The road to Ryuudou Temple was mostly silent, at least on Mori's side, who still found Taiga's sudden change in attitude toward him disconcerting, especially since her words had left a strange taste in his mouth.

That Mori is still alive; he just needs a reason to come back!

The turquoise-haired man wasn't sure of the young woman's words, but a sliver of doubt had planted itself in the former Monkey King's mind when he remembered that he had indeed used martial arts. They had not been his emblematic kicking techniques from Renewal Taekwondo—he was not yet sufficiently recovered to perform them. With all the pressure they put on the body, Mori, in his current state, would not be able to reproduce them for an indefinite period.

However, despite this, something had driven him to stop searching for the Fuyuki Tiger's blood, and he had ended up using one of the causes of his current state—the Nabong Needle Ryu acupuncture techniques—receiving the backlash of multiplying his power more than two hundred thousand times. It was something he would not be able to do again, as he did not even have true power to multiply.

When he'd used the acupuncture techniques, he had felt so clumsy—his fingers stiff, and his vision uneven as he tried to find Taiga's pressure points. He had genuinely feared he might have wrecked her nervous system by aiming poorly or perhaps hitting too hard, so it had been a relief when she'd broken free and lunged at him.

In the end, he had been forced—perhaps more by instinct—to respond in a language that only a girl like her could understand: the art of the sword, as his friend Mira had once spoken. The barehanded cutting techniques copied from the Moonlight Sword Style—he hadn't known how effective they would be or if, in the end, they would cause more harm by showing her his knowledge of sword techniques, but he had decided to take that blind shot. Fortunately, it hadn't caused any serious damage, aside from leaving some marks on the alley walls, but nothing more. It was a sad image compared to the past, where a similar or even more casual movement could have cut a mountain cleanly.

But when the Yakuza princess looked at him, she gazed at him in such a way that made him uncomfortable. There was such a radiant shine in her eyes, such childlike wonder on her face, and such strong emotion twisting her body, that even with that small cut on her cheek, she looked like the happiest girl in the world.

As if the words she had said earlier about being someone greater than eternity itself were truly correct… An illusion that Mori could never break for the girl, much less now, when she was helping him carry the unconscious Reikan through the streets of Shinto, humming a very lively tune.

To the Fallen God, the infamous Fujimura "Byakko" Taiga would forever be a person he could never understand... And fortunately, he wouldn't be the only one in that club.

Though, he felt another annoyance on the side—it was as if someone... was watching him. Well, there were already a certain number of individuals looking at them while they carried the young purple-haired monk, because it certainly wasn't common to walk around carrying unconscious people. Perhaps Taiga drew attention because of her fame in the city as the Tiger of Fuyuki, but for some reason, Mori felt there was something else in those gazes. One, in particular, stood out.

Coldness, repulsion, amusement, even curiosity—yet the former Monkey King's senses were so dulled that he couldn't pinpoint the exact direction from which it could originate. Or perhaps it was just his imagination, perhaps because the previous exchange with the brown-haired girl had left him somewhat nervous and excited.

Regardless, he tried to continue the conversation with the girl or at least listen to her and not incite her anger by ignoring her.

"I... To tell you the truth, I didn't expect us to meet again," Mori commented, looking ahead. "Or at least not so soon, and definitely not in that situation."

Taiga shrugged casually. "I just happened to see you, and I was hoping to corner you at some point, maybe later in the week or month... as a psychological attack, you know?"

"That's... very psychotic of you," the turquoise-haired young man muttered, surprised by the ruse his companion had come up with.

"Thank you!" And even though Mori hadn't meant it as a compliment, the Yakuza princess had taken it as one. Then, she frowned in annoyance. "But let's just say there were unforeseen events."

"Really? Like what?" Kiritsugu's adopted son asked, curious as to what factor could have interfered with the original plans of his now... friend? He still didn't know how to define their relationship beyond absolute repulsion or combative fanaticism.

