Revision Notes:
8/21/2022 - Changed Title of Chapter + minor errors/revisions
Disclaimer: I own neither Fate Grand Order nor Oregairu.
This chapter is set after the America Singularity and all other events in between that so there may be some spoilers.
Furthermore, future events in FGO's story as well as other Fate franchises will also be referenced and/or hinted.
You have been warned.
Prologue
Chaldea.
The last bastion of humanity.
Where Heroes from forgotten times work along with each other all for the sake of one world's salvation.
While everyone else is focused on the victories that Chaldea's Master was able to pile up one after another, the eyes of a Servant who possessed the True Name of Leonardo Da Vinci were directed towards something else.
Despite being called Leonardo Da Vinci, she was a woman with long black hair, blue eyes and a voluptuous body very much similar to the woman in the painting called Mona Lisa… Yet for some reason, her left arm is a robotic arm… That will probably have to be explained in another time. Don't worry about it.
Anyways, back to the topic.
Da Vinci's attention wasn't just on the fact that Chaldea was able to triumph over several Singularities already but rather, the means in which they achieved said victories.
In other words, the Servants that have been summoned courtesy of Chaldea and the Master.
While they have proven to work well together during battle, in lull periods such as right now where the support staff are still hard at work in looking for the next Singularity, it cannot be avoided that some of these Heroic Spirits, especially those who have differing backgrounds, will sooner or later get into disagreements with each other and that may even lead to a fight.
The only thing that's keeping everything together right now was their devotion to their common Master.
Long story short, what Leonardo Da Vinci was truly afraid of was that Chaldea would self-destruct first because of a couple of arguments from the Servants before they could even find or reach Solomon.
Such a thing must be avoided at all costs.
But exactly how was she going to do that?
Even the one-of-a-kind genius of her era was having difficulty with the specifics.
The key to this issue without a doubt revolved around the one keeping things together who at the same time, if you look at it from a different angle, is also the cause of this impending predicament due to incorporating too many Servants with various cultures and backgrounds.
The terminal which displayed the traits of the newest Servants who decided to join their cause until a few seconds earlier was now showing the details of one Human instead.
Furthermore, this particular set of information was something she had read several times already, to the point where she even memorized some of the things written here.
The name of this human was Hachiman Hikigaya.
He was Humanity's Last Master.
Yet despite that all-important title, his credentials were…
Mediocre at best.
Though it is often said that there is nothing absolute in this world, the same cannot be said of a Mage and his/her success in the field which can be usually attributed to three factors.
The first and most important one being lineage.
If a Mage is born to a good family then he is already halfway to becoming successful. The older the family, the better. Magecraft techniques are after all, the product of years and years of dedication towards the search for the truth. A Mage who possessed the knowledge of his family passed down from one generation after the other over the course of decades is without a doubt, superior to one who belongs to a family whose only been around for a few years.
The second is effort.
While blood is the most fundamental aspect of being a Magus, anyone who could not show progress was not worthy to pursue the truth towards Magic. The greatest shame of a Mage is just banking on the success established by their previous generations. Magecraft is, after all, an art that cannot be utilized by someone who has no proper fundamental understanding of it.
The last one was a wildcard and something that should not be relied on and this is none other than talent.
Exceptional compatibility with a particular form of Magecraft, a body that can house more than just the usual amount of magic power than the average person should have or the ability cast your spells a little faster than anyone else; these were just a few examples that could be categorized as talent. This was a trait that could easily trump the first two provided that you were a little… Lucky.
With that being said, Hachiman Hikigaya is…
Neither of the three.
He is an upstart Mage thus; he possesses neither secret techniques nor proper formal training.
As for effort, it seems he has only discovered his aptitude for Magecraft very recently prior to when he applied to Chaldea so the amount of hours he has put into honing this skill would only be around two digits at best.
When it came to talent however…
He was also a little lacking.
After all, his magic power reserves are only at a level where he barely reaches the threshold at becoming a reserve Master. Perhaps, you can consider this rare aptitude as a talent for someone who has not dedicated many years into the study of Magecraft just yet, but even that is somewhat of a reach.
Put it simply, as a Mage, he was fundamentally weak.
Even if you were to compare him with all the other Mages in Chaldea including the support staff and rank them, you'd have an easier time finding his name from the bottom instead of from the top.
And yet, it was this weakness of his that allowed Chaldea to continue moving forward until now.
What Hachiman Hikigaya lacked in proficiency, he easily made up with it through sheer tenacity.
After all, if the single individual deemed to be one of the weakest in the group still refused to give up no matter the odds, then the others who are implied to be stronger are compelled to not surrender so easily as well.
That kind of characteristic was not something he had as a Mage but instead because he is Human.
Following that train of thought, Leonardo Da Vinci decided to not look at the details that Hikigaya Hachiman sent to apply to Chaldea anymore and instead look into his background before he got himself involved with Magic.
Her search led her towards his last recorded academic year enrolled in a school in his hometown called Sobu High.
Fate truly is whimsical.
"Oh? Service Club, is it?" After reading through it briefly, a smile graced the radiant features of Da Vinci. "Now isn't this interesting…"
Chapter 1 – Killer (Husband) X Target (Wife)
As someone not blessed with any special gifts whether it be in Magecraft proficiency or just physical traits in general, Hachiman knew he had to train much harder if he ever wanted to live up to the expectations of someone who can save the world.
Nevertheless, even with that as his motivation, he cannot deny that training so hard was getting…
Extremely exhausting.
Because of that, even when Da Vinci assigned him a task that reminded him too much of his past, he still decided to accept it in order to have an excuse to get away from all the training.
