Hi! Lugal kug-ga here! I am a long time reader but a first time writer.
Imma say this now, I own nothing of the originals portrayed in this fic, I'm merely making an iteration.
And should you see some similarities with other fanfic Authors, it might be because I've…. copied it. Or took some parts of their works and incorporated it in mine. So, credits to them.
Enough of the boring A/N and onwards to the story.
I've committed to finishing this work, should it stop updating for a year, I've probably self deleted. So, sit back, enjoy, and review!
—Shirou Ortensia Kotomine POV—
Hot. That was all the boy could think of as he stumbled through the burning city. It was so very hot. There wasn't any pain, any torturous agony. Just that constant, constant heat, pressing down on him like a lead weight.
In some small, fragmented part of his mind, he realized that he should be feeling sad right now. He'd lost his home, his family and even his name. But it didn't seem important. What was important was finding somewhere cool, somewhere where the heat wasn't quite so intense, where he could rest.
He walked on, ignoring the screams and cries for help that resounded around him. He couldn't help them. He couldn't even find the drive to try.
A wish.
The piece of debris under his foot slipped, and he fell, tumbling down to the earth. For a brief moment, a sharp pain forced itself through his already screaming nerves and restored some of his thoughts. Where was he? He looked around him. The area was little more than a crater, within it only a few puddles of black mud. His eyes strayed to the mud. It looked so cool, so very refreshing. A trembling hand reached out towards it and he realized with a dull surprise that it was his own. He didn't care though, and the strange disconnect between his mind and body didn't worry him. That was just how things were.
His fingers dipped into the viscous liquid. And he screamed as a wave of emotions, feelings, thoughts and dreams swept into him like a black wave. The heat was gone, but in its place was terrible suffering, enough to sunder a soul.
Then Shirou heard a voice and heard its screams. It sounded so very similar to himself. That same desire to live, that same will to survive. In all the world at that very moment, there were probably not two people who wanted the same thing so very much.
"I…" The words were little more than croaks, forced out through cracked lips. "I'm sorry."
Black Mud rose up around the boy, wrapping him within a cocoon, dark as night. Once again the pain assailed him, but this time, it was not so horrible. It was familiar, more than anything else. It was like he'd been bearing it for some time.
Shirou's daze was broken by a pain far closer to home than that which surrounded him. His body was pierced by a thousand knives, each sliding into his flesh with sickening cruelty. He blanked out, only to be forced back into consciousness.
Eventually, the pain began to subside and Shirou's taught muscles relaxed. It took only a moment, but Shirou was once again complete, his flesh unmarred. On the surface, nothing had changed from the boy who had no doubt been frolicking around less than an hour ago. But there were differences. The Mud had replaced much of his flesh, and while incomplete, the boy was a bearer of a Holy Grail.
Well, not quite. He was missing one key part, which is the greater grail.
Shirou stood, feeling strangely shaky. It wasn't the shake of exhaustion and pain that the fire had forced on him, but rather the unwieldy feeling of his body being subtly different. For one thing, even with the fire raging around him he felt comfortable, as if there was a buffer between himself and the heat. Had he blacked out? The last few hours were nothing more than a daze.
He took a step forward and his leg supported his weight with ease. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he felt more alive than he had in, well, the last half hour. He looked around the flames surrounding him. While he had no idea which way was which, the flames had to have a limit. All he had to do was walk in one direction and he'd reach the end, wouldn't he?
He took off a jog, moving nimbly over the debris.
As it turned out, it hadn't taken very long to escape the flames at all. It had been no more than ten minutes till the flames had died down around him, and he'd tasted fresh air. He stopped, taking in a deep breath. While the smell of burning was still thick in the air, it was still cool and refreshing. He sat down, relishing in the feel of the concrete beneath him. And then a thought struck him, one long neglected in the escape. Who am I?
His name was Shirou. He knew that much. But his family name, his home and even the faces of his family escaped him. He tried to recall his life, place names to memories, only to find he had none of those either. For a moment, he paused. He knew he should feel sad about this. Perhaps even cry about it. He'd lost everything. But he honestly couldn't bring himself to feel too strongly about it. He couldn't bring himself to feel too strongly about much, actually.
"Hey! We've got a kid over here! Bring some water!"
He turned at the voice, looking at the man who'd suddenly appeared from his left. He was wearing an odd suit, dark gray, with bright yellow stripes on it. A fire-fighter's suit, he realized. He wondered where he'd seen it before.
"You alright, kid?" The man leaned in towards him, concern obvious on his face, even in the dim light.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Shirou," he replied. The older man waited for a continuation, but he shook his head. "That's it."
The man's face was understanding as he nodded. "Gotcha. Hey, Shirou, we're moving all the other kids to a tent where you'll be safe till we find your parents. Do you want to go there with me?"
Shirou considered the offer. He vaguely recalled being told to never go anywhere with strangers, but that seemed less than important, given the circumstances. What were the odds of this guy being some kind of creep, just waiting around in case children happened to stumble his way through the fire? No, in all honesty, this man was almost certainly nothing more than what he appeared. A well-meaning individual. And he was quite curious as to what his parents were like. He nodded and the man took his hand.
The tent had emptied considerably since his arrival. There'd been very nearly four dozen children when he'd first arrived. Then there were less than ten. Then there were five. Then just him. Parents and family members had come one by one for the last few hours. There'd been tears of joy at reunions, children both crying and laughing at the same time. It was probably quite heartwarming.
