Loop 1
Day 1
Prologue. Ryuudou ghost story
He said he was afraid of the night.
City of Shinto, Kurokizaka district, block 4. Semina Apartments, 11th floor, room 2.
That's where he lived.
His name was―――Well, let's just call him Mr. A.
Mr. A was a student and, having just turned 20, had moved in at the beginning of spring.
This was the first time he ever moved, the first time he ever lived by himself, and the first time he was in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
While Mr. A, an introvert by nature, still felt lost, he was adjusting to life in Fuyuki gradually.
Mr. A, comfortable being alone in the first place, never seemed to care much about having few friends or living amongst strangers.
Rather, he preferred things that way.
Mr. A, who would shut himself in his room, apparently liked not having his new life disturbed by anyone―――be it friends or family.
Mr. A was satisfied with his life.
Except for two things.
The long, long, hallway leading to the entrance, and...
The hopeless thoughtlessness of the family that moved in next door one month prior.
What was bothering―――no, what was unsettling him began since he moved into the apartment in spring.
What his parents set up for him was a x,xxx monthly, 4 bedroom apartment.
The size was nothing to complain about.
While Mr. A loved being alone, he had an inclination towards luxury and didn't favor living plainly.
When it came to the dwelling, the bigger, the better.
To someone like him, who hated the outside world, this place was a fortress.
It had to be large and solid. It couldn't be easy to reach. He couldn't relax if it wasn't impenetrable.
That's right.
It wasn't that Mr. A liked being alone.
It's the issue of others being near.
He was unconsciously afraid of someone other than himself intruding into his space.
There was another reason why Mr. A chose Semina Apartments.
It was the distance from the living room to the door.
The first and last obstacle to pass through in order to enter or leave the apartment.
The four meter-long hallway stretched in a straight line from the living room to the door. There were neither storage rooms nor a bathroom along the way.
It was an unusual hallway for an apartment to have, but it seems Mr. A took a liking to it.
It took up the ideal amount of space and was an ideal entrance way.
The far-off separation from the entrance was not so much a medium between inside and outside, it was more of an ambiguous boundary.
It was unnatural. One could say that the hallway itself was the real entrance.
...However...
Once he began living there, something about the hallway started to worry him.
Such splendid length, what could possibly worry him about it? After being puzzled for several months, he finally figured it out.
It was simple.
The long hallway had no lights.
It looked like a structural flaw left no space to install any lights. The hallways of the other apartments had them, but only in room 2 of floor 11 were they forgotten.
How stupid.
Not the worker that forgot to install lights, but at himself, who had noticed only now after living there for several months.
―――Come to think of it.
He had already made a wrong turn the moment he didn't realize what was amiss.
Fall came, and new tenants moved in next door.
They were the kind of happy family you could find anywhere.
A young married couple and a 3-year old daughter. The only contact he had with them was limited to a simple greeting when they were moving in.
All Mr. A knew about them was their surname, ××, and the daughter's name, ＊＃.
Semina Apartments is an L-shaped building with only two apartments on each floor.
At the center is the entrance into the building, and each apartment occupies the entire horizontal or vertical part of the L.
At the entrance, there is a door leading to the elevator and the emergency stairwell. Sometimes Mr. A would meet the ×× couple at the entranceway, but he rarely saw ＊＃ alone by herself.
“Onii-chan, won't you push the button for me?”
Whenever they met, she would say that.
The elevator buttons were slightly above her height.
Not that it was too high for her to reach, but for some reason, she never raised her hands above her shoulders.
While he thought it was strange that a 3-year old girl would go out by herself, he did what the girl asked.
And he would see her not just on the 11th floor, but also at the entrance on the 1st floor.
He would find the girl crouching in front of the elevator as he was coming home or leaving. She would raise her head and say, looking up at him,
After having that exchange over and over again, Mr. A learned the girl's name.
He did not remember it, however, perhaps because Mr. A had no interest in other people. Instead, he called her "little red riding hood," because she always wore a red hood.
I'll say it again. Mr. A was an introverted young man.
As long as his lifestyle wasn't threatened, he didn't care about the outside world.
Be it, for example, an argument heard from the other side of the wall, the sound of a little girl crying once every other day, the screaming of a woman that could no longer be described as shrieking, the girl not being able to raise her arm above her shoulders due to a neglected bone fracture, or her wearing a red hood to hide the bruises on her face because her father told her to... Well, the stuff that only concerns other people.
This is not to say that it was the ruckus of neighboring room, which was about a meter away from the door.
It was a long hall, nonetheless.
It couldn't be helped. The source of the screaming was several meters away and he had to ignore it while watching TV.
But on that night, it was especially loud.
A blood-curdling scream.
Then siren-like crying.
Then the sound of a door being opened violently, reverberating in the entranceway.
Then the sound of something banging on Mr. A's door.
That night had been aggravating to Mr. A, who had been quietly enjoying a late night broadcast at 2 am.
He was about to get up and ask them to behave like reasonable human beings.
And so get up he did, but soon sat back down.
―――It'll probably end soon anyway.
Their affairs were none of Mr. A's business. Butting in at this point would get him overly involved, so he avoided thinking about it.
Whatever it is, it's their own responsibility.
People ought to handle their own problems by themselves. And so, Mr. A took the remote and raised the volume by 5 bars.
By the end of the night, as he was turning off the TV and falling asleep, the usual nighttime silence finally returned.
The next day, Mr. A learned that there had been a family suicide next door.
It was the first time he had ever been questioned by the police.
Last night, after having an argument, Mrs. ××
murdered Mr. ××■ with a blade. After slashing ＊＃, her only daughter, she took her own life.
When asked about it, "I slept like a log and didn't hear anything," was Mr. A's answer.
The officer thanked Mr. A for his cooperation and was about to leave. As he was walking away, Mr. A asked just one question.
“Excuse me, but what happened to their daughter?”
Lowering his eyebrows, the officer replied:
“We analyzed the blood remaining on the weapon, and there's no doubt she had been stabbed. Judging from the bloodstain, the wound was fatal.”
Except...
The young officer muttered uncomfortably:
“But there is no corpse. The body is nowhere to be found.
Neither in the room, nor in the entranceway she ran into.”
What happened was simple.
After being stabbed by her mother, the "little red riding hood" seems to have managed to escape into the entranceway.
At that point, however, the trail stops.
The bloodstains stop in front of the elevator.
“So why didn't she use the elevator?
Or, why didn't she seek help from you? No matter how frantic she may have been, she should've been able to ring the doorbell, at least.”
Mr. A couldn't bring himself to say that either button was far out of the girl's reach.
The officer left, and Mr. A remained standing in the doorway, deep in thought.
Two o'clock at night. Having escaped from her crazed mother, but unable to leave the entranceway. After desperately banging on Mr. A's door, the little girl has collapsed with a tear-stained face.
And in the end...
The girl's body was never found.
Several days later.
Late at night, always at the same time, Mr. A started noticing a strange noise.
The noise itself wasn't loud. If he didn't pay attention to it, it was almost inaudible.
At first, Mr. A didn't think about what it could be. He told himself that it was just wind shaking the window.
But the noise came back every night.
Bang, bang.
It was a noise that was faint enough to be nonexistent, yet it was getting on his nerves.
When he realized that the noise wasn't from the window, but rather echoing in the hallway...
Mr. A walked down the long hallway and brought himself to the door.
He asked who it was through the intercom.
No response.
The moment Mr. A came up to the door, the noise which had been that soft moments ago...
He looked outside through the peephole.
A round distorted view. Just a clean-looking entranceway, nobody's there.
Nothing, except red specks on the cream colored floor that-
His eardrums felt like they were going to burst. There was no one in the entrance. But the noise did not stop. Mr. A tried to look deeper into the peephole. Maybe there was someone there. Maybe he couldn't see at this angle. The noise continued. Wait, there was something under the peephole, just outside of his view,
Something red, wearing a hood, clinging on to the door―――
He ran back down the long hallway.
The clock was showing 2 am.
Those late-night visits became an everyday event.
The noise continued every night.
Mr. A never opened the door.
Then one night, it happened again.
It was insignificantly quiet. He could have just brushed it off as being a part of his imagination.
But now, it had been an unavoidable angst that had stained his brain, cutting away at his nerves like a blade.
With each day, Mr. A's mind was being cornered.
The end of autumn.
He could now hear it no matter what time it was.
That night, he came to a decision.
He would see what was clinging to the door for himself.
He walked down the long hallway.
Entranceway light leaked in from behind the door.
Passing through the unlit corridor,
he pushed the door open.
There was nothing there. There was no one there.
That painful knocking that had been echoing in his skull was gone as well.
Of course there was nothing. Something that ridiculous couldn't be true. There had never been any noise, there had never been a red hood.
Hahahaha.
Laughter and relief mixed together.
His chilled body rapidly regained its warmth.
It was just an illusion.
Somehow, it seemed that incident had gotten to him.
Without realizing it, he had felt guilty and developed paranoia.
But that was all over.
It all ended the moment he opened the door.
Phew.
Wiping sweat off his forehead, he closed the door.
Once he locked the door, he raised his head.
Before his very eyes,
down the long, long dark hallway that he had been so fond of...
His eyes widened.
In the middle of the corridor, there was somebody...
Wearing a red hood...
A familiar dead body...
It seemed to be pleading at him.
Somehow, Mr. A knew that it would be the last thing he would hear before his death.
From within the darkness, its lips moved.
Like a watermelon that had been bored into with a knife.
With a blood stained voice, the little red riding hood spoke to him:
“Onii-chan, the button―――”
“Punch, punch, punch, punch!*
What was that supposed to be, that sucked! And seriously, what's with all those plot effects! Mitsuzuri, too many details! Too much good acting! And also, the story's too long!
And what was wrong with that Mr. A guy!? Dude, if things get that freaky, then move out, move out...!”
October 11, past midnight, in a guest room at the Ryuudou Temple.
Makidera Kaede's shrieking voice resounds through the fall sky.
“"Move," that's easy for you to say.
Even you have been saying things like "I swear I'll leave that house" for how many years now?
It's the way people are. A little anxiety isn't enough to make them leave something they're attached to, you see.
If everybody would move just because of one ghost, there'd be nobody left on this island by now.”
“Hm, those are profound words. Indeed, ghost stories are an inseparable part of our lives.
―――By the way, how's the geisha in your hallway?”
“There isn't one! We don't have any noble folks like those! And no, there isn't any water leaking into our hall at midnight even when it's not raining! And it's not like my ancestors were Inland Sea pirates, either!”
“Ah ha, so your place is that old, eh? Was that story a Kimon for you?”
“Shaddup, I'm not afraid of any hallway! I want to move into a stylish modern apartment!
...and what's a Kimon? Is that some kind of new chakra?”
“...How can you know what a chakra is, but not a Kimon?
A Kimon refers to a bad direction, or bad omen. To be precise, it's the North East direction. In other words...”
Ryuudou Issei.
The son of Ryuudou Temple's chief priest and the president of the student council.
Issei, who came with us as a supervisor in his official role, briefly glances at me.
“Oh, I see. You temple boys sure know this stuff.
But no thanks. What I want to hear about is more of those cosmic kind of stories, not ghosts or that kind of stuff.”
“Like, you know, a meteorite falling on Tohsaka's place in the Edo period, or there being a huge cavern underneath Fuyuki. You know, stuff with realism.”
“But I thought the story just now was quite realistic.
What actually happened was that the real murderer was Mr. A, and he hid the girl's corpse inside a wall in the hallway, correct?”
“Um, Kane-chan, I think that defeats the purpose of a ghost story.”
“You wanted me to tell a realistic story? Makidera, what do you think a ghost story is supposed to be?
Well, conspiracy theories are Tohsaka's domain. If you want to hear one, why don't you wait until it's her turn?”
“Nothing like that. I don't really know any that would suit Makidera-san's taste.”
Tohsaka counters elegantly.
That's her usual manners at this sort of gathering.
“Sorry. How about Matou? I once heard from a freshman that Captain Matou can be surprisingly frightening.”
“M-Me!? I, I don't really like scary stories, I'm just used to them...
By the way, Mitsuzuri-senpai, who told you that?”
“...Sakura, you have to understand, that is the scary part...”
She lets out quietly.
No one here knows that Tohsaka Rin and Matou Sakura are sisters yet.
“I don't mind you having a good time, but we just started.
Do you want to continue or not? Personally, I think this meeting will have to be suspended if Makidera is going to continue causing a ruckus.”
“Yeah, it's not being considerate to the sleeping monks. If Makidera promises to stop screaming, let's continue.”
“I wasn't trying to be noisy. All I did was offer constructive criticism of Mitsuzuri's boring story.”
“But are you going to complain about the next one, too? That's the problem. I do realize that asking Makidera to control herself is about as hopeless as asking someone to stop breathing.
So, what do you say? Can you stop breathing?”
“Yeah, I can. The second best thing I'm good at after track is swimming.”
“See? Let's continue. Isn't it Saegusa-san's turn?”
“O-Okay! Ah... but I've never told a ghost story before...”
“It's alright, don't worry about trying to scare us.
The tasteless story Ayako told us was actually based on a real event. Makidera-san was scared because she probably knew about what happened in Semina Apartments.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, there was an actual family suicide in Semina Apartments. The fact that one month later, the young man living next door went missing and the police were asked to start an investigation is also true.”
“Stop, S-T-O-P! Mr. A's older brother said that he went on a journey of self-discovery for some reason, a wonderful reason! He'll come back one day when he becomes a big man!
How dare you make up a weird reason for the disappearance of such a great guy! You're rotten to the core, Mitsuzuri Ayako!”
“Um... d-did Mr. A really vanish?”
“Yes, a resident from the same apartment said so. Right, Miss Mitsuzuri?”
“That's how it is.
I guess I didn't need to dramatize it that much. It probably would have been enough to just tell the actual rumors.
Makidera is a scaredy-cat, so Saegusa-san should try something along the same lines. Stories about ghosts that you might have heard from somebody, maybe?”
“Oh, I know a bunch. Does everybody know about the ghost in the window? It started as a rumor that spread in the second semester...”
“What's that? This is the first time I've heard of it.”
“The one about a shadow in a haunted Western house? I think I heard first-year students in the archery club mention it before.”
“Yes, that haunted house.
There is this abandoned Western-style house somewhere in Fuyuki, and if you go there when it's dark, a shadow from a window on the second floor will stare back at you.”
“Huh? What kind of shadow, Yukicchi? And what do you mean by a house somewhere in Fuyuki?”
“I don't really know myself... I think it's a mansion that people usually avoid.
I heard someone actually saw it, though. That person got lost, and eventually came upon a Western-style house that was surrounded by trees. There were no signs of people living there, but there was a woman's ghost on the second floor.”
“An abandoned mansion with a lady inside? Isn't that Tohsaka's place?
Toh～saka! Your house is being turned into a haunted mansion～!”
“Eh...? S-So that's what it was. I'm sorry, Tohsaka-san. Is that really your house?”
“You don't have to apologize, Saegusa-san. This isn't the first time that my house has been treated like that. I've already gotten used to baseless slander like Makidera's.”
"Baseless slander" wouldn't be entirely accurate.
The Tohsaka residence is actually a type of haunted house.
“O-Okay then! Let's talk about Shinto instead!
Um... there is this story that lately, in the evening in Shinto, you can see a huge string-like thing in the sky...”
Unsure of herself, Saegusa Yukika looks at the crowd.
............................I'd say that she is looking for witnesses.
“Did... did anyone see any string-like things?”
“I have heard about this before, but unfortunately, I have yet to encounter anything otherworldly.”
“When you say sky, do you mean the evening sky...? This wouldn't happen to be about... a shadow on top of the Center Building?”
“Aha, that's a pretty detailed example. Now I've heard the story of "the red figure on top of Center Building" a lot, but I think Saegusa-san's story is different.”
.........There's something mysterious about the way Mitsuzuri Ayako looks at Tohsaka.
As if she knows the truth behind that, Tohsaka, who prefers wearing red, makes a sour face.
It's been half a year since the fifth Heaven's Feel ended.
That means that she's probably still patrolling the area at night.
“Makidera-senpai, have you seen it?”
“Nope. But it has to be a UFO!”
“I knew it.
Makidera. You have no idea what a ghost story is.”
“Looks like it. What we're doing right now is occult, not cosmic.
I hate to tell you this, Maki, but there won't be any of your favorite muumuu stories tonight.”
“Ack. I-I-I don't read those kind of funny out-of-whack books! They're seriously dumb!”
“Well, those dumb parts are in a way irresistible.
...Now, how about the mirage in the Shinto sky?”
Everyone shakes their heads.
Unfortunately, there are no witnesses.
............However...
I've been getting this feeling from a little bit ago, how should I put it...
“...On the topic of rumors, here's one more from me.
Everyone has heard about the castle built in the forest at the outskirts of Fuyuki, right? It seems like there has been a new addition to that story.
When someone enters, spirits of the old Imperial Army materialize and send them off to the battlefield.”
“After overcoming many obstacles, the heroes stay overnight at the phantom castle and are looked after by two maid sisters or something like that.”
“Ryuudou-kun, did the dream melt your brains, by chance?”
“Why you! I do think it is abnormal, but there have been people who have seen it! If you think I'm lying, you should go there yourself, alone!”
.........Um.
Crap.
This is funny.
“So what does Emiya think about Ryuudou's tall-tale?”
Mitsuzuri shifts the conversation to me. Up until now, I've been just an observer.
Oh well, I had been keeping my mouth shut because I don't know how to comment on this, but...
“There's no way Issei would be making things up. Ryuudou Temple is close to the forest, so it might actually be there, surprisingly.”
It's not that I've no idea what it might be.
...Putting that aside for the moment, I feel bad about breaking the conversation, but I've got to go to the bathroom.
“Bathroom break, sorry. I'll be coming back without you guys realizing it, so just go on.
I'll be there to scare Makidera when you get to a good part.”
“Guh...! Hm... hmph! Whatever, try it if you can.
I'm also a lady, I can't lose to Emiya!”
There goes Makidera, as usual, reacting in a weird way.
Ever since I started having lunch with Tohsaka, Makidera has been acting like this all the time.
