Fate/Reach Out

Chapter 49: Wayward

July 25th, Yasogami High School, Classroom 2-A, Final period

There was a scare on the morning news when a fourth body was found on the telephone poles, aligning with the strange causes of the first two. And happening so soon after the third made people panic and gossip that the Inaba Murderer was active again.

It didn't surprise Shirou. Not when he thought about it, or when Teddie told the others over Yosuke's cellphone that morning. They may have burned his body, but Yamano and Saki were supposedly brutally killed by their Shadows as well, only to return without signs of damage. He claimed the world of unconsciousness blended mental realities so well that any damage done to them was more to their psyche than their bodies or clothes.

That would explain, in hindsight, why their uniforms were never damaged on return trips even if they were bleeding internally.

Not that it mattered. The Investigation Team (sans the animals) attended school as normal. Shirou's mind was barely aware of class, and he didn't care that the teachers reprimanded him. Recovering from exams was the excuse Chie provided for him, as well as the others when asked.

They still couldn't get that battle off their minds. Ready to bring Mitsuo back home, and whatever awaited him back in the real world. An arrest, charged for at least one murder and supposed claim on the other two, no friends or family to watch over him after his sentence…

Shirou didn't want to admit it, but perhaps Satsuki killing him as she did might have been a mercy for all involved. He didn't have the maturity to realize deep down he was living a lie with his "sister" and denied the cold reality that he needed to change. He refused to change and was murdered for that. Shirou didn't know what to think about all that.

In fact… he didn't know what to think at all.

He knew he should feel something, but there was a numbness that couldn't be ignored, and a pit in his stomach that felt heavy. Was he sad that Mitsuo was dead? Or angry? Was it even related to Mitsuo dying? Did he hate or pity Satsuki as a vampire? Did it matter that she had been Yosuke's girlfriend?

Maybe he knew the real answer. Maybe he didn't. All he knew for sure was he didn't like this feeling. This crushing defeat over what should have been a simple scouting battle. To apprehend one of the two siblings, and it was on his head that the team had failed.

What kind of hero fails to save people?

When the final bell rang, Shirou barely acknowledged it until hearing some of the students gossiping as soon as Kashiwagi left.

"So, did you find out who the fourth victim this morning was?"

"I think it was that cram school guy. You know, the one who stalked the front gate back in Spring?"

"Oh yeah. I heard he complained a lot about everything. Work, studies, even the murders. Surprised a guy as weird as him had a hot sister."

"He had a sister?"

"Yeah, college age. And an accomplice at that."

"Guess that makes her luckier than the late Konishi, huh?"

SLAM!

The gossip stopped as a resounding echo of two pairs of hands slamming on their desks snapped everyone to the center of the room. Yosuke and Shirou, by coincidence or sheer happenstance, acted in unison that garnered more attention than had just one of them acted out. They gazed at the group of three gossiping students.

Their reactions couldn't be any more different. Yosuke's scowl was barely biting down a roaring retort through his teeth, and Shirou just had a blank, if disappointed, stare pointed at them.

Almost right away, the gossipers sweated nervously as they sheepishly packed their things and left the room. Other students in the classroom also took the opportunity to quickly leave until only the four second-year members of the Investigation Team were left.

"Guys," Chie started, but failed to voice a question. It wasn't like she could ask "Are you okay?" None of them were okay, especially not after their defeat.

"Maybe we should head to our secret headquarters?" Yukiko said. Not that there was anyone here to listen in on them now, but any part of Junes would be a welcome change of scenery.

"Not today," Shirou said. "I'm – we're not ready."

As the others were mulling over his words, Shirou grabbed his bag and started to leave the room. Yosuke seemed to agree, swinging his bag over his shoulder as he walked out as well.

Chie managed to bolt up from her desk and grab both their gakuen jacket hems before they left in different directions. "Don't either of you pull that lone warrior crap! We're all hurting too, and need to stick together!"

"What's the point?" Yosuke groaned. His gaze was down to the floor, tired and dismayed. "We found out who the culprit is, but she's way out of our league. We can't fight someone who can stop us with a look and a command."

"Listen to yourself! You're the one who wanted to find out about what happened to Saki-senpai and the others. Now you're giving up because your girlfriend is the killer?"

"Better than rushing to my death by giving her a Type A Blood buffet."

"You-!"

"Enough." Shirou cut their argument short, though his tone was still as subdued as before. "Satonaka, I'm sorry. You're right that we can't let this mystery end like this. But as I've said before, we're not ready. None of us are, and we won't be until this…" he stopped, failing to find the right words.

