Beta read and Co-written by Gamercrusher55 and Shigiya
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-London-
(Flashback)
There were many ways to describe the Clock Tower, but one way was bland; the place, despite having a rich history going back thousands of years, was physically just an arrangement of old, well-maintained buildings. A university for research, which was spread out with several classrooms, offices, and courtyards, mostly connected to the underground workshop located directly underneath the main building. The actual clock tower that made up its centerpoint stood tall with ancient and regal architecture that showed the test of time, as its clock hands still turned despite their age.
For Luvia herself, it was a place with a surface atmosphere that made her feel comfortable relaxing and having some tea with guests. It made sense, since the aristocrats who helped found it would have desired a suitable environment for them to live, especially with all the resources they poured into it.
Physically, it was not exactly the exciting and grand image many outside had of the establishment, but at the end of the day, it was one that actually made sense. Too much commotion and too many different distractions were just not ideal for those who were focused on pursuing their craft of researching the unknown and needed the perfect environment in order to concentrate on it. And such an environment that was decided to be the most beneficial came in the form of silence and peace.
Today, the young blonde had not come to pursue her regular classes for study. She walked past the department of mineralogy and got straight into the department of modern magecraft. Not to meet its current head, and Lord of the El-Melloi family, who fulfilled his duty of teaching the younger generations of the magecraft world, but instead to meet her latest client, who had asked to meet her in his classroom while he was away.
Someone who, in particular, had given her quite an already substantial advance for her services, which the sheer volume was rarely seen in her line of duty unless it was something major. Enough to fund her own research and experiments for the next decade, conservatively, without even touching any of her savings or even her other resources granted by the family.
Her sister would certainly be overjoyed not to fight her over it, though she still felt that a little hard work and not complete depending on the family finances would serve her best. She'd dip in from time to time incase she would overspend a bit.
"Stay here, Clown."
"By your command, my lady."
There was no one studying or teaching in the classes today. No one was supposed to be here, and the amphitheatre-styled classroom was vacant. After the Lord left London to deal with his personal matters, his classes had been postponed for a couple of weeks at least.
She was curious to see who was the one who had the authority to use this room during his absence.
And she soon got her answer upon opening the classroom door, then walking into the large U-shaped open space. Someone was standing at the classroom's front, staring at the blackboard still filled with the modern magecraft teachings and notes that had been left for any of his students who needed it for reference. "Just on time and not a second too soon or too late. As one would expect from the Edelfelt family."
"I call it professional courtesy. How can you trust my ethics and my own capabilities if I don't honor my own words and come on time?" Luvia said calmly, snapping her fingers for fun while observing the individual with narrowed eyes. As for who this was, of course, she immediately recognized his appearance.
A man with long brown hair that reached his back. He wore a cloak split midway between the colors of black and red that covered most of his body. The red side of his clock had a white intricate symbol of unknown origin, and he wore deep blue pants. He had a youthful, almost elf-like face that easily put him as a man in his early twenties, if not late twenties, appearance-wise. "I thank you for taking the time to listen to my request."
"It's nothing. How may I assist you, Doctor Heartless?"
The man standing before her was the enigmatic and mysterious former dean of the department of modern magecraft. He had joined the Clock Tower out of the blue, a little over ten years ago. He'd been a rising star who'd easily been able to perform multiple different schools of magecraft.
At the end, he had become the dean of modern magecraft theory, the newest department of the Clock Tower.
However, unlike his successor, he hadn't inherited the title of Lord as the department had not been backed by one at the time. It was later promoted to one of the main departments during a Grand Roll, the decision-making meetings of the Clock Tower.
But just before that change had occurred, all of a sudden, he gave up his position of dean and left the Clock Tower. Just as quickly as he came, after years of exemplary teachings and service, he left.
And now he was in front of her.
Aside from that, she did not know much about his personal life. Rumours floated around, but without substance, they were of no importance. "I never would have believed that someone like you would need the assistance of my family. You must have made quite an enemy if it requires my intervention."
The former dean chuckled, and she noticed that just like his face, his voice sounded almost angelic. Still, she noticed there was something strange about him. It was hard to put a finger on what exactly it was, but if she had to put it into words, it was just his overall disposition. Even that laugh of his felt forced, almost like seeing someone acting out a bit during a recital. "Rest assured, I would never mean to intentionally antagonize someone to end up in such a situation. Besides, it would be kind of embarrassing if I were to put a fine lady like yourself in such a disappointing position that you would need to deal with my own issues."
"You would be surprised at how many cases I get like those," she said before taking a seat at one of the unused amphitheater seats in front. The next moment, the man had served her a cup of tea out of thin air, the magecraft unveiling it out of the warped space in front of her. She raised her eyebrow as she stared from the cup, then at him. "You should have told me we were going to be having a long conversation here, I would have bought you a gift. Tell me, are you a fan of wine?"
"Sorry, alcohol in general is not to my liking," Heartless replied, moving on to answer her question. "I had to choose this place for several reasons. One, I wanted to see how this place turned out after I left it. I see that my successor has done good work; this formula on the blackboard is coded so that the various answers must be reached by different methods. It's geared towards each individual student. Quite impressive." He smiled, admiring the work, clearly satisfied with the current status of modern magecraft education. "Second, some privacy was required, and I know this facility quite well, so I can speak here with a sound mind."
"There are plenty of ways to achieve that second part. We have dedicated spaces for all different kinds of our family businesses. Discussing the details without having their identities discovered is child's play for us."
"Is that so? I never knew about that. Interesting."
She smirked, "Exactly the point. It wouldn't be effective enough if there were people who knew about it." Her reply only brought another chuckle from the man. The tea in her mouth lost its flavour as once more that strange sensation of dissonance with his tone and speech resurfaced in her mind. "So, let's get started with business then." Not wanting to waste any time, she immediately started the conversation, focusing on the main topic at hand.
It seemed like Heartless desired the same thing as well, as he brought a large file onto her table and slid it down to her. She caught it and opened its contents, the blonde-haired noble taking one glance at the contents before she found herself surprised to find several pieces of information about a particular town she knew all too well. "Fuyuki?"
"…Are you aware of it?"