It's chilly outside.
The night air in the mountains is cold and crisp, unlike in the city.
Exposed to the cool air, my unclear head and ambiguous thoughts become more defined, waking me up.
“―――Ugh...”
Looking up at the night sky, I let out a heavy sigh.
I've already walked some 20 meters away from the room, huh?
At the temple's passage, I was trying to think about something for no reason.
“―――Now then.”
What should I try contemplating first?
Maybe I should try organizing my thoughts on how things ended up being like this.
Speaking of things happening to me recently, there's the story of today's training camp.
It involves the upcoming cultural festival, Sakura, who is working hard as the captain of the archery club, Mitsuzuri, who was looking out for her, and the strange relationship with the track and field club.
At the end of a complicated argument, little by little, a training camp was being set up for the cultural festival.
Issei offered the location, and I was invited as hard labor. Basically, I am in charge of the food.
Life's as hectic as ever, but at least things are peaceful.
―――Six months ago.
There was a battle for the Holy Grail, with all the consequences.
In that battle, something was lost and something was gained.
It's been enough time to look back and reflect on those events. I've already gotten over it.
The Heaven's Feel is a thing of the past.
There is no reason for another conflict to spark in Fuyuki.
The Holy Grail is gone, the Servants have vanished, the dead won't return, and life continues without problems.
There is no need for change.
Most of the factors needed to link the days together seem to be present.
That is the way of life of a fulfilled person, linking a similar tomorrow with yesterday, enjoying the slight changes.
“......Ah――――――”
My thoughts stop.
...I'm certain there was another reason for the training camp...
“―――What was it?”
I'm pretty sure there was something standing towards the corner of my vision just now...
...In the direction of the temple grounds. It's too far off to get a good look, but there is a human figure running towards the back hill.
I―――
―――It's probably a monk or somebody from the temple.
We aren't the only ones in Ryuudou Temple.
I really shouldn't be worried by random people.
“That's right. But more importantly, the bathroom.”
Increasing my pace, I jog down the hallway―――whoops.
I've just bumped into someone coming from around the corner.
“Oh, excuse m―――”
“My apologies. I was dazing off for a bit.”
“―――――――――”
My mind freezes.
I am too surprised to know what I am surprised about.
“But you should be careful, too.
Running in the hall is bad manners, boy.”
Caster walks past me.
She's as refined and sarcastic as always, but seeing her face unhooded is quite rare.
However, that's not what surprised me. Rather, it was―――
“...Oh, right. Caster sure is a beauty.”
My frozen mind was restarted by this monologue, and I kept on going.
I clear my head.
Having finished my business, I'm back in the guest room.
“...And thus, Yahachi was resurrected. The mother's mad desire to see her beloved son, abused to death by the villagers, once again, had resurrected the dead.
However, the resurrected Yahachi was missing many vital parts. He had no arms, no legs, no entrails, no brain.
To get replacements for the missing parts, every night, from the captured villagers she locked away, she would―――”
Issei's eyes are gleaming.
I expected no less of the son of a monk. When it comes to graveyards, corpses, and karma, he has no rival.
It goes without saying how Makidera would react, but the ghost story expert Himuro, Mitsuzuri, and even Tohsaka are silently getting ready for the conclusion.
It was the same with everyone.
―――Hold on. There was something weird just now.
Kuzuki-sensei is also quietly listening to Issei's story.
Our brave leader, Fuji-Nee,
“Why do you think tigers are tough?
They've got anti-horror story genes, that's why! You guys don't have any, so you've got to build up resistance to them!”
She had said on the verge of tears. Now she's already asleep.
I think this is what they call "abdication of leadership."
But since she couldn't let a meeting of a crowd of young people in the dark go unmonitored, she asked Kuzuki-sensei to take the reins of authority.
“...And so the dead Yahachi gained a mind. Alas, by the time Yahachi could finally call his mother's name, she had passed away. The black arts had consumed his mother.
Yahachi was saddened. He could no longer feel so much joy over living once more. All he had was grief for the mother who withstood such agony to revive him.”
“And so―――Yahachi would attempt to resurrect his mother just like she did him. But no matter how many times he tried, he failed.
No matter how many times he meticulously traversed the path of heresy his mother took, no matter how many mountains of villager's flesh, no matter how many lakes of blood he used, his mother would never be revived.”
“W-Why? Z-Z-Zombies are supposed to make other zombies. Give him a break, and make some more.
It wouldn't be weird for him to want to be with his mother or 10 other zombies.
And why are you talking like an old man, Mr. President of the student council?”
“Why you! Stop ruining the mood, Makidera! It's the Ryuudou family tradition for this story to be told this way!”
“...Ahem.
The truth was that Yahachi and his mother were different. It was a problem of the boundary. Whatever a black or supernatural art is used, there is one thing that can never be granted.”
“That is―――only the living can revive the dead.
The dead consuming the dead only create more of the same kind, and they cannot bring them back to life.
That gives birth not to a person, but to a flesh-eating monster, and no more.”
...That's a good lesson.
It is true that the wishes of the dead cannot be granted. It has always been the living that advanced things forward.
Even if the deceased were to be granted life once again, the dead cannot bring back the dead, absolutely.
It has always been like that.
Only the living can bring back the dead.
“Unaware of that, Yahachi continues to take the blood and flesh of the living for his mother. They say that even to this day, he is still collecting people's limbs at Ryuudou.
This is the story of Mukurozuka Yahachirou and the history of the Kageyama Entrail graveyard.”
Issei ends his tale.
The candle is blown out.
His turn is over.
“...I admit, you got me there. I never expected the son of a monk to tell a story about a graveyard while we're staying at a temple.
My compliments to your childishness.”
“Ha! Today, this is my base camp.
To annihilate the infidels, I'll use whatever I can.”
Who's next?
The staple of camping trips, ghost stories, would go around in a circle...
“Emiya, you're up.
I know it's going to be tough following up after the president, but do give it a good shot.”
“No need to worry, Mitsuzuri-senpai.
Senpai's wonderful at telling ghost stories, right? They're pretty effective at frightening Fujimura-sensei in the summer.”
Everyone's eyes focus on me.
...I've got a couple of ghost stories on me, but this is the first time I ever told one to this many people.
In fact, I don't really like telling them in the first place.
I can't do the weird dramatization, and I can't really tell if they're good or not.
“Relax, Emiya-kun.
Just imagine you're in your storehouse, like always. You'll be fine.”
...Well, now I feel awkward.
...Oh well.
It's really not like me, but this is a part of the festival.
To wrap up this great trip,
“―――Okay, here's a long one.”
Doing something I usually wouldn't, I start telling my story from the beginning.
Heaven's Feel Backnight 1
Not once did I moan.
My throat had been pierced by a rotting branch.
My tongue had been the first to be pulled out.
So dearly, dearly, had my vocal organs been destroyed to silence me.
I had no body to squirm in pain.
My limbs were severed from their ends.
It was as if I was living with only my heart.
My body stopped working long ago, but my sense of pain was yet to fail me.
Living and pain were the same.
As long as I continued to exist, even with only a heart, the pain won't end.
For a long time.
They had left me in that place under the sun.
To me, that was hope at its highest and that was despair at its deepest.
How idiotic. It must have been a detestable figment of my imagination.
A misunderstanding that came from insufficient awareness, inadequate experience.
...I repeat the cycle of pain and relief.
It reminded me of the exercise repetitions I had supposedly experienced in my childhood.
Heaven, hell. West, east.
To have no limbs, to lose myself bit by bit wasn't painful.
I was just scared.
I was scared of being nothing.
I couldn't bear the lie of ceasing to be anything.
If nothing came from this,
then this suffering was nothing more than suffering for the sake of suffering.
My body was on the verge of death.
While desperately wishing to die, I frantically wished to continue living.
That contradiction.
Men of older times called it hell.
To be honest.
I didn't want to die.*
...I hear something.
Click, click.
The sound of pebbles hitting each other was somehow rhythmical, reminding me of a lively polka.
With an absent mind, I listen only to that sound.
...Where am I?
I can't remember. No, I don't feel like remembering.
My indolence is embarrassing.
It's ridiculous how I'm awake, but my mind and will are asleep.
“Uh... ah――――――”
I strain my lumbering head and limbs, and crack the whip at my mulish body.
Pushing my arms downwards, I slightly prop up my body that was lying face down.
...I seem to be on a couch.
How long had I been sleeping?
When I tried thinking about that, when I tried thinking about where I was in the first place,
my forehead was struck by severe pain.
I feel dizzy. It's almost like the morning after a bout of heavy drinking.
...I have the bad habit of showing off by drinking all night despite being a weak drinker, but luckily, there isn't a trace of alcohol inside me.
“―――Where... is this―――?”
While still mentally unfocused and unsteady, I check my surroundings.
...I ought to be in a... mansion.
I don't recognize it. I can't recall why I am here and why I have been asleep until now.
Click, click, click.
The sound continues.
There's no clock. It's pitch black outside. My gut is telling me it's past midnight. Inside, there's―――No, I can't see at all.
Not only do my arms and legs feel heavy, but my vision has also been weakened, it appears.
I know the layout of the room, but it's too blurry for me to get a good view of it.
Still, I attempt to grasp my current situation, and finally...
“Huh―――?”
I finally notice that in front of me,
someone is sitting with his back faced towards me.
A man...?
It is too dark for my weakened vision, I can't quite make it out.
I could still tell that it was the shadow of a man.
The man is sitting down with his head down.
He is in a reading posture and pays no notice to me.
It looks as if he is engrossed with something.
“...?”
What is he doing? I slowly push myself up and look at his hands.
It was easier for my arms and legs to recover than it was for my mental ability and vision.
Once I start moving, my mobility will increase the more I move.
It's not a book he's occupied with.
It is a... I believe it is a picture puzzle?
A simple game, with the picture broken up into 16 pieces. One of the pieces is removed, and the rest are shuffled and then moved into the open block to bring it back into the original picture... I think?
It's the kind of childish entertainment that anybody would pick up at least once.
He is still occupied with the puzzle.
I stop looking at him and raise myself up to a sitting position on the sofa.
“Yo. Finally awake, Master?”
he says, as if he were an old friend of mine.
“Mas...ter...?”
I was startled by my mumbled voice.
“Huh? What, are you still half asleep?
Come on, get up. You look dead. Where'd your usual discipline go?”
He laughs viciously.
His voice is irritating, but I don't feel any anger.
Stunned, I look at him in confusion.
“Why... am I...?”
That question came first.
No matter how hard I try, I can't remember why I had been asleep.
He furrows his eyebrows―――odd, considering I can't see very well―――and points to the corner of the room.
There is a dull mirror in the corner.
“Take a look for yourself.
You can do everything on your own.”
“..................”
I walk up to the mirror on unsteady feet.
There isn't any lighting, and the pale moon light sharpens the darkness.
There is a dull mirror, abandoned for many, many years, in this godforsaken mansion.
In it,
looking at me stunned, is unmistakably myself.
“Ah――――――”
My voice slips out.
This doesn't make any sense. Why am I startled at seeing the body that I had grown up with for more than 20 years?
Red hair and dark eye tone.
An unlikable figure that could only intimidate others.
An armor of male attire that denies any femininity.
This is me. The same old me. The same, plain old Bazett Fraga McRemitz.
“――――――”
And yet, I am still startled.
I could feel that that there is something wrong with the figure shown in the mirror.
As if there is something extra, or as if something that ought to be there is missing.
Just as the notion of that paradox entered my mind...
“You back to normal yet? In that case, time to go a-killin'.
It's not our style to lose all the time, eh, Master?”
“―――――”
With that one word, he erased the small doubt that something was out of place.
―――Master.
Why had I forgotten that word?
Battling for a miracle, seven magi fighting for survival, the wielder of the Holy Grail, masters of the ultimate familiars.
That is why I am here.
To participate in the great ritual known as the Heaven's Feel of this Asian island country.
The Holy Grail is a holy artifact said to grant the wishes of its master, but there has yet to be one who has obtained the true Holy Grail.
It is ultimately a legend. The Holy Grail summoned in Fuyuki is an imitation based on this legend.
Though it may not be the original, as long as it is a powerful artifact that grants wishes, it is called a "Holy Grail."
To the magi, the matter of true and false is a lesser issue.
The main concern is whether or not that imitation is powerful. Using that example, there was great "concern" for the Holy Grail in Fuyuki.
"―――In that land, the summoned 726th Holy Grail has the potential to become the real one. In the name of our utopian order, keep it away from the world of man―――"
That was the decision of the Mage's Association, an organized self-defense body for the concealment of magic.
The Heaven's Feel of this land is a competition between magi.
There is a limit to the number of participants. The Association was allowed only one seat.
The person to be chosen was one who was a specialist at combat.
A person that was suited to use magic not for the sake of academia, but as a weapon.
...It is a Far Eastern island country's ritual, one that has nothing to do with the faction struggles within the Association, and is fraught with only dangers.
A battle where defeat is not allowed, but victory would bring no fanfare.
I was selected for that very battle.
This meant using an artifact passed down within my family as the summoning catalyst for my Servant.
Carrying the burden of the prestige and trust of the Association and the means to fight, I departed.
"We are not worried in the slightest,
Bazett Fraga McRemitz.
You are an excellent magus. There is no one better than you in combat. If there were, your position here would become shaky."
Laughing shadily, they saw me off.
As they said, it was only in combat that they had absolute faith in me as well as derision.
Gods Holder.
The other name I am called by. An ability in magic, making use of the old blood passed down in my lineage, that determined who I am.
“...Yes, I joined the Heaven's Feel as a Master.”
To fight in and win the war as a magus of the Association.
That is my mission.
That should have been my mission.
“......, tch......”
...But, why?
Wasn't I looking for something other than the Holy Grail?
What was it? Or who was it?
If that was the case, I must have wanted to meet him more than getting the Holy Grail...
I can't remember.
What happened to me in the last few days?
I know who I am, but what happened later―――what happened since I came to Fuyuki is a blur.
I remember joining the battle as a Master.
I remember patrolling the city with my Servant.
But there are still many blanks. The last few days... that's right. My memory has been clouded since I came to this city.
Why had I been sleeping in this mansion in the first place?
“Heeelloo? How long are you planning on spacing out, lady?
We don't have all day. Let's wrap things up outside.”
“――――――”
The figure that is speaking to me...
He is a Servant, a being given form from the summoning of a legendary hero, what is called a Heroic Spirit.
The most powerful familiars that a human being can control.
There is a path between Master and Servant to supply magical energy.
My magical energy... or to be more direct, my life energy... is what powers that Servant. I can tell that my body is acting as the wedge that pins this Servant to this plane of existence.
He is definitely my Servant.
But still... was this the Servant I summoned...?
“Are you... my Servant?”
I ask, while struggling with this headache.
“Say what?”
The Servant rose up and is now staring at me, finally noticing that something is amiss.
“Oh ho―――Lady.
I'm going to guess that you're still not ready to fight.”
The shadow swayed almost like a flame.
...I could feel it in my guts.
This man may be my Servant, but he is certainly not on my side.
This is the sort of wild animal that would kill his master when he has the chance to become free.
The relationship between Master and Servant is not based on trust among employer and employee. It is only a relationship of cooperation, based on mutual gains and losses.
Letting down one's guard, showing even the slightest weakness means risking being stabbed in the back that very instant.
“Hey, your concerned partner's asking you a question. You're supposed to answer.”
“―――Yes, I suppose I should. To be quite honest, my abilities have suffered a decline.
There is no hindrance to movement, but my mind is in disarray. In particular, my memory of yesterday is vague.”
There is no benefit in hiding the cloudiness in my memory.
I look back at the Servant and reveal my current disorder.
However, I didn't reveal what had to be hidden.
I cannot tell him that my vision has weakened, nor that my memory is not vague, but rather missing.
...This is my current weakness. If I told him, that Servant would immediately bare his fangs at me.
The best I can do is get information from the Servant while behaving normally to recover my memory.
“Your memory's vague? You summoned me, but you don't have a clue 'bout the Heaven's Feel or yourself?
Cut me some slack, lady! I would have been ten times better off hooking up with a complete rookie!”
“No, I know very well what I am.
I remember summoning you, as well as joining the Heaven's Feel as a Master. What is vague is what happened afterwards.
For example, I just cannot seem to remember why I was sleeping here.”
Without showing any signs of weakness, I tell him the truth.
Whether it worked or not, the taint of suspicion that the Servant had been carrying grew fainter.
“I will repeat myself.
Why was I sleeping here?”
“How the hell should I know?
You're the one that said you were going to use this place as a safe house. You're the one that said you were going take to take a nap because you were tired after summoning me.
Ring a bell?”
...Mrm.
Yes―――before coming to Fuyuki, I did investigate suitable safe houses as potential bases at the Association.
Among the ones I checked... yes, this mansion should have been one of those.
...My mind grows hazy.
When I try to recall what happened, I start to faint.
I shouldn't push myself too hard right now. I have to hear what happened from the Servant.
“Yes, I was the one that decided to use this mansion as a safe house. Yes, I remember that.
And―――I summoned you.”
...I remember indistinctly that this happened.
I did form a contract with this Servant in this mansion.
“Right, right. Then you fell right asleep. You just told me your name and said something like "don't do anything until I wake up."
Thanks to you I've been sitting here all day.
Why do I have to take a backseat when I get called here to do some killing?”
...Only my name?
No, more importantly, what this Servant is saying is dangerous.
It is very reassuring that he loves fighting, but it will be a problem if he loves it more than is necessary.
“Wait. We did not even discuss a basic battle plan?”
“Nope. Probably didn't need to.
You already checked out this city before this happened. Other stuff like what the Heaven's Feel is supposed to be was knocked into my head the moment I got summoned.
The point is to kill the other Masters faster, better, anyway possible. Don't need no advice on that.”
“――――――”
“...Geh. Lady stop looking at me like that. You're freaking me out.
Did I say something that pissed you off?”
“Yes. It appears that we both lack an understanding of each other. It bothers me that my Servant can be so thoughtless.
I am a magus representing the Association and I have no intention of being the master of a wild animal.”
I stare and try to intimidate him.
