Chapter 1: Apostle and Homecoming
Day 1
Rin Tohsaka was not in a good mood. It was an early school morning the glowing fresh light of dawn just beginning to make its presence known. The dark-haired high school girl was dressed for school and more than ready to set out for the day but had made the decision to place a call before leaving.
She was standing in the hallway leading to the front door staring hard at the only phone that occupied the large mansion, an old-fashioned landline. The only sign of modernity present in the building.
While she wasn't a morning person in the slightest – usually requiring tea or coffee before she was even semi-functional - her current frame of mind had less to do with the early rise and more so the subject of the call she was about to make, especially its recipient. Any sort of communication with the man Kotomine Kirei naturally filled her with nothing but loathing, unfortunately, recent events had resulted in them interacting much more frequently than she would have liked.
From her perspective, any contact at all was far too much.
With a great reluctance, Rin reached out dialled the number. It rang five times before being picked up as a low meticulous voice could be heard.
"You have reached Fuyuki Church; how may I be of assistance."
"Cut the crap Kirei, you know its me," she said stiffly. "No one else would be calling this early, let alone for you."
She wasn't in the mood for his pointless games.
"Ah, Rin. I do apologize, you can't expect me to always be ready to be greeted so harshly, especially this early in the morning." He let out a small exhale. "Though perhaps this is the amount of respect I should expect from you. I thought I'd raised you to be better than this."
He replied as if unbothered an obvious mocking tone present in his voice. A short spike of frustration, she could practically see the image of a smirk behind the receiver as he continued.
"What would the people at school think to hear of the lack of courtesy you talk to your elders with? I can only imagine-"
"Maybe you'd finally gain some respect from me if you did your damn job for once!" She interrupts. "Either as a priest or my guardian."
"My my, someone's cranky this morning."
"I thought I said to cut the crap Kirei."
Only a couple seconds into the conversation and the young Magus was already struggling to hold back a storm of curses. As far as their interactions usually progressed, this was nothing unusual. She suspected the priest took great joy in attempting to get under her skin considering he was very successful at it. How her father thought he was trustworthy in any form was beyond her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to refocus on the main purpose of her call.
"How is it," she began. "That there's been no sign of progress in the past couple of days? People in my school are already discussing the 'Vampire Killings' like some sort of horror story."
The 'Vampire Killings' of Fuyuki City. They had a started a little under a week ago and were centered around a series of murders and disappearances that had been occurring throughout the town. It was coined after the police reported on some of the victims being found completely drained of their blood. While the general populace thought of it as some sort of extremely eccentric and sadistic serial killer, those of the moonlit world were more than aware of the real source.
She continued. "Seriously, a Dead Apostle has ben roaming the streets for days and you have yet to make any difference. The deaths haven't slowed down and people are still up and vanishing. How can you expect me to just idle away while the situation only continues to worsen!"
When dealing with blood sucking beings known as Dead Apostles unless a particularly adept mage the suitable course of action is to notify and let the Church deal with it. If it comes to hunting down beings of their supernatural nature the Church's Executors are professionals in the field both in ability and mindset. Despite the tense relationship between the Mage's association and the Church, when it came to the matter of Dead Apostles both parties saw them as an enemy that must be dealt with immediately.
If left unattended, before she knew it the entire city would be overtaken like a virus until all the residents were dead (or part of the Undead) with an Apostle in control.
Thus, upon her noticing the first signs of a vampiric presence she had immediately reported it to Kirei who had advised her to stay her hand as he dealt with it. Begrudgingly, she had agreed not to set out for the source herself. While she did notice a slight decrease in the number of familiars, the bodies started to pile up and she was beginning to doubt the man's capabilities.
It was three days ago that he had contacted her with new information that had massively intensified the severity of the situation.
The priest let her finish her rant before he responded, this time absent of humor.
"Dealing with an Apostle Ancestor is no easy task, Rin. I assure you that we have been doing all we can to achieve its destruction but the one being hunted now is particularly elusive. While I have been doing my utmost in taking measures to slow its rise in power and cover up events, anything more is currently beyond myself and your scope of abilities."
A Dead Apostle Ancestor, the highest rank of human-turned Vampires, the very apex of their kind. monsters with abilities and natures beyond human comprehension. Each one a calamity that fell upon the world like a plague. While particularly skilled Magi may be able of taking out lesser apostles, the 27 Ancestors are in a league of their own that even dozens of the church's Executors would struggle against. Unless you were of the caliber of the Clock Tower's Vice-Director and her brigade, running into one was tantamount to suicide.
Knowledge on them was strictly regulated by the upper ranks of the Association and Church. Rin herself had only her fathers' documents to study when it came to details regarding them and they were vague when it came to both their identities and the true scope of their abilities.
The facts they did have were enough to make her shudder.
In the end, both Kirei, a top-class Executor and Rin, a prodigy Magus were left unable to directly set out in search until further help arrived. Currently, their hands were tied with dealing with the lesser Dead a in a hope to slow down its accumulation of blood. Rin couldn't help but feel frustrated with her lack of power. She took pride in being the Second Owner of Fuyuki and the idea of an Apostle terrorizing her city and possibly harming people she knew filled her with disgust.
After a short pause the priest continued. "However, you will be happy to know that just the night before last, assistance from the Church has arrived, one of them is even a member of the Burial Agency. They are quite capable; I am sure that with their arrival this will be concluded shortly."