"Soul-crushing taste of defeat?" Yosuke offered.

"-gets resolved, yes."

Chie looked between the two, aghast. Neither of them bothered to look back at her when she grabbed their jackets. She understood Yosuke being all broken-up about his girlfriend, but she thought Shirou would be more stoic and resilient. They were the two leaders that formed the Investigation Team after all.

She felt miserable too, and thought that as long as they were together, she could bounce back. Instead, she found her resolve slip, allowing the two boys to pull away from her trembling hands.

"Chie," Yukiko called to her, long after both boys were gone. "It's okay. Let's just give them time to adjust."

"B-But we don't have that kind of time!" Chie argued.

"Maybe we do," Yukiko said. "Right now Satsuki is waiting at the end of her… 'palace', and the weather forecast said it wasn't going to rain until later this week. If there was a time for her to do something, it would be when the fog lifts over there."

"'When the fog lifts.' Jeez, you're starting to sound like Teddie."

"'Why, all the better to sniff the topsicles out, Chie-chan!'"

Chie turned to her friend in bewilderment. If the horrible accent didn't give her pause, her friend's goofy smile and hand-knocking-head gesture did.

"Hahahaha!" she laughed at how ridiculous she looked. And Yukiko giggled as well, as opposed to her usual guffaws of laughter.

They calmed down and started to climb down the floor stairs, otherwise other after-school students would give them odd looks. "Feeling better?"

"A little," Chie admitted. "But don't do that creepy voice again."

Yukiko pouted. "Aww, but I was hoping my range was getting better."

"Range?" Chie asked, before realizing what her friend was referring to. "Oh, right, you're in the drama club. By the way, how's that going for you?"

"Pretty well. Ozawa-san has given me some helpful pointers in expressing through action. It's fun being able to pretend someone I'm not for once."

"At least you're having fun with after-school stuff. I'm stuck with a bunch of uninspired athletes, a dummy who keeps half-assing practice, and another dummy thinking about quitting basketball."

"Basketball? I thought you were the manager for the soccer team."

"I am, but Kou-kun was feeling super down about his family name and… gah, I don't know why he told me about it."

"It sounds like Ichijou-kun trusts you."

"Yeah, but isn't that the kind of otome stuff you tell a girl you like? He's clearly more into you than me."

Yukiko blinked. "I… never got a weird vibe from Ichijou-kun, though."

"So he's better at being polite than your other suitors. Just makes the fact he keeps putting off telling you how he feels even more infuriating!"

The two girls continued to gossip as they headed home. The good thing about today was that summer vacation was on the horizon, and they had all the time in the world to get over the drama of their team before the drama of school life.

After School, Tatsuhime Shrine

"I'm starting to think you needed this field trip more than me, Four."

"Sorry. I thought you'd appreciate getting out of the Velvet Room, but I couldn't fool you with my mood, huh?"

"Your surliness is so bad it could be seen from space."

Ouch. But that's what he got for dragging Marie out here.

Shirou knew he needed to get his mind off of yesterday, but he found himself reluctant to do so. He had already blown off three of his friends and was not motivated to see the other team members. Going home early meant dealing with Nanako and Doji-nii with his lackluster lying skills. And he doubted he could keep his emotions in check working either, so MOEL was out.

He knew he needed to check up on Fuji-nee too. Perhaps even needed to. But not right now.

Which, by process of elimination, led him to take Marie on another tour of the town, and possibly find out about her origins.

She took an instant liking to the Tatsuhime Shrine, sitting by the offering step as she "sketched" the scenery. Well, she was half doing that, and half writing up another poem as she mumbled the words to herself. To spare himself from her wrath, Shirou pretended not to hear her.

It just felt nice to sit and watch the beautiful view around him. The shrine was small but homely, fitting for Tama's retreat. And it was hard to ignore Tama herself when she sat and nestled against Shirou's leg, and even allowed him to pet her from head to lower back.

Perhaps Tama's sense of altruism for ema wishes was genuine after all, if she was so empathetic.

Well, after half an hour of sitting and relaxing, Shirou felt ready to proceed with what he intended to do. "Hey Marie."

"Hmm?"

"Can I see your comb again?"

Frowning but without hesitating, Marie dug into her knapsack and handed him the accessory. Or almost did, pulling back as he reached for it. "Don't do something mean like throwing it. This is my only link to myself."

"I'm hurt you would even think I'd do that," Shirou said.