"Well, Kiritsugu-san called the school for an important matter, but when they had to notify you of the message, that fat guy had already intercepted you." Taiga growled in annoyance, though she couldn't blame the good patriarch Emiya for the circumstances. She had certainly taken out her frustration by breaking the obese Yamamoto's nose.

However, Mori had been left pondering the first thing the brown-haired girl had said regarding Kiritsugu, wondering what he had wanted to tell him that couldn't wait until he got home.

"It had to do with picking up little Shirou from a friend's house," the young sword master answered calmly, not paying attention to the surprised look the blue-haired young man gave her.

"Of course! Shirou! I had to pick him up! How could I have forgotten?!" Mori lamented, disappointed in himself for being such a bad brother, feeling somehow that the mistakes he had made with his sworn brothers of yesteryear were repeating themselves, even though this wasn't anything serious.

But that was how it started—first, he would forget, then ignore... and finally, leave them aside. That was why several of the Kings of the Sage Realm had never contacted him again, even Garuda, who had betrayed them because of the contempt and humiliation that the former Monkey King had put him through.

"Calm down, calm down, he's at a friend's house, hanging out." The brown-haired girl said calmly, giving little importance to the worries going through her new friend's head. "But Kiritsugu wants you to come back as soon as possible. Apparently, he has some news for you, though I don't know what it could be."

Mori reflected on the information provided by the young woman, truly grateful for this new dynamic they now had, instead of the hostility or isolation they had once shared. And to be honest, Fujimura Taiga seemed like a nice girl, just with a bad reputation as the Tiger of Fuyuki. Another trait she shared with Mira: you just had to get to know them well, and you would gain a good friend you could trust with your back.

How he would have liked to see if Mira was okay before being attacked by Park Mubong...

"Ugh… Ah…"

Suddenly, to the couple's surprise, Reikan began making noises, causing them to stop in the middle of the road. By the time they realized it, the young monk was waking up from his unconscious state.

"B-But... W-What happened?" The purple-haired young man asked in a hoarse voice, confused when he realized they were in the middle of the city instead of the alley where he had faced Yamamoto to defend Mori from those thugs.

And apparently, they were on their way to Ryuudou Temple.

Taiga looked at Mori for a moment before speaking up. "Don't worry, everything worked out in the end. You were a punching bag, keeping them busy until I arrived. They all left with their tails between their legs after I gave that fat guy a taste of his own medicine!"

Reikan grimaced at his friend's words, both at the mocking comment about being used as a mere punching bag and at the current state Suzaku's right-hand man must be in from facing the infamous Byakko.

"I see... Thank you for taking me home after all that," the young monk-in-training said, hoping not to worry his father and brothers. Then he looked at Mori with a relieved smile. "By the way, I'm glad you're okay."

The former Monkey King couldn't help but grimace self-deprecatingly. It seemed incredible to him that this person, whom he had barely met today, had given him so much help to the point of getting hurt for his well-being, while he, if he had made a minimal effort, could have avoided it all.

Could he have sunk any lower? Inevitably, Mori believed that he could.

"I have no words for..." The turquoise-haired young man began to say before being interrupted by Reikan.

"Keep your thanks to yourself and also your apologies, if you have any," he stopped him seriously before smiling happily. "I only did what I thought was right. The consequences of that are not your fault. For now, I only ask that you help me get home; I feel a little dizzy."

After hearing his words, the Fallen God simply nodded as he pondered the purple-haired young man's statement.

What I thought was right...

Do what you want.

A big smile formed on the Yakuza princess's face. "Then let's go! That grumpy Seiryu will spit fire if we don't get there in time!"

"He's not a real dragon!" Reikan exclaimed angrily.

The trio began moving toward the Ryuudou Temple, and although Mori still felt the pressure of a peculiar gaze, he somehow felt lighter than usual.

The will to do what you want and what is right...

"Ah... Even in death, you still teach me things, Grandpa."