"The Burial Agency…" This was actually…good news. If the Burial Agency was here as he said then it truly was likely she had nothing to worry about, when it came to hunting Dead Apostle Ancestors, they were the ace of the Holy Church. Their inner workings were just as elusive as the monsters they hunted. In a way you could even call them monsters in their own right. Anything to end this as soon as possible was fine by her.
"As long as they actually do their job and don't get in the way then all the better for me," she muttered. "I have important things to worry about and can't afford to be distracted by things I can't even do anything about. Make sure this doesn't get in the way."
"Why of course, I assure you that I will do my utmost to make sure current events will not affect the Holy Grail War." He replied smoothly. "I must remind you that the deadline is getting awfully close. It would be a great disgrace for you to miss out on summoning your own servant because of events out of you're control. Your father would be so…disappointed."
"Oh, shut up already! I'll have you know I plan to summon one by tonight, I've been preparing for this my whole life I'm hardly going to miss out now." She was almost snarling into the phone.
A small chuckle. "I was only making sure, please do keep yourself safe, as your guardian it would reflect on me terribly if something were to happen to you-"
*click*
She didn't bother to dignify his faux concern with a verbal response instead cutting him off by ending the call. Rin was glad to be rid of his voice once more. All things considered the call had been worthwhile. The news of reinforcement from the Church finally arriving lessened her worries slightly. She curled her fingers around the pendant on her chest to calm herself.
The necklace was the last inheritance left behind her father Tokiomi. She had obtained it after she had finally successfully decoded his will last night, a task she'd been working on for the past 10 years. It was a beautiful 100-year-old triangular red jewel with a deep purity. Not only was it pretty, but it was also filled to the brim with magical energy. it greatly surpassed any others gems she had in stock in terms energy some of which she had been charging with her own mana for the past ten years. It would be an extremely valuable trump card in the war if utilized correctly.
She took a glance at the clock, it was almost 7:30, homeroom started at 8:00. It wouldn't do for her role as an honor student to suffer due to extenuating circumstances. She took a moment to grab her favourite long red coat to wear before swiftly exiting. Hopefully the walk to school would do good to clear her head.
-oOo-
Unfortunately, that would not be the case.
"Wonderful, just wonderful." After arriving at school and conversing with her friend Ayako she realized that she had, in fact, arrived an hour earlier than intended. Some sort of prank played on her by her deceased father that set all the clocks in the house one hour ahead upon her having decoded his will the previous night. She must be really off her game to not notice something so obvious, there was no way she wouldn't have realized under regular means.
On top of the embarrassment she felt not noticing such a simple trick, she also had to suffer through more of the Matou boy's attempts to woo her before entering the building. The sleazeball of the second years had been repeating this pattern for almost a year now with no luck. Considering his personality, it was impressive that he managed to somehow be fairly popular with his female underclassman. One of his friends was even one of the most helpful people in the school.
Really, he was way to immature to be given any kind of attention much less her own of her and she wished he got it through that seaweed covered skull already. You'd think he'd get a clue after the past year.
"Seriously, how does Sakura even stand him?" She shook her head as she climbed the stairway.
After an amusing exchange with the student council president, she had finally arrived. Opening the door to class 2-A she was expecting the classroom to be empty considering how early it was but to her surprise there was one other person. A fairly plain looking boy with glasses staring idly out the window. He turned in response to her footsteps.
"Tohsaka-san, you're here early, good morning." He says.
"Good morning to you too, Tohno-kun. I didn't expect you to be such an early riser."
"And you'd be right, I'm not usually up this early."
With that short exchange she set herself at her seat as he returned to his musings.
Shiki Tohno. He was average as far as high-school students go both in looks and personality. He has quite an easy-going manner of interacting with people and she generally found him likeable enough.
His most notable quirk would be his strong case of anaemia. It was not uncommon to have him request to go to the nurse on a given day once hit by a bout of dizziness. On some occasions he could be quite stubborn and all but pass out before one of his friends ends up escorting him, he apparently disliked making trouble for other people.
Really it was his family name that she took interest in. The Tohno are a wealthy family with a large amount of assets from their long history of business endeavours in the area originating as industrialist banker's generations ago. In Miyama Town, they owned a mansion in the same district as the Tohsaka residence that was larger and even more anachronistic than her own.
Recently, the head of the family, Makihisa Tohno had passed away. No reason was publicly stated which in of itself wasn't unusual. The bloodline did always like to keep their family matters private.
Considering the history behind the name, she found it a little strange that the Tohno boy in her class showed no signs of a person who had grown up living that sort of lavish lifestyle. If she were part of his family, she would likely berate him on his lack of proper etiquette but perhaps he wouldn't be as tolerable as he is now. Maybe his situation was just more of the Tohno seclusion.
If anything, she found his most annoying trait to be the company he kept, his best friend Ari-whatshisface would always be yelling something idiotic and she just felt sad for that Yumizuka girl hanging off him. She was obviously interested in him, yet he showed no signs of acknowledgment. Either he's the densest man alive or he's been struggling thinking of some way to let her off easy.
She hoped he got it over with soon because it was just bothersome to watch at this point.
In any case, Rin decided that rather than spend more time contemplating his mysterious background she may as well catch up on some studying before homeroom. Her persona as the second-year idol was an important facet for her life and it couldn't afford to break now.
Time passed by peacefully as more people began to file in. until the relative peace was interrupted by a vicious presence making an entrance.
"Hey! Don't block the road, assholes! Move it!" It Barrelled straight through towards the glasses wearing boy by the window.
"Hey four eyes, good morning! Man, you look like shit today!"
"…You know Arihiko, maybe it's because I get tired of seeing your face every morning. Lord knows everyone else is." Shiki responded dryly.