"Unlike you, I actually pay attention to some of the snark that comes out of that mouth of yours."

Shirou's eyes fell to a deadpan glare. "I'm half-tempted to throw it now just to spite you."

Marie leaned away from him, pointing accusingly at him with her other hand. "See, that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about!"

"Do you want me to help you or not?"

Glowering, Marie relented and handed him the comb, albeit with more reluctance as she thought he would go through with his threat. Shirou didn't mind throwing smack talk every now and then, but he always kept his word when helping others.

Grasping it firmly in his hand, he decided to try to find its origins through magecraft. "Trace, on."

Structural analysis was a good first step, understanding how it was made. If there was a manufacturer, even a common one, they could trace the link to there (no pun intended).

The comb was simply otherworldly. It was ancient, made of something akin to high-quality bamboo, and yet had no sign of wear or tear. Even the design was abnormal as it wouldn't be used to fix hair or accessorize in a festival.

Most telling of all was the hint of prana from the teeth. It had been used once before. But who would use a comb as a mystic code, though?

Either way, he gleaned all that he could from the comb, and told Marie his findings.

"That's it?" she asked, hoping for more.

"That's all I could figure out, sadly," he told her. "If you want a more expert opinion, you could try Igor or Margaret back at the Velvet Room."

Marie angrily swiped her comb back from his hand. "You think I haven't asked them already?! They clearly know, but for some reason talk in riddles. The Nose was all 'you must find yourself on your own terms'. And I only know that because Maggie told me the same thing in fewer words."

Shirou winced. "Yeah, that sounds like them, all right."

"Honestly, they keep me cramped in that limo for my own good, and then expect me to figure out my own problems. Lousybignosedknowitallfreak."

Shirou chuckled but had to stop himself when Marie glared at him. She did look cute when mad, though it was better for both their sakes to calm her down. "I'll be sure to take you out of the room more often. Promise."

"You're already invested in solving my memory problem, but I won't say no to more trips," she said passively. She tried (but failed) to hide her satisfaction as she wrote more poem lines.

Then she stopped. "That… reminds me."

"Hmm?" Shirou turned to Marie. It was unlike her to be suddenly so pensive.

"Maggie told me that you had memory problems from your past, too. How it was tied to your black card." Oh. He'd almost forgotten about Kagutsuchi.

Marie turned to him with a sad frown. "How does not having an idea of your past not bother you? Don't you want to know more about yourself before all this?"

Shirou blinked, mind reeling as he turned his gaze down to the stone floor. He gazed at both his hands.

Know more about myself? Know about what? About his birth parents he could never see again? About the kids his age he played with and may or may not have made friends with?

"Four?"

The thousands of people that died in the mass hysteria trying to escape, some even begging for help as their bodies burned to ash? How he had been found and saved was a true miracle, wanting to understand why such a smile on that dark day moved him?

How those nightmares still haunted him, demanding his own blood as penance, especially in failing to save one more person-!

"Shirou! Calm down!"

Shirou was jolted by Marie standing in front of him with both hands on his shoulders. Fear was evident on her face, which seemed to fade as they both exhaled heavy breaths suddenly. Even Tama was bothered and leaped away from him at some point, perplexed.

What just-…oh.

"I… said all that out loud, didn't I?'

"Y-Yeah," Marie admitted. "It sounds like you do remember some stuff though."

"I remember enough," he said. "And frankly I wish some days I didn't."

She didn't know how to respond to that, so she nodded. She also slowly removed her hands when it was clear he was not hyperventilating anymore.

"Sorry," Shirou said remorsefully. "That probably isn't something you wanted to hear when dealing with your own problems."

"I'm the one who should say sorry, Four," Marie told him. "I thought that you had everything figured out because hardly anything before phased you. But after yesterday and just now, I realized that you were hurting, just like me."

An epiphany seemed to dawn on her, as she suddenly scribbled into her paper again. After a look over, she started reading aloud.

"Embers.

A brilliant vermillion sun,
as dazzling as it is deadly.

It feels like autumn,
but isn't it summer?

It illuminates everything,
but not what has happened before.

I stare at the sun. I demand its answers.

You turn from the sun, afraid, broken.

We are two of a kind, you and I."

She recited the poem loudly, that left no illusion that he didn't hear it. Her voice cracked somewhat, clearly shy from the act, but her confidence and bravado in sharing this art pulled through to the end. She had stared at him as she recited the last line, the intent clear.

Shirou was floored. Why did she suddenly share something that she kept a secret at such lengths before? "Marie?"