Unnoticed by the former Monkey King or the one watching him so intently, a third presence was not far from both. That being smiled calmly.

"As it should be, always aware of nothingness," said the lonely man before sipping his green tea in a distant restaurant.

It wasn't long before the trio reached the top of Mount Enzou, where the Ryuudou Temple was located. Reikan had told them of legends that a dragon once inhabited these lands, resting beneath the mountain and granting knowledge to the monks of the village.

They were merely legends, as the young monk had said—tales that even the gullible-looking Taiga dismissed as fantasy. But it would be very hypocritical of Mori to reject their existence, when he himself had been a god once—a demon born in the Sage Realm, tamer of celestial tigers, ruler of the dragons of the seas...

Yet so far, he had only calmed the fighting spirit of a girl who was categorized as a tiger, and still, he believed he hadn't done enough.

He could tell, however, that something powerful had once been here. It wasn't something of this realm, but it had been lurking nearby. Mori was no expert in magic, but he had learned a few tricks from his master, Subhuti, long ago. He could sense a barrier of sorts around the place, though he didn't know its exact nature or how it worked. Still, it confirmed his theory: there were beings like him in this world, but they didn't seem as present as in his own.

That, however, was a topic for another time. For now, they needed to leave Reikan at his home.

Some monks glanced at them, particularly at their companion, but none seemed alarmed, as though it were an everyday occurrence.

"He sometimes trains with Reikan, but honestly, he doesn't do very well," Taiga whispered to Mori, noticing his confusion.

Mori nodded, understanding the kind of hell Reikan was going through when fighting the infamous Byakko. He recalled that the invincible Seiryu was also nearby, which placed the young monk high in the combat hierarchy, though he still seemed nowhere near Suzaku due to how impossible it was to defeat his right-hand man.

"Well, thank you for bringing me here, guys. I'll go in and take care of this," Reikan said, pointing to his nose, which had turned purple and swollen. His voice had grown hoarse from the injury.

"No problem," Mori replied nonchalantly, seeing it as a way to return the favor.

"Anytime, Reikan-kun!" Taiga exclaimed encouragingly.

"Nii-san!"

Suddenly, a child's voice called out. They turned to see a boy, likely around Shirou's age if Mori had to guess. He had purple hair and glasses, and like the other monks, he wore traditional shrine robes. The sight reminded the former Monkey King of Xuanzang from centuries ago.

Mori didn't need to think twice to understand the resemblance the boy shared with Reikan—he guessed they were brothers.

"Well, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow!" Reikan said, bidding them farewell as he approached his worried younger brother, playfully making jokes about his broken nose to lighten the mood.

"You know where Shirou is, right?" Mori asked Taiga seriously, capturing her full attention with the tone of his voice.

Taiga smiled. "I thought you'd never ask. Come follow me. It's actually very close to our homes, just on the other side of Miyama."

"On the other side?" Kiritsugu's adopted son raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with those parts.

"Yeah, the foreigners' area, where people from overseas came and settled long ago. Now only their Victorian houses and descendants remain," the brown-haired girl explained as she began to descend the Ryuudou Temple stairs, with Mori following closely. "Shirou-kun became friends with one of the oldest families that immigrated here. They've probably lived here for more than two centuries, though it's hard to say exactly when, since even they don't know."

"Who are they?" the fallen god asked, more intrigued by the story of the family Shirou had unexpectedly befriended.

"They're the Tohsaka—a very conservative family, but..." Taiga trailed off, a look of sympathy crossing her face. "They've been going through a very hard time recently. They lost a daughter over a year ago, the father died in an accident, and the mother has brain damage. The only ones left are the eldest daughter, who's about Shirou-kun's age, and a distant relative who came to take care of her and the mother." Then, Taiga gave Mori a meaningful glance. "Who do you think would sympathize with that poor girl?"

