Beta read and Co-written by Gamercrusher55 and Shigiya
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-Fuyuki, Shinto, Semina Apartments-
As a member of the archery club, and also as a rather outgoing person in general, Ayako Mitsuzuri had a broad understanding of most of the students in their school to say the least, which she thought was pretty cool.
Both students or teachers, it wouldn't be wrong to suggest she had at the very least spoken to every single soul over there at least once.
Whether it was to pass on a message, have a friendly discussion or even just a simple greeting, she had an understanding of almost all the individuals at Homurahara and one of them just happened to be the teenaged girl in front of her.
Ayaka Sajyou, a student of classroom 2-A, just like the three of them, who she'd only interacted with barely a handful of times. She mostly kept to herself at school, and had rarely ever seen her hang out with anyone and if you discounted the bare minimum she spoke for schoolwork, she didn't even speak with anyone else from her grade, or at the school in general.
Truthfully, Ayako felt she didn't really have much of an impression of this girl aside from their names being somewhat similar. 'Seriously just replace the last letter of their names with an A or an O, and that was all it took.' The general impression she gave off was that of a generic studious student who spent most of her high school years doing her homework and studying, and nothing else till she was finally out and in college.
However, now that she got a better look at her appearance-wise, despite wearing glasses all the time, the spectacles did little to hide her natural beauty, her clear blue eyes gazing at her reminding Mitsuzuri of the sky. Truthfully, now that she had a closer look and could focus on her, she could even see it more so, especially when paired with her long black hair that framed it. Had the girl been more confident and outgoing then she could have easily been seen as on the same level as Rin. But since she always stayed in the background, not many even gazed her way.
"What are you doing here of all places, Sajyou-san?" Ayako asked again while Kaede continued to use Kane as a shield at what they originally thought was something dangerous approaching them. "UM, I should be the one asking you that, why are the three of you here of all places?" Sajyou replied after a moment of hesitation, looking around at her and the two other girls.
"We asked you first!"
"Oh, sorry, that's true I guess. I was just passing by the area, you know paying a visit to someone I know. Then before I realized it I accidentally pressed the wrong button on the elevator and then here we are." she replied calmly, on first notice it genuinely seemed like an innocent mistake and a coincidence at most. But still with her heart still beating like a loud drum, Ayako still felt she was missing something important.
"Now it's my turn. Isn't this place closed to the public? Not to mention how out of the way it is? What the heck are you three doing in this hallway so late at night? Don't you have homes to come back to?" Ayaka questioned them again and again, while looking towards the stairways to where the sign barring people from coming here was clearly put on display. It would be a lie to say she did not feel some level of embarrassment at being caught but quickly pushed that feeling away.
"Deaowh!" Kaede released Kane after the latter had stomped on her toe hard. "Use me as a human shield will you!" Ayako could hear Himuro mutter darkly, obviously not happy at her friend's flight or fight response, as the perpetrator in question hopped around holding her assaulted foot.
Ayako's breathing steadied at the sight, relaxing from the shock of seeing Ayaka here. "Actually the truth is, we were just going out on a little ghost hunting today." she said after regaining some of her confidence.
Her answer got her a raised eyebrow from the girl in front of them which made some of that confidence regress ever so slightly. Still Ayako pressed forward, not willing to let her courage falter now that they've come so far. "What? You don't believe in ghosts, Ayaka?"
"No, I do."
Surprisingly, she got a completely different answer than what she had originally expected, making a small smile bloom on her face. "Great! Then I'm sure you are aware of some of the rumors going on about this place."
Ayaka nodded, as her face showed some recognition on the subject. "Ah, Little Red Riding Hood right. It's a popular urban legend."
"That's it, we came to check the story out." Glad that she did not need it to retell the story again, the president of the archery club turned her attention to the others while huffing loudly. "Would you please calm down now, Kaede. I don't want you to suddenly start punching out one of our classmates out of fear."
The tan skinned track runner, stopped hopping, and let out a sheepish smile as she looked at the newcomer before waving at her. "H-hey there, I think this is the first time we've really talked, despite the fact we share the same class. Sorry about my reaction, this place just gives me the creeps. The name's Kaede, Kaede Makidera, Ace of the Track and Field Club. My speed will soon earn me the title of "The Black Panther of Homura" so remember me."
"You can just call her Maki."
"What the heck Kane, why do you have to ruin my introduction right off the bat."
"You already ruined your own introduction, when you tried to punch the air, hid behind me, and then proceeded to hop around like a pogo stick." Kane replied, the third member of the group who thankfully just like Ayako had regained her composer. Adjusted her glasses, she pushed them upwards on her face as her brownish grey eyes stared at her fellow comrade of glasses. "By the way, it's less unusual for us to be here rather than you, Miss Sajyou! We live in this apartment complex."
"You what?" Ayaka, shocked at that statement, suddenly grew tense at that answer, not expecting them to actually reside in this location…something that Mitsuzuri caught as she stared at Ayaka curiously. Kane continued unabated. "That's right. You see we had some time, so Ayako decided she wanted to investigate the supernatural stories that were going around, and since we had nothing else to do we decided to tag along."
"…I see, well did you find anything? Did you see anything out of the ordinary then?"
"Nothing so far, though we were just about to open the doors, and go in. Still I doubt they left it open for anyone else to enter, since it's probably locked by management or the police." She tried to prove her point by turning the handle…
An ominous click sounded in the hallway.
Creeek
Followed by the door opening ever so slightly with its rusted hinges creating an audible creek. They all stared as the hallway showed a dark, somber looking apartment inside.
"Hiya!"
"Kyaa!"
Kaede screamed at the top of her lungs, this time grabbing onto Ayaka, shocking the girl who screamed in turn and causing them both to fall to the ground.
A long stretch of silence followed with Ayako looking inside the room and finding nothing; just a cleaned out room. 'I don't know whether I should be surprised or not. Even if I suddenly find out that magic is real, it doesn't mean every single supernatural or creepy rumor I've heard will suddenly turn out to be true… all I've got to do is find proof of it.' She thought to herself silently, originally wanting to smack her head against the wall but in the end refrained from doing so upon realizing that even if a majority of the rumors were not true, as long as she could find a single one that was, then that's all that mattered.
As she walked away, as Kane closed the door behind her, she turned her head to the second room on the floor.
Room 2 - Mr.A's room.
Wanting to finish this investigation properly she started walking towards to open the door, only unlike Room 1,
Kachack
"..."
This one was still locked.
'What the heck! Why's this one locked, and not the one with the family suicide?' The brunette screamed mentally.
"What's the matter Ayako?"
"Well, it's just that…"
"Get off of me!" Ayaka Sajyou finally having her fill of Kaede's antics, gave her a surprisingly strong kick, and pushed Kaede who had been holding onto her with a lion's grip that left claw marks on her clothing.
Kaede, still in a trance, had her entire body fidgeting as she jumped at every shadow. "Where is it! Who keeps screwing with me here! I'll show you! F-First I'll go Pow! Then Wham! T-Then—"
Kaede continued shadow boxing around herself in a frenzy. Everyone at that point consciously phased her words out with the background.