"Whatever," said the Servant, averting his eyes.
“...But I think you're wasting your time.”
He mutters as if it didn't concern him.
“Okay, I'll listen. What kinda fighting does her highness, the representative of the Association, prefer?”
“We will conduct matters secretly and avoid pointless battles.
First, priority will be given to obtaining information on hostile Masters. After understanding the atmosphere of this Heaven's Feel, we will consider the appropriate order of who to defeat first, and then proceed defeating each magus one by one.”
Those were the orders received from the Association.
First, I had to gather information on the three families that administer the Heaven's Feel: Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiri.
An investigation of the remaining 3 Masters would proceed afterwards.
It may be possible to convince magi to abandon their Master status. There also may be other outstanding magi that ought to be taken into custody by the Association.
Besides, to act without proper information is an embarrassment for a magus of the Association.
“Huh? I'm not your errand boy.
Master, if you spot an enemy, you kill him. It's the same thing. You come across one and in the end, you can't get away and you won't let 'em get away.”
“――――――”
...I didn't need him to tell me that.
I feel the same way, but I can't disobey the orders of the Association.
“Do as I say. The Association exists to conceal the supernatural. We cannot afford to cause a disturbance.
Also, an unruly fight will only lead to the deaths of innocent bystanders.
It is an absolute condition that we obtain the Holy Grail, but we must avoid involving the civilians of this city.”
This is not only a matter of the Mage's Association.
The Holy Church also has involvement in the Heaven's Feel.
Should any damage be brought to the city, they will vigorously move in to conceal it to ensure the smooth continuance of the ritual.
There is a limit to this, however.
Last time, in the 4th battle, there was a Master that killed indiscriminately and daily. The priest monitoring viewed the Master as an enemy and penalized him severely.
“...Hmmm, so you're saying we got to go by methods over means.
I can't figure out how, but it's better not to kill in order to win?”
“This is not to win. I am a magus. If necessary, I will kill.
However, as a human being there are minimum standards that should to be protected.”
“Oh ho. Oooh, I getcha. What do I think? Hmm.”
He sounds unenthusiastic.
The Servant lifelessly breathes out and...
“...Lady, how 'bout using a Command Spell?
Say something like "don't disobey me." 'Cuz if you don't, I think I might kill you first.”
I clear my throat.
...He is serious.
He doesn't care about what would happen next.
The rule of cooperating with a Master for his own protection doesn't apply to him.
This bastard is seriously aiming for my throat.
The Servant told me to use a Command Spell to stop him.
Three absolute rights of order that a Master has.
Powerful spells given by the Holy Grail.
A Master's trump card that can only be used 3 times, but ensures that any command is followed.
For that reason, I answer him immediately.
“―――I refuse. I have never heard of a master being ordered by a dog. A master that gets killed by a dog does not deserve to be called a master.
You are my Servant. I am the one that tells you how to move and when you march off to die.”
I push away murderous intent with murderous intent.
No matter what, if I used a Command Spell for something as frivolous as this, I had no future in this war.
I tighten my grip on my right hand and start carving runes into the floor with my heel to be able to intercept an eventual assault.
“I see. Mmm, okay. Let me try having a change of heart.
O-K. I'm your Servant. I'll listen to my owner.”
“――――――”
The Servant gave in easily.
...It's, how should I put it... anticlimactic?
And my heart was beating in excitement at learning how powerful Servants were as forecasts for future battles...
“Hm? What? You still got some problems?”
“N-No. But...
...Do you really understand what I said?”
“Yeah. Do what I can in not getting people killed?
If that's your policy, I got it. Anything else? You got something else to say?”
...There are many things I want to say in detail, but I have nothing else to say regarding a general plan. The rest I can do by giving orders depending on the situation.
“Okay, then let's go. I've seriously gotten tired of being here.”
The Servant prodded me to go out.
I am still physically unstable, but I am curious about what is going on outside.
And―――after sleeping for such a long time; in any case, I want to move around a bit.
“...I understand. I will make more detailed modifications to our strategy depending on what we encounter.”
I regain myself.
For the time being, I'll leave Rach behind.
There are limits to that sword, and I can't use it fully in my current state.
After I locate the other Masters, I can think about who to use it on.
“But, I've got to say this, lady. "Prevent any deaths as much as possible," huh? Heheheh. I like the sound of that. Yeah, it'd be great if I could do that.”
The Servant repeats humorously.
“...If you still have complaints, say it.
If you have any opinions about my strategy, let's settle it here.”
“I told you, I get the point. Lady, I'm not going to pick a fight with you yet since you're so scary.
But look, Master, that's not going to be possible.
This has got nothing to do with killing people or getting bystanders involved.
This place ain't going to last longer than 4 days, no matter how hard you try, lady.”
...? ...No longer than 4 days?
“......What... did you say?”
“You'll understand when you walk out. What you're getting worked up over stopped mattering a long time ago. The humans living here have been getting knocked out by these mysterious things pouring out daily.”
“Mysterious things...
That is not possible. You are just saying nonsense because my memory is...”
“You'll understand when you walk out. Seeing it once is greater than hearing it a hundred times.”
The Servant covers his laughter.
Taking my hand, the black shadow starts walking.
“Let's continue the Heaven's Feel, Bazett Fraga McRemitz.
―――This time, to find your wish.”
The mansion was built on top of a high hill.
It lay hidden within a forest, separated from any human habitation.
...My head aches.
I had thought that breathing the outside air would clear myself, more or less, but instead, the cold night air only clouded my thoughts further.
“What's wrong, Master? Still too early for you to get out?”
the Servant says, poking fun at me.
I shake my head and keep going.
My mind is still sluggish.
The bright moonlight seems to be the source of my disorientation.
It was quiet.
Even though it's past 2 am, the city is abnormally silent.
...It slightly resembles my own hometown.
The port town I spent my childhood in.
At night, the tide would come into the town and people would shut themselves in their houses as if they were afraid.
The empty city was almost like a ship sunk at the bottom of the ocean, prompting a younger me to want to run away from that place.
I must have felt that everybody would have forgotten that I existed if I had stayed like that, at the bottom of the ocean.
I couldn't help thinking about the old gods that nobody remembered anymore, sharing the same cursed fate.
“........................”
And now, Fuyuki is being submerged into the ocean depths, too.
This is different from the atmosphere that I remembered.
It is too quiet―――it might as well be an abandoned city.
Regardless, only the presence of life is evident.
I could feel almost countless numbers of creatures breathing.
Surrounding me is an aura of beings that I have never experienced before.
..."Unknown things" is what my Servant said. I don't want to admit it, but it seems that there is credibility to what he says.
“Oooh, wonder what's that?”
We have been walking for some 2 hours.
The Servant stopped in his tracks, and is now gazing at a particular residence.
“Whoa. I've been around this area before, but to think there was still something left here.”
He speaks with an impressed tone.
The house he is looking at is nothing more than a regular building.
If there is anything that distinguished it from the other residences―――it is the one fact that the lights are on.
“Lady, stay here. You're still not ready.
I'll see what's up first.”
The Servant starts walking towards it on his own accord.
I try to chase after him.
Pathetically, I am thrown off by the moonlight.
―――I've gotta be honest here.
I don't know what's up with the other Servants, but see, me? I didn't feel like doing this from the get go.
High-level magic. The summoning of beings purified into the level of legends and the giving of form to them to make them familiars. That's what Servants are.
Not something so cheap as just drawing on a piece of the power of the Heroic Spirits, no, it's actually a projection of the guy himself.
A resurrection just for the Heaven's Feel. A clone with a short life-span. A Guardian of humanity reborn into the modern era.
Sounds nice and dandy! Autonomous weapons are pretty convenient, right?
Except, isn't it going a little too far to replicate what's on the inside?
Familiars don't need to think. The same definitely applies with Servants. Suppose there's a familiar more powerful than its master. Now, let's say it can think for itself. There's no reason why it won't revolt.
I was lucky enough to be summoned by a Master that was my type of woman. Personally, I'm satisfied with her, but it looks like I'm gonna be doing some disobeying.
Though not really sure why...
Ah well, I might not have any complaints about the boss, but I've got a hell of a lot to say about society.
I feel like shit, like I was left hanging in the morgue.
Back when I was alive, the world had still been lively.
Nowadays, it's dying. Got some several hundred years left before it kicks the bucket and there's nothing anybody can do about it. Being one of those fellows that knew what she was like back in the old days, it wouldn't be right to not be a little angry about her current predicament and all that.
Of course, it was pretty obvious that she'd be cleaned dry one of these days, but damn, that was fast.
Now, there's a part of me that's got to hate my own species for that filthiness, but another part of me wants to pat them on the back at the same time.
The power of humanity is incredible.
Oh, how morals have come and gone in the blink of an eye. Makes me wonder just how many generations of "new" humanity have been born and how many have been wiped out.
Given how fast they are, it's too bad how they haven't come up with evolutionary theories that were environmentally friendly. I've got to hand it to them hominids. They sure did a great job at amplifying a ready-made system instead of finding a new kind of cycle.
But doesn't that mean there's no future ahead? It'd be nice if there'd be some new kind of improvement, if there were any time left.
We've already destroyed this much.
Where do we want to go? Why have we exhausted the land? Was this good, was this bad? I want results that anyone can understand. It doesn't matter if it's a failure or not.
“Aaah. I've really got to wonder what the others are thinking.”
Those of Heroic Spirit status must have feelings of animosity towards this era.
Then again, Heroic Spirits are supposed to be on humanity's side, so that would mean they'd approve of whatever would happen. Just like, how I am the antithesis of that.
Let's say―――there was this god-like absolute being as a force of good. And let's say he was summoned here. Now, what would he do?
Would he approve of it? Would he act to protect us?
If he approves, we face extinction. If he protects us, he'll watch on.
A sane Heroic Spirit would choose the latter.
One with a few screws loose would happily lend a hand and another with only one screw left would get excited at making the world a better place.
Something like, "I am going to save the world!"
Wow. I don't ever want to meet that kind of guy, let alone fight him.
Now I might be saying this, but either way―――there's one thing I can do.
I may be a Heroic Spirit, but I'm not that strong. Take a look at all the legends in the world and you still won't find anybody weaker than me.
Yaaay, I'm number one! You're damn lucky, Master! Can't get any lower than this! Easy to make up a battle plan, since all there is to do is think about how to take on the strong.
...I don't want to think about it, but there's a good chance that lady's stronger than me in pure fighting ability.
A Heroic Spirit getting his ass kicked by a human? Heheheh, oh boy, I want to disappear.
“Yeah―――I really can't agree with that lady.”
Don't cause any deaths, that's what she said.
That's the way to go, Milady Magus of the House of Whatever. Can't expect a finer strategy that reeks of sheltered girl on honor roll. Fitting sense of pure humanity for a Master.
But hey, I can't do that.
All I can do is kill. Honestly, a bloodless victory is a pain in the ass.
I'm already the weakest. I'm not going to be winning if I'm a goody-two-shoes.
Suppose that this was like a true war. We oughta be relying on the slaughter techniques that man had so painstakingly developed.
It may not make much of a difference to Servants, but Masters are humans. It'd be easier to drop dead from mines and explosions like the last time.
“...Well, times have changed.
Last time, things were a lot more chaotic, weren't they? Life had been cheaper back then, but now―――”
This time things are different.
The Mage's Association is watching oh-so-painstakingly close. Plus, the system of public safety that modern man has created is not too shabby. If I run wild, the other Masters will figure out where Bazett is.
Now, I don't mind finishing off a horde of people nice and fast, but consecutive fighting on consecutive nights is going to exhaust me, so I want to avoid that.
On that point, the part on Bazett's strategy about not going overboard is fine with me.
So I'll try my best to follow the Master's plan, like a good Servant would.
Well then.
With that out of the way, let's turn back to what we have now.
“Wait!―――What are you going to do!?”
Ignoring my hesitant Master's voice, I'm heading to the house.
I don't have to bother checking.
The fact that the lights are on means there are live humans inside.
Unfortunately, I don't have any human or heat detecting abilities.
My Servant skill is "nothing."
But that's okay. There are humans inside.
I dematerialize myself and passed through the front door.
I manifest my weapon and go towards the people in the living room.
Let's finish this, fast and cruel, like always.
Now, for all I know, there could be some accident like the strongest ultra humanoid in all of human history is inside and has powers that surpass a Heroic Spirit. No problem whatsoever.
The weakest of the Heroic Spirits can defeat the most powerful human being.
Why? Because―――
―――It's not something to brag about, but...
When it comes down to dealing with humans, I'm the strongest.
Blood splashes up in the air.
The inhabitants are dead.
One middle-aged man, two boys, one granny, one old man holding a blood stained knife... oh, he's still alive.
“――――――What the hell?”
What a letdown.
By the time I broke in, it was already over.
His breath is ragged and heavy.
The mad culprit who massacred those four.
He didn't pay any attention to me, probably because he wanted to take out the last geezer.
“Hii, hii, hiiiiii.”
The geezer backed himself up to the wall and is desperately shaking his head.
I take a brief look at the grisly murder scene and method of murder.
The bodies are ravaged beyond recognition. Blood, flesh, and entrails are splendidly scattered about.
The choking stench of life, a living space splattered here and there, the end roll for the Brady Bunch.
tch―――Damn clean for a murder scene.
Not one trace of dirt. After all, it was murder for murder's sake.
No robbing, no raping, no hungering. Not one bit of that here.
“Some, somebody, hel...!”
I'll save him since he asked.
Since it was a surprise blow from behind, the murderer is killed easily.
After that, I'm back to my regular job.
By the time I ran into that house, it was all over.
“―――How could you?”
There are 5 corpses in the living room. I was able to tell by what appeared to be 5 heads severed from the nose.
...It was a slaughter scene so grotesque that I could not tell how many others there may have been through any other means.
“Sorry 'bout settling things before you got here.”
The Servant said while standing idly in a pool of fresh blood.
“――――――”
...In the Servant's clenched hand is a warped short sword.
A form that seems to be a mix of the fangs and claws of a beast. Is it meant to be gripped backhanded? I have never seen a weapon as difficult to use as that.
So that weapon―――is his symbol as a Heroic Spirit.
“Now, don't look at me like that.
How 'bout it? Want me to give you the details?”
“There is no need. That weapon and the wounds on those bodies match well enough.”
The shadow laughs in agreement.
There is no need to investigate any further.
This situation told me that the cause of this tragedy was the Servant.
“I have one question. Why did you kill them?”
“Why ask why? I did it for you. I was just looking for the jackpot. Looking one by one's not different at all as killing 'em one by one.
The point is to make sure there are no witnesses, right? Right, so if we keep wiping them out like this, we'll run into a Master one of these days.”
“――――――You...”
This guy, he hadn't listened to anything I said.
I was prepared to accept some sacrifices once I went into battle.
I am a magus and am no different from a murderer.
However, still―――I never desired this kind of meaningless sacrifice.
“You... do you enjoy killing people?”
“Huh? Don't be dumb. It's not like I like doing this. I'm doing the best I can for what you wanted me to do.
Now look. Just because I look like a human, don't think I act like one. When you get to it, aren't Servants supposed to be like this?”
“You have not answered my question.
I asked you, do you enjoy killing people?”
I glare at the Servant.
Holding that warped short sword, the Servant,
“Not one bit. First off, if I kill them, I miss out on a lot of fun.”
Hehe.
He directed a repugnant laugh as if he wanted me to share in his amusement.
“―――You bastard. How dare you call yourself a Heroic Spirit.”
I can't restrain myself.
...It's strange. I've seen people like him countless times, yet without any reason, I remember feeling disgust at this man's way of life.
It somehow feels as if this man must not be forgiven.
“Okay, lady. If you don't like killing, you shouldn't have become a Master. Seriously, it's a turnoff.
―――Man, what a waste of a good show. And I was so hoping you would cheer up, too.”
“I see... I apologize but I cannot answer your expectations. I'm now convinced. We are not going to get along with each other. You are the type of person I hate the most.”
I turn my hostility towards my own Servant.
I direct hatred similar to annoyance at the person I have to gain trust from first.
...I'm not acting right.
The immaturity of showing my feelings and hating someone should have been discarded long ago.
“...Hm. Fine. Basically, I hate all things.
It'd piss me off if you let your guard down, so it suits me fine. Heheh, I think you can call this one way of getting along.”
The Servant shows no signs of caring.
I hate him and he doesn't think anything of me.
So, there will be no cause for friction even if we despise each other, as we have no plans to bond.
“You know, though. I kind of like your type.”
―――Except.
He just said something odd.
“...Why? You said you hate everything.
As a Master, I know what kind of Servant you are. Your orientation is not one that is fond of humans.”
“Well, for now, I'll just say you're a good lady. I don't like you, but I got some affection for you.”
“―――The reason is because I am a woman?”
“Not just a woman, a good one. You're the kind that excites me.
You've got the kind of body I like, but parts of you, like the elite schoolgirl, or the one that tries to go by society's norms? It's just painful to look at.
You understand me? You're turning me on enough to make me want to find a real reason to kill you. Not some job where I just use my own skill.”
The shadow laughs.
From our connected path, intentions that took on physical attributes flowed in.
―――This Servant isn't lying.
He hates all things.
Naturally, without reason or reward, he sees everything as an object to kill.
...There could be no other explanation.
Pure hatred that could turn into a curse just by existing, without having to use the incendiary device of magic.
...But, that left me with questions.
For someone with as much want for blood as him to not kill me earlier didn't make any sense.
“...About what you said earlier.
You said that you would kill me, but restrained yourself.
How did you hold back your lust for me without being under the influence of a Command Spell?”
“Huh? Yeah, that's cause you're a Master. I just made this rule that you're not human.
To get right down into it, you just became the only living thing I don't have the desire to kill.
On the outside you might be a woman, but the inside? Not human at all. You've been categorized outside of my playing range.”
That was direct.
Was that supposed to upset me?
“...You mean, you are not going to treat me like a human being...?”
I've heard people say before that I'm boring or that I'm not charming, but this has to be the first time I wasn't treated like a woman.
Ah, no, he said as a human being, but to me it seemed like that's what he meant.
