A/N Sorry for the long delay. Real life really took me for a spin with a massive home renovation my parents were doing. Next chapter should be out sooner, but I can't make promises.
King of Heroes - Chapter 4/Kingsblade
=4=
Despite his earlier plans, Shirou stayed on the down low for the next few days. Sure, he went on 'long walks' in the evenings but without solid leads all he could do was stop crimes occurring in his immediate vicinity and there were none he could find. It seemed that in the aftermath of the Heretic God attack and the bank robbery less than a week later, even criminals were hesitating to do anything in the open. That and Raiga kept the Fujimura group on a short leash. Anyone who worked under him had been warned not to pull anything egregious. They had other sources of income that Shirou didn't especially mind. In the meantime, Raiga had his men try to track down who supplied the guns but so far there was no success.
It's been exactly a week with nothing significant going on. The police almost too eagerly switched from investigating the attack to the bank robbers. And media of course ate the new story. He wouldn't suspect a thing if Shirou didn't know that the Fujimura group was involved.
He listened as Taiga told them about the upcoming trip to the news station. The school received an invite to participate in a recording of a talk show. And classes 1-A and 1-C were selected. Some students might even appear on the show, which excited the girls. Moriyama even wondered if it could be the start of her show business career.
For his part, Shirou didn't particularly care. He was never interested in the TV so it wasn't that big of a deal for him.
His mind kept going back to the bank robbery. The criminals were amateurs, but they had somehow gotten their hands on rifles. With how strict Japanese gun law was, it was exceedingly hard to get even the simplest handgun. And yet, they got eight rifles, eight swords, and whatever else he didn't get to see. Either they were already moderately rich or something more was going on behind the scenes.
He barely dodged a ruler sent his way by Taiga. "Am I boring you, Mr. Emiya?" The teacher glared.
"No, of course not." Shirou shook his head.
"Good. Then pay more attention, mister." She waggled her finger and went back to explaining.
The classes were moderately interesting but Shirou's attention kept drifting away. It just didn't make any sense. Getting those guns most likely cost the robbers more than they could realistically earn from the bank. Three scenarios came to his head.
First, the guns were provided by an external party. It would mean that the criminals had someone rich helping their 'enterprise'. It made some sense. Raiga said that the other crime groups in Fuyuki were getting more aggressive. Maybe one of the other organizations decided to supply them with guns and claim part of the profits. That way, they had deniability. It was still shaky because it would hardly be worth the hassle when they could earn more in different ventures without so many risks involved.
The second option was that they'd stolen the guns from somewhere earlier. It was unlikely since eight guns in one place were unpopular, but he couldn't dismiss the idea of the criminals stealing from the Yakuza warehouse out of hand. They were bold enough to try and rob a bank in broad daylight after all.
The final option… it wasn't about just the money. If the bank had something more precious inside, something that someone wanted, it could motivate them to invest. The issue was that it was a group of amateurs. What could motivate a group like that to pull such a risky stunt?
The class ended and Shirou decided to skip any club activities today. On his way out, he spotted Tohsaka who was probably on her way to watch the Archery Club afternoon practice.
"Hey, Tohsaka. Would you mind helping me out with something today?" He had enough waiting.
"W-What? Of course, Emiya-kun." She shook her head and joined him as they walked out of the school. On the way to the Emiya estate, they were joined by Sakura who instantly took a place next to Shirou. He noted that she walked extra close to him.
Over the week, Sakura had fit herself into the Emiya household seamlessly. Despite some changes, it felt like she had already been a fixture for years. Sure, she and Shirou still competed over who gets to cook on each day but it was only lighthearted teasing. And on days when they decided to cook together, Taiga almost refused to leave.
As they arrived, Sakura bounced toward the kitchen. "I'll start making lunch while you both do your thing. Okay, Shirou?" That was another change. The girl was now more willing to call him by his name and became more assertive.
"Okay, Sakura. But if you need some help just call me." Shirou led Tohsaka to his shed.
"What is it that you wanted my help with exactly?" Rin looked around the shed. It mostly contained broken things but now also had a large collection of swords and other weapons. She stumbled at the sheer number of high-level Mystic Codes he had stored here.
Noticing her interest, he spoke up. "I've been experimenting with my Authority. It seems that for now, it's an unordered mess." He scratched his neck.
"But you seem to always be able to find whatever you need." She interrupted him.
