This is the next part of the Chiba Alternative Series (I literally came up with this name very recently).
Everything I've written here is a product of my own imagination and is not canon to FGO.
That being said, future references from FGO and the Fate franchise may still be referenced so please be warned.
Chapter 13 – Gathering Information I
The word awkward doesn't even begin to describe the atmosphere around the dinner table of the Tohsaka Estate.
The head seat was occupied by the one and only black-haired and blue-eyed mistress of the house, Rin Tohsaka.
To her right was her tenant who also happens to be her Master in an entirely different hierarchical relationship, a black-haired youth whose empty eyes and stoic demeanor gave the impression that he was older than his looks may suggest, Hachiman Hikigaya.
This pairing has become the norm in this mansion recently but for tonight they were joined by one other person.
He is a guy with auburn hair, a relatively decent physique for boys his age and every single cell on his body screamed that he is a good person, Shirou Emiya.
Surprisingly, this impromptu dinner arrangement began when…
"How about we treat you to dinner?"
…The Uncrowned King of Loners made this uncharacteristic offer to Shirou after he walked into the pair's conversation by accident.
"Just what are you even trying to suggest here, Hikigaya-kun?!" Rin cried out in panic while glaring at the cynic.
In contrast, Hachiman just shrugged nonchalantly.
"What? Where's the harm in it? It's getting late and he came all this way and did you such a huge favor so the least we could do is show him our appreciation. Besides," the scheming contrarian looked towards Shirou and smirked. "Maybe getting some free food would be enough as a sort of hush money," Hachiman could tell at one glance that this youth was not that kind of person but there's no harm in setting up an insurance policy just in case. "By the way, you're fine with curry, right? I've already began the preparations, you see."
"Ah…!"
Shirou quickly covered his mouth after he let out a weird sound but of course it was impossible for the black-haired duo to miss such an odd response.
"Hmm?" Hachiman raised one of his brows in inquiry, wordlessly asking the only other guy present what was wrong.
"Oh! Sorry for my weird reaction but I was just thinking," he quickly cleared his throat. "I don't mind helping you guys out with the cooking if you'll have me."
Is how it all happened so far.
The current scenario felt like it was picked straight out of some drama series and was written in order to cause conflict to the main characters as romance without any kind of spice just wasn't generating enough numbers.
Rin Tohsaka'a embarrassment combined with her fatigue was making her feel lightheaded.
Shirou Emiya was nervous for not only bearing witness to something he probably shouldn't be knowing but also if he actually did well with his cooking.
The only one who is relaxed in this group was…
"Delicious."
…The very madman who orchestrated this entire series of events.
He was indulging with one spoonful of curry after another without a single care in the world.
The harmony of flavors dancing inside his mouth was perfection given form. The sauce had an intricate balance of heat, sweetness and acidity that fully brought out the flavors of the other components of the dish. The meat was well-seasoned and also wasn't dry when you bite into it. The vegetables give the much-needed difference in texture and crunch that the tender meat lacked.
Overall, it can be said that the quality of the dish leveled up from Hachiman's usual. More specifically, it was just a step down from the curry cooked by his very own cooking teacher whose main job in Chaldea is being one of its many Archers, which translates to it being the third best curry that he's had his entire life.
As a side note, his teacher's curry is in a close second while the variants cooked by either woman of the Hikigaya family are tied for first place in his heart. If it ever came to it, he'll put his significant other's cooking in the same placement but that was not a problem he had to deal with at the moment.
Unfortunately, someone couldn't tell how much he's enjoying his meal and just had to disturb him, no, it's more like they were envious of what he had on his plate instead.
Although it was not the cynic's intention, his audacious act actually ended up lightening the atmosphere enough for the other two to speak again.
"Looking at you enjoying it like that, I'm really tempted to just go for the curry instead," the ojou-sama grumbled.
Despite being this house's mistress, the food on Rin's side of the table is only composed of a humble bowl of porridge in contrast to the two guys who not only had the curry that was giving off a tantalizing aroma but also salad and miso soup.
"You might hurt your stomach if you do that," Shirou gently chastised the girl before consoling her in the next second. "Don't worry. We made a lot so you can heat it up in the morning and enjoy it then."
The young man's gentleness worked like magic and made Rin behave… But would such an approach really work if the speaker was anyone else but this particular person however remains to be seen.
Hachiman observed the two's interaction from the corner of his eye while hiding his smile by bringing the bowl of miso soup close to his mouth.
"As expected of you, Emiya-kun. You're so considerate," Rin smiled at Shirou before her expression was tainted with disgust when her gaze landed back on Hachiman. "Completely unlike someone else I know."
Hachiman calmly ignored Rin's snide remark and just continued eating, only serving to frustrate the latter even more.
Afraid that this volatile situation will escalate further, the guest took it upon his hands to intervene.
"So the two of you are…?" Shirou asked cautiously while awkwardly scratching his cheek and alternating his gaze between his two black-haired dinner companions.
"Childhood friends," in direct contrast to Shirou's hesitation, Hachiman answered instantaneously. "Is the short version of it."
Needless to say, the reason he was able to lie so brazenly like this is that he's already prepared this cover story beforehand.
"And the long version would be…?" Shirou let his curiosity get the better of him and asked once again, exactly as Chaldea's Master predicted he would react after the vague explanation that he just dropped.
"Rin Tohsaka-san's mother you see is," the contrarian made random shapes in the air with his spoon as he explained. "A friend of a friend of a neighbor whose aunt happens to be the third cousin of a member of a branch family of an upper middle-class clan here in Chiba that became coworkers with my mother in a past company that she worked for back when she was still single," Hachiman had to give Rin a glance to implicitly tell her to play along. "Isn't that right, Tohsaka-san?"
Of course, this was the first that she's heard of such a thing but although the girl who could call upon a Goddess' power was a little mad that her Master didn't consult with her beforehand, she thought it better to prioritize convincing their common acquaintance first.
"Y-Y-Yes, that's right."
The shaky follow-up wasn't ideal but this was better than Rin not cooperating with him in the first place so Hachiman could somewhat accept this outcome.
"…I-I see. If that's all then I don't think I need to say anything else," even though he was still harboring some doubts, Shirou still nodded to the bizarre story he just heard which made Hachiman smile whereas Rin was left utterly confused, making her wonder if she was the strange one between the three of them. "By the way," he pondered for a few seconds to make sure if he properly recalled what happened just earlier. "I don't know if I misheard or something but did you just call me something like jiji earlier?"
Although Hachiman was hoping that this guy would forget about all that, this inquiry wasn't all too unexpected.
"Ah, that? Pardon me for offending you uh, Emiya-san, was it?" he only continued after Shirou gave him a nod. "You just gave off the airs of one so it just sort of slipped out of me. I'm really sorry about that."
"No, it's fine," like any other kindhearted main character, Shirou easily forgave youth in front of him after a verbal apology. "I'm a little curious though. Do I really look that old in your eyes?"
"Not really," Hachiman waved off his concern with a hand. "So if I were you, I wouldn't worry about it too much."
Shirou chuckled.
"You say all that but I actually think that you're the more mature one between the two of us, Hikitani."
What good intuition.
But Hachiman saw no reason to tell this guy anything, at least not yet and especially so because he got his name wrong. Unlike Shirou, he was no goody-two-shoes.
"Now while we did treat you to a meal, since you've also cooked for us, it will be hard for me to say that this is a fair transaction…"
"It's completely fine," Shirou raised his hand and shook his head before the realist could continue. "I had fun cooking and most of all," he averted his gaze away from the two and scratched his cheek. "Seeing your faces full of appreciation from the food I made is more than enough as thanks."
Unlike someone else he knew, Emiya Shirou is the epitome of a nice guy.
The past Hachiman Hikigaya would have continued to harbor doubts about him even at this point but having become Humanity's Last Master and properly broadened his horizons, he has come to know that just as there are individuals who can commit inhuman atrocities without batting an eye, people who are genuinely kind with their entire heart also exist.
The best way to persuade these types of people is not through stimulating their greed as you would under normal circumstances but through appealing to their sympathy.