"Hck! Ouch man! I was just saying hello!" The boy winced at his friend's sharp reply.
"Ah, his name was Arihiko." Rin thought. He and Tohno were exchanging some short jibes before starting up a more regular conversation. His orange hair and piercings combined with his brash of manner of speech just screamed delinquent. Apart from his usual late arrivals this was a far cry from the truth. Really, he just caused a ruckus whenever he appeared.
Eventually they were joined by Satsuki Yumizuka whose soft expression was a definite contrast to her two male compatriots. They were discussing the most recent discoveries in the serial murder incidents. It seems the recent dangers was enough to make even the troublemaker Arihiko come in early. The brown-haired girl in particular displayed an odd sense of morbid fascination with the crimes quite unlike her usual innocence. They had nothing of real importance to add that she didn't already know so Rin quickly tuned them out.
The morning continued without incident. As the clock finally struck 8 the teacher arrived but not the one that would usually act as 2-A's homeroom teacher.
The class grew quiet upon the entrance of 2-B's Souichirou Kuzuki. Looming, thin and in his customary dark green suit. A perpetually serious expression carved on his face making it hard to tell just how he felt in a given situation. Most students found him plenty scary though in reality he was nowhere near as mean as he looked. Rin was actually quite fond of him as a teacher. His classes were direct and efficient which she was thankful for. It was much more manageable than the English and 2-C homeroom teacher Taiga Fujimura.
That woman was an embodiment of chaos if she'd ever met one. A Kendo blackbelt, overseer of the Archery club and yet completely airheaded and spontaneous. Sometimes Rin questioned the schools' standards in giving her any sort of authority.
Kuzuki seemed to make eye contact with everyone in the room before beginning to speak.
"Unfortunately." He began. "I am here to report that your homeroom teacher, Toyama-sensei, is absent. A new teacher will be assigned to you shortly. I will be taking your attendance for today."
Rin couldn't help but slightly tense up at the news, it must have been yet another victim. This time someone she knew. Not close, but closer than she would've liked.
The rest of the class shared the same sentiment as there was a short round of murmurs.
"No way."
"You think he's...?"
"Sensei as well"
"The vampire got to em."
"…dude"
Kuzuki gave a silencing glare, the chatter dying instantly. "We would once more like to advise students to take utmost care on their way to and from school, travel in groups when possible and don't stay out late at night. While we are unsure if this is linked to the recent disappearances, we urge that you take care of your own safety. As such, the school will also be instating a 6 o'clock curfew for all students. If you have any further worries, do not hesitate to talk to a member of staff such as myself or our reliable student council."
With his speech over he fulfilled the other necessary class duties before returning to his own.
Rumors about Toyama-sensei ended quickly as morning classes began.
-oOo-
It was Lunch time and despite the days news classes had continued without incident. Thinking about the teacher's possible death the bespeckled boy had felt a headache coming that had luckily faded as the day continued. It was now the end of 4th period and the bell for break had just rung.
Shiki was considering his options on where to eat as students spread out for lunch. As per usual Rin declined spending lunch time with any of her classmates and left the room alone. Maybe she thought the lone-wolf act was cool? The rest of the student body seemed to think so. While being a sort of heiress of perfection she seemed to be a bit on edge recently. It was obviously because of recent events but its was still quite rare for her to appear so unsettled.
"Maybe I should go meet up with Arihiko in the Cafeteria." He thought to himself as he followed her lead and left the class. With no clear goal in mind, he continued down the crowded corridors. He continued walking before noticing a blue haired figure with glasses.
"…oh right, Its Ciel Senpai."
He had been acquainted with her for about two, three weeks now, she was his upperclassman. A caring and outgoing woman with a cute smile who would always look out for her underclassman, it was no wonder that she was very popular within the school (especially the male populace).
Sometimes she was even referred to as the 'second student council president' which ticked off Issei to no end. Whether a teacher recommended you talk with him or Ciel for help was some sort of major pride thing for him.
As he got closer, he realized that she was having a conversation with Tohsaka who had just left the class moments prior. He had never seen them interact before but maybe they were already acquainted? He couldn't imagine Rin of all people asking for help.
"When it comes to her, I wonder if there's anything she even struggles with."
What ever they were talking about must have been somewhat important, Ciel appeared completely focused on her while Rin seemed to be giving her a steely expression.
He had called it a conversation, but it looked more akin to a confrontation. Rin's body looked tensed up and ready to bolt at moments notice. Shiki couldn't help but be reminded of two predators in the wild sizing each other up.
The "conversation" between them ended as Ciel noticed Shiki's approach. Her expression rapidly switched back to a wide grin as she rushed towards him.
"Oh good, I've been looking for you Tohno-kun! I was just on my way to visit your classroom."
"G-Good to see you too Ciel-senpai."
He couldn't help but be a bit flustered, she had brought her face so close to his that it was difficult to focus on much else. He forced himself to talk to distract from the situation.
"I hope I'm not interrupting your talk with Tohsaka-san"
"Oh, not to worry." She smiled. "It wasn't anything important, just some introductions."
Tohsaka, takes one look back at Shiki before leaving, gracefully exiting to the stairway, and heading upstairs. he couldn't help but watch her over the top of Ciel's head as she leaves. Something more had passed between them but if his senpai didn't want to elaborate then he supposed it wasn't his business to pry.
"Hmm? Tohno-kun? You seem distracted?" Her eyes widen and she lets out a short gasp. "Don't tell me you've been enamoured by that Tohsaka girl?! And staring so shamelessly in front of your loveable Senpai too!"
