaver for once. Time is far too short to think I can come here and expect to learn how to save Illya. It requires action now, to take ahold of a certain thing that should belong to me regardless."

"And that is?"

"...We shall see."

"The Holy Grail War, huh...? ...The war I wanted almost seemed to come for when I met you. And it is my responsibility to invite the actors. An invitation to attain the Holy Grail that will grant any wish. Is two years not enough time for you?"

"It is happening in one and a half years. ...Considering the work I have had to put in just to learn the fundamentals of magic these last three years, I have an impossible barrier to cross in order to do what is required for Illya's sake. I was expecting to have fifty years more, not less than two. What I need is time, and that is exactly what I intend on stealing."

"And what of the war? Do you truly intend to allow it to happen?"

"...I do. If I could stop it, I would. But I don't delude myself into thinking that mother would let me get away with it; she would curse me sevenfold in return."

"You are inviting people to their death, you know. Miss Luviagelita was witless in all respects, but she was right on the point that those who go do not return the same if they return at all. I will win the war if it is to go on, but I simply do not understand why you, of all people, would value your selfish wish for what will occur?"

"Say. You know that thought experiment with the train you told me about once? The one where you kept calling me an idiot for some reason?"

"The old trolley question? I did so because you kept breaking the rules of the game. Sacrifice one person tied to one track or sacrifice many who are tied to another. That one person could be anyone to you, a stranger, a husband... even a sister."

"Yes... But what if the rules of the game are ones that I can not accept? One life or seven lives. ...If the war never happens, Illya will die without even the chance of saving her. She will be sacrificed because seven people may die on the other track. ...But what if there was a third road where the train passes by and avoids both?"

"You can say that if the train goes off the track then somehow returns and attaches to the track without crashing. Is that what you propose as the third solution? That is a ridiculous idea. Now I recall why I was rightfully calling you idiotic."

"...Yet it is the only one I can possibly accept. I won't accept an alternative. It is possible, isn't it? It can happen. There is a future out there where we end up finding that one world where the train goes past without hitting a single soul."

"You will regret that thought, and I know I cannot convince you. Because, Shirou. If you try to decouple a train from its track with the delusional belief that you can save everyone, all you will accomplish is killing even the people who would have lived if you had simply been able to accept that there will be casualties."

"The path with the greatest prize comes with the most harrowing risks. ...I have to try." Because the only thing I wish for is attained only by that road. "Even if the world will seem to burn."

"You are-" I never know her response.

Suddenly, the door to Tohsaka's room opens. Luvia wouldn't come to Tohsaka's room, so that means it is Sakura. It seems that she finished unpacking her new room gifted to her by Luvia. Tohsaka was angry when she heard that Luvia was totally accepting of Sakura in the dorm. It seemed that Luvia and Sakura were getting along fair enough, which made Tohsaka even more irate.

Sakura warns me as soon as she comes into the room. "Senpai... Don't do anything that would put you in danger... I wouldn't be able to handle that."

"That is... How can you say that as soon as you see me?"

"I can see it on your face. You are thinking of doing something excessive again..."

"I won't do anything that threatens my life, Sakura. I'm not in danger, I swear."

"...Alright, then I'll trust you..." Sakura backs down. "But not without confirming. Trust, yet verify."

"Don't encourage him, Sakura! What about Illyasviel, huh? Are you not here to help her with whatever problem keeps her from you?"

"...This is about Illya... There is a specific thing I need that is almost impossible for me to attain. If I can even have the chance of attaining that, then I need to understand what my eyes are even seeing... Add on to the fact that I making connections is never wrong, and I don't see what the problem is."

"Of course, you can't see it. The problem is the one thing you can't see...! Get yourself killed for all I care! Hmph!" Tohsaka's final huff that evening underscored the degree that the first day at the Clock Tower had tired her.

I offered to give her a massage or anything that she wanted to help her out, but that made her ever redder for some reason. Sakura then pulled me out of the room before Tohsaka could find an answer. I guess rest was what she wanted.

"Nee-san didn't mean that, Senpai. She is just mad that she let miss Luvia beat her."

"Well, don't bring it up to her... Should I see if she really does want something?"

"N-no. You can't do that...! I will do that, alright? You are tired, so please leave it to me, Senpai."

"You are right. You're her servant here, after all."