Sajyou continued to look at Kaede's frantic and chaotic state with exasperation, and annoyance, before turning back to focus on the other two who were currently trying to…
Kane tilted her head with uncertainty. "It's strange, why is this one locked instead, do you think it's possibly being used to store something?"
"Aren't there already places for that? I mean this is pretty high up, so maybe they just didn't want to go all the way back and forth for it? But if that's the case, and this floor is already good to go, why not open it back up for rent?"
"True, considering what my father said it would definitely be in the building owner's interest to have another source of income?"
"Yeah, so then why…?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Both Kane and Ayako, flinched at Ayaka's sudden input right behind them, completely caught off guard by her sudden statement. "They can't very well put up an apartment room for residence which was right next to a murder, no less than the room itself. They're obviously waiting for the rumors to die down, so they don't invoke a lawsuit from the future tenants. After a while people will just forget about it."
"Oh, yes I do suppose that makes sense, us being here is proof that the rumors have yet to die down, after all." Kane nodded her head, understanding Ayaka's point, but Ayako still looked unconvinced. "Hold on a second… what about the open room then?"
The bespectacled girl shrugged, "They probably just forgot about it! The police probably went in and out of that room many times to clean up the crime scene, so the manager probably felt he didn't need to bother re-locking it if they came back. He probably thought the sign was enough."
"Yes, and the lock on the elevator, would have further hammered it in."
'Wait, elevator lock… hold up, that's it!!!' Ayako finally realized what had been bugging her this whole time, as if a piece of a missing puzzle just found its place.
"Ayaka?"
"What?"
"What are you doing here again?"
"Huh… l-like I said, I hit the wrong button on the eleva—!?" Ayaka suddenly gained beads of sweat, as her blue eyes widened staring into Ayako's amber eyes.
"Yeah, so you get it, why is someone who doesn't even live here able to access a floor through the elevator, when the manager needs a special key just so that it can stop here in the first place?"
"…"
Silence filled the room as if a cold stillness spread throughout each of their beings. All three were silently staring at each other as Ayaka looked to the side sweating after being caught in her lie.
"Uh… hey what's going on? Why did the mood here suddenly grow tense? One of you on your period, that I don't know about?" Kaede, who had finally calmed down, had casually interrupted the stalemate and destroyed the tense atmosphere.
Ayako, not willing to give this up, pressed on. "You definitely came out of the elevator, so what's going on?"
Ayaka, using Kaede's outburst to gain her nerve back, once more addressed the girls firmly. "I don't know what to tell you. I accidentally hit the button and here I came. Like I said, I'm here to greet an old acquaintance. I don't know how I could have gotten here when it was locked, but maybe the manager already turned it off. He probably thought this room would be okay to go on the market soon. That's what happened, believe me." Ayaka grew more and more tense, as she slowly moved her hand to her skirt pocket almost as if she was going to pull something out.
Strange, for a brief moment, Ayako felt a brief sense of vertigo with the girl's words continuously echoing in her mind. "Wait a minute, t-that doesnt… huh?"
"It's very normal for such things to happen, just a small mistake. No need to think about it too deeply." Again, the girl continued to insist with her voice sounding almost an octave lower.
Ayako was sure she had several thoughts in mind, something to contradict what she was just told, but strangely enough, the girl could not remember them. Huh, why was she even bothering to think about such a small topic this much? No…. Uh, she definitely… "But you just said the rumor's hadn't…"
"Ayako," Kane interjected, in a languid tone that slowly turned more confident with her next words. "I believe it's best if we leave this subject alone, right now."
Both of her friends turned in surprise to Himuro's sudden statement, shocked that she had decided to drop the subject. Ayako was the first one who confronted her. "What do you mean? She just…" Though she did not say it out loud, the look she gave to her friend made it clear that the newcomer had lied to them. Yet for some reason those words refused to leave her lips, a fog clouding her thoughts and causing her to forget what she was about to even say.
"She is right, issues with the elevator are completely normal. Also, let me ask you this instead, is this the right time and place to pressure her on the subject? Not only that, but should we?"
"Right? We… We live here?"
Ayako had been left completely flabbergasted by Himuro's honest response, with the latter continuing unabated. "True, but that doesn't mean we should stick our noses into the private affairs of all the people who live here. We don't have that right, and we'd also like them not to do the same with us as well, at least not unless it goes past a certain point. Plus Sajyou-san is clearly uncomfortable with our question, and I see no need to push her any further — let's just leave it at that."
Ayako was stumped, gaping like a fish at Himuro's answer and how the girl switched sides.
Said friend continued to address Ayaka. "Sajyou-san, sorry about Ayako, she can be pushy at times; especially now since I believe the ghost stories got to her. I will add this, as people who live here, we are just curiou—ahem, concerned about the going on's, in's and out's of the Semina Apartments and anything out of the ordinary that could cause trouble."
Ayako's lips twitched, stumped at the way Kane addressed Ayaka, being so professional and weirdly reasonable it made the reddish-brunette unprepared at just how business-like Kane had handled everything. At this point the girl might as well wear a suit and prepare the rest of her speech.
While she continued to picture her friend in several different formal clothes, Ayaka had clearly settled down after that statement and stopped tensing up to the point she would flee like a rabbit. Finally having calmed down she addressed Kane with a bow first. "You don't have to apologize, if this is your home you do have that right. I'm the one who should say sorry. You were right that I haven't been completely honest with you, but I have my reasons. The friend you see I'm visiting is someone who prefers privacy, so I would really appreciate it if you didn't press any further on this subject. I really am sorry, so let's just move along to something else."
Truthfully, even after all that, Ayako continued to feel uncertain about letting this matter go so easily, but the longer she listened to Ayaka's words, the more compelled she felt to just follow along. She couldn't help but calm down upon seeing how she was treating the matter. 'Maybe I was going a little ahead of myself. Ugh… my head hurts, what's going on?'
With both sides having reached a conclusion, she let out a light sigh after massaging her temples. "Hah, sorry from me too. I guess I was a little on edge lately."
"No, it's… it's fine. Please can you just accept that the elevator stopped here, and leave it at that."
That voice almost sounded enchanting, hard to explain but the more she listened the more drawn in she became. The girl was right, such things happened regularly and here she was doubting the other party for no reason about something she barely even remembered anyways.
"Well, I guess so, I mean coincidences do happen." Ayako embarrassingly scratched the back of her head, at this point she had already forgotten why this conversation even started in the first place, a red blush raising on her face, as she brought a hand out to Ayaka.
"Let's just have bygones be bygones."
Ayaka only took a second to look at the extended hand before smiling, and answering in kind giving it a firm shake. "Yes, but of course, I would like nothing more."
"Wahahahaha! Now this is more like it! Compared to that old dreary atmosphere from before, this is more I like it… um, looks like the daughter of a politician strikes again." Kaede casually placed her arm around her silver haired friend's neck, clearly invading her personal space, as an annoyed face on Kane appeared.
