Chapter 2: Routinely Darkening
-oOo-
Sometime before…
Wonderful. Truly, wonderful. Excellent even. The timing couldn't be better. His choice couldn't be any better. To be in a land with such an excellent spiritual presence, one of the strongest ley lines in the country. Countless possibilities to pursue. This area, the far east in general, was often dismissed by the wider magus community. A fault of Clock Tower society.
Of course, there was one thing that grabbed attention like no other. The ritual tied to this land, deep underground. The desire for Heaven's Feel. Yes, the Holy Grail War was truly a work of art. Dismissing its worth in the past was a blunder. A major one Over the years it had only grown in value to him. To think that something designed by 3 mages wishing the best for humanity, could be hoping to achieve what he had partly accomplished for many centuries.
An eternal cycle.
Never in his wildest years had he imagined he would get the opportunity to be present during one's occurrence, and yet, here he was.
Here she was.
Here it was. And he had been chosen by it. To think something with the moniker of 'holy' would select him was laughable, no, it must be fate. He had to see it. To witness it. Experience all it had to offer. Ignoring it would be a sin to his very beliefs, against his very nature.
He shivered in anticipation. He felt his very soul shift. Don't worry, your vengeance will be dealt with soon, just a little longer.
7 servants. Heroic spirits from ancient history. With there deaths as a catalyst the path to Akasha would open. The third magic would manifest, and one victor may acquire it. He had been ahead of it for all this time, but now? Perhaps it was to time to gaze right into the root itself. Improvements could still be made. Even incomplete, just what could he accomplish with that vast cauldron of magical energy.
Yes. For him, participation in the Holy Grail war was only natural.
And for that, a servant would be necessary.
…
"Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Repeat every five times…"
-oOo-
Day 2
"All right, that should do."
Shirou Emiya released a satisfied exhale as he finished preparing breakfast. Onion and potato miso alongside the usual egg and broth boil. Sakura had made breakfast for him yesterday, so it was only fair to repay the favor when she came over today. It was almost six o'clock, yet he had already finished. He was a natural early riser no matter his sleep schedule and he found a cooking to be a therapeutic start to the morning that helped shave off any lingering tiredness.
Perhaps it was a habit built to survive the concoctions called meals that were prepared by his father. Kiritsugu was skilled at many things (most of them assassination), but even Shirou would admit that cooking was for sure one of his greatest faults.
He still had some time left over so he headed to the dojo for some light exercise. Push-ups, sit-ups, stretches. Yesterday morning he had missed out on this routine since he had woken up late. A rare occurrence for him, likely caused by practicing magecraft late into the night. Something Kiritsugu would've definitely disapproved of. He was always against him learning anything magical in nature, only teaching Shirou the bare essentials. The man was surely thankful to discover that the boy he adopted wasn't very talented at it, even if his circuit number was above average. Despite this, Shirou would continue in an attempt to hone the few mysteries he could replicate, for years after his passing. Every night he could.
He had to prepare for the future. Anything to contribute towards his dream. The city of Fuyuki was dangerous right now. Deaths, disappearances, and a new phenomena that had people growing weak and comatose. He wasn't sure what it was, but it reeked of something terrible. The people were suffering. He had to be ready.
Shortly after finishing his exercise Sakura had arrived. Always the reliable and diligent junior. Her personality was much more manageable compared to her brother. He thought of Shinji as a friend, but his temperament could be quite difficult to handle at times. As for how he treated Sakura…
"Good morning, Senpai. I see you've already finished preparing breakfast."
"Yeah, its mostly done, all that's left is setting up the table and cooking the fish."
"Oh, I'll help with preparing the dishes then," she said cheerily.
When it came to cooking, she was almost as good as he was. She was admirable in her willingness to help out and learn a new skill. If only the actual adult of the household would follow her example. Meanwhile, said adult had already set herself at the table with an expectant look on her face. Taiga was obviously a woman who wasn't afraid to rely on those younger than her, even when they were her own students. He gave her a displeased expression before following Sakura to the Kitchen.
"That freeloader aside…Sakura, you can use the dishes in the middle cabinet, they'll look good with what I've prepared. Are you able to get the ones further in?"
"Huh? Yes. I should be able to."
Shirou froze. It was as she was reaching for a dish in the back that her sleeve had slightly run up her arm, just enough to reveal more of her wrist. He took a step forward and softly - but firmly - held Sakura's forearm positioning it upwards and fully exposing its surface. On it, an ugly red bruise was swelling. They both stood still as they stared at the wound.
"Sakura…what caused this mark?" Shirou asks, his voice low.
All she does is look away awkwardly, her eyes downcast. It told him all he needed to know. He let go of her arm a scowl on his face.
"Its Shinji again huh? Honestly, beating his own sister what does he think he's doing!?"
"N-No Senpai! T-Thats not it...you see…I…I fell and hurt myself! Yes. I can be a bit clumsy after all."
It was a weak excuse, Shirou wasn't buying it, surely even she knew that. He'd suspected that Shinji had been assaulting his sibling for a while now. Last time it had happened he had personally gone over and set him straight himself. He'd asked him why he hit Sakura and Shinji had said that he 'just hit her because he felt like it'. Shirou couldn't let that go and beaten him up thoroughly. He'd threatened to do it again if he ever found any signs of harm on Sakura. Apparently, he wasn't clear enough.
"Sakura," he said "I'm not stupid. There's no way you could get a bruise like that from falling. You need to stop defending him like this. I'll approach him again today. It looks like one beating wasn't enough to understand."
At this Sakura's eyes widen. "No Senpai! This has nothing to do with Nii-san, I really did it myself, it was my fault so you can't get mad."
Her words were frantic yet there was a sense of finality in them. This time, she had held his arms while looking directly into his face. Despite the guilt on her face, she was obstinate in keeping her brother in the clear. No matter what he said to her now, it would only hurt her. Shirou was filled with conflicting emotions; how could he stand by while she was suffering? Yet whenever he tried to help, she seemed to be filled with even more despair. He couldn't understand it.
