Black Cat Luck (VIII)

The Hinata-sou was quiet. Eerily so.

Each tenant was sitting in their room, not daring to make a peep. There was a killer in the building, and they feared that making any noise would draw their attention to them.

Not truly. They consciously knew that Emiya Shirou would not lay a hand on them. After all, he could have done so a long time ago, when they gave him a lot more reasons to lash out at them.

He didn't then, and he wouldn't now, but the knowledge that he was willing and capable of killing hung heavy about them.

"It's done," was all he said once he returned to the dorm the previous day after a week of absence. They didn't ask him how and the newspaper didn't report anything about her death either.

Such a simple conclusion was almost hard to belief, compared to the traumatic experience they had gone through. It was hard to wrap their minds around it. They didn't know how they were supposed to feel or act.

Relieved? Scared? Were the two mutually exclusive?

They didn't know, and so they sat in their rooms in silence. They weren't trying to avoid him. They just didn't know what to say when they saw him.

'Thank you.'

Would that do? Wasn't he at least part of the reason why they had been almost killed in the first place? It was difficult to determine where his merit ended and his faults began.

Did they want him to leave? Would that make anything better? Even if he left now, the things that had transpired wouldn't just go away. They were stuck at a point where going back was not possible, and they didn't know how to move forward.

But things don't stand still either. The flow of time would bring about changes, whether they wanted it or not.

The morning after his return, an old man came to visit.

[br]

The black limo slowed to a halt right at the bottom of the stone stairs leading up the hill. The passersby didn't pay it any mind. It was far from the oddest thing to happen around the place, and they simply went about their days.

The driver climbed out of the seat and opened the door for the passenger in the back.

"You can wait here," said Urashima Ichizo as he adjusted his immaculate suit. "If I'm not back inside an hour, you can return without me. Under no circumstance, you should come looking for me."

"I… Yes, sir," replied the chauffeur after a moment of hesitation.

He was supposed to be his bodyguard, but he couldn't protect him here. Or anywhere else, apparently. Ichizo knew that he lived to see this day because he had been allowed to. The person who had made that decision was up those imposing stairs.

There was no point in being afraid of death now, but he knew that it was perfectly possible that he would not be returning. There was no need to have his bodyguard wait forever, or worse, come searching for him only to find the same fate. Ichizo was a ruthless man but never needlessly cruel. So he gave himself an hour to carry out this task. If he didn't come back within that time frame, he probably never would.

He started to climb up.

Ichizo was fully aware of many unseen eyes watching him. He was being granted passage, but his every move was under scrutiny. It was obvious that no one would be starting anything here. And if they were foolish enough to try, they wouldn't get to finish.

Ichizo was no fool.

Halfway up, he passed in front of a dingy teashop. The morning light passing through the canopy of trees gave the place a quiet atmosphere that invited to stop for a drink. He knew, of course, the identity of the woman running the establishment, but he had no dealings with her. She called herself out of the family affairs a long time ago, and he could respect that, unlike her mother.

He pressed onward without looking back.

If he weren't in such great shape, he'd be having difficulty climbing up like this. Even so, just getting there was a trial in and of itself. Perhaps this was meant as a form of penance. If so, Ichizo would not complain.

Eventually, he made it to the top, but there was a person waiting for him there. A white-haired woman in her teenage years.

"Lady Einzbern," he greeted politely.

"Urashima Ichizo," she greeted back.

Ichizo knew that Illyasviel Von Einzbern was actually in her twenties and that her present look was the result of a genetic condition, but to him, fifteen or twenty-five years old were both children in his eyes. Ichizo had met many grown men who would not dare meet his gaze.

That wasn't the case for Illyasviel. She might be much younger than him, but her crimson-red eyes weren't much different from his own. This person could be, without a doubt, a formidable adversary.

"He's waiting for you," she said. "Go on in."

Ichizo nodded and moved past her, almost amused by the exchange.

To think that Kyoko wanted them to believe that Hina's heir was the pawn of the Einzbern was ridiculous. Ichizo didn't know whether he had put her up to it or if she had come to to receive him of her own volition, but the message was crystal clear.

'If you want him, you'll have to go through me.'

Would anyone go that far for a mere pawn to gain control of a company they could flatten into the ground? What a ludicrous concept, really. And what a foolish woman Kyoko had been to poke this hornet nest.

And now it fell upon Ichizo to smooth out the mess she had made.

He opened the door and entered into the foyer. There was a bespectacled woman with long purple hair waiting for him there.

"This way, please," she instructed.

Despite his age, Ichizo had yet to leave behind all of his mortal desires, and it was only through sheer resolve that he kept his eyes away from her backside while she escorted him to the living room, where Emiya Shirou was sitting on one of the couches that had seen better days.