He sat, staring at the tent flap. Occasionally, one of the staff would come and give him a cup of hot chocolate and some comforting words, telling him that they were sure that his parents were fine, and that they'd be here soon. He wondered why they bothered. His parent's were almost certainly dead. Why raise false hopes? A kind cruelty? Or perhaps they just didn't have the strength to tell him that his parents were gone?
He'd overheard more than one hurried conversation. Apparently, there were more tents, just like this one. They'd been moving children that it was believed had lost their parents to a single tent, so as to help keep the situation organized and under control. No doubt he was going to be transferred there soon.
The flap swung open, and he looked up resignedly. Counter to his expectations, the man standing there was not one the staff came back to tell him of his fate. Instead, it was an incredibly tall man, arrayed in the robes of a priest. His eyes were sunken deep into his face, and were empty, as if life itself had been squeezed from the man. Shirou felt an immediate kinship with him. The man looked like Shirou felt.
The priest looked down at him, his eyes surveying the young boy. Shirou met his gaze. No doubt most would consider the man intimidating, but to be intimidated, you had to have something you feared to lose. He had nothing like that. And neither, he realized, did the man in front of him.
A few moments passed and the priest nodded, as if satisfied.
"Your parents are likely dead."
Shirou blinked. It was a blunt, absolute admission, spoken as if the man was talking about the weather.
"I know," He replied. "...What happens now?"
The man watched him carefully for a second, then continued. If he was surprised by the equal nonchalance of the reply, he gave no sign.
"That is up to you. You can wait here if you wish, then be taken to another tent, where you will eventually be either adopted, or sent to an orphanage." The man shrugged. "If you wish, however, you may come with me."
Shirou thought about that. Both options led to unknown results. Neither the priest or the home were any more certain an option. But the priest was like him, he realized. Both of them were empty. Broken. They weren't anything like kindred spirits. But they could understand each other somewhat.
"...I'll go with you." he responded, meeting the eyes of the priest once more.
The man nodded, accepting the answer. "Your name?"
"Shirou. Just, Shirou." Again, his response was that accepting nod.
"Do you wish to keep that name?"
A good question. On one hand, the name was a link to a past he could neither remember, or care about. On the other, it was the only thing he still possessed. In a strange way, it seemed important to keep it. He made an affirmative gesture.
"Very well." The priest opened the flap of the tent and gestured that he should leave. "I am Kotomine Kirei. You appear to be in healthy condition, so I will complete the necessary paperwork to remove you from this camp."
He walked out into the rough encampment that had been made, his gaze flicking around the hurrying workers.
—————————
That was the past of Shirou Hortensia Kotomine. being adopted by Kirie Kotomine, then three years after he was adopted, Kirie Kotomine died, the church investigators said it was because he got killed after a dead apostle hunt, but encountered an Ancestor, as for whom that ancestor may be, they did not tell.
After that he was but given to the Hortensia magus family.
Being adopted by the Hortensia's he was trained as a magus, and despite his lack of talent in different branches of thaumaturgy, he excelled in some of the specialized ones. And while due to his connection with Kirie he was initiated to be a part of the church, and was trained as a church inquisitor.
The Holy Church, also referred simply as "The Church", is the hidden side of the Roman Catholic Church that specializes in the hunting of heresy.
Compared to the public side of the Holy Church that treats heresies as if they do not exist because those who teach the word of God must not acknowledge that which runs counter to their doctrines, the Holy Church contains the zealots who feel the heresies should be more proactively destroyed. They are a major force that has a tenuous relationship with the Mage's Association.
Then with it came his several achievements later on, having killed his very first Dead apostle at age twelve, then went on to hunt several more heretics and rogue Magus that have victimized the mundane.
Then when he was 14, he encountered the Apostle Ancestor Nvrmskr Chaos. It happened when he was on another mission to investigate a suspected rogue magus activity in one of the villages up in north Germany, but what he found was not a Magus, but an Ancestor.
Naturally, knowing he had no chance of ever defeating chaos, he chose to escape, it was not an easy task, but he managed, albeit receiving a hole in the center of his chest. But he lived, but 3 months later, it seemed like Van Fem took an interest in him, and sent a subordinate in order to capture him, then again he managed to escape. But, two months later, he once again got involved with another ancestor. If it was not for the appearance of the infamous sealing designate, Touko Aozaki giving him the chance to escape, he would have really kicked the bucket.
Due to his seemingly succeeding luck He was noticed by the upper echelon of the church and he was then nominated as the eighth member of the burial agency.
The Burial Agency was founded by Michael Roa Valdamjong, the unofficial twenty eighth of the 27, alongside the ancestor of Narbareck, In the late 15th century, when he was still human and a member of the Holy Church. Though they may have considered it a stain on the history of the church, they found the burial agency to be more than necessary for the greater good.
Its members are seven militants called 'Executors' after their intended role to "execute the Lord's teachings as His proxy". Its extraterritoriality within the Church precludes the attainment of power and in return affords it freedom from authority. A walking armory; a security force consisting of a mere handful of people, considering his ability to somehow copy and reproduce any bladed weapons and armor he saw, he thought it fitting.
They are in charge of exterminating the "inhuman things" that never show themselves, which the Church condemned as heresies — Vampires, or dead apostles as they were called.