Mori lowered his gaze in thought. Someone like Shirou, who had lost his family and everything he knew, would certainly understand the Tohsaka girl's pain. Mori couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for his younger brother.

He only wished Shirou would give more warning before visiting the homes of strangers.

"By the way, before I forget," Taiga said, breaking the silence, her tone suddenly curious, "who's this Mira you mentioned earlier?"

"Huh? N-Nobody." Mori answered quickly—perhaps too quickly.

Taiga raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"You're lying!"

"That's not the point!"

And so, the pair descended the Ryuudou Temple stairs, heading back home, unaware of the blue dragon's gaze fixed on them.

"Souichirou-kun, it's time for dinner."

The young man, who had been watching them attentively from the moment they arrived until they left, turned to see a middle-aged man with short purple hair and glasses, dressed in the same traditional robes as the other monks. He was undoubtedly Reikan's father, as they shared so many features.

He was also Souichirou's adoptive father for the past few years.

Souichirou nodded mechanically before following the man into the dining hall with the other monks. However, his thoughts remained on the pair, particularly the turquoise-haired one. He had noticed that Byakko had changed overnight—her way of walking and breathing had improved significantly. While the change wasn't drastic, it was noticeable for how natural her evolution seemed.

But that new student was something else entirely.

I want to fight him.

These were the thoughts driven by his killer instincts—the reason for his existence. It was what Jae-san had begged of him and his brothers:

Do what you want, that's fine.

'Well, this is what I want,' Souichirou thought ominously. 'And nothing is going to stop me.'

...

The dysfunctional couple of a monkey and a tiger managed to reach their destination without many problems. Fortunately, Mori had managed to change the subject away from his past, not at all ready to talk about it. Besides, Taiga was a girl who was easily distracted, so it hadn't been that difficult.

Although there was still the annoyance of being observed, the former Monkey King still found himself unable to pinpoint the exact location of that gaze. However, he did not give it too much importance; his priority was and always would be Shirou.

Before long, they found themselves in front of the gate of the Tohsaka residence. As Taiga had said, it wasn't too far from the Emiya residence, but he noticed the vast difference between the areas of Miyama as they crossed the outskirts of the city. Instead of traditional Japanese houses, typical European buildings were present—some of them very old and in Victorian styles, but very well-preserved despite the decades since they were built.

The Tohsaka house was no different; in fact, you could say it was the most majestic, with a well-kept garden, firm and pristine walls, stain-free windows, and it looked freshly painted. The place could be categorized as an old mansion in other circumstances.

'And Shirou makes friends with what looks like a real princess,' Mori couldn't help but think, staring blankly at the entrance door to the building.

"Are you planning to ring the bell, or are we going to be here all night?" Taiga asked impatiently.

"Sorry, I'm not used to this kind of thing yet."

The young swordswoman gave him an incredulous look. "You practically live in a Japanese mansion; your home must have the same amount of rooms and gadgets as this one."

"Well, if you put it that way..." Mori said uncertainly.

Despite having lived his life as Sun Wukong, with all kinds of luxuries and pleasures, and with wealth greater than that of several kings, emperors, and gods as the Lord of the Sage Realm, the rest of his humble life as Jin Mori caused that magnanimous attitude to be overshadowed.

Although I would never turn down a royal meal made by Daewi or Shirou on any day of the week.

But there would be another time to think about delicious food; the important thing was to return home, and he wasn't going to do it if it wasn't with Shirou.

So, under Taiga's expectant gaze, Mori set out to knock on the door...

"Welcome to the Tohsaka residence. You must be Shirou-kun's brother, Emiya Mori, if I'm not mistaken, right?"

It wasn't necessary at all when the door suddenly opened just before the turquoise-haired young man's fist touched it, revealing what looked like a young woman in a very well-fitting maid outfit, speaking with total politeness.

"Eh... Yes, it's me. I came looking for Shirou... Although I already knew it; I can assume." Mori said, lowering his hand with a nervous smile.