Hachiman brought his hands together and rested his chin on it as his elbows made contact with the table.
"Well, I'm sure you know that it will trouble Tohsaka-san greatly if this secret came out."
"Hey…! What are you…?!"
Rin tried to get a word in but Hachiman smiled at her and just shook his head slightly, wordlessly saying leave this to me.
"That's right. Not only our classmates but I don't think even the school will keep quiet if a guy and a girl our age was found out to be living under the same roof without a guardian."
Hearing Shirou's points made Rin blush harder and harder while in contrast, Hachiman remained nonchalant, as if he was not part of the issue that they were currently discussing.
"Well, I'm not saying that you have to trust me," he then casually pointed his thumb to Rin. "All you really need to do is just have faith in Tohsaka-san's judgment here."
The auburn-haired youth pondered over what his classmate just said for a few seconds that felt like hours to both the anxious Rin and the composed Hachiman.
But in the end…
"I understand. I'll keep your relationship a secret so you guys don't have to worry about a single thing."
…Shirou nodded to them with a firm expression, even raising his right hand as if he was making a pledge.
Even Chaldea's Master did not expect that this nice guy will be convinced so easily. In actual fact, he was even considering taking drastic measures and knocking the daylights out of him to make him forget about what happened today but now that he didn't have to do all of that, he had nowhere else to direct this resolve of his. Nevertheless, as Hachiman isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he decided to believe in Shirou as well.
"Thank you very much for your understanding."
Thus, that awkward dinner ended almost as fast as it began… But it will not be until much later on that Humanity's Last Master figures out what exactly Shirou Emiya meant with the word relationship and that this exchange is the opening act of Hachiman Hikigaya's biggest headache in this world.
…
Homurahara Academy.
A local school in Chiba most famous for its large archery range that has fostered quite a number of talented students through the years… Is what it would be best described in the past.
Nowadays, there is one club in this school that is even more known than its cultural or sports counterparts. Rumors say that its got even the Student Council under its thumb.
The Service Club.
Despite its alleged fame however, its humble clubroom was really only big enough to accommodate around a dozen or so students at best and at the moment, it was being occupied by only three.
"This wind feels a little inauspicious," an elegant beauty brushed her long black hair to the back of her ear as a rare breeze came from the open window, its intensity was just enough to make her locks flutter gracefully in the air but not to the point where it will become frizzy. "Yet at the same time, there's a hint of nostalgia mixed with it."
There is only one girl in this particular school who could possibly paint such a pretty picture.
She is Yukino Yukinoshita. A natural born Queen, an Ice Queen to be exact, that others bow down to as they are too ashamed to directly look at her face.
She however was not the only one who sensed that something was off today.
Slide. Slam.
The legs of the chair rubbed the floor as the person sitting on it suddenly stood up. In her excitement, she ended up hitting the common table that the others' seats revolved around with both of her hands.
Her well-endowed chest bounced vigorously, tracing her sudden movement, a sight that slightly slightly peeved Yukino and made her unconsciously look down to her own assets to compare the two.
To make even that Yukino insecure about something, who else could this girl possibly be aside from Yui Yuigahama?
"Sh-Sh-Should I go and investigate, Yukinon?" Yui tried to sound as casual as possible but her excitement made her stutter. "We can't have outside factors ruin your concentration after all."
Yukino smiled and disregarded her friend's little mistake.
"I'd really appreciate it if you do so, Yui-san."
"Got it!" Yui didn't waste a single second and grabbed her bag before heading to the door. "I'll be going on ahead you two!"
The cheerful gal didn't even wait for a response from the other side before making her exit.
"Take care, Yui-san," Yukino waved goodbye to the pinkette before turning her attention to the other person in the room who has just kept his silence all this time. "Hayato-kun."
A princely youth with blond hair and blue eyes acknowledged the call with a nod. He is a guy who is virtually perfect in every aspect in life whether it be in looks, brains or pedigree but even with that being the case, he will never be the third member of the Service Club as for those two girls, this slot is forever reserved for that person and nobody else.
Having been with Yukino for the longest time compared to every other student in this school, he could pretty much guess what she was thinking of…
"Do you not trust her?" the young heir of the Hayama family gazed sharply at his childhood friend.
…Or so he thought.
"The complete opposite," unfazed, Yukino smiled, clearly expecting his reactions, both the inquiry and his act of intimidation. "It's exactly because I trust Yui-san that I wanted her to be accompanied with the strongest sword."
"So you really think what the two of you vaguely felt just now is related to Hikigaya somehow?"
"Yes," the Ice Queen adopted a look of certainty before nodding. "Although I got a little lucky today, her intuition has always been better than mine for these kinds of things," she then turned her head towards the window, looking at nothing in particular. "Even way back then."
"No way would he be stupid enough to come marching here when it's quite literally enemy territory," Hayato shook his head in disbelief. "There's far too much risk."
"And I'm telling you that he would most likely take advantage of that way of thinking," Yukino asserted confidently. "They maybe different people but their essence should still be very similar."
Resigned, Hayato sighed and massaged his temple with his hand.
"Even if that's true, what if he predicted that you'll make me move and set up an ambush for you instead?"
"That is well within the realm of possibility, yes," Yukino nodded repeatedly before smiling with composure. Magic power then began to leak around her as she continued. "But no matter how resourceful of a magus he is, against our powers which come directly from Heroic Spirits, he might as well be an ordinary human," her brows then furrowed in displeasure after recalling something that happened just a few days ago. "Him contracting a Servant out of nowhere was a little unexpected but what can one Heroic Spirit even do against all of us?"
The Ice Queen's infallible confidence forced the King of Knights to change his approach in order to get his point across.
"Then if you're so certain of those two meeting," he unconsciously clenched his fists. "Why aren't we coming at him in full force?"
Yukino's lapis lazuli irises went cold and gleamed with killing intent.
"You of all people should know exactly why I can't join the frontlines just yet."
Despite having the power of the legendary King Arthur at his disposal, Hayato could not move a single finger against that intense pressure. It was like his fighting spirit itself was frozen solid.
"…That's right. Sorry for my presumptuousness," he bowed unconsciously but rather than pay respects, it looked like he just didn't want to make eye contact with the ravenette. "Please forget I said anything."
"That's fine," Yukino waved off the knight's apology with her hand while dispelling her menacing aura. "Run along now. Even you would have trouble if you put too much distance between you and your target."
"I'll be back," Hayato bowed slightly before finally exiting the clubroom.
Now that she was by her lonesome Yukino looked towards a chair that was placed on the other edge of the table, which is to say the farthest possible position away from her without compromising their privilege of using said table. It can be taken as an indirect message that the other person didn't want to be stuck in the same room with her if they weren't required to do so but looking back at that scene now, Yukino was certain that he was just acting shy. After all, it's not everyday that a loner would be given the privilege to be alone with a cute girl.
Seated on that particular chair was a small stuffed toy in the form of a panda but unlike its real-life counterpart, its eyes looked extremely sharp, making it look grumpy, a design choice that may or may not resonate with other people. Its name is Pan-san and this particular one was custom-made as it was wearing the Sobu High school uniform tailored to its size.
"Now then," she approached the sharp-eyed plushie that was just minding its own business and began affectionately stroking its head. "I'm looking forward to what kind of move you'll make next, Hikigaya-kun."
Meanwhile…
Yui broke into a run the instant she felt like she was at a distance where Yukino couldn't hear her footsteps anymore and around the same time as she sped up, several other students began to excuse themselves from their circle of friends and stealthily headed out of their respective classrooms as if mirroring her movements.
Soon enough, Yui encountered a young man with brown hair closely approaching the school building's exit.
No matter how much this person tried to act ordinary, he could never fool her senses.
I can't be mistaken…! It's him! The imposter!
But right when Yui moved closer to her target and felt the stranger's resemblance to that person more strongly, her heart began to skip a beat.
"Hikki?" she ended up uttering that nickname reserved for him unconsciously.
"…"
The intruder stopped moving.
He may not have said a single word but this kind of response was all Yui needed to confirm her suspicions.
Her heart began to throb wildly.