"Hard not to know this place, given the events that have occurred there these two hundred years. The past decade alone has had the largest impact on its fame… after all, a Lord died in the last one. Not to mention, that absolute tragedy that had come from the aftermath of it all. It took everything from the Clock Tower and the Church to cover up that whole mess. And I also have a couple of connections to that backwater country, especially given my family's history. What of it?"
"You see, Miss Edelfet, I have recently been working with a benefactor of mine who has aided me tremendously throughout this last decade. He and I have worked together back and forth several times these past years, and he has proven himself to be quite the capable man and mage. I originally thought our partnership would reach an inevitable end, but I'm shocked to find that we are now continuing it."
Already her mind started to gather different thoughts, compiling several pieces of information she had learnt throughout the past few years about who this could possibly be. Several names came to mind, but in the end, she could not pinpoint who exactly it was one hundred percent. Meanwhile, the man continued on. "During one of our latest discussions, an important matter arose which happened to be related to this very place. And the more we dug deeper and deeper, the more certain we became of our next stage of research."
"Excuse me for being a bit too direct, but what exactly do you need me for then? You already have an ally, do you not, and one you consider capable. What specific task are you in need of the services of those who are mocked as the hyenas?" She asked him with confusion, as in her line of duty, it was practically expected for her clients to pay her to take on a mission that required either combat with someone to the point they'd be dead or out of commission, or something destroyed or retrieved.
But the way he was wording his request made it unclear if it had anything to do with those four options. "I can understand your confusion, but with what's going on over there right now, the situation is complicated. So I will be direct with you rather than wasting time beating around the bush, which I am now confident is to your liking. We seek to retrieve an item currently in the city."
Ah, finally, there it was. Luvia was not surprised by the request, and she was not an idiot. A sole mission to retrieve an item from Fuyuki allowed her to narrow down the list of possibilities quite a bit.
He continued, "Have you heard of the latest contestant chosen to participate in the Holy Grail War from our very own Clock Tower?"
"I have. Artum of the Galiasta house, if I remember correctly. He's that newcomer who just joined the Clock Tower, isn't he?"
"Indeed, you may not know this, but the truth is I actually approached him initially for this. But unfortunately, despite all the aid I gave him, he has currently taken a rogue path. It appears greed has taken control of his actions as of late, and I feel a more professional hand is needed right now."
Not so surprising, she only met the man once and already discerned the kind of individual he was. Obnoxious and self-serving, the standard mage one would find behind these walls. Add an exuberant amount of wealth and immaturity, and the end result was a mage with power and means beyond his maturity. "So you've come to me to finish this task."
"You are quite wise, my lady." Not paying much attention to his kind words, she continued to read through the papers as all of the intel he'd gathered for her was laid before her eyes.
A part of her heart sighed in relief when she realized that it had no mention of a certain magus killer and his son.
It also made no mention of the Second Owner in deep enough detail about her personality or magecraft. In fact, rather than their part as a founding family, it was barren. She was clearly of no interest to him.
But the more she read of what he showed her, the more her expression darkened as a hint of irritation crossed her eyes. This…this could be apocalyptic. "This is no different from telling me to kill myself."
"Ah, so you realised what I'm asking for you to accomplish."
"I don't need to explain to you why this is a fool's errand." Now she knew why he paid her so fucking much in advance! It was the only way to convince her to get involved.
"So you say, but correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you also had plans when it comes to this particular matter, don't you? With the information in front of you, you must have realized that we noticed you have shown quite a bit of interest in Fuyuki lately."
She narrowed her eyes but said nothing, instead taking a deep breath to calm herself. Spending the next few minutes thinking about this request carefully.
Doctor Heartless, how accurate that name was right now was not lost on her. It interrupted her train of thought to continue. "Before you make any decisions, of course, I would not give you such a difficult task empty-handed. I have already made several preparations that could aid you down the line. Give you an advantage, so to speak."
An advantage, he said. Whatever it was, she doubted it would change much. "No wonder your deposit was so big; this will not be an easy request to fulfill."
"I know, I know, I'm not asking you to achieve the impossible. If the task proves itself to be… too much, then you're more than free to abandon it. I will not ask for a refund, and we shall conclude our arrangement immediately without any hard feelings."
"What makes you think I won't take this for myself?" she asked out of genuine curiosity, a question that only just made him smile.
"I know your reputation and pride will not simply allow it unless of truly extenuating circumstances. Besides, why did you think I asked you in particular? You want to go to Fuyuki and interfere, don't you?"
Hearing such a confident answer from him, gave Luvia mixed feelings. To be proud of the well-known image that she established, or to scoff at how confident he was at reading her.
"But of course, there is one last task you will need to accomplish before focusing on the main one. This person may end up being a major obstacle on your path if not taken care of immediately," he said to her as he turned to the final pages, where the pictures of a certain magenta-haired enforcer could be seen. Immediately, she knew who this person was without even reading the name.
Unlike the main request, Luvia replied immediately without any hint of doubt. "I'll handle this one first. You will receive confirmation when I'm done with her." With that said, the woman wasted no time in getting up from her seat and walking out of the classroom while Heartless remained behind, taking a sip of a coffee cup that appeared right next to her tea cup. He was watching her back grow smaller in the distance. "Given this is a double request technically, I shall send you another invoice for a more appropriate payment."
"But of course, though I am not short on funds and resources."
Walking back into the hallway, meeting up with Clown, Luvia already began to make plans to head to Fuyuki. With what she had seen, the girl hoped with all her might that the foolish boy would not get himself involved with any of this. This whole thing was an imminent disaster.
{Break}
-Fuyuki Memorial Park-
The Fuyuki Memorial Park, a place Shirou knew about all too well.
When was the last time he came over here? Weeks? Months? More than a year, even. Not a place that carried fond memories for him, even just walking by always gave him a feeling in his heart. Every time he'd so much as gazed at the spot, memories of the past surfaced, followed by phantom cries and the sound of burning fire.
Dropping to one knee at the memorial's edge, he whispered words meant for ears long since gone. His fingertips traced the cool obsidian surface where each name remained etched in permanent remembrance. The bouquet in his hand joined countless others at the base of the monument, their petals bright against the stone as the past rushed forward to meet him.