“Oh, you can't trust me? This is the best I'm gonna offer. This is your first and last chance?
...Shit, don't get upset. I'm being serious here.
Okay okay, so you say you can't see anything? All right, fine. If I give you this, will you trust me?”
So he interpreted my silence as suspicion.
He tore out a page of a notepad from the blood-soaked desk and wrote something on it.
“Here ya go. Don't give it to anybody else.”
"Certificate of exemption from murder. Valid until the end of Heaven's Feel." In well-written Japanese.
“―――What is this?”
“What do you mean what? This is proof that you're not a person.
With this, anybody can tell that you're not on my hit-list.”
"Good for you," he said, pushing the piece of paper into my hands.
...Yes, my suspicion was correct.
This Servant and I are hopelessly doomed to not get along.
We cannot afford to stay at the murder scene forever.
Hurriedly, we leave the residence behind.
I have my complaints with my Servant acting without my permission, but it is already too late. By continuing to argue with him, the only thing that would result is further mistrust.
...However, there was one thing I felt that was strange about him.
I cannot trust this Servant.
Masters and Servants are linked. Because of that, I could feel that he was fundamentally the kind that validates his murders and completely kills his opponent ruthlessly, no matter who or what.
He is my complete opposite.
I complete my missions without leaving room for personal feelings.
However, this Servant does so only with personal feelings.
He operates only through the emotion of wanting to kill people.
But despite that―――
“What? Didn't you say you want to leave?
Oh, it must be that. You're planning on ambushing the other Masters that will be investigating this mess, right?”
“A magus wouldn't fall for a trap as obvious as that and I told you that combat is reserved for the second stage.
We will proceed with information gathering, remember?”
“Nah, I'm betting there will be a stupid rookie around.
Like the kind that goes on nightly patrols every night and drops dead!
If he went around doing his homework, he still wouldn't figure out that he'd be wasted by the other Masters. Terminally ill with goodness, ain't he?”
“..................”
I ignore my Servant's chatter and walk ahead.
―――And yet,
despite all of his negative points, I don't feel that this Servant is unpleasant.
He is the kind of human being that I despise the most. I cannot tolerate him on every level.
...So why is it that I can't completely hate him?
I close my eyes and focus on our link.
...In exchange for the flowing magical energy, sometimes, I feel something very refreshing.
A feeling of homesickness rubbing against the heart, a prayer resembling nostalgia.
...How empty.
The void tells me.
I still don't understand the clear reason why, but this Servant will never betray me.
It told me that it would lend that chaotic consciousness to me to grant my wish―――
We resume our patrol.
This night we focused our investigation on Shinto.
The Shinto investigation ended in about 2 hours.
We were unable to detect any traces of magi.
In addition, the presence of "unknown things" the Servant mentioned was confirmed.
A part of me finds it hard to believe, but Fuyuki is definitely changing.
All over I can feel an unusual presence.
It is as if we are always being watched.
―――Around the city, there were slight tears.
On a different note, while there are large traces of magical energy, there are absolutely no signs of magecraft.
...Which would mean that this isn't magical energy accumulation caused by a Master.
The only feasible possibility is that there is something feeding on the inhabitants of this city, unrelated to the war.
No Master would benefit from this.
Doing this would instead force a halt to the Heaven's Feel.
“I see. If it was an outside magus that had heard about the Heaven's Feel―――”
That would mean there was a magus that desired the Holy Grail, but was not chosen as a Master.
Perhaps out of a twisted desire for vengeance, he was trying to disrupt the ritual? Another possibility was―――he made a contract with another association to disrupt the Heaven's Feel.
Regardless, it is obvious that there is an 8th magus in Fuyuki.
“An 8th one? You're telling me another nuisance popped up?”
“...I cannot say for sure, but there is a high likelihood that it is true.
It is clear that an unidentified magus is trying to intervene in the fifth Heaven's Feel.
I have no idea what his objective may be, but―――”
He was starting off by breaking the rules of the Heaven's Feel.
He was not just my enemy, no, we should think of him as the enemy of all the Masters.
“Oh ho. What kind of a guy is he?”
“He has no confidence in direct combat, but he is skilled at constructing large-scale fields. He is probably more suited for defense rather than offense.
He has not studied magecraft properly, probably... his is a mix of black magic and druid concepts.”
“No, no, that's not what I meant. I wanted to know if he's strong or weak.”
“As a magus, his skill is elementary. However―――”
The remaining magical energy traces were extremely dense.
Magical energy is only fuel to activate magic. By itself, it has no effect.
However, there are cases when it can leave behind a form, only limited to those times when magical energy itself bears traits similar to magic.
For example―――I have heard that the Einzberns gave a personality to their Holy Grail.
If that personality has magical energy, then it naturally possesses the magic trait of "wish granting."
Should the vital operations and its functions as a Holy Grail be directly connected to each other, it should be able to perform the miracle of "magic" merely by releasing magical energy.
The "incarnated demon" of the Holy Church also falls into this category.
Those that were created as "demons," rather than as lifeforms, can use higher level magic than humans.
As magi, our magic circuits are nothing more than pseudo-nerves. An ability that was added later behind our nervous system.
However―――"demons" have no need for those.
All of their organic functions are meant to draw upon energy.
I hear the Church calls these "natural devils."
Different from impostors that bear a hide of human concepts to become a unique identity, they are true "devils" that the Lord had commanded before man would name them, or so I hear.
“...Regardless, it appears that he is a dangerous interloper.
If this magus is a careless fool, we need not heed attention to him. If, however, he is a freelancer hired by the Church, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
...Now that I think about it, the one who won the previous war was...”
A freelance magus hired by the Einzberns.
His name was Emiya Kiritsugu.
A combat magus that had retired from the front lines by the time I had been assigned to sealing missions, taken in by the Einzberns.
Our occupations are natural enemies. Had he still been active, I would have fought him numerous times.
While the situation is becoming more unstable, I can't change my policy just because of one more enemy.
I will proceed with an investigation of all the Masters, causing as little damage to the people of this city as possible.
The problem is what to do next.
It is obvious that my Servant's abilities are low ranking.
In a straight-out fight on pure ability, he will eventually exhaust himself and lose.
I have to think of an order of who to fight, but I know very well who our final opponent ought to be.
The lineage of Holy Grails, Einzbern.
It has been said that they have prepared the most powerful Master for this war.
In the past, I have fought a homunculus created by the Einzberns.
...Being a failed creation facing disposal, it ran away from Einzbern territory and survived by sipping on mud in a city of man.
I was responsible for destroying it, but the results were bitter.
Even considering that at that time I was still inexperienced, the Einzbern-produced Homunculus was tougher than many magi.
The same Einzberns have produced a Master for this battle that they believe to be the most powerful.
In all honesty, I can't even begin to see any chance of victory at this stage.
Until I discover what tricks the enemy has up their sleeves, fighting against the Einzberns is suicidal.
In the forest on the outskirts of the city lies the old castle that the Einzberns control.
...The day we invade that forest will most likely be the day my Heaven's Feel will end.
The last place we came to was a hilltop graveyard for foreigners.
I suppose it was because the shadow of the Einzberns slipped into the back of my mind.
I feel weak, disoriented from a headache.
...I really... didn't want to come here.
“What's wrong, Master? Got something on your mind?”
I must have looked like I was worried.
My Servant is actually showing concern for my health.
I allow myself to be taken in by his sudden consideration.
“...Allow me to ask you a foolish question.
Do you believe that I can win...?”
And put into words that weak uncertainty that I had tried not to think about.
“――――――”
The Servant's expression changes.
Keeping the base of his mouth twisted with sarcasm, he turns his back to me.
“It's still early to be worried about that.
Whether you win or lose, you have to first figure out what to fight―――”
In a strained voice,
said while bent forward like a beast with prey before his eyes.
“―――God damn. It's just not my day.
Looks like we don't have time to be worrying.”
He is grinning.
What he saw was a Master and Servant.
“gh...!”
I feel a powerful flow of magical energy.
The Command Spells on my left arm brighten.
She is still young, but has a genius that far surpasses myself.
“Good evening, magus of the valley peasants.
I wonder if there is a need to introduce ourselves?”
She is probably from one of the great houses. Her eyes were full of derision.
To her side was another figure.
I could not tell which class she belongs to, but the fact that a Master brought her means she must be a Servant.
“―――――”
I remove from my chest pocket leather gloves with inscribed runes of protection.
I take them out along with something... hard.
Why was I carrying this earring? Why had I tucked it away so carefully?
I have my doubts, but now isn't the time for that.
I put the gloves on.
The girl waits politely for me to make my move.
...I regret not bringing Rach with me. If I survive, I'll make sure to carry it, even if I am out only for investigations.
While I shouldn't use my trump card immediately, having it increases the range of my strategy.
“―――I will determine how strong the enemy is. You will engage the Servant.”
“Gotcha.”
Not taking any care to see what she would do, he rushed towards the girl's Servant.
The two figures clashed.
I passed by the side and ran towards the defenseless Master.
“Ha!―――So you were only a nameless peasant! Very well! Be honored to be killed by the Edelfelts!”
She fired a scatter of Gandr.
A one-action spell, preventing close combat.
This isn't a metaphor, her magecraft is like a firearm.
―――Edelfelt.
A noble family of Finland. The Ore Scales. The same Edelfelt that produced many masters of the Gandr...!
This generation's young head was praised as the pride of their lineage, but now that I've seen how skilled she is, I can agree...!
I didn't block the Gandr aimed at both sides of my thigh.
I kept moving, parrying only the Gandr that would hit my upper body with my left fist.
“―――You, you blocked my Gandr with only your bare hands―――!?”
I move in.
My left fist which had been lowered to the base of my chest, struck aimed at the side of her stomach, where her kidneys were.
“Gu...!?”
I am blown backwards.
A figure behind her protected her from a body blow and I had been repelled backwards.
“――――――”
A swordsman stands in my way.
―――A Servant.
There is no denying it. That is a Servant.
“Then... who was the―――”
The moment I looked away, the battle was over.
“Saber, help!”
The other girl screams.
Saber defeated my Servant, just as the girl had ordered her to.
...How appallingly weak.
With just one flash of steel, not even able to match sword against sword, my Servant had his head pierced and is already gone.
“Pathetic. This has gotten dull.
Saber, end this quickly. When you're done, let's go back and enjoy a hot cup of coffee.”
Saber nods silently.
“――――――”
I was defeated, without being able to completely use my weapons.
...So, this is Saber.
This doesn't make any sense.
The two girls are both using a different "Saber."
“It seems your studying was inadequate.
I assume you have never heard that the heads of the Edelfelt family are always sisters?”
Sisters―――that is their blood line magic trait.
The normally forbidden notion of two successors was the reason why they were called "scales."
Then... the two of them are one Master and summoned two different sides of the same Heroic Spirit...!
“That is one down. Be honored to have been killed by us and squirm in the humiliation of being the first to be defeated.
There are now five Masters remaining.”
Her voice echoed to the moon.
Saber, speechless, without showing any hint of emotion,
struck her sword into my chest.
―――My conscious is being severed.
The moon is cycling like a white skull.
And thus came the end of my Heaven's Feel, once again.*
Losing sight of the ending, without conclusion,
the curtains fell―――
Reopening
―――That was the dream I had.
I woke up just before 6 in the morning.
The light coming through the window is a little bright and the breeze seeping through the gaps is a little chilly.
“...Damn. I've done it again.”
A steamy summer had come and gone, passing into October before anyone realized it.
It became a season difficult to fall asleep in without a blanket.
“Last night, what did I―――”
I move my still sluggish head around.
Last night, I fixed up bike #1, changed #2's chain to a new one while I was at it, didn't have anything else to do, so I relaxed a bit and ended up nodding off.
“...Ouch. It sure is rough sleeping on the ground... It's almost winter, too. I'd better bring a futon.”
I rotate my stiff shoulders and breathe in.
Breakfast starts at 6:30 at the Emiya residence.
There is still plenty of time, but only for the people who are going to eat.
The people making breakfast have to wake up 30 minutes earlier than that.
“Lately, Sakura's been waking me up after she finishes cooking breakfast... Dang, since when did she grow up into the kind of girl that took pleasure in robbing people of their hobbies?”
It is definitely the influence of her sister.
Anyways, at this house, if you want to make breakfast, you have to wake up at 6 am or risk being beaten to the punch.
As the master of this house... No, as her teacher, I can't afford to be outdone already by my pupil.
Once I stepped onto the veranda, my nose caught the smell of breakfast.
The sound of an active kitchen knife reaches my ears.
Judging by this, I'd say breakfast is about 80% complete.
The same old scenery of a pleasant morning.
Savoring it as if it was only natural,
“Oh, good morning Shirou. Did you wake up late?”
I gaze at her smile.
“Shirou? Why aren't you saying anything?
Is there something on my face?”
Half a year ago.
Back when it was still cold, there had also been times like this.
That was...
“...You look pale. Good Lord, did you spend the night in the storehouse again?
Shirou, self-improvement is admirable, but it is childish to ruin your health because of that.”
Yeah. After all, I'm still a kid.
It's only been half a year since the war.
People can't grow up that easily.
“Are you listening to me? With Rin gone, it is my duty to supervise you.
If you insist on neglecting your health, I have an idea to remedy that.”
That's right.
With Tohsaka gone, it was up to Saber to protect the order of our household.
But that's not important right now.
“What is this idea?”
“I am going to do what bothers you the most. You never follow what I say, so you leave me no choice but to watch over you up close.
If you do not see the error of your ways, I will have to move into the room next to yours.”
“Ack.”
Don't say something so scary with a smile.
Saber's room is a Japanese-style guest room.
Back when she was moving out from the room next to mine,
“I will not. There is no reason to change my quarters.”
She was being real hardheaded about it, but I managed to get her to back down. The war was over, and there was no need to have a bodyguard, after all.
That happened just a little earlier.
Ever since then, I took back the appropriate peace of mind of a healthy young man.
“―――I repent. I'll start sleeping in my room from tomorrow.”
“Very good... though it is a bit miffing how quickly you reacted. But this is all for your own sake.
I do feel uneasy that I cannot be at your side in an emergency, but I shall drop the matter if it keeps you from having a good night's rest.”
Saber turns towards the living room.
Of course. Why should anyone make a fuss out of the same old morning conversation?
Ah, I forgot to tell her.
I have to say it.
“Saber.”
“Good morning, and thanks in advance.”
“You are welcome. Shirou, watch your health.”
I go with Saber to the living room.
My vision goes blurry for some reason. Wondering why, I rub my eyes.
“――――――Huh?”
My eyes were a little watery.
The same old scenery of a pleasant morning.
I must have yawned from the dullness of it all.
A moment in the morning
“Itadakimaaasu!”
The slightly different sounds of a variety of clasping hands echoed.
On the table is the main dish of grilled fish. Six portions of it, actually.
“So anyway, Sakura got up early this morning and cooked for us. Everybody, especially a certain slouch, please be grateful to Sakura and enjoy your meal.”
Two people nod earnestly.
No, I didn't mean you guys, I meant the Fujimura Group over there, trading spinach for roast chicken.
“Ah, there's still natto!
I said before that I didn't want any, but Sakura is persistent.
Taiga, you eat natto, don't you? I'll trade them for the omelet.”
“I don't mind, but you ought to get used to natto. Don't be picky with what you eat, but it's a deal if you take half of the omelet.
Munch munch. Alas, my poor little chicklet, unaware of the wonderfulness of natto and rice.”
“Half, you say... Fine, I accept. I'll trade with you at that rate.
I wouldn't be able to eat all of it anyway. Taiga, feel free to get caught by Sakura's scheme before you realize it.”
“Okay, it's a deal. Half of my omelet for Illya-chan's natto!
...And what do you mean by Sakura-chan's scheme?”
“Oh, no need to worry.
I've calculated the amount of calories properly. As long as you chew and exercise, there won't be any extra fat!
Isn't that right, Saber-san?”
“It is as Sakura says.
While I cannot make a definite assertion as our body frames are different, it is needless to say that if anyone does become heavier, it will be Taiga alone.”
“See? Saber-san agrees. Eat as much as you like! We have plenty of leftovers.”
“No need to tell me―――Sakura, please give me another heap.”
“..................”
Rider and I exchange glances.
It looks like we have the same thing in mind, but some things are better left unsaid.
“Rider? Your bowl is empty. Would you like some more?”
“I am fine with one bowl. I do not have a digestive system as strong and inefficient in energy consumption as Saber's.
I will have a cup of tea though, so Sakura, please concentrate on your meal too.”
Rider said, pouring tea for herself.
Sipping hot tea silently really does seem to fit her.
“...Inefficient energy consumption... I cannot ignore that comment, Rider. I would be satisfied with just the bare minimum.
However, it would be improper to leave any leftovers when this much has already been prepared. Rations must not go to waste.”
“Munch munch, these radishes are great.
Oh, Saber-chan, if you aren't going to eat yours, give them to me.”
“I refuse.”
“Gya!?”
“Furthermore, this was the meal that Sakura took the time to make for us. I would feel uneasy at settling for little. Delicious food should be eaten to the heart's content.”
What Saber said is perfectly logical. I feel it is a wonderful opinion.
If only she hadn't asked for a third serving already, however.
...People, you really shouldn't overdo things.
“Huh? Today's miso soup tastes a little different. Shirou, you didn't help today, did you? It feels kind of inconsistent. Even though the flavoring is thick, the potatoes were cut delicately. Not very skilled, but precise. Kind of like a novice carver.”
“Ah―――uh, well, experience is a good teacher. Got to do some things differently every once in a while.”
“Hmm. I prefer the usual soup, but I suppose that this type has some promise.
The Japanese food Sella makes also tastes just like this.”
Rider slumps in relief.
...I didn't lie.
What I was trying to hide is the fact that today's miso soup was made by our very own Rider.
When I got to the kitchen this morning, Sakura and Rider were already there.
Saber and I laid out the tableware, all while watching Rider in her desperate battle in front of the miso soup pot.
“Ah, Fujimura-sensei, it's almost time for you to leave. The preparatory committee for the cultural festival is about to start.”
“Ack. Ryuudou-kun will be mad if I come in late today.
