Moon Cell Irregular
By psychored1911
Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/EXTRA or Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Chapter 15
::Person of Interest Identified.
::Airi Isshiki.
::Age 15, female.
::Occupation: Heiress to the Isshiki Assistant House, Student at Third High School, Spiritron Hacker.
::Master of (Class Unknown) (True Name Unknown) [Servant Matrix Level: 0]
[{PERSON_OF_INTEREST}_SURVEILLANCE_IN_PROGRESS]
[PERSON_OF_INTEREST:_{Airi_Isshiki}_IS_CURRENTLY_UNDER_SURVEILLANCE]
This… was the last thing Airi needed right now.
Sure, it probably would've been unlikely for her not to have met another Master during the NSC, but she didn't think it would've been this soon.
"Kishinami, this is Airi Isshiki, the heiress to the Isshiki Assistant House. Miss Isshiki, this my friend, Hakuno Kishinami. Perhaps you two have met one another?"
And this stone-faced asshat wasn't exactly helping.
The brunette boy, Hakuno, recovered first and presented his hand. "I… don't believe I have. But it's nice to meet you, Airi."
"L-Likewise." Airi immediately recomposed herself and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Hakuno."
"Does a social experiment with Leonardo Harwey sound familiar to either of you?"
"No."
"No."
The two Masters answered simultaneously, almost instinctively, with the two seemingly startled by the other's immediate reaction.
The stone-faced asshat, Tatsuya, cocked a brow, "From your response, I highly doubt that to be the truth."
Airi mirrored Tatsuya's suspicious visage, glaring at the elder Shiba sibling. "What are you getting at?"
"Onii-sama…" Miyuki concernedly tugged at her brother's sleeve.
Tatsuya continued, "Miss Isshiki, I recall seeing a mark on your right hand the other day. As it so happens, there happened to be a similar mark that appeared on Kishinami's hand quite some time ago. Might I inquire where you got it?"
Airi tensed, unconsciously clasping a hand over her Command Spells when-
"Dude, knock it off. Did you develop a hand fetish in the last five seconds or something?"
-Hakuno came to their defense… he could've come up with something way less gross, but he did divert the conversation away from that nosy friend of his.
"Hand fetish-" Tatsuya was taken aback by the accusation, "I do not have a hand fetish. I'm just asking-"
The two bickered for a bit, with Miyuki clearly (and panickedly) trying to resolve things between them, but Airi wasn't paying attention to that.
She had seen him before, but she can't quite remember where. It's true she didn't have the time to familiarize herself with everyone in the Holy Grail War, so she probably just saw him passing, but… where did she-
"YOU!"
"YOU!"
The sounds of angry yells and fists being thrown threw all four of them for a loop.
Airi snapped her head to the noise, only to find Touko, of all people, throwing fists with a boy from First High, with the two getting restrained by Shiori and… the youngest daughter of the Chiba family, respectively.
Great, another family is getting involved. That's just what she needed right now: for this situation to get even more complicated.
"You gotta lotta nerve showing your face, Yoshida!" Touko snarled, looking more vicious than Airi had ever seen her before.
"Don't you Tsukushiins have anything better to do than harass me?!" The boy, Yoshida, growled back. "Haven't I already suffered enough?!"
"No! You should be suffering more for what you did!"
"Touko, calm down! This isn't like you!" Shiori pleaded as she pulled her smaller friend away from him.
"Miki, chill! Whatever your beef with her is, it ain't worth it!" The youngest Chiba daughter barked as she and her entourage pried the boy away from Touko.
Airi exchanged glances with Hakuno and the Shibas, "We can talk later." she said as she motioned to her Servant to help Shiori out.
Hakuno nodded in agreement, "It was really nice meeting you." he said before joining the Chiba daughter and her entourage to restrain Yoshida.
It took a minute, but her Servant managed to pull Touko away from Yoshida, and, after a few apologies made here and there, they managed to take a separate shuttle from the others back to the hotel, giving Touko some space so she could cool her head off from that episode.
Once they reached Airi's hotel room, Shiori locked the door behind her and took a deep breath before asking, "Touko, what was that about?"