He could remember both clearly and hazily what happened that day. It was so chaotic back then, not everything struck clear to him, especially with all that smog, but what he did remember was always within him, from its ruined state, where nothing was left but charred remains and ashes, to the fire-filled skies. He remembered the woman who desperately tried to save her child before the building collapsed on them both. He hated memories like that…of times when people who tried their hardest weren't rewarded.
The place had changed since then. Some renovations were done by the local authorities, but even that was not enough to remove the scars of the past. Trees lined up across the path, numerous but with a very distinct trait separating them from the rest of the fauna in Fuyuki—the lack of leaves. Every single one of them looked like they had rotted from the inside, and was forever unable to be restored to its prior self.
Rumours floated around by the locals on how this place was cursed, and in a way… It was not a lie. There was something unnatural about this place, lingering remnants from the prior war, if he guessed.
"There is something repulsive here." Of course, a servant like a Rider who was more sensitive to the supernatural would have a better time sensing that something was off about this place.
"You can take a guess as to why. One of the many places that were afflicted by the prior war, and as you can see, the outcome was not prett—!"
Strange.
One way to word that feeling that came out of nowhere. Insignificant but clear enough that his next step and words halted altogether. Like an audible yet silent ringing in his ears, a slight distortion of the world around him, a feeling so foreign he could not put into words.
'Shirou? Is something wrong?' Rider's voice snapped him back, blinking several times, he looked around with genuine confusion.
'What… was that?' He thought to himself, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, but now a strange sense of déjà-vu accompanied his senses for some reason. "Didn't you just feel something strange?"
'No, at least, aside from the general feel of this place. Strange how?'
How? Yes… how? He asked himself that question, not even sure how to phrase it without sounding like an idiot. "I don't know… felt like I got a… um… You know what? Nevermind. I'm probably just imagining things."
Like a sudden wave of dread and relief came and went in a matter of seconds, of different magnitudes all at once. His palm felt sweaty, yet he did not understand why. Could not have been an enemy, Rider would have noticed.
Something about his surroundings felt different.
"A-Ah, I was saying before. The outcome was not pretty."
She hummed in agreement, "Whatever it was that left such a deep mark that it remains persistent even after years — It was either a powerful Noble Phantasm of some sort or something far worse. It was clearly malicious; this entire area is dominated by curses. It enshrouds the place like a barrier spell as if, if one were to enter it, they would enter a new world."
He agreed with her statement, not to mention that given the very nature of this place, it was without fail Fuyuki's most scarred and haunted place. He wondered if this was the first location Ayako might bring him to investigate. If that were the case, then he preferred that outcome to the girl taking him somewhere he did not know. Despite the pollution clinging to the land, he'd gone here plenty of times to pay his respects, so he knows it's technically safe. He couldn't say that for another place that could potentially hold actual danger.
"It's a good reminder as to why I need to make sure this war doesn't end up like the last one. Even with an outcome like this, I still can't believe there are people who still desire to try it again."
"Many are willing to put at stake their own lives if it means that there is even a fraction of a chance to win and fulfill the deepest wish within them. That's human nature." The woman responded with a tone that sounded tired, as if she was speaking through personal experience. And the moment he thought about the latter part, the boy immediately recalled the dream he had recently and understood where this familiarity came from.
How many heroes had gone to her island, promised one thing, but met another, the polar opposite?
Not to mention, he may not be so different from them right now. Embarking on a mission with a small chance of winning and being a hero, balanced with a great possibility of him losing his life and failing to save anyone.
He decided not to dwell on these thoughts for too long. In the next moment, the boy saw a certain girl with long, black, wavy hair styled in twin-tails adjusting her orange scarf in the distance. She was wearing a deep red winter coat, and despite how chilly it was, for some reason, she wore a short black skirt with thigh-high black knee socks.
'Couldn't she have worn the school skirt. They were long and designed for winter. Was she using a spell to make them warm, or did she just feel it hadn't gotten that bad yet?'
Whatever the case, she kept blowing some hot air in between her hands and rubbing it together. Given how cold it was tonight, he didn't blame her. It honestly felt like it might snow soon.
Looking at her in the distance, he noticed she hadn't recognized his present yet, still clearly deep in thought. Shirou understood why she was this distracted, as her face wasn't the most cheerful. He felt the same way and was just as worried about Sakura as she was. The way she was defensive about her these past few days really showed him how much the two had gotten closer in a short time.
'If this continues, she'll probably drown in depression and not think straight. Knowing her, she'd probably do better if she were a little more cheerful than gloomy.' He thought to himself as he stared at her, before an idle mischevious idea started to form.
He decided he didn't have anything to lose, so why not?
'Are you serious?' Rider mused, surprised at his choice, but did not interfere, curious to see how this would go.
He continued to approach Rin, doing so quietly and at an angle where she would not see him, with two cans of coffee he had gotten beforehand from a nearby vending machine. He walked with both in his hands, as he took his opportunity to mess around with her just a bit to take her attention off those troubling thoughts.
As he was now close enough behind her—
"Boo."
"Kyaaa!"
Woosh!
Bam!
"—!"
And that quickly turned into the worst decision of tonight, as he had not anticipated just how violent her reaction would be. The moment he whispered that single word near her ears, the world practically jumped in the air as she turned around to shoot a ball of condensed red energy that flew past his head and struck a tree bark behind him. Shattering it into pieces.
"E-Emiya-kun?" While he was still recovering from that near miss, Rin looked at him in disbelief before her face turned full red from anger. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot!"
"I-I was just trying to scare you a bit. What's with you shooting out curses in the open! What happened with the whole magecraft secrecy!?"
Her face turned crimson from embarrassment a second before she recovered her cool. "T-This place is already creepy enough, and we're in the middle of the night, while in the middle of a Holy Grail War! What do you expect would happen when you snuck up on me!?"
"..."
To be fair, she was right.
"Alright, good point. I apologize, Tohsaka." If there was one thing he learnt from interacting with Ayako, Taiga, and even Rider daily — arguing could be a waste of time during hectic situations, and the person before him was definitely a stubborn one, so best to drop it. "But for the record, I didn't think it would have worked. I thought you already knew I was here since Lancer must have sensed me way earlier on."