"W-What? Of course not, I barely know her after all." He firmly shut down her insinuation, if anything, to distract from his self-consciousness. He always struggled to keep a cool head whenever she started teasing him, especially in such close proximity.
She gave him a mock sigh of relief before taking a step back, hand resting on her chest. With his personal space restored he felt it prudent to change the subject lest he be embarrassed further. When it came to Ciel she tended to control the flow of the conversation, without him knowing, he'd unwittingly blurt out something compromising.
"Anyway, Ciel-senpai, what brings you here? You said you were looking for me, do you need help with something?" he asked.
"You already sound so willing to help me in even though its your break, I hope your not taking notes from that Emiya boy."
Shiki wasn't sure what to feel at the comparison. The "fake school janitor" Shirou Emiya was notorious for accepting any request for help from anyone no matter the task. He hadn't talked to him before, but he sounded like a bit of a pushover, he was always tinkering away on something in the student council room whenever he passed. He wondered if he got any spare time of his own to enjoy. Did he even have a hobby?
"Strong set of hands he has though…" she muttered.
"What?" He wasn't sure if he'd heard her correctly.
With a small shake of her head Ciel puts her fingertips together.
"Well, I was just wondering if I could treat you for lunch. Think of it as an apology for the incident on the train this morning?"
They had met on the train on the way to school earlier. She was carrying a box of miscellaneous items after she had apparently been out doing volunteer work at the park early in the morning. They had started a friendly chat before some middle schooler had ridiculed them for being too loud and disturbing the public. Shortly afterwards they had arrived at the station Ciel had other business to attend and left Shiki to continue to school alone.
"What? The ride with you was perfectly fine, a blessing even." He recalls. "If its about the girl getting angry out how noisy we were being then it was my fault as much as your- "
He was cut off by her grabbing his sleeve and yanking him as she walked. With a carefree expression she strung the boy along. Many students stopped to stare at the strange sight of a third year hauling a second year through the halls (some likely jealous they weren't the ones in Shiki's position).
"No- really- senpai- You don't have too-!" Despite his attempts he found he was unable to make the grip on his arm budge an inch. Truly, her strength was incredible.
"Your fault you say? If what you're saying is true, then surely you can consider this repaying me for the trouble you caused." She flashes a cheeky grin. "In that case, I request that you accompany and allow me to treat you to lunch. I'm in the mood to have an enjoyable time with someone today and you just happened to be my pick, surely, you'll allow me this much."
"…unfair," he said in defeat. He had no defence against her flawless logic combined with her endearing smile. With his complaints swiftly nullified. He resigned himself to the whims of his cheery senpai.
She comes to stop letting go of his hand before turning to face him.
"Oh, and that includes you visiting the tea-ceremony club after school. With that I believe well have both compensated each other for our sins from this morning."
The senior beams a smile before once more grabbing the boys hand and briskly walking down the corridor this time at a more manageable pace.
"Now, lets hurry before the cafeteria runs out of free seats."
Taken by her cheery attitude he couldn't help but find himself smiling as well.
As they entered the cafeteria, Ciel went off to buy them food while Shiki looked for a seat.
"Really, this'll be quite nice, some peaceful alone time with my beautiful senpai would actually be quite enjoyable- "
"Yo Tohno-Kun! C'mere! C'mere!"
Waving from across the room, a certain orange haired delinquent called out to him. Arihiko beamed at the boy with an excited expression on his face.
"…I suppose it was my fault for holding out hope."
He let out a small sigh as he – with great reluctance – made his way over.
-oOo-
While Shiki was lamenting his situation Rin's mind was working on overtime as she sat alone on the school roof.
It stemmed from the moment she left the classroom and encountered that girl, Ciel. Generally, a Magus is able to detect other Magi depending on their magical energy production, even more so if they use magecraft within the vicinity. Unless they were operating under bounded fields that were specifically designed to hide any mana activity. There was also the possibility that their level as a Magus was so inconsequential that they may even be unnoticeable, but at that point they probably weren't someone worth caring about.
The only other Magi in the school that Rin was aware of were the Matou family, and in comparison, to the monster in front of her they may as well have been non-existent (which wasn't saying much when it came to Shinji, he barely existed anyway when compared to her). Even her father, an accomplished graduate of the Clock Tower couldn't hope to compare. The pure amount of mana contained in the older girl's body was enough to set her completely on guard upon her as she passed in the corridor.
Ciel must have noticed her flinch as she had glanced over curiously. It was then that she had made eye contact and to Rin's intense frustration she had to fight off a way overblown memory manipulation spell. Her circuits flared as she shook of the mental attack which had caused Ciel's slight pause before regarding her with a more cautious gaze. She couldn't help but feel a sense of relief once the Tohno boy had come to distract her and took the opportunity to make a dignified escape.
"Ciel-senpai?! 3rd year student!? I've known of her for years?!, Ridiculous!" She angrily took a bite out of her sandwich as she fumed.
Suggestion magecraft was designed to work on non-Magi as a simple means of creating false memories or erasing recent ones. Its effectiveness lessened the more deviations in the targets memory there were until it eventually faded over time. To hypnotize the entire school population to such a degree she must have had to been casting and re-casting it over and over with every person she met which was just absurd. It was some of the most rudimentary thaumaturgy taught to all Magi for the purpose of the concealment of mystery (though many would resort to killing as the more reliable option). The idea that she had in anyway struggled against it, if even slightly, was distressing. The act alone had been enough to show the stark difference in their ability.