"..." Touko just plopped on a nearby chair, frowning, clearly trying to avoid the gazes of her friends. Her head was clearly calmer than it was before, but she was clearly not in any mood to answer them.
Seeing as Shiori's approach didn't work, Airi pulled up another chair and sat right by her shorter friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Touko, that was the first time we've seen you blow up on, well, anyone, like that. Do you mind telling us what's wrong?"
"..." Touko reclined back on her chair, aimlessly drawing her phone, "...Remember how my mom got hospitalized last year?"
How could she forget? It was the first time she ever saw Touko so miserable. That image of her in the hospital room, just crying over her mom's comatose body as her sobs and the heart monitor's constant beeping broke the sterile silence that consumed them all… that memory will forever be burned in her mind.
Shiori shared a glance with Airi before clearing her throat. "Well… yeah, but-"
"Yoshida was the one responsible for that," Touko growled, trembling as tears filled with grief and rage started pouring from her eyes. "He was responsible for the disaster that caused my mother to go into a coma."
Oh.
…Oh.
Shiori recoiled a bit, wincing, "Oh, Touko… I'm so sorry."
"Don't be." Touko growled, balling her fists, her fingers digging into the edges of her skirt. "Seeing that jerk again just brought up some bad memories. That's all. I'll get over it like I always do…"
"Touko…" Airi pulled her friend into a hug. "I know you're hurting right now, but you don't have to deal with this alone. You have me, Shiori, Masaki, Shinkurou, heck even Zoe." case in point, Airi looked at her Servant, whom her friends have come to know as Zoe, who gave a curt nod in response, before continuing, "We've got your back, alright?"
Touko sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Thanks guys… it's just what I needed to hear."
"Atta' girl." Shiori offered Touko a hand and pulled Touko up. "Airi, Zoe, we'll get out of your hair for now. We need to rest up for tomorrow."
"Alright. See you guys later." Airi said as Shiori and Touko left through the side door that connected their rooms.
Once he was sure they were gone, Airi refocused her attention on her Servant. "Zoe, do you got any intel on Hakuno and his Servant?"
"I'm afraid not." Zoe shook her head. "I believe that's the one Master and Servant that we have not accounted for."
"I was afraid of that." Airi sighed. They haven't even properly introduced themselves to the other Masters present in the banquet hall. And now they have to account for another Master out there, one that's really good at covering his tracks at that.
"Are you going to spend the night looking into him?" Zoe asked, a hint of concern in her tone.
Airi checked the clock on her phone. 7:15 PM. "Well, the night is young, and it won't hurt to be a little prepared."
[{PERSON_OF_INTEREST}_SURVEILLANCE_IN_PROGRESS]
[PERSON_OF_INTEREST:_{Tatsuya_Shiba}_IS_CURRENTLY_UNDER_SURVEILLANCE]
"We've finally made some progress…"
Once they returned to their hotel room, Tatsuya began to piece together the few clues he made from that interaction between Airi and Kishinami.
Originally, Tatsuya thought that getting those two in the same area and interacting with one another was going to be a difficult prospect. But, fortune seemed to favor him that day, and the two managed to meet right in front of him, by chance.
"Onii-sama…"
From what he noticed, Airi Isshiki was definitely familiar with the Harwey family, and his mention of a social experiment they participated in struck a few nerves-
"Onii-sama…!"
There was also that individual that was hovering behind Airi, the foreign woman with that unnatural presence. That was the fourth person he met with that unnerving presence, and nearly every time, they were associated with someone with a tattoo-like mark on their hands. The only person he hasn't confirmed to fit the pattern was that old gentleman they met the other day-
"ONII-SAMA!"
Tatsuya was jolted from his thoughts by Miyuki's sudden outburst. She was frowning, and staring right at him.
This befuddled the elder Shiba sibling. "What's wrong, Miyuki?"
Miyuki let out a sigh. "Onii-sama… what was that earlier?"
"Are you referring to me trying to obtain information from Airi and Kishinami?" Tatsuya inquired.
"That didn't exactly look like you were obtaining information from them." Miyuki noted, "That looked more like you were embarrassing Kishinami in front of an Assistant House heiress."