"Well… Okay, it's all sorted based on cuneiform with a 12-based decimal system based around the calendar that's been out of use for five millennia and designed around Gilgamesh's fondness for the number sixty-nine." He admitted. Shirou refused to meet her glare afterward.
Rin just stared at him. She turned her head sideways and let a confused "Eh…?"
"That's literally what the Authority tells me. I've been trying to order it but finding anything takes too much time. I can sort of navigate it just on instinct, but it takes time. The more precise the request, the more time I need."
"Okay," She shook her head. While interesting, she wasn't here to listen about his Authority… she hoped. Feeling mischievous, she grinned. Shirou suddenly found himself almost touching faces with Tohsaka as she invaded his personal space. "So you wanted to show me your sword?" She giggled. "I didn't think you were that kind of guy, Emiya-kun."
Shirou groaned in response. "Not you too… I get enough of those jokes from Sakura."
The girl let him go after that remark. "Fine." Taking a step back, she looked at him. The room was silent for a moment as she began glaring.
"Oh! Yeah. Look, I've been thinking about the bank robbery. You've gotta admit it was a bit… strange."
"Well, duh. I thought things like that only happened in movies. We've already talked about it."
"I don't mean that. Those weapons had to cost a lot to get. And I don't think a group of amateurs would know how to get their hands on something that regulated. So… how did they get eight rifles in the middle of the city?"
"I see your point. Maybe they just stole those too?" Rin pointed out.
"Doubtful. Anyone that well-armed would have security that no amateur could pass."
"Huh, that's… But then…" She started thinking about the issue. "I see your point. This is indeed strange."
"So they had to either buy it from somewhere, which would cost a significant amount of cash, or they got it from a sponsor. And if they had enough money to afford eight guns in addition to everything else, why rob a bank? Even if they escaped there would hardly be enough money to justify an expense like that. Not for a one-off job. And I doubt they planned on more robberies like that one. So it seems most logical to assume they had a sponsor of some sort. Someone who rented them the guns in exchange for… what?"
"Well, profits from the robbery seem like an obvious answer." Rin turned her head sideways. "You think there is more to that?"
"That's what I wanted to ask. Do you think a Magus could have kept something in the bank? A Mystic Code of some sort or… a spare body in stasis?"
The girl gasped. "You think this was Zouken's plan? He somehow set things up in case he 'died'?" She put the air quotes around the last word. "I thought you said you made sure he was gone."
"I thought so, but now I'm having doubts. I destroyed his main body and most of his familiars, as well as what I strongly suspect to be his true body. But… if he had some failsafe stored in a bank?"
"It makes a scary amount of sense." Rin shivered. The last thing she wanted was for a monster like Zouken Matou to return to life. "I… Something like that would be a close-kept secret for any Magus lineage. Messing with immortality almost always ends up with a sealing designation. If Lady Lorelei doesn't get to you first. She's biased against those since more often than not the Magus in question ends up as a Dead Apostle in some shape or form."
"So it's possible. Damn it!" Shirou hit the table, rattling the tools and causing a small dent.
"But the robbery was stopped, right? There is no need to worry…" Tohsaka tried to reassure him. And more importantly herself.
"If they had to carry him out of the vault. But what if they just needed to undo some seal or unlock the doors? For all we know he might've attached to one of them."
"So what can we do?"
"Well… one of the robbers escaped. If it was Zouken's plan, he might have some clues."
"We've got to find him. Before Zouken gets to him and silences him for good." Shirou began pointing at the weapons in the workshop. One by one, the swords vanished in flashes of golden lights. "Thanks Tohsaka." He rushed toward the doors.
"Wait! Right now? Shouldn't you get your costume first? Or at least change out of the school uniform?!" She began pacing around.
"Costume?" Shirou paused. "What are you talking about?"
Rin abruptly stopped as her head snapped toward him. She almost walked into the doorframe. "You're planning to just run around in your school uniform playing hero?! Was your brain replaced by a sword? Japan has a strict policy against vigilantism! If you just run around exposed someone's going to recognize you and the police will try to arrest you…" She deadpanned. "And then you will probably blow them all up by accident. They might be useless but Fuyuki won't survive without the police."