When it comes to the Executors of the Burial Agency, they will stop at nothing if it's to apprehend a Dead Apostle, even having a whole town disappear from the map. They have the authority where whatever they do is allowed if their opponent is a Vampire, and that includes the city targeted by the Dead Apostle: whether humans still live there or not, if it's an already defiled land, they will burn it down all the same. For the Burial Agency, being a non-human primary species is on its own "evil".
Assembled with Agency Director Narbareck at its top, each and every one is a failed saint that rivals a whole Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament. There is an eighth reserve member, and that member is Shirou, but he is not granted the same privilege. The privilege of independent action permitted by the Archbishop are the 7 members only, therefore it was decided that adding more than that would be dangerous. Which Shirou was fine with to be honest, he really did not like the action of unnecessarily taking the life of an innocent bystanders.
Seven months later, he became fifteen years old. He wondered, what would it be like attending a school and living an ordinary life. He sought counsel in his adopted little sister, which turned out to be a mistake, as she had used it as leverage in order to tease him. So instead, he sought one of his colleagues' advice, the spicy curry loving blue haired senpai. Surprisingly she listened, courtesy to his cooking, and suggested that he requested to be given some time to attend high school and get an education.
Which he did. After another monotonous days of hunting dead apostles, and other heretics. Five months have passed, and on the twenty seventh of march his request was granted, he would be transferred to a church in Kurikami city in Japan. He shall be its Overseer with the duration of his student days. His duties mainly are maintaining it, and helping any believers who seek consultation and blessings. And should an emergency pertaining with the church arise, he would be deployed there immediately.
As soon as he finished reading it, he began packing his belongings, which are mainly his regular priest attire, the shroud of a saint tailored into a scarf, and his Executor equipment. Bidding his senpai goodbye after thanking her and cooking her a week's ration of spicy curry he departed the next day. Hopefully, the spell he put on the curry would preserve it for a week or two, assuming she didn't eat the whole thing in three sitting.
After a day and a half, and it's already 8:00 pm, in japan's time, he's finally arrived in kurikami city.
Arriving at the church near the south side of the city, it was a secluded place, it is on a top of a hill, one needed to climb the three hundred steps to reach the top. The perimeter was clean and surrounded by trees and some bushes. Entering the church, after taking the keys from the elderly caretaker, he saw an almost spotless interior.
Deciding to rest, he went straight to the back, and entered one of the rooms. He has so much to do tomorrow, like, for example, meeting the principal of the school where he was assigned to attend.
But then, he didn't expect that instead of the dream world, it was the world of unlimited blades, and the unexpected meeting with several beings.
….
…
4:30 in the morning, he woke up, taking a moment to think about what had happened that evening while staring at the ceiling. heaving a sigh, he finally sat up, it's no use thinking about something that had already happened, all he could do was accept it.
After that he did his morning routine, training for an hour, then making and eating breakfast, taking a shower and getting ready for the day, locking the door which leads to the rooms, he left the entrance of the church open for those who came and wished to pray.
Taking the train, and walking the way towards his school, he gathered several gazes. Understandable, for his current attire is that of his regular priest robe, the upside down earring and his silver cross hanging on his neck as well as a red scarf. He is holding his school bag which consists only of writing utensils and notebooks.
"... I guess I need to buy some new clothes later." Sighing he said to himself. He still hasn't received his uniform, which is what he's going to the school today for.
Because the church had already done the necessary paperwork, he only needed to meet the principal then attend the classes.
Entering the school gate he saw several students walking towards the school. This gave him a bad premonition, while praying that the bad premonition was just his imagination, he strode towards the principals office amidst several curious gazes.
"hey, hey! Miko, did you see that, that was a priest wasn't it! But, what's a priest doing here? Ah! Maybe he's gonna perform an exorcism!" said a short orange haired girl with a Faint purple eyes, she has some amazing assets despite her young age.
"... yeah, it really was a priest." Said the dark haired and yellow eyed girl. She often has a stoic expression on her face but often smiles when around her friend. Now her gaze was serious as she looked towards the red haired priest.
"Hey, Hana, I have to use the bathroom, could you wait for me here?" She said standing up and going out of the classroom, but the direction she went to wasn't the restroom but the direction of the Red haired priest. She wondered, why did those things seem to avoid him as if they were afraid.
Thinking she might have found something that could help with her current situation she followed him, not knowing that he had already noticed her trailing behind him.
My name is Nakano Ayako. I have a Psychic Ability, I have been able to read minds for as long as I can remember. Nobody believed me when I was little about my power, though. so I eventually gave up on insisting that I could do it. There might be a lot of tv dramas and manga that portray this as a positive thing. Now it seems like I was not the only one who had a supernatural ability anymore ... .But the truth is, it's not Positive at all!
….
It happened two days ago. Entering the classroom, as usual, I heard the thoughts of my classmates, 'ah~I wanna go home', 'sleepy', 'hungry…', ' oops I forgot my panties!'
….the last one, are you an idiot?
Sigh, I guess it's another boring day. A~ah I hope classes start already.
'don't look, don't look, don't look, ignore it, ignore it. Ah! Why did they have to be in the classroom! Hiii! What is that on the window!.'
Hmm? What was that? Ah, It's Yotsuya-san. Why does she sound panicked?
….Uwaaa~. Wha-What are those?! Yotsuya-san can see Them?! …..Even with only her mental Image they still certainly looked scary ... .and disgusting.
…Umu, Let's ignore it.