"Please...Senpai...?"
"…All right. If you say so," he replied unenthusiastically. "I'll leave todays incident at that. But if I see it again, I won't be able to control myself."
"Yes." She looks down ashamed. "I'm sorry Senpai."
"Don't be, its Shinji's fault."
She only looked more downcast at that. The relationship between her brother and Senpai had been rather estranged in recent times. Shinji had been growing more arrogant and prideful as days went on and their previous physical altercation didn't help things. Even yesterday Sakura had warned him to be careful around Shinji. She said he already thought of him as an 'enemy' when he had quit the archery club. That however was caused by an injury he'd sustained at his part time job. Even Shinji had called the scar on his right shoulder 'unsightly'. He prioritized his part time job more, so he quit.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to work at Copenhagen the past week due to the staffs concerns over his safety. He had resisted heavily but they'd all but paid him in an attempt to stop him from working out late. He didn't see the problem; he was helping them out so what was wrong?
"Still, an enemy huh?" he thought. The warning reminded him of the cryptic message from the little white-haired girl from the previous evening. Something about being in danger if he didn't 'summon one soon' whatever that meant. Was it some sort of prank.
"Oi! Are you lovebirds done in there? I'm getting seriously, hungry in here all by myself. Any longer and you'll have a raging tiger on your hands!"
Unaware of the atmosphere in the kitchen Taiga had called loudly from the living room. Sakura blushed slightly while Shirou just shook his head with the faintest hint of a smile. She hadn't even bothered to mention that they might be late for school.
As they ate breakfast and the mood returned to its normal bright atmosphere, he couldn't help but look at the joyful and satisfied expressions of his family at the table.
He let himself think about how he wanted to protect their happiness at all costs.
-oOo-
Shiki was a little bemused on his way to school. It felt strange to be walking when he would usually be taking the train every morning. It made him feel like a transfer student at his own school. Walking was probably the easiest difference to get used to though. He didn't know what to expect when returning to his original family, but he was somehow surprised all the same. His cute little sister Akiha had grown into a strict and proper young lady fit to serve as the family head. Really it was quite the amazing transformation, but did she have to be so…uncompromising? Seriously, initially a 6 o'clock curfew to return home to? He was lucky to get it pushed back to eight though he had to promise to make it back on time no matter what. He wouldn't even have a phone if one of the maids, Kohaku, didn't sneak it back to him before he left.
Having actual maids was also yet another thing he doubted he could get use to. His personal one of the twins, Hisui, was adamant in refusing to call his name without honorifics. And having everything done for him just didn't feel right. He was getting an allowance (which he did appreciate), but it felt wrong without having worked for it. Kohaku's breakfast was a highlight though, one meal and he already doubted that there was a better chef in Fuyuki, perhaps even Japan. Fitting for the status of the Tohno household…of which they where the only residents.
Yup just him, his sister and the two maids. In a mansion greater than the school he went to. He was stunned at the mere fact he had to enter through a gate just to enter its grounds. How could four people occupy and sustain such a place?
"Five actually." He remembered. "There was the creepy guy wrapped in black bandages…"
He had attempted to ask Akiha the burning question of why he was called back after for so long. She had replied that it had been necessary no matter what Makihisa had said, and she'd apparently even overruled the opinion of the other branch members before evicting them. He couldn't help but worry about the idea of a bunch serious businesspeople lurking in the streets, holding a grudge against him. The image ranged from funny to terrifying.
He arrived at an intersection. Miyama was split into two parts, the regular, native Japanese suburbs and the other foreigner filled area mainly filled with properties of the rich(That was of course a rough generalization). The intersection between them was usually fairly calm, it was anything but that today. Several police cars and a couple ambulances are parked outside a house, Sirens wailing. Something must have happened, there's a loud clamour from the number of curious bystanders so its hard to tell what's going on.
He had a little time left before school so Shiki decided to hang around for a while longer but, in the end, can only make out that something terrible had happened to the family living there.
Maybe it was a sign from the world telling him of the importance of Akiha's curfew.
He checks his phone, realizing he only has 5 minutes left before class and breaks into a light jog as to not be late. He was quickly reminded of the oh so present fact that he had anaemia, and so he switched to alternating between running and walking. He arrived on time, if not slightly dizzy. He pushed it aside as he entered the building.
Inside class 2-A, there's no sign of Arihiko, he guessed he was back to his typical behavior of arriving late. Tohsaka also wasn't there which was definitely more surprising, he couldn't remember if she'd ever been absent before. It would be a single blemish of imperfection on her otherwise perfect record.
"Speaking of absent, we should be getting a new homeroom teacher today."
The bell for homeroom rang causing students who were previously milling around to hastily return to their seats. Shiki readies himself for his first day of school after returning to the Tohno mansion. Of course, it was unlikely that his personal situation would affect something as public as the school.
The seconds began to pass, tick by tick by as no teacher showed. The seconds gradually turned to minutes as the students glanced at each other and shifted in their seats. The lack of authority present would soon cause the class to disband into disorder. One minute had turned to two. Still no sign. Three minutes had passed and still, no teacher had shown up. There was a breaking point about to be reached and just as everyone felt the metaphysical needle was about to reach that point-
The door swung open.
"Okay everyone! Settle down, settle down. Homeroom will begin! You're beloved sensei is here!"
The woman who walked in caused everyone to freeze. The class stared at the unexpected invader. She was young, looking like someone straight out of university. A brunette in a blue blazer, pencil skirt and black tights, her hair was kept in a side ponytail by a pink elastic tie. She clearly wasn't fully Japanese.
Noticing the atmosphere, she gave hasty look around before exclaiming, "Whoa, what's with this tension? Calm down guys, am actually some sort of Medusa? Is that why you're all frozen? Ah, but perhaps it would be more culturally appropriate to say I'm not someone like 'Tamamo no Mae'. But that's a name and it isn't mine, plus anyone can tell I'm not an Oni after all. Wait, was medusa her species or name?"