"Huh? Politician's daughter?" Ayaka, who had just taken her hand away from Ayako's handshake, looked at Kaede quizzically.
"Eh? You didn't know? Oh, that's right, you see, a lot of people don't know this, but Kane-chan here is really the daughter of the Mayor of Fuyuki himself — a real bonafide princess!"
"The Mayor of Fuyuki's daughter… " Ayaka immediately recoiled at the information staring at Kane, reassessing every part of her.
Himuro, who had enough of Kaede's forwardness, firmly removed Kaede's hand wrapped around her. "Would you please stop with that! I'm sick and tired of you bringing that up."
"Ohh does the rich noble's daughter want to punish this little nosy commoner?"
"Why do you assume I'm rich?! Do you think being a politician's daughter automatically makes us loaded?!"
"Say's the girl who gazes down on us from her high-rise luxury penthouse."
"Luxu… I LIVE HERE!"
Ayako, finding the whole thing hilarious, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Heh, well you've gotta admit, you've conveniently got a much bigger apartment than the rest of us."
At that Kane went silent staring at the nearby wall, like there was nothing else more she wanted to do, which gave Maki even more reason to tease her. "Hey, what's the problem, why do you look so out of it?"
Kane went into herself mumbling. "Having a bigger apartment doesn't mean I'm loaded. Please stop looking at me like a piggy bank."
"What was that, couldn't hear you through all that moolah."
As Makidera continued to tease Himuro, Ayako turned to look at Sajyou who was currently sweating bullets, and wanted to be anywhere but here.
"The Mayor's daughter… That was a close one… thankfully it worked… " Most of what she was muttering was barely audible to the brunette, she wondered why the girl was suddenly so nervous? Ah damn it, here comes back that headache from before!
"Gaah, whatever, let's just go back to my apartment, I'll show you that I'm not, Richie Rich."
"Ah, why are you so embarrassed? Did I hit a nerve?"
"Hah… Aren't you the one who wanted to leave this place, first. Isn't this place haunted?"
"H-Humph! Ghosts aren't real… b-but if you say it's time to go, let's go!" Maki's Cheshire grin vanished upon being reminded where she was, then immediately hopped back to the stairs with Kane in tow.
Ayako, finding no point in staying here for now, followed them with Ayaka in tow.
Not seeing how Ayaka was staring at Room 2 intently before following along.
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"See you tomorrow at school, everyone!" After dealing with what was basically an empty room with no trace of the Little Red Riding Hood girl, the group finally decided to take a break. Later all four girls stepped out of the apartment, the cool night air settling around them while Kaede and Kane prepared to leave. The latter ended up being the one who had to escort her friend home, a task she handled with visible reluctance before planning to return to the apartment and collapse straight into her bed. "Why can't you just go on your own?" she said with a long sigh. "Or at least call a taxi."
"I didn't bring any money with me and it's dangerous either way! Please, just accompany me back. I'll owe you a favor."
"Fine," Kane said, tugging the girl along and heading down the road. Their voices faded as they walked away in the opposite direction, leaving Ayaka and Ayako standing alone together on the quiet sidewalk.
"Are you sure you should let them go out alone this late at night?" the reserved girl asked the outgoing one.
The latter just waved her hand dismissively, "Hm? Yeah, they'll be fine, those two and Yukika have been friends for who knows how long, so they got each other's backs if something major tries to come for them."
"That isn't what I meant."
"???"
"Remember that massive fire recently? Not to mention all the people dropping due to gas leaks lately, now more than ever both you and those two should probably stay home until things quiet down… I recommend at least two weeks."
Ayako remembered the recent events and how truly crazy things have been lately. Honestly it kind of reminded her of that time she ran into Shirou that night. Thinking back on it, she couldn't help but smile.
"Thank's for the concern, but I heard that from someone else just recently too. You see, there is this one guy that has no calms about going out and doing the same thing himself. When I think about it like that, then this fire wells up within me and I can't stay down either. If I really want to call myself that guy's rival then I can't let a little fear or danger stop me. Besides, if I was the type to lay down and keep my head down, I wouldn't be out here tonight."
Ayako had no intention of losing to Shirou's stubbornness. She'd make him cry uncle and finally bring her in to what he was doing.
"...I see."
Silence collected around them. Ayako felt it settle in a strange and slightly uncomfortable way, like she had stepped into a room mid-conversation without knowing what had been said. She shifted on her feet, trying to shake the odd sensation. After a moment, Ayaka broke the stillness.
"I didn't know you were someone who would be interested in such things." She asked it plainly, almost casually, but the question still caught Ayako fully off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, I didn't mean it in a rude way. You just never gave me the impression of being someone who would even believe in such things. You even participated in that debate about debunking them."
Ayako blinked, unsure for several seconds what Ayaka was referring to. Then a memory pushed itself to the front of her mind and her eyes widened in disbelief. It had been months ago, nothing more than a small classroom activity. They had been assigned a debate practice session where one side argued for ghosts and monsters being real and the other argued the opposite. It was so trivial that she had nearly forgotten it ever existed.
"You were there?" she asked, genuinely surprised. She had no memory of Ayaka even being at school that day.
"I was with the opposing team."
"Urgh." The embarrassment settled across her face like a warm flush which she could not hide. She felt genuinely bad. Forgetting an event was one thing, but forgetting someone's presence entirely made it feel as if she had erased Ayaka from the picture altogether. "I guess my memory has been fuzzy lately. Right, I remember now. You didn't talk much." It was a lie, one she had stitched together quickly and hoped would hold. She prayed silently that Ayaka had indeed been quiet during that activity and that she had not just fabricated a false detail in front of the very person involved.
Thankfully, luck sided with her this time. Ayaka nodded.
"They were short a member and asked me to help. I only had to fill a seat. Still, when did you get interested in such things? Especially this one."
"Um." Ayako stared forward, wondering how to answer without sounding like someone who had lost her grip on reality. Telling the truth was out of the question. She could already imagine saying something like; 'one day I ran into a giant lion monster with a snake for a tail and wings on its back, and then a woman shattered it with one punch!' Or mentioning that one of her classmates could leap from the seventh floor of a building and land on the ground still alive. Any sentence like that would make Ayaka think she was talking to someone who had completely unraveled and was spouting nonsense.
"Well, you know, people change. And I had a few experiences I couldn't explain with science lately, so I just wanted to check if any of it could be real."
"Then you're only inviting trouble for yourself if it turns out to be real."
"What?" Ayako turned her head, thinking she might have misheard. She waited for Ayaka to explain.
"The tale about Little Red Riding Hood is not an innocent story. There are several versions, but if by any chance something about it turned out to be real, what would you have done to protect yourself?"
Ayako had no answer. The question landed heavier than expected, and she stayed silent for several seconds, thinking about the strange possibility.
"Well, there is nothing proving she would have been violent. Maybe the girl is just looking for help. It's not her fault that people are scared of ghosts in general. I am not an expert, but some people overreact to the smallest things and stretch stories far beyond the truth. So I just assumed that if anything was actually there, it would have been a peaceful entity. No one was gone. No one was hurt or disappearing."
