Beta read and Co-written by GamerCrusher55 and Shigiya
.
.
.
-Fuyuki, Miyama, Emiya Residence-
"…"
"..."
…This was a bit awkward.
Aside from making his preparations to accompany Ayako on her ghost hunt, the first thing Shirou had to do first and foremost was accommodate his newest guest, whose earlier appearance had caused quite a stir.
He could still feel Ayako's blows ache on him.
He stood in the hallway, his house phone near his front door pressed to his ear, a feminine voice on the other side of the call echoed in his ears with a worried tone that would make one question if it really was the same person who'd just pummeled him. "Are you sure you're okay with joining me today? You aren't going to suddenly say you've got something better to do."
"No, this is also important. If you're going to keep going out then I have to at least make sure you're safe. Just have to talk with my guest for a bit, and I'll be there," Shirou replied, trying to keep his voice down. At this point he was regretting just a little in making Rin promise not to hypnotize Ayako. At least then she could stay safe regardless of any morally ethical issues with it.
…Well, just a little. He hadn't completely given up on convincing her to stay safe, but he'd prefer not to mess with her head.
On the other end of the line, Ayako's voice was laced with teasing amusement. "I see. I wasn't aware you were actually so bold, having some relief time with your little friend. Not that I can blame you, that woman is quite beautiful."
Shirou's face flushed red once more at the accusation. "No, that is not the case! It's not like that! She's just someone I'm helping out." He had already exhausted himself in trying to tell her that nothing had gone on with him and the alluring green haired woman.
"Yes, yes, I get it," the girl said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "No need to get so flustered with me. Just make sure to last more than a few seconds with her, and I won't treat you like a quick shooter."
"Ayako!" Shirou exclaimed loudly into the phone, but the girl had already ended the call quickly between his outburst. Saying she would go pick up some items before making her way to their agreed-upon location. It would only take an hour at most. She had hung up before he had even any time to reply.
"I'll be done by then," he said to the dead line before slipping the phone into his pocket. He turned his attention back to the hallway leading to the living room, where he had left Reika. Rider stood beside him, materializing silently from her spiritual form.
"Did she say anything?" He asked the Servant.
Rider shook her head. "No, the woman has been quiet the entire time." The purple-haired Servant then looked at him. "Are you really going to leave with Ayako and Gray? You already have to handle Reika here and her relations to the Caster faction."
A pause came, closing his eyes and stroking his chin in thought. Thinking over Rider's words and the situation after a few moments he eventually opened his eyes facing her.
"You're probably right, but by the same token I think that's why she'll be safe. They were more focused on the kids than her. Sagara was going to use her as a sacrifice which means they don't care if she's dead and with any luck they'll think she died back then. If not they won't expect me to just leave her here and do something else all of a sudden. Besides, being so close to the Fujimura territory here means they won't be able to use those firearms tactics like they did before. No, they'd need to bring Mages and Servants at the forefront of that, and I'm pretty sure we gave that a dent." He may be wrong about how important they considered killing her, but he was willing to bet that whoever was responsible for what happened last night would be focused more on containment than chasing after them at least for tonight.
So yeah for now I think she can stay here," Shirou decided. "It will be safer for her here anyway than being out there and possibly getting kidnapped by them again. At least until I get in touch with Rin or Luvia again so we can discuss what to do about her afterwards."
"Got it," Rider said, then glanced back towards the living room. "Good luck with her then."
With that, the Servant disappeared, leaving Shirou confused as he wondered what she meant by that.
He walked into the living room. Reika sat silently and comfortably near the small table, wearing the set of clothes Sakura had left behind over her many trips that Rider had given her. The simple white casual shirt and black school skirt at least fit the woman, but due to the differences in their sizes it did so tightly in all the important places. The accentuating figure was gifted and was fuller in volume compared to a high school girls' body, far more than most of the women he knew generally in fact… a truly adult figure. She wasn't fat, in fact she could be considered thin and skinny but there was definitely more body mass when compared to a teenager.
Shirou didn't know where to look, as her boobs strained under the shirt ready to explode; it even lifted the shirt over ever so slightly, showing a bit of her naked smooth midriff. Thank heavens the skirt was able to cover her butt, but still the difference in height showed as her long slender white thighs and legs still poked out enough to see her ankles. In a certain way it looked like she was cosplaying as someone younger. It wasn't like she was too old though, if anything, she was in the prime of her youth, in her early twenties in fact.