"Huh!?"
Spouting something incomprehensible she walks up to the front of the classroom.
"Good morning everyone! I'm Aizome Noel and I'll be substituting for the recently absent Toyama-sensei. We'll be together for a month, but I can't wait to work with you all. Hmm…let's see, About me, about me…" She makes a cute 'thinking' expression as she puts a finger to her chin.
"Well, my favorite food is Mont Blanc, the best gift I could receive is money, my taboo word is 'Pet Shop' though I also dislike the word '弓' (bow). I'm 25 years old and I live in a rented apartment two stations away."
She leans forward pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she giggles. "Oh, and I'm always open to any questions so feel free to chase me if you want."
She seals the introduction with a wink. A shiver runs through the male populace. There was a brief silence before the sudden sound of every boy's chair being scraped back as they all stood up simultaneously. It would seem her wink had awoken a strange drive inside them.
No it wasn't strange, they had all simply been captured by the charm of the mature foreign onee-san just within their reach. Questions began flying at her left and right.
"What do you like to do in your spare time? Noel-sensei"
"Noel-sensei! When do have free time? Would you prefer to spend it with someone?"
"What's your opinion on student-teacher relationships? Noel-sensei!"
"Noel-sensei! Do you have a type your interested in?
The questions were definitely leaning towards a more dangerous outcome, at least when it came to the image of the school. The topics having a clear goal in mind. Had she spread some sort of disease? The class had broken down in seconds.
Noel simply laughed cheerfully as she began throwing out answers, matching the speed at which they were asked with ease. There was a major spike in a certain demographic once she revealed that she enjoyed working as a nun in her spare time on Sundays. Looking at her happy face as she reveled in the attention, Shiki felt his heart shudder. Her expressions is too dangerous, its overpowering.
He looked away unable to keep up with the atmosphere. Coincidentally he ended up making eye contact with Yumizuka. She must have not been very enthused about the situation much like the other girls. In her absent mindedness it looked like she had been staring at him. He gives her an apologetic smile to which she responds with a weak one of her own before turning away quickly. Odd.
As chaos reigns, Noel looks at the situation with a warm smile. She raise her hand to her face and says, without care. "I wonder if high school kids are alright in the head."
Quite the cutting remark to her loyal fans.
-oOo-
"Urgh, morning already…?" Rin moaned as she sluggishly began to rise from bed. She wasn't sure what time it was but judging by the sun she was majorly late for school. She also had the oddest feeling that something really annoying had happened there. It didn't matter, she was in no state to go to school anyway. Her body was heavy and just the thought of movement filled her with lethargy. She had spent a lot of magical energy the previous night. She wouldn't be top in condition until at least a full day of recovery.
"Oh, that's right the summoning." Yet another thing to put a damper on her mood. Really to make such a foolish mistake she had half a mind to march herself to the church and resign right there. Her pride and drive to follow through of course wouldn't allow that.
"Archer." she thought glumly to herself. It was still one of the three knight classes but not summoning Saber had been a major blow. Kirei was surely going to enjoy hanging that over her head for the remainder of the war. She massaged her temples. "Great, now I have a headache coming on." Her head was clearly not reacting well to the stress it was being put under. Really, it was all the fault of that Archer of hers. Seriously, did he have to be so rude? And he didn't even know who he was. A servant that couldn't even utilise its noble phantasm, her luck was just the worst.
There was a knock on the door. "Master, I sense you're awake, breakfast is ready for you downstairs."
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," she thought. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be down in a second."
Dragging herself from the comforts of her bed she slowly went through the motions of getting ready. Looking a bit more presentable she headed downstairs. In the botched summoning of the night before he had landed in her living room completely trashing the place. There was rubble and debris everywhere, not to mention all the broken house equipment. She had told him to have it cleaned up by today. Considering the damage, she had expected him to only clear the rubble but…
"Wow, maybe he's worth something after all," she says amazed. The living room is in perfect condition, just the way it was. There was no sign of any damage, even the broken floorboards and furniture was fixed and back in place. How did he even manage to replace them? Was he some sort of legendary carpenter? Perhaps, he actually did feel bad about it, despite his demeanour.
"I see you finally cared to join me." He materialises in front of her, arms folded and leaning against the wall with a slightly smug expression. "You know, waking up late is considered bad for your health, it's a habit you'd best change if you want to keep your natural beauty."
Tall. Tanned skin, short white hair, black underbody with a red shroud covering it. The combination of features almost seemed random though he made it work. It was impossible to tell what era he came from, but he'd obviously lost whatever sense of courtesy it had.
"Hmph. Shameless as usual." She pays the man no mind as she takes a seat on one of the newly fixed chairs. It was good that he was at least following his orders now. She tried to convince herself that the command spell she used rashly out of anger last night wasn't a waste.
"You said breakfast was prepared? Let's see it then. You seem to be awfully well acquainted with my house if you're already putting the kitchen to good use."
He smiles wryly. "You'll find that after spending the night cleaning up in a large mansion like this you eventually learn it's lay out. I'd recommend giving it a try." Entering the kitchen, he reappeared shortly afterwards with a tray. The way he moved was strange. He acted so at home in her own house. Was he simply used to Western style housing? The girl redirected her attention as her food was served, she had to double-take. She was surprised, it looked like he had gone above and beyond when it came to cooking for her.
"W-What the…? Where'd you even find the ingredients to make these?" She asked incredulously. Potato and onion miso Soup, steamed rice, grilled fish, egg broth and a variety of other side dishes were all laid out with an artistic beauty. She was fairly competent when it came to cooking herself but even she could tell that this was a true master at work. Perhaps his identity was actually some sort of legendary chef? Just her luck to summon the ultimate househusband as a servant.