The girl supressed a shiver, if it came to a straight up fight, she didn't fancy her chances, even if she utilised all her most precious gems, they might only delay the inevitable. If she caught her off guard with her pendant than maybe she could squeeze out a victory. Without a doubt, she must have been from the Burial agency, and if she was any sort of representation for the rest of them, they were as monstrous as their legacy said.
"That does beg the question," She thought. "If she's here to hunt for the Ancestor as Kirei said, then what purpose would she have to disguise herself as a highschooler?"
To her it didn't make sense, there was no way a member of the Church would waste time fooling around in a high school, especially while a vampire roamed the night. Their hatred for them was second to none. Unless of course, the Apostle in question, had some sort of connection to the school. But that was impossible, there's no way someone with her talents wouldn't have noticed it already.
"Its possible, I don't even know which of the 27 it is."
A grim thought. None of her father's research contained much data on them apart from some names and Kirei was no help when it came to sharing more information, knowledge on them is generally controlled by the Church on a strict need to know basis. Even though Rin was the Second Owner she had no real way of enforcing her authority and she doubted her beloved 'senpai' would be willing to share. She briefly contemplated sending a familiar to follow her but immediately dismissed the idea, it would likely be discovered and destroyed right way. There was obviously something more at play here, and she couldn't stand being kept in the dark.
In the end she was in the same position as before, she needed to focus on what she could do instead of what she couldn't. Tonight, was the night she summoned her servant after all. With everything set up perfectly she was basically guaranteed to summon the strongest class, Saber.
Hell, with a Saber servant she could maybe even find the time to take out that ancestor if its not dealt with by the time of the war. Looking out at the city while on the school's roof, she couldn't help but think of how peaceful it looked.
-oOo-
The school day had ended. Shiki was considering head home when he remembered the promise he made with Ciel from today. "That's Right, I said I was going to meet her in the tea ceremony club. After school." He wondered why Ciel always seemed to take such an interest him. Maybe this was just how everyone felt with her.
Heading towards the indoor club activity building it took him a while to locate the room. Students didn't know where it was, and he had to use a floor plan from the staff. Mere moments upon his fists impacting the door it shot open to reveal her familiar face on the other side.
"Ah, Tohno-kun. So, you decided to visit me after all." She said. "Come inside. Ill prepare some things for you." Once again, he was a little embarrassed by her forcefulness but let himself be ushered inside.
He was briefly taken aback by the room. The tea ceremony room was authentically Japanese in design. The floor completely covered in Tatami mats with a low table in the centre surrounded by shoji and alcoves with scrolls baring exotic calligraphy. The orange sunlight shining through the windows just added to its image.
"Oh, the room? Officially it was supposed to be used for club activities but became a haven for the principal's hobby. He has a liking for the traditional aesthetic." Ciel explained. "It wasn't actually in use until I joined however."
She heads over to the tatami mats and begins preparing tea as she talks. "Honestly, it's a shame such a room like this wasn't in use. To think the Japanese would fall so far as to not even convey the excellency present in their own sweets. Its like sucking all the happiness from the city, abandoning a puppy in the rain, or removing curry from all my favourite restaurants! Luckily, I asked the teachers to allow me to set up the tea ceremony club again. I am its only member so its only temporarily operational. Don't worry Tohno-kun, ill have our school rejoicing in Japanese confectionaries once again."
"I…see. You really like sweets huh," he responded weakly. "She does know that the point of a tea ceremony club is tea, right?"
She brought out two cushions placing them on the tatami. As if noticing his thoughts, she brought out a tea pot, two cups and some snacks as she almost finished preparations. Shiki was struck by how professionally she appeared to set things up, maybe she was more knowledgeable than her sweets tirade implied.
"Excuse me Senpai, I'm not well versed in this sort of etiquette."
"That's no problem." She smiles sheepishly. "To be honest, I only know about pouring tea, feel free to make yourself comfortable." The boy nods and lowers himself to the floor. Teacup in hand he pours himself some tea from the teapot and helps himself to a tea cake. As he sat in the warm glow of the sun he felt a feeling of calm wash over him. It was an almost nostalgic feeling. Ciel watched him closely as he indulged.
"What's the matter Senpai?"
"Eh? Ah, well I was a little surprised at how relaxed you seem. You look more at home than me."
"My family was actually quite strict when it came to this, so I'm just used to this sort of thing." He brushed it of taking another sip.
"Actually, about that" Ciel starts. I was really curious about the story I heard at lunch. The one about you moving? I hope you're not in some sort of trouble causing you to move at this time of year."
Arihiko had let it slip during that chaotic lunch about his move from the Arima's. He supposed it was natural for her to be curious but I he didn't think his personal life was worth bothering someone else with.
"It would be really boring just listening to me talk about my family, it'd just be a waste of time," he says reluctantly.
"That's okay, even if that true I'd like to hear it anyway," she insisted.
"…you must be really curious."
She gives a short laugh. "I guess so, I just, find you interesting. You said you were returning to your own home, but you've never gone back to your family home?"
"I guess…" Shiki begins to explain. "You see back when I was ten, I suffered a sever accident and had chronic anaemia ever since. The Tohno mansion was too uncomfortable for me, so I was sent to a relative's house to recuperate until yesterday. The ones who raised me since then were the Arima family. They were very good people, the very best. I could never hope to repay them for taking me in and I worked hard to make sure I was as little a burden as possible."
Ciel is quiet at the boy's story. It was obvious he had a lot to say, and she felt it better to let him talk than interrupt. Shiki expected she had likely filled this role for her precious kouhai's many times.