Waah, can't us teachers even be allowed to have our last cup of tea?”
Fuji-Nee rose up, holding the helmet for "Tiger #1" in her hand.
“See you at school, Sakura-chan. Shirou, be sure to come in on time. Just because you don't plan to go to college doesn't mean you can take it easy and skip school!”
And so, the single female English teacher in her twenties waved at us with a smile and ran off.
Since the cultural festival is closing in, lately Fuji-Nee has been leaving early.
The same with the succeeding captain of the archery club, but due to the festival, the regular morning training was reduced to a short meeting.
Because of that, she had 30 more minutes of free time than usual.
“The cultural festival is coming up soon. I just wish Nee-san would be able to come back for it though.”
“Yeah. She said she'd be back during summer break, but it's already October. I wonder if something happened to Tohsaka over there.”
...More like, it would be nice if she didn't cause anything to happen. Seriously.
“Hmph. Having to make an extended stay is what Rin deserved.
It's not something that can be gotten over within one month. She botched up an imitation of Zelretch's Jewel Sword, you know?
...Well, it is 100 years too early for Rin, so there wasn't even the slightest chance of her succeeding, but who knows exactly what happened because of that Second Sorcery explosion she caused?”
Illya is genuinely upset.
...I guess it's normal to be angry if all of that happened in your own castle, but still...
―――Let's go back two months.
One day, in the midst of summer holidays, Tohsaka, as enthusiastic as ever,
“I'm going to need a trump card when I go to London next year. They say there are a lot of weirdos this term, and since I will be going as a bumpkin from the far east, it'd be a good idea to have some dignity.”
Or so she had said jokingly―――knowing Tohsaka though, she probably had taken great care and preparation―――she tried to make a pendant, a miniature version of the Jewel Sword that can monitor waves from parallel worlds...
And messed up completely and utterly, on a scale that us mere mortals could never imagine.
The result: all the data and materials she had collected, including the money she had to borrow from Sakura to purchase them, went to waste.
To put it in Illya's words, what remained was a monster with nothing but a will to live. After looking at her passbook, that very monster became a living corpse.
“...Emiya-kun... find me a job...”
Back then she had been saying that things weren't that bad, but one day, something major happened.
That was the price of meddling in sorcery, in what came to be called the Winchester Event.
...Later.
“...I'm in real trouble now. At this rate, I might even be designated for sealing. Before that happens, I'll have to fix what's loose.”
With that, she journeyed to the Clock Tower, the HQ of magic.
“I still don't get it. What actually happened?
I thought the only thing that had happened was all that craziness in the castle?”
“Shirou, you don't understand what's wrong at all. Rin shot a singularity point, not meant as a weapon, almost turning this town into a mini-terminal!
Would the phrases "malfunctioning causality," "crossing of phenomena," "the future leading into the past," be easier to understand?”
“Oh, so basically the world almost turned into a place where anything's possible?”
“That is an easy way of putting it.
To say it precisely, it almost turned into a world where all the possible outcomes of this town were drawn in.”
...Hrm.
All possible outcomes drawn in, huh?
Like winning 1st place in the lottery, or aliens coming to earth, or true immortality being perfected, or everyone suddenly coming to kill me.
In other words, a morbid joke that had a small chance of occurring actually happening.
“...I get it. So that's what happened... But I got the feeling that what happened was a little different.”
Well, I mean it was a world that was a flat-out copy of a children's fairy-tale.
I mean, it was a world that was the same one from Dodgeson's Alice in Wonderland.
I mean, it was pretty much a real-life version of Maze Survival.
“...We were also surprised. What Rin had tried to accomplish goes beyond what humans are capable of. There was the potential for it to have even more impact than the Heaven's Feel.”
Said its victim quietly.
Actually, not only Rider, but everyone here plus one other were victimized by it.
“? What's wrong, Sakura? Did something happen?”
“Ah... no, nothing too important. It's just something that Rider said.”
Sakura trailed off. Well, if she says so, I'll just nod and leave it at that.
―――Or more like, I was planning to.
“Heaven's Feel. That's what Sakura reacted to.
And I thought you hadn't noticed, but you just weren't sure yet.”
―――The child of winter did not overlook that comment.
“...What about the Heaven's Feel, Illya? That already ended half a year ago.”
“Is that so? At the very least, I wonder if the Servants feel the same way?
Saber, Rider? The two of you ought to be aware of this aura.”
“..................”
“Rider? Do you and Saber-san know what's going on?”
“N-No, I do not.
...Except, just as Illya said, I am aware of the tension in this city.
...It is only a very minor sense of discord, so I had looked into it on my own, but...”
...A minor sense of discord...?
What are you saying?
Something like this―――why is Rider mentioning it now as if it's plainly obvious?
“――――How about you, Saber? Do you know what Rider is talking about?”
“...Yes. I have my suspicions as to what it may be, but they are only suspicions. Would you mind if I...?”
I nod silently.
“Very well.
To be frank, the murderous instinct is coming not from this city, but us Servants... correct, Rider? Since a few days ago, we have both had light feelings of hostility towards each other.
Our instincts, rather than conscious thinking, are telling us that we are enemies that must be defeated. That is, in other words...”
“The excitement that Servants experience in the Heaven's Feel, is it?
...I hate to admit it, but I came to the same conclusion.”
Saber and Rider glare at each other.
What they are saying is extremely simple.
“So, basically, there's a Heaven's Feel going on.”
We aren't concerned with the whys and hows yet.
The evidence points to this conclusion.
“That's not possible...! It's not right, Senpai! There is no Holy Grail anymore!
And, erm, that's right! If there was going to be another Heaven's Feel, wouldn't there be a notification from the Church!?”
“Yeah, and we haven't gotten one yet.
Maybe... there isn't a new Heaven's Feel. Maybe, the one that already ended was restarted? That would make sense.”
After all, most of the Masters are still alive, the Servants are still hanging around, and our Command Spells are still in good shape.
I still have one left on my left hand.
“Hmm. That's a strong theory.
The victor of the fifth one was Shirou, but you didn't use the Grail and there still are Servants left. It might be possible that something provided the impetus for the fighting to restart in order to resolve the war.”
“So it is a rematch for the defeated?
But Illya, who decided that the winner of the Heaven's Feel was Shirou? I was under the impression that no one had won the war.”
...Rider isn't complaining that I won. It's the complaint of making me the winner of a battle with no winner.
“The one who decides who won is none other than the Holy Grail itself.
No matter what the results were, the Holy Grail acknowledges Shirou as the victor. That is none other than me, so I don't believe there is any mistake, right?”
“..................I understand.
Then allow me to ask the part of you that is the Holy Grail. How should we overcome this?”
“Eh?”
Rider is looking at Illya seriously.
If fighting breaks out, Sakura will be put in harm's way. For that reason, Rider must have been reminded of that sense of danger at the words "resumption of the Heaven's Feel."
“Hold on, Rider. This doesn't mean anything has to be done.
Even though it might have been restarted, there isn't even a Grail in the first place. There's no reason to fight.”
“You certainly did your homework. Yes, it is exactly as Shirou says.
While there may be something abnormal about Fuyuki recently, it is nothing worth worrying about.”
“And if you bother to think about it, the fact that Servants are staying in this plane of existence after the war ended is unusual. You ought to be accepting all these abnormalities or you won't be getting anywhere, right?”
“Right, right. Suppose there is someone that's up to no good, it still doesn't make a difference. In the end, the same Servants he's scheming about will be the ones stopping him.”
“Do you know the conditions of being strong?
Those guys that stick out end up making enemies easily, but the ones that can protect everybody easily from those enemies are called strong.
A person that's only tough is just violent.
To get to the point. As far as I know, the two of you are strong.”
“Shirou's right again. Today's Shirou gets an A+ in perceptiveness!”
...Should I be dancing in joy?
Well gee, I guess the usual me is always dense.
“There-fore, if anyone should be having problems, it's you two.
Saber, Rider, do you want to resume the fighting?”
“Not at all... although I will accept if Rider insists on fighting me.”
“That is my line. I have lost to you countless times. If you do offer me the opportunity, I do not mind settling the score...”
“...Uwaaah...”
Sparks are flying between those two.
For a short while, it looked like they finally got along, but I guess they're still rivals.
“I'm glad that's the case. Well, neither of you are cats in heat, so I think it is unlikely that you will just go wild for no reason. Also, neither of you are the type that would hunt people out of boredom.”
“Illyasviel, I have my objections to that reasoning. I am not some kind of ghoul. On the other hand, I cannot say anything in her defense, as she does have a record.”
“Mmph...”
Rider wanted to, but couldn't counter that argument.
If it comes down to behaving like an animal, I don't think that Saber is any different, but I'll put that aside.
“Erm... so I wonder exactly what happened?”
“The other Masters probably won't be attacking, so I think we should wait this out for a while.
Nothing major happened either, so there isn't any need to go out of the way to conduct an investigation yet.”
“That's true. Ah, then how about asking the other Servants about how they feel?
Like Lancer-san, I've seen him in town a lot.”
Sakura just said something odd.
But I don't mind at all. Yeah, Lancer does seem like he'd be willing to give me his impressions on what's going on.
“In that case, we shall also look into this matter when we get the opportunity.
By the way, Sakura. It is almost time to leave for school.”
“Ah, you're right! I'm sorry, I'll clean this up right away!”
“Do not worry, that is my job, Sakura. Please relax and go to school.”
“Ah, alright. Thank you Rider. Take care of things while I'm gone.”
Sakura is cheerfully getting ready to leave.
Me, though. I still have about 30 minutes left, so I'll go help Rider.
“I'll be off! Senpai, don't skip school!”
Sakura leaves hastily.
This marks the end of our morning.
“You guys, could you leave everything in the sink? I'll clean all of it up once I change.”
“...Thank you. To be honest, I am not very good at washing.”
Rider isn't clumsy, she just can't get a hold of restraining her power. She's a plate breaker just like Saber, but for a different reason.
Anyway, I'll go back to my room.
―――Except.
“Shirou... Regarding what we just talked about, if you plan on patrolling in the evening, please tell me.
Illyasviel may have said not to worry, but there is something that is bothering me.”
I am truly grateful for Saber's offer.
I am happy that she said that. I know I shouldn't be, but a part of me is excited that things had returned the way they were a half a year ago.
“...Okay. When I get the chance, I'll let you know as I'm going out. Something funny is definitely going on, so just in case, let's go on patrol.
...But before that. I really can't imagine patrolling with anyone other than you.”
“Indeed. I knew you would say that, Shirou.”
That's my line.
If Saber is with me, I won't be killed that easily.
It is past 7:30 in the morning.
Now, should I go to school, or should I take it easy?
Life has become a bit weird, but even though I'm getting excited, it isn't likely that I'd get to the bottom of this by myself.
“Oh well. I'll see what's going on when I feel like it.”
Luckily, after tomorrow, there are 3 days off.
The pursuit of happiness doesn't necessarily have to be painful.
It's great to be able to go about daily life without extra stress.
Emiya Residence・Day 1 Fuji-Nee's persimmon feast
Well then.
I have some spare time, so let's clean up the room.
I don't have a lot of stuff, so it shouldn't take too long.
“Or so I think...”
Day by day, the amount of stuff is mysteriously increasing.
As if rabbits start breeding junk in here whenever I look away.
“...Rabbits, mice, whatever.”
I know the source of this influx.
I know, but I can't do anything about it.
“Well, let's start with some vacuuming.”
However, once I get the vacuum cleaner out, I spontaneously get the urge to clean the neighboring rooms, then other rooms, and so on. In the end, I'll only be satisfied after cleaning the entire main wing.
...Cleaning is really relaxing. Gotta be careful and stop at the right time.
As I'm advancing forward with the roar of the vacuum cleaner...
Ahh, stuff is piling up, wait... the culprit is discovered!
As I was wondering what kind of junk she'd bring today―――
“Oh? Whatcha doing, Shirou?”
“I thought I'd clean up a bit.”
“Ah, okay. Then I'll leave it to you―――”
“Now just wait a moment.”
Don't just drop off boxes of junk in my room and escape.
“What is that, Fuji-Nee?”
“Huh? Oh, you know, Shirou, I just thought you might need it for winter hibernation.”
“――――――”
Heheh, I'm not the kind of creature that can do a handy thing like that.
Besides, random junk isn't very useful when preparing for hibernation.
“...Fuji-Nee. My room happens to be neither a nest nor some kind of beaver's dam... or should I say a crow's nest.”
“Mmm... now that you mention it, that does seem to be so.
But you shouldn't underestimate the crows nowadays, you know? They're wild animals with an insurmountable will to live, they even make nests on laundry hangers.”
Really? Even on laundry hangers... sounds like quite a feat.
I guess crows are quite clever, or, rather, their ability to adapt is quite impressive.
“Well, anyhow...”
My room isn't meant to be storage space.
Even the garden storehouse is being converted into a junkyard with Fuji-Nee's involvement. No way I'm going to let her personal storage space expand this far. If you want to make a nest, do it at your own house, please...
“...Mmph. Could it be that you're the one preparing to hibernate in my room, Fuji-Nee?”
“Maybe? Do tigers hibernate too?”
“That would be bears... I have a feeling that tigers don't.”
If they do, she'd probably be preparing to follow suit, wouldn't she?
...Well, knowing her, she'd at least fake it no problem.
“Ah, that sounds nice, hibernating animals. Nothing but sleep all winter long. I'm a little envious.”
“Hibernation, you say... that's when they have to eat lots in autumn, then become all skin and bones by spring.”
“Eat till you drop in the fall, when the skies are clear and horses grow stout, so to speak, then don't have to be on a diet in spring!?”
Wow. This is what's called "positive thinking."
“I'm starting to like the idea of hibernation even more.”
“―――What about your job, eh?”
“A standard "winter hibernation" holiday―――wait, there isn't one.”
She could just use up the paid vacation time for the winter break.
Then get addicted to the joys of life under a kotatsu and become a social derelict.
“So, Fuji-Nee... It looks like a cardboard persimmon box, but what kind of junk is inside?”
“Eh? Persimmons, of course, what else?”
Ah, well, okay―――or not.
Really? Is it really persimmons?
“It was quite a chore carrying them all they way here～”
“Good work... wait, why in my room?”
“The kitchen is cramped as it is, so I was looking for better storage. If I leave it in a place that no one sees though, they'll just spoil and go to waste, you know? So then I thought, hey, Shirou's room would be just perfect!”
“...Huh, I see.
But weren't you dropping mandarins and watermelons and whatnot all over the living room before?”
“Well, yeah, but... now Saber-chan and Sakura-chan are also here, it'd be kind of bad to make a mess.”
“...It's great that you're concerned about it, actually, but why doesn't your sympathy apply to me?
―――Why, you...”
I drop the vacuum cleaner in a corner and open the box.
...Inside, there is a stack of shiny persimmons.
“"If Shirou's going to hibernate, he'll definitely need food," I thought.”
“Well, no, I'm not... Is this another gift from the Fujimura Group?”
“Yep! And we still have a pile thiiis big!”
Sounds like quite a big load must have come in.
What's up with that? They're sending enough fruit for a seasonal marketplace, I think.
Looks like another item with a story behind it from old man Raiga.
“With this much, we could even put some out to dry under the eaves outside.”
“You only make dried persimmons out of astringent ones. And sending those raw, what kind of a dumb joke would that be...? sigh...”
Anyways, here we have two boxes of persimmons.
Picking one up, I notice it's ripe and quite soft.
“It'll go to waste if we don't eat these quickly...”
“Yeah, don't you think so?!
Persimmons in the morning, persimmons for lunch, persimmons at night, it's a persimmon feast! So I thought I'd be a kind Onee-chan and share the fruits of fall with you, Shirou!”
Don't you mean "dump the leftovers here"?
But the persimmons themselves aren't bad, in fact, these are really pretty good―――
“Yeah, would be a real shame to just let them rot.”
“But shouldn't it be alright? Just summon everybody for help, and it'll be gone in a second!”
“We had a quota for mandarins, but now it's persimmons... I suppose the peaches and pears were gone quickly.”
I recall all the fruit that our household has gone through.
We do have more consumers than we did six months ago, so I suppose it should be gone quickly.
“And I'm ready for mandarins and apples next... Sounds like Saber-chan would eat a lot, too.”
“...Apples and persimmons can be used as ingredients, so we'll figure something out... Anyway, let's put this someplace else.”
It's difficult to clean up with these in the way.
There's an empty room in the north wing, I guess we can put them in the hallway around there.
“One box for hiberna-...”
“I told you, I don't need that much. Here, you too.”
“Alright, alright, huff!”
Ryuudou Temple・Day 1 On the verge of a dream
...How unusual.
Caster was standing still, lost in a reverie.
Perfect timing.
There's no one else around, so I should try asking about the new Heaven's Feel.
She's settled down now, but the precedent of her setting up a magic barrier in the middle of the town still exists.
I don't think it's possible, but I at least want to check what she's been up to lately.
“Caster, can I talk to you for a moment?”
She lifted her heavy hood back and glanced coldly at me.
“What is it? Since it's you who's talking to me, I doubt it's anything good.”
...I feel like she's on guard. When we meet in town she's relatively friendly, but now it's almost as if she's reverted back to how she was half a year ago.
“Whether it's good or bad is up to you.
I'm going to be blunt. Are you doing anything secretly lately? You know, going back to old habits, after all the stress of having to deal with an abstemious temple lifestyle.”
The atmosphere is quite serious, so I try to ask it peacefully, in a way that doesn't provoke her.
“Hohoho, you ask some interesting questions, boy.
Talking to me at a place like this, really. Do you want to be killed and buried where no one will ever find you, I wonder?”
“My bad. Have you noticed anything odd in town recently?”
I'm sorry. My spine froze. The unnatural smile that I assumed was gone in the past six months was still there. I should have expected no less from the top tactician of all the servants, I apologize.
“You should have just said that from the beginning.
I'm not at all stressed right now.”
...But that statement was about as worthless as a drunkard declaring his sobriety.
...Is the Ryuudou Temple really okay, I wonder?
“I see. Well, occasional exercise is good for you. You know, marathons, going up and down the temple stairs, training in the Einzbern Forest...”