Finding no safe place to look at he desperately tried to focus on her beautiful face framed by her long sharp green hair. Of course, considering how beautiful she was, that just backfired. Purple eyes the color of amethyst, the way her long hair framed her face, and a well proportioned face.. Shirou was completely entranced by that absolute beauty as she just aimlessly stared into the distance, but woke up when he noticed a slight bruise on her cheek that reminded him of her situation. Pinching himself hard to wake him up he shook his head. 'No, I shouldn't be thinking that right now.'
He walked over to the table and greeted her. "Hey, It's good to see you awake. Rider said your name was Reika, right?"
"Hey," she greeted back, finally noticing him, her face a blank slate. Trying to observe her made it difficult for him to get any read on her emotions; it was like staring at a blank puppet and it gave a shiver to his spine. "That's right, my name is Reika Rikudou. And what's yours?"
"Shirou Emiya."
"Shirou… Emiya…" She said the name slowly as if to remember each syllable.
Before he could ask anything, Reika spoke first. "Where is Sagara?"
Hearing that question, Shirou went momentarily quiet as he tried to figure out how to answer her. He eventually decided to go with honesty since she did save their lives. "Sagara is dead."
The woman showed a flicker of surprise before her eyes went back to their normal, downcast state, looking down at the cup of tea he had prepared for her beforehand. "Oh, right. I was the one who killed him."
He said nothing, just nodded his head as he sat down opposite her. He gave her time to process her emotions taking note of how she was processing the information.
Which didn't really help much, he couldn't get a read on her expression at all. He wondered if she felt guilty or bad for doing so. "You had no other choice," he said gently. "Sagara was not innocent. From what I saw he would have used anything at his disposal to get what he wants. He would have killed you and us if you hadn't stepped in when you did.."
Reika looked at him. "Do you really believe that?"
Shirou stared at her for several seconds in silence before sighing and shaking his head. "It would be a lie to say that I didn't hold a bit of hope that perhaps Sagara could have changed his ways. Maybe we could have found some alternative, but that's not how this world worked out. But if I'm being honest I at least held that hope earlier on, before I found out what was happening inside the mansion." He continued, his voice hardening slightly, "I cannot forgive the man for all the atrocities he committed in his basement."
"The children," Reika whispered. The word made Shirou flinch as she continued. "Are they…"
"We managed to recover some of the children, but I don't know how many there were in total. Tohsa—um, my friend made sure to take the ones we could find to the Church. I've never seen it, but apparently they run an orphanage over there so they should be fine. They're probably already taking care of those that we could find, but it looks like there are others still missing."
Reika just said, "Oh…" before looking down. It was hard to tell if it was out of disappointment or fear for what was going to happen to all those children now.
"You don't need to worry," Shirou told her. "My group will do their best to find them and save them before it's too late."
Reika stayed quiet after that, her eyes lowered toward the untouched cup sitting in front of her. The silence dragged on long enough that Shirou found himself watching her carefully, trying to figure out what exactly was going through her head. Yet the woman gave away very little. No anger. No tears. Just a tired look that made her seem older than she actually was.
Then she finally spoke.
"Sagara used to be different," she said softly. "Back then when we first met he was working as a host for a hostess club under the name "Hikaru". He was kind to me, and he always made sure I was comfortable, always went out of his way to help me even though I was nothing more than a prostitute."
"Prositute?" Shirou's eyes narrowed and his face blushed as he took her in, having never met one before. Right when he was about to say something Reika went on.
"I thought it was love."
"..."
The woman continued unbothered, her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the table.
"Maybe it wasn't love in the normal sense. Not the kind most couples have. A call girl and entertainer can't really have a faithful relationship when work calls. But he still cared enough to listen to me. To keep me safe, I mean he asked for money every now and then, but nothing else beyond that." A faint glimmer of nostalgia appeared in her eyes before fading just as quickly. "Compared to most men I met, that alone already made him different."
The woman leaned back slightly, her expression becoming more troubled as she continued.
"But after he came here for work with Atrum, something changed." Shirou's eyes narrowed at the name he had once heard from Bazett. "At first it was subtle. He became more distracted during conversations, more tense whenever he thought nobody was paying attention to him. Then little by little, he started acting... strange." She searched for the right word before shaking her head. "No, not strange. Restless. Like someone constantly waiting for something bad to happen."