"I thought you might not be doing well. I expected you to be fatigued after the summoning last night and thought this might help get you back to form. Oh, ill get you a drink as well." Archer fetches a teapot and pours her a cup. Somehow, he had even picked out one of her favourite Chinese tea's, it was brewed to perfection. Rin was not one to be a heavy eater in the mornings, but in the face of this quality meal she couldn't resist. She gives a short "Thanks for the food…" before she dug in. Her biggest worry was that she wouldn't be able to finish the meal and truly revel in its tastes.
Archer watched in silence as she ate. He's still and he's looking quite closely. His grey eyes are examining her every feature with a serious expression before…
"Heh." A single short laugh.
She frowns at him, swallowing yet another delectable mouthful. "Hold on. what are you laughing about?"
He has a disgustingly prideful expression on his face as he replies. "Well, I was going to ask you what you thought of the meal but seeing your face…well there was no point."
"This guy!" She shoots him a furious glare.
"Don't be getting complacent Mr 'Nameless heroic Spirit'. I didn't summon you for housework and cooking. What I need is a powerful familiar that can battle to its full potential, and in that regard, you've yet to impress me."
Archer just keeps up his self-satisfied grin. "In that regard huh…? So, you're admitting that I have impressed you somewhat with my skills."
"You can interpret it however you like but I advise you shut it before I use another seal to shut it for you." She slammed her cup down on the table to emphasise her point. The servant raised his hands in mock surrender and remained quite for the rest of her meal.
"That aside, you'd better get ready, since you were just summoned you don't know your way around the area. Ill show you around once I'm done so just be quiet until then. The situation might be a bit different than what you're expecting." She warned.
"Don't worry, master. I'm sure I won't be too unfamiliar with the world at large." He gave a slight tilt of the head. "More importantly, aren't you forgetting something important."
She froze. No not again. What could it be this time? She had fixed the clocks before heading to bed hadn't, she? Surely, she couldn't have missed something important once again, right?
As his master stewed, Archer let out a dramatic sigh before giving her a look of disappointment.
"Master. Your name. What is it?"
-oOo-
A lone woman stood in Fuyuki central park. Located in the center of the Shinto district, she gazed across the desolate fields. A place like this located in a popular area should've been filled with children and adults alike and yet, it was left completely barren. Normally, she wouldn't have been one to waste time in such a place. It was pointless standing here in her search for him.
She was cold, Emotionless.
A being designed to kill.
But something terrible had occurred here. The Earth was crying out in pain. A thick curse of negativity permeated the air. Feelings of deep-seated grudges were embedded in the very soil. The dark emotions present would even be felt by spirits who would steer clear of the area, devoid of life.
That was exactly what had drawn her to the place. She was the highest form of nature, connected to the planet itself. It was only natural that she was lured in by the imprint of a deep scar inflicted on Gaia. Just being there was foul. No doubt another fault caused by humanity.
Perhaps she could even heal it, she considered. Call upon the powers of the planet to restore this spiritual wasteland. Was it not saddening to see it reduced to this?
"Pointless," she muttered.
That was not her purpose. Her purpose was to eliminate him, and him alone, eternally. Atonement. Her goal could not be postponed by undertaking in such meaningless actions. In the end, it was just as she'd initially thought. This was a waste of time.
The Princess walked, her golden hair fluttering, leaving the corrupted park behind.
-oOo-
"Emiya, have you met the knew homeroom teacher of class 2-A." Issei asked.
It was lunch time, and they were spending the time eating together in the student council room. Emiya would like to say this was usual for them, but he couldn't help but feel that the president decided whether to eat in the student council room or classroom based on random chance. Before break started Issei would just look at him with a focused gaze before nodding and heading to the place if choice.
"No, I heard we'll have her for English so I should see her tomorrow." He said. "I've heard some people say that any boy who meets her is immediately infected with a case of 'Noel fever', whatever that means. What's wrong? Is there something I should know?" Knowledge of the chaos she had caused for class 2-A upon her arrival had quickly spread, apparently, they had been stirred into some kind of frenzy because of her flirtatious personality. Issei likely didn't appreciate her acting in such a way.
"Emiya…" He leaned back slightly, a somber expression on his face. "You're not going to believe me…but that woman, Noel-sensei, she's another one."
"Issei. Not again with this." Shirou groaned putting a hand to his face. "Tohsaka, Ciel, Noel" at this rate you're just confirming those rumors about you." He couldn't believe that the boy had once again found another woman that he didn't agree with. His friend slammed a hand on the table standing up in indignation.
"N-No Emiya! You do not understand. She's like the worst mixture between them! Or perhaps the best? Either way, she's as devious as they come!" Shirou let's his head rest atop his arms on the table as Issei begins his tirade. The boy still has chopsticks in his hands and is wildly swinging them, painting dramatic arcs in the air while he talks.
"She has entered the school through completely legal means, I will admit, unlike that upper classman everyone is so infatuated with, but she most definitely has the same dark aura present within that I recognize in both Ciel and Rin. And just like those too, she's already set her roots in the boys of our school."
"Yes, yes, I hear you. She's a big bad witch or whatever. I understand." Shirou mumbles noncommittedly, his voice is slightly muffled by his arms. He finds it incredible that the boy managed to say these things with a such a serious voice and expression.
"Did you know? I heard that she volunteers as a nun on Sundays. Doesn't sound very evil to me."
Issei slowly sinks back down in his seat at his friends lack of enthusiasm. "T-True," he admits. "But my intuition is never wrong, I'm sure its yet another trick. Perhaps it's actually some nefarious underground organization?"
Shirou let out a small 'hmm' as they both returned to eating their lunches. "Intuition is never wrong huh?" Maybe he'd finally give his ideas the light of day if he ever correctly guessed that he was technically capable of magecraft but until then they would be ignored.
"That aside…Did you hear about what happened around 2nd Avenue? Its at that intersection where we part ways."
"I noticed something was up on my way to school but didn't hang around…do you know what happened?"
Issei hesitates for moment before he responds.