"That's… true." Realization soon came upon her, angrily looking to her side where a blue-haired heroic spirit appeared sitting leisurely on a small boulder. Munching on a blade of grass he got from somewhere, the guy smirked as he faced his angry master. "You knew they were close."
"Yep. But I just got curious to see what the boy was gonna do. Hahaha! I never thought he was gonna give you a little scare like that, and it was priceless. Don't punish him too much for that; it was all in good fun."
She rolled her eyes at those words, while Shirou, on the other hand, just ignored them. "If this is how you decide to handle our partnership, I'm inclined to leave right now."
"Don't worry, I fully intend on taking this seriously. If I didn't, then our fight wouldn't have meant anything. All right, now that I am here, what's your plan anyway? You haven't even told me where we're going." Shirou asked the question that had been most on his mind. He trusted her words and her intentions, but it would still be best to check all his bases going into unknown territory.
"I did some digging around. Caster's Master has been quite active lately, or at least the groups associated with whoever they are have been. So I intend to check it out with my own eyes and see if they're involved in some way with what happened back there."
"That's it?" Shirou asked, staring at her with disbelief.
He immediately received a glare from Rin. She turned fully toward him, her brows drawn together, arms crossing over her chest as she waited for him to say something more reasonable. "What do you mean, that's it? You have to start from somewhere," she said, her voice carrying an irritated edge rather than outright anger.
Shirou opened his mouth, then closed it again, realizing she was waiting for an actual alternative. "I feel like there is more to that story."
"I'll add something, since you're clearly worried," Rin continued. "If you're concerned about Caster, then your fears are unfounded. I understand she's powerful, at least judging by the aftermath from back when you told me you confronted her directly, but she isn't invincible. With both Lancer and Rider working together, even Caster wouldn't take unnecessary risks. On top of that, we're not attacking the main group itself. We're just checking places affiliated with them to pick up clues. Detective work at best."
Shirou let out a slow breath. "Are you even good at that sort of thing, you know. Subtlety isn't exactly your strong suit."
"Then you'll be pleasantly surprised," Rin replied without hesitation.
The confidence in her tone caught him off guard. It wasn't forced, and it wasn't defensive either. Given her attitude, Shirou figured that for now, he could trust her and see what she actually meant by detective work, rather than arguing in circles.
"But how did you even find all this out?" he asked. "Do you have people working for you?"
Now that he thought about it, she was the second owner, so it made sense for her to have access to resources he didn't. Still, the moment the words left his mouth, Rin looked away and coughed into her fist, clearly uncomfortable.
"Y-Yes, yes, I do," she said quickly. "Forget about that. That's not the important part. Basically, everything I found all linked back to that chimera monster incident back before the new school year. Did you know that shortly before that, there were several increasing cases of people going missing?"
Shirou was shocked as that was the first time he'd heard of it. He tilted his head, trying to recall anything relevant. Back then, there hadn't been any reports that stood out to him. People going missing wasn't unheard of, especially with everything else happening, but he didn't remember anything from before the fighting started.
"I don't recall anything like that," he said. "What are you suggesting? That even before the chimeras, Caster's Master was already making moves for the war? Those people missing are you suggesting they somehow benefited him or stood in his way? Maybe it could have been some kind of memory manipulation that got them out of the way or something similar?"
"Bingo," Rin replied, a satisfied smile appearing on her face, at Shirou's quick assessment of the facts. "I remember a couple going around town handing out flyers about their missing child. They went everywhere. The police station, the church, anywhere they thought someone might listen. Then, out of nowhere, the very next day, they stopped. Every flyer vanished."
"You didn't bother checking on them?" Shirou asked, unable to keep the question to himself.
Rin snapped her head toward him. "I can't go making noise about every little thing," she said. "Even if I did have it on my mind, it's not like I could have acted on it at the time. Should I remind you that not long after that, there was that entire monster incident I had to deal with? My hands were full, so I left it in someone else's care. I'll admit it was a mistake. That lazy idiot didn't even do a proper follow-up and just reported that the parents claimed their child went abroad. That alone should sound strange enough to you."
"It does," Shirou agreed. If it happened right before the chimera incident, then it happened in the time before he really became active. Still, the fact that he didn't notice irked him. "So you're following this trail to see if it leads to anything about Sakura?"
"Yes," Rin said without hesitation. "I can't say for sure, but I practically guarantee this has something to do with all the stuff going on in Fuyuki. Missing person cases and Sakura's absence—If we follow the crumbs, we will find our goal. If someone is bold enough to attack Fuyuki, they must have prior preparation with the city. Besides, it's not uncommon to hear about magi kidnapping people to experiment on them like this."
"Yeah, but won't that risk endangering the secrecy of magecraft. Kinda seems like it's something to avoid, not pursue."
"Not if you're confident that it won't trace back to you. If you're certain you can hide the bodies, you won't hear complaints. At that point, it's all one's moral ethics that prevent such actions. Granted, take it too far, and the Mage's Association will hunt you down. There are a few in the organization that won't tolerate large-scale actions or actions that endanger more human lives. Not all mages are heartless."
Shirou clenched his fists, infuriated at the idea that there were mages who were okay with harming innocents as long as they thought they could get away with it. He followed Rin as they finally moved away from the park, the sounds of the city slowly filling the silence between them. After a few steps, she spoke again.
"Aren't you going to ask me?"
"Ask you what?" Shirou replied.
"Why am I putting so much effort into finding Sakura?"
Shirou shrugged, his gaze forward. "Why would that make me question you? You're obviously worried about her. I also just want to make sure she's safe! We both want the same thing, right?"
He clearly heard her groan and rub her forehead, fingers pressing against her temples as if she were trying to push away a headache. She looked genuinely tired, shoulders slumping for just a moment before she straightened again.
"This is not the first time I've approached you to check on Sakura," she said, her voice rougher than before. "Haven't you been curious at all? Even a little. You know, about why I've been putting so much effort into it?"
He blinked, taken aback by the sudden edge in her tone. For a moment, he searched for the right words, then shook his head slightly.