Marie's cheeks flushed as bright as the setting sun, and she refused to make eye contact. "N-Now we're even. I know your secret, and you know mine! But don't share this with anyone, got that?!"

Shirou could only dumbly nod, suddenly touched by her words. She went out of her way just to make him feel better? Did she really think that poem up on the spot or during the time they were sitting together?

A comical snickering came from the resident shrine fox, clearly amused. Marie scowled and pointed at her. "And that goes double for you, Mamo!"

The fox stopped laughing, staring at her incredulously. "'Mamo'?" Shirou asked aloud.

"She looks like a Mamo, okay?"

"…are you going to call everyone by a moniker instead of their given name?"

Marie shrugged indifferently. "Only the ones I like."

Honestly, this girl… she would drive many other people up the wall with her brash, snarky attitude. But underneath that insecure façade of hers was a gentle, sensitive girl that cared about others. There was something truly sincere about her that drew him in.

Smiling, Shirou couldn't be more grateful to be friends with Marie, and feel the bond of the Aeon arcana grow in response.

Evening, Taiga's Apartment

Taiga stretched and reclined on her now clean and fixed couch. "Aaaaah, feels good to finally get back to my home away from home! Whenever I wasn't in the hospital, I was in some police room for questions. It was nuts!"

Her questioning was over, if only because a new development came up with the late Mitsuo Kubo's cadaver on the power lines. As she was under surveillance at the time of the murder, she had an alibi and thus was free of suspicion. It was a silver-lining on an otherwise dismal day.

"I know, Fuji-nee, you've said so over the last hour," Shirou droned. He'd followed up on his mental note to check on his guardian, even offering to help clean up her apartment now that it wasn't being treated as a crime scene. Just now he was finishing up sweeping up the last bits of glass from the altercation.

"Because it deserves repeating! I kept telling the cops the same story, but they kept heckling me!"

"So, you're repeating a story about how annoyed you were about cops repeating the same questions?"

"Grk!" His guardian flinched, before doubling down in a tantrum. "St-stupid Shirou! You shouldn't question your elders!"

"I was merely making an observation," the young magus replied nonchalantly.

Taiga puffed her cheeks but dropped the matter. She reclined on her couch and contributed the only way she knew how to help with cleaning. "You missed a spot by your right root." Dictation. "No, your other right."

The next few minutes passed on with light commentary and methodical work ethic. Not unlike the days back at Fuyuki where he'd clean up after dinner before Fuji-nee and Sakura would walk to their homes, and he'd turn in after some magecraft exercises. He almost missed those days.

Then again, he'd found his own new routine in Inaba. Breakfast with the Dojimas. Walking to school, usually talking with Yosuke or Chie or the others as they met during the commune. Seven hours of schoolwork, then… so many different activities. Usually, he'd go straight to work at the Copenhagen or check around the school for maintenance. Instead in Inaba, he'd either fight Shadows in another world, or go along with one of his friend's requests to hang out.

Come to think of it, he never thought to do the same with Fuji-nee or Sakura, did he? Well, his position as a student living alone made it difficult to have fun. Sakura respectively kept her personal matters private, and Fuji-nee wanted to avoid too much association of a teacher favoring a student.

"Oi, Shirou, you've been sweeping that same spot for a while now. You okay?"

Shirou bristled as he moved to dust another spot. It seemed that she was just as aware of his hang-ups when she felt motivated to pay attention. "Yes, I'm fine, Fuji-nee."

"Really?" Taiga asked, adopting an exaggerated thoughtful look. "Because I heard from Naoto-kun, who heard from Kanji-kun, who heard from Chie-chan and Yukiko-chan, that you totally were not fine this afternoon."

Ah yes, the rumor mill of Inaba. Even the Investigation Team would let word travel fast between them if convenient. Groaning, Shirou stared down to the floor as he kept working.

"Are you really blaming yourself about what happened with Mitsuo?"

Shirou stopped sweeping. His hands tightened on the broomstick, almost cracking the wood from pressure alone.

"Don't shut me out again, Shirou," she said sternly. "Not like with Kiritsugu."

"It's not the same," he argued. "The old man died without me even realizing it, but he was content. But with Mitsuo? He was right there, and I let him die."

Taiga frowned, feeling her thoughts and mood dampen like a black scribble. "And this is why I worry about your darn bleeding heart."

"Is this the part where you tell me to drop my dream of being a hero?" Shirou quipped, still looking away.