"Well, Kyouko did tell me to be myself when getting information." Tatsuya noted, before realizing her point. "If you want me to apologize to Kishinami later, then-"
"Well, yes, that too, but…" Miyuki paused, avoiding his gaze. "...Be honest with me, Onii-sama. How far are you going to take this?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is…" Miyuki took a deep breath before she answered him. "Onii-sama, to what extent are you willing to take this?"
Well, that was a weird question. "I would do whatever it takes to protect you, Miyuki."
Whenever he said something like that, it usually brought Miyuki some form of comfort. But this time, she seemed more concerned than ever. "...Would that include offering Kishinami to our aunt? To give her valuable information about the Harweys?"
"If it would keep us from under her thumb, yes." Tatsuya answered without any hesitation.
Miyuki clicked her tongue. "Onii-sama, let me handle Kishinami from now on. Just focus on the objective Kyouko and Major Kazama gave you."
"I'm more than capable of completing both-"
"Yes, I know that, but if it's at all possible, I'd like for us not to ruin our friend's life in our efforts to escape our aunt's control." Miyuki asserted. "Because even if we offer her all the information on the Harweys we can obtain out of Kishinami, there's no way we can guarantee that it will release us from her grasp."
"Miyuki…"
"..."
Tatsuya wanted to argue further, but Miyuki stared him down, standing her ground on the matter resolutely.
Tatsuya let out a small sigh. While it made him proud whenever she showed these moments of personal growth, he really wished it wasn't during the rare times they argued. Nevertheless, he relented and said. "Okay, Miyuki. Whatever you say."
Perhaps this would be fine too. A nice change of priorities would be good for them. Maybe he'll finally make some progress into redeeming the 101st Battalion's good name.
…And… if he has spare time, wonder what Mikihiko's deal is with the Tsukushiin heiress.
[INITIALIZING_ARCHIVED_DATA]
[DATE:_(Holy_Grail_War:_Week_2,_Day_7)]
[PERSON_OF_INTEREST:_{Airi_Isshiki}_IS_CURRENTLY_UNDER_SURVEILLANCE]
"W-Whooa?!"
"Milady, run!"
Airi's unwanted first lesson in flight, courtesy of her Servant lobbing her over her shoulder away from their immediate battleground, came to an abrupt halt as gravity caught up with her and she fell to the ground, tumbling laterally to her left until her bodily momentum was halted upon hitting the rubble that once was a stone wall. She barely allowed herself to recover before she desperately scrambled back to her feet and away from the clearing where the two Servants clashed, constantly looking over her shoulder to check if her opponent's Servant wasn't in pursuit.
Once she was sure her Servant was keeping their opponent occupied, she ducked behind a crumbling stone pillar, she took a minute to catch her breath and regain her bearings.
She was starting to get sick of the Moon Cell's undersea aesthetic, but at least it was mixing it up with the shipwrecks and the sunken ruins and less of the coral reefs and seabeds.
"Calm down… calm down… calm down…" Airi repeated to herself as she tried to regain control of her breathing. Part of her wished that she wasn't here anymore. Part of her wished that she never joined this damned Grail War in the first place. Part of her wished she didn't unwittingly take her best friend's life last week, thinking it was all just a stupid game.
But she did. And now she had to live with the consequences.
Airi slapped herself across the face, shaking her head to numb the stinging pain that resulted from it. She couldn't die here. She just couldn't.
With her panic somewhat cleared, and her heart rate going slightly slower, Airi stood back up and started to explore the ruins she found herself in, hoping to find something she could use. There was a ruined building over there a short distance away. It was only four stories tall, but it still towered over the rest of the arena. If her Servant threw off her pursuer like she said she would, they could probably use the building as a vantage point, or at least get a better lay of the land. And the only thing between her and the tower was that shipwrecked pirate ship, the wooden frigate with a gigantic gaping hull in its hull.
Perfect.
Making sure the coast was clear, she cautiously walked in and entered the cargo deck below, using her terminal as a makeshift flashlight. It was much bigger than she thought it would be, but at the very least, she could check for supplies while she was there. No, she didn't walk into this round empty-handed, but it wouldn't hurt to look. Who knows, there might be an item folder or two with an item or another mystic code she could use to turn the tide of battle back in their favor.