"I really don't follow what you're trying to say, but I think I get your intent," he replied. "Still, it's not strange to worry about someone and want to help them. Whether they're a friend, family member, or even a stranger. And I know you're a kind person at heart, even if you try to hide it. That's why I trust you."
He smiled as he said it, an honest expression that did not seem rehearsed. It only earned him a sharp look in return. She turned her head away, muttering something under her breath that he barely caught.
"You really shouldn't be so trusting of people," she said quietly. "But I'll let it slide."
An awkward silence followed. It lingered longer than either of them seemed comfortable with. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her arms folding and unfolding as if she did not know what to do with them. She'd glance at him from time to time, as if to say something before shaking her head and walking in front of him. Finally, deciding on something, she came to a stop, halting their walk. Turning to stare at Shirou, her serious eyes contrasting with her body language that showed how nervous she was as she kept rubbing her right arm.
"...Tohsaka?"
"Um, I have something I want to ask you?"
"Fine, what?"
"Uh... Um, this is a what-if question, just something that popped into my mind. So, what if someone is sent for adoption without any regard to their will…? How do you think that person feels when they grow up?"
"..."
'What does she mean by that question? A child that's adopted with no regard for their will… A life where the previous life is all thrown away to be adopted by a complete stranger. People say children cannot choose their parents. Children who are raised by a stranger after they are born, and how they might feel.'
He remembered a particular moment from years ago. The sight of an old man and his gentle smile when he asked him if he wanted to go with him or to an orphanage.
"Emiya-kun?"
"Nothing, just… just thinking about something." He got himself together. Why was he so sentimental? He didn't even need to think about this question.
"I don't believe it's a big problem. If the place they're adopted to ends up being a better home, I'm sure the person wouldn't have any complaints. If not, there will eventually be some complaints if it's a bad place. All children are like that."
Rin just stared at him with wide eyes before adopting a more gentle demeanor. She brushed back her long, wavy black hair to her back as she looked at him. "...I see. You're right. Why am I asking such an obvious thing?"
They continued to walk side by side in silence. For some reason, Shirou felt the distance between him and Rin had lessened just a bit. As she walked closer to him, Shirou began to notice more about her. The longer it stretched, the more tense she became. The way her clothes wrapped tightly around her body showed her curves. As she looked ahead, her face was focused. The way she gently leaned into him for more body warmth in the cold night.
'From an outside perspective, this kind of looks like a date.'
Thump, Thump, Thump
'Stop it, Stop it!' He kept telling his heart to quit pounding, but it refused as, against his will, his body recognized the beautiful woman next to him. Right when he thought she was going to notice his strange demeanor, she slapped her face with both her hands. Finally, she let out a loud sigh, grabbing him by the shoulder to make sure he was paying attention.
"All right," she said. "You brought what I asked you on the phone?"
That he did, a strange request at first. She needed him to bring something that belonged to Sakura. Whether it be a piece of clothing or, according to her, even a part of herself, saying it would have better 'results' or whatever she meant by that. Back then, when he was looking, Rider did not say anything, but kept looking at his bed where both of them slept just recently.
He hadn't even gotten to change the sheets yet.
'Nope, Nope, Nope! There was absolutely no way I would bring that in front of Rin of all people!'
Fortunately, some of her strands of hair remained on the sheets, pillows, and other places around the house. Which was what he brought in a plastic bag and handed to Lancer, who he'd forgotten was walking behind him with Rider. He smirked at him with a knowing look that made the boy feel even more embarrassed, and also a slight urge to punch the Heroic Spirit. "Will this be enough?"
"If it had been a piece of clothing, then it would have been a bit tricky. But a hair from a Mage's body counts as a good catalyst for spells like this one." He watched with curiosity as Lancer began writing some strange symbols in the air. Those characters floated around the hair strands until they started to drift towards the opposite direction from where he stood.
'A tracking spell.' Rider mentioned, catching him off guard, that Lancer knew such a thing.
"Impressed?" Rin said, enjoying his reaction. "Turns out, Lancer is more than just a brute who can poke stuff with his spear and make somewhat acceptable coffee. He is also quite a capable mage himself."
"Tche, so picky, Master. I remember how you loved my coffee."
"Shirou's is better."
"...Can't argue with that. The kid has skills. Think he'll make me an Irish coffee?"
.
.
.
(A few minutes later)
"Are you sure we are heading the right way?" After their conversation at the park, Shirou followed the girl as they made their way across town. Walking from one neighbourhood to another, with mostly silence present between them. But as they started to head further and further away from the park and into Miyama. His curiosity got the better of him, and once more, the prior question he'd been thinking came out of his mouth.
"Relax. This spell can track a year-old dead body for several miles. It will find your girlfriend too, easily." Lancer reassured him, walking alongside them with his spear hanging around his shoulder. "When it comes to tracking and reconnaissance, I am the best there is — despite my good looks."
"Lancer can be frustrating at times, but he's never let me down yet. Besides that, I'll be honest with you, Emiya-kun. Both Caster and her Master, despite their bold actions in the past, are actually quite adept at erasing their traces. Finding anything is a challenge in itself, and approaching them directly will most likely lead to a battle with one or multiple Servants dying." She said with a stern tone. "I am confident in both Lancer and Rider, too, but still, there is no need to take on such an unnecessary risk this early on."
"...I suppose you're right." The redhead mentioned while looking around as the houses around him started to change from the standard Japanese homes or regular apartment complexes to large walls separating one mansion from another.
They were back in the foreigners' district where Rin and Sakura lived.
"Tch… so she was that close to us. It makes sense, I suppose, since there wasn't a lot of time to get somewhere far. Unless the spell is just picking up her random traces." Rin shook her head as she continued. "Regardless, in the direction we're going, it will take us to something I've been meaning to investigate. Best to crush two birds with one stone."
"Do I even get to know what you're going to investigate first?"
"Hyouma Sagara," Rin answered.
That name rang no bell.