"Perhaps this too is Fate…" Hachiman cryptically murmured to himself as he sprawled down on the ground with all his four limbs extended. Every single inch of his body starting from the tip of his black hair down to his feet were soaked in sweat and his chest was moving rapidly as he breathed. The words he mumbled because of his fatigue were not missed by his ever-so attentive partner's ears.
"What is it, Senpai?" Mash Kyrielight asked as she wiped some beads of sweat from her forehead and her purple hair. Unlike the Senpai who was completely out of breath and was sweating buckets, she looked like she still had some leeway to carry on. Nothing less to be expected out of a Demi-Servant.
"Ah, don't worry about it, I just wanted to try saying something like that at least once," Hachiman passed his portable terminal towards Mash and began to clear up the misunderstanding. "It seems like Da Vinci-san has given us another mission."
"Eh?!" Mash's eyes widened in shock. "Did they already find the next Singularity?! That was fast."
Hachiman shook his head. "That's not it. The details are written right there," a wry smile appeared on his face as he stated. "Well, depending on how you look at it, this could be equivalent to or perhaps an even more important job than dealing with a Singularity."
"Eh? Is it really?" Mash tilted her head in puzzlement. "It doesn't sound too serious to me though."
"Well, we should be able to understand it more properly once we get going." Hachiman took a few breaths to calm his racing heart rate.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a hand reaching out to him.
Needless to say, the one who held that hand out was none other than Mash.
"Need some help, Senpai?" Mash offered candidly.
Of course, Hachiman Hikigaya had no reason to refuse. "Yeah, thanks."
It didn't take much for Mash to support her Senpai's ascent.
"Anytime, Senpai," she smiled amiably which also brought out a smile from Hachiman himself though his was much milder.
"Alright, let's get to work then."
"Yes, Senpai!"
…
Now it may not be that obvious looking at it from the outside (assuming that kind of thing is possible given the Incineration of Humanity) but Chaldea is rather spacious.
As such, even though it was on short notice, a room has already been reserved to fulfill the purposes required for this brand-new mission that Hachiman Hikigaya was entrusted with.
The room was spacious and was fully furnished in a way that it gave a nice and cozy feeling.
There was a bookshelf on the corner as well as a fridge and a kettle to make tea on the other side. As a consideration for some Servants, the room also had a high-ceiling and heavy-duty flooring so that even those who do not have a proper humanoid shape will be able to enter and make themselves comfortable.
In the middle of the room was a long table with three chairs on the side closest to the wall where a window was supposed to be on and two chairs on the side closest to the entrance.
Though that was the current arrangement, the number of chairs on either side could easily be increased or decreased depending on the situation.
Had this been a job application interview then it was obvious from the way things are fixed for now, that the former three chairs belong to the management while the latter two chairs are for the potential applicants.
That being said, that was not what was happening right now, though it was pretty similar.
The new mission given to Hachiman Hikigaya by Leonardo Da Vinci was to act as a sort of counsellor for all the Heroic Spirits now currently residing in Chaldea.
Though there is technically a professional among the support staff, because these Servants are much more inclined to listen to their Master, it was more appropriate to have him be the primary counsellor instead and have the rest of the staff just give him advice from the background.
Luckily, it just so happened that this particular Master had prior experience in listening to and dealing with the problems of others by virtue of being a member of the Service Club back when he was enrolled in high school, though how much will that help in the current situation remains to be unknown.
After all, the problems that he's tackled in the past were only from high school students, his current clientele, which are Heroic Spirits, are expected to have vastly different issues.
As the counsellor, Hachiman Hikigaya is seated on the middle of the three seats closest to the wall. He was on his standard issue Chaldea uniform which is composed of a long-sleeved white shirt, black slacks and a pair of formal shoes.
To his right was, of course his partner and first Servant, Mash Kyrielight in her casual outfit consisting of rectangular-framed glasses, a grey hoodie over a black shirt which is on top of a white-collar shirt, a red tie bearing the Chaldea insignia, a black skirt, tights and brown shoes. Her primary role will be to assist him but she's also here to defend her Master just in case things get a little rough.
Needless to say, the two chairs opposite of Hachiman were reserved for the clients who come here for their consultation.
Today's clients are two individuals who seem to possess, for better or for worse, an inescapable fate between them.
The first one was a man in a red cloak with tanned skin and gray hair. His eyes were black, no, it would be more appropriate to describe them as empty. In a way it was very similar to Hachiman Hikigaya's own though it can be said that the cause for his state was far more serious. After all, these are the eyes of someone who could kill anyone as a means to achieve an end provided that doing so was the path to the least number of sacrifices. Underneath the red cloak was a metallic chest plate and greaves, with his main armaments, a pistol and a knife tucked on each respective side.
This perpetually combat-ready Servant was Assassin.
True Name: EMIYA.
Beside him is a woman wearing a white ceremonial garb and a crown, the combination of both articles made her look like a nun, a saint and a queen at the same time.
Long silver hair and red eyes are her two most prominent features. Aside from that, one particular trait stood out.
And that was…
Overflowing kindness as well as motherly affection.
She was a Servant that was open to others regardless of their background and she is usually the Servant that the newcomers (especially the younger ones) end up being more comfortable with talking to first. Even the more troublesome Heroic Spirits are swayed by her genuine compassion to the point where they end up lowering the walls around themselves and start naturally interacting with her. Because of her efforts, it made it easier for Hachiman to connect with those particular Servants, though that did not seem to be her intention and it was just a by-product of her regular actions, but Hachiman is thankful for it regardless.