Ascending to the lower deck, she eyed a rack of swords laying by the side. Most of them were ruined beyond repair, but one looked intact enough, a sleek steel rapier with a fancy-looking spiral handguard. Airi picked up the sword with her free right hand and gave it a few test swings. It was certainly no mystic code, and she'd be dead a dozen times over if she tried engaging her opponent's Servant with it, but it was still better than nothing. Maybe if they both survived and didn't end up facing off in the next round, she could negotiate a deal with that alchemist girl to convert this thing into a mystic code-
The sound of debris clattering upon the rotting wooden floorboards startled Airi from her thoughts.
She was not alone.
Her mind racing, she whipped her head and pointed the blade at the intruder, shining her terminal at them in an attempt at blinding them.
It wasn't her Servant, but it wasn't the other Servant either. No, it was the Master. Her opponent for this week, standing by the staircase leading towards the upper deck.
Her opponent, upon seeing the sword in Airi's hands pointed right at him, slowly raised his hands, backing away from her cautiously, but otherwise putting no other signs of resistance. "E-Easy… please don't kill me." he begged.
Airi didn't have anything against him. In fact, had their circumstances been different, they might've even been friends. Heck, she might actually consider him a friend now despite their circumstances.
"Only one of us can survive… That's the rule…"
But the Holy Grail War doesn't allow for friends. At least any friends that will stick around for long.
Airi did her best to stop the shaking in her hands as tears poured down from her cheeks. She didn't want to do this. She hated that these thoughts were even crossing her mind….
"I-I'll… I promise to make it as painless as possible… It's the least I can do…"
She stepped forward. He stepped back.
…But she had to.
The very, very slim silver lining to all of this madness is now she had a goal, something to wish for in the Holy Grail War: to get her best friend back.
No… it was not just any wish. She will get her best friend back. She will make her wish on the so-called Holy Grail to bring her back.
Even if it meant doing the unthinkable. Even if it means tearing down anyone in her way. Even if it means killing the boy in front of him.
All she had to do… all she had to do to bring this week to an end… was drive this blade into his chest…
"I'm… sorry…"
She lunged. He screamed.
[CONCLUDING_ARCHIVED_DATA_PLAYBACK]
[RESUMING_{PERSON_OF_INTEREST}_SURVEILLANCE]
"AAAAAAHH?!"
Airi woke up with a start, bolting upright from her bed and panting heavily.
"A… A dream…" Airi uttered, massaging her temples. "No… a nightmare…"
She curled into a ball and groaned into her knees. She did not want to remember her time in the Holy Grail War, or the nightmares that resulted from them. She thought she had them under control after all this time. Unfortunately, the presence of the other Masters and Servants brought these horrible memories and nightmares back in full force. The thought of being killed or having to kill again paralyzed her, and fear gripped her heart so much that it threatened to burst out of her chest.
Noticing her discomfort, Zoe materialized beside her bed and reached over, giving Airi a comforting pat on the head. In response, Airi pulled her into a deep hug, burying her head against Zoe's chest.
"Another nightmare?" Zoe inquired as she returned her Master's hug, still giving her a few more calming headpats for good measure.
"Mhm." Airi mumbled in affirmation. "It was the Grail War again…"
Zoe nodded in understanding. "It's in the past, Milady. You shouldn't let your past actions control your future."
"I know that." Airi said as she pulled herself away from her Servant. "It's just… don't you have any regrets? Any mistakes that you just can't let go?"
Zoe paused, closing her eyes. "I will admit that my journey had a few missteps, and there were quite a few actions that I wish I had or hadn't done, but it matters not by this point. Things happen, and we move on."
"But-"
"Airi! You okay?"
"You alright in there, Airi?"
The side door that connects Airi's room with Shiori and Touko's swung open, as did the front door. Upon opening, in poured Shiori, Touko, Masaki, and Shinkurou, all of them pouring with varying levels of worry on their faces. Heck, Shiori and Masaki even came in with their CADs drawn.