She failed to notice the small detail in Ayaka's face. Her eyes widened slightly, interest flickering, a faint smile forming as if something about Ayako's reasoning pleased her.
"But if it did end up being dangerous," Ayako added, "then I would have just run toward Shirou's house."
"Shirou?" She repeated the name with some confusion.
"Oh, you must not know him. He's a good friend of mine, Shirou Emiya. He can be a bit shy at times but the guy is reliable. How about this! We can do another investigation next time and I'll invite him! Plus I rarely see you with anyone at school, so it's a good opportunity for you to make more friends right?" She said cheerfully, nudging the girl next to her who stuttered at first, various emotions flashing across her face before slightly looking away.
"You want me to join you?"
"Why not? The more the merrier!"
"…and this friend of yours, what did you say his name is again?"
"Shirou Emiya, why? Hold on, you must have heard of him before, he's that guy who helps with the student council."
Ayaka nodded with a blank expression. "Yes… I have heard of that name."
{Break}
-???-
Days passed in a slow and unchanging cycle. Eventually the sun rose one last time and then disappeared over the red horizon never to return as the island was encased in darkness. The tides closed in and returned with the last glimmer of dawn, and the breeze carried the same weathered scent of salt and decay that had lingered for decades. Birds nested on the rocks near the beach, their calls always drifting through the morning air, while waves crashed endlessly against the shoreline. Nothing disturbed this pattern except the constant stench of blood that clung to the sand, coming from the decomposed bodies scattered across the beach. Countless warriors had fallen there, their remains picked apart by monsters and birds until nothing but ruined carcasses were left behind. The ones that weren't dotted all over the beach as solid stone statues either whole or broken. The shore that should have been a secluded paradise for the three sisters had changed into something unrecognizable.
Those peaceful moments were memories now. They surfaced only rarely and brought her nothing except pain. Whenever they appeared, she wished she could run from them and sink entirely into the animalistic instincts that had taken over her life; she had become what many across the archipelago feared and despised. She had turned into a creature that devoured unfortunate sailors, a creature mentioned in tales to warn the next generation, a tale where brave warriors traveled to kill her in order to rescue the goddesses, or others who had been ordered by the gods to cleanse the island. Time had slipped away from her, blurred together into an endless cycle of hunger for human flesh and violence. Feeding on anyone who approached and grew far beyond the form she once had, leaving behind the body that had once held a beauty her sisters used to tease her about.
Her innocence was gone.
Any trace of the young girl she had been had died in every meaningful way. In her place stood something that everyone believed needed to be slain. Her wings stretched wide enough to cast shadows over the entire beach. Her claws were as sharp as razors and as long as spears, her hair had twisted into a nest of slithering, venomous snakes, their crimson eyes filling any watcher with immediate fear. A body covered in shifting scales that slid and scraped against the ground as she searched the island for her next prey. A great bloody bounded field formed, cutting off the island's world with the rest of the outside's. The choking red mist in the air now did more than just give an ominous vibe but now either dissolved the humans who came into it, vaporizing their essence, or turning them into stone instantly; becoming permanent decorations scattered across the land she now claimed as her own.
She sought nothing but killing, devouring and destroying. She lived with a mind clouded by despair and hatred that had burned toward the gods for what felt like an eternity. Eventually her own body was covered by her hair, and turned into a seething pile of tentacles, as all that could be gazed at was a single monstrous eye at the center.
The island had taken on a smeared, crimson tint, as though the air pressed against the eyes with a constant bloodshot haze, a veritable Temple of blood. The name passed on by the lips of those closest to the Shapeless isle for decades.
The sky alone encompassed a bejeweled purple iris staring down below them, the Gorgon herself residing within the field of her own creation — a true conceptual fort that shunned the sun itself.
A palace of darkness.
That existence continued without pause until the day someone stepped onto the shapeless isle.
He arrived alone, riding a small boat that cut across the waters with steady purpose. Unlike the others he did not dissolve the moment he stepped on the island or be turned to stone, already displaying how thoroughly stronger he was compared to most others who came here, or perhaps at least better protected beforehand. The moment he had reached the shore she smelled the scent of the gods clinging to him. Their gifts, numerous, rested on him, likely given by Zeus, Athena, and other divine beings she could not all identify. A mask covered his face. Whether it was meant to protect him from her petrifying gaze or simply an artifact she could not understand, nor did she care. In the end, he would meet the same fate as the rest. He would be nothing more than another bloody stain on the sand, with his treasures added to the pile taken from those who had come before him.
She screamed at him when he entered her range, a sound filled with fury and challenge, and launched herself forward without hesitation. She wanted nothing more than to tear him apart. But he proved different from the others. He moved with speed she had not known in her previous victims almost as if Hermes himself were dashing across her feet.
He struck with blows that did not match the size of his frame showing his demigod blood in full, and the sword of his burned as if Zeus himself were impaling her with his lightning.
The dark red haired man fought with tactics mostly rather than a straight up fight, forcing her to react instead of mindlessly overpowering him. Never once gazing at her eyes, keeping his head down to that shield that smelled by the Goddess of Wisdom, only for him to once more vanish as the mantle he wore, turned into a helmet, and hid him away. Every gift the gods had granted him worked against her overwhelming force, and for the first time in a long while she found herself forced into something close to a stalemate.
She did not care. She unleashed every ability she possessed. She spawned monsters from her blood and scales. She let every trace of bloodlust surge through her as she gave in fully to her monstrous nature. Parts of the island crumbled under their clashes while he continued to survive. He was terrified, and nothing but a toy to her, but still he never gave in. He deployed weapons she had never witnessed before, all of them gifts from the gods themselves. Divine energy surrounded him so strongly that one might have mistaken him for a god descending in human form. He cut through her defenses, sliced through her flesh and left her with wounds that refused to heal. Where her body once mended itself within seconds, the injuries remained open and bled steadily. The sight of his scythe-like blade felt like watching Hades himself call for her name.
Reaching her limit, in a last desperate effort to end him, eyes snapped open brimming with energy, turning the very antithesis of the island's enclosing field aimed upon her target — to trap all the minds who were placed under it to stay for eternity within the world of her mind. The curse failed to take hold, collapsing in mere moments; an aftermath that brought nothing but confusion.
One moment she was going to kill him while showing him his worst nightmare, then he brought out that bag and a familiar, helpless tremor rippled through her thoughts.
A distant ache stirred-memories of murmured voices of two who no longer existed amongst the living anymore.
"Ahhh… Sisters… How can you… What is… It's just… like before…" The first spoken words after decades left the bloodied lips with a faint tremor.
Time moved on in the real world.
The scythe swung down and drew a thin line across her neck, a line that deepened until her head separated from her body. Blood surged across the ground and two final creatures emerged from what remained of her. One shone with bright light and carried soft, angelic feathers, a horse that took to the sky with ease; a last gift bestowed upon her by the one who commanded seas. The other was a twisted and grotesque being, born with the same monstrous nature that had defined its mother.