The blue eyes of the woman known as Anne kept staring at the one who seemed to be the Magus Killer's eldest son, analyzing every inch of him. Although she couldn't discern if he had any knowledge of magecraft, she could tell that he had some experience in combat.

"Indeed, Shirou-kun informed us that his father wanted him back early, so we were aware of his arrival," the maid explained naturally. "Don't worry; he's already on his way."

After saying those words, two children came down the stairs until they reached the entrance. One of them was indeed Shirou; the other was a girl his age with brown hair and blue eyes—his new friend.

Certainly, Taiga had been right about the maid and the eldest daughter of the Tohsakas; they were distant relatives in some way, both sharing the same shade of eye color and a look that seemed to try to find out more about you than what one wanted to show.

Although the girl seemed to do it out of curiosity, the adult did it with real intentions of wanting to know.

"Well, see you later, Emiya-kun," Rin said goodbye to her first friend in a long time.

"See you tomorrow, Tohsaka-chan," Shirou replied with a slight smile before smiling happily at the sight of both his older brother and Taiga not fighting. "Mori-nii! Fuji-nee!"

The latter was a little surprised by how he called her. Although they didn't get along badly, there was certainly some tension due to her personal problems with the turquoise-haired boy. Still, being called "big sister" by little Shirou... it wasn't bad at all.

"Well, are you ready to go home?" Mori asked, starting to leave the Tohsaka residence with his new friend and younger brother, under the watchful eyes of the Tohsakas.

"Interesting," was the only thing Anne said before entering the residence with Rin again.

"Do you know what the old man is going to tell us?" the little redhead asked curiously.

The Fallen God shook his head before looking at the Fuyuki Tiger, who shrugged, showing that she had no more information except what they already knew.

"Well, we'll have to find out for ourselves."

Thus, the trio headed to the Emiya residence, passing not far from a lonely park, except for a boy who seemed to be the same age as Shirou, perhaps a couple of years older.

The most peculiar thing was his golden hair, which seemed to shine more intensely under the light of the sunset, and his red eyes that did not stop looking at Mori with an intensity that could have melted the sun itself. However, that look of repulsion changed drastically when he glanced at the redhead accompanying the degraded Divine Spirit at his side.

And for what seemed like the first time in millennia, a genuine interest was born within the unknown child as his red eyes were clouded by an ominous haze.

"E-Eh...? T-That was..." An ominous smile seemed to split the blonde's face. "Finally, something interesting to entertain myself with. I hope to have more fun with you than with Saber and Rider, Guardian."

It was the last thing the red-eyed boy said before disappearing from the place without leaving any trace behind, as if he had never really been there, with only the world as a witness.

Witness to what could be the worst encounter of destiny.

...

In no time, the trio found themselves in front of the Emiya residence, with the two brothers bidding farewell to Raiga's granddaughter, who had accompanied them throughout the journey as a sort of bodyguard... or perhaps to ensure they reached their destination without any detours.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in for dinner with us, Fuji-nee?" Shirou asked with disappointment, hoping to have a quiet meal with his brotherly figures.

Taiga smiled at the little redhead's endearing attitude. "Sorry, but I have things to do at home. Maybe next time."

To Mori's surprise, he felt disappointed by the brown-haired girl's refusal; intoxicated by this new friendship he thought was impossible, the former Monkey King found a certain calm in the chaotic Fuyuki Tiger in a way that was so strange it almost reminded him of Xuanzang.

And he didn't know if that relieved him or hurt him even more.

"Shirou-kun, why don't you go in and see your father? He was a little worried when he found out that you went to a stranger's house without warning. Go tell him that you're okay." The Celestial Tiger began to say with a smile before giving Mori a particular look. "I would like to talk to your brother about something; I won't take up much of his time."

Those words surprised the brothers equally. The redhead hesitated to leave his brother alone with Taiga, despite their apparent reconciliation. On the other hand, the Fallen God couldn't help but wonder what else they had to discuss between them, believing they had already settled their debts and could act relatively normally.