"Don't be like that. We both know you never intend to listen to me, and that was before you got your Persona powers."

Shirou's eyes glanced at his right arm. The one that had been severed from the fight with Kanji's Shadow. The one that was briefly on fire and helped summon Kagutsuchi.

"I wonder," he said aloud. "I have so many powers, and yet I can't seem to do anything with them."

If he had the power of Kagutsuchi like before, maybe he could have stopped Satsuki's hypnosis. Or would it? He could have just as easily lost his presence of mind and burned everything. Including his friends.

Taiga's hand clasped over his shoulder. He finally turned, seeing her smiling at him. "That's because you keep rushing in before you're ready, you idiot."

Only she could make an insult sound so endearing and soft. Shirou flushed in equal parts annoyance and warmth.

"Look, I'm sorry for giving you flak all those years about your ally of justice thing," she continued. "But I didn't know you had powers to follow through with it. You never talked about how or why you wanted to do it anyway."

"To be a magus means to—"

She pressed a finger to his lips, stopping him. "It's not just the fact that you hid a secret about being a magus, Shirou. It's that you have kept a wall around yourself for years."

A wall? Shirou couldn't believe it. That was absurd. He could barely make a sword to protect himself, much less a shield.

Taiga looked conflicted about saying something, before shaking her head and dropping it. "Point is, I'm not going to stop you if you're dead set on helping others. But I am going to hammer into you that you need to consider how you express yourself."

"Huh?"

"For starters," she moved her hands to the sides of her head, grinned, and pointed to her dimples. Her disposition was as bright and welcoming as a blooming flower. "Try smiling! It'll make others feel relaxed and happy!"

Shirou blinked, trying to comprehend her words. He failed to form his own, let alone make a smile. All he managed to do was stare, mouth agape.

"But I guess now isn't a good time for that," Taiga admitted. "What you really need is some comfort food! My treat!"

If it was possible, Shirou was even more alarmed, and his jaw went slack. "Ehh?!"

"What? I ordered some takeout. Been dying to have a good fried rice bowl from Aiya's."

…he should have expected this from her, given her personality. And yet she completely derailed the mood and probably lost the thread of her talk once food was involved. Was this planned or some spur of the moment decision for her?

At least he didn't feel haunted again. Just tired. And famished.

"…a bowl of fried rice sounds good, thank you."

"Ah, sorry, I only ordered one for me. You can have some of the other meals I ordered in advance though. All from Aiya's, of course."

He couldn't help but to stare at her with a deadpan look as they walked to her dining table. "Buying this much take-out food and storing it as leftovers is not a healthy lifestyle."

"I'm learning to live without your cooking, Shirou!" Taiga snapped, acting like a toddler again. Right down to the shifty eyes. "Sakura hasn't cooked anywhere near as much since you left, so I had to adapt to buying takeout. You've spoiled me for choice all these years, so it's your fault!"

Shirou laughed, which only made her more upset. Even for a moment, he could forget his worries, his secrets, his trauma, and feel like having something akin to a bratty older sister doting on him.

It was fitting that her Tarot Arcana was The Sun.

July 26th, Dojima Household, Near Midnight

The next day passed on without much fanfare. There was an end-of-term assembly on the last day, the principal trying to assuage people's worries with the recent passing of Mr. Morooka and Mitsuo Kubo, whom most gossiping students knew as "the poor boy from another school". The team still didn't meet up, whether it was from somber moods or planning for summer vacation.

As for Shirou, he spent time with his extended family after bringing in a surplus of vegetables from the garden. He had helped Nanako set it up a few months ago but had forgotten about them until the weather update on rain and his cousin/sister worried they would get too wet. The Dojimas now had a good share of crops, and Doji-nii even allowed him to take a few tomatoes and cabbages to cook for his own meals.

That little family activity aside, he found himself standing by his TV as he waited for the Midnight Channel to begin. He didn't know what to expect, as he already knew who was on the other side. Would Satsuki take a moment to brag and taunt them to come after her? He almost considered she wouldn't even appear because she was such an enigma, but everyone only knew her as Mitsuo's "sister". There were probably several students watching right now just to catch a glimpse of her.

Still, Shirou was resolute in his decision to stop her by whatever means necessary. If she was truly the one responsible for everything that had happened since spring, she would pay with her borrowed life.

When the clock struck 12, the Midnight Channel booted up. And yet nothing could prepare Shirou for what he was seeing now.