This Servant's class is Caster.
True Name: Irisviel von Einzbern.
But just like any other rule there is always one exception and that is personified in this Red Assassin right here.
For some reason, the woman who is kind to everyone gives special attention to this Guardian employed by the Counter Force. Conversely, only EMIYA has remained to be cold with Irisviel among all the other Servants she's reached out to so far.
"Good day to you two," Hachiman smiled as he alternated his gaze between EMIYA and Irisviel. "Now I know that both of you have a lot of questions considering the suddenness of my invitation but for the time being can you please introduce yourselves?" Hachiman looked at the guide questions on his terminal before he directed his gaze towards the Servant in red. "Assassin, please go first."
It took EMIYA around 1.5 seconds before he carried out his Master's order. During that gap, he was internally debating within himself if he should play along with this situation or not. As he had nothing urgent that he had to do at the moment anyways, he decided to go with the flow for now and gauge his Master's intentions.
"Assassin Class Servant. True Name…Or rather, the name I carried before I became a Counter Guardian is…" he glanced momentarily towards the White Caster's direction before he continued. While he was still a little reluctant to reveal that name, if the woman beside him somehow knew who he was beforehand already then he might as well just say it now. "Kiritsugu Emiya," ripples of emotion could be seen rampaging on Caster's red eyes but she held it in and waited for Assassin, no, Kiritsugu Emiya to finish speaking. "As has been surmised in our previous encounter, I am an agent of the Counter Force summoned in places where a disaster is imminent for the world. That's all."
Hachiman wordlessly turned to Irisviel and gave her the cue to proceed.
Caster stood up upon her Master's urging and curtsied. "Good day everyone, my name is Irisviel von Einzbern. As you can see, I am a Caster Class Servant. To make things much easier to understand, I am something like the terminal of the Holy Grail though even I am not quite privy to all of its secrets."
Hachiman chose not to comment in any manner and proceed with the next question on his guide.
"Then, how would you describe your relationship with each other..?"
"She used to by my target, nothing more, nothing less."
"He is my husband, naturally, that would make me, his wife."
The two Servants stated their thoughts simultaneously before they were prompted by Hachiman to say anything. Given their respective answers, it was obvious who said which.
Regardless, they were in a rather complicated situation.
One of them insists that they are nothing more but complete strangers while the other is saying the exact opposite and that they are even bound by marriage.
At this point, the guide questions on Hachiman's terminal were already useless as it didn't take into account a specific scenario such as this however, that didn't mean he had no more cards to play.
"Sensei, after hearing what they said, what do you think?" Hachiman turned towards the individual to his left.
The seat to the Master's left is for the guest aide, which is a Servant that is related to or has undergone a similar problem in their past life and whose role is to provide advice for the Master or to help him empathize more with the clients.
For this complicated case, Hachiman Hikigaya has elected to use the services of a most esteemed person in the World of Magecraft such that if you were a Magus with any background, you should be aware of his name, or rather, his title at the very least, though Hachiman himself didn't know either prior to their meeting.
He was Lord El-Melloi II, a Caster Class pseudo-Servant who is fused with the soul of Zhuge Liang from China's Three Kingdoms Era. While he is seen more regularly on his loose red coat, given that the current setting is a bit more formal, he opted on donning his more proper suit-and-tie getup which is composed entirely of black except for his red tie that was adorned with golden linings.
As a side note, the reason why Hachiman calls him Sensei was that he is sometimes apprenticing under Lord El-Melloi II in matters of Magecraft and it would be weird for him, the Master, to call his Servant, Master so the two settled with this compromise.
"Even if you ask me," Lord El-Melloi II scratched his head in frustration making his long black hair sway a little because of the movement. "As someone who has not been married during his lifetime, something like this is outside my area of expertise," he fixed his glasses, which he only wore when he's in this getup, at the end of his statement.
"Mash, how about you?" Hachiman turned to his kouhai who did not expect for the ball to be passed her way.
"Eh? Uhmm… I'm not really sure what to say but…" Mash looked at her Senpai with a sincere smile. "It's best if everyone gets along, I think."
"Hmm hmm, what a very Mash-like answer, I couldn't agree more," Hachiman repeatedly nodded to himself.
"Senpai, are you making fun of me?" Mash innocently complained but her Master waved off her concern while reassuring her with a smile.
"No, no, not at all. I always highly value Mash's opinion but we'll get to that a little later. For now…" Hachiman gestured to his left to direct the clients' attention towards the other Caster in the room. "How about we let them hear a little story, Sensei?"
Lord El-Melloi II sighed then realigned his glasses before finally speaking. "This is all the information I could access as a Lord but during the Fourth Holy Grail War on my world…"
Thus, Zhuge Liang's vessel recounted the events of the Holy Grail War in the past where he himself participated as a Master while carrying the name Waver Velvet.
Seven Servants.
Seven Masters.
One Holy Grail.
Only the victor's wish could be granted.
But just like in the Singularity that they fixed, the Grail was also corrupted and it was not the omnipotent wish-granter that it was promised to be.
The winner of that Holy Grail War was supposed to have been Kiritsugu Emiya but instead of making a wish to the Grail…
He chose to destroy it.
The four others in the room listened to the former Holy Grail War participant with their own thoughts swirling on their head.
Because he had heard this before, Hachiman was focused more on his two clients' reactions rather than his Sensei's words.
Mash was also there when this was shared to her Master but she still chose to devote her entire being to listening like the good honor student she is.