"You can go, Rider. Thank you."

The woman, Rider, nodded with a smile and left, not deigning Ichizo with a second glance.

"Please, have a sit, Ichizo-dono."

"Thank you. I must admit that with the passing of the years scant few things manage to impress me," he admitted. "Yet you still did it."

Emiya nodded.

"It's a lot more frequent to be disappointed, isn't it? And there is no getting used to it."

The corners of Ichizo's mouth twitched. He was being scolded, almost gently, like a misbehaving child. The people that could get away with it were… well, two now.

"You are so much like your grandmother," he said.

"I'll take your word for it," he said. "Tea?"

Emiya gestured at the tray resting on the table between them.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

The heir poured tea for both of them and Ichizo accepted it graciously. How long had it been since he had been at the receiving end of someone else's hospitality? One that he couldn't refuse on top of that? It never happened. It was the first time.

He was no stranger to humbling experiences. The most successful people were well acquainted with failure, and Ichizo was no exception. Still, this was a new one.

They drank their tea in silence for a brief time. It was delicious. If this was to be his last, he had no regrets.

"Were you expecting I would come?" he eventually decided to ask.

"I knew someone would," Emiya replied, putting down his cup. "Some statements can't go unanswered."

"Indeed, they don't," he agreed. "So here I am. As I'm sure you understand, your actions have caused quite the turmoil in the clan, not to mention the company. You reminded some people of their own mortality, and they are, well, scared witless. Thank you for that. Oh, don't be surprised. Nothing good comes from thinking oneself untouchable. It brings stagnancy and overconfidence. People need - how do you young folks say- a reality check? A reminder that we are all dust in the making."

"Some faster than others," Emiya nodded, taking another sip of tea

"True. Some of my peers are even considering stepping down early and leaving matters to their own heirs. They seem to believe that the changing of the guard will be taken as a surrender. I wonder if that's the case."

"I don't much care who's pulling the string of the company," he said. "What matters is where they are taking it."

"So, you don't plan on stepping into the shoes of CEO?" he asked.

"I have no interest in that. I neither have the time nor the inclination for the job. In fact, you will take care of that from now on."

"Me?" Ichizo almost laughed. "What makes you think I'm fit for the job?"

"I have looked into each and every one of you elders' backgrounds. Each of you is someone who has the experience and the skills for the task, unlike myself. With that being the case, I really didn't know which one to choose."

"Then why me?"

"Because you are here now. Whether you chose to come of your own volition or the others put you put to it, they have already let you take responsibility for them. I had already decided to let the one who showed up take the company's reins."

Ichizo was momentarily silent, and then he burst out laughing.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Really…. Ha! Ha! Ha! You really are her grandson, after all. The guts on you both…. Ha! Ha! Ha! Cough! Cough! Cough!"

"Here, have more tea," said Emiya graciously as he poured another cup.

Ichizo accepted it and drank it down quickly. He wasn't used to laughing that hard.

"Ahh, thank you. Ha! Fine. Since you are technically the head of the family in Hina-sama's absence, I'll take on the job until either you step up or she resurfaces."

"You don't know where she's gone then?"

"I don't have the faintest idea, no. Your grandmother is like the wind. She goes and comes as she pleases, listening to no one. Most like to think her mad, but the wisdom of her actions has always become apparent in time. Like in this case, for instance."

"Are you saying that she planned it?"

"You mean Kyoko's attempted coup? Well, she knew that it would have happened if she were to be gone for an extended period of time, but she clearly had faith that you would be able to handle it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left at all. Whether it was her intention to disappear of it was someone else's design I have no way of knowing. After she failed to appear at her intended destination, we all sent our people looking for her, but no trace was found."

"Do you think she's in trouble?"

"In trouble? That woman? Ha!" Ichizo slapped his thigh in amusement. "That would be the day. No, she is either already dead or making trouble for others. There's no in-between, so put your heart at rest. It's either too late, or there is nothing to worry about."

"You sound remarkably confident about that."

"I have known her for well over fifty years, young man, and no one ever pulled a fast one on her successfully. If anybody made a move against her, they better have removed her from the equation altogether. Because if they didn't, they will regret it for the rest of their lives."

"So, I should be more worried about those who would make trouble for her, then?"

"Definitely. Although not really. Lady Hina is nothing but fair. She would not dole out a punishment greater than the crime. You seem to take after her in this."

"Is that how I dealt with Kyoko looked like to you? Fair?"

"Actually, I would call it rather tame. Some would even consider it kind. She would have eradicated you and everyone you held dear just to spite Lady Hina. You limited yourself to remove her individual threat."