In that moment, all her earlier aggression was instantly converted into something different yet all too similar at the same time.
Had this just been an ordinary romantic comedy, then maybe it's safe to say that what she's currently feeling is love however…
There's no doubt about it…!
He's here!
Right in front of me!
It's him…!
Another Hikki!
My Hikki!
…If anyone else could read her mind at this moment, then they'll definitely disagree.
"Hikki!"
In a way, it could be said that her feelings are genuine… Genuinely twisted, that is.
…
Several hours earlier, around the breaking of dawn.
Hachiman Hikigaya was lurking around the large backyard of the Tohsaka mansion.
His entire body was drenched in sweat as he just finished his daily training routine yet he was still busying himself with something that he was writing on the ground.
"As expected of an estate from a family with a long line of mages, the quality of this leyline is extremely high," he remarked before feeding some of his magic power on the magic formation he just laid out.
Today was yet another day for experimentation.
After his encounter with two of the biggest names in the Throne of Heroes, Hachiman felt the urgent need for a power-up.
Reinforcing Rin Tohsaka was not the only way to increase the combat forces of Humanity's Last Master… Supposedly, at least.
"Hah, it just keeps failing…"
He was currently trying to perform the same summoning ritual that he's done countless times in the past before, the kind that allowed him to call upon other Servants during battle only.
…But even that method which took advantage of loopholes upon loopholes was not yielding him any results.
"It's as if this world rejects the very concept of summoning itself, although it's way too early to make that kind of conclusion," he sat down on the ground and groaned while looking at the setup which cost him a lot of time, effort and materials. "Hah. And this would've been the fastest way to solve our imminent problems too," the figure of a youth with auburn-colored hair then appeared on his head. "Well, I can easily think of an alternative but it's looking to be a huge headache for an entirely different reason."
As if on cue, a person's shadow suddenly loomed over his sitting figure.
Given whose property he was staying over at the moment, he didn't even need to see their face to know who it is.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning?" Rin Tohsaka threw such a question to the pessimist whose wry smile she's now used to seeing so often.
"You're up pretty early today, ojou-sama," his eyes which were akin to that of a dead fish's moved up and down as he scrutinized the girl's physical condition. "Is your body fine already?"
"There aren't any issues so far," Rin answered matter-of-factly before frowning in the next second. "Don't try to change the topic and answer my question."
"I'm using your land's leylines to try and summon more Heroic Spirits. But as you can see," he pointed a finger to his set-up or at least to what was left of it. "It's not working."
Rin initially tried to make heads and tails about the magical formations in front of her before she noticed something odd with what Hachiman said.
"Isn't a Holy Grail War supposed to be fought with one Master-Servant pair each?" her eyes were still locked on to the characters on the ground even as she asked.
"Under normal circumstances, yes," Hachiman stretched his arms out and leaned even closer to the ground. "But what's currently going on is something that can be classified as an exception among exceptions so I thought about calling for back-up."
"Huh? You can do that?!" Rin brought both of her hands to her face, shocked. "Wouldn't that be cheating?!"
"If it's cheating then why is there no official personnel coming over to do something about it?" Hachiman shamelessly justified his own actions. "Just because no one thought about doing it before, doesn't mean it's a cheat."
"Ugh! You and your sophistry!"
This wasn't the first time that Hachiman has been criticized for his methods and he is sure that it also won't be the last so he just let the girl's complaints go in one ear and out the other.
"Anyways, I assume that you didn't come looking for me without any clear purpose," since all this nagging was getting a little annoying for Hachiman, he decided to cease the initiative. "Do you need me for something?"
Guilty as charged, Rin could only grimace.
"About Emiya-kun," the sun's rays did very little to conceal her blushing face. "What's the real reason you called him jiji?"
Hachiman has already answered this question last night but Rin could tell that it wasn't the entire truth and given how sharp this partner of his is, Chaldea's Master was certain that he didn't need to explain anything to her anymore. It was more than likely that she has already drawn the correct conclusion and is only waiting for his own input to confirm her hypothesis.
"It is exactly what you think it is," he admitted honestly.
"So," Rin bit her lips and dared to ask. "Are you planning on making him a Servant too?"
The magus' gaze was firm. Hachiman even felt that he wasn't talking to the same grumpy girl from a few seconds ago.
With all the experience under his belt in reading people's inner thoughts, he could clearly tell what his current partner really wanted to ask him instead.
Do you think I'm inadequate?
Unfortunately, Hachiman could only answer her unasked question in his head.
No, the one who is lacking is me… It always is.
In any case, he had to come up with an answer convincing enough to dispel Rin's insecurities.
"No, there's no need. You are more than enough," he smirked boldly while asserting so.
Rin pouted but by her blushing cheeks, the cynic could easily tell that rather than mad, what she was feeling was leaning more towards embarrassed.
"You're not saying all this just to make me feel better, right?" she became redder as she went on.
"Partly, yes," Hachiman chuckled. "But believe me when I say that once I'm done with the prep work," he raised his hand and showed his palm to his Servant for emphasis. "You'll have at least five times your current firepower."
The Tohsaka heiress looked at her Master in the same way she would to a scammer out for her inheritance money but when the words he said finally sunk in, she paled.
"Y-Y-You…!" she shakily pointed her index finger towards Hachiman as if he was a villain that deserves to be condemned. "You can't be thinking of using human sacrifices, right?! I won't allow it! Even if you were to use a Command Spell, I'll never…!"
"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold your horses, Tohsaka-san. Who said anything about human sacrifices? Just what kind of person do you take me for?" Hachiman had to quickly interrupt his Servant before her imagination got any crazier.
Since she was given the opportunity, Rin went out of her way to spit out one insult after the other.
"Unscrupulous, scammer, slavedriver, selfish, sarcastic, insensitive, pervert, idiot… Need I say more?"
"The last couple were definitely unnecessary but everyone has a right to their own opinion even if it's wrong," Hachiman easily shrugged off that barrage of insults like it was nothing. "You don't have to worry. I may be underhanded but I've never done anything inhumane. Rest assured, the only one who will pay the price," he raised his index finger when he said the word one before pointing to himself. "Is me."
Despite the declaration her Master made, Rin's countenance only looked more severe by the second.
"You…" she leaned towards Hachiman and grabbed his head with both of her hands. "Are you planning on using your lifespan?"
What kind of scary thing is this girl suggesting?
But Hachiman kept that rebuttal to himself.
The counsellor side of him took over in order to assess the mental disposition of his Servant for her to say such a thing out of nowhere.
"Equivalent exchange is simply one of the most fundamental laws of Magecraft and supposing that I really do need to use my lifespan," the abyss lurking on his lifeless eyes easily overwhelmed the blue hue radiated by Rin's lapis lazuli-like orbs. "What will you do?"
"I will not allow my Master no," Rin shook her head and glared back at Hachiman's overpowering gaze. "I will not allow you to make such a sacrifice…!"
It seems I went too far…
No matter what his reasons were, there is no justification for bringing a girl to the verge of tears. For the time being, he should just be satisfied with knowing that his partner is very concerned of his own well-being.
"You don't have to worry about a thing. The method I have in mind is nowhere near as drastic as you think," he gently tapped Rin's arms in order to make her calm down and let go of his head, to which she acquiesced. "It should all be ready by tomorrow or the day after that so you can look forward to it when the time comes."
"Is… That so?" Rin averted her eyes and sneakily wiped her tears and even though Hachiman knew exactly what she was doing, he was tactful enough not to say a word.
"Yeah. I know it's a little late but I also don't want to drag more people into this if I can help it," if it was any other Servant, he might not be able to say this so confidently but there is actually one legitimate shortcut to getting stronger that is only viable because the Heroic Spirit that Rin Tohsaka can call upon is Ishtar. The nature of Hachiman's smile then turned from that of irony into mischief. "Especially not someone you fancy."
Rin Tohsaka instantly overheated.
"S-S-S-S-Someone I fancy, you say!?" she stuttered uncontrollably as her blush from earlier returned with a vengeance. "Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?"
Towards the tsundere's overreaction, Hachiman simply nodded repeatedly while acting smug.