"I heard that it was the death of a family. No one survived. Apparently, they were ripped apart by some sort of animal, they suspect it to be a pack of some large canine of sorts." His voice is low and heavy. "They had been torn completely to shreds, it was a disgustingly brutal affair."
It's a gruesome image. Imagining the family ripped apart by a horde of wild animals. Trapped in their house. Unable to defend themselves. Unable to run away. Writhing in pain as the only sound the heard was their own screams. No one had come to stop their suffering. No one had come as they slowly met their end. No one had arrived to save them. He stopped his thoughts there. He had lost his appetite. Issei watches him as he slowly lays down his cutlery. The atmosphere had grown heavy.
"My apologies Emiya, I shouldn't have brought up something so unpleasant while we were eating," he says apologetically, looking at Shirou's face through his lenses with concern.
"Its no problem, I'd rather be aware it." He responds with a neutral expression. Really, it just bothered him. Surely the situation could've been avoided.
The despondent mood is interrupted by a rapt knock on the door. Its Kuzuki-sensei. He's hear to call Issei out for some student council business. It didn't look like anything serious despite the mans perpetually serious face. Both he and Issei got along rather well, he supposed it made sense, they both had quite the diligent and sincere personality.
Shirou was left alone in the student council room. Staring at his meal, he took a tentative final bite before packing it away. He leaned back in his chair, by himself, with his thoughts for company.
"A pack of wild dogs? That's never been a problem in Fuyuki before."
-oOo-
"Ah there you are. Got a minute. Shiki-kun."
School had ended and Shiki was one of the last to leave the classroom before Noel had suddenly called out to him in the hallway. The new teacher had been the hot topic of the students the whole day. Even he had to admit, she had her charms. He felt his heart skip for a moment just from her calling out to him. There weren't many people left in the building. He calmed himself down as he approached her. She has one hand on her hip and is giving him an inviting smile.
"Try not to get any funny ideas, its probably just something school related." His inner voice gave a friendly reminder.
"Um, sure. What can I do for you, Noel-sensei?" he asks.
"…fufu, 'Noel-sensei'. I like the sound of that. Much better than senpai wouldn't you agree? I'm afraid I'll get addicted being called that by a cute, naive boy like you. Its sounds kind of…dirty and a little bit exciting."
She takes a step closer. Her high heels make an audible click on the floor. Shiki takes a half step back. It was instinctual. She's getting a little close. As if ignoring it, she simply takes another step. Closing the distance even more.
"Um, Noel-sensei…? You're a bit too close."
"Don't worry about it Shi~ki-kun. In fact, you should just keep quiet and go along with things at a time like this. Its best to live life in the present and just enjoy the moment, right?" Her voice is playful, yet the boy is struck by a chill.
Why is he starting to feel oddly convinced? His mind feels clouded. He slowly retreats as she continues advancing. Step by step she continues to approach. What is this? Why is he struck by the feeling as if he can't escape?
He doesn't want to escape.
She tilts her head slight exposing her nape. "Hey look…my neck. Isn't it beautiful." Her voice seems to worm her way into Shiki's ears. He can't resist them. Its as if they were whispered straight to his very soul.
Step by step. Closer and closer. Her brown eyes seem to draw him in.
"Don't be so cautious." She whispers. "Just share in our warmth together, doesn't it make you just want to sink your teeth in? It'll be fine…I just want you to devour me…"
Step by step. There's a thump. His bag has dropped to the floor. Another thump. Its the sound of his heart hammering in his ears.
He's run out of hallway. His back is against the wall. Her breathing is close enough to feel. The sensation of her hands begin to wrap around his back. She is all he can see. She is the only thing in his field of vision that matters. She lifts a hand towards his glasses and slowly begins to lift them off his face. At this his body begins to shake in fear. No, he doesn't want to see, but he's distracted. Distracted by the beautiful older girl and her smooth, captivating neck-
"Tohno-kun!" Someone else's voice.
The haze lifts. Noel has abruptly released him stepping back and the strange mood vanishes like a fog. Shiki hastily pushes his glasses back up before looking to see who his saviour was. He was surprised.
"Emiya…?"
It was him, the fake janitor Shirou Emiya, fiery red hair with an equally fiery gaze directed towards the teacher. He didn't know why he was here, but he was thankful none the less. Noel had quickly relinquished her infringement on his personal space upon his arrival. A flash of annoyance crossed her face unnoticed before she spoke.
"Ah, no need to look so concerned…Emiya-kun, was it? It was just a little joke between me and Shiki. A little tease to break the ice. You could call it a bit of skinship in Japanese terms, perhaps? Mm…either way It was just a bit of socialising."
"That was supposed to be a joke?" Shiki thought aghast. Her reasonings were unclear.
Emiya didn't look very convinced. His stare was steely, but he still spoke with politeness.
"Sensei, that kind of skinship isn't actually common in Japan despite what you may have heard. Especially between student and teacher, that kind of prank could be dangerous for you."
"Ah its alright now, thanks for informing me, I'm still getting use to this country after all. I just needed something from Shiki-kun here, but it's already been taken care of." She gives Shiki a wink and holds up an 'ok' sign with her fingers. "Ill be on my way now. See you around! Shiki-kun, Emiya kun, be careful out there. You wouldn't want to end up like Toyama-sensei."
With that, she waves her hand as she passes by Emiya and walks away. The boy watches her intently as she leaves. They both want to ask about what she meant with Toyama-sensei but decides to give it up. They've had enough of Noel for the day. Picking up his bag Shiki expresses his thanks to the boy who says it was no problem. They both decide to make their exit.
…
Its awkward. They're both walking though the building in silence, right next to each other yet not saying a word. Should he bring up what happened with Noel?
"Well, its not like we have much else in common." Shiki thinks to himself. He takes a look at Shirou's face but is unable to tell what he's feeling. In contrast to earlier its like a blank canvas at the moment.