"Calm down, Tohsaka. I was just confused for a moment. I got it covered." In a flash of golden light, his shirt was replaced by a black sleeveless chest piece. His trousers were now a bit baggy and he wore a pair of black steel-toed boots to close it off. "Tada! I remember how you mentioned I'm not bulletproof so I found an armor that will still provide decent protection while not impeding movement." He missed Rin's squeak and subsequent blush. "Now onto something to hide my identity…"
A golden ripple appeared next to his extended hand. He stuck it inside and focused. A moment later he pulled out a horned steel helmet. "Well, it would make it impossible to figure out my identity… but it's a bit too heavy and I won't be able to see in it." He stuck the helmet back into the ripple. A moment later, he pulled out a long, red scarf.
Rin just watched the scene. Once more she was reminded that Campione, for all the myths surrounding them, was also always supposedly somewhat quirky.
"This should work. [Shawl of the Nameless Hero]. It's supposed to make it harder to figure out any fact about the wearer. Only someone who already knows me well will be able to connect the new hero in town with the name Shirou Emiya." The redhead smiled.
"Are you sure? Some people might still recognize you…" Rin thought back to his friendship with Issei.
"I doubt it." Shirou shook his head. "Unless they know about Magecraft or the Campione stuff, they shouldn't guess anything… I think."
"Does it also include some sort of anti-theft function? Because someone might just rip it off during a fight."
"Good point. I didn't know you cared so much about me, Tohsaka." Shirou decided to tease her a bit in revenge for earlier. Harmless fun.
Rin's cheeks turned red. "What?! I don't care about you! I mean I do but not now. Not like that! I care but this is just pragmatism! If you get exposed my job gets so much harder because you won't go to prison and that means that either I will have to somehow get you acquitted or you will free yourself and that's still more work for me. Yeah! I just don't want more work." Her cheeks were crimson red and she refused to meet his eyes.
"Sorry. I was just trying to joke a little." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… Anyway, I guess I should think of something to make it stick to me."
He focused on the item in his hands. The scarf had the drawback of being too easy to steal. Not to mention it could get tangled into something in the middle of a fight. He got a rough idea of what he wanted. "Trace. On." His magic circuits lit up as the mental switch flicked. He began pumping magical energy into the scarf. Slowly, the shape changed. Red gave way to white as the scarf morphed into a short jacket. It covered the upper part of his back and the sleeves reached all the way to his wrists.
To Rin, it looked like a heavily modified haori. Or perhaps a form of michiyuki… However, the internal debate over what Shirou was wearing was secondary to the fact that he just altered an incredibly powerful mystic code to the point it barely resembled itself. Scratch that. It didn't resemble itself at all but going by the absolute lack of any significant reactions from the item in question, she knew that it retained all properties.
"Do you like it?" Shirou turned around to show her his new accessory from all angles.
"Just… how!?" Rin stared. "The Mystic Code should've broken when you changed its shape so much…"
"Ah? I just… used alteration?" The teen offered. "I don't know why it shouldn't work. It's my treasure so I should be able to do whatever I want with it, right? That's how it works."
Rin threw her hands up in the air. "I give up. Whatever. Okay, you have a costume. But do you even have any idea where to search? Or are you just planning to go out at random and hope to find that guy just standing coming out of the convenience store?" She still held some minuscule hope that she could get him to drop that insane idea of heroism.
"He stole that briefcase. Whatever was inside, he had to sell it somewhere or at least launder the money. Otherwise, I believe the police would've found him by now. I'll start there and see if it takes me anywhere."
"I would ask how you even know that but your grandfather is apparently a Yakuza boss so nothing can surprise me on that front." Rin deadpanned.
"Thanks again, Tohsaka. And don't worry. If Zouken is back, I'll just put him down again. And if he tries going after you or Sakura…" He didn't speak, but Rin felt a primal shiver go down her spine. It was like a kid looking at the storm. Someone small against a primordial force of nature. She fully believed that she would be safe in Shirou's care.
"Can I… Can I stay with you? Until it's all sorted at least?" She asked.
"Sure. Your guest room is still ready for you. I figured you would be coming over often with the whole Second Owner business."
"Thanks…" Rin avoided looking at him to hide her blush. The pair was walking to the main house when Sakura called for dinner.
Shirou let out a groan while Rin grinned smugly. "I guess your little excursion will have to wait." She mused.
The boy couldn't disagree. Sakura would definitely not let him go out on an empty stomach…
=4=
Morisawa Hozuki heard knocking on his doors. Palming the handle of his sword, he stalked forward. There was another knock. He tried to look through the peephole but it was all dirty and blurred. He reached for the doorknob and pulled lightly. Just enough to make a slit to look outside.