"To tell you the truth…I'm sure my recovery was just a front. I didn't get along with my father and its more like he just threw me out of the house to keep up appearances. He couldn't afford to have a chronically ill child act as the heir. Whether he did truly still love me in someway I can't be sure, and now ill never know. Recently… he just passed away, leaving me with those seven years of my life unresolved. Maybe there was more to it, maybe it truly was for my own safety, I'll never know now. It was sudden and without any waring I was suddenly called back by the current family head. So il be returning to the mansion today."
He ended the story there. He told it steadily, absent of resentment as if already resigned to the situation. It was a sign of his adaptability that he managed to take all that in his stride. Ciel looked at him with concern. "I'm sorry for making you tell something so painful."
"Don't be, its not that important. In a way I'm glad I got to talk to you about it." He waved off her worries dismissively. "Rather than stew in the past, I'd rather look towards the future. I made it my motto to enjoy the present as much as possible, isn't that the for the better?"
"Enjoying it as much as possible, is that it, no wonder you appear so laid-back." Ciel rests her chin on her hands propped up by her elbows. "Then, for the time being, do you want to go to school together tomorrow?"
"Eh- "
He's surprised by the sudden invitation before realizing he'd spent the whole time talking about himself. It was not something he usually did.
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant! It's not that I'm not enjoying myself, it's just that I'm hoping for the best! And if I was going to hit on you. I would have worked my way up to do it, right?" He frantically attempts to clear up any misunderstandings.
She laughs. "Yes, of course, of course, I was only joking. I already know you're a gentleman."
He couldn't help but fell a twinge of disappointment. Regaining his composure, he took a sip of his tea while she expressed her amusement. The liquid had gone cold during their conversation so they had to procure refills.
Time flowed as the two students lost themselves in stories of the past.
-oOo-
It had been about an hour. They continued their idle chit-chat on less serious topics as the last rays of sunlight began to slowly peter out. The mood was light, and they were both already on there third cups of tea before Ciel posed an odd question.
"The Tohno mansion, that's located near the famous haunted house, right? I think I heard that Tohsaka-san also lives in that area," She asked.
"Really? Tohsaka lives there?" The boy considered it and found it made sense. Someone of her pedigree must've obviously come from a wealthy background. They might even come across each other more frequently outside of their education.
"I doubt we'd end up doing something as close as walking to school together though-"
"And it better stay that way! It would be a shame to have another student fall for the witches' charms. That goes equal for the woman in front of you."
An authoritative voice interjects from the doorway causing Shiki to slightly jolt in surprise. He's a little hard to make out in the low light of the hallway but the voice is easily recognizable for any school member.
"Ryuudou-kun?" Ciel exclaims, what are you doing here?
Issei Ryuudou of 2-C, the student council president, and student with the most authority in the building. He takes great pride in his position and might just be the most diligent member of the school body. He has probably single handily managed 70% of the events that occurred in the school. Shiki had great respect for his worth ethic and if it wasn't for his condition might've joined the student council full time.
"Tohno-kun." He greets with a nod before turning to Ciel. "If you must know Ciel-Senpai, I am here to inform you -as any true student president would- that it is already passed six and you are still on school grounds. Thus, you are, in fact, breaking the school curfew."
The emphasis on the Ciel-Senpai was not lost on them. For some reason Issei had been seriously suspicious of Ciel's presence in the school recently. He would often times accuse her of having 'deceived everyone' with her lies, one time he even claimed she wasn't an actual student at all. Her nickname as the 'second student council president' just added fuel to the fire.
She would normally just take it in her stride, usually ending interactions with him quite quickly. His distrust for her was very akin to the dislike he held towards Rin Tohsaka. This had started couple rumors saying that due to living in the seclusions of Ryuudou Temple he had become afraid of strong women and was only comfortable around men, this was yet to be proven.
"Ah, Tohno-kun. I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention to the time and once more I've gotten you in trouble." She stands up, patting herself a bashful expression on her face. "I suppose I now owe you another favour, I hope it's as pleasurable as what we got to do in private here today."
With her eyes downcast and her fingertips nervously touching, Shiki did not like the possible implications of what she was insinuating.
"W-What! Senpai don't put it that way! Ryuudou-kun I promise its nothing as devious as it sounds-"
Issei raises a hand to silence him, determination shining in his eyes as an unknown light source reflects off his glasses. "Do not fear Tohno-kun, this harpy's words cannot fool me. Even if you have been sullied, I swear on my name as head priest in training that your soul will be saved!"
In the minds of anyone else they would've seen the rather obvious tease for what it was. However, in the mind of the straight-laced monk this could be nothing else but another sin committed by the witch of the third years.
"I'm telling you! its not like that! Senpai please explain." Shiki desperately looks to his beloved upperclassman for help only to find a Ciel-shaped patch of space where she once occupied.
"Sorry Tohno-kun. Gotta go! Its curfew after all, see you tomorrow." In a flash she's already out the door the rapid sound of her footsteps quickly fading away. He wasn't sure what he was more impressed by: her speed at leaving, how she managed to get by Issei while he was blocking the doorway, or how she managed to clean up and put away the snacks, tea set and dishes all at the same time.
Shiki hung his head dejectedly. On the plus side, he got a free favour to cash in for the future.
Issei clears his throat. "Tohno-kun, you should also make haste, I will overlook this incident due to your unique circumstances, do not worry about that woman, I can assure you her retribution will be swift." He gave him an awkward pat on the back before leaving.