"Now now you don't have to be so shy about it."
"Wh-Whatever it is you're thinking of, I assure you that it's not the case!" Rin protested vehemently but because of her reddish cheeks, she was more adorable rather than imposing.
"Misunderstanding you say, tell me this then," Hachiman smirked dastardly. "If it was any other person in that situation, you would probably just do the most logical thing any magus would and alter their memories so they forget about your accidental encounter, right?"
"Ugh…! That's…!"
Yep. Bull's-eye.
Hachiman maintained his smugness and kept on nodding repeatedly.
"It's fine. You don't have to tell me anything, I understand," if he wasn't so soaked in sweat, he would probably be taking this opportunity to pat her in the shoulder for encouragement. "I'm rooting for you."
"It's really not what you think, okay!?"
It looked like they'll be stuck here for a long while if Hachiman kept teasing Rin so he decided to promptly change the topic.
"Well, let's talk about this later," he pointed towards the gates of the mansion with his thumb. "For now, you should go to school. You don't wanna be late today when you had to be absent yesterday, right?"
"Huh? Why can't we just go together…!?" towards Rin's inquiry, Hachiman gestured to his upper body which was covered in sweat, prompting the young woman to finally be aware of their current situation and her close proximity. "Right! I'll be heading out then!" flustered, the landlady threw one final warning to her cheeky tenant while aggressively pointing her index finger towards his direction. "You better not be late!"
To this, the realist just smiled calmly, flawlessly concealing his true intentions from the hedonist.
"Don't worry, I really do plan on going to school today…"
…
"…But I never said anything about heading to Sobu."
Hachiman Hikigaya said to no one in particular as he entered an unfamiliar set of school gates. The name etched on its wall couldn't be farther from his high school alma mater. In actual fact, he's only heard of this educational facility just yesterday.
Homurahara Academy.
Conveniently enough, one of Chaldea's Mystic Codes just happened to look like Homurahara Academy's school uniform. What a fortuitous coincidence but I wonder why that organization made something like this in the first place… Nah, let's set aside that thought for now and focus on today's objective.
He found the uniform's yellow shade in both its blazer and pants a little daunting at first because it was way too bright as compared to Sobu's black and white theme but this was nothing more than personal preference.
Since it would be bad if he was recognized in any way, he put on a wig of chestnut brown hair and a pair of glasses so that people can't get a glimpse of his lifeless eyes unless they purposely stare at him. He also wore a pair of black gloves in order to hide his Command Spells.
As to why he went ahead with a plan so reckless that it involves marching straight into enemy's territory without a single Servant to accompany him is because his goal was just to make a copy of the school's records into his portable terminal and then get out shortly afterwards.
It was going to be one very easy operation and if things really did take a turn for the worse, he could always just burn a Command Spell if he really had to.
The only real bottleneck is the time it needed for the portable terminal to extract data out of the school's computer as it had to break through several layers of digital security without any input from Hachiman who knew zilch about this side of technology so rather than the hardware's limitations, this was simply a user's skill issue.
It took an entire school day for him to obtain all the information he needed so he had no other choice but to hide in the office while waiting. As a side note, he's already finished doing the same thing back at this Chiba's Sobu.
Once everything was done, all Hachiman needed to do now was to execute the last phase, successfully escape.
Twitch.
…And when he thought that things were going a little too well, the Hikigaya ahoge sent its danger warning however…
Just because you saw something coming, doesn't always mean that you'll have the means to avoid it.
"Hikki?"
A familiar voice tinged with longing, excitement and warmth called out from behind him.
"…"
Hachiman instinctively stopped moving. Nevertheless, he didn't let himself get emotional too easily. He clenched his fists tightly and took in a deep breath to mentally prepare himself for what was about to happen next.
Despite having triumphed over several other Singularities/Lostbelts with much more extreme conditions, this alternate Chiba takes the cake purely when it comes to mental trauma.
If the likes of Yumiko Miura and Hayato Hayama were projected into this world from his memory then of course it wouldn't be too surprising for this girl to be included.
Which could only mean that the other one is here as well and knowing her, she might even be their leader.
"Hikki!"
Hachiman took out his wig and glasses before finally turning around and meeting the gaze of a girl who shared the same face as one of the two who changed him for the better during his high school years.
Despite not having seen her figure for so long, the girl in front of him looked exactly as he remembered, barring the yellow school uniform which she wore in her usual sloppy and some may even describe as a more promiscuous manner though that is not her intention; untucked shirt, loose tie and even unbuttoned buttons. Her bright hair is tied into a bun, she possessed eyes that sparkled like rubies which at the moment seemed brighter because of the tears she's been holding back, glossy lips and a well-developed body which was just a sight for sore eyes.
Presence Concealment, I guess? Whatever it is, I was really too careless!
Now although there was still quite some distance to cover between the two of them at the moment, the Monster of Logic easily thought up of several more dangerous variations of this exact scenario.
For example, instead of calling out to him loudly like this, the other party could so easily shoot or stab him and he would be none the wiser.
That's why no matter how similar they looked on the outside, Hachiman Hikigaya treated the girl in front of him as an entirely different individual.
This girl is not Yui Yuigahama.
She shouldn't be.
"Yo, Yuigahama," suppressing his emotions, Hachiman tried his best to sound as natural as possible. Since things were like this now, he might as well take advantage of this dangerous opportunity.
…
Lunchtime.
Excited.
This is the one singular word that best describes teenagers once they are let loose at noon after being subjected to a morning composed of one boring lecture after another.
The students of Sobu High's Class 2-F however were in an even higher tension than usual. At least half of them gathered around the entrance of Class 2-F while the rest, although remaining seated on their chairs were all gazing towards where the mob is.
Had this commotion been seen in the perspective of a cynical protagonist, then he would probably go off on a long tangent about youth and society in order to bloat the word count for no reason but because of said character's absence, Shirou Emiya's input will have to do.
"Everyone sure is lively today," he commented as he leaned on his chair while waiting for whatever it is that's causing all this excitement in the air. "I wonder what's up."
The answer to Shirou's curiosity revealed itself seconds after he made his remark.
Like the Red Sea, his classmates parted into two directions and made way for a certain twin-tailed ravenette who possessed eyes that gleamed like lapis lazulis.
Rin Tohsaka.
Despite wearing the same uniform as the other girls, she possessed this little something that drew the eyes of others towards her.
Currently however, a frown was plastered on her face due to the unnecessary attention that was on her. Although in truth, she isn't really as angry as she appears to be, she is simply trying to disguise her shame but only a pessimist who happens to be really good at reading people would be able to tell, if he was here that is.
Rin looked around the classroom but was unable to find the black-haired youth she was searching for.
In the end…
"!"
…She made eye contact with none other than Shirou Emiya.
Frustrated at the possibility that her trip here may end up being fruitless, Rin gestured with a wave of her hand for him to come with her.
"?"
Shirou had to do a double-take and look to his left as well as his right to check if Rin really called for him but upon seeing all his classmates looking towards his general direction, he figured that she didn't make a mistake.
"Huh?! Him!?"
"Ahahaha…" Shirou let out a dry laugh before finally leaving his seat and chasing after Rin's back.
As anyone would expect, the entire peanut gallery had a whole ton of things to say about what the heck just happened but since their comments went into one ear and out the other of our more relevant characters, they will be omitted.
Rooftop.
"Huh?!" a loud scream can be heard from the place which was supposed to be off-limits to students. "What do you mean Hikigaya-kun was absent?!"
"Uh, actually," Shirou scratched his cheek awkwardly. He was feeling a little guilty about ratting his acquaintance out but he thought that since it's a student's responsibility to go to school, he shouldn't encourage his truancy. If he'd known that Hachiman was busy trying to save the world in a literal sense then Shirou might have taken the cynic's side here. "Hikitani's been skipping classes for quite some time now."
"What?!" Rin figuratively exploded. She was acting as if all her money was stolen from her by a nasty investment scam. "That big fat liar! When I get my hands on him, I will…! Ah!" she quickly coughed in an attempt to gloss over her behavior and regain her usual composure. "Sorry, please forget I said anything."