Shirou listened quietly without interrupting her.
"He paid less attention to me over time. Started disappearing for long periods without explanations. Sometimes he would come back exhausted, other times nervous enough that even small noises startled him, like a rat scared of a cat. I knew he was involved in something important, so I never pushed him too much. It wasn't my place to demand answers from him."
Her gaze drifted toward the nearby window.
"But things kept getting worse. Then before I realized it, I suddenly found myself involved in all of this." Confusion briefly crossed her face again. "One moment I was living normally in a luxury hotel, and the next I was in a room surrounded by children that were in Sagara's room. And somehow… Somehow I already knew they needed to stay hidden."
That last part clearly bothered her the most.
"I didn't even question it properly at the time. I just accepted it and helped keep them safe." Frustration slowly crept into her voice, as her face visibly strained. Before she returned to her blank state "And now here I am. Everything has already fallen apart now, and I still don't even know what was really happening to the very end."
Once she finished speaking, the room became quiet again.
Shirou stayed silent for several seconds, processing everything she had just told him. Setting aside her job and odd consideration of a loving relationship, most of it lined up with what he already suspected about Sagara.
Though one specific detail immediately stood out to him near the end.
"...Wait."
The interruption made her look back toward him instead of downcast.
"How exactly did that happen?" he asked slowly. "You said you suddenly found yourself hiding children and protecting them." His brows pulled together in confusion. "You weren't the one who actually brought them out of that place?"
Reika shook her head immediately.
"No. That's the strange part." Her voice lowered slightly. "I don't remember deciding to do any of it. Before I realized it my body was moving and I was already doing it. And for some reason I was fine with it."
The confusion on her face deepened once more as she tried to explain herself.
"It feels blurry whenever I think about it. Like parts of my memory are missing." She pressed two fingers lightly against her temple as if fighting a headache. "There are vague images... voices... flashes of people talking. Every time I try to focus on them properly, my head starts hurting."
A faint grimace crossed her face, before once more going calm.
"So I stopped trying."
Shirou's expression changed, having several thoughts cross his mind but continued to listen nonetheless.
The woman let out a tired sigh before continuing.
"At first I thought maybe I had simply drunk too much that night entertaining Atrum at a party he'd held at his penthouse. Or perhaps Sagara gave me something without me noticing." Her eyes narrowed slightly, clearly disturbed by the possibility. "I truly don't know anymore. It almost feels like I was pushed along by something without fully understanding why."
She laughed weakly, though there was no amusement behind it.
"Doesn't that sound ridiculous? For me this was just par for the course. My whole life I've felt like I've just been whisked away to one thing or another."
As she spoke, Rider's voice entered Shirou's mind through their Master-Servant connection. 'This sounds like a hypnosis spell called Suggestion.'
'Yes, it does,' Shirou thought back. 'Who do you think could have done this? It doesn't sound like it was Sagara. It seems like he went to a lot of effort to transport those kids. If anything he was trying to get them back!'
The Servant responded, her voice clear in his head. 'I cannot be certain. Reika herself is not a magus, so her resistance to Suggestion is very low. Anyone could have done it to her, even a low-level mage as long as at some level she was okay with it. It could be anyone. Of course, I doubt it was Sagara himself or Caster's Master. With the black magic ritual we saw, it was clear they were prepared as a type of sacrifice.'
Shirou agreed with her reasoning. This new information revealed that perhaps not everyone was willing to work with people like Sagara and go along with their methods. Maybe it was someone who didn't accept the kind of work he did in using sacrifices. Or perhaps someone who didn't want to see those children become sacrificial pawns. Thinking to himself he internally asked Rider for her input uncomfortably, 'Is there a possibility it was just a regular goon working for Sagara? Someone who didn't like what his boss was doing and did all of this just to put a wedge in his plans? They could have been one of the ones we fought during the assault on the mansion.'
'In my honest opinion it's unlikely, after all, wouldn't those kids there never have ended up in that situation if they were there,' Rider replied. 'But even if that was the case, the plan did work to some extent in the end. Some of the children were saved and not used as sacrifices, and we are already planning to save the others are we not.'