All the while another watched the entire scene unfold from beginning to end, his thoughts pulled in different directions by emotions he could not silence, trapped as a mere spectator drifting through the final moments of someone who had already slipped past the point beyond saving. No matter how desperately he wished otherwise, no matter how fiercely those desires clawed at him with every passing second, he understood that he had arrived too late to change anything. Her head rolled across the ground with a muted thud, and the final expression resting on her face was not shaped by anger or terror or any sharp flash of despair. Instead, he stared at features that held no trace of the monstrous shape she had been forced to wear. Even in that cursed form, she retained a quiet beauty that struck him harder than any blade.
Chryasor, the one whose existence came not as a gift from another entity but rather her own desire of taking away any other possible way the gods could violate what remained of her body after death, stared at her. Perhaps that wish shaped her final moments as her severed head was lifted by her hair still connected to Chryasor, held aloft to the demigod whose faint grin slipped just beyond the edge of his mask.
Pegasus, the last of her innocent youth and fond memories, neighed as he galloped around the hero who slew the one who carried him, with the saddles of Bellerephon still on him.
What lingered in her eyes, was the closest thing to relief, a release that suggested she had accepted the end rather than resisted it. She welcomed it because death, harsh as it appeared, took away the one presence she despised more than anything in the world. It claimed the monster the gods had forced her to become, the creature that tore her life apart and tore away the people she cherished most. Even if her life ended at the hands of a man who served the gods, she no longer resisted the outcome. She had been born once as a goddess, now ending her path as a monster.
Slowly the nameless hero took the bag that had caused her defeat, and wrapped the head within it.
The world of blood at last vanished as if absorbed into the bag, the darkness finally vanishing, and the red blood that dyed everything cleared away, and for the first time in a long time, the sun finally showed itself.
For the one who watched the entirety in silence, clashing the memories of the woman who spent her time accompanying him, teasing him and saving him… to put that image beside the one whose remnant body continued to coat the island in a thin layer of blood… he could not accept this outcome.
Every sign and every rational thread pointed toward the same truth, yet he remained fixed, as if at the edge of a bridge he refused to cross. Even if this could be interpreted as the end of her long burden, a quiet closing of a painful chapter, he saw only the cruelty that would follow. Her head would be taken as a weapon for battle, a tool for someone else's glory, the head of a woman who had only wished for a peaceful life beside her sisters. She had been condemned by the gods, cursed into a form she never desired, and denied even a simple ending. Instead, she was claimed as a weapon.
He hated it.
And he rejected this reality.
.
.
.
-Miyama, Emiya Residence-
The sounds of birds chirping had become a regular part of his mornings, those small creatures taking the role of his alarm clock long ago. This time, he did not wake with a groan or any trace of his usual sluggishness. There was no slow stretch, no lazy blink, none of the quiet steps he usually took before pushing himself into the rhythm of the day. Instead his eyes snapped open, and he sat upright in an instant. His head, shoulders and chest were covered in sweat, and heavy breaths pushed out of him as he tried to gather himself and pull his thoughts back into order while examining the room around him.
"Bad dream?"
The question broke through his attempt at steady breathing. Rider had stepped through the doorway, drawn by his abrupt movements. He found himself staring at her figure framed against the light behind her. She wore a long sleeve purple turtleneck sweater and fitted pants that traced her shape without hiding any of her grace. Even with the blindfold resting firmly over her eyes, nothing could dim her presence. Her beauty was something that did not require sight to acknowledge.
"... You can say that."
He saw no reason to hide it, not when the remnants of the dream still clung to him, enough to make his hands tremble slightly.
"It has been a long while since you had one. Maybe it is because of what happened yesterday that triggered it," she said while he kept his eyes fixed on anything other than his Servant, refusing to risk even a brief glance. He knew that if he looked at her now, whatever composure he still held would slip straight through his fingers.
"I'll go make breakfast," he added, his tone sharper and more abrupt than he intended. He pushed himself up from the bed and walked toward the kitchen, hoping that the simple routine of cooking would clear his thoughts. He wanted the noise of the morning to chase away the sight that still lingered in his mind.
He had always understood that Rider's life had not been an easy one. Knowing her name and the shape of her legend had made him believe he was prepared to witness what she carried. But seeing it happen right before his eyes, so vividly, had shaken him more than he expected. Watching a past he could not change had left him feeling powerless in a way that no training or planning had ever prepared him for.
The fire from the gas stove lit with a quick burst, the blue flame settling into a steady shape beneath the pan. The thin layer of oil shimmered before the first piece of fish touched it, followed by the quiet yet persistent sound of sizzling. He stood over the stove, letting the scent of cooking fish fill the kitchen so he could anchor himself in something familiar. Rider sat in the living room, her posture relaxed as she watched the morning news. She looked far calmer now than the haunted face he had seen in that vision.
"Are you planning on doing something today?" Rider asked. Her voice reached him from the living room, pulling him out of the slow drift of his thoughts. He turned slightly toward her, puzzled for a moment.
"I meant your next move," she clarified. "You formed an alliance with Lancer's Master, but you should remain cautious."
"I know. But I do not think Rin will cause any problems. She wants to find Sakura as much as I do. At least I think she does," he said. He let out a small, amused chuckle, trying not to rely too much on hope. "After school, I plan to check the ruins of the Matou mansion again. Maybe I can find something we missed. Or if I am really lucky, she might just show up in class like nothing happened."
He doubted that possibility, but he still said it out loud, because saying it made it feel less impossible. "I also need to contact Luvia or Bazett. One of them should know something about yesterday. They always keep track of unusual events in the city. Maybe they noticed something that I overlooked."
It had been a while since he last saw either of them. Even in a short span of time, things often changed quickly for people involved with the Association. For all he knew, one or both of them might already have claimed a Servant. He also wanted to make sure they were safe, because the city was beginning to feel more uneasy with every passing day.
Silence returned after that. The only sounds in the room were the steady tapping of his knife on the chopping board and the announcer on the television reporting another fire somewhere in the city. This one was far from the previous one, but that only made him wonder if they were connected or simply a regular accident. It would not hurt to check the location after school if he had the time.
"I'm sorry," Rider suddenly said. Confusing Shirou enough to make him turn slightly toward her.
He blinked. "Why are you apologizing?"
"I am sorry that you had to see that," she replied. Her head remained on the television, hard to tell just what was going on in her mind.
"How did you know what I saw?"
"There are not many moments in my life that would bring out that kind of reaction," she said.
His knife slowed as her words settled over the kitchen. The motion eventually stopped. His hair slid forward, hiding his eyes as he stood there without speaking, letting the quiet stretch between them for a couple of seconds. "Don't blame yourself, plenty of brave warriors who themselves faced entire armies and monsters were rendered terrified by what they had seen. Can't exactly blame them, many were led by the stories of beautiful goddesses but upon arriving on the island, came to face their nightmare given form. So don't be ashamed, that is completely norm—"
Her voice came to a halt when his knife descended upon the cutting board with greater force. The sound silenced the servant as she watched Shirou turn around and walk by with a plate in hand and placing it on the table before taking a seat beside her. "You were in a lot of pain." He replied with a sour face. "It wasn't your fault that you ended up like that. No one tried to help you."