That was a mistake.
As soon as the doors were no longer locked, someone pushed the doors hard enough for Hozuki to find himself stumbling back. The intruder held a sword in his hand.
"Hey! What gives! I didn't order any room service man!" The downside of being probably the most wanted man in Fuyuki was that he couldn't exactly go home. Or even to a normal hotel since they would ask too many questions. So he had to improvise. To his dismay, the only place he could reliably walk in with a suspicious duffle bag, pay in cash, and not be asked any questions… was a love hotel. And here walls were especially soundproof.
"Look, I have some rather pressing questions."
"Wait, are you that guy from the bank?" The crook realized. "I thought we had a deal! How did you find me?" He cried.
Shirou closed the door. "Things changed. I need to know where you've got those guns. Who set up the heist? What did you want to steal?" While the sword in the teen's hand was not pointed at Hozuki, the man wasn't exactly reassured. He could still recall how quickly things happened in the bank.
"Look, man. I don't know much. Kurahashi was the one who hashed out the details. Listen, we've been hit hard when the Gravehill Industry took over our old firm. Our entire team was fired. And Shiromaru was close to destitute after the divorce. So when Kura mentioned that he got us a chance to bounce back we took it. I don't know the details other than that we would get paid on top of whatever was taken from the bank. We're given the guns and everythin'. Jus' had to do the actual job."
"Do you know anything else? Anything at all that could identify who your sponsor was?" Tracking the man already took him a lot of time today. With Raiga's help, he found out the name of the missing robber. For some reason, the Police was unwilling to publicize Morisawa's profile. They kept it all on the down low. Still, knowing the name made the search much easier. As in using a Treasure from [Gate of Babylon] that could find anyone based on their name. Though it took Shirou a good half an hour to dig up something that precise.
"No idea. Swear. But Kurahashi mentioned that we'd potentially get something extra on top of the cash. Something that would help with all our woes. He was bragging about some miracle cure or supersteroid…"
The teen cursed under his breath. 'This only adds to my theory. Sakura said that the Matou Magecraft was focused on self-improvement. That miracle cure would be within the realm of what Zouken could provide…'
"Any idea where did he meet that guy? Where did you get the guns from?"
"Look man, I'm telling you. Kurahasi was the one doing all the deals. We just had to follow the plan."
Shirou was about to ask more but the sound of an explosion in the distance captured his attention.
=4=
The police holding cells were all made to withstand a lot of damage. Reinforced walls and thick metal doors with only narrow windows and a small hole to pass the food. That food hole was now used to drop an injector into one of the bank robber's cells. A gray cylinder with greenish-yellow liquid inside rattled on the concrete floor, waking the prisoner inside. Kurahashi slid out of his bed and walked over to the thing. As he picked it up, he watched as something swam inside the vial. Then, he turned it around to check. A folded piece of paper was taped neatly to the item. As he unfolded it, there was a small flash of light. His hand, still holding the vial, flew to his neck. As soon as the needle was jacked into his skin, the contents were shot into his bloodstream and a bloodcurdling scream echoed in the silent hall. It was cut abruptly as the silence returned moments later.
The police officer on duty didn't even get to check on the prisoners before it happened.
A clawed, heavy hand pierced through the metal doors. Despite the reinforcements, it was the hinges that surrendered first. Something walked out of the cell as the doors were torn away and discarded with a loud clang. The thing grabbed its head and roared in pain as soon as it was out in the light.
Fires burst everywhere as it roared. Metal doors melted and concrete began to crack. One by one, the lamps burst in a shower of glass that melted into the floor.
Furious, the creature swiped blindly. Its scales-covered hand broke the concrete wall with ease. Another swipe brought down the opposite wall, revealing the prisoners inside. Both screamed as the waves of fire consumed them whole.
Meanwhile, Shirou ran over the rooftops as fast as he could. The Mystic Code of Speed was pushing him past even his normal limits. Blueish-gold lines of Reinforcement were visible over his body as he jumped off the ledge into the empty street. People anywhere close to the police precinct already evacuated. Firefighters were keeping their distance for now and making sure the fire wouldn't spread.
The stairs to the precinct were covered in blood. Shirou caught a glimpse of a police officer helping carry another one to the nearby ambulance. One of them lacked a leg and his side was bleeding profusely.