"It's fine. I understand where you're coming from," Shirou smiled while urging the ravenette the calm down by slightly raising both of his hands. "I would be as mad as you too if I were in your shoes."
Rin sighed.
"That guy is really just doing as he pleases, huh?" she crossed her arms to her chest then brought a hand to her forehead. "Seriously he's such a handful."
"Ahahaha…"
"What do you think is so funny?" Rin's anger was suddenly redirected to the young man present now instead of the other who's at who knows where.
"Ah, I'm sorry," Shirou promptly said while smiling apologetically. "Seeing your reaction now made me think that my hunch was really right and that the two of you aren't exactly childhood friends."
"Eh!?" another loud scream came out of Rin's mouth. "Wh-Wh-What do you mean by that, Emiya-kun?"
Shirou chuckled.
"It's fine. I kinda understand that it's embarrassing to admit that you have… Uhh… That sort of relationship to others so I don't blame the two of you for lying like that," as the inexperienced young man that he is, Shirou isn't so used to talking about this subject so he couldn't help but be a little awkward as he continued. "So I guess what I should be saying is… Umm… I wasn't able to get the opportunity to do so back then but… I'm very sorry for intruding on you two yesterday."
That's really not it though!
Rin wanted nothing more than to shout that rebuttal out loud but…
What other excuse can I give that can convince this guy otherwise?!
…After all, it was not as if she could start talking about their Master and Servant relationship for this ritual called the Holy Grail War to an outsider.
As such, Rin Tohsaka did the only sensible thing that any smart and well-grounded heroine would do if they were put in this kind of situation.
It was… Not to diligently clear up the troublesome misunderstanding that was sure to smack her in the back later on but to go along with the absurd conclusion that another character cooked up for no other reason aside from plot.
"If you understand that much then can we please stop talking about this?" by the time she reached this part of her statement, Rin was already as red as a tomato. "This is getting really embarrassing for me after all."
"Ah, got it," Shirou nodded and instinctively averted his gaze. A part of him felt that he would be committing some kind of mortal sin if he kept looking at Rin's flustered face.
Surprisingly, the first one to regain their composure between the two was the same person who was screaming hysterically at one point earlier.
"By the way," she coughed to gain the attention of her conversation partner. "Thanks for dropping by yesterday, Emiya-kun. I didn't get left behind today's lessons because of what you did."
"…It's no big deal. I'm just glad to be of help."
Now that they weren't talking about her relationship with that strange Master of hers, Rin was finally able to speak and think more calmly… Because of that, she noticed one little inconsistency that she can't believe she missed all this time; she wasn't the only one who missed school yesterday.
"Which reminds me," she cast an inquisitive glance towards Shirou. "Was any one of your classmates sent out to hand out all the stuff that Hikigaya-kun missed to him?"
"Now that you mention it Tohsaka," Shirou brought a hand to his chin and began to ponder about what Rin just said for a couple of seconds. "I don't think anyone has been assigned to do such a thing since… Well, ever. That's so weird."
After being deep in thought for a short while, Shirou gained some sort of epiphany and suddenly turned towards the direction of the door.
"Hey! What's gotten into you, Emiya-kun?" Rin urgently asked, confused by the guy's arbitrary actions.
"Oh! I just thought that I'll go consult our homeroom teacher about this anomaly while it's still fresh in my memory," he then joined his hands together and pleaded to Rin. "Tohsaka, please give Hikitani my apologies about yesterday as well."
The ravenette put one of her hands to her hips while she flipped her hair with the other one. It was a menacing pose but the smile on her face meant that she wasn't really in a bad mood.
"Do that yourself. I will just make sure that he'll really come to your class tomorrow."
Shirou acknowledged her response with a nod.
"I understand," he pointed towards the door with his thumb. "For now, I'll be going ahead. See you later."
"Yes, see you later," Rin said goodbye back only for her to witness Shirou do a complete 180 just when he was about to turn the knob open. "Hmm?"
"I'll be rooting for your happiness, Tohsaka," the auburn-haired youth dropped those words while wearing an earnest smile.
"Yes?!"
"Then, excuse me," Shirou kept the same expression on his face as he closed the door behind him.
With that, Rin Tohsaka was left alone in the rooftop scratching her head in bewilderment. She recalled Shirou Emiya's figure when he headed out just now and unconsciously overlapped it with the much more robust build of Hachiman Hikigaya which she had the privilege of seeing earlier this morning.
Seriously, how can two people be so different yet so similar?
Rin immediately shook her to head to rid herself of such improper thoughts.
"Idiot…"
Which young man Rin Tohsaka was thinking off when she said that out loud however was a question even she didn't know the answer to.
…
"It's really you, right?" Yui Yuigahama said while joining her hands together as if she was praying. Tears were coming out of her eyes but she opted not to wipe them and keep her eyes open, afraid that the young man in front of her would vanish if she dared to blink.
The first two classmates that Hachiman encountered were quite aggressive so a bias has been unconsciously planted in him that they were enemies. Now that he's come face-to-face with someone who looks like they were willing to talk with him, perhaps this will allow him to take one step closer to solving the many mysteries surrounding this Chiba.
In the first place, it's still not 100% confirmed that they are my enemies, although it's pretty much likely that they are.
In no way was his decision influenced by the tears of the girl in front of him. This is a purely rational and logical conclusion that he reached through objective reasoning.
This will be repeated because its important.
In no way was his decision influenced by the tears of the girl in front of him. This is a purely rational and logical conclusion that he reached through objective reasoning.
I might be able to obtain some information from her that isn't available in the school's database specifically, their Heroic Spirits or even just how those Cards work in general.
Is the justification he kept repeating to himself.
With that, he took a deep breath and resolved himself to doing something he utterly despised.
Putting on a mask.
"I believe this isn't the best place to talk about that kind of topic," he smiled cordially and extended his hand out to the girl in front of him. "Shall we go and change locations first before we catch up with each other?"
"…Yes!" for a split second, the light on Yuigahama's eyes dimmed, as if she was possessed by something else but only those whose dynamic vision has been trained like Hachiman could notice such a change. "I'd love that!" she then grabbed the loner's hand and took the lead all of a sudden.
What the heck?
Had Hachiman been any other protagonist then perhaps he would dismiss such strange signs while saying it must have been my imagination but unfortunately, he was far too sharp for his own good.
And even if he didn't notice by sight…
Twitch.
The Hikigaya ahoge was there to cover him although it was a little too late this time around as it's already been settled that he'll be stuck with this girl for the rest of the afternoon.
"This place…!" Hachiman unconsciously murmured after arriving at their destination.
"Did you say something, Hikki?" Yui, who was situated literally right next to the loner asked while leaning even closer to him.
"No," he quickly answered so as not to arouse the girl's suspicions, before taking a small step away from Yui which she remedied just as quickly. "Just a little surprised that it's not as crowded as I expected."
It was the same park that he waited with Rin Tohsaka before they well and truly fought together as Master and Servant.
Since he came here early in the afternoon this time around, there were much more people than before but nowhere near enough to call it busy.
I guess this is much better than a place where we'll be alone together.
"Hehe," the pinkette puffed her chest out with pride. Because of how she is well-endowed for her age, that gesture was more dangerous than usual. "I chose this place exactly because I know you dislike it if it gets too noisy, Hikki."
"I see."
By the time they sat on a random bench, Humanity's Last Master was already exhausted.
"Ah! Let me go get some drinks," she stood up and patted her skirt then leaned close to Hachiman once again. "Max Coffee, right?"
"Yes, please..."
Hachiman smiled but deep inside him there was something else that he was paying attention to.
A fortified body is not the only boon that Humanity's Last Master gained after his hellish training regimen. His senses have also become much keener as a by-product, no, it was more like he had no choice but to sharpen it if he wanted to see another day. How else was he going to survive against spear arts capable of slaying a god if he couldn't do at least this much?
Three? No… Five? Two joined in just now. Is their target me or…?
Hachiman found it strange that these tails appeared only after he joined with this Chiba's Yui. The only reasons he could think of why they are following him is either espionage or…
…Assassination but assuming this Yuigahama has access to a Heroic Spirit's power, then she could easily do that in a heartbeat so this seems a little unnecessary.