"Pft," much to his dismay, rather let out a small chuckle as soon as she heard his answer. "Come on now, Master, why would anyone in their right mind even try to help a monster?"
Bam!
Upon hearing the last part, his emotions reached their limit and the redhead ended up smacking his hand on the table with the sound of the plate underneath shattering. "Would you stop calling yourself that! What is so wrong about helping others!? Whether they be a person or something else, it doesn't matter! You were not a monster in the beginning, but they kept trying to kill you for some silly reward or because of a lie! Even until the end all they cared about is using your body! Why the hell would you defend people like them!?"
Everything spilled out at once, every ounce of frustration, anger and disbelief that he kept trying to suppress showcased themselves to the stunned woman next to him. "Ever since you arrived, you have been nothing but helpful to me. You saved my life again and again that I am starting to lose count at this point! You helped me protect Sakura even without me needing to order you! You always try warning me about every kind of danger even though I admit, I rarely listen. How does any of this make you a monster? Had they not pushed you so far then you could have… then all of that…"
"That I wouldn't have devoured my sisters and lost myself?" She finished his sentence while taking a sip of her tea.
"..."
"I have plenty of thoughts when it comes to those warriors, including the one who killed me. I doubt you would have liked him, he had plenty of flaws and was darker than what most legends depict him. But, I am still grateful for what he did, for it was only after that I found peace for the first time in centuries. Sometimes, saving someone can come in different forms, Shirou."
His fists clenched, the fragments of porcelain digging deeper into his skin.
Could that even be counted as saving someone? Where was the logic in that?
His anger flared up further when the sight of her decapitated head fell to the ground resurfaced, how it got picked up so casually by that man as if it were a random item. There was no care in that person's actions, even when he knew next to nothing about that person aside from his legend… Shirou could not accept his actions.
A part of him tried to rationalize their actions, that perhaps all of them were led to believe she was a creature of pure bloodlust. That they were led to believe something else
"If one day I were to turn into a monster, threaten those closest to you; wouldn't you protect them too?" Rider asked.
"I would." He answered without hesitation, looking at her straight without an ounce of uncertainty. "But what makes you think you aren't one of those people too? Whether one day you turn into that or not, I will save you just like I will with everyone else."
"You can't save everyone, Shirou." This time, she was the one having frustration seep into her tone.
"Try me." He said almost challengingly. "Don't try to push me away cause anything you say won't work! Whether you like it or not, deal with it! Even if you do turn into a monster, you'll come back to your senses if you have enough blood right? Then I have plenty to offer, I already bled enough these past few months to supply an entire hospital, so what's a few more drops?"
The way he acted felt almost childish, he knew that, trying to find any and all arguments to push back against her point.
"You're doing it again, Shirou." Commented the woman with a shake of her head. "Risking yourself for others without a thought, which will eventually lead you to an early grave. You will regret saying those words in the future if such an outcome were to unfortunately pass."
"I won't. Because I trust you, Rider."
Her lips trembled ever so slightly, her finger tracing the rim of the cup in her hands. Nose twitching upon a faint sweet scent reached her senses. "You're bleeding."
"Ah," only now did Shirou realize what had occurred, looking down as trails of blood covered his hand with a piece of his plate sticking within his palm. "Sorry… I got a bit worked up."
Just as he was about to get up and go clean up his wound, his body froze when the next moment, his hand was grabbed and brought closer to the purple haired woman's face. Goosebumps spread all across his body upon the wet sensation that touched his skin, eyes widening with shock upon seeing Rider's tongue glide from his wrist to his finger. His blood coating her tongue with the piece of porcelain already removed.
His brain short circuited right then and there.
"Little known fact about Gorgons, we can be considered vampiric in nature. Blood is something we can consume to replenish ourselves." She said in a quiet tone, her voice deeper than usual so push her point across. "The more I consume, the more I can get drawn to the other side of me… and your blood just happens to be very sweet, Shirou. Are you still willing to risk that and continue with your attempts? I might end up wanting more than you can provide in the future."
Whatever she said failed to reach his mind, or maybe it did but he no longer cared truly or made sense of it any longer. The woman watched his face, feeling the iron taste fill her tastebuds and her senses tingling for more. Sweeter than she anticipated, but knowing him, she was barely surprised; it felt warm. Yet rather than seeing some hesitation or even fear from her actions, especially after having seen her past of devouring countless — the reaction he had was anything but terrified.
Behind the blindfold, her eyes trailed downwards, landing in between his legs where she halted for a second. Noticing how his face turned several shades more red rather than pale and his body reacting accordingly. The fabric of his pants getting stretched, barely containing his member's excitement.
A seductive, yet amused smile made its way to her face, leading her to bite his finger just enough to bring him back to his senses.
"—!"
Noticing her gaze looking downwards, Shirou went further red from embarrassment upon getting caught red handed. Unable to even react in time and cool his mind from what just occurred, he immediately backed away with a bit of flailing on his end. "I-I didn't mean… this is not… I-I need to-to go to the bathroom!"
Mortified, he tried to hide it but failed, then proceeded to run away to the adjacent room, slipping on the floor several times and leading Rider to chuckle at his actions.
Bam!
The sound of the bathroom door closing and the showerhead being turned on reached the Servant's ears.
She had expected a strong reaction but not that kind.
Looking down at her tea cup, the content half full, she no longer felt any desire to finish it. The taste of his blood lingering on both of her tongue and lips, the reaction he had coming back again and again in her mind. He… truly did not have a smidgen of fear towards her anywhere in his body — going so far as to even get angry for her fate. Had he been alive back then, the chances of him doing something completely stupid for a monster was practically guaranteed at this point.
Even the gods would be rendered speechless.
He truly was a lost cause…
Yet despite that, she wanted to see more of that side of him, to have another taste and…
"I understand why Sakura likes you." She said while taking another sip, a small frown reaching her brows.
The tea now tasted completely bland from just a minute ago.
{Break}
-Fuyuki Outskirts of Miyama, Einzbern Forest, Einzbern Castle-
Bam!
There were many different kinds of areas that could be found throughout Fuyuki ranging from the traditional to the modern.
The quiet residential districts, both new and old in Miyama Town that stretched all along the mountains to the outskirts near the shore, all of which were places where people could live in relative peace with barely any noise.
Then there was the lively commercial district at the center of Shinto city that carried its own mix of sounds, colors, and everyday movement. Full of vibrant artificial cities and skyscrapers where business was booming at places such as Fuyuki Port; here most tended to live in apartment complexes or above their shops.
However, farther than both Miyama and Shinto were the deep forests that stretched and surrounded most of Fuyuki in partnership with the oceans beating on the shorelines. Other than the middle where the Mion River split Fuyuki in two and the Shinto outer side, the forest almost completely separated Fuyuki from the outside. The forests were deep and full of nature, showing Fuyuki's deep connection to the earth still in full swing. There were so many unexplored parts in the forest, that rumors had even begun to spread of secret natural hot springs that one could find if they looked deep enough. One could even go boar hunting deep in the mountains without fear of over hunting the population.