…
The silence continues. Maybe he should say something? Was he annoyed at him? Thankfully, they finally leave the school building. Emiya stops. Shiki makes to thank him once more before they part but surprising him, he speaks up first this time.
"Tohno-kun, if she ever tries something like that again with you, just ask me for help. You can rely on me if needs be."
"He's…very serious." The boy with glasses thinks. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks again Emiya-kun." Emiya nods before walking off. He seems satisfied. Shiki considered what to do from here. It wasn't very late so maybe he'd go exploring around Shinto? It had really sprouted in recent years after a large portion of it had been torn down in the blaze 10 years ago. It was likely the most advanced and commercialised part of Fuyuki.
As long as he remembers to make it back in time for curfew, it should be fine.
-oOo-
"What the hell?"
Archer couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was beyond absurd. This was not the type of situation he was expecting at all when answering the Grails call. He was expecting Fuyuki to be a little different than what he knew but this?
"So let me get this straight. In this city there has been a series of murders and disappearances, most of which likely caused by the fact that there is an honest to God Dead apostle Ancestor in Fuyuki, high ranking Church officials are in the process of hunting it down including the Burial Agency themselves, of which has one of their members masquerading as a student at your own school and despite all this the Holy Grail War is also still going on." He paused, taking a deep breath.
"Please, do tell. Did I miss anything?"
"…you certainly gave a perfectly apt summary," Rin murmured.
"In that case I would once again like to reiterate. Master, what the hell."
It was late in the evening and he and Rin were located atop the highest skyscraper in Shinto. The wind was strong and there was a slight chill at this height, but it was an ample place for an Archer class servant to view the area. She had been giving him a tour of the city before leading him up here and finally dropping the bombshell of information regarding the towns current sate.
"Yeah, I can admit its not the best. The situation makes me want to do nothing else but pull my hair out. But there's nothing I can do." The frustration in her voice was obvious. She'd been aware and dealing with this longer than he had. Maybe he should cut her some slack. Be a little less critical. What she said next made him quickly retract that idea.
"On my own, I could do nothing but let outsiders handle it. But you know, with you here… maybe we could- "Her query is interrupted before it can even be completed.
"Rin" Archer speaks, his tone is deathly serious. "You are a brilliant, smart, and talented magus. I have no doubt about that, but always remember you must never overestimate your own ability or underestimate your opponents. Dead Apostle Ancestors are inconceivable. If Servants are ancient legends from human history given form in this age through the power of the grail, Ancestors are like living -though undead- legends that have been actualized by a principle over centuries of feeding and accumulation of power. One is born from the affirmation of human history while one actively denies it. A battle between a servant and an Ancestor would fall into a compatibility category of whether one has the means to kill the other. In the case it is impossible, there is no way I would be able to guarantee your safety."
She takes a step back and raises her hands. "Okay, okay, okay I get it already! No need for the lecture I understand. I won't go rushing headlong into the clutches of the first vampire I see alright! Jeez." She's a little startled by his intense monologue. She was ready for rejection, but this was way more thorough than she anticipated.
Seeing her reaction, Archer relented ever so slightly.
"If, and this is a very big if. If we are in a position where it is feasible for us to take the Ancestor on, preferably with back up and from a safe position…I will offer up my full capabilities." Archer sighs. "Honestly, dragging me all around the city just drop all that on me. I pity whatever poor soul has to go out with you someday."
Her eyebrow twitched. "What was that last part? Archer?"
"Just talking to myself." He looked out at the city skyline. "You know, if you had just brought me here from the beginning, we wouldn't have had to travel all around town. This is the tallest building in Fuyuki and I am an Archer after all. My eyesight's good enough to count the tiles on the bridge from here."
"What? That's at least over a mile away?! If your eyesight was that good, why didn't you tell me earlier."
His lips curl upwards ever so slightly. "Hmm, I suppose it slipped my mind. My memory has been pretty fuzzy after all. And you were oh so excited to show me around with this big, planned tour… well it just would've felt a little rude."
"Don't get cocky now that you've accomplished one thing you're class should be good at." Rin shot back. They both fall silent as they gaze into the night. Archer busies himself with memorizing possible vantage points that may come in handy later. While his master considers possible enemy master hideouts.
"Ah." Rin is staring down the side of the building at the ground below, she's noticed someone.
"Hm? What is it Rin? An enemy?"
"No..." Shaking her head slightly. "Its just a girl from my class."
Archer took a curious look for himself. The girl had brown hair tied in a twin tail fashion not unlike Rin's though, slightly shorter and messier. Her head was downcast, and she was walking with hurried shuffling steps. From the way her shoulders moved he could tell she was breathing heavily.
"Honestly, school curfew was over an hour go, don't you have anything better to do than wandering around at night?" His master continued.
Archer remains silent as he watches her until she disappears from his line of sight. He's not sure but he can't help but get a bad feeling . She wasn't a master, Rin would've likely noticed, but something was up either way. It was likely an issue unrelated to the war. He was contemplating whether to voice his concerns when Rin raised her voice once more.
"Seriously?! Someone else! Do these people not understand how dangerous it is right now?!"
She's yelling in annoyance at yet another high schooler. Likely another classmate.
He redirects his gaze to where she's looking and sees a teen with glasses walking around much more leisurely in comparison to the girl earlier. The boy seems to be struck by a sudden realization before he spins on his heel and rushes back in the direction he came. He was moving impressively quick, faster than someone would expect from the laid-back pace he was moving at earlier. Archer theorized he was probably in some sort of track club, maybe a team sport?
"Wow," Rin says. You'd never suspect he had anaemia with that athleticism."
Archer didn't know what to believe anymore. Clearly, he knew nothing of this world. He stretched his head back tired of the streets and instead gazed into the night sky. It had already gotten dark, and the luminescence of Earths largest satellite was clearly visible.
Really, the moon looked so beautiful today.