Whichever the case it was, feigning ignorance seems like the right move at the moment.
"I'm back!" Yui cheerfully called out. To no one's surprise, she sat right beside Hachiman as if it was the most natural thing for her to do. "Here you go."
The cold can was handed directly to him but doing so made their fingertips touch…
"…"
"!"
…Which wasn't really a big deal for the current Hachiman Hikigaya not only due to his boundless exposure to the opposite sex but also because they've been holding hands during the entire walk from the school to this park. Yui Yuigahama however became a blushing mess. Turns out, she was the type of girl who is weak when the guy she likes comes to her instead. In other words, a glass cannon.
As a side note, the gazes from the ones hiding in the shadows intensified after witnessing this scene and for a short while, it made it difficult for the cynic to pretend that he isn't aware of their presence.
Noticing Yui's situation and understanding why she was reacting in such a manner, Hachiman decided to use the age-old proven method to deal with this situation…
"What's wrong, Yuigahama?" he directed a concerned gaze and became the one to lean close to her this time around. "Your face is red. Are you sick?"
…To act like a dense harem protagonist.
"I-I-It's nothing at all," Yui pushed him back and waved both her hands around in panic. "I'm fine. Thank you for worrying about me, Hikki."
With this one singular move, Hachiman was not only able to calm her down, he also got the much-needed breathing room that he's been missing since earlier.
Click.
Humanity's Last Master then took a generous mouthful of the divine black nectar as a toast to his small victory before proceeding to continue the conversation.
"Well, if you say so," while he could still feel the sickening sweetness on his mouth and throat, he decided to ask the most important question right off the bat. "Now what is it that you wanna talk about?"
The embarrassment that was all over Yui's face instantly vanished and it was replaced with a look of desperation.
"Are you really Hikki?"
Yui looked very similar to how Hachiman saw her back at the school corridor, only this time around, he had a much better look at her face because of how close they are.
Ah… I'm all too familiar with this kind of gaze…
Despite staring directly at him, Yui's eyes were not really seeing the Hachiman Hikigaya in front of her but a Hachiman Hikigaya who fitted her own… Shall we say, delusions?
Senpai, Anchin, Albrecht, Mother, Onii-chan, Husband and of course, Humanity's Last Master.
Even though Hachiman disliked putting on a mask, there was nothing he could do if the people and the circumstances around him force him to wear such a thing.
At this point, even Hachiman Hikigaya wasn't sure which is his true face anymore.
For better or for worse, he's gotten so used to garnering romantic interest recently that he is afraid that he might get carried away and his mindset will revert back to when he was still 14. If only he was a more despicable person, then perhaps he could've taken advantage of this girl's unrequited feelings and use her like a tool but even an unscrupulous contrarian like him has his standards so he could only go about this in his usual method: Sincerity with a huge helping of omission.
"I am who I am," he finally answered after much consideration. "Whether that is consistent with the me in your memories however is something I won't be able to tell you."
Hachiman could sense that Yui wasn't satisfied at all with this kind of response from the way she was clenching her fists in frustration. Nevertheless, the girl didn't stop there and fired off another question.
"Are we enemies?"
I'd like to ask you the same thing.
The cynic successfully held the urge to say so.
"I assume you've seen the aftermath of my encounter with Miura then?" he tried to act concerned but his lips didn't cooperate and ended up twisting into a smile full of wryness.
Yui nodded while playing with her fingers.
"Yeah. Although she was quite heavily injured, I patched Yumiko up quickly so she shouldn't be in any sort of danger."
Hachiman's brain kicked into overdrive after obtaining two crucial pieces of information after just striking some casual conversation.
The first being…
So as expected Yuigahama is a Servant too… I was kind of hoping that it wasn't the case but with this, it's safe to say that there's a distinct criterion in who possesses the powers of a Heroic Spirit.
And the other one would be…
She's the healer of all things! If I could win her over then maybe….
Chaldea's Master immediately shook his head.
No, I shouldn't be too greedy. I only came here today to gather information after all.
"Hikki, what are you thinking about?" she moved her face extremely close to Hachiman while her voice felt several degrees colder. "Is it about another woman? Could it possibly be Yumiko? I said she's fine already so you don't have to worry about her anymore."
The girl's dilating eyes were gleaming with the light of obsession.
Surely the Yui Yuigahama he knew couldn't possibly be like this.
For better or for worse, Chaldea has no lack of girls who wanted to monopolize Hachiman Hikigaya all for themselves so he knew just what kind of actions he should make that wouldn't aggravate this situation.
"No, I was just wondering when did that clumsy classmate of mine become so reliable," Hachiman calmly responded even amidst Yui's bone-chilling possessiveness.
What he said is not just flattery however. Hachiman is genuinely surprised that Yui Yuigahama's parallel could handle a Heroic Spirit's power because unlike the two hosts he's encountered so far as well as from his list of potential others, he personally thought that she didn't possess that x-factor. The only thing Hachiman could think of that somewhat fits the bill is her capability to befriend literally anyone but even that felt like a reach.
In a way, she was a lot like him in how he went from rookie magus into Humanity's Last Master all of a sudden. Perhaps that's part of the reason why he could talk to her like this despite potentially being enemies.
Although she was being praised by the guy she liked, the cheerful girl's demeanor and tone only became somber.
"Hikki," her voice became almost as soft as a whisper. "The others are saying you're evil. Is that true?"
Others, huh…
Hachiman would really like nothing more than to ask exactly how many these others are as well as their true identities and which Heroic Spirits they can use but even a naïve girl like Yui would sense that something is fishy if he asks such a thing so blatantly.
"I see," Hachiman nodded solemnly. "For those kinds of things, I think it's better for you to trust your own senses instead of the words of others."
Hit.
"Hikki!" the bottom side of Yui's enclosed fist made contact with Hachiman's arm. Despite the outburst of emotion from Yui's side, there was no real power behind that blow. "Just please tell me that you're not evil! I'll believe whatever you'll say! I promise!"
The desperation could be clearly felt both on the pinkette's expression and voice but Hachiman's heart remained stone-cold and unmoving.
A part of the reason why he could still remain so rational amidst this passionate display is because of the multiple pairs of eyes that were still locked onto them.
Another one just joined too… No, this guy's been here all this time but just at a further location!
That being said, he still made sure to direct majority of his mental resources in conversing with his Yui.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence but you know that is not something that I can or will ever do," the loner's overall demeanor softened. "Especially not to you, Yuigahama."
The sense of dissonance at trying to call his clubmate's counterpart in this world has all but disappeared in Hachiman's tone but that didn't mean that his guard was completely down just yet.
"So," the cheerful pinkette sniffled and rubbed some of her tears with her sleeve. "Does that mean we are going to fight after all?" despite the fact that her eyes were puffy because of crying so much, Yui looked really determined. "I really don't want to hurt you, Hikki."
Hachiman smiled wryly and was half-tempted to pat his clubmate's head but refrained himself.
"For the record, it was Miura and Hayama who attacked me first," he began to recall the event in a lighthearted tone. "I merely acted with the intention of self-defense."
"I don't want to fight Hikki!" Yui asserted while pumping both of her fists. "I can't!"
Deep inside, Hachiman Hikigaya admits that he felt the same way.
No matter how much he tried to rationalize things as a Monster of Logic, he'd be lying if he said he can fight the girl in front of him without ever hesitating. That singular moment of weakness in the heat of battle could prove fatal.
As for the others he's encountered so far who are the parallels of his acquaintances back on Earth…
First would be Yumiko Miura. Their relationship wasn't close enough for Hachiman to call her a friend but by no means were they also ever enemies. It is simply a bond forged by business, nothing more and nothing less. He lent her his aid several times in the past due to her various requests to the Service Club and similarly, she also helped him out in advertising the prom for their high school seniors at the time.
Well, since they already fought once before, Hachiman would not be too bothered in doing the same thing again.