Seeing the silence continue to stretch on, she continued. "While Caster and her master left no traces of where to find them, the same can't be said about the others around them. Especially this person. He's mostly considered the absolute bottom of the barrel when it comes to most mages, and there's no particular talent whatsoever to talk about. Still, while he isn't the lowest mage, his highest achievement would still be achieving his status as at least a second-rate magus. He doesn't have a particularly powerful lineage whatsoever and mostly does tasks for other, more accomplished ones."
"But why would others hire him if he isn't really all that much?" Was Caster and her Master looking for grunt work?
"True, he doesn't have much, but there is something he's known for in the magecraft community… assassination!"
"What?" Shirou stopped in his tracks at that statement, feeling a cold shiver travel up his spine.
"Hyouma Sagara mostly uses his talents to kill others at the behest of his clients or to raise his own stock. To be honest, the only reason I know about him is that he mainly operated here in Japan around Tokyo. I mean, can't get your name out if no one knows about you."
"Someone who does that is now inside Fuyuki?" Shirou once more clenched his fists as hard as he could, as he bit his lip closed in anger.
"I know how you feel… but in this case, it works in our favor. If a guy like that is known here and interacting with the groups connected to Caster, then that makes it easier to point out who's his boss."
"In other words, he's connected to Caster's Master?"
"Yup," Rin looked back at him with a noticeable smirk. "I had Lancer trail him for a few hours just recently. Someone like him would never notice the presence of a Servant, and if he were a master himself, then his servant would have noticed something. After identifying who he was, it was easy to track him, and just like I suspected, he regularly visits his so-called 'boss' though I haven't figured out just where exactly. At best, all I've gotten is a general area somewhere in Shinto. On top of that, some of his men were seen around the docks, where not too long ago, in that chimera incident, a major fight that was covered up took place."
Now that he thought about it, Rin most likely did not know that he was present there during the confrontation against the giant Chimera monster.
'Should I tell her?' He wondered to himself before mentaly shaking his head. Perhaps another time, if he revealed that part now, then Rin would definitely have more questions.
"So are we just going to confront him and have him spill everything? It sounds kind of…"
"Simple?"
"I wouldn't go that far. But other than his identity and his connection to Caster's Master, we really don't have anything on us to force him to tell us the truth, do we? Besides, even if we did, he could just lie and tell us he has nothing to do with this, you know? If anything, he would find our presence to be suspicious? Are we gonna use violence or magecraft to get it out of him?"
The girl huffed, "First of all, I am the second owner, and I am entitled to know of all mages who come into my territory. The only exception may be a Master aiming for the holy grail, but they usually still go to get registered at the church. The fact that he did not make his presence known to me is already a major issue. I have every right to confront him about this. Also, no one is so loyal to a partner that they will be willing to invite trouble onto themselves. With a bit of convincing and pressure from two Servants, he will be more than willing to share some information for us to use. If not, well, I can always have Lancer rough him up a bit."
"Happy to help!" Lancer exclaimed from the side, completely laid back and just enjoying the moment.
'The way you're talking, Rin, it kinda sounds like you're a mafia boss.' Shirou decided to keep that little part to himself as they walked. To be honest, he also found it kind of off that if an expecting Master was exempt from voicing their presence to her, then couldn't someone just claim to be trying that, to get out of talking to her — especially since he wasn't sure all the Servants were summoned yet. Still, he trusted her plan, since Shirou figured if things did go awry, he was also here to mitigate that. They did not need to walk any longer when they soon came in front of a large villa. Just like the other buildings around, it had an old aesthetic vibe and a communication comm near the entrance.
"Pretty sure this place does not even belong to him. It's likely Caster's Master must have given him a temporary residence for Fuyuki or as a gift."
"How do you even know about this place?" Shirou asked, truly surprised at how prepared this girl was and the sheer amount of information she had gathered for this moment. His reaction only seemed to brighten her, as the twin-tailed mage raised her head and puffed her chest as if he was praising her.
"Heheh, simple, I just used a bit of hypnosis to get some of the records from the Land's Registry Department. They didn't even bother to buy their places under different aliases, which speaks volumes about their arrogance. Doing so without my permission, I guess it's time to show them whose city this is."
"..."
Now the boy really wished he had the ability to use hypnosis. Such methods were very convenient.
Ignoring that part, Rin rang the doorbell button, and soon the gate opened with a butler standing at the entrance, greeting them with a polite smile. "Yes? How can I hel—"
"Tell Sagara that the Second Owner is here to see him." She did have to waste a moment to make her intentions clear. Even though he found her words to be a bit too sudden, the old man showed no change in his expression before walking back in and telling them to wait for a minute. "He's definitely a failure of a mage. Not even bothering to set up a strong enough bounded field, how disappointing."
"Doesn't that work in our favour?"
"I suppose it does. But that does not mean I will not criticize his methods." Well, she definitely sounded like she was in a mood. Not wanting to risk any sort of feedback, he kept his silence. They did not need to wait long before the butler returned idly carrying a handkerchief, which he used to wipe his forehead with an apologetic smile.
"Dear guests of honour, you are welcome inside, but please know that there is someone else who has asked to meet with Master Sagara concerning important matters." He said, making Shirou wonder if perhaps they got lucky and it was Caster's Master. But unfortunately, Rider confirmed that she sensed no other servants nearby. Even Rin must have asked a similar question to Lancer, given how her eyebrows furrowed in contemplation.
The butler continued. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. He is waiting for you in the living room. I shall relieve myself to bring you all some tea."
With that, they both entered a luxurious hall that was before their eyes.
Whoever owned this place certainly did not hesitate to go all out when it came to decoration and furniture. Chandeliers that looked like they were made out of gold, old furniture he had seen in movies, and large oil paintings from different eras covering the wall.
"Straighten your back. Control your expression," Rin hissed under her breath. "You're with me; act like none of this impresses you." Her own eyes betrayed her, though, darting from gilded sconce to marble column with barely concealed hunger. "Ridiculous extravagance," she muttered, fingers twitching as if counting invisible coins. "Do you know how many research-grade gems I could purchase with just that chandelier?" He forced a nervous laugh, then reminded himself where they truly were—not merely in a palace of wealth, but in the lair of a murderous magus. His hand tensed, ready at his side.