-oOo-
"I really screwed up this time huh." Shiki thinks to himself sorrowfully. It was almost 9pm and he was in his room eating a small meal. He had spent longer while anticipated in Shinto. He had met the middle schooler from yesterday who had berated him on the train and somehow, (despite her once again telling him off this time for walking around on his own) had ended up buying her a drink, which she then gave back to him. She was strange.
He hadn't gotten up to much of interest while out in Shinto. He had distracted himself with idle thoughts while simply taking in the sights. He could've sworn that he'd seen Yumizuka while he was there but he wasn't sure. After some time he had on a whim, checked his watch to see it was 7:40 and he had only twenty minutes to make it back for Akiha's curfew. He had never run so far, for so long in his life and he was practically crawling as he made it to the mansion's foyer. The idea of breaking his promise to Akiha on the first day back filled him with dread. She'd say he was a disgrace to the Tohno name, a disgrace of human, a disgrace of a loveable big brother.
Maybe he made up that last part.
Unfortunately, all his effort had been for naught. He had arrived at 8:01pm and she wasn't feeling lenient. His punishment was a 20% allowance decrease as well as no dinner. The allowance cut didn't bother him much and Kohaku had already prepared and snuck him a small meal in his room. Really, she was too kind to him. She must really care about the family.
He sighed. "I'm going to have to really make this up to sis in the following days. Alright! From now on I vow to not stay out late and always come home on time! I'm going to become the most reliable big brother she could ask for!"
There was howling outside. It seemed at least something had felt his valiant declaration. Whether it was a positive sign or not he couldn't tell.
"Huh, didn't know there were dogs in the area." He hoped their howling would'nt get too annoying during the night. At this point the only thing he was looking forward to was a good night sleep.
He finished his food, showered, and went to sleep. If everything went well this would be his worst night at the Tohno mansion.
The Howling continued long into the darkness.
-oOo-
Ciel launched a series of black keys towards a swarm of undead. Each blade easily found its mark smoothly running through the rank III apostles. Before they had even impacted the targets, she had already brandished more, 4 of them in each hand in a fan formation between her fingers. The sacraments present in the blades made short work of her foes, easily purifying the shambling corpses. She had attracted dozens of undead during her nightly patrol today. It was not a problem. It would require closer to a hundred for her to put in any decent effort.
She continued her cleansing. Leaping across the walls of the alleyway, slashing and piercing through scores of undead leaving their destruction in her wake. Her movement was graceful as she darted through the air. Every flash of a blade in her hands was accompanied by yet another successful kill. They were released like a volley of arrows with pinpoint precision. In mere moments, every undead in her path had been eliminated. She landed atop a streetlight. Scouring the area for signs of any stragglers. It was well into the night and the streets were empty. Silent. It was the perfect time for creatures of the darkness to move with freedom, she would eliminate them swiftly. All trace of the up-beat school senpai had vanished.
She heard sounds coming from the lane to her right. It looked like her associates had found more. Dropping from the lantern she headed in its direction. Turning the corner, she saw him. The priest was expressionlessly fighting off a small collection of ghouls. It wasn't a problem; he was more than capable.
There was the sudden sound of a growl behind her. With ease, she flipped backwards, spinning mid-air and launching a key downwards. A large, dark hound with glowing red eyes snapped its jaws around the space she was just occupying before the black key pierced straight through its skull. It fell, limp, as she executed her landing flawlessly. "Dog ghouls? Those were new," her attention was drawn by the sound of slow clapping drawing near.
"Impressive, I must say your movement is exquisite to watch." Kirei approached letting his applause peter out. "I would like to think of myself as an experienced executor, but I can't help but feel slightly inadequate when compared to you. You bring a certain beauty to this mundane act of slaughter."
"Mundane huh? That's on odd way of putting it." She didn't voice her opinion aloud. Ciel didn't like talking much to the man, Kotomine Kirei. It was only there first night together but they'd had a short exchange in the church before setting out into the city. There was something about him that had set her on edge. Whenever he spoke, she got the sense that he was in on some kind of joke that she didn't understand. His feelings and expressions seemed genuine, but they felt hollow. Despite the weight his words had, they lacked something.
She remembered what Mario had said to her in private before leaving.
"Ill be honest, I don't like the asshole. If it's a matter of trustin' him, I'd keep the fucker well away. I'm not sure what's up, but he's definitely hidin' somethin'. Even then, he's a capable fighter, knows the most about the area and is the overseer of the Grail War so it's best we leave him be. Keepin' him busy with close observation might be a good way to at least make him think twice about pullin' whatever shit he's tryin' to pull."
As a member off the Burial Agency, she was technically exempt from the bishop's direct orders, but she was inclined to agree with him on this notion. Despite his vulgar manner of speech, the boy claimed to be a good judge of character, saying he could grasp someone's nature with just a conversation. He was suspicious of the Priest but ultimately concluded that whatever it was going on with him predated the current hunt for Roa.
The man is still standing there with a smile waiting for some kind of response. She ignores him. Instead, looking upwards. "Noel, get down here already."
A small thud and the woman, Noel, lands between them from the upper balcony of a building. She had a large halberd-like polearm that she deftly spins around her before snapping to her feet.
"Yes! a perfect landing! 100 points for me wouldn't you say?" She gave a tiny fist bump while looking at her two companions. It would seem that even outside of school, her demeanor was still that of the joyful sensei. Kirei merely raised an eyebrow. Ciel was unamused.
"Noel, did you clear out all the dead on your end?" Ciel asked.
"Yup! Wiped em all out and came over here to help our resident priest."
"Help…?" Kirei gives the brunette a deadpan stare. "I see…In that weak-spirited mind of yours you have somehow convinced yourself that sitting aside and watching from afar constituted as some form of help."
"Weak spirited? I was already finished with my end, you're a big tough guy, you looked like you could handle it."