Undeterred, the Campione rushed forward. He heard someone call out behind him but he didn't stop. Shirou was easily able to cover the entire set of stairs in one leap. As soon as he burst through the doors, he was hit by the waves of heat, and the smell of burning, and… he could've sworn he smelled some rotten mud.
Reinforcing his eyes, ears, and nose sharpened his senses to a superhuman level and shielded him from the worst of the smoke and heat. There were no humans he could find so he could only hope everyone already made it out.
The smell of burned flesh told him that it was just wishful thinking.
Shirou rolled forward. He felt a swish of air tickle the back of his hair and several hairs fell off.
Turning around, he saw someone towering over where he was a moment ago. Something. The monster was easily twice his height and built like a tank. Smoldering scales covered his body and something green dipped from its slobbering maw. It was humanoid, but its face was more reptilian than human. Many rows of exposed teeth snapped as the monster lunged at Shirou.
The Campione once more rolled to the side, barely dodging the slash. His sword came up and blocked the follow-up attack. Despite his superhuman strength, he grunted. The monster had enough force behind its strike to almost make Shirou stumble.
A golden portal opened behind the beast and shot a sword. The weapon pierced right through its arm and tore the limb off. Shirou hoped that this was enough, but the wound began closing and a new appendage grew in its place almost instantly. The torn arm burst into flames.
The beast let out a roar. The building shook as flames raged around them.
The Campione had little time to think. Acting on instincts, he rushed away from the beast while it cried in pain regenerating its arm. He needed a moment to gather his wits.
High-end regeneration… Superhuman strength… probably higher durability too due to those scales… and the fire aura. I can't exactly afford to hold back. Now to…
He was interrupted when the monster, now whole again, burst through the nearby wall. The ceiling caved in and debris rained on both the Campione and the Beast. Shirou's sword was caught by one and sent flying.
His opponent ignored the pieces of concrete pelting him and tried to attack the Campione again. His slash was met with a metal spear shaft. Shirou grabbed the weapon and pulled it out of the gate. Like all his treasures, it was a perfect fit for him but he knew far less about using a spear than a sword.
Given his situation, he did something rather stupid. Shifting his grip to one end of the spear, he used it like a shinai and began to deliver strike after strike at the monster who had little time to react. And while one strike was hardly something to write home about, the sheer number of attacks was enough to cause some damage.
In the end, he got unlucky. His opponent tried to get away and the tip of the spear caught his chest. The giant open wound sent a torrent of flames at Shirou as he tried and failed to shield himself.
The blast was powerful enough to launch him through the wall and into the open street. He got up and jumped back at the last second before the monster leaped after him.
Some people screamed. Shirou vaguely noticed a camera crew or three. He had to focus more on the monster before him.
"[Gate of Babylon: Open!]" Several golden ripples formed in the air around him. A spear shot at the beast, piercing its chest and pinning him in place. Then a sword stabbed through its arm. At least three daggers slashed his leg. An axe fell at his shoulder, tearing his torso in half.
There was another burst of fire from the creature.
"Yoahhh!" It roared. To Shirou, it sounded almost like words. "Tssss Yoahhh" Another cry. Was it trying to communicate?
He shook his head. There was no time for this. He would deal with that later. A large golden ripple opened directly above the monster. From inside, a large hammer dropped at its head. Shirou looked away as he heard the crunching sound of metal meeting bone.
The resulting explosion of flames sent him flying back. By the time he got up, nothing was left of the beast but the charred skeleton and some broken weapons scattered around.
Damn it. Should've gone all out from the start.
Several police officers, firefighters, and reporters rushed to him. The hero groaned massaging his head. Despite not suffering any serious wounds he was already getting a headache. Cleaning up after this would be so much pain. And he didn't want to cause Rin undue stress. She was nice to him… usually.
Decision made, he reinforced his legs enough to reach the rooftop in one leap. Then, he dashed into the night before anyone could mount a chase.
=4=
The next morning, Rin slammed a newspaper into the coffee table first thing in the morning. Her hair looked like she lost a battle with a leafblower and she was a sore loser.
"Emiya! What in seven hells were you thinking!?" She waved the paper in front of the boy. "Just when we managed to put that mess behind us!"
"Oi! I'm not apologizing for saving people. That thing was dangerous!" He protested. The newspaper's front page had a large picture of Shirou, in his armor, mid-strike against the smoldering lizard. All in front of the burning police precinct.
"Then why did you play with it!? You're a Campione! Some homunculus should've been an easy target for you!" She smacked him in the head with the newspaper and prepared another swing.