Airi panted, groaning again as her eyes glanced at the room's digital clock. 1:28 AM. Way too early for this. "Crap. Did I wake you guys?"
"Ehh, kinda." Touko shrugged, earning her a pair of glares from Shinkurou and Shiori as the former turned on the lights.
"Damn, you look like shit." Masaki uttered thoughtlessly as he holstered his CAD in his waistband, earning him another pair of glares from the two.
"And you look like that self-righteous douchebag from Code Geass. What's your point?" Airi dryly countered, earning a series of snickers from the group.
Well, all except for Masaki, who folded his arms with a pout. "Really? How long are you gonna keep cracking that joke?"
"When it stops being funny." Airi said as she stood up, standing up and glanced at the mirror near her bed. Her hair was a mess, and she apparently went straight to bed without changing out of her uniform. She didn't even take off her shoes. "God, I do look like shit…"
Masaki snorted, and Shiori swatted his arm with a frown.
Ignoring the two, Shinkurou cleared his throat. "So. What happened?"
"Eh, it was just a nightmare… a bad… bad nightmare…" Airi waved them off. No need to worry them any further. "Sorry for waking you guys."
"You sure you're okay?" Shiori asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Airi said, rubbing her eyes.
Shinkurou leaned in closer. "You know what, you should probably take today off."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, we'll just make up an excuse for Saho-senpai. She'll understand." Masaki grinned.
"...I'd appreciate that." Airi replied.
"Want us to sleep over, for old times' sake?" Touko suggested.
"Ooh! I'll get the sleeping bags!" Masaki said excitedly as he gave Shinkurou a smirk. "And you said bringing those was gonna be a stupid idea."
"No, I said bringing a camping van and having it tail the bus was a stupid idea." Shinkurou countered with a roll of his eyes.
"Hey, dad told me to be prepared for everything!"
"Like what? You honestly think Blanche is going to storm the city-"
"I think we should just let Airi and Zoe catch up on their sleep." Shiori asserted, leaving no room for argument from the others while turning the boys around towards the door while Touko watched with a giggle. "Come on, guys. Back to bed. We all have a long day tomorrow."
August 2, 2095.
Morning came, and Airi's friends left for the NSC, leaving Airi and Zoe to track down the other Masters, starting with the one that eluded them the first time around, Hakuno, whom, ironically, is the only one they could put a name to a face. So, Airi pulled his phone number from his employer (how the heck did he land a job as a retainer to the Chiba family?) and sent him a text asking him to meet with her back by the food truck cafeteria at 10.
She probably could've just hacked his phone directly, but that would've made a really poor impression. Nothing really sets off a hacker more than getting hacked themselves.
Airi took a sip of her coffee as she checked her phone for the news, waiting for the other Master to arrive.
The first story was about FLT… and somehow, things over there have been getting even worse. She didn't think that the execs could've been even bigger scumbags than they originally were, but apparently not. Looks like they were committing gigantic amounts of wage theft and money laundering. Not only that, but they were apparently committing a gigantic case of warranty fraud involving a kill switch in their own products. That could get a magician hurt or even killed if their CAD malfunctioned at the wrong time. All so they would be forced to buy more from their product line while thinking the destruction of the device was due to human error. On the plus side, amid the investigations, it seems as though their stock price has dropped another 20%. Somehow, she had a feeling that things were going to get even worse for them… and they totally deserve it.
The second story was about that JMSDF submarine in Hawaii. Looks like that whole incident with the Daikoku ended… explosively. Oof. Sounds like another political nightmare between the USNA and Japan is in the works.
The third story was about the NSC, today's event, to be precise. It's going through an overview of today's key athletes and who to root for. A big spotlight is being put on Mayumi Saegusa, the representative from First High School. They're trying to hype her up as this beautiful, perfect young scion who definitely wouldn't set off a powder keg that is her school for the sake of maintaining her own political power. Fat chance. Even if there wasn't any scandal surrounding the elder Saegusa daughter, she was still going to root for Yada-senpai to win the Speed Shooting event.