In Hayato Hayama's case, hate is too big of a word to describe his sentiments to the Perfect Prince but if there was ever a reward to punch his face for no reason, Hachiman would jump at the opportunity in a heartbeat without even asking how much he'll get exactly.
In other words, if it came down to it, Hachiman can fight him to the death no problem.
Yui Yuigahama was an entirely different issue however.
She is someone he considers to be truly precious to him aside from his own family.
Now although their most recent moments were not as memorable as he would like that doesn't change how significant of a mark she left in Hachiman Hikigaya's life before he took on the fate of humanity on his shoulders.
"I also don't want to fight all of you if I can help it, Yuigahama," Hachiman confessed earnestly.
"Then…!"
Yui leaned towards Hachiman once again but the latter wasn't as bothered by this gesture as earlier as he sensed a disturbance from the spectators hiding around them.
The stares now felt like they would bore a hole on the back of his head but one in particular happened to be much more hostile over the others.
Twitch.
Feeling the ahoge's signal, Hachiman's mouth and body both moved automatically.
"Sorry about this, Yuigahama!" he said in a rushed pace before hastily grabbing the ruby-eyed girl without waiting for her response.
"Huh? Kyaaaaaaa!"
Flash.
The girl's shriek was easily overpowered by the sound of a violent explosion.
A lone figure then made his grand entrance in the middle of the park.
Blond hair, majestic armor and shining sword.
It was the picture-perfect model of a prince in fairytales or the heroes sang in epics.
Despite what his noble appearance may suggest, he was none other than the perpetrator of that dishonorable surprise attack.
Saber Class Servant. True Name: King Arthur.
Hayato Hayama.
A straight line was seared into the ground from the intense heat that came from the attack that was just launched. Even now, smoke was still coming out of the scorched concrete.
No corpse would be left behind if a living being suffered a direct hit from that.
That being said, Hayato wasn't too optimistic because if Hachiman Hikigaya would be taken out so easily like this, there was no way that he would be holding a title as grand as Humanity's Last Master for this long.
With the dust cloud caused by the aftermath of his own attack obscuring his own vision, Hayato could see only one person's silhouette clearly.
Sure enough, his suspicion or rather Intuition was proven true.
"Get away from Yui, you bastard!" the King of Knights demanded while pointing the edge of his sword at Hachiman. The usual gentle luster of his sapphire eyes was lost with how intensely he was glaring at the black-haired guy who (unfortunately) survived the holy sword's light.
"That was a perfectly fine bench you just wrecked by the way," Hachiman Hikigaya lackadaisically complained while blatantly ignoring what the blond just said. "Must you really have to greet me in this manner, Hayama?" he then turned his attention back towards his original conversation partner. The annoyance in his voice earlier was completely replaced with concern. "Sorry for touching you so suddenly, Yuigahama. It was an emergency. Are you okay?"
Turns out, the reason why only one person's visage could be identified in the fog is because Hachiman took Yui in his arms and was now holding her in a princess carry.
"I-I-I'm fine. Th-Thank you, Hikki," Yui bashfully said before reluctantly parting from Hachiman's arms when he urged her to stand. Her eyes kept flickering between dim and bright around the same pace as her racing heartbeat before eventually settling down to its default bright mode. "Besides you're not the one to blame," she gave a complicated look towards Hayato which was a mix between gratitude and irritation. The former for coincidentally letting her experience something she thought would only happen in her wildest dreams and the latter for ruining what was supposed to be the two's secret rendezvous all of a sudden.
Hachiman turned his gaze back to Hayato.
"Hayama, I know our first meeting was not the best but you of all people should know that it was Miura who picked a fight first and there's no way to convince her with words alone when she got way too into it," he spoke in a relaxed manner as if his life wasn't in danger a few seconds ago. "The circumstances are different now so how about we engage in conservation that you riajuu really like doing?"
Hayato scoffed.
"Shut your mouth!" the magic power surrounding the knight's body rippled following the intensity of his emotions. "I have no words to say to a fiend like you!"
"Okay okay, I understand," Hachiman sighed in dismay though he was nowhere near as disappointed as he is trying to make himself appear. After all, this refusal as well as Hayato's aggressiveness was already something he expected. "Just tell me one thing before we fight first, Hayama," he raised one of his index fingers as emphasis. "Are you doing this because you know you're in the right or because this is something you're simply expected to do?"
A villain-like smile was plastered on Hachiman's face. He knew exactly what this young master's answer will be from the moment he conceptualized such a question.
"…!" even though he knew he was playing right into the cynic's hand, Hayato was still unable to refute him. "Of course, it's for justice!"
The villainous smile transitioned into an evil grin.
"Nah, it's fine. You don't have to say anything anymore," Hachiman chuckled sardonically. "I already received your actual answer in the form of your five-second silence."
"You…!"
Hayato held his sword using two hands and took one step forward, intending to rush at Humanity's Last Master but the movement of one other person stopped him from doing so.
"Hayato-kun…" Yui's voice became several degrees colder as she stepped forward and came in between the two boys. A murderous glint was now reflected on her ruby-like irises. "Even if it's you… I…"
Hayato was astonished with the choice that Yui made.
Meanwhile, Hachiman took this opportunity to go over the sequence of events that happened in his head.
If Hayama has been listening since the beginning and only chose to intervene right when Yuigahama and I were about to come to an agreement… Aha! I see what's going on here you sneaky blond bastard!
It was impossible for someone as sharp as Hayato to not be aware of how Yui sees Hachiman so this could only mean Hayato wanted to use the girl's feelings to take Hachiman out some way or the other.
Things didn't go as you thought it would though and now it's my turn to make a move.
If someone wanted to screw Hachiman over then it's only natural for him to return the favor a hundredfold.
"Shall we fight together, Yuigahama?" Hachiman offered as he got ready to remove his gloves. He made sure to keep his expression as sinister as possible and right in the line of sight of Hayato as he did so to vex him even further.
If there's one thing that Humanity's Last Master learned in all his time at working for Chaldea, it's that a troublesome enemy is a reliable ally if you managed to convince them to switch sides even temporarily.
"Yui! Don't listen to a single word he says!" Hayato shouted at the top of his lungs. "He's not the Hikigaya we know!"
The words of the blond fell onto deaf ears or rather, Yui's mental faculties was so busy endlessly replaying Hachiman's most recent statement for her to process anything else. In the span of seconds, she has already looped that proposal countless of times in her head.
"I'd like nothing more than to do so, Hikki..." the pinkette smiled wistfully despite implicitly accepting the offer.
"Yui!"
Hayato called out once again but at least this time around, Yui actually turned towards his direction although it was only to glare viciously at him.
"…But it's more important for you to get away from here now."
Determination replaced the sorrow that was present in Yui's eyes.
Now that she's offered this option herself, Hachiman decided to play along. In the first place, he was intending to do just that if things did indeed go south while fighting Hayato. This just allowed him to skip a few steps.
You could even say that this was the most ideal arrangement that he could hope for. He had no idea exactly how strong this Yui was but going by what he knew of their counterparts back in his own world, it was clear that Hayato holds the advantage.
Now it would be nice if the two tire each other out and Hachiman drop a Noble Phantasm on top of their heads but that move is only really good if these two are properly confirmed as targets for elimination.
For today, he should just make sure that he can safely retreat with all the information he's obtained on his portable terminal.
"I owe you one, Yuigahama."
Hachiman fixed the glove that he was about to remove and prepared to escape until…
"Next time we see each other again," amidst her flushed cheeks, Yui forced herself to continue speaking. "Take me out on a date."
…He heard this statement that only those who are moments away from their tragic fate will say.
Chaldea's Master instinctively frowned, not because of Yui's act but due to the slight hesitation he felt after he heard those words. Even if it was just a singular second, a guy shouldn't keep a girl waiting when they've already said that much.
"…Sure. It will be my treat."
Humanity's Last Master immediately bolted away from the park after saying so.
Hachiman could have waited for Yui to show her Heroic Spirit form first before he did so but if Hayato somehow convinces her during their fight to attack him instead, then he'd have to face two Servants on his own and he didn't want to push his luck too much.
And with that, the only two people left in the park were a smiling Yui and an appalled Hayato.