It seems like Yotsuya Miko suddenly gained an ability to see those things yesterday evening. They were some kind of spirits or youkai, which was speculated by Yotsuya-san, when she saw her father who died in their dining room table accompanied by a bipedal something. But it clearly looked monstrous.
Just like that I went Through class. During P.E subject, my classmates were talking. Minding my own business, I change into my P.E clothes.
" Hey, Hey, did you see yesterday's totally freaky?"
"What's totally freaky?"
"It's about scary stories that really happened."
Bla-bla yada-yada.
… though something is more scary than a fictional show, which is what Yotsuya-san is now looking at in Hana's locker..
…a head! ….umu, let's go out first.
After P.E class we all went back to the classroom.
"..It feels a little breezy. I think I might have accidentally taken my panties of when I was changing." I suddenly heard what Hana said.
"Are you Stupid?" Yotsuya-san quipped with a flat tone.
Yeah, are you stupid?...sigh what am I doing, I need to study.
With that taking out my textbooks I ignored the two as I concentrated on my study.
…I can't concentrate at all! What the hell?! Arms?! Groping around?! What kind of spirit is that?!
…Ha~ah! Finally they left, now I could concentrate.
Second day. Today is now, tuesday. Yotsuya-san is still doing great.
Today we were informed that we would be having a transfer student tomorrow. It seem like he came from overseas.
Today, nothing extraordinary happened….except for the situation with Yotsuya-san.
Third Day. it's now wednesday. And today the transfer student will be joining us.
Hmm? Is that a priest? …but he's still young, close to our age perhaps.
(' why do those things seem to be avoiding him?')
Eh? Turning to look at Yotsuya-san she seemed to be also looking at the priest.
…well, isn't it because he's a priest, That evil spirits would avoid him?
It seems like Yotsuya-san is now interested in the priest. Do your best. I thought silently as I did a fist pump.
...
…eh! He's the transfer student? Waa~, he's so polite…and kind. Even his thoughts were not that weird. He meant what he said when he spoke of wanting to help others.
as expected of a priest.
Weird, I thought yotsuya-san was going to ask for some help from him?
('...ah! If I tell him I can see evil spirits, he would surely think I'm crazy! ….yosh! Let's go buy some prayer beads on sunday.')
Yotsuya-san…
('..why is Nakano-san looking at me weirdly?')
I felt my eye twitch at her thought…well, I'm sorry for being worried. Hmph.
"Hey, Hey, Shirou-san. Why are you wearing a Preist attire? Are you a priest? And do you do an exorcism?"
"...well, I just arrived yesterday so, I haven't had the time to shop for new attire, and I thought the semester have not started yet so I thought why not just use my current attire when i'm just going to meet the principal. but , as you know…" he said with a shrug, which elicited laughter from the rest of the class.
" And, well..you could say I could be considered a priest."
He said, but what was in his thought, caught my attention.
(' …though a priest working as the Church's hunting dogs to kill monsters. Not that I'm gonna say it.' ) he thought with a mental shrug.
……EH?..
—Shirou POV—backtrack for a bit—
Shirou noticed a Girl Trailing behind him. With a slight frown, he made a mental note to address her presence once he was finished with his business.
Shirou then entered the principal's office with a sense of purpose, his posture straight and his expression composed. The principal, a middle-aged man with a welcoming smile, gestured for Shirou to take a seat opposite his desk. his attention was drawn to a pregnant woman standing beside Principal Takahashi. She had long brown hair pulled back into a neat bun, and her glasses framed her gentle eyes.
"Good morning, Shirou–kun, please take a seat" the principal greeted warmly. "I understand you're the new transfer student. I'm Principal Takahashi. It's a pleasure to have you here at our school."
Shirou returned the greeting with a polite nod. "Good morning, Principal Takahashi. Thank you for having me."
"Ah, Shirou–kun, I'd like you to meet Arai-sensei," Principal Takahashi said with a smile, gesturing towards the woman. "She'll be your homeroom teacher for the time being. However, please be informed that she'll be going on maternity leave in about a month."
Shirou nodded respectfully towards Arai-sensei, offering her a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Arai-sensei. Thank you for welcoming me to the school."
Arai-sensei returned the smile kindly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "The pleasure is mine, Kotomine-kun. I'll do my best to assist you during your time here, although it may be limited due to my impending leave."
"I understand, Arai-sensei. I appreciate any guidance you can provide," Shirou replied graciously.
The principal glanced at Shirou's paperwork before continuing. "I see that you're joining us a bit late in the semester. March has already started, but I'm sure you'll be able to catch up. Do you feel confident about keeping up with the curriculum?"
Shirou met the principal's gaze. "Yes, Principal Takahashi. I assure you, I'm fully prepared to work hard and catch up on any missed material. I won't let my late arrival hinder my academic progress."
Principal Takahashi smiled approvingly. "That's the spirit, Shirou–kun. We appreciate your enthusiasm. If you ever need any assistance or extra support, don't hesitate to reach out to your teachers or me."
"Thank you, Principal Takahashi. I'll keep that in mind," Shirou replied gratefully.
The principal nodded, satisfied with Shirou's response. "Excellent. Now, let's get you settled into your classes. Arai-sensei would arrange for you to receive your textbooks and schedule for the semester,And she would guide you to your homeroom. Also, come to my Office after class to pick up your school uniform. we can't have you always attending with your current outfit now, would we."
As the principal went over the details of Shirou's class schedule, Shirou listened attentively, taking note of his new routine. Despite the challenges of starting late, he was determined to make the most of his time at the school and prove himself as a diligent and capable student.