I'm pretty sure there's one or two spots in the forest that Caster is using as training grounds, and if that's the case, Berserker's probably liable to come and help as a hypothetical enemy.
“Thank you for your consideration, but I have no need to go into the forest. I can do some light exercise here, too.
―――The one running around will probably be you, not me, though.”
“Eeek...”
This is bad. It seems Caster and I just don't get along.
At this rate it may become a repeat of the events half a year ago, so I have to make this quick.
“Um, then let's talk about stress relief again some other time.
So, about the town...”
“I haven't seen anything. I know there is something odd about the town, but the purpose or origin behind it is unknown to me. Either way, it doesn't interest me.”
“...I see.
Well, I didn't think you'd figure it out right away, but...”
If I ask Caster for help, there's a chance I could investigate what's going on.
Heaven's Feel, restarted.
Servants, unharmed and still in this world.
And also―――this feeling of deja vu that I can't quite grasp.
“Well, leaving that aside...
I take it you're not part of this, right?”
“Correct. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, though.”
“I believe you, Caster. You may be scheming something, but I don't think you would lie.”
Actually, Servants can't lie as a rule.
I guess that's being noble or fair in a way.
“And you have no interest in the current situation.
By that, do you mean that you have no interest in dealing with the other Servants?”
“Of course. Wasting magical energy when there's nothing to gain from it is behavior unbefitting a magus.
This applies to you, too―――
Oh, but you don't have any sense of duty as a magus, do you, boy?”
She chuckles.
I'm being made fun of, but I don't feel bad about it at all.
There were cheerful notes in Caster's voice.
Even so, it seems Caster has no interest in investigating the situation. It almost looks as if she likes it, even.
“Alright, I get it. So this means you're not going to do anything, right?”
“Yes. Sorry, boy, I won't intervene at all.
If you want to search for the one who restarted Heaven's Feel, go look on your own.”
Well, that's how it'll be.
“Oh my, you sure took that well. I thought you would bow down and beg me to help.”
“Even I won't ask for the impossible.
Caster, you just don't feel like it, do you? If that's the case, I'll do it myself... And if I can't, I'll be back, and we'll have a little endurance contest then.”
Judging by how she resisted, all I had to do was beg her for help until she complied.
Huh?
Perhaps she just wasn't expecting it, or maybe she had been having fun planning how to turn me down?
Caster has a disappointed look on her face.
“...Are you alright? Did you get a death by enfeeblement curse cast on you without realizing it or something?
This isn't like you. What happened to that tenacity of yours?”
...Hm. I should have expected it from the uncommon witch. The amount she worries about me is a step higher than Tohsaka.
Actually, if I were to be robbed of free will, I would at least prefer it to be done with a lethargic curse or something. I couldn't stand having my vitality being chipped away and then dying like that.
Well, leaving that aside.
“I haven't had a curse cast on me. There's no one but you who could do that, anyways.
More importantly, I'm just an eyesore to you, aren't I?”
I wasn't being sarcastic, I just said what I was thinking.
Once again, Caster looks taken aback.
This time she looks even more defenseless.
“...Huh. Honestly, I wonder what you're going to say and here you go again.
Yes, to be honest, you are an eyesore. After all, you are the victor and we are the defeated. Even when all is calm, it's hard to forget the humiliation of defeat.
...Moreover, I can't relax when you're around.
The winner of Heaven's Feel, that immature sense of justice you possess, both of those are things I don't want to see when I'm in a bad mood.”
Caster's hostility is genuine. She honestly thinks I am a bother.
...But wait.
It almost sounds as if she views me as an enemy not of herself, but of something else entirely.
Knowing how out of character it is for her, I responded to her hostile remarks with a simple "I see" and a nod. For now, I'll take things in stride.
“...Hmph. Take care, boy.
Whenever I see you on your own, sometimes I think about crushing you once and for all. However, as long as Saber is around, it's impossible.”
“Liar. You aren't the type to be lenient just because you're afraid of Saber taking revenge. The reason you won't act out is because there's something more important.”
That may be, for example, the tranquil life at Ryuudou Temple.
“―――Say what you will.
Just remember, if you become even a little less pure of a human being, that's when I will give you your just deserts without mercy.
If you don't want to die filled with self-loathing, then give in to your greed and depravity. I'll make you a favor and kill you with enchantments.”
The witch grinned.
As I thought, when we're alone together, we're not compatible. Even though I'm not interested, I've already been given what sounded like a declaration of war.
“...Maybe I should get going.
Oh, could you tell me one more thing?
The town right now, there's no damage being done to it, right? So is it possible for it to get worse?”
“No, there's no damage, and no, it won't get worse. I can guarantee it.
...Indeed, this is all but a short dream. Nothing will happen, and it will all go back to normal.”
...Alright then.
Let's continue the investigation.
Just knowing that Caster isn't doing anything, and that she doesn't plan to get involved is good enough.
“Bye then. I'll try to catch you in a better mood next time.”
“Please do. I want to avoid having both Saber and Rider as my enemies.
...Also, I have a piece of advice for you.
Be a good boy and don't go near the church at night, okay? The opponent there is not something you can handle.”
...She raises her hood back up and leaves.
Ah, could it be that the reason she was showing me her face was some kind of courtesy...?
Emiya Residence・Start of Night・Ritual window
As I start preparing dinner, I glance outside and notice that the sun has already set.
"Dropped like a rock," is what they often say. Looks like relaxing in the evening sun is no longer allowed.
“Shirou, I finished cleaning the bath. Where are the fresh towels?”
“Go ask Saber. Doing the laundry is her job.”
I reply while pounding out a steady rhythm with the kitchen knife.
There's some kind of a noisy commotion in the living room behind me.
“Senpai, we're out of soy sauce. I'll go down to the shopping district to get some.”
“It's pretty late already, let's wait till tomorrow. You can borrow some from Fuji-Nee's house.
Illya, go together with Sakura―――”
―――Wait, Illya's not here.
Though she often leads the assault with Fuji-Nee in the morning, she often isn't here during dinner.
Instead, she would appear when everyone's relaxing after having already finished dinner.
“I will accompany her. As I said in the morning, it is dangerous to be walking around alone at night.”
“Saber? Ah, thank you very much.
If you go with Rider, you'll frighten the young people at Fuji-Nee's house. Anyway, come back soon.”
I sense a quick nod from the two of them.
They grab a 1-sho bottle and merrily head for the Fujimura Group.
“Shirou, sorry to disturb your cooking...”
Replacing the two that just left is Rider's figure.
The punctual Rider won't show her face in the living room before seven o'clock. Until then, she stays in her room, immersed in reading.
“No problem, what is it?”
“While you were away, an unknown character came by, suggesting that we purchase a tabloid subscription. I refused, but he would not give up. He will come back every day until we buy one, a type of a persistent burning passion, it seems.
...Frankly speaking, would it be acceptable to regard him as an enemy?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Why? Because it would cause fatalities.
Treat others kindly, treat yourself kindly.
...Rider has zero tolerance towards enemies.
The final decision between "friend" and "enemy" happens amazingly quick.
Saber is also rather similar in this aspect.
Despite having some leeway in her definition of "enemy," once acknowledged, Saber won't show any mercy, either.
“...I understand. Even though I am not confident, tomorrow I will properly listen to what he has to say.”
“There's no need to force yourself to listen. If you say that we already have a subscription or something, he probably won't appear for another three months. Or just call Sakura and she'll settle it in no time.”
“Sakura...? But I do not think that Sakura has the skills to deal with such a person, either...”
“It seems she's good at overcoming her weaknesses. Sakura's great at turning away subscription sellers. In fact, just watching it frightens me.”
In her suggestive-passive manner, she grabs the weed by the very roots, and then, at the very last moment, cuts it thoroughly with a smile on her face.
No man can withstand the shock of hearing "You should be going soon, before I call the police, no?" with that angelic smile.
A passive-aggressive style of defense, along the lines of a Kyoto native asking the guest to have some bubuzuke.
“I see. She is normally calm and gentle, but it is dangerous to anger her. I understand.
...By the way, where did Sakura go?”
“She went with Saber to the Fujimura Group. They'll be back soon, you can just watch TV with Fuji-Nee in the meantime.”
“Don't you need help serving the food?”
“Nah, though I appreciate the concern. Today I only need one big plate for everything.”
Lightly bowing, Rider returns to the living room.
“Ack!? R-Rider-san, what are you doing, it's the debut of the legendary Racket-Rainbow-Goddamn!”
“Sorry. I intend to watch the news.”
“Gah!? P-Precise it may be, an excuse it is not!
Why, oh why!? It's the anime that will never bore you out!
It's Racket, yet there are mad weapons like Floppy, Pizza, even laser guns! It is a masterpiece that has already transcended the "interesting" or "boring" dimension!”
Quietly nodding in response to Fuji-Nee's protests, Rider ruthlessly changes the channel.
You could say that reading is a part of her life, and watching TV is just a simple hobby of hers.
“......Yet, how should I put it...”
It's gotten really lively in here.
Food hasn't even been served, and it's this noisy already. How much worse will it get once dinner starts?
Emiya Residence・Night Map・Awakening (not yet)
I've come out to the storehouse.
I don't have anything that needs to be repaired right away, but I came anyway because I felt like it.
I sit cross-legged on my usual seat, and survey my surroundings, not doing anything in particular.
“..............................Now then.”
I've been here long enough.
I couldn't really think of anything to do out here either. Guess I'll go back to my room and sleep.
But, um...
Why am I coming to the storehouse at night?
Emiya Residence・Start of Night・Good Night
A day has ended.
Lying down and sprawling on the bed, I let fatigue take over my body.
Mild drowsiness is numbing out my mind.
“――――――, whew.”
―――What a release.
Since that incident, I can't trust my consciousness being separated from me.
Sleep. It's a rite of passage from the closing of one day to the reopening of the next.
A natural thing for anybody, a recurring memory hole.
Limp and powerless, I'm falling into that abyss.
“Well then. I wonder what should I do tomorrow...?”
There all sorts of things to think about, things that have to be done, all of that can be decided once tomorrow comes.
For the time being, let's just call it a day―――
Day 2
School・Day 2 Makidera and Rin's pendant
―――It's a holiday, and there are few people at school.
A "Fa" from the wind music club, mixing with the other wind instruments, vaguely reaches my ears...
“―――What the heck?”
This rough, almost beastlike way of running―――
...!
“Ouch! Hey you, watch where you're going!”
“That's my line. Is that what you say after jumping out at me all of a sudden!?”
“Well you shouldn't be spacing out like that, Emiya!―――Geh.”
The self-proclaimed "Fuyuki's black panther" stood up ahead of me.
It was an abrupt greeting from Makidera Kaede of the track and field club.
“Oh, it's just you, Makidera. Look ahead in life... I mean, running.”
“Sure, looking ahead is what I always do. But had you been looking, too, wouldn't you have been able to dodge that one?”
“What do you think people are, anyway―――ow...”
My body shamefully falls back to the ground.
Being looked down onto by Makidera, there's no end to my humiliation.
“Geez, Emiya. What if I fell in love with you like this?”
“Say what?”
“...just kidding. Well, it's not like you'd get hurt.”
Makidera, the track and field expert, is even tougher than me.
At first glance, she looks like she's lively as ever, but... she's the type who'd try to hide her injuries, anyway.
“Did you hit or twist anything? It's an important season...”
“Uh-oh, Emiya's worried about me... I'm totally fine. Come on―――”
I guess she felt bad for me lying on the floor like this, so she offers me a hand.
As I try to get up on my own―――my finger catches on a thin chain.
“Huh?”
It's Tohsaka's pendant that I've been keeping in the pocket.
I try to put it away quickly, but still receive an odd stare.
“This...”
I bet this kind of jewelry doesn't fit my image.
However, Makidera isn't looking at it in an ordinary way.
“That's the same one Tohsaka has.
―――why do you have it?”
“Uh... Oh, this? It's a long story.”
Not as long as it is absurd, and I can't talk about the details.
"It's my dad's memento that's been passed to me. The design is just a coincidence"―――Maybe I should make up some story like that right now?
“Could it be that... Emiya, you...”
“It's not like I stole it, she has the same one with her right now.”
“Oh, so it's a pair... I see... hmmm...”
Makidera's laughing in a oddly excited way.
Rather, it's as if she's about to say how incredibly suspicious it is that Tohsaka and I have matching pendants.
“Heh, I shouldn't underestimate you.”
“...Hey, what are you scheming?”
“I see, Emiya and Tohsaka, matching jewelry... hehehe.”
A violent scheme is brewing inside the Black Panther.
Emiya and Tohsaka have matching pendants.
If this rumor were to spread, who knows what kind of disaster it could cause among Homurabara's male students!
A drop of cold sweat forms on my forehead.
There's a heavy feeling in my stomach.
“Come on, Emiya. With a strong fighting spirit, you can take down all your enemies! Um, hey, I know! If you want, I can just pretend I never saw it!”
“...Makidera... what's the bribe going to be? A crepe? Or will it be a sundae?”
“Nah, nothing like that.
Could you tell me where you bought that pendant?”
“Huh? And what would you do if I did?”
“I-it's no big deal, is it?
See, that unfashionable design is actually kinda cool, so you know, I kind of want one too and stuff.
So, what shop did you buy it from? Tell me.”
“...Sorry, I don't know, either.”
It's not like I'm lying this time, that's just all I can answer.
Tohsaka didn't buy hers, either; it was passed down to her through generations of ancestors, after all.
It's probably not the kind of thing you can just buy somewhere.
“...Could it be, Emiya...”
“Yes?”
“It's not that you gave a gift, rather, you received one?”
“Yeah, so please leave it at that.”
"And before I realized it, there were two of them." Doesn't this story seem even stranger in reality?―――
Ouch!
This time, it's no accident. That's an attack!
“H-Hey, what was that for!”
“T-This guy! I'll kill, definitely kill you!”
“What do you mean, "kill"!? Don't think a guy would just quietly let himself be killed for a second or third time!”
“Shut up!
You unworthy man, getting such a precious gift from Tohsaka! I will hereby carry out the punishment in heaven's stead! DIE!”
!?
Getting a challenge like this in the hallway on a day off, what the...!
Why on Earth would she get so mad about Tohsaka's pendant!?
I've no idea, but I need a defense plan, quick―――
“You won't get away, Emiyaaaaa!!”
“Gah! Stop screwing arooooound!! Ah, I get it, just a minute ago it was your head you hit instead of your foot, right?!”
“Grrrr! Soon you'll be beaten, and I'll get XP and a rare artifact!”
The Black Panther of Homurabara is gaining ground.
...Ugh... Let's get out of here at full speed before I find out the origin of that nickname...
Streets・Day 2 Visitor
Dropping by the Matou residence for random visit, I find Sakura fidgeting outside, in front of the entrance.
“Oh, Senpai. Do you need something inside?”
“Ah, no, I just happened to be passing by. What about you, Sakura? Did you lose your key?”
“I-I'm fine. I might be clumsy, but I don't lose things that often.
And even if I do, I can open it by myself, it doesn't bother me.”
Hmm? So Matou residence has an autolock system now?
I bet it's the same locking magic as the one at Tohsaka's place.
Things have been getting wild again, and that's splendid, except...
“Say. How's Shinji supposed to get in?”
“How? He should have the keys? Front door, living room, bathroom, and his own room.”
“..................”
So basically, if Shinji loses them, he's going to have to roam the streets.
Besides, seems that all the doors inside have locks. Yeah, that's a pretty strict education policy.
Plus, I don't think I could get in.
Next time I come here, I'll make sure not to stray away from Sakura.
“...Yeah, that would explain why Shinji's keyholder became a lot like a jailkeeper's lately. So, what are you doing in front of the door if you haven't lost your key and don't need any?”
“Ummm... Grandfather himself told to me to wait by the door, since a guest will be coming.
He mentioned that the guest's supposed to have come from some distant land. He really would like to turn them away, but has no choice but offer some hospitality, something like that.”
“...Sounds complicated. A guest of Zouken?”
“Well, it seems that, by all rights, they should go visit Nee-san instead. But since she's away, it's grandfather's duty as a representative to greet them.”
I see. So someone either from the Association or the Church is going around making the typical round of courtesy visits.
“Then I won't linger around. I'll take off before I get myself in a mess.”
“Thank you. Nee-san keeps saying that we can't let you be seen by neither the Association nor the Church. That you are like an endangered animal species, or something to that effect.”
Oh? And who might be the one abusing that endangered animal? Next time I see her, I'd like to point that out.
“Right, I'll be proactive and go back home. If it looks like you're going to be late, call me. I'll come pick you up.”
“Okay, I'll be sure to call.”
A quick wave and I'm about to leave.
...But my curiosity got the better of me. I think I'm going to want to hear just a little more detail.
“Say, Sakura. What kind of person is your guest?”
“Um, let's see... I heard it's the newly dispatched overseer.
Grandfather said that they'd move in as the acting priest of the Church once an official order is received.”
Which means that old man Dilo will be returning to his country.
Well, yeah, it was strange that a bishop would be assigned to one church in a small town. Makes more sense to have a priest taking over.
“Are you feeling down about the old man going away? He was really fond of you.”
“Yes, I am. But I did know that he'd only stay until a successor was appointed.”
Ah, right. After all, old Dilo did originally come just for the Heaven's Feel postmortem. There must be no more reason to prolong his visit.
My curiosity is now satisfied.
And so, this time I do leave the Matou residence behind.
―――Epilogue:
In the end, Sakura spent half the day waiting for someone that never showed up.
Emiya Residence・Night Map The future is now
“..................”
I really don't feel like it, but it's something I have to talk about at least once.
I wonder what Saber thinks about the restarted Heaven's Feel.
Reminding myself to not get sentimental, to the best of my ability, I call out to the other side of the sliding door.
“My thoughts regarding the situation?”
“Yeah. It's been a while since the last time we talked one-on-one like this. I thought I'd ask about it.”
“I would not mind, however...
...I see, so my opinion may help you find more clues. While I'm glad to be of any help to you, Shirou...”
“It's alright, even if you can't. I just came to have a chat.