A familiar part of Moon Voidvania was shown, a dark dungeon room with dimly pixelated candles. It was being treated as another live broadcast like the others, right down to the extra limelights. However, it was being presented more as a news special this time with scrolling text. They repeated the same general lines: "Missing Kubo-Yumizuka still alive – Wanted for Murder – Extremely Dangerous".

The room resembled a dungeon prison, with pixelated iron bars and small spaces inside. The camera focused on the outside of the door, and then inside where Satsuki sat in a feeble position. Only she was wearing what looked more like a tattered school uniform than the dark clergy clothes she showed off before. The camera angles kept jumping around, trying to get a good look at her face and clothes. It was telling because, unlike other Midnight Channel hosts, Satsuki was pointedly ignoring the screen.

"Please…" she said slowly. Her voice was cracked, and her body shook in sobs. "Someone… anyone!"

Now the scrolling text was replaced by a series of ineligible symbols and numbers.

"Kill me… before I kill someone else…"

And like the other shows before it, the broadcast ended in a static fade-out, all too brief and leaving so many questions. They'd always had a startling effect of awe and shock, but this one was just… grim. Heavy. Horrifying.

Shirou was so put off that he nearly jumped and screamed when he heard a ringing noise. He calmed down upon realizing it was his cellphone. Yosuke's Caller ID was listed on the screen. "H-Hel—"

"DUDE!" Yosuke yelled, again nearly fraying Shirou's nerves. "That was Sacchin! Or, her Shadow maybe? But why would a vampire have a Shadow? They don't even have reflections. But what the hell does this even mean!?"

"Oh, I know, I know!" Another voice from Yosuke's end cried out, distinctively Teddie's. He had been staying over at Yosuke's house as a guest and work-study for his Junes job, winning over his parents much to Yosuke's annoyance.

"Well then, tell u-HEY!" Yosuke yelled, as some grunts and shoving could be heard. When he talked again, his voice was distant and softer. "Just ask if you want it, dammit!"

"Shirou-sensei! It's me, Teddie!" The excited bear told him. "Ever since you told me about 'filming', I've been wondering what you meant. But now I know having seen this firsthand! Sacchin's suppressed feelings in my world were being broadcast like a signal, which were picked up by your world's TVs!"

"Wait, so, it was all her?"

"As it was for everyone else's Shadow! There was no one involved filming any of these! Mystery solved!"

Wow. There were still many questions left about the Midnight Channel, but it felt good to shelve that question once and for all. Though it also felt kind of underwhelming after everything else. Especially when there were forms of magecraft that could make such long-distance scrying trivial like using a familiar. But that was neither here nor there, and Teddie sounded so proud of his discovery.

So, he settled for praising him. "Good job, Teddie."

"Hehehe!" he giggled with satisfaction.

"Gimme that," Yosuke said faintly, likely swiping it from the bear. When he spoke again, it was clearer to hear. "Still, what she said was so left field. The other day she was nigh-untouchable with that hypnosis thing, and here she is begging someone to kill her? What the hell?"

"I'm not sure about this either," Shirou admitted. "But perhaps there's more to Sacchin than we've been led to believe. We need to regroup tomorrow."

"Yeah, can't really put this off after a bombshell like that," Yosuke agreed. "Well, I'll… see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Shirou."

"Goodnight, Yosuke." He turned off his phone, only for it to ring again.

Chie was calling him, having gotten in touch with Yukiko. Then Kanji, having talked with Naoto and Rise. Then Taiga, of all people, angry that when Naoto contacted her about the Midnight Channel he didn't bother to remind her about it. By the time Shirou was done talking to everyone, it was half an hour past midnight, and he barely had time to collect his own thoughts.

Save for one, he realized in hindsight. It was funny as it was rather sad.

"W-well," Shirou chuckled wryly. "At least this Shadow didn't have a libido issue this time."

"Booooo."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry Lilim."

"Um, I'm Pixie. You left Lilim back with Margaret, remember?"

"…I really need to stop staying up late."

A/N: Happy new year. Things have been a little hectic for me IRL, such as a dog whom lived a long and good life passed away last October. Still miss him honestly, and took the moment to kinda convey that feeling into this chapter somewhat before irregularly putting it off. Art is always hard to do continuously as the first few times it doesn't feel right. Even when the product is done you feel it could be done more so part of it is perfectionism.

That said, I'm resolved this new year to try and improve my writing ethic, and likely wrap up this one doozy of an arc soon too. Hopefully 2024 turns out better than the last few ones, haha. And thanks for all the views and reviews and such.

-Vegeta the 3rd