With his meeting with the principal concluded, Shirou and Arai-sensei stepped out of the principal's office. but then, they spotted Miko standing in front of the door, her expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Arai-sensei's gaze softened as she approached the young girl.
"Good morning, Miko-chan," Arai-sensei greeted warmly, her hand resting gently on Miko's shoulder. "Is everything alright? Homeroom is about to start. Did you need to speak with the principal?"
Miko glanced up, startled by their presence. "Oh, um, good morning, Arai-sensei. I, uh, was just... passing by."
Arai-sensei raised an eyebrow, sensing Miko's hesitation. "Is there something on your mind, Miko-chan? You seem a bit... troubled."
Miko bit her lip, debating what to say to her teacher. "Well, it's cmc.bcmycm... I ..." but then Shirou noticed that she kept glancing at him.
But Shirou observed the exchange silently, his curiosity piqued. Arai-sensei offered Miko a reassuring smile, encouraging her to speak her mind.
"What is it, Miko-chan," Arai-sensei reassured her. "Is there something troubling you?"
Miko took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "No..everything is fine….. I just heard that the transfer student was joining today, and I was curious…I wanted to ask Sensei if it was true…I just didn't expect you to be accompanying him."
Arai-sensei smiled at her words. "I see. Yes, that's true. This is your new classmate. He is supposed to introduce himself in the classroom but.. "
Shirou interjected, his voice calm and reassuring. "Nice to meet you, my name is Shirou Kotomine, you can y me Shirou if you want."
Miko hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Um, well my na,me is Miko, Yotsuya Miko, nice to meet you…I guess?."
Arai-sensei smiled at the exchange "now, lets go back, Miko-chan, class is about to start" Arai-sensei said gently. "You'll have plenty of time to talk with kotomine-kun later"
Shirou nodded in agreement. "Yes, Yotsuya-san. Should you need help with something, you could ask me anytime later." He said with a smile.
. "Thank you, Arai-sensei. Thank you, Shirou-san, …
….actually…..no , never mind." She said with a shake of her head
Arai-sensei guided Shirou towards the homeroom with Miko trailing behind. As they walked, Shirou couldn't shake off the feeling of unease stirred by Miko's strange behavior. It seemed that his new role as a student and priest in this new City he found himself in was already presenting unexpected challenges, but he was determined to face them head-on and protect those under his care, he just wondered, does the girl trailing behind have the something she needed for him?
……….
Shirou nodded in agreement. "Yes, Yotsuya-san. Should you need help with something, you could ask me anytime later." He said with a smile.
"Good morning, everyone. Today, we have a new addition to our class. Please welcome Shirou Kotomine," Arai-sensei announced with a warm smile. Shirou, standing beside Arai-sensei on the podium, introduced himself with a bow.
"Good Morning Everyone, My name is Kotomine Hortensia Shirou, but you can just call me Shirou. I've just arrived in this city yesterday and am not familiar with some things. I hope we get along." he finished with a smile.
The students greeted Shirou with polite nods and murmurs of welcome. Some exchanged curious glances, intrigued by the arrival of a new student, and most Importantly, why he was wearing priest attire, but no one was bold enough to ask. But, to everyone's surprise there was someone who's brave enough. Raising her hand, she asked in a cheerful tone.
"Hey, Hey, Shirou-san. Why are you wearing a Priest attire? Are you a priest? And do you do an exorcism?" she asked, which Miko gazed at her with an almost startled expression? But Shirou Answered her question.
"...well, I just arrived yesterday so I haven't had the time to shop for new attire, and I thought the semester had not started yet so I thought why not just use my current attire when I'm just going to meet the principal. but , as you know…" he said with a shrug, which elicited laughter from his classmates.
" And, well..you could say I could be considered a priest."
After his introduction, Arai-sensei directed Shirou towards an empty seat at the last right most corner beside the window. Shirou acknowledged with a nod of gratitude before walking over towards his seat. Beside his designated seat, He couldn't help but notice a blue haired blue eyed girl with glasses, she seemed to be the reserved and introverted type. As he thought of that he saw her twitch as if she heard what he was thinking. He narrowed his eyes. He made a mental note to check on her later, sensing that something was amiss.
Arriving at his seat he turned towards her.
" Hello, I guess I'll be your seatmate from now on. Nice to meet you." deciding to ask her later why she was following them, she greeted with a smile.
"...Uh, um, N-nice to meet you." she answered meekly. Shirou concluded that she was really an introvert. smiling , he asked.
"Can you tell me your name?"
After seemingly hesitating for a bit she spoke. " ….Its Ayako…Nakano, Ayako.."
"Ayako-san huh, nice to meet you, if you ever need help with anything you can talk to me." he said with a calm smile before turning toward Arai-sensei who had already started the lecture.
Unknown to him, Ayako, who seemed to be fidgeting slightly, her gaze fixed on her desk as if lost in thought, had already known his and Miko's secrets.
Throughout the class, Shirou's mind wandered, contemplating the events of the morning and the strange attitude of Yostsuya Miko. He might be wrong but, was she being bullied? If so , he'll do his best to help her, and also ask Nakano-san if there's something troubling her. He resolved to speak with them during lunchtime, determined to uncover the truth behind their distress.
As the bell rang, signaling the lunch break, Shirou approached Ayako with a gentle smile. "Excuse me, Ayako-san.. do you want to eat lunch together?."