Irisviel closed her eyes during the entire retelling. Now it might seem like she was focused on listening but from the way she had a nostalgic smile despite how dark the story was, it was obvious that she was thinking about something else.
Hachiman couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
In the Fourth Holy Grail War that Lord El-Melloi II participated, Saber's Master was Kiritsugu Emiya.
In the Singularity where they met Caster Irisviel, Saber's Master was Irisviel von Einzbern.
Much less than getting married, these two did not even meet.
Yet why did she recognize Kiritsugu's face and even go as far to declare herself as his wife?
Did she learn something after becoming a terminal of the Grail or was it Kiritsugu instead who was forgetting something?
Hachiman Hikigaya didn't know and because he also has no means of confirming either case, he decided to keep all these suspicions to himself though given Lord El-Melloi II's acuity; he has most likely drawn his own conjectures.
Speaking of the Assassin who shared the same name as the victor of that Grail War, he had his usual impassive expression during the whole time that Lord El-Melloi II spoke. Despite that, it didn't seem like he heard it before or experienced it himself. After all, for someone who valued efficiency very greatly, he wasn't going to waste his time listening to a tale he already knew or went through.
"I don't have any recollection of that kind of event and I also don't know why I share the same name with that person but…" the emotionless face of Kiritsugu Emiya showed unshakeable resolve. "If I were on his shoes, I'd most likely do the same with the Grail."
Hachiman smiled wryly and was half-tempted to retort that's because you're technically the same person but instead chose to say something else.
"Now now, we're completely missing the point here, aren't we?"
"What are you trying to say, Master?" Assassin narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"It just so happened that the information Sensei had on hand was focused towards the Holy Grail War because that's the only thing the Mages' Association of his world cared about but really what I wanted you two to focus on is something else," Hachiman had his hand turned outwards and pointed it to the Servant to his left. "In Sensei's world, you two were married. I wanted this possibility to be imprinted on your heads."
"Even so…"
"The two of us here are mere strangers."
The one who continued Kiritsugu's statement was Irisviel herself, though it was obvious from her glum air how painful it was for her to say all that.
Even the cold and logical Kiritsugu felt a pang of regret from having thought of those exact same words.
Looking at the two reminded Hachiman about something that happened in his distant past.
No, that was wrong.
In truth, not even three years has passed since that event but because it was now beyond his reach and his sense of time keeps getting involuntarily warped from all the Rayshifts, it felt like it was a memory from so long ago.
Nevertheless, he could still recall it vividly.
That time too, was in an enclosed room such as this, though it was much smaller.
It was back when he was still an ordinary high school student and all he had to deal with were the little problems that teens their age faced.
There was a table on the middle of that room and two people, not one man and one woman but a boy and a girl, were on the other side. Even though the ages of the pair differed, they were also dealing with a problem with their relationship moving forward.
Unlike the current situation however, the younger pair didn't come to have a consultation in and of itself, it just sort of ended up in that manner because of the atmosphere.
The boy in that memory was Hachiman Hikigaya, this time; the same boy was now on the opposite side of the pair where a girl with black hair was supposed to have been seated.
As much as he would like to borrow her exact words at this moment, since it didn't seem appropriate he had no other choice but to adjust them a little bit.
"So what?"
The four other people in the room all looked at Hachiman in shock.
"In Sensei's world, the two of you were married and that isn't the case now but," looks of realization dawned on the others one-by-one. "You can just start all over again. That should not be beyond the two of you," Hachiman turned to gaze towards the White Caster. "Irisviel-san."
"Yes, Master?"
"As you can see, Kiritsugu-san here is different from the one you know so you should not treat him as anything more than that."
"I…" Irisviel tried to hide her pained expression by lowering her head as if she was bowing. "I understand."
"However, there's no one stopping you from getting closer to him from now on."
Upon hearing this, Irisviel raised her head and with a tinge of hope in her voice, spoke.
"Does that mean..?"
She didn't need to finish her inquiry. The encouraging smile that Hachiman had on his face served more than enough as an answer.
"It means whatever it is you want it to mean," Hachiman redirected his attention to Assassin next. "As for you Assassin, well before that, do you mind if I call you Kiritsugu-san by the way?"
"I don't mind, Master," his answer came immediately after Hachiman finished asking.
"Alright then, Kiritsugu-san, your task is simple," Hachiman paused shortly. "I just need you to give Irisviel-san here a chance. II know that you two didn't have the best start for a relationship but let's do something about that from this point onwards, yeah?"
"Master, if I may ask?" once again, the inquiry came immediately after Hachiman spoke.
"Yes?"
"Is this really necessary?"Kiritsugu asked rather coldly.
"That's..!" Hachiman raised his arm and stopped Mash before she could continue her retort.
Necessary or not. The Assassin Servant Kiritsugu Emiya could only categorize things in these two categories.
He was what you could describe as a Monster of Logic.
And precisely because he has this trait that…
It was easy for Hachiman Hikigaya to understand him.
"Mash said it earlier right? It's best if everyone gets along," Hachiman looked at Kiritsugu Emiya as if he was probing him. "Unless you're asking for another reason?"
"Yes and if it's possible I'd like something more concrete."
Kiritsugu Emiya did not back down from the stare-off with his Master.
In that brief showdown, it was actually Hachiman Hikigaya who conceded first, but by no means did he plan a full retreat.
"Let's think about things this way instead. Compared to having good relations between fellow Servants or not, which do you think brings you less disadvantages?"
It was a tactical movement that lured the enemy into a deadly trap.
"Of course… It's the former," Kiritsugu answered while being a bit wary.
"Well then, that answers your previous question now, doesn't it?"