And hidden deeper within the forest, an hour's drive away from the Miyama side was a special part of the forest that on maps still fell under Fuyuki's suburbs. Less like a forest, and more so like an underdeveloped mountain, few rarely came to the outskirts of this place, and even fewer rarely found their way through. Here it wasn't just the natural defenses that kept out explorers, but also those of the supernatural.
A perfect spiritual defense encompassed the forest, spirits of all types wraith, ghosts, and phantoms all inhabited the forest making those who wandered sink twice or going further lest they regret their actions. Along with them if one walked into the perimeter they may very well feel a presence staring at them in curiosity.
Four hours on foot, in the very center of the mist-filled forest was a sprawling castle-villa that stood in a clearing able to bear the full sunlight. Its structure resembled something pulled straight from the medieval era, a true foreign european castle that if one looked from the sky would look like a "コ". It towered at five to six stories, and in the corner of it a part of the castle was a mural tower that displayed to an onlooker ancient and unshakable force along with its brown brickwork and blue roofing.
Most citizens of the city had no real knowledge of this place's existence. Even the ghosts stayed clear of it, thanks to the anti-spiritual defenses.
From within its old stone walls, the repeated rhythm of rock cracking and heavy impacts echoed through a large hall cleared for training.
A slow exhalation cut through the air. With a swift motion of her head, She took a few strands of her silver hair, that then drifted upwards as she stepped forward, her breath guiding her next spell. Birds formed from white particles born from her hair strands, as they transfigured into familiars with her alchemy. They scattered toward the several wooden puppets surrounding her, each one moving on mechanical joints as they moved to attack her, and avenge the several broken of their kind on the floor.
They were low-grade, but capable, and their purpose was simple: attack her and dodge her counters. Blades fixed to their arms allowed them to slash as they moved, their wooden frames clicking sporadically. The constructs tried to circle her, but they proved to be little threat to the young girl who carried the refined talent of her creators. With a single push from her heel, she and her familiars closed the distance in a blink and shattered the puppets one by one, their fragments scattering across the floor.
She breathed out slowly, her chest rising as the remnants of her irritation continued to cling to her thoughts. The encounter with the redheaded boy, her brother lingered stubbornly in her mind. Two days had only passed from their last encounter, yet the annoyance his presence placed on her still remained stuck like an itch she could not scratch away. Training had become her preferred escape, something she had begun repeating more often just to drown out the unwanted feelings.
The ground was already littered with the remains of her punching bags, the automatons lay scattered as pieces of shattered wood. A pair of hands started clapping from the other side of the room.
"You have done marvelously, Lady Illyasviel. You have shown more progress in these last couple days than you've had in several months. I am relieved to see that you are finally taking your training seriously."
A calm yet disciplined voice came from behind. Two maids stood by the entrance, their posture straight, both bearing old fashioned european maid uniforms that completely covered their bodies with white cloth leaving no skin to show but just their faces and hands, going so far as to even have hoods that wrapped around their heads so that not even hair could escape, save for but two silver strands on one of the duo. Not the erotic maid uniforms that filtered through the minds of most who would relish it, but more like hardened military maid uniforms focused solely for the fulfillment of their duties and nothing else.
Their eyes stayed fixed forward, and expressionless upon her, showcasing that both looked nearly identical, with one of the only differences between them being that one's white uniform was paired with blue fabric while the other was paired with black fabric. The other difference was far more apparent as the one with the strands out, who possessed the black pairing color, was also vastly more gifted in her physical features than the other one, so much so that not even the militaristic maid uniform could conceal it. The very well-endowed maid proceeded to walk ahead expressionless, and began clearing the remnants of the broken puppets, while the latter who had been clapping walked toward the side of the young Einzbern.
"That should be expected from me, Sella. I told you I would get better, and so I did." Illya replied with a loud huff. The two maids had been assigned to her not only as maids but also as guardians, teachers, caretakers, and attendants. They watched over her at all hours and carried out the orders given to them by the head of the family without having failed their duties at any point.
"So, did you and Leysritt find any useful information?" She asked, brushing away lingering dust as she activated a simple cleaning spell to clear the grime from her clothes and skin, as it slowly vanished as if it were never there. Slowly walking toward the exit along with her maid Sella they continued to discuss the circumstances while they walked through the luxurious halls.
"Yes, we have confirmed that the attack on the Matou estate was carried out by an outside party that did not originate from within the city. The familiars detected the presence of a modern aircraft carrier several nautical miles away from the shore strangely enough, but it vanished within minutes and we were unable to track it again."
"Someone is clearly trying to hide their movements." Illya frowned slightly. She knew of no magus who would rely on something as unusual as an aircraft carrier of all things.
The idea barely made sense to her. To use modern means to do battle with a mage, was almost like… no that person was gone, so it would be best to think of other avenues.
"Then it had nothing to do with a Servant itself. Not that it matters. They can continue fighting among themselves for all I care and burn half the city in the process again. With Berserker here, our victory is already guaranteed," she said with confidence as she stepped out of the room. Sella followed closely behind her. "By the way, any news on Philia?" Illya asked.
The question caused a subtle shift in Sella's otherwise emotionless expression. Her eyes twitched before she allowed a slow sigh to escape.
"We still have not pinpointed her exact location. However, she is most likely still somewhere in the city. Please do not trouble yourself over it, Lady Illyasviel. It is under my responsibility that she ran away, and as such it is my duty to resolve the matter myself."
"It would have been easier if you just let me and Berserker find her."
"No. You should be focusing on your training instead."
'Spoken like my magecraft teacher, who taught me sorcery.' reminding herself how Sella, the maid next to her, was entrusted with her magecraft education, technically making Illya, Sella's apprentice in the magecraft arts. Glancing sideways at Sella she once more was impressed at how composed and disciplined she was. Her white uniform suited her perfectly as a clear canvas, while the blue fabric that went with it mellowed out her overall serious demeanor, so she was not overtly threatening. Truly it was Sella who brought out the most compatibility with the maid uniform that adorned her, showcasing a truly orderly persona with not a hair or crinkle out of place. It honestly brought out her beauty as the concept of a maid itself rather than any physical or personality based attraction.
Unlike Leysritt who was currently cleaning out the mess she made, Sella was not well proportioned enough for the outfit to have anything sticking out of it, making it impossible to discern anything underneath it. Honestly she thought that was to her benefit.
Being reminded at how Leysritt was currently cleaning her stress relief brought back memories of why she was that annoyed to begin with.
As much as she wanted to tear through a few more practice puppets while picturing that irritating red-headed boy in their place, the girl felt the weight of fatigue settle over her limbs, bringing her to reality. The long hours of drills had drained more out of her than she cared to admit, and now the idea of doing anything other than following the training routine Sella imposed on her, felt strangely appealing. She knew better than to voice that, because the persistent woman behind her would never permit such a request.