Ayako looked up, startled by his words. "Uh, no, I'm good, I've brought my own lunch. " she replied with a forced smile, avoiding his gaze.
Shirou studied her for a moment, sensing her discomfort. "Well, I'm asking if It's fine for me to join you. I've also brought my own lunchbox," he said with a smile.
"...Okay." she spoke with a quiet voice.
Shirou smiled at her response, Before turning towards Yotsuya Miko.
"Miko-san, do you want to join us?" Shirou asked. But miko merely shook her head.
"Sorry, maybe next time, I'll be eating with Hana." she said with a slight bow.
"No, It's okay, Maybe next time then." Miko then left the classroom with the lively Hana.
After that, they Both ate in silence. Shirou, sometimes talking here and there. After finishing lunch. Nakano seemed to have gathered her courage about something.
"...uh, Shirou- san. Can I ask you a question." she asked. nodding , he gave her an encouraging smile.
Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "...What, Jobs do you do?"
It was an abstract question that made him pause to think for a minute.
" I'm sorry. You don't have to ans-" but Shirou gave his answer, interrupting her apology.
" ..You could say, I help people in need, go for Missionaries, and spread the word of God. Those are some of my Duties." but this was not the answer Ayako was looking for, so she looked into his thoughts.
('...I hunt and kill vampires, heretics, and some evil Magus as the holy Church's Black ops…heh, not that she would believe it anyway.')
('...I believe you! I totally believe you! I have the power to read minds. so, yeah it's not strange for other supernatural things to exist. Even Yotsuya-san is one!') She shouted in her Mind, though she would never voice it.
Their conversation stopped, then with the ring of the bell signaling the start of afternoon class, he went back to his seat...he never could ask them about his question...well, they seem to be doing fine so he decided to leave it be.
after class, he then went back to the Principals office in order to pick up his School uniform.
Shirou —I guess I'll head back soon.
packing his bag, he then went home. Walking down the road to the Church's direction, he spotted a Familiar blue hair. ('hmm? is that Nakano-san?')
Then with a slight jog he caught up with her.
('I guess, I'll ask. it seems like we're going in the same direction anyway.') as he thought of this, she suddenly turned around with a startled expression.
"...hey, Nakano-san, what a coincidence." he said with a stiff smile. ('now I Look like a stalker.')
Then Ayako made a weird grin... Now she looked upset.
turning around she continued to walk.
" ah, Nakano-san, do you perhaps live in this direction?" he asked, and then, a weird silence ensued. ('she really is the silent type huh.')
fortunately she then nodded, but didn't say anything more.
" I see... I'm also going in this direction. so why don't we walk together."
they then walked together in silence, during that time, he then started thinking. ('hmm, I really have to buy some change of clothes, then some cleaning equipment, fortunately the church sent me some money. at least I won't have to live like a begar in the street.') smiling wryly at the mental image, he then heard a laugh, looking over at Ayako glancing to the side, she seems to be holding her laughter. though, he didn't know what was funny, maybe she remembered something?
just then another minutes past, they encountered an intersection.
"... then, I'll be going here." she said with a bow, before turning around and continued walking.
"..un. then, see you tomorrow, Nakano-san." he then watched as her figure became smaller.
continuing on, he then made a stop at a convenience store to buy some, ingredients. walking out of the store, with the sound of the door closing and the clerk's farewell, he took a moment to look at the moonlit night sky. ('.. its a full moon today huh.')
...
Walking down the streets of Kurikami city, he could clearly see the advancement of Human ingenuity, tall skyscrapers, automated cars..etc.
after minutes of walking he then Arrived at the foot of the stairs leading to the church. but then, he smelled something.
('.. This is!')
it was something of a supernatural in nature, one of which gave off a, scent of The moon, if ever he describe it.
so he followed, dropping his groceries at the stairs, he ran to the forest at the left side. reinforcing himself, he then traced several black keys.
Arriving at the clearing, he came to an abrupt stop. there he saw something unbelievable, which made his jaw dropped.
there in the clearing were a werewolf and two girls, except, the expected scene which the werewolf was gnawing at the corpses of the girls was not there, instead, there was a blonde girl who looked like a delinquent, a silver knuckle on her hands, constantly punching the werewolf, while the black haired one with braids wearing a jersey was sitting at their side looking at the blonde and the werewolf with worry.
shaking his head at the scene, he then noticed that the black haired girl was injured. so, he approached.
now, he is not the student Shirou Kotomine but the Executor, Shirou Hortensia Kotomine.
Kokoro Shinguji was looking for her childhood friend, Sasaki Riku, but she can't find her anywhere. but then, she then remembered what Riku told her earlier at the afternoon, that she somehow wakes up in a clearing at the park near their house.
...she found her. except, when Kokoro called out to Her, she seemed kind of dazed. the moon behind her would have been a picturesque scene if not for what happened after.
Riku then transformed into something, similar to a wolf but bipedal, ripping her clothes in the process. ('is...is she a werewolf?!') she screamed in her mind as she did her best to hide. covering her mouth
but then, she got discovered.
... she ran, and ran. until she got tired. Riku, in her werewolf form, caught up to her.
Kokoro, now looking up, saw Riku's arm which had sharp claws extended, raised above her head and was about to slash at her.
but then, something unexpected happened. a figure appeared out of nowhere, and gave a dropkick to the face of The werewolf Riku.