I don't need an authoritative opinion, I'd just like to hear what you have to say.”
“Oh. My thoughts, right?”
“Yes. I wouldn't mind hearing things like what the plan might be from now on, who looks suspicious, and so on.
Tell me what you think about all this, what's unusual about it, and what you'd like to do from now on.”
A brief pause.
Doesn't look like she is in deep thought, just collecting her thoughts.
“..................”
The silence makes me a little anxious and hopeful.
Maybe Saber can point out things I haven't noticed?
“...Let's see. I do not understand why the Heaven's Feel was restarted.
However, since the battle has begun once again, victory has to be ensured. I will not allow my Master to be defeated.”
“Guh. I kind of missed those words.”
“Yes, I gave it a try on purpose. It's a sort of prayer for your ultimate victory, Shirou.”
Oh no, that prayer was more of a blast than a humble wish. To a casual observer, that would look no less than a threat.
“That's all I have to say. I would live in peace, but should someone bare their fangs, that will be my response.
Should trouble be brought onto ourselves, the Servants, revenge shall be taken on the enemy that caused it.
Just like you have said, Shirou. The power to protect everyone is a matter of nature.”
Those were Saber's thoughts.
Same as me, stand your ground defending the peace.
I'm glad to hear that, no question about it, but we're still missing the main point.
“Yep, I think I'm fine with the strategy.
But Saber... Do you think this is right?”
“Huh...? It goes without saying, probably not.
More so than the restarted Heaven's Feel itself, it's an unpredictable situation.”
“That it is. If everyone gets riled up like they did half a year ago, there will be trouble. Well, there's no Holy Grail, though, so there should be no reason for anyone to get competitive...”
Either way, that's fine.
I just wanted to hear what's right or wrong from Saber herself.
“Indeed, there isn't. We destroyed the Holy Grail, that much can be said to be right.
...Final night. Climbing up the long flight of stone steps together, I cannot forget that.”
“Yeah. And being separated right after, then joining up in the end, isn't that how it went?
Though we both had troubles with our respective opponents.”
“Yes. Me, with the King of Heroes, and you, Shirou, with the priest. And after that, I...
...destroyed the Holy Grail with Rin's Command Spell.”
That was the conclusion of the events over half a year ago.
It must have been then, while I was fighting alongside her, that Saber made the decision to stay in Fuyuki.
“Shirou? What is wrong? You have a strange expression on your face.
Is it odd to think that Servants wouldn't fight with each other without the Holy Grail present?”
“Eh? Oh no, I think that's about right.
Well, I should investigate the matter with the others, too, to judge if there's any danger.”
I have confirmed Saber's opinion.
Next, I should talk to the other Servants - in one burst, if possible.
“Shirou? What is it, washroom break?”
“Ah, no, now that I've heard everything, I'm calling it a day for tonight.
Sorry for keeping you busy.”
“Ah―――Right, have a good night... It is not time yet, but you do seem to be tired.”
“Yeah. You too, good night.”
After the short exchange, I close the sliding door.
It is completely dark outside.
Peering through the window, I look up at the broken shape of the moon.
“―――Nah, thanks for the good chat and everything.”
Absent-mindedly, as if talking to the moon. It was still one productive hour, even if I did not learn anything new.
Well then, let's go back and get some sleep.
Day 3
School・Day 3 Lunch with the track-and-field club
Today's club activities: track and field?
I didn't use the grounds when I was in the archery club, so the rotation schedule has never been clear to me―――
“Was the track and field training supposed to be that intense...?”
"Hyaaa!" scream the freshmen while running around like lemmings.
And from the predator driving them from behind...
“Hey, the next 400 in six! Run run run diiie!
You there, if you're falling behind, knock down the guy in front of you! You should know that for a sprinter, defeat is death!”
Makidera Kaede, the self-styled "Homurabara's Black Panther," a girl born to run.
“...Wow. You're really zealous about these club activities, Makidera.”
And anyway, wouldn't it be death as a sprinter to hit the runner in front of you?
“Oh, if it isn't Mr. Emiya himself.
Observing?”
“?”
I turn around to see Himuro standing there.
Himuro is a a member of the high-jumper team, so she's probably not with the sprinters.
“Yo, pardon the intrusion.
I was just passing by, but ended up spectating before long.”
“I'm glad to have spectators, but it's not that interesting to watch... Well, maybe it is. When you look at her from a distance, she seems like a pleasant girl.”
That's an understatement.
Our hearts are one under the Black Panther.
“...Anyways, putting Makidera aside.
Himuro, aren't you going to run? Even high jumping requires some sprinting practice, doesn't it?”
“I got off easy. This is an adjustment period for me, so I'm not going to be running that much.”
“I see. Those guys over there really have it tough, though. The freshmen look like they're going to die... Is she Spartan or something?”
After running the track, the freshmen look as if they're about to collapse. Right now they're jogging, but their gait is wavering and unsteady.
...But even now, Makidera is menacing the freshmen from behind with threats of more practice.
“That's what interval training is about. There's no point unless you can get under 60 seconds.
Kaede is an advocate of hard work to begin with. She's doing this to drive the freshmen to their very limits. Take them to the edge and drive them to despair, that's her principle in leading them.”
“Ugh... So I guess she's not Spartan, just sadistic.”
That must be why her hands move before her mouth.
That beast just thrives on violence...!
“I feel sorry for this year's freshmen.
Even I'd give up after that.”
“I don't think so.
I can't guarantee you'll be able to maintain the speed, but you wouldn't be beaten by that load, Emiya.”
I don't know what she's basing that on, but Himuro was quick to give an opinion on my endurance.
...Himuro Kane seems like a normal girl, but some would say otherwise. As usual with her profound personality, she suddenly says,
“So, about what you said earlier.
Personally, I think she's more of a masochist than a sadist.”
“Hu...!?”
I-I guess I'm the one who slipped up while talking, but seriously, what is she saying all of a sudden...!?
“Huh? Maki-chan is a pervert?”
To our misfortune, it was the team manager, Saegusa Yukika, passing by and unable to conceal her surprise upon learning her friend's secret.
“Oh, quite a――― Thank you for helping out, Yukika!”
“Saegusa-senpai! Can you help over here?”
“Ah, sure! Sorry, I'll be right there!”
Picking up a basket filled with bottles, she crosses across the grounds.
“Wait, I'll help, too.”
“Me too―――”
“Ah, it's fine, Emiya-kun. It's not that much.”
...Ugh. Well, I guess she'll be okay since Himuro's with her.
And the other members of the team would probably be surprised if an outsider was carrying the bottles over.
“Alright, everybody, get some water! This season people tend to not get enough, so be careful, newbies!
We have a meeting after lunch, everyone gather at 1A! If you're late, we're adding the seconds you're tardy to your sprint total! GOT IT!?”
“S-Sir...! Yes sir...!”
The group of weeping freshmen, forced into a neverending cycle of jumps and dashes, finally starts to dissolve.
...They're worn out. After this much work, surely no man can have any energy left, whether they like it or not.
“Good work, Maki-chan. Here you go.”
“Thanks! You're always full of energy, Yuki-cchi. How's your adjustment going, Himuro?”
“Not bad.”
With her bottle in hand, she lightly jogs by me.
Her gaze crosses over me. I guess she noticed that there's a strange new visitor around?
“Oh, it's you, Emiya. What are you up to?”
“What do you mean? As you can see, just spectating.”
“You sure have a lot of free time.”
That's exactly it.
Before I knew it, patrolling to find something odd around town turned into a neighborhood stroll in search of something to entertain myself with.
...There really isn't anything at all wrong that I could find, that's why.
“Hmph. Then you, idler! If you have nothing better to do, why not help our club?”
“―――Hm. Did you break something again?”
“I didn't break it. I just messed up my pole a little last week.”
...That's what you'd call breaking it, but whatever.
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. Some hurdles are starting to get hard to adjust.
You can fix stuff just like that, right? We could discuss an appropriate reward, too, so think about it.”
“Sure. Sounds like a simple job.”
“That was quick! And cheap!
Wow, you took that up awfully fast. I'm not sure whether to trust you or not.”
“Hm? Then should I refuse?”
“........................Maybe not. If you agree, then do it.
Yeah, that'd be handy.”
“You're a great help, Emiya. Since Kaede won't say thanks, I'll say it for her.”
“Ah, since you're doing us a favor, um... Would you like to eat lunch together?”
“What!? What are you inviting him for, Yuki-cchi!? Emiya already said he'll do it for free!
Listen, he comes from a family that loves to do people favors with no rewards, and if you're not careful and give him something, he'll dieeeeeeeeee!”
Am I a rabbit or something?
“O-Oh... But, asking Emiya-kun to help with all this, I feel so... well, maybe not too bad.”
“It's up to Emiya.
Well, it doesn't look like he has any plans for lunch, though.”
“Yeah, I was just thinking about eating somewhere around here.”
Saegusa looks really happy.
Seeing a face like that, I just couldn't refuse.
“Um, we had lunch prepared for everyone in the club, but someone took the day off so we have a little extra, actually.
Emiya-kun, could you eat it as a favor to us?”
“...Okay. If that's the case, I will be delighted.”
I can just think of it as a reward.
If I get treated to lunch, I'll be even more motivated to fix the hurdles.
“I've never had to feed anyone like Emiya before, boooo.”
“...Double meal for lunch, triple meal for dinner is no problem for Makinoji.”
“It is so! What kind of Japanese monster is that, anyway!”
“..................”
She slowly understood that even if there was no Japanese demon like that, there may be one in the Western world.
“Let's eat!”
Lunch begins.
I guess there are no club activities after lunch, since all three changed clothes before the meal.
Inside the foil wrap was a thick french roll and a marinated salmon sandwich.
Since lunchboxes were mentioned, I was expecting rice and various side dishes, but it ended up being fairly light.
Indeed, after working out that hard I don't think I could eat something fried. It was a good choice for the manager to pick.
“Here, it's kind of crude, but...”
“Crude or not, it's all good stuff... But Emiya here, from what I hear, is a real gourmet.”
“Yep. They say that Miss Matou, second year, delivers a whole lot of stacked lunchboxes to him every other day.”
Since when have those rumors started?
It's my own matters, but when they put it like that, it really does sound like I'm way too spoiled, lunch-wise.
“Stacked? Matou-san's amazing. I couldn't make that much.”
“That's why he's got good taste. And if I recall correctly, he also cooks himself, don't you, Emiya?
Watch out, Yukika. Depending on the offering, he might just say like "Get me the chef!" and go Oishinbo on you.”
“―――Where is that from, Makinoji?”
“..................”
...Wow. I may be spoiled, but so is the track team.
Who could complain about this lunch?
Saegusa's lunchbox may be plain, but it was made with the person eating it in mind.
Even Tohsaka, with her "only the best" policy, would have been touched by the thought Saegusa put into it.
“It's okay, Yuki-cchi. If that happens, I'll come cheer you on when you'll have the extreme menu showdown.
Come on, as long as you get that Kyogoku guy pinned down I'm sure you'll win!”
“I'm... ashamed. I'm useless at cooking.”
“...Ah, but Emiya-kun's eating it as if he likes it, so you're fine.”
“Hm?”
Hearing my name I raise my head.
“Um, were my manners bad?”
“That's not it. You had a nice smile when you were eating, and so I'm happy, is what Yukika wants to say.”
“A nice smile...? Well yeah, if you eat something that tastes good, it just happens, doesn't it?”
“I'm glad. Ah, there's yogurt too, please have some.”
“Good thing you measured up to Emiya's standards, huh?
Hm. Now I'm more interested in how Emiya's lunch would taste instead of Miss Matou's.”
“Emiya's lunch? I've never seen him eat from a lunchbox, though.”
“That's because he goes to the student council room with Issei-kun.”
“Yeah, son of the temple does not get much meat in his diet. I guess for the student council chairman Emiya is like an angel of mercy.”
“Uwah, what's with that? How can you say such an embarrassing line without even flinching? It's amazing!”
“..................”
Being unable to say anything back is a little sad.
But even Issei is still a growing young boy.
With only vegetables for lunch, he may run out of energy and faint in his battle against his bitter enemy, Tohsaka.
“Hmm. So is the food you're giving to Ryuudou any good? Is it special enough for the student council chairman to get hooked on? Is it ultimate enough to match up against our Yuki-cchi's...?”
“Well, it's nothing to brag about. My lunch is basically just leftovers, so it's not that special.
And besides, there's no way a guy's lunchbox could win over a girl's.”
And I mean not just the neat looks, but even the very value of their existence is vastly different.
“Really? Since guys don't usually make lunch, I think yours is pretty special.”
“Hahaha. Now that you mention it, it is indeed a rarity.
But the only ones eating it are Emiya and Ryuudou. He's, like, no threat to our Yuki-cchi, the idol of the track team.”
“No, I believe Miss Tohsaka is eating Emiya's lunch, too.
I saw one of his lunchboxes in her desk before.”
Chunks of french bread feel like they're going to stick in my throat.
Himuro Kane is as f-frightening as Tohsaka Rin is careless...!
I don't mind making it for her, but I told her to hide it properly!
“W-What did you just say!!!!?*
T-T-Tohsaka, she even lets Emiya do that!? I knew she liked taking the easy way out, but...!
Geez, that sounds almost like they are dating!”
“Makinoji. Not "like," those two probably are going out, don't you think?”
“What...? Wa, waah...”
“I won't accept it! That arrogant, stubborn girl would never go out with some gallant helper type!
A girl like Tohsaka can't have friends! Even if she had some, it would only be people like me who intend to use her!”
“...Yet, as a matter of fact, twice a week, Miss Tohsaka comes to school with an Emiya-marked lunchbox.”
“Gwah! S-So she's trying to seduce Emiya with her charms! Um, that's um, um... crap, what's the word for it again!?
Come on, Yuki-cchi!”
“Huh, me!?
...Um... are you trying to say she lacks moral integrity...?”
“That's it! You are just one of the hundred!
O-Okay... Here, Emiya-kun...? I'd rather not do this, but here's my yogurt, okay?
Eat it!”
“No thanks. I already got some from Saegusa-san a minute ago.”
“G-Grrr! S-So you're saying you won't be swayed by my charm!? Come on, it's prune flavor, not very yummy, but eat it already...!”
“Stop pressuring him, Maki-chan.”
“...Yukika. Try to imagine how Makidera feels... how sad.”
“――――――”
Looks like something snapped in Makidera's head.
Well, it was probably Himuro who did it, but the fallout will be all mine.
...It's time to retreat.
I've eaten my lunch, so let's go return the favor.
“Well, I should be going soon.
Saegusa, thanks for lunch. The salmon and bread were both delicious.”
“Oh, it was nothing.”
“...Don't worry about Makinoji and Tohsaka, Emiya.”
“G-Grrr! You're an eyesore, just as I thought, Emiya!”
...Alright then, let's do our best and get to work.
For the hurdles, I'll need to grab the grease and oil spray from the tool shed―――
Streets・Day 3 Mitsuzuri's revival
Well, I just had lunch, so I guess I'll go for a walk.
Number one recreational spot in the city, the beachfront park.
A must-see location for dating couples.
...Date? Couples?
No, no, not when I finally get some solitary time. I'll throw the frivolous thoughts away and just take it easy for a while.
It's a sunny day, perfect for taking a nap, but should you stay out late in the afternoon, a chilly breeze is bound to remind you of the season. Ah, the joy of lazily wasting away this valuable time―――
“Oh, Emiya. What a coincidence.”
A familiar voice.
“Mitsuzuri? Are you skipping?”
“What? Club activities? You say that as if I was some kind of club freak.
That said, you have to admit that you used to be a far more devoted member than I ever will be.”
“And so you did your best to keep up with me, didn't you?”
Did I really try that hard? Frankly, my part time job and house chores kept me so busy that my memories of the archery club are getting quite thin.
“Did I? Well, even now, I don't think any regular members go to the range more than you or me.
You had your part time job and even helped the student council for whatever reason. I always wondered, when did you actually have fun?”
“I was thinking the same of you.”
“I keep work and play strictly separate. I do get my share of entertainment when no one's looking.”
“I also distinguish between studying, work and leisure time.”
“I wonder.
Rather than "on-off," you seem more like "on-on-on."”
She lets out a refreshing laugh.
While I did say that I try to live a full life, in reality, I'm not that good at it. Rest, work... I can't really tell―――
“Or so I thought, but―――here I see Emiya, idling around as if he had a change of heart. What are you up to, a date? Meeting? Hm?”
“Mmph.”
Sharp as a knife, as usual.
A date? Well, it's not entirely wrong, but...
“Wait. You sound as if I'm Shinji or something.”
“Hahaha. He plays around way too much.
Although I would feel better if you were a little more like him.”
There's a thin line between plain shock and relief.
...Wait a moment, she's actually alone, too.
“Then I guess you're still waiting for your date?”
“Me? With whom? And where?”
“...So you don't have anyone cute―――who could stand up against you?”
“What is this, your former self would have just nodded and left it at that. Now it sounds like, "I just looove seeing a girl on her way to a date!" or something lovey-dovey like that.”
“...That doesn't even make sense. Anyway, does that mean you're all alone, too?”
“Just like you. But... Heh.”
Mitsuzuri nods a few times.
And finally, as if having decided something―――CLAP!
“Alright, this is pretty sudden, too. Go out with me instead of Tohsaka.”
“Eh...? A d-date with you?”
“Go shopping with me, at least. Well, it's not often that I get to see you, and having a bonehead companion ought to be alright once in a while.”
The response to my jumbled muttering is very much a manly answer. Actually, just like a genderbent Issei.
As I attempt to grasp the situation, Mitsuzuri puffs up her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
“―――What, am I not good enough?”
“No one said that.”
“It must be so... There's always Matou or Saber-san or Tohsaka... I guess I'm not up to par. Emiya, you've been spoiled too much. Do you even realize that? I've already lost.”
“If you're more into the beautiful type, should I introduce you to Rider?”
“Wahhh.”
As soon as I mention Mitsuzuri's one weakness, she goes quiet.
Perhaps I should say it's Rider who wanted to rent Mitsuzuri out.
“I-It's okay... A-And besides, isn't Rider-san closer to Matou than you?”