"Whether or not I could handle it is irrelevant, especially in these situations. You're supposed to be a teacher, correct? I wonder at the quality of the kind of instructor that refuses to help their student on a preconceived notion of ability. And on their first day together as well. Tragic." He slowly shakes his head, pointedly not looking in her direction. While the inflection in his voice never wavered and he spoke as if it was matter of fact. It was clear the other executor was being looked down upon.
"W-What! I…! You…!" Noel stuttered as she tried to formulate a response. "Didn't the Acting Presbyter tell you to respect your superiors while we were together!?"
"Why yes, Ciel here is indeed my superior and thus deserves respect." He slightly dips his head towards her before raising a hand towards the increasingly irritated woman. "You on the other hand were referred to by Bestino-sama, if I recall correctly, as the 'worthless assistant' that I could 'bully as I please'. I believe I am in fact aligning with his orders perfectly well."
"W-What!? Bully?! Worthless!? By that little scamp! Brat's just riding on the coattails of his family, and he has the gall to call me that!" She is clearly outraged. The woman twirls her polearm before brandishing it at the derisive priest. He doesn't so much as flinch.
"E-Even then I request! No, I demand the barest respect or courtesy!"
The mans face split into a smile. "Well then. I suppose you'll have to do something worthy of earning it. So far hiding away while your ally fought for his life is not giving you a good impression. Would you not agree?" The entire time he hadn't even glanced in the girl's direction.
"Y-You…! You….!"
"Would you both shut up already!" Ciel cut in between them.
She had grown tired of listening to their pointless argument. "Noel, don't take his words to heart, he's just trying to get a rise out of you. Kotomine-san, since you see me as your superior I'm telling you now, do stop trying to provoke my partner."
He muttered a short understood placing his arms placidly behind his back. His expression returning to neutrality.
Noel gave a short 'tsk' before turning away. Ciel took her silence as agreement.
"Ah, but I do have something of interest to notify you of," Kirei said abruptly. "It actually has to do with the ghouls I was taking care of. If you would follow me." He strode off deeper into the back lane's that Noel had been watching without waiting for a response.
Ciel glanced at Noel who shook her head with a shrug to signify she didn't know what he was talking about. Wordlessly, they followed him. She tried to ignore the harsh glares her colleague was tossing at the priest's back. It was a short journey as they quickly entered a rather cramped alley. The man stepped aside for them to see. Something was wrong. All across the walls and floor of the alley in a small radius, the surface of the structures had turned black. Upon closer inspection Ciel realized what it actually was.
"Burn marks," she said. "The entire surface is severely scorched." Kirei nodded in confirmation.
"It happened while I was engaged with a ghoul earlier." He began to explain. "It was humanoid like most others, but it was noticeably made of stronger stuff than them. Visibly, it had skin that looked like molten rock, an orange glow was showing through the cracks that ran along its body. It was as I brought it to its end, that, it had briefly expanded before bursting into a vortex of flames. The result is as you see here," he finished, motioning towards the damage. "I fortunately managed to sustain no injuries, but a less agile and lower speed reaction would have resulted in a less than positive outcome."
"Guess we know what happened to Toyama-sensei," said the woman acting as her stand in. The recently missing teacher had been found with he's entire upper body burnt to a crisp by police earlier today. The information hadn't been released publicly. "It's possible they don't only activate on death but can also be set off manually."
Ciel listened quietly as she absorbed the information. She was trying to glean everything she could from the scene. Damage radius. Temperature. It must have been extremely hot to mar the brick and concrete like this, beyond hundreds of degrees.
"The problem," she thought. "Is that the cause is unlike anything I know of the Serpent of Akasha to do."
Noel looked at her. "Ghouls infused with an attribute like this…could it be Roa?"
Ciel's blue hair swayed. "This…isn't like his usual methods. Its not his preference to be this flashy, especially while he's still accumulating power. He wouldn't use his magecraft like this. It was likely accomplished with the use of the vampire's principal."
The 28th was a master at lurking in the shadows undetected until he had enough power to move around without fear. At that point, this city would already be his. If it wasn't for Ciel, the Church wouldn't even know where is his next incarnation was located for days.
"But Roa has no principle, he has no idea blood…" Noels face darkened, her grip on her weapon tightening. "You're saying this is the work of some other Apostle Ancestor." It wasn't a question. It was cautious statement hoping to be called out as incorrect.
"Its possible…" A grim reply. Noels worries were confirmed.
It was a grave possibility. Two Ancestors acting out in the same place at once was rare. They were both still feeding with the use of their familiars, but it wouldn't remain that way for long. The already dire situation had developed even more.
The man who had been watching their conversation without a word closed his eyes and simply said.
"A second Dead Apostle Ancestor…Certainly, this is the worst turn of events."
-oOo-
Authors Note:
Woohoo second day complete, thank you to everyone who left their reviews, favs and follows. I'm glad people enjoyed the first chapter. Felt pretty invigorating writing this one. Anyway, some answers to questions.
Yep, Roa will be summoning a servant. Of course, if he wanted to survive and participate in this war he'd need one. Only two classes left are Assassin and Saber. We all know who's getting Saber so yeah. Roa actually wanting to witness the completion of the ritual felt natural. The Ascension of the soul for a being whose soul already reincarnates eternally. Of course, it would pique his interest. Even then, a wish sounds awfully interesting.
I am going with Vlov over Nero for this story as he feels way more threatening as an antagonist as well as being easier to write into the plot. When it comes to including Nero alongside him…well…hmmm…maybe.
I realize that I'm not writing many scenes that have to do with Shiki interacting with the Tohno household but its quite difficult to get anything new out of them. A lot of the Fate characters would be aware about the vampire stuff and so can actually discuss it but the Tohno would have nothing to discuss when it comes to the grail war (until they're roped in somehow). I feel like I'm rehashing enough scenes as it is. Things should hopefully pick up and start seriously diverging around day 3 and 4.
Speaking of, next chapter will not be released this quickly. I was just feeling inspired. A tentative release date would be around the end of September.
Thank you for the support so far.