So she kept quiet until Sella went to tend to the flowerbed, then pushed through her castle, and climbed her stairs while yawning. Moving down the dim hallway she glanced idly at the decorated various paintings from different points in time and artists both cultural and historical — each of these works of art were likely valued more than a regular Japanese house.
But for the Einzbern, they remained mere decorations for a small base. She stopped at the door that led to her personal room. "I'll be taking a quick nap. Do not bother me until dinner!" Raising her voice so the maids would not pretend they had not heard, she then slammed the door shut. The moment the frame echoed from the impact, the girl cast a bounded field over the room, silencing every sound that tried to slip in or out.
Inside, the spacious chamber that felt more like the inside of a five star hotel she could finally rest from Sella's firm gaze. Looking around she took her room in, as it was decorated with only a few modern appliances like a TV. She saw her simple small canopy bed across it, which was hand picked for her body stats particularly… honestly, the moment she saw it, she idled about going into it to rest from her training, but in the end decided against it.
Staring at the two stuffed animals on the chair's next to it a dark thought began to play in her head on what she originally intended to do with her brother. All of this had grown into something she was used to seeing, including what could very well truly set her aside from most people on the planet, as she turned to look in the direction of the window. A hulking figure stood near that same window, perfectly still, watching the distant treeline with an expression she could never decipher. Berserker, despite the mad enhancement that twisted his mind, sometimes felt strangely present. At rare moments his consciousness seemed to rise to the surface for a short breath of time, but so far he had yet never spoken a clear word to her. Not that such a thing mattered, because he followed her commands without question.
Deciding on her next course of action, she approached her protector.
"Berserker, take me to the edge of the town. But do it quietly. I do not want Sella chasing after me again." She planted her hands on her hips as she issued the order, already expecting a possible worst case scenario where the maids would start searching for her the moment they realized she had sealed her room.
Not that it would do well for them. Sella had no choice, but to prepare adequately if she wished to leave the area around the mansion properly. Honestly how an Einzbern maid, who was a part of a ritual to bring Heroic Spirits to fight for them could still be scared of spirits would always surprise her. Especially since their base was shrouded in the beings.
The giant servant did not speak, he did not grunt or sigh — no he simply moved. His enormous hands lifted her carefully, setting her on his broad shoulders. He opened the window, and the next second the world blurred as soon as he stepped forward, the landscape stretching and collapsing with every stride. Even though they traveled at a speed no human eye could follow, she actually felt no wind pressing against her face. Berserker's presence formed a protective shell that kept the air from battering her.
Time stretched on and seconds turned into minutes, what would have been a several hours travel ended in less than an hour when she felt the ground beneath her feet again. The road to the city stretched out ahead while the quiet woods loomed behind. Berserker had covered a five hour journey, and left her enough time to enjoy the full day. "Phew. No time to waste. She will check on me in an hour or two for dinner. Enough time to go around town." Berserker faded into his spiritual form without waiting for another order.
She'd contemplated having Berserker stay, in case she wanted to avoid coming off as attacking someone, but with what was going on a little extra protection was worth it's wait in gold.
Humming a tune she had half forgotten, Illya walked toward the town. Her winter clothes stood out more than she would have preferred, especially with all the extra heat from all the burning complexes — it was only a matter of time till she was drawing the eyes of more than a few locals. Still it probably wouldn't be that bad soon, she could tell snow was coming, the mere thought making her wistful. Many watched from the corners of their eyes, uncertain why a child dressed in foreign winter fabrics wandered the streets alone.
She stopped at food stalls that had a display that caught her attention, deliberately slowing her pace and frowning upon realizing that all of her money was managed by Sella so she had nothing on her.
No one dared approach her, and for the few who gathered the courage to do so, something always shifted in their minds. They froze for a moment with blank expressions, then blinked and turned away, forgetting the girl they had tried to speak to. They were regular people, Illya figured even her blatant use of hypnosis would not be noticed by anyone.
"Ah, I forgot to bring my map." She rummaged through every pocket, patting each one while frowning at how empty they were. The entire town stretched like a twisting maze, and it was easy to lose track of direction when she explored too freely. While she retraced her steps, she realized she had wandered farther than intended. Her original plan had been to reach the remnants of the Matou residence in the foreign residential district of Miyama to search for traces of the attacker or at least anything that might connect to Philia instead, but her curiosity for these stalls that weren't anywhere next to her castle had pulled her off course without her noticing.
"I better not see him again," she muttered under her breath. Even while forcing herself to focus on anything else, her thoughts kept circling back to that red-haired boy. The memory of that stubborn idiot and everything he had said continued to irritate her until her patience felt worn down to threads. His attempts to help her, the way he threw out empty promises without thinking, every ridiculous word he spoke made her pulse tighten with frustration. Yet a small and unwelcome corner of her mind wondered if he had actually meant any of it.
She hated that thought even more.
After all, what kind of person willingly risked their life against a Servant of all things, showing up without hesitation just to save two girls, and then still talked to her with that relaxed smile as if none of it had been dangerous? Only someone with something wrong in his head would behave like that, and she had no doubt he was exactly that kind of person. "Great. He really has made me angry again," she muttered under her breath, feeling her earlier motivation drain away entirely.
No longer feeling interested in continuing any investigative work or even hunting down her new brother to probably knock some sense into him, she decided to take a moment to rest and catch up on her thoughts. The idea of giving up for the evening sounded far more appealing. She considered wandering somewhere quiet like one of the parks, anywhere that would allow her to calm down without running into more distractions. With that plan in mind, she turned around, only to walk straight into something solid.
"—!"
Her face collided with a stranger's stomach. "Ow!" she exclaimed, stepping back with growing annoyance. She wondered if she needed to start wearing far more conspicuous clothing if only to avoid people stepping into her path repeatedly. Being approached again and again had become tiresome, and she wanted nothing more than a bit of peace. Just as Illya prepared to use her hypnosis immediately to avoid further distraction, the stranger grabbed her face with both hands. Her body tensed, expecting a sudden attack, but the next thing she felt was her cheeks being gently squeezed.
A loud gasp followed.
"Oh my god, you're so beautiful! A living doll! I never thought I would see someone like you in my life! You are so cute and adorable!"
The stranger's excitement flooded out so intensely that it left her completely bewildered. She glanced around in confusion, wondering why her Servant had not already intervened. Then she reminded herself that without clear hostility, he would not move unless she directly ordered him. Even so, the eager way this person held her face did not feel safe at all!
"Let go of me, you idiot!"
"Oh my god, even your voice is cute! A bit foul mouthed but it's somehow even cuter! Still though, who's your guardian? I've got to have a word with her about what is acceptable to teach kids."
She barely managed to pull herself free from this monster! The moment she did, she darted behind a nearby tree trunk for cover. Glaring at the newcomer, now taking in the sight of a grown woman in formal clothing, short brown hair, and a book tucked under one arm with a tiger-striped strap hanging from it. The woman only grinned brightly and waved at her.
"Hey there, little missy. M y, n a m e, i s, T a i g a! You must be new to town. I have never seen you around before. Are you lost?"
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.