Having enough, Shirou caught her wrist mid-strike. His grip was gentle enough not to hurt her but also strong as steel vice. A pink blush appeared on Rin's cheeks. "I didn't know what that thing was. And turning the police precinct into a smoldering crater was hardly my goal." He stared squarely at her as she refused to meet his gaze
The girl gulped. She once again was reminded that the Campione could annihilate her and everything her family worked for in a matter of seconds. The city of Fuyuki was one terrible mishap away from becoming another cautionary tale. "O-Okay." She finally found the courage to stare back at him. Their gazes met and Rin looked away, blushing.
Sakura put down a tea set with a bit more force than necessary. "I'll have the breakfast ready in just a second."
"Honestly, Tohsaka, I don't know what's the big deal. It would've happened regardless of my involvement. That thing would have begun rampaging in the city even if I wasn't on the scene." He defended. "And the camera crew was already on scene before I even arrived."
"Ugh. I hate it when you actually use logic against me. It's not right…" Rin grumbled. "You're not allowed to do that!" She bemoaned.
"There, there." Sakura, completely stoic, patted her head with a deadpan expression. "Little Miss Perfect can be wrong occasionally." She ignored the pointed glare from Shirou and went back to get the rest of their breakfast.
The young Campione shook his head. "I think we should focus on the more important aspect. That thing was not natural."
"No duh." Tohsaka waved the newspaper again. She then placed it down when she spotted Shirou's light glare. "I think it's obvious that this was the work of some Magus."
"Yeah, but I think you are mistaken about the Homunculus theory. That guy I interrogated mentioned stuff about some supersteroid. And if it's Zouken we're talking about…"
"It's not that easy. Something like that couldn't be done all willy-nilly. A transformation of that level would require either immense magical power or a lot of preparation. The kind that we would've heard about."
"Only if you want to utilize the Mystery instantly. On the other hand, if you enclose it in a medium, the transfer can occur over time." Sakura interrupted. "That's… that's how he planned to transfer the Magic Crest to me."
Shirou pulled Sakura into a hug while Rin looked at her estranged sister. Silently, the girl swore that if she found Zouken first, she would test how many gems she could stick into the man's throat before he choked.
"The timeline would match. Assuming one of the robbers used the drug before they hit the bank, a week would maybe work if the Mystery was sufficiently powerful."
"I think we should skip school today." Shirou declared. "With Zouken out and about, the risk he will try something is too big."
Sakura merely bowed her head, but Rin blinked. Once. Twice. "No way!" She finally protested.
"I will call Fuji-nee and get her to excuse our absence for the next few days."
"Nuh-uh. You two might be happy to slack off for a few days, but I've got an image to uphold. I've worked hard for my reputation and I will be damned if I lose it all because of paranoia."
"Tohsaka! Zouken is dangerous."
"If he is alive," she stressed, "I still doubt he would risk open confrontation. Especially at a school full of witnesses." Rin dismissed his worry. "Look, if he tried to do anything during the day, he would have Enforcers after him faster than you could say 'dead worm'."
"Ano… I would also prefer to go… if you would permit me." Sakura offered. She refused to meet Shirou's gaze as she shifted in place.
"Fine…" The boy groaned. "But no club activities. We're going home straight after classes.
The walk to school was calm and the day passed quickly. At some point, when looking out the window Shirou could've sworn he saw some people who he was pretty sure looked straight at him. First, there was a young girl. She was around Sakura's age and wore a black dress under a gray overcoat. Next was a tall man in a black suit and red shirt. Finally, the group was closed by a blonde girl in a blue dress. The puffy sleeves reminded Shirou of German period pieces Kiritsugu liked to watch occasionally (especially when he got nostalgic about something). They disappeared from his sight a moment later as a large truck passed them by.
After classes, he met with Sakura and Rin by the front entrance. They were ready to live when Ayako ambushed them.
"Hey! Sakura! The training is about to start." She tried to position herself between Sakura and Shirou.
"Ah… well… You see Mitsusuri-san…" She struggled for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Ayako, but Sakura, Rin, and I must return home early. My grandfather has a pressing issue to discuss with all three of us today and we can't stay."
"Your… grandfather." Ayako sent him a baleful glare. "And how do I know you aren't simply trying to corrupt two innocent girls who laid their trust in you?"