It was Suzuno Reina. the problem student and a delinquent. she said she was an exorcist, but Kokoro was having a really hard time believing her. that was untill now. when her childhood friend had clearly transformed into a werewolf in front of her eyes. she really could not deny it anymore.
she attempted to stand, but it seemed like Riku's claws grazed her leg. wincing at the pain, she approached them while limping. now Reina was straddling Riku in her werewolf form.
"What are you doing?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"in 'er werewolf form she's a danger to humans'round her, so imma knock her unconscious." Reina answered, still pounding on Riku,
"But.. How?"
Reina didn't answer, but just continued to smack Riku in the face.
"H–Hey...she's originally human... you don't need to go at it strongly." she said, concern laced her tone.
" it aight, it aight. th' sound Might be big, but I'm holdn' back quite a bit." which she just answered nonchalantly, before her fist made contact with the earth beside the now normal and passed out Riku... Cracking it.
".. Holding back my ass!!! you're clearly going Full throttle!?" she shouted at her.
but then a voice of a person interjected. walking out from the darkness cast by the shadows, a teenage boy with red hair and golden brown eyes, wearing priest clothes, with a silver cross around his neck walked towards them.
"well, well, well.. that was quite unexpected. I didn't know, there was an exorcist on this sector of Japan. and it seems like.. you've done quite a good job." he said with a smile. but his smile just gave the two girls some bad vibes. Reina, stepping in from of Kokoro and Riku, Glared at him.
" and who th' hell are you?" she asked, clearly on guard.
he smiled. " .. my name is Shirou Hortensia Kotomine, I'm an Agent and executor of the church, and.." he paused, turning towards the direction of the church. " I am the current, caretaker of the church here in Kurikami city." he finished, now glancing back at them.
"...so? what's a priest doin' 'ere at this time of night. in the Forest no less." she spat.
they saw his brow twitch but his smile still didn't fade.
" ..I detected something of super natural near the church, of course I'll be concerned. I came here to dispose of it before it caused harm to other innocent."
"... dispose of it? ya' mean, 'ere gonna kill it?" she asked, now her eyes sporting a dangerous glow. while Kokoro became anxious.
"... yes.. now if you would. could you please step aside and do my duty?" he said, before glancing at the tanned unconscious and naked girl in Kokoro's arms.
Kokoro froze under his gaze. she was shaking, she could do nothing more than to hold Riku closer.
Shirou then approached them, still looking at Riku, he then, materialized a black key. Kokoro's eyes widened at that, then tried to crawl away while dragging Riku.
But then, when Shirou was but a few steps away from the two, he stopped.
"..tch! so you avoided it huh? " it was because, Reina suddenly threw a Right Hook, then a left back kick.
Shirou, his left arm raised, blocked her kick from connecting with his face. He glanced at his left arm while Reina retreated beside the other two, he clenched and unclenched it, feeling the numb and was surprise of The power behind her kick.
"..my, my. that was quite the kick you have..." he said, before lowering his arm. the black key still at the ready in his right. " .. and pray tell, why did you attack me? I should not be the one you're supposed to attack you know?"
" I know who a'm attackin'" she answered, her hands in a boxer stance.
like that, they stared at each other for a few minutes. but just when the tension was about to burst and Shirou was about to pepper Reina with black keys, a voice cut through them with a tone of nervousness and agitation.
"P–Please wait!" it was Kokoro Shinguji. now standing and hp straight at Shirou, her gaze which he met with his own, cold ones. Kokoro clearly shuddered but still spoke amidst her fear. " w–why! why are you trying to kill Riku–chan!"
Shirou Answered with an icy tone. " ... because, she's a danger to the other people. and my duty dictates I should dispose of it."
Kokoro choked at his tone, but her determined eyes never strayed from his cold ones.
" e–even if that's so, she had never harmed anyone! how could you just decide her death!" she shouted, now becoming more courageous.
"..." he stayed silent, merely glancing at her injured leg.
Kokoro, following his gaze deflated, but still tried to defend her friend. "t–this is just when I Slipped earlier, I–I scratched myself when I fell."
"...is that so? ... but, who's to say she won't be a danger later? what would you say to the families of those that would die, should she transform once more? "
" She won't! and I won't let her!"
"... and how would you do that, if I may ask?" he asked. the question, shut Kokoro up, not knowing how to answer.
but Then, Reina's voice interjected.
"there's a way. "
that managed to catch his attention.
" oh, and what might that be?" he asked, now facing Reina.
"werewolves are influenced by th' Full moon, an' would transform if they 'ere exposed to it. also their transformation are influenced by 3 factors, 's long as She learn how t' prevent them then she's good." she said with a serious tone. Kokoro was amazed, she never did see Reina with her serious expression.
Shirou studied her for a while, but then gave a smile.
" ... You seem knowledgeable about them? here, I thought the church had already Hunted every last one of those, cursed with lycanthropy."
" 'ell, you can look 'em up in th' net or som'thn."
at her answer, Shirou became quiet. Kokoro became worried that he might actually kill Riku after hearing Reina's admission. but to her relief he didn't.
"...pfft, hahaha, t–the net your say. hahaha!" he laughed, his left hand on his knee for support. Reina and Kokoro just watched him.
after a few moments, he finally stopped.
"ha~a, that was a good laugh. though I didn't really expect that answer." his tone, now a bit more carefree and his attitude, a stark contrast to his previous ones.