This time around, Assassin took a couple more seconds to think before he said anything.
Despite the obvious fallacy in Hachiman's words…
"Understood. I'll follow Master's new orders."
...By no means could Kiritsugu ever consider his statement wrong.
And this was why Hachiman Hikigaya was confident that he could deal with this cold machine-like Assassin.
"Now that that's settled, how about you two interact with each other more from now on? You know, just the two of you. Actually scratch that, do it immediately after you get out of the room, no time like the present after all."
"Eh?! Today? But Master my heart isn't ready and I need to take a bath first and…" Irisviel panicked and waved her hands about before forcing out a cough and regaining her usual calmness. "But if Kiritsugu is fine with that…" the White Caster averted her eyes away in embarrassment.
She definitely was not acting her age but Hachiman couldn't bring himself to say that out loud.
Back when he was still in Sobu, a certain single Sensei of his would beat him up for that thought.
Who knows what Irisviel, a terminal of the Holy Grail would do if she ever gets truly pissed?
After all, it was often said that the kindest people are the ones you never want to anger the most.
Feeling a bit guilty, Hachiman decided to give her a little service as an apology.
Needless to say, that service will be carried out by the Red Assassin right here.
"Now, I don't want to sound sexist or traditionalist but I do believe it's the gentleman's job to take the initiative in these kinds of scenarios," Hachiman turned towards his partners. "What do you guys say?"
"I believe I already told you that things like these aren't my expertise," Lord El-Melloi II huffed in displeasure. "But yeah, I guess that does sound about right," understanding his Master's intention, he decided not to say anything else.
"I think Kiritsugu-san should do it," Mash merrily supplemented, unaware that this was the decisive blow that would turn the tides of battle. "It would make Irisviel-san happy too."
With this, it was Three-against-One.
The Assassin Servant who's fought most of his life both as a human and a Counter Guardian alone could not hope to win against the power of numbers. That rang especially true when one of those against him just happened to be his very own Master.
"Caster…" Kiritsugu began a little reluctantly but the pout and the way Irisviel looked away made him scratch his head in puzzlement, wondering whether he did anything wrong. It took a short while before he finally realized the reason for her discontent. "Irisviel…"
"Yes? What is it, Kiritsugu?" in a complete 360 from her earlier attitude, Irisviel was now all smiles after she heard her name being called by the Servant who shared the same face as her beloved.
"…If it's not too much trouble," if the guy was anyone else then perhaps you might see him blushing or scratching his cheek awkwardly and averting his eyes away from the woman he was talking to, but precisely because it was Kiritsugu Emiya, he was able to adopt a neutral expression and maintain eye contact with Irisviel throughout the entire exchange. "Would you like to have a meal together?"
An elated expression… Was what the three on the opposite side of the table expected but instead all they saw from Irisiviel was a judging look as if she was evaluating a performance.
"Hmm, 30 points," Irisviel graded matter-of-factly after a disappointed sigh. "But…" With agility you wouldn't expect from a Caster Class Servant she deftly hooked her left arm on Kiritsugu's right arm. "I'll accept this invitation," she then closed in her face on Kiritsugu while wearing a smile. "Of course, I expect to be invited tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and also the day after that. This will technically be our first date but if we do something like this every day, by the end of the week, we can just get married pretty much."
"No, I'm pretty sure you're going way too fast there."
"Oh, is that how it works?"
The rational point and the innocent comment came from the Servants on Hachiman's left and right respectively.
Under normal circumstances, he could easily whip out a witty remark of his own but when he looked at the pressure that Irisviel was emanating which could be likened to that of a Demon God Pillar, he couldn't bring himself to say anything that will go against the Grail's terminal who's tension is now cranked up to the maximum.
"It seems that you two have come to an agreement," Hachiman clapped his hands once and ignored the look of protest on Assassin's usually stoic face and Irisviel's frightening aura which is unlike her regular temperament. "Well then, don't let the three of us keep you here and just enjoy the rest of your day."
"Then, if you'll excuse us, Master."
"Wait, Master..!"
Of course, Hachiman knew that Kiritsugu was not just going to stay quiet. That's why he was already preparing an insurance policy just in case… All the while convincing himself that this was for the greater good. If he explained it in that manner to Assassin later, he was sure that he'll accept this exact train of thought.
By my Command Spell, I order you…
Before another word could come out of Assassin's mouth, one of the symbols on the back of Hachiman's left hand began emanating red light.
…Play along with Irisviel-san today, please.
And with that, the Red Assassin was now at the White Caster's mercy for today.
Even though it was Kiritsugu who initially asked for her company (as goaded by Hachiman), it was now Irisviel who was dragging him towards wherever it was that they planned their date to be.
After bidding the couple (?) with an awkward smile, Hachiman turned towards his kouhai and made a request.
"Mash, can you please go to Da Vinci and report what happened with today's consultation?"
"Eh? Sure, Senpai. I can do that but we can just go together, can't we?" Mash tilted her head in confusion and as cute as she looked in doing that gesture, Hachiman used 100% of his willpower to not pinch her cheeks and instead feign fatigue.
"I'm way too mentally tired to do something like that already so can you please do it in my stead, Mash?" Hachiman sighed before laying his upper body on the table next to him. If he was talking to anyone else but Mash, such exaggerated gestures would easily be seen through.
"I-I-I understand. Please take care of yourself, Senpai."
With that, Mash left her Master and Lord El-Melloi II alone in the designated consultation room.
"Is it really okay to deceive her like that Master?" the vessel that housed Zhuge Liang looked judgingly at Hachiman who in turn just shrugged.