Unfortunately for Issei, the teachers wouldn't believe him on Ciel breaking curfew and would chalk it up to his vendetta against her. She would escape unscathed. Shiki let out heavy sigh. Its true that it was getting late. It wouldn't do to make a bad impression on his first day of return back to his family. Grabbing his school bag, he closed the door on the tea ceremony room, walking out into the gloomy evening of the city.
-oOo-
Ciel hurried through the quiet streets of Fuyuki as she left the school behind. Issei Ryuudou was quite troublesome to deal with. For some reason he had unreasonable intuition when it came to her and an odd resistance to her magecraft.
Despite his interruptions, the conversation with the Tohno male had been a good source of information. Throughout the coming days she would need to keep investigating his household as well as that Tohsaka girl. The Matou family were all but defunct and likely would not be suitable hosts. Neither child seemed to be of any importance though the Sakura girl was definitely strange.
It was while deep in her thoughts that she almost ran into someone. They were quite short, so she almost missed them.
"Oh, sorry I didn't-!" Looking down, she stopped.
It was a small girl with snow white hair and red eyes. She was cute, looking to be around 10-12 years of age. No, it wasn't the girl's unique appearance that made her pause or the fact that she was clearly a mage with more mana than she could hope to rationalize. No, it was the 'thing' right next to her, an invisible hulking monstrosity.
"Don't worry Onee-chan. You seemed to be in a rush after all."
The girl gave a polite response with an innocent smile. Really there was no threat behind it at all. It did little to quell the fear Ciel felt about her. She couldn't see 'it' but its aura was incredible. It was large boasting immense power and was right behind the girl. It regarded her, emitting an intense pressure. Ciel instinctively took a step back and reached into her uniform gripping the handle of black keys she had stashed on her person. She was unsure if they were capable of harming it but she couldn't take any chances. The beast with the child almost immediately focused on the executor in response to her actions causing her to freeze. Noticing her reaction, the girls' eyes widened slightly.
"You can feel berserkers Prescence?" she asked. "Interesting, you don't seem to have a servant yourself so you must be some other third-party mage."
Her crimson eyes shone as she regarded the older woman. Ciel didn't reply. If she responded that she was from the Church, it was possible that the mage might just decide to kill her with that 'thing' then and there. The two organization didn't have the best relationship.
The albino girl gave a small shrug before continuing, "No matter. I'm off to take a first look at my onii-chan, he should be on his way home from school now and I wouldn't want to miss him. If you're not here to get in my way, then you have nothing to fear." Taking small carefree steps, she walked by the frozen girl. "Come now, leave the girl alone berserker."
There was a slight shift in pressure as the thing, 'berserker', followed in the child's wake.
Ciel waited until she was sure the girl and her companion had disappeared into the night before she finally moved once more.
-oOo-
Rin breathed heavily. It was almost time. In the basement of the Tohsaka manor she felt her pulse quicken slightly as she waited for the moment in which her powers reached their peak. She had positioned a clock on the wall so that she was sure to get the timing right. It was the dead of night, and her breathing was the only sound in the basement that served as her Magus workshop. She was focused, there was no room for failure.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. Finally, the moment arrived. Time to begin. Stepping forward, she began to chant.
"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.
The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.
"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate."
She continues drawing the magic circle while reciting the aria. Meticulous and precise. She could feel her power being drawn upon. She lacked a catalyst, yet she was confident in her ability.
"Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Repeat every five times.
Simply, shatter once filled.
The Circle was Complete. "Anfang". With that incantation, she activated her magic circuits and began pouring mana into the circle. A pain begins to run through her left arm, the location of her magic crest. The limb felt like it was on fire. A wind roars in the room as mana begins to converge.
I announce.
Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."
Steady, efficient she ran through the motions of the ritual like shed done hundreds of times in preparation for this day. The burning sensation had spread to throughout her entire body, yet her voice was unwavering, her breathing steady.
She had utilized half of her most precious jewels for this moment. Stones that had been storing mana for ten years. Her preparations were perfect, shed gotten everything correct down to the last detail.
"Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance".
The last part of the ritual. She stretched out her hand and let a single drop of blood release from her fingertip above the summoning circle. Time seemed to slow down as the drop approached the ground. Rin smiled it was done, complete. She had brought pride to her family as she continued the tradition and lineage of one of the founders of the war. Everything had gone according to plan. It was then her attention was diverted, she couldn't fathom as to why, random chance, or maybe it was some instinct hidden deep within her screaming to pay attention and more importantly, to remember. Alarm bells were ringing, the drop continued falling.
What was it? She couldn't fathom why despite everything she thought, no, knew, she somehow was missing something important. Thinking fast, she ran through the day's events in her head, further and further her mind travelled until she finally reached the conclusion. It was exactly as the drop hit the circle her eyes roamed towards the clock one last time.
"Ah," she thought. "The clocks are still an hour ahead."
Her vision went white as mana surged and her servant was summoned.
-oOo-
The inside of Fuyuki Church is much larger than what one would expect from its exterior. Situated atop a hill overlooking Shinto the chapel cast an intimidating presence when ascending towards its entrance despite its apparent normalcy. After the great fire that burned in Fuyuki 10 years ago it had been converted into an orphanage for a short while. It was an apt choice when considering its spacious grounds and interior.
Moonlight shone through the glass panes as the doors swung open, an unusual figure entering. He was a young boy of about 12-14 years of age with short medium length blonde hair and green eyes. His attire consisting of a red and black hoodie with white baggy shorts and complementary trainers. The look made for an odd contrast within the setting of the church, yet he strolled in confidently.