Upon reaching the living room, he caught sight of a youthful blonde man in his early twenties sitting down facing someone else seated. His hair was stylishly parted down, and he wore a dashing all-white outfit from his shoes to his fancy suit. The only splash of color on his person was a periwinkle bolo tie around his neck and a blue dress shirt that his white suit was open slightly to see, along with a piece of his naked white chest. Holding on to a cigarette, his eyes aimed at them, he greeted them with a big smirk. "Greetings, Second Owner! I am glad to finally acquaint myself with such a fine lady as yourself."
He greeted her smoothly, taking advantage of his player-like vibe further enhanced by his attractive looks. When he'd offered her a wink, Shirou had an instinctive urge to get Rin as far away from this guy as possible.
But his attention shifted as he saw who exactly was sitting across from him. Rather than prepare to face an enemy, he could only stare blankly at the so-called guest who was before them. Upon seeing her face, a single name left his mouth, "L-Luvia?"
The blonde mage was someone he had not seen quite often lately. The last time they'd seen each other, he was pretty sure she'd had enough of him. Still, a part of him felt relieved to see her. He had even wondered if she was okay, given everything going on in Fuyuki right now. He wouldn't have put it past her to get out of the city. It was the last thing he expected to see her hear of all places!
…And he was not the only one feeling the same thing.
"What the hell are you doing here!?" Rin shouted.
"Ohohohoho~" The laugh rippled through the air. "Miss Tohsaka, shouldn't I be the one surprised? You've emerged from your hermitage! How utterly unexpected." Luvia's golden ringlets bounced as she tilted her head, her smile sharp as a blade. "Has the great Second Owner finally grown weary of unknown mages trampling through her territory? My sympathies. But remember, your family did extend invitations to this ritual. If you can't properly instruct your guests on proper etiquette, their... indiscretions... fall squarely on your shoulders." She flicked her wrist dismissively. "Such negligence will hardly earn you favors in respectable circles."
Of course, she wasted no time in throwing a slight jab at Rin, who already sputtered in place before her face showed rage and her teeth started to grind. Luvia then turned her eyes towards him with her expression morphing from enjoyment to genuine confusion. "More importantly, why are you accompanying her, Sherou? Slight warning. This girl has a tendency to attract a lot of trouble, so you should be careful around her."
"What do you mean by that!? Do you have a death wish? The one who is causing the most trouble is you! I don't see why you're here, of all places, and especially involving yourself with this guy! Don't tell me you're also working for Caster's Master…" Actual shock spread across his heart and his face upon hearing that; the possibility of facing her as an enemy did not sit well with him. Not at all. For he could not see himself treating her as an actual enemy, given everything she had done for him.
Seeing as how the two wouldn't stop their antagonistic vibes, he felt it was best to try to mediate. "Calm down, Tohsaka." He tried to cool down the atmosphere as much as he could; the way these two were glaring at one another had actual sparks come to life between them. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but with magecraft, anything was possible. An imminent possibility of something bad exploding between them could soon happen if nothing is done. "We just came to talk with him. No more, no less, don't forget our objective."
Rin slowly, but barely, started to turn down her simmering rage as she took a deep breath. The villa's current master took this as his time to act.
"I was about to welcome you all to my villa and introduce you to one another. But it's clear to me that all the parties are already familiar with one another." Sagara said with an innocent smile. "Rin Tohsaka, it is an honor to meet you in person. Being in the presence of the ruler of these lands could bring me no greater honor than someone who dwells in it."
Despite his flowery words, Rin did not look one bit impressed. "You sure have a way of showing that by completely ignoring my status as the second owner and not even announcing your presence and reason for being here."
Sagara shook his head with an awkward expression. "I am just a mere helper of a… friend of mine. And given my own status and lineage, it would not be worth wasting your time over such a little matter, given this is an important moment for you. Besides, just like Lady Luvia said, the current war allows for a little leeway, doesn't it? So I didn't think it would be so untoward as to not properly offer my introductions. I realize now that this has vexed you terribly. I can only offer my deepest apologies. I do wish to state that I figured that, at the very least, I could do so later on, perhaps with some gift as compensation for my lateness. Maybe even a dinner at the finest five-star restaurant or hotel as an apology."
"…"
Okay, Shirou really wanted to punch this Playboy right now. This wasn't the first time someone tried to sweet-talk Homuhara's idol, but it was certainly the first time in a long time that it was done so openly. Not since Shinji at least.
However, Rin wasn't bothered by it at all, which goes to show how used to it she was thanks to Shinji. She folded her arms and stared down at him. "First off, invitation or no, break the rules we set up, and I'll treat you as any other invader. Second, if you really want to show me how sorry you are, then you can start by answering why she is here. Answer me that and a couple of other questions I originally came here and all is forgiven."
"Oh, someone is being nosy as usual." Luvia intervened before Sagara could say anything. "Let me state clearly that the topic I came here to discuss with him is between us only. Is it the Tohsakas' lineage to barge even on private affairs between her guests? I'm aware that Miss Tohsaka is aware of my profession and speciality, so you should know that under no circumstances can private information be shared amongst third parties like you."
Her retort did not end there, for she covered half of her lower face with a newly opened paper fan that came from her sleeve as she stared at her with a mischievous look crossing her eyes, before she once more aimed it at him. "...But as a fellow mage and a freelancer, I wouldn't mind having you by my side for a bit during these professions, Sherou."
"What!?" Both Rin and Sagara were taken aback by that proposition, including Shirou himself.
"M-May I hear that once more, Miss Edelfelt? I'm not sure if I heard clearly. You would like for the person next to Miss Tohsaka to join our discussions. I know of both your reputations, but as for him… I'm sorry, who are you again?"
'…Wow, subtle.' Shirou took a deep breath before he prepared an answer. "I'm—"
"Ah, no, no, please forgive me. You're the Master of Rider, yes. A hopeful who has come for the holy grail, it is it. Sorry, I tend to stay as informed as possible about the war around me to ensure I don't get caught in any unfortunate business."
"Well, that's…"
"Miss Luvia," Sagara just ignored him, as he went on to talk to Luvia as if he didn't even exist. "I understand you feel that it's safe for this man to be present during our discussions, but I sadly do not share your enthusiasm and trust in him."