"I didn't lie to her. I really am tired but I didn't say anything about going back to my room immediately."
"What sophistry," Lord El-Melloi II sighed. "In that case, I assume what we're going to talk about is something that you don't want Mash or the other two earlier to hear."
"Exactly. As expected of Sensei, you catch on quick."
"It's nothing too impressive. In the first place, you weren't even trying to hide it."
The air around the two then became much more serious.
There was something that Hachiman wanted to find out but because he was afraid of a certain possibility, he opted to keep that question to himself until this timing.
The concept behind the question that he wanted to ask was simple.
Unless there are some special circumstances involved, it was only natural that a married couple…
"Did they have a child?"
The bespectacled Caster's expression tensed but it didn't look like he was too surprised about what his Master asked. "Yes. The two had one daughter. Despite the fact that she's a homunculus, Irisviel von Einzbern properly gave birth like a human woman."
"Is she..?"
Before Hachiman could complete his inquiry, Lord El-Melloi II already shook his head.
"She's dead," Caster looked even tenser than earlier. "Just like her Mother, she too, became the next vessel of the Holy Grail and naturally, was the sacrifice at the end of the ritual."
"Tch..!"
Hachiman grit his teeth and closed his fists hard enough that it turned his knuckles white but he calmed himself down by taking in a couple of deep breaths shortly after.
Getting angry about it wouldn't change anything.
In the first place, he didn't know where he would direct his rage.
If he had the time to be indignant, it was better to redirect that motivation to coming up with a solution instead.
This thought opened his mind to a brand-new possibility.
"In that case, we just have to summon her, right?"
The fact that Hachiman could say something bizarre like that so casually made Caster's eyes almost pop out in surprise.
"What are you talking about, Master?!"
"If she really ended up as a sacrifice in the Fifth Holy Grail War, then her fate is inextricably linked with the Grail as such, it is not surprising for her to manifest as some kind of Servant especially given the dire circumstances we're experiencing."
"That might be the case but…" Lord El-Melloi II tried to protest once again but it didn't seem like his words would reach his Master's ears any longer.
"We've summoned Servants in their younger days and even versions of themselves that popped up because of special occasions like Halloween and Christmas, who's to say that we won't be able to summon another person who is linked to the Grail like Irisviel-san is?"
It might've sounded a little too optimistic but Lord El-Melloi II would be lying to himself if he wasn't at least half-convinced by this conjecture. After all, it was exactly because the world is in this state that unpredictable outcomes like that are becoming more and more likely.
He sighed in resignation. If he had a cigarette on him right now then a dense cloud of smoke would've come out at the same timing as his sigh.
No, it's exactly because their Master is like this that all the Servants in Chaldea pledged their loyalty to him one way or another.
Hearing such a deep sigh made Hachiman worry. "Are you alright, Sensei?"
"Yeah, just a little bit tired, I guess."
"Is that so? Well, we're pretty much done here already so you may take your leave. Thank you very much for lending your assistance today."
"It's no big deal, a Servant's role is to follow his Master's orders after all," a self-deprecating smile then appeared on Lord El-Melloi II's face. "Besides, it's a good change of pace since I've just been face-to-face with either hands or doors recently."
"Oh? Did you say something?"
Zhuge Liang's vessel felt a sudden chill on his spine. "No, no, not at all. I'll be taking my leave Master."
After a bow, the other Caster hurriedly exited the consultation room before his Master could even think about sending him back to the frontlines once again, leaving Hachiman Hikigaya by his lonesome.
He leaned on his chair and looked at the wall as if it had a window attached to it. If it were not for the dire circumstances of humanity's survival, he was sure that he was going to be treated to the sight of a snow-covered field, a depressing sight for most but surely it was way better than just this plain white wall that he was staring at.
For someone who brands himself as a loner, he couldn't remember when was the last time he was left on his own in this manner.
The last time was probably just before he became a Master.
That was only natural.
After all, he was Humanity's Last Master and him being left without a Servant nearby would put his life, and consequently, the rest of the world, at risk.
So, in this rare alone time which he had no idea how long will last, Hachiman Hikigaya reflected on what happened with his life so far.
His family…
The Service Club…
Chaldea…
The Rayshifts…
The End of Humanity…
The Servants…
And finally, today's particular consultation…
As his thoughts coalesced, his cynical brain already twisted from his childhood and became even more distorted after everything that he's just experienced, came into one odd conclusion.
If one family whose members each suffered their own terrible Fate were able to be together shortly before the end of the world, then maybe this Grand Order wasn't so bad after all.
But there was no way that a person like him who is fighting for the sake of Humanity's future should ever say that out loud.
…
A few (updates) Rayshifts and (a lot of Saint Quartz) life-risking battles later.
"Erm, my name is Illyasviel von Einzbern but my friends just call me Illya. I'm a 5th grader. For now… I'm trying out being a Magical Girl, yes. Uhm, I'm not sure if someone like me will be useful but I'll do my very best!"
Just like how she introduced herself, she indeed looked like a 5th grader and she was wearing her school's complete uniform to boot. Her hair was silver and her eyes were red, exactly like that person. She was a child and unlike the other Servants who only possessed a child-like body, this girl is physically and mentally like one. It really didn't seem proper that someone of her age would be summoned from the Throne of Heroes. After all, everything about her looked completely normal…
...Except for this little staff she held which had a star and little wings on the edge.
"Ruby-chan is here, too! Let's go have some cute fun, Grand Master!" the talking staff introduced herself in very high spirits.