"Yes. Exactly... so leave Nee-san alone for a while. She will appreciate that from you." I sensed a little deception in her voice, but her logic didn't seem that wrong.

"Then you better go to her. I'll take up your offer of rest... goodnight."

"Goodnight, Senpai." Once I hit my own bed, I almost immediately fall into a deep sleep after the long day.

---

That night I had a fever dream. Perhaps because of jet lag or even my spirit lashing out at the sudden change in environment, I am beset by particularly potent dreams. In the land of Britain, I experience the same recurring dream. The dream of the end of an impossible dream.

The land that exists on the other side of the green sky. To look up from there is to see the river of life itself flowing seamlessly. It was an impossible perspective that only a dream could try to imagine. It was a gently sloping field with flowers of each and every hue blossoming across all directions. Standing among them, the only thing to obstruct one's view were the groves of trees that could be seen in the distant forest, and even gazing all around, all that can be seen is the green earth, dividing the landscape in equal measure with the blue sky.

Here there stood no fences or homesteads built by human hands. There hovered no such thing as walls, or castles, or even any lines in the earth that men called the borders of their countries. Bright sun rays of spring and the smells of summer filled the air when morn's light fell. Winds of Autumn speckled by dazzling wintry stars swept the sky by the time night's darkness crawled. On the earth dwelt countless flowers and many insects. The woods were home to water and greenery and different beasts. And upon the lake resided the graceful Fae, beautiful to look upon. What humans imagined as paradises are merely pale imitations of this realm, a land at the end of the world where they would be eternally forbidden to set foot.

A little world, renowned in the legend as the land of Everlasting-Spring, or the Isle of Apples. An unreachable utopia that no wiser beasts could hope to attain. A world that shares no ties with the decline and destruction on the face of the planet that continues to repeat itself like a loop. A faraway foreign realm that nestled very close to human history, yet bore no relationship with them.

It is known as-

The name escapes me. I am simply barred from yet coming to understand it, even if, in many ways, that place is a part of me. A dream that I can not attain. A picture I can never complete. There is a simple reason. The gate is locked. A single sentence was carved into the entrance: "Only the sinless may pass.".

So there is nothing to it, for the weight of my sin is equal to the rest of humanity. Until the day that humanity is without sin, I can not even approach it. In other words, it will never happen.

When I try running forwards, time slows down. The more I run, and the closer I become, the more it becomes certain that it is impossible to reach. I would run forever if not for what always is behind me.

I can hear voices.

They curse at me for being alive. Unable to escape death, they cry that it's unfair that I get to live again. They are utterly hateful of me above all.

My entire body hurts. Hurts enough to suffocate. The voices of accusations beset me.

"DIE. GIVE UP. SERVES YOU RIGHT. I CAN'T SEE."

They grow stronger each time I hear them.

"I want to die. I can't stand this. FILTHY. DISGUSTING. I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. I waNT TO Die. "

Go away. I don't want to hear this. I don't want to hear their suffering, yet I don't stop running.

INHUMAN.

...Show me a mirror, and I'll prove you wrong. I look perfectly human on the outside.

DEMON.

Yes, that's right, a human isn't capable of doing this. A human would have stopped by now.

I move past the many voices and begin to breathe again. I don't reach anything but the usual darkness. A place on fire or a place full of swords and curses. ...It's not that painful from here on. Rather, I can even feel relief. As long as I get away from that prison, what comes next is close to the joy of birth. Prison. Yes, that place matches the description of a "prison." Slander, insults, derision. The stripping of human rights, dignity, and freedom.

My dream ends. I see both the light and the dark as they toss me around effortlessly in their whirlpool. Although, I would take even a glimpse of that green paradise over that burning field any day.

I wake up and look in the mirror. All that I can see are my golden eyes looking back at me. The one person I can not read with them is myself, but I can't mistake that familiar tint in them. The same color that 'she' had now runs even thicker in them. The glitter of gold has always been the symbol of tyrannical power. The train will crash no matter who comes, but it's my responsibility then to get everyone off in time. And then, I shall either bring that train back on track with the miracle I seek, or alone I shall at least take that train with me to hell.

The Mystic Eyes Train awaits.

---

Author's Notes:

Lots of unfamiliar names in here, so forgive me for that. Though you might be able to guess that Atrum Gallista is the name of Medea's master.