"Okay, Shirou, come in," Mori told him, clearing up his younger brother's doubts. He looked between the two teenagers before entering the Emiya residence, hoping that neither of them would fight.

So they were alone again, and to the turquoise-haired young man's relief, the Yakuza princess was calm. She had certainly given him a vote of confidence since he hadn't shown any more hostility up to that point, but he was still hesitant about what she wanted.

And so they stayed for what seemed like an eternity, with Taiga staring at him and sometimes lowering her gaze to the ground in doubt. Unfortunately, Mori couldn't read minds; it was a power she had never developed, and only a finite number of gods possessed it, like Satan. But still, the young man was patient with her.

Suddenly, she raised her hand and seemed to want to pull him closer, but in the end, she hesitated and retracted her actions, which caused more intrigue and confusion in the former Monkey King. After all, he was completely unaware of what she wanted to convey to him and was not sure if she really wanted to talk about it.

"I... " Taiga murmured, looking at him sadly. "I meant what I said before, regarding how I see you and how you came into my life... I just hope that one day you can look at yourself the way I see you."

That was the last thing she said before turning around and heading home. Mori didn't stop her, slightly stunned by her words, and also because he somehow felt that she wouldn't appreciate continuing to discuss the subject.

Still, Jin Taejin's grandson did what he considered best: simply watching, simply seeing Taiga's silhouette fading into the distance as the orange light slowly gave way to the night.

And yet Mori did not move, considering her words even if only distantly.

You were born to be loved...

I hope you can see yourself the way I see you...

Stay alive...

"I... I still don't feel like I deserve it." Those were the sad words of the Fallen God that only the world was able to hear.

And the world didn't like it.

With a sigh, the blue-haired young man turned around and entered his home, the delicious smell of dinner assaulting his nostrils. Mori hoped that a good home-cooked meal would ease the worries of the day.

The Emiya residence's family dinner was as usual... for the most part. The food was delicious, with the three men eating leisurely and throwing out the occasional comment.

Although it could be said that the "best" was waiting for the end, instead of some dessert, what Kiritsugu's two adopted sons received was nothing more than a short but forceful scolding from the family patriarch: to Shirou for leaving with a stranger without warning, regardless of them being friends, and to Mori for ultimately picking up the redhead later than he should have. Although in the end, some arrangements were made for Shirou to go directly home, since he knew the way perfectly, and they hoped that giving him a certain degree of independence with his friends would help the boy with his nightmares. Also, in the event that the former Magus Killer was not at home, he had already made arrangements with old man Raiga for one of his men to be nearby and take care of the redhead if necessary.

And that's where the main issue of why they had been called so urgently comes in.

"Tomorrow morning I have an important business trip. I know it's very sudden, but I can't delay it." The middle-aged man explained briefly before sighing tiredly. "I apologize for being so sudden, especially since we've only been living together for a month."

The two brothers looked at each other, and what almost seemed like a mutual understanding crossed their minds before they looked at their adoptive father.

"Don't worry, old man. We'll be fine," Shirou said with childish determination to make his father happy.

"We'll make sure the house is still standing when you get back." Mori said this time seriously, giving Kiritsugu a thumbs up, an action that was imitated by the redhead.

They certainly weren't the most touching words and probably had the opposite effect of causing him more concern than relief, but still, the man who had lost almost everything in life couldn't help but smile at the consideration his new family had for him.

"Well, I'll leave it in your hands, guys," the magus said with a smile.

"Good!"

"And now to sleep; you still have classes tomorrow. I asked old Raiga to be on the lookout for anything, and he has the authorization to take necessary measures with you, so be responsible."

"Don't worry, old man! We know what we're doing!"

"I'm not that old..."

And so a long day had ended, the first of many in the new life of the one who was once the Almighty God of the Universe.

But while the Fallen God of another world slept with his family that night, things were just beginning for others...