Had this been their first meeting then he would definitely have a lot of things to comment on but because that was not the case, Hachiman was able to respond with much composure.
The moment he heard what her complete name was, he became certain that she was the child he was looking for.
"Welcome to the family, Illya and Ruby," he smiled, a much brighter smile than he usually would. Ever since he could recall, he always had a soft spot for the little girls who possessed the imouto attribute. It didn't help that this Illya did in fact have some resemblance with his own flesh-and-blood little sister. "Before we go through the formalities, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of people first." He turned his attention towards the door behind him. "You can come in now."
At those words, the door opened to reveal the appearance of a man in a red cloak similar to a wandering soldier and a woman in a white ceremonial garb likened to a nun with one of their arms linked with each other.
"Pardon our intrusion, Master," the woman in white who was most likely a Caster Class Servant said. "May I ask what we were..?"
When her eyes landed upon a young girl with facial features very much similar to herself she dashed towards the child at a speed fast enough that you almost thought that she teleported.
"Illya!" a tearful Irisviel exclaimed as she brought the child to her arms in an embrace.
The child in question who was caught in the surprise hug was only able to react when she was already being held dearly by the woman.
Eh? Mama? No, not really..?
She somehow subconsciously knew.
That the woman holding her lovingly like a mother would to her child, was not her actual mother.
And yet…
Despite having that suspicion…
Illyasviel found herself returning the hug.
Because she felt like this little gesture of hers was something this woman needed.
It was just not in her nature to ignore someone who is clearly in pain.
When Irisviel felt the small hands of this child touch her back, another torrent of tears came running down from her eyes.
In fact, she too, also knew.
That this Illya…
Was not her Illya.
But because she was the spitting image of her child, she couldn't stop herself from doing what she just did.
"Illya..?"
The confused voice of the usually emotionless Kiritsugu Emiya rang out.
That name was supposed to be completely foreign to him and yet why does it resonate deeply with his core?
One of his hands clutched his head.
He didn't have a headache and it was not like he was trying to recall any memories about this little girl's name.
Despite that, he kept rubbing his temples as if trying to search for an answer.
The question on his head was not why did he forget?
It was also not why couldn't he remember?
But rather…
Was he supposed to know?
"Kiritsugu..."
In his confusion, he heard a voice as clear and radiant as the light at the end of a dark tunnel.
The owner of that voice was Irisviel who still had tears on her eyes as she held on to the little girl who resembled her so much.
"…Come and take a closer look at our daughter."
When his dead eyes landed on the mother-daughter pair, he somehow was also able to understand that these two were not exactly each one's respective parent and child.
But that thought opened his eyes to a brand-new realization.
If what he's been told so far has been true then that means there are at least two other Kiritsugu Emiyas in other parallel worlds.
Perhaps in those other possibilities, he really did act as a husband to Irisviel and a father to Illyasviel though a part of him doubted if that was really the case.
Unconsciously following Irisviel's call, the Red Assassin approached the duo until he was only around three steps away from them.
From thereon, he couldn't bring himself to take the last few steps on his own anymore.
That space between the two…
Is he the Kiritsugu Emiya that should be there?
Was he really allowed to reach out to a fragment of happiness that didn't rightfully belong to him?
As those kinds of doubts persistently swirled on his head that he could normally filter out easily, he felt a gentle and comforting warmth be transmitted from both of his hands.
One was like the caress of the leaves of an evergreen tree that was offering you shade from the sunlight.
The other was like the strange ardor you feel when you look at a flower just moments before it actually bloomed.
"Kiritsugu?"
"Papa?"
Came the voices of two people that were supposed to still be a few steps away from him.
As things turn out, when Kiritsugu denied himself the privilege to take one step closer towards them, it was the pair who decided to approach him instead.
Their concern was transmitted from their arms like they were wires carrying electricity until it eventually invaded the cold and logic-driven head of Kiritsugu Emiya.
And for the first time for as long as he could remember, his heart was moved.
A new mission far different from his duty as a Counter Guardian was now etched into his very soul.
I'll protect these two in the other Kiritsugu Emiyas' stead.
Though he was most likely going to forget about this oath once he is called as a Counter Guardian for a different crisis other than the End of Humanity, he'd at least do what he can with the time he was given now.
"It's nothing."
Then, out of his own volition, he embraced them.
As the three were immersed in their unplanned reunion, Hachiman tactfully left the summoning room.
Through this event, he was sure that Kiritsugu and Irisviel will strive to improve their relationship between each other for the sake of that child. There was also potential for other versions of that girl to pop out in the future after all and one of them is in Chaldea already but that extended family reunion is a story for another time. Even the noisy wand couldn't bring itself to say anything to disrupt the mood of such a heart-warming scenario.
It may have taken a while and it may have been a little dastardly even for his standards, but at least he could finally say to himself that this case is closed.
Though as the door closed behind him, he'd be the first to admit that he was a little envious of the three's reunion.
"Komachi, Kaa-san and Tou-san… I wonder when we'll get to see each other again."
Despite being in a place housing multiple Holy Grails, the Master's faint wish was left unheard.
Was the omnipotent wish-granting device a sham all along or did Hachiman Hikigaya already possess the means to seize his desire with his own two hands?
Only the future held the answer to such a question.
…
As Hachiman was just about to head back to his room, he vaguely felt a familiar presence close by.
"Not interested in joining them?" Hachiman looked towards a corner of the wall where nobody was supposed to be there… That was until a tall man with very similar features to the Red Assassin materialized out of thin air.
Gray hair, tanned skin and red cloak. Not only do they seem related, it's almost as if they went through the same Fate.