"Yui! You're being deceived!"
Hayato called out to his friend for the third time in the span of a few minutes but...
"Shut up! I don't care!" the pinkette raised her right hand and a silver card manifested on it.
…Apparently, the phrase third time's the charm did not always hold true.
Yui's stance was improper. Her center of gravity wasn't lowered, her feet weren't planted firmly on the ground and her eyes were unfocused but even so, there were no obvious holes in her defense that even Hayato can easily take advantage of.
"Yui, are you serious?" Hayato's dominant hand which held the sword trembled in shock.
"When have I not been serious when Hikki is involved?" Yui then began circulating mana towards the card she held. "I may not be able to defeat you but if it's just to buy time for Hikki then…!"
The King of Knights sighed in dismay before brandishing his sword. He was disappointed not at Yui but towards himself.
I guess my plan backfired. No matter…
It didn't take too long for him to switch his gears.
"Very well," the golden light dwelling on the blade intensified further in response to the swordsman's fighting spirit. "As your friend, I'll personally make you snap out of your madness!"
Yui grinned creepily, the kind of expression a proper girl shouldn't be showing to other people.
"This isn't madness! This is love…! Love…! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
After that delirious laughter, the park was then filled with the sound of clashing steel at the dawn of twilight.
…
Despite this Chiba not being exactly the same as the one he grew up in, Hachiman was still able to quickly get away from Homuhara Academy by virtue of his physical prowess.
Ditching his disguise somewhere along the line, he managed to make his way back to the more urban parts of Chiba where he felt that none of his former classmates would dare to cause havoc in.
While his intuition may have been right on this part, Humanity's Last Master failed to consider the possibility that his former classmates are not the only enemy candidates that he should be wary of.
Twitch.
After the Hikigaya ahoge's warning, Hachiman then felt killing intent ooze from all around him.
It came from a random salary man, an obscure corner in the street, every time the door to any random shop opened heck, he even felt wary towards a child who just happened to have been standing nearby.
This is bad. I'm surrounded! Are these the same people from earlier…? No, these don't feel like the sound of ordinary humans! Are they…?
As Hachiman looked to his left and right to try and find where his potential assailants may attack from, his eyes landed upon a familiar figure.
It was a woman who would always turn heads no matter where she went. She was sitting outside a local café accompanied with a steaming hot drink and a book she's been reading which she closed the moment she noticed that Hachiman's eyes were on her. The parasol mounted on the table did little to conceal her beauty but for some reason, the people ignored her completely and just went on their way as per usual, almost as if she didn't exist.
She was wearing a light blue blouse that showed her shoulders. This was paired with white pants whose length only reached up to her ankles. A stylish watch with a black strap was on her left wrist and a golden bracelet embedded with a dark blue gem was on her right which shares the same theme as her earrings.
None of her jewelry however could ever come close to beating the sparkle of her greatest accessory, her looks. In fact, her lineup of adornments only served to make her natural beauty stand out more.
Fair skin, amethyst-like irises, well-defined nose, glossy lips and last but definitely not the least, her crown of ebon hair tinged with violet.
Hers was an appearance that you can never forget when you see her at least once in your life. It is so memorable that it would even appear in one's dreams or in a certain loner's case, nightmares. Unlike a Queen who can compel others to bow, she was a Devil that makes mortals instinctively kneel in her presence.
"Oh my! What a lovely coincidence to be meeting you here today. Wouldn't you say so as well," her lips curled into a perfect smile, the kind that would give models a run for their money but it was exactly because her demeanor was flawless that those with sharp instincts could tell that she was beyond shady. "Hi. Ki. Ga. Ya-kun?"
Coincidence, she says…
Hachiman quipped internally.
Before he delved into the world of magic, the person in front of him shared the same face with the woman who he considered to be the most formidable person in the entire world, even more so than Hayama Hayato, second if he counted the very mother who gave birth to her.
She is none other than Haruno Yukinoshita.
Hachiman Hikigaya tried his best to emulate his own version of the perfect smile that always seems to be etched on this woman's face every time the two of them talked.
"Good day to you, Haruno-san."
Oregairu Characters and corresponding Heroic Spirits revealed so far:
1. Yumiko Miura - Gilgamesh
2. Hayato Hayama - Arthur Pendragon
3. Yui Yuigahama - ?
4. Yukino Yukinoshita - ?
5. Haruno Yukinoshita (?) - ?
Author's Note:
Happy Holidays to you my dear readers!
This is my early Christmas present to you all.
No, it's not a special Christmas episode.
We all know what happens when I write about something seasonal. It either never comes in time or that a long hiatus follows. Hopefully that doesn't become a trend moving forward. I'm really sorry about that.
Anyways, today's chapter teased two new characters when the true identity of Yuigahama's Heroic Spirit hasn't even been revealed yet.
I'm gonna be honest.
It's really hard to drop hints about which Servant they can use because I personally think that aside from one of the three, they're very obvious. They are present though and I tried my best to make them obscure but not like completely useless at the same time.
Also, I think you guys seem to be overlooking something when you're making your guesses.
I think I somehow misled you even though it is not my intention. Oh well.
At any rate, I'm not gonna tell you what it is because once you figure it out, it's going to drastically reduce your number of suspects.
Well, I guess I'll keep eating my popcorn while you guys continue to keep guessing.
I have to admit, it's really fun reading what you guys are cooking up and I can't wait to do after I post this update.
Next chapter will be an outside-of-the-box chapter. Last time was a flashback, so what's it going to be next, I wonder.
As always, if you ever have any suggestions on which Servant/s you want to be featured next, feel free to write them on your review, I'll be sure to take that into consideration for the coming chapters.
Now with that out of the way, time to get on to the reviews from the previous chapter.
CoolAdept09: The update will come if I'm motivated to write it again. This year just wasn't the time.
ObeRun: She went for the jugular that's for sure. You're very welcome.
nightcore 000: I originally intended for the end of this chapter to be open-ended so that might be a difficult request to grant. But who knows? I just might write it if I get inspired.
memoryofvirtual: And while saying all that, her face is like completely impassive to inflict even more emotional damage.
IsekaiFanBoi: Glad to see that you enjoyed it.
NFLT: No problem. I hope to see you again in the next one.
Lawoi: Nice to know that I still meet your expectations.
CodeCipher: He'll need all the luck he could get. Since this is set in the Britain Lostbelt then yes, Hikigaya and Mandricardo have technically interacted already... I just haven't written about it yet.
Soulbow109: I honestly didn't think that deeply into it and writing Morgan was good practice because as you can see in this chapter, I'm also writing about what seems to be another clinically insane character. This is the first time that I've heard of the theory you mentioned and it would've been nice if I knew about it beforehand. So basically what happened is that every line that Hikigaya says during the interview increases his Bond Level with Morgan to the point where it is very close to the maximum around the end. Let's just go with this explanation because it seems funny.
Techno26: Salute to our brother-in-arms! (I didn't kill him off yet though).
guest: I did it in purpose so it is open-ended. It is up to your imagination what happens next, at least that's what I was thinking of while I was writing that chapter.
0x66 0x6f 0x63 0x6b 0x65 0x72: Mordred sort of had her spotlight already so her dedicated chapter priority is honestly pretty low. Sorry about that.
The Disquieting One: I think I said my thoughts about this before but basically all main events happen exactly as they did in the game where you are playing as the main character. I didn't want to change anything in the main storyline because of the possibility that I might ruin some future developments. This is TYPE-MOON we're talking about after all. For all we know, they already foreshadowed something as far back as the Fuyuki Singularity so I don't wanna take my chances. Otherwise, the first chapter that I've posted would've been about the Prologue.
Guest: And pretty much for every other gacha game yep.
bluecookie420: I think just put in every Servant because by game design, he can technically change his gender. I take no responsibility with whatever image popped out of your head (as well as the other readers) after you read the prior statement.
Guest: Not anytime soon and from my previous replies, I was deliberately aiming for this kind of open-ended ending in the first place.
To everyone else who takes the time to read this fic, a huge thank you to all of you as well.
That's it for this chapter.
I hope we meet again in the next one 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