".. okay, I'll believe you for now.. but, if ever she does harm another... there won't be a second chance." he said with a serious tone. to which Kokoro nodded, while Reina just snorted.
Dismissing the black keys, he then said.
" so, if you need anything, then just find me in the church. or in Class 3 - A. considering your wearing our school jersey, I reckon we also attended the same class"
"eh! you, you're our senpai!" kokoro exclaimed.
" yeah, my name is Shirou Kotomine, I just transferred today."
" uh, I'm Kokoro Shinguji, and this is my Childhood friend, Sasaki Riku. and this is.." she trailed off, pointing at Reina who just stood there with her arms crossed, urging her to introduce herself.
"...Reina Suzuno." was her curt reply. Shirou and Kokoro just gave her a wry smile.
after that, he learned of what happened, with Kokoro explaining everything. he then surmised that, her condition is more of a inheritance of ancestral blood instead of a curse. which would be more stable and easier to control by the host. as he was contemplating, Riku woke up.
" ..huh, this place is?" she said with a daze. Kokoro, hearing Riku spoke, jumped to hug her friend.
" jeez! I was worried about you!"
"Kokoro–chan, what?.." suddenly being hugged, she wondered. but then feeling a bit cold and breezy, she looked down and saw that her body was merely covered by the a cloth.
"..Hey!? eeeeeeehhhh!? what's the meaning of this!?" she shouted, now holding the cloth that was about to slip revealing her bountiful chest. looking up she then saw Reina, looking down at her.
"The Delinquent Transfer student is here as well!?" she exclaimed before turning towards Kokoro for explanation. " Hey, what's with this situation?? I don't get this at all..."
" Riku-chan, For now, put on some clothes, even though it's just my Uniform." Kokoro answered.
After putting on the cloth..or uniform. she somehow calmed down. then, her complexion paled, then red from embarrassment. because, she then noticed the boy that she didn't notice earlier, noticing her gaze, he gave her a smile.
"...Hyaaa! wh–why, is there a boy!?...uuuu, I, I can't get married anymore.." she said after running behind Kokoro, sobbing.
Shirou, now with a wry smile while looking at them, while Kokoro was trying to reassure Riku.
"...I am, Shirou Kotomine. I just came here, because I sensed something concerning." he said.
Riku, who calmed down once again, listened to Kokoro's explanation on what happened. but, she was unable to believe some of it, until Kokoro Showed her a picture of her in Werewolf form. and how Reina came and Managed to bring her back to normal.
" For some unknown reason I feel chills when I look at her..." she said. she might've not remembered what Reina did but it seemed her body did.
" You! Try talking what you remember Last!" Reina suddenly shouted at Riku, to which she made a weird scream, but still acquiesced.
According to her recollection, after She got out of bath, she felt drowsy, and decided to take a nap before Kokoro arrived. she doesn't have any recollection of the events after that. even her turning into a werewolf.
Riku then saw Kokoro's injured leg.
" h-hey, Kokoro-chan... this... Did this really...?" she asked with teary eyes.
"this scratch is nothing.." wiping the tears that also starts to come out. " I'm, just glad you're okay, Riku-chan..."
Riku then went to hug her. " I'm sorry..." she managed to speak out. while Kokoro just caressed her head with a smile.
after a few minutes, Reina stood up yawning.
" Yaaawn--, so, 'bout time ta go back." she said.
Shirou, who remained silent all this time, spoke up.
" are you sure? what if she turns once more. " he said with a smile. her unspoken words, still reached Reina and Kokoro who became stiff and now looking at Reina's direction.
"no need'ta worry... that's it for today." she said before turning to look at him, specifically his silver cross necklace. " and it'd be great if you can give th' thing on your neck ta her. it'd help suppress her transformation." she said before turning to leave, but stopped once more when Kokoro's voice rang out.
"...hey, Suzuno-san." with Reina's back to her she asked. "Just, What are you...?"
Reina, glancing over her shoulder and looked at her with a grin, she spoke.
" An Exorcist."
Then She left, leaving Them with the only male.
but then Shirou also stood up. Taking off his silver Cross he handed it to Riku.
" here, I don't know if it would work, but Suzuno-san said it would help." he said. Riku, recieving the cross inquired.
"..Thank you. but, is it really okay?"
Shirou merely smiled at nodded. " Yeah, I could just commission another one for my own." brushing the dust on his attire he then looked at them.
" are you sure you don't need me to escort you home?"
" yes, Riku-chan's house is just close by. and I was planning on staying over the night at her house anyway." she answered, while Riku, nodded.
bidding farewell to the two, who disappeared soon riding Kokoro's bike. Turning around, he then returned to where he dropped his things. picking it up, he then ascended the flight of stairs.
...
Closing and Locking the Church Entrance after checking if everything is in place, He then went to his room. Hanging His priest outfit, he then laid down on his bed.
"...It's been a long day. I just arrived yesterday and I've already involved with some events already. since the last, my luck has really been messing with me... did I perhaps also get that guy's luck...?... hahaha, no way, right . Well, considering tomorrow, I guess I'll check on Sasaki-san. and I guess I'll have to buy some Grocery and some change of clothes on Saturday. "
At that, he closed his eyes. His consciousness fading, and the world of Dreams welcomed him.
...Fuck! this chapter was hard as fak. anyways. that's it for today, was supposed to upload it yesterday, but, I couldn't finish it...so yeah, here it is . .
.was bored in church so I just wrote this.... I'm going to hell, am I?... ! (; — _ —)