Given that this was Chaldea, he was of course, also a Servant.
He was Heroic Spirit EMIYA of the Archer Class.
"Though it's been a long time since I've reminisced about my origins, I don't think I really belong in that family," Archer answered with a self-mocking smile on his face. "At least, not originally."
"Not going to ask how I knew?" Hachiman waved his hand and motioned for EMIYA to walk as they talk to which Archer complied.
"With Lord El-Melloi II's information and Leonardo Da Vinci's excellent analytical skills, it should be a trivial task to uncover most of a Servant's origins, even with a background as ambiguous as mine. Not to mention that there are some Servants here that I fought in other Holy Grail Wars."
Hachiman turned to look at the door where he left the three to their unexpected family reunion. "I'm sure Irisviel-san wouldn't mind though."
"It's fine," EMIYA smiled sincerely. It was one of the rare cases where there wasn't a trace of sarcasm in his smile. "Things are better this way."
"I see." Hachiman dropped the topic just like that.
If Archer EMIYA didn't want to join the family reunion then there was no point in forcing him to do so.
That being said, Hachiman knew that this Red Archer was here not just because he heard he was summoning that girl.
"Master," the cynical Archer's face became dead serious. "Are you going to make that girl fight?"
"Even though she looks like a child, I'm sure that her being chosen by the Grail should mean that she should at least have the means to defend herself."
"But that's..!"
Hachiman raised his hand and intercepted EMIYA before he could continue speaking.
"Don't worry. I don't plan on doing such a thing unless it's absolutely necessary."
"I see," Archer tried to play it cool but failed miserably.
In contrast, Hachiman was smirking. "Since that's the case, I'll be expecting you to do the work of at least two Servants, Archer."
Archer EMIYA was stunned but upon realizing a few seconds later that he just got played, he could only bow in defeat.
"As you wish, Master."
He immediately regretted saying those words when he stood back up to his full height.
"In that case, I need you to be able to use your Noble Phantasm at least three consecutive times as soon as possible," Hachiman matter-of-factly said to which EMIYA can't help but chuckle dryly.
"Master even as a joke that's…"
"I'm serious, Archer," Hachiman interrupted. "Though I'm not only asking this of you but also of the others as well."
The light-heartedness disappeared on Hachiman's tone and his eyes became lifeless, very similar but not quite the same with that of Kiritsugu Emiya. That was why such a sight was both familiar and strange to Archer.
"You, Artoria, Gilgamesh, Siegfried, Karna, Arjuna and everyone else. I need all of you to overcome your limits and do something as crazy as that."
"That is way too absurd, Master!" EMIYA rationally protested. "It's just wishful thinking if you think something like that is even possible to pull off."
"Archer, you've seen the logs about Solomon, right? If we want to even have a chance to beat something like that, then we'll need to do something equally absurd," those dead eyes then locked on to EMIYA's. "It might be impossible but with the secrets locked in the Grail then maybe... Well, you catch my drift?" Hachiman looked at EMIYA while adapting an expression filled with self-loathing.
"Is that why you..?"
"Yes and no," Hachiman answered before EMIYA could finish asking his question. "After all, there's no guarantee that Irisviel-san knows about the secret that I'm hoping for or of it even exists in the first place," the coldness that pervaded his eyes then changed back to its usual warmth despite the apparent lifeless impression that they give. "Make no mistake though, my desire to reunite those three has always been real regardless if I get something for it or not, though I'd like nothing more than for the former to happen."
It was only for a brief moment but EMIYA couldn't ignore how he shivered ever so slightly while listening to his Master's words. Had his younger self possessed that much resolve in the past then perhaps he may have been able to take a few steps closer to the ideal that he had been chasing throughout his entire life.
Truthfully, for a Mage who possessed neither blood nor talent, Humanity's Last Master, Hachiman Hikigaya had indeed come far with not only his tenacity but also his logic.
Warm kindness underneath that stone-cold mask of logic. While Hachiman Hikigaya may be a realist, he was the kind that would prefer if he was proven wrong instead. Having that kind of disposition will definitely lead him to ruin one day but luckily, he will not be alone in facing those future endeavors.
At the very least, this Red Archer whose blades reek of idealism and hypocrisy vows that he would stand by him until the end.
"This Servant of yours will try his best to meet your expectations then, Master." EMIYA bowed once again, though this time with grace similar to that of a professional butler.
The overly grandiose movement puzzled Hachiman for a few seconds before he just chalked it up to his Servant being in a better mood than usual.
Hachiman nodded and smiled. "Yeah, just like always, I'll be relying on you, Archer."
Author's Note:
To those who've read any of my previous fic/s: Hello, it's been a while.
And to those who'll be reading a story of mine for the first time: Hello, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
This was nothing more than an idea that I couldn't get out of my head until I eventually began writing it and when I did write, I just couldn't stop.
I don't even play the game anymore and yet its lore is still so interesting to read through that I find myself getting pulled back to the Fate franchise occasionally.
A random comment I read on the internet was basically the inspiration for all of this.
The Master was originally supposed to be just Ritsuka but when I thought about how counselling was very similar to what Hachiman did in Oregairu, everything just sort of lined up in a way that it weirdly made sense.
Don't worry about it, I don't understand it completely too.
In any case, here's the FGO X Oregairu Crossover that no one really asked for.
With a premise like this, surely no one will ask who Hachiman will pair up with in the end...
Right?
I hope we meet again in the next chapter (if it ever happens) or in another story of mine.
Reviews, follows and faves are all very much appreciated.
Until next time...
May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.
Morii Hikikko