"Hey! I resent that and you're starting to talk like Issei. Besides, you know me, Ayako. Did I ever give you any reason to doubt me? I'm not Shinji…"
She continued to glare at him. "I don't know. Did you?"
"Ano… If anyone's doing any corrupting to Senpai, it's us." Sakura grabbed Shirou's arm, digging her fingers rightly into his forearm. She was nowhere strong enough to much as make him feel anything, but it still sent a message. Seeing her estranged sister's actions, Rin likewise grabbed onto his other arm.
"Emiya-kun, we are leaving." Without waiting for any answer, the two girls began to drag the confused boy away. He didn't even put up any fight, leaving a confused and baffled Ayako behind them.
To Shirou's surprise, Raiga awaited him at the Emiya Estate.
"Well, how does our local hero feel today? I hope you still got enough sleep, my boy. I heard it helps for the bruises."
"Don't worry, old man. I didn't even get a scratch. That thing wasn't that strong…"
"Emiya…" Rin hid her face between her hands. "That thing collapsed the entire building and caused casualties in double digits. It was plenty strong. You're just a freak of nature as a Campione…"
"Oh… Right… Guess I keep forgetting that."
"For the sake of Fuyuki's continued existence and my sanity, please… please try to remember how strong you are?" The girl begged.
"Sorry, Tohsaka. I promise I will do my best." Shirou scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'm still getting used to all this."
"My, my." Raiga chuckled. "You can't blame the boy, my dear." He turned to Tohsaka. "It's barely been two weeks. You need to be more understanding if you want a meaningful relationship to last."
"What?" Rin bolted straight. "Relationship? Emiya-kun and I have no relationship! It's purely professional! I guarantee! As if I would want to have a relationship with someone as uncouth as him?!"
This only caused the old man to chuckle some more. "Well, I guess that I should get to business then. The destruction of the precinct was perhaps a small blessing in disguise since my men managed to salvage some stuff from the ruins. It would seem that the bank robbers would have been bailed by their old company if the incident hadn't happened. However, I suspect it was more of a courtesy call by someone's friend. I doubt it will mean much, but none of them had any foreign substances when they were put through toxicological tests."
"Wait, no. That's actually huge!" Tohsaka interceded. "If Zouken gave one of them the supposed superpower drug, it should have shown even on mundane tests. To have something so potent not appear on any tests… Just what was Matou experimenting with…"
"I fear I have more bad news." Raiga pulled out a thick manila folder. "The government did a good job of covering it up, but… a week ago, someone did something at the shopping mall two cities over."
"That's… worryingly vague description, Old Man." Shirou pointed out.
"Officially, a nerve agent was released into the mall that caused everyone to go into a frenzied rage. Side effects included rapid dehydration and a partial mummification process. I thought that it might be more up your alley…"
Before Shirou could even glance at the photos, Tohsaka snatched the entire folder.
"I knew it! The victims attacked everyone else mindlessly and seemed to only stop when their hearts or heads were damaged. That's an old curse. I suspect it also wasn't properly done… though…" Rin muttered a string of curses that made one of Raiga's bodyguards blush. "This is where he got the energy for the transformation!"
"What?" Shirou looked at his teammate. Then, realization dawned on him. "Those people were dead when the curse was casted, right?"
Tohsaka's somber tone was like a knife to Shirou's heart. "Yes. That curse was supposed to be put on warriors tasked with guarding the Pharaoh's treasures. I suspect someone first drained all their magical energy and then turned them into violent mummies to make the investigation harder."
Raiga shook his head in clear disgust. "I trust you will ensure that the punishment is mettled properly, my boy?"
Shirou's fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. "This time, I'll make sure he can't return."
Sakura dutifully brought them a set of appetizers before going back to the kitchen to finish making dinner.
"Very well. I will entrust that matter to you… Kingsblade" The old man cackled.
Shirou groaned. "Really?"
"Well, since you didn't stick around for an interview, they had to improvise." He continued to laugh. "Honestly, it's better than some onlookers suggested."
"Why Kingsblade though?" The boy tried. "Couldn't they do something less… this?"
"I like it. You are my king, Shirou." Sakura smiled. "And you gotta admit, you do like swords a lot."
"They say that they picked Kingsblade because a lot of the weapons you are using are rather… decorative. You gotta admit, most swords don't have golden crossguards." Rin added.
"They wanted to call you Treasurer, Emiya. You should feel lucky." One of Raiga's guards snickered.