(Guest): Wait, why do Zelretch and Lorelei want the kill Shirou? The others I can see why, but not those two. Maybe Zelretch knows that Shirou is 'evil', but that's it for reason for him to want him dead as far as I remember

A: The Aristocratic faction doesn't like the Einzberns suddenly appearing and shifting the balance of the Clock Tower. They would much rather have the El-melloi more dependant on them. Lorelei's personal desire to kill Shirou can be explained later but simply it is that she is always looking for a worthy opponent, and Shirou is easily mistaken for a vampire. As for Zelrech, it is mostly Shirou's misunderstanding that Zelrech's normal behavior is throwing people into situations that will probably kill them. Although, Zelrech would be wary about the degree to which Shirou is able to actually control the third magic. If Shirou would grow stronger in that regard, then Zelrech might show himself to Shirou in order to at least see it for himself. This timeline is one that Zelrech is watching, but he also does not want to get involved since that could mean it devolves into a doomed worldline.

(Red's Melancholy): Probably gonna have to stop here. I think you already have introduced way to many characters and gone way to in depth with all of them that your story doesn't even come across as a story anymore. More like a massive character sheet. Also, your style of writing just completely breaks immersion for me. The constant pauses and breaks when you feel the need to insert music choices, the constantly changing pov mid paragraphs and chapters, the constantly changing between first and third person, all very immersion-breaking. Seems like you had an idea, Iris having a wish granted and being a mother to Shiro, but then instead of working towards that, you threw in everyone else in the nasuverse and wanted to flesh out their characters completely anew. seemingly multiple times within the story. For the supposed MC to get less pov than everyone else seems like you've lost your original plot.

A: The person who posted this won't read it, I guess, because they stopped reading, but it is good to generally respond to criticism when it comes in. It helps me to reevaluate my own flaws.

You know, I don't even disagree with these criticisms. However, I think that you interpretation is one that is judging my story by its worst characteristics. Yes, my original vision for this story was likely lost a long time ago, and I have gotten sidetracked over many characters. That being Shirou, Taiga, Sakura, Rin, Kiritsugu, Illya, Irisviel, Sella, Leysritt, Gilgamesh, Arcueid, Luvia, Katarina, Gray, Waver. Quite a few characters! Perhaps, as you said, too many. Like I said all the way back in chapter 30. What I have written so far is no more than a prologue to the true story that you want from me, which is the Holy Grail war. Thus the story feels disjointed and shoots all over the place introducing characters. And thus, it can feel like a glorified character sheet or backstory anthology. However, it isn't without purpose. Because guess how many of those characters will show up as masters or servants when the time comes?

I wanted to do something that few other writers do and actually try and develop each master as a full character. This has all the downsides that you mentioned, but I think it is worth it if only in the end result. For you, the plot is paramount, and the story should always be tied closely to that main point with only small subplots. Yet, for me, the characters are the plot. However, as I said, when the HGW comes, I will come to your side as best as I can, and I will try and focus purely on a cohesive plot rather than the current very character-focused story. Trying to flesh out Sakura and Shirou as if they are new characters is sort of foolish and insane, considering that we should all already know all about them since this is fanfiction. Maybe that does make an insane and verbose writer, but that's my own style. I think that writers should always try to embrace their own style to stand out, even if that style is not all good. Naturally, this means that some people will appear, like yourself, who can simply not stand to read a sentence more of what I write.

As for my errors with immersion, that's also fair to critique. Music choices are one of my forms of line breaking between scenes because I am still writing this as if it were the VN. (Which is another thing you can oppose.) If this website were a blog that had music integration, that would make it much easier, but it's not so it does come off as annoying to have music links in the story. Still, they serve the important purpose for me of setting tone in a scene. At the end of the day, my only justification is a selfish one in which I can say that it helps me write when I know what music should be playing. I am a very musically inclined person, but if you are not, then it must seem really annoying. I'll try to be less intrusive in the future.

Guest: In my opinion, this the best fate fic I ever read, it's not even close. Thank you for taking your time to write this.

A: Man, am I getting mixed reactions from the readers! But that just means my style of writing speaks to you, while not so much for others. Thank you for the support.

Thank you for reading. This chapter was written while I was fighting pretty bad covid, so forgive even if it is bad.

Reviews always welcomed.