"I take you don't approve?"

"What I don't approve of is indecisiveness. You chose a surgical strike on the direct culprit and a stern warning to everybody else. In my family, we would have done things differently, but perhaps that's part of the reason why we have always been just a branch. As far as I'm concerned, the matter of inheritance has been resolved for good. You are formally the next head of the family.

"Is that what you came here to say?"

"For the most part, yes. I also wanted to see you with my own eyes. There can only be so much that can be inferred from pictures and reports. You are not what I expected you to be, yet somewhat are."

"What do you mean?"

"You are Urashima, no matter what name you prefer to go by. No one who knew your parents and grandparents could deny that. The resemblance is striking. However, I expected you to be a sheltered creature, hidden away from the power struggles of our clan. Instead, you have a survivor's eyes and a warrior's bearing. I'm relieved. The future of the clan is in good hands."

"I have no interest in leading the Urashima."

"Of course you do. You already have. You may have saddled me with the day-to-day operations, but we both know that you are not the kind of man who remains idle when he believes something needs to be addressed. We have all seen it. Should we stray from the proper path, we'll have to answer to you, won't we?"

Emiya leaned back into his chair and sighed.

"You make it sound like I'm a watchdog."

"What is the head of a family if not its foremost guardian? A good father does not interfere with the life and growth of his children unless they go astray and need being disciplined. It's much the same thing."

"Then please don't ever give me a reason to take that mantle upon myself again."

"Oh, you needn't worry. You scared the living daylights out of all the family heads. No one would have the guts to risk incurring your wrath. They understand they lack the means to protect themselves from you, both legally and illegally. Your tyrannical display has obliterated all thoughts of rebellion. You can rest easy."

"Should I find that not the case, I will hold you accountable."

"Of course, of course. I'd expect nothing else, given the situation. I will keep you apprised should anything requiring your attention come up, but I don't foresee it will."

"I won't take any more of your time then. Thank you for coming."

Like he really had any other choice.

"The pleasure was all mine."

[br]

Shirou watched Urashima Ichizo leave the building. He sighed and relaxed on his chair.

The meeting had gone as expected, more or less. He had put enough fear into the people who mattered in the family to make them behave. If they refused to see reason… it wouldn't have ended well for them.

However, that didn't solve all of the problems. There were still questions that were still unanswered and many things that needed to be addressed.

Starting with the people eavesdropping as usual.

"He has left. You can come out now."

There was a shuffling noise from the next room, followed shortly by several pairs of feet pattering around.

"Wait, Motoko," he heard Naru say shortly before the door was open, revealing the tenants of the Hinata-sou. With the exception of Motoko, they looked like they had been caught in the headlights.

"It's alright," he assuaged. "You had every right to take part in the conversation. I'm sorry for not inviting you."

"We… we wouldn't have known what to say, really," Kitsune reluctantly admitted. "You really showed them, uh?"

"I would have preferred it hadn't been necessary," he sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the back of the couch.

"You weren't given much choice, Sensei," said Motoko as she stumbled to an armchair with the help of a crutch.

"She... she's right," Shinobu agreed. "It's not your fault you had to… you had to… uhhhh."

Kill someone. Shinobu couldn't even bring herself to say those words.

"At least this should have solved the problem for good. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. You'll be safe from now on."

"Are we? Really?" asked Narusegawa, not daring to look in his direction.

"Naru, what are you talking about?" asked Kitsune

"You are a killer. I… I'm not blaming you. I ...you … I know you are not a bad person, but you are a killer. You are… good at it. That woman and Sarah's mother they… they weren't the only two people, right?"

"No, they weren't," he admitted.

"How... How many?"

"I don't know. I don't… keep score."

But that was the same as saying that he lost count.

"Naru, even so, I'm sure those people got it coming," pleaded Kitsune, dreading where this conversation was going. "Is it… really a big deal? If he were a soldier, you wouldn't blink an eye knowing that he killed someone."

"It's not the same, is it?" she objected. "Soldiers have rules. They have laws they answer to, right? But he… he doesn't. And the same goes for the people he has killed, I'm sure. What if someone comes looking for revenge? Can we be certain a situation like this won't happen again?"

"Naru, of course it won't-"

"She's right," he cut in. "I can't promise it won't happen. Although I have a certain reputation in those circles, there will always be the possibility that someone would take the chance all the same. I can't guarantee your safety. The problem is that I can't guarantee your safety if I were to leave either."

"What… what do you mean?"

"Because we are Granny Hina protegees," explained Motoko. "We were not targeted this time because of our association with him but because Granny Hina took us in."