The fourth big story was on, surprise, surprise, the scandals surrounding Japan's Magic High School system. The investigations into the Magic High school system drudged up another scandal to add to the flaming dumpster pile. A cheating scandal, apparently, where a lot of rich families, especially those from the Hundred Families, have been paying the admins and proctors under the table to get their students higher placements in the entrance exams. This one in particular put a bad taste in her mouth. She earned her place in Third High alongside her friends, and she definitely didn't get her dad to buy her placement for her like all the other spoiled brats.
The fifth- oh, wait, that's just a text from Shinkurou:
Shinkurou:: [Why is Shiori calling it Operation: Back to the Friend-zone? I thought we were calling it Operation: Cock-Block]
Airi:: [Well, Touko was calling it Operation: Masaki Stays a Virgin For The Rest of His Adult Life last night, so…]
Shinkurou:: [Don't you think we should settle on a name first before we screw with Masaki's nonexistent dating life?]
Airi:: [Maybe… OR, we could keep changing it each time and see how many stupid names we can come up with over the course of the NSC.]
Shinkurou:: [...I'll give Touko and Shiori a heads up on the group chat.]
Airi:: [XD]
"Eyes up, Milady."
Airi snapped her head up and hastily pocketed her phone. "Did you spot them?"
"Yes…" Zoe clicked her tongue, "...and he seemed to have brought a friend."
…Oh no…
Airi turned to the side, finding Hakuno being accompanied by a trio of individuals, from what she could tell two Servants and one Master.
The other Master was one Airi remembered from her time in Tsukumihara Academy. Dan Blackmore. It was hard not to recognize the one Master that looked like an old man during the Grail War. He was even a favorite to win the Grail War at one point, not exactly as high up as the Harwey brothers, but definitely on the same level as Tohsaka and the alchemist girl. Everyone was always saying how he was such a gentleman during the Grail War, but Airi never met him face to face before.
The red-headed caucasian man in green casual wear standing beside Sir Blackmore was probably his Servant. He was good-looking, but he gave off the air of a skirt-chaser. Airi heard rumors that Sir Blackmore's Servant was attacking his opposing Masters directly, but she was far too preoccupied with her own opponent to confirm it.
And the woman clinging to Hakuno's arm was presumably his Servant. And she certainly seemed to make more of an impression than her Master did, that was for sure. If it wasn't the bright pink hair drawing her eyes, it was that figure of hers that models would kill for, and that white tank top and those black shorts of hers just accentuated that perfect body of hers. Despite that, Airi couldn't help but feel… threatened in her presence, as if that Servant would kill them all regardless of whether her Master ordered it or not.
"Sorry for the wait." Hakuno waved with his free hand and then gestured to the two newcomers. "I actually ran into these two on my way here. I hope you don't mind."
Airi bit back any sense of panic she felt at the moment and replied coolly. "It's fine. That actually makes it a bit easier for me."
The six of them sat down by the tables, with Sir Blackmore and his Servant taking the table adjacent to the one next to the one Airi and Hakuno sat on, with the two younger Masters sitting across from one another.
"So, kid, what'd you plan on calling us out here for?" The Servant in Green said aloud as he slouched forward in his seat, "I doubt you called us out here for the overpriced hot dogs."
"Archer…" Sir Blackmore frowned.
"What? We're all thinking it." The Servant, Archer, said defensively. "Besides, her Servant came up to us the other day, remember?"
Oh, so this was the Servant Zoe encountered during the banquet. Airi turned to her own Servant, who gave a quiet nod of confirmation before resuming her unspoken staring contest with the pink-haired Servant across from her.
Airi grabbed at the edge of her skirt, collecting her thoughts as she steeled her resolve and asked. "...I would like to propose an alliance."
"An alliance?" The pink-haired Servant questioned.
"Alliance, non-aggression pact, call it whatever you like." Airi threw her hands up. "...Look, I just- I don't want to spend my time here constantly looking over my shoulder, fearing for my life, alright?"
"Oh, so you just automatically assumed we were gonna kill you out of nowhere like a bunch of psychos?" The pink-haired Servant growled accusingly.
Airi flinched, "N-No. that's not what I meant at all."
"So why fear for your life? Did you piss off your past opponents before you kicked it or something?" The pink-haired Servant snarled.