"This shit's hardly impressive as far as churches go, considerin' its location I was expectin' somethin' a little higher class." He gave a vulgar appraisal as he ran his emerald eyes over the building's interior.
"I have grown quite fond of it myself during my service here, it is unfortunate it was unable to meet your standards."
Footsteps resound as the priest emerges from behind the alter. The air around seemed to grow heavier in his mere presence as he made his residence known. The teen narrowed his eyes. Leaving ample space between him and the boy, the clergyman gave a small bow.
"Executor and Holy overseer of Fuyuki, Kotomine Kirei at your service. I have been awaiting your arrival Acting Presbyter Bestino-sama. I hope I may fulfil any requirements or questions you may have during your stay in Fuyuki. My services are yours to do with as you please."
Viewing the scene from afar one might find it humorous seeing the large man bow and speak with such avid respect towards a teenager half his size. However, the hierarchy was not something to be dismissed. As a bishop of the Holy Church and son of Cardinal Laurentis, Mario Gallo Bestino was a person of the highest authority.
"Course," he replied with a smirk. "You'd be a dumbass to do anything less for your superiors."
He leisurely walked past the still bowing priest before taking a seat at the front pew. Relaxed, he draped his arms over pews back as he continued.
"Surprised you're still kickin'. Thought the shit-stain of a situation would've done you in already. Takin' a good look in person, you at least appear competent enough to back up your resume. You're an executor of high calibre. Members of the 8th sacrament said that Risei would always be singin' your praises. Too bad the poor bastard bit the dust."
There wasn't a trace of sympathy in his tone. Kiri contemplated his words harkening back to memories of the 4th Holy Grail War and his father's faith in him. The feelings he felt on the day he found his father bleeding out and dying, a tired old man entrusting all his hopes to a son he tried his best to understand. If only Kirei had been a bit quicker, if only he'd been more skilled, if only he'd gotten there just a little bit earlier…
"I would've been able to witness his death with my own eyes."
In his eyes, that was the true tragedy. Of course, he didn't voice these thoughts aloud.
"I appreciate your belief in my competency. I've been doing my best to cull the Dead though I am having difficulty in covering up the incidents or in locating the Apostle."
"To be expected, Id have been surprised if you did manage to find him. I'll have a couple more Church agents occupy members of the police force and media outlets. Ando better start workin' his ass off. Don't want this shit gettin' more publicity than it already has."
He drummed his fingertips against the pew's back hitting a rhythmical pattern as he talked. His fingers were light and dainty, like an experienced piano player.
"The seventh member of the Agency and her worthless assistant have infiltrated that school, Homurahara Academy? Ill be sendin' you out patrollin' with em during the night. Ciel's authority takes priority but you're free to bully the other one. I understand the Holy Grail War will be commencin'' soon?" His tapping stilled as he posed the question.
"Yes, apart from Assassin Archer and Saber all the other master's have summoned a servant. I am expecting another one tonight." Kirei said.
"Ain't that great. Now we'll have a bunch of asshole Mages with their superhuman toys goin' around and fuckin up the place." He let out a short tsk. "Okay, considerin' that you'll be actin as the overseer ill let'cha prioritise your time at your own discretion. However, I want a list of the participants and a report every night about the events, make sure it doesn't get in the way."
Kirei listened in silence as his orders were given, due to his position as overseer he was pleased with the freedom he was given though a certain point stuck out to him.
"If I may," he asked. "Why is it that you had the Burial Agency stationed at the school? I've had no indication that that's where the Ancestor is based." It was impossible for one of the 27 to be located in such a populated location without being noticed. Rin most definitely would have told him.
"Looks like someone actually pays attention, good shit." An unusually savage compliment. "I was holdin' back on explainin' the specifics, but I was gonna' have to educate ya sooner or later anyways." He stood up turning around his expression hardening.
"Listen up, ill enlighten you a bit about just what type of Ancestor we'll be facin'. Course, this is all confidential. Ill only say it once so you'd best be payin' attention."
Somehow the night itself seemed to darken in response to his words. Eye contact was maintained between the two men of God for a moment before Kirei nodded. Mario's face broke into a menacing grin.
"In that case." He raised his arms in a dramatic flourish." let me explain the circumstance surroundin' the largest piece of fuckery the species of semi-immortal fucks ever produced, the unofficial 28th Dead apostle Ancestor. 'The Serpent of Akasha' and 'Infinite Reincarnator': Michael Roa Valdamjong."
-oOo-
Authors Note.
Uh yeah, first fanfic and its probably waaaaay too complicated for a first outing. It was actually inspired from a reddit post by u/zackphoenix123 that asked the question of what would happen if Fate/Stay Night and Tsukihime took place at the same time. The idea really stuck with me so I decided "what the hell" and made this.
Starting this made me realize just how difficult this concept was and why there have only been a few attempts with most only picking and choosing a couple aspects. There are already so many moving parts in the original Fate or TsukiRemake story that combining all that madness was crazy but hey I tried.
I have vague plans for how I want this story to go in the future so I might continue this but if anyone else wants to try their hand at this idea please go ahead. My schedule will be unpredictable at best.
I would also like to apologize for kind of rushing through Shiki's explanation of his family situation to Ciel, I just didn't want to waste time writing a scene so similar to the original. I thought about writing from the perspective of Shirou but decided I wanted to focus the opening chapter on Rin and Shiki for the first day as Shirou's was pretty uneventful overall.
Thanks for reading. New chapter coming…whenever it happens, I guess.