“I'm sure Sakura wouldn't mind.
But, back on topic, what's the plan for today? Date. Where?”
The conversation is taking a strange turn, and needs to be forced back on track.
“Alright, let's see, you ought to have had a bite already, so take me out for tea. Next, to the CD shop to check out some new songs, and then to the game center.”
“Er, you do realize I'm not accustomed to all the hustle and bustle of a game place, right?”
My gaming is limited to stuff like UNO or Daihinmin, at best... With a hint of uneasiness, Mitsuzuri lets out a theatrical sigh.
“Ahem. Good grief, anachronisms like the two of you with Tohsaka shouldn't exist in this age. Even Matou is more or less...”
“...Oh no, Tohsaka is old-fashioned to a degree I can never hope to achieve.”
I try to object.
Wouldn't my very practical ability to strip any machine down to bare metal for any repairs more than compensate for not being familiar with some consumer electronics?
“Say that after you've at least gotten a cellphone. Though I can't imagine Emiya texting, either.”
I concur.
“...Mmm. I guess I should get one, after all. Neko-san always tells me that whenever I see her, too.”
"Neko-san?" Mitsuzuri looks at me quizzically.
“The person I work for. Fuji-Nee's old classmate.”
“Aaah, that lady from "Copenhagen." Yeah, wouldn't you need one to keep in touch over shifts and things like that?”
“Though I would probably end up being called to help with all sorts of stuff outside of work.”
Maybe it's better if I don't...
“Well, it's all up to you... Just a matter of time, I bet.”
Mitsuzuri laughs heartily. She really seems to enjoy laughing. So―――
“I'll make sure to teach you all about that. Be sure to bring Tohsaka along, too.”
“...She'll get away, no doubt.”
If Tohsaka were to see Coach Mitsuzuri's knowledgeable face... she'd be grumbling about it the whole day.
“Right. I'll teach you and Saber-san first, and then I'll say that she's the only one who's not up to date with technology. That would probably work... and then...”
She lays out her brainwashing strategy, grinning broadly. Nonetheless, defeating Tohsaka's stubbornness... I can only wish her luck. Not something I would try myself.
“Well, that's that, but for now, let's head over to the game center.
First-person games should be okay, yeah.”
We're back to that again... First-person?
Something that we could both enjoy at the game center would probably be...
“Those shooting ones?”
“Great, you ought to be fine there. Who knows, maybe we won't even need the continue button?
Off to the station, I'll treat you to some tea.”
“...Ah, we should at least split it up...”
Mitsuzuri sets off at a brisk pace, and I have to chase after.
...This really is a date, isn't it? Not that I mind―――maybe I should I just keep quiet.
“Now, now, Emiya, cheer up! And it's the first time I'm going to the game center with a guy! Oh, I know! Gotta go test punch strength, definitely!”
"I can't help it, I'm too excited," she keeps urging me on.
...Perhaps calling it a "date" was a bit of a stretch.
Emiya Residence・Start of Night Things to do
;
It's just after 9 pm, and supper's already over.
There are no major events, and everyone returned to their rooms.
It's too early to go to bed, so what should I do in the meantime?
Night・Streets at night (patrol)
I'll go check the situation in town.
Saber might have said otherwise, but if you're not alone, there will probably be things that you'll miss.
I do my best to sneak outside.
The Emiya residence surroundings are peaceful and quiet. Nothing is out of the ordinary.
“...I see, this is beginning to look the same as half a year ago.”
Why did I go outside alone?
Why am I not bringing Saber along?
I looked at the situation from a stranger's perspective.
No matter how harmless it may seem, if I were to exercise proper judgment, I would not be walking out alone.
Even though there are no enemies, the reality is that there is something odd happening about the town.
But despite that, here I am, all by myself, pretty much live bait, just asking for an incident to occur.
...My own issues notwithstanding, it does suck not being able to comprehend the potential outcome of my actions until it's all done.
“So I just decided it on a whim―――Well, whatever happens...”
Gazing at the night sky, I start walking.
If I feel danger, I should go back to the mansion right away. Then I'll quietly return to my room and wait until tomorrow.
I look up at the moon.
The sky has cleared, and white moonlight is cutting through the darkness.
Well then.
It would be nice to find out just what exactly is wrong with my thick-headed self.
Night・Kagetsu Tohya
The temple gate stands in silence.
The stone stairs seem to go on forever into the night sky.
...Somehow, they seem to connect with the heavens.
But fortunately, there is no moon overhead. The stairs connect right to the Ryuudou Temple and not another world.
I peek inside through the gate.
There's nothing unusual about the temple grounds.
I'd like to go investigate more, but that would require stepping onto the premises...
“―――You there. Take one more step, and your head shall fall from your neck.”
And so stands the Servant still guarding the gate.
“You must be bored out of your mind. There's no need for a guard anymore, yet you're still faithful to your duty.
...Ack. Or, perhaps, there are indeed a lot of statue thieves and whatnot around?”
“Haha. I have seen no thieves, but there are others who pass by often. Right this moment, there's someone passing by you.”
“Huh?”
Naturally, there is no one around.
I only felt a chilling yet warm wind brush by my cheek.
“Stop. Ghosts are a strictly prohibited topic at the temple.
I'm already alone and frightened, it's no fair if you intimidate me, too―――”
Or... maybe that's how it is.
Servants are spirits, maybe they do see those things.
“...Uh. Do they really come out around here?”
“Of course. It's just that you've never noticed.
I was also just a commoner while alive, and I have questioned their existence just the same. Now that I am of the same kind, I see them come here all the time.”
I see.
...Well, as long as I can't even see one, I suppose no harm can come from them, either.
If ghosts really can harm people, it would be the ones we can actually see.
If there's no form, there's nothing to kill you with.
“If you're that curious, then why don't you die once?
The vixen here would be happy to provide you with a near-death experience, I'm sure.”
“I'm good, thanks. I don't trust Caster that much.
How should I put this... I feel like she would indeed begin with good intentions, but then start getting evil ideas and, in the end, betray you.”
“No doubt about it. When she dons her Servant attire, you need to watch out.”
Caster used to be good-hearted, probably.
But a lifetime in the shadows left her stained deeply with spite. Despite reforming, she still puts on her wicked grin from time to time.
If I were to rank her on the list of Servants to never let your guard down against, she would be the first or second.
“But what brings you here tonight?
If it's just a mundane errand, leave it until daylight. I am not bound to be a gatekeeper, but the Command Spell is still in effect. There are no exceptions for strangers at this hour.”
“Ah, right. You are protecting it only because of her Command Spell.”
From the beginning, the Heaven's Feel meant nothing for this Servant. Assassin is just a swordsman that intercepts enemies trying to pass through the gate.
The irregularities in town must not interest him very much, either.
“...I'm going back, then. Sorry for bothering you.”
“Hmm. Just window shopping?”
“It's fine, since you're on guard and all.
I'll remember to bring a present or something next time.”
I turn my back to the temple gate.
“How considerate of you. Then I'd like to request a beautiful flower... no, two of them.
I'm not complaining, but a man's senses become dull from all this moonlight.”
"Bring Saber and Rider," eh?
Is it boldness or just idle curiosity?
If anybody could try to hit on two former enemy Servants, it would be this guy.
Well―――I guess it's not that unlikely.
It's spring, and on a lovely moonlit evening, a mistake happens, and - who knows? A night party like that may just start.
Night・Return of the wise man
I guess it's about time to go back.
It's not like I only have tonight. There's time tomorrow, too.
I return to the Emiya residence.
It seems the end of the night is still postponed.
Day 4
No Trespassing
After a long journey, I finally arrive at the forest on the outskirts of the town.
About two more hours, and I'll be at the Einzbern castle, which I'm even starting to get used to. However...
For some reason, something amazing was blocking my way to the forest.
“...Hello? Can I ask what you're doing here?”
“
”
There's no reply.
I can't tell whether that's a "yes" or a "no."
“...A gatekeeper, I guess... I wonder if it's okay to enter the forest. I need to talk to Illya...”
“ ”
There's no reply.
Not a single word.
“..................”
“ ”
...He didn't say anything, so I guess that means it's okay to go.
He's more or less an acquaintance, even if he is Berserker, he should have recognized me.
“Okay. I'll be just passing through.”
I raise my arm and pass along his side...
“
―――!!!!!”
“Eeeeeeek!!!!?”
The huge monster roars.
As if saying, "Move any further, and I'll send you flying deep into the mountains."
“I-I-I guess that's a "no," are you saying that I should just call it a day!?”
“
―――!”
M-M-Mr. Berserker is slowly losing his temper.
I've truly no idea what he's saying, would someone please find an interpreter!
“What an uncouth visitor.
Coming to a lady's house without an appointment, it's only natural that you'd be turned away... wait.
If it isn't Shirou before me?”
“Illya...?”
“That's right. Good afternoon, Onii-chan! It sure is rare to see you here!”
Illya waves her hand energetically.
But, for some reason, she doesn't leave the forest.
“Hey, Illya!
I want to go to the castle for a minute, but would you mind telling Berserker to let me pass?”
“Oh, I see. You came so you could visit the castle, not so you could see me.
That's no good. Our house is under construction and is not accepting visitors at this time. And you, who does not understand a girl's feelings, please go back home.”
Illya waves her hand goodbye.
Even if I wanted to stop her, an impenetrable wall is blocking my path.
“Hey, wait.
Going to the castle and going to see you means the same thing to me.”
I say it like it is.
Even I understand how girls feel.
“...For you, that was well done, but it's still a no go.
There's nothing in the castle, anyways. There's nothing that will benefit you if you come, and there are no clues regarding Heaven's Feel, either.
Rather than examining my castle, walking around town would be more productive.”
“That's not true, your castle is a lot of fun.”
It's quite elegant inside, and whenever I see Illya, Sella and Liz are there too.
And as for the Heaven's Feel clues... You'll never know if you don't look.
I mean, Illya is one of the Masters, too.
Even if there wasn't anything in the castle, there's still the chance of Illya herself getting involved in some kind of trouble.
“...Oh come on, I know exactly what you're thinking.
I don't really want you to come, but... Even if I tell you no, you never learn, you'll probably keep coming back here, anyways.”
“Fine. If you want it so badly, I'll think about it.
Even if I turn you away, you'll just come back later.
But since you insist, I'll prepare a special performance just for you.”
Her solemn expression suddenly changed to a suspicious-looking grin.
...This is the visage of an imp that has just come up with an extraordinary new prank.
“Hey, Illya?
You're thinking of something naughty again, aren't you?”
A host welcoming their guests is great, but getting carried away with it is definitely not.
“Oh yeah, if I'm going to do that, I have to hurry and get ready.
I'll have to clear the forest, make a cliff, then prepare the tanks to meet us, and... Oh, that's right, I have to give Sella and Liz a part or I'd be failing my duty as a host.”
She's not listening.
I could already hear Illya's magic circuits turning on at full blast.
...From what I've heard, her magic just skips over logic and provides the result.
I don't know if she has some kind of a miniature Holy Grail, but whatever she wants, as long as it's something her sorcery is capable of, it will somehow materialize despite even Illya herself not knowing how.
“...Got to have a moat, yep. A castle siege just isn't right without one.
And a maze... Hmm, with my reserves of magical power, that might be a bit too much...”
An irreversible event is unfolding at an amazing speed.
Alas, the wish-granting power of the Holy Grail is being used on something really worthless...
“You see, Illya, I only want to get to the castle, right?”
“Alright, once everything's ready I'll gladly welcome you. For now, enjoy this brief moment of peace.
...Hehe, prepare yourself, okay? When this is complete, I'm going to rush you off your feet more than you'd ever imagined.”
After proclaiming my death sentence, Illya disappears into the mist.
“...This doesn't look good...”
It looks like I'm going to have to overcome a terrifying trial in order to enter the Einzbern castle.
The giant remains silent.
Yet somehow, I felt like he was saying, "Don't get crushed, boy" as a way of encouragement.
Ryuudou Temple・Day 4 Curse collector
“...Hmmm... That's odd, it should be somewhere around here...
If I can't find it, maybe that means I should just give up... As long as I remember, whenever there was something really hard to find, nothing good has ever come from it.”
...?
There is a lone child here.
A gorgeous looking boy, with hair that looked like it was made of gold ingots and eyes red as rubies.
The boy is walking around the grounds. Maybe he had lost something.
“Hello. Nice weather today, isn't it, Onii-san?”
He called out to me in a good-natured manner.
“Uh, y-yeah, hello.”
“Hi. Nice to meet you. As I thought, you're an honest person, Onii-san.
I like that about you a lot. Please do your best with that honesty from here on, as well.”
And with that, the blond-haired child walked off.
“? ???”
...Umm, what?
“It's still too soon for you to come here.
...Hmm. When you know my name and you find something that seems to be important, something good may happen if you go to the back of the temple at this same time.”
He took off with a light pace.
But even though his footsteps sounded light, his speed was equal to that of a hound.
“...What the heck is going on?”
It was the Ryuudou Temple in the early afternoon.
And something mysterious had happened.
Emiya Residence・Start of Night Things to do
Night・Streets at night (patrol)
Night・End of the four nights
Just when I decided to go outside, I suddenly felt sick.
Is it a premonition or fear of something I already know?
It's time to go, yet this fear is slowly creeping on me.
“―――Now then, I have to see what's going on in town.”
Struggling to stay on my feet, I reach for the door handle.
...One last time.
Looking back just once, I made sure the image of the room as I leave it stays firmly in my mind.
It was a freezing cold night.
The moment I went outside, it felt like I had been just thrown into a different world.
The house was the only source of definite reality, while the rest of Fuyuki was an unsteady illusion.
"YOU, GO AWAY YOU, GO AWAY YOU, GO AWAY!"*
I could hear the panting of wild beasts on the mist.
...There wasn't a single sign of human presence in town. I don't know who is behind it, but whoever it was, he is finally making his move.
"KILL YOU KILL YOU KILL YOU!"*
“There's not a single human... this is just like a...”
A world where everything is extinct.
The house before me is in shambles.
A broken door.
Shattered windows.
A yard smeared with blood.
Should I look inside,
I will find the scene of a dissection.
This is all very strange.
Especially the fact that there's not a single piece of flesh to be found anywhere.
Yet the course of events that transpired here is painfully clear.
“――――――”
Emotions I've never experienced before excite my brain.
Anger and hatred mix together in just the right proportions.
I hate this mass murderer that I haven't even seen yet.
"CAN'T SEE CAN'T SEE I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"*
“...Who are you? What the hell are you...!?”
I trace the reverberating panting.
The soundless howling was directed at me.
A barrage coming from every direction - hostility and pleading, hatred and envy.
I feel sick down to my stomach.
"HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!"*
The howling changes into roaring.
It's hard to believe, yet there is no doubt. The source of the howling is crouching in front of me.
“What are you?―――This guy...”
I know I've seen it before, yet my memory fails me.
Just a little more. The moment the clock strikes midnight, somebody tells me and I will remember...
《 》*
The thing howls again, making a screeching sound.
A frequency outside of my hearing range. A howl, for sure, but in a voice that no human could hear.
"―――DO YOU THINK ONLY YOU WILL BE SAVED!?"*
The beast raises its head.
Its eyes lock onto me, and it comes crawling towards me, its claws screeching against the ground.
“Ack―――!”
I jump backwards to avoid it.
A wild swipe of the beast's claw.
If I get hit by that guillotine of a claw, I'm as good as dead.
I'm better than I was back then, though.
This is barely child's play in comparison to the beating Saber bestows upon me.
Even with no chance of hitting me, the beast is relentless.
Its arms, swinging more violently with every blow, make it seem like there is no end to its vitality...
"ONLY YOU, ONLY YOU, ONLY YOU...!"*
The stream of undulations it showered me with only added to this darkness.
“Ha―――crap. I shouldn't have...”
I could have let it keep going, but I counterattacked out of fear. I moved sideways to dodge the claws and kicked the wide-open side with all my force...
...I knew it. It wasn't that much of a threat.
The unidentified beast coughs painfully on its fours, unable to get up.
"...GR...ANT."*
“Hey, if you can understand what I'm saying, answer me. Are you the one that did this to Fuyuki?”
But that can't be right.
Should they happen to meet this creature, most people would be dead without as much as fight.
But that's limited to only small areas.
This thing can't empty out the whole town in just one hour.
"...GR...ANT."*
“...You don't get it, do you. I ain't asking you that. What I want to know is what the hell...”
"...are you?" I was going to finish.
“―――Huh?”
I realize that my surroundings are now flooded with these beasts.
".........!"
".........!"
".........!"*
A choir of resentment sings in unity.
The whole park is crawling with them.
...Damnit. With this many, 20 minutes, let alone an hour should be more than enough to clean up the town.
".........!"
".........!"
".........!"*
[Haze Effect]
...The tsunami steadily closes in on me.
It reminds me of ants swarming over a corpse, or a person thrown into the Buddhist hell's mountain of needles.
“.........ack.”
Those claws will tear me limb from limb.
My body, eyeballs, skull... everything will be skewered.
I start praying.
Even though what's about to come is inevitable.
"........., !"
"...GR......ANT!"*
Oh, shut the hell up. If you're going to kill me, just do it.
Repeating yourselves like idiots... if you have something to say, just spit i―――
“Don't you understand?
They're asking you to "grant our wish"”
“――――――”
Reflexively, I raise my head.
A beautiful voice, resounding with silver tones.
Right in the middle of a world buried in beasts,
was the start of it all.
“―――You...”
I know her. I know that woman.
But that would be an hour later.
There is just no consistency to this.
It's frustrating. I have all the pieces to the puzzle, but...
“But you failed.
It looks like you came here too early.”
The horde of beasts is approaching.
There is no escape. Death is upon me.
Oh well―――even if I do manage to run away, the same thing will happen again.
“Be gone, sinner.
There is no place left for you to stay.”
A prayer-like ultimatum.
Her eyelids finally close, and Emiya Shirou was taken apart by the gospel-singing chorus of beasts.
...The cluster of malice continues to spread.
On the night of October 11.
Fuyuki met its end by the pile of a mountain of corpses.