"And now she's gone," said Shirou. "Disappeared where neither the Urashima nor the Einzbern could track her. Is she alive, or is she dead? Until either one is confirmed, you are all bait to draw her out. Perhaps no one will ever be as deranged as Kyoko had been, but how am I supposed to know? The only person who could shed some light on the topic is gone. Until she's found, I can't dissociate myself from you."

"What you did to that woman is a deterrent, though," explained Motoko. "Everybody now knows that targeting any of us would mean dealing with you."

"That is pretty much the case. There are some people who'd like me dead, of course, but I took precautions. I made it so that if they tried anything, they'd have more to lose than they stand to gain. Only somebody completely suicidal would make a move against me at this point. Even if they somehow made it past me, they would have to be on the run from Illya and now from the Urashima as well. This protection extends to you as well, but only as long as I make a show of it. Otherwise, I would have already left. I'm sorry you got caught up in this."

"It's not your fault!" said Narusegawa, stomping her foot. "I never said it was your fault! You.. I… Argh! Why did you have to be this much of a good person? I wish I could just hate your guts!"

"Uhm, sorry?"

"Stop saying that you are sorry when you haven't done anything wrong, Shirou," scolded Kitsune. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and they just have to deal with it. Besides, if you weren't here and Granny Hina went missing anyway, we would all be dead by now. I think we are all much safer with you around than without. And Naru is less worried about you being a badass assassin or something than she was about you being a pervert. It's just that she knows how to deal with the latter but doesn't have a clue with the former."

"I suppose there is some truth to that," admitted the brunette. "I'm not afraid of you, Shirou. If you were the kind of person who harmed others on a whim, you would have snapped my neck and dropped my body in a ditch somewhere on the first day. God knows I have you plenty enough reasons."

"It wasn't that bad."

"You are right; it was worse," said Motoko. "But it's in the past. And if you were able to accept us as we were and even help us in our time of need, the least we could do is answer in kind."

"You don't have to leave, Emiya-san. I… I don't want you to leave," sobbed Shinobu.

"Yeah! Who's going to play with me then?" piped Kaolla.

"Not to mention, Sensei, you still have to train me. Otherwise, I'd have to make you take responsibility in some other way," threatened Motoko.

"No, like I said, I'm not going anywhere until Granny Hina turns up again," he hurried to say. "This situation has not been fair to you. The very least I should do is hold down the fort until it's solved. Besides… Hey, where's Kanako?"

"Uh? She was with us when we were listening in to your conversation," said Narusegawa. "I didn't realize she hadn't followed us. Do you want me to go look for her?"

"No. I'm sure she'll come out on her own when she feels like talking. With Kyoko out of the picture, she doesn't have anything to fear anymore. The danger has passed."

At least, that's what he thought. It was Kyoko she had been worried about all this time, right?

[br]

Ichizo had gotten to the bottom of the stairs, and the driver opened the door for him with a sigh of relief. The entire thing had taken much less than an hour, and Ichizo's clothes weren't even ruffled.

The car drove away almost silently, and Ichizo finally sighed in relief. Only when he had settled into his seat did he realize there was another person sitting next to him? it was a testament to how much of a tight grip he had on his nerves that he didn't jump out of his skin.

Dressed entirely in black, Urashima Kanako stared at him impassively.

"Rumors of your ability don't do you justice," he eventually said. "Your mastery of the Urashima-ryu is praiseworthy. You managed to slip past all the guards around the hills and got inside the car without my bodyguard noticing anything. Your talent is astounding."

"Thank you for not telling him," she said, ignoring his praise.

"It wasn't my place to say anything. The burden has already been passed onto you, and no one can make the call on how to deal with it but yourself. What's left for me to say? You already know what needs to be done."

"Yes. When the time comes, I'll play my role."

"For what is worth, I am truly sorry."

She shook her head.

"It's alright. I've already made my decision."

Ichizo could only incline his head in admiration.

"Won't you let him know, at least?"

"I thought I could… I thought he… he's not like the rest of us. He did nothing to deserve it. He should have never returned. It's good that he doesn't remember."

"You already came to a decision, then?"

"Yes. There is nothing more left to say. Please stop the car."

He tapped the screen separating the front and back seats and the car slowly came to a halt.

"Then, this is goodbye. We-"

He turned back to Kanako, but she was already gone. The car had barely stopped, but she was already no longer inside. She had gotten out without making the slightest noise.

"Sir, is something wrong?" asked the driver.

Ichizo looked all around outside the car, but of Urashima Kanako there was no trace anywhere in sight.

"No…. No, everything is as it should be. Let's go back."

The car started again and left without any further surprises.

[XXX]

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