Zoe slammed her hands on the table and glared back at her with her predatory emerald eyes. "Back off."
"No, you back off!" The pink-haired Servant snapped right up, meeting Zoe's glare with a pair of raging amber eyes. "It's bad enough I barely got to do anything in the past few chapters! Now I have to share the spotlight with a pair of side characters?!"
"Huh?!"
"Huh?!"
"Huh?!"
Airi, Hakuno, and Archer chorded in confusion as they all whirled their heads toward the pink-haired Servant, dumbfounded by that incredibly bizarre sentence, before immediately realizing that she and Zoe were about to throw down.
"Ehem."
Fortunately for them, cooler heads (er, head) prevailed, and all attention went back to Sir Blackmore as he coughed into his fist and turned to the Isshiki heiress.
"Miss…"
"Isshiki. Airi Isshiki. Sir Blackmore."
"Well then, Miss Isshiki." Sir Blackmore began as he rested his hands together on the table. "Once upon a time, I fought against a young man in the Holy Grail War. When the round came to an end, we managed to part on good terms, amicable even, if I do say so myself. Can you say the same? Can you tell us right now that you've ended each round on good terms with your opponents, all the way to the end?"
"..." Airi looked down at her hands as the horrible memories of what she once did returned to her. "...I …I did not have the luxury… My first round ended with my best friend begging me to save her… The second… my opponent's Servant, I can still hear her heartbroken screams as her Master died in her arms. I… will never forget what she said... and what she promised she'd do to me. And then…"
Airi stopped, clutching her head, her words failing to escape her lips. She did not want to remember. She did not want to remember anymore. She did not want to remember the things she did in the Holy Grail War anymore. It took her a moment to realize she was trembling profusely. It took her another moment to realize the tears pouring down her cheeks and onto the table. It took her a third moment to realize Zoe immediately dropped her budding feud with the other Servant to comfort her.
"I see." Sir Blackmore cupped his chin. "Very well then. Archer. We shall do no harm to Miss Isshiki here."
"Huh? You sure about that old man?" Archer asked with a raised brow.
"I am." Sir Blackmore gestured to Airi with an almost grandfatherly air about him. "There is blood on her hands, yes, however with that blood comes guilt, regret, and sorrow. You can see all of that reflected in her eyes. You do not see any of those emotions in the eyes of a sociopath." he then stepped out of his seat and knelt down over to her, placing a calming hand on her head. "Miss Isshiki, I know that your past haunts you, but you needn't let it control you. I'm sure your Servant has probably given you similar lessons in the matter before, but allow me to add onto such wisdom with my own. The pain you feel now will only be as painful as you allow it to be. Let it consume you, and it shall cripple you. Learn from it, grow from it, then you shall become even stronger than you once were. However, most importantly of all, remember this pain. The worst thing one can do when committing any misdeed is numb themselves completely to the pain. To numb themselves from their misdeeds, their fears, their sorrows, is to numb themselves from their humanity itself."
[CLASS_DATA_RECORDING_COMPLETE]
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A/N: Wow, I just came off from finishing a chapter for my other story Lady in Waiting. I really didn't think I'd finish a chapter from this fic too while I was at it. Hooray for me! Anyways, when I was writing that scene during Airi's time in the Holy Grail War, I was picturing how battles went in Last Encore and the EXTELLA games. You know, wide open spaces, items everywhere for the Servants and Masters to use, areas that seemingly have a history to them even though they were just generated by the Moon Cell, etc. I think I captured the atmosphere pretty well. Aside from that, I even added more to the backstories of the Third High characters to give them significantly more depth and development. An interesting thing to note, and I'm not sure that this has been mentioned specifically, but Airi and Masaki are cousins in-universe (I think Airi's aunt is Masaki's mom), so it'd make sense that they'd have some history with one another, and that their friend groups should've probably merged at one point, if they were ever split at all. I know that they were newly introduced during the Yuutosei manga, but I always thought it was weird that they never really interacted with one another, even though they were in the same school. So I made it so they were childhood friends with one another instead of just keeping them split between the boys and the girls. It really changes up the character dynamics, don't you think?
That's all for now. Please review!