"Not to fret, not to fret, a mere geas of silence is more than enough."
'Great, another cursed contract!'
"Though I personally don't think it's necessary. Not trusting Shirou when I so eloquently spoke of his character… Why, if I didn't know better, it's almost as if you do not trust me in keeping him quiet?" Sagara's smile dropped as a bead of sweat slid down from his brow to his chin. Luvia continued unbothered as she turned to Shirou with a smile, "Doing everything by myself can get very tiresome, and I know your skills better than this person by your side. Let me guess, she just bossed you around and then told you where to go and what to do, right? Well, that's not how a partnership works now, doesn't it? There should be a mutual understanding, and to my eyes, it's clear that these terms are benefiting her more than you."
That served to light Rin's fire again, as she stared at Luvia fiercely. "What the hell are you doing!? You're just speaking complete nonsense at this point! For your information, we are here for a shared similar goal, and it has nothing to do with benefiting one side more than the other. Also, why are you talking about Emiya-kun like you have known him for years!?"
"Well, I certainly am no stranger to him, as much as it appears you have been. You may have been around him for longer, given that both of you have lived in the same town since childhood, but in the world of magecraft, we are far closer. I am, after all, technically his mentor!"
"Huh?"
"Hah?"
"That's right! Even though we did not have much time together, I still taught him more than enough to earn that title for myself, as I turned him into a qualified mage. Given you've brought him along with you, surely you must have seen his skills. I helped him get there and thus qualify as his mentor. Which in tandem means I know him better than you, who, if I am not mistaken, did not even know he was actually one till recently." There was a clear presence of arrogance and superiority oozing from her voice with each passing word that served nothing but to enrage Rin even further.
She clearly had questions for him as she whiplashed to him a look of betrayal on her face. Honestly, that face brought a type of fear deep within Shirou that he didn't even know he could feel. However, he was saved by her wrath, once more being directed to Luvia, as she would not ask him about it in front of her.
"Enough! We are getting sidelined! I came to talk with him and not you, I'll deal with you later." Rin muttered with barely restrained anger as she focused her wrathful look on Sagara, who was clearly put off by being the indirect target of the woman's rage. Prioritizing the mission over our own personal vendetta against Luvia, she pressed on. "Sagara, I know you are affiliated with Caster's Master. Do not try to deny this, and if you do not answer me honestly, then you will be considered my enemy. I will deal with you as a Master dealing with another Master's resources. So choose wisely."
Sagara's shocked face showed how caught off guard he was to hear she'd made the connection. Honestly, he couldn't have given it better than that she was on the money based on the face Shirou saw he made. The man immediately got antsy and wanted to be anywhere but here.
Not that it stopped how heated Luvia and Rin kept going.
"That's so much like you, giving ultimatums without considering the opinions of others around." Luvia stood off her velvet red seat and walked towards the twin-tailed mage with less than a meter separating them. Shirou could practically feel the tension growing tenfold. "I don't care what issues you may have with them or even what kind of atrocities you may have or will commit for the sake of your goals. But right now, he is a potential client, and it would be in my best interest not to see one die right in front of my eyes and be interrogated by a gorilla using such primitive methods of extortion."
"Right back at you! Don't meddle in things you know nothing about. This is my territory, and I know my affairs well enough to know when to take action. Now, I am not in the mood to hear another one of your family's rules. I am going to get this man to answer my questions today, whether you get in my way or not."
"Uh, hey girls…" Shirou tried to interject, but the two didn't stop.
"It seems that someone has forgotten that it is not a good idea to threaten your benefactor. I wonder how you would react if I stopped the supplies of gems I keep sending here."
"Guh!" That physically stung Rin, for the blonde had used her metaphorical hand and grasped a major weakness of hers. And the worst had yet to come.
"Rin, Luvia, you really need to…" Shirou once more tried getting more heated. He couldn't get past them with all their head-butting.
"I could double the prices on them, too."
"You bitch!"
"THAT'S IT!" Before this could escalate any further, Shirou decided to risk his life and get in between the two women, physically, even by using his body as a wall.
"Ah…"
"Eyah!" "Kyaa!"
And immediately he realized why that was not exactly a good idea, for by the time he inserted himself between them, there was not even that much space left between them when he forced his way in the middle. He forced himself to stay focused as he pushed them apart and continued. "Before you guys start blowing up the place, I would like to inform you that Sagara just disappeared. He left while you two were fighting."
"—!"
Both of their eyes widened. Luvia was the first one to react, retrieving a blue gem from her pocket and immediately throwing it above their heads. The crystal-clear jewel shattered midair, bursting apart as a wave of blue energy exuded from it.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The ethereal matter solidified in an instant and took shape into a semi-dome that enveloped all three of them just in time for a rain of bullets to slam into its surface one after another.
The previously peaceful atmosphere was completely gone as the luxurious living room was now replaced by the walls faded to reveal them surrounded by several armed men, and Sagara was nowhere to be seen.
"That rat escaped," Rin muttered, retrieving several gems from her pockets and glancing at Luvia. "Your client just tried to kill us all. Does this still qualify as him gaining your protection?"
The Edelfet heiress shook her head with disappointment. "Unfortunately, he has lost that right. I'm afraid that I was truly right about you; you do invite trouble wherever you go. Regardless, it seems we may need to work together for a bit here. Still, I'm not too sad, as I'm curious to see how much you've improved, Sherou."
As she said that, the redhead had already gotten into action as he retrieved a gun from his jacket pocket. Right before Luvia's eyes, He formed a bullet right in the middle of the gun's chamber before he pulled the chamber shut with an audible click. "Oh my, that's new."
"It's easier this way, I don't have to carry bullets with me."
If that man decided to run, then it just served to prove that he did know something. Best to catch up with him quickly before he disappears.
'Doesn't look like she's having Lancer help her out.' Rider said, while he gazed behind him to see both women holding several gems in their hands with a scary smile on their faces.
'Yeah, it's a good opportunity for them to vent a bit.'
He was curious to see both of them in action, curious to see how two gem users fought together. He was especially curious about Luvia since he never actually seen her use her gems during combat before.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.