'Yeah' Shirou thought to himself, agreeing with her. He wasn't just going to stand by and watch that happen. He'd barrel straight through Atrum's defenses and take on Caster and all her spells if that's what it took. Thinking of the hooded mage that had bested them once, his mind went to that last spell that had been aimed at them near the end that had even given Heroic Spirit's trouble…Heroic Spirits... 'It wasn't Caster, right?' Shirou thought.
'Caster? Why would you think that?'
'Just a random guess,' Shirou thought back to her. 'Servants, Heroic Spirits, have their own moral compasses. Just because they are summoned by a horrible master doesn't mean they would just go along with everything they're doing. I mean that's what separates Servants from regular familiars, their incredible free will. Perhaps Caster didn't like her Master and did all this to create obstacles on his path.'
'It is a possibility,' Rider conceded, 'but I do not know Caster enough to make a clear judgment.'
Shirou nodded in agreement. They hadn't known Caster long enough to make that judgement, but at the end of the day she was a Heroic Spirit right? So maybe there was at least something heroic about her at the end of the day.
Or maybe he was overthinking this, and was in for a rude awakening.
Shirou turned his attention back to Reika who had been watching him while he was in thought. "You've been through a lot. Even if Sagara is dead, it's still very dangerous for you to just go outside. You could be captured again by Atrum. It would be best for you to just stay at my house until we figure out what to do next."
Reika looked at him with confusion. "You really want me to stay here? You don't even know me. Even if it was in self-defense I just killed someone. Shouldn't you be reporting me to the police?"
"To be honest, you're probably right at some level, but considering how deep Atrum's pull is right now I don't think it's technically safe for something so public right now. It's complicated but I'm pretty sure the police aren't going to be much help for now as well since the church might also get involved." Maybe if he asked for the Church itself to take care of it but that was a whole other can of worms… he did not trust that man at all.
"Regardless, I've made my decision. You saved my life after all. But at the end of the day it really is up to you. I know you may not trust me. You may have worries about living inside the house of a stranger. But I truly want to help you, and if you're willing, then I will do my very best to do so. And as for the reasons why I'm going so far...like I said earlier, I just want to help you. No other reason."
"..."
The man bowed his head slightly. "Please, trust me. We can worry about stuff like judgement later when everything is settled. I'm not just going to throw you to the wolves like that."
Reika sat there quietly for a few seconds staring at him. Then she gave a slow nod. "Fine."
Shirou grinned, then got up and quickly grabbed a few items and a big coat, preparing himself to head outside. As he did, he told her, "I'm glad! I know this is sudden but I have to meet up with some of my friends. This neighborhood is mostly safe, but try to stay inside if you can. I left your room keys on the cupboard. There's some food inside the fridge I made as well. Feel at home and do whatever you want to pass the time. I'll be back soon!"
Reika once again gave him a curt "Okay" as he left, heading outside.
Rider materialized beside him. "Something doesn't feel right with that woman."
"Maybe she's still in a state of shock and is just going along with the flow. She did say it happens often," Shirou suggested. "It's most likely she'll have a lot more to say tomorrow when it all settles in."
"Perhaps," Rider said, before disappearing again, as Shirou ran out the door.
…
Shirou rushed towards the place where Ayako had agreed to meet him. He ran through the streets as quickly as he could, not wanting for this to take all day.
On the way there, he saw Gray crouching near a lamppost, almost hidden from view, as if she was trying to be a spy. By her side was Saber in a large black cloak she had provided to make her blend in with the night. Saber was the first to notice him as he made his way towards her Master's poor attempt at hiding.
He stopped next to the post and looked at her. "What are you doing here?"
Gray startled from hearing his voice, instantly flinched at being caught. Stepping out slowly, she scratched her flushed cheek with a bit of embarrassment. "Aha, I was just waiting for you, so we could tag along. Not like I was planning "
"I get that… but why were you crouching here?"
"I-I just did it for no reason in particular," she mumbled. "It felt a bit awkward waiting in front of your house and so I decided to find some other place to hang out, and then I just ended up here."
The redhead exhaled, unsure whether to feel sad or worried about her behavior. It did not help that Saber stood just beside her, her figure blending within the darkness almost but not entirely. To any outsider's perspective, this looked rather creepy. Shirou extended his hand. "Are you ready then for a small ghost hunt? I'm sorry if it's a waste of time considering you probably have other things to do."
Gray shook her head and grabbed his hand as he helped her up. "No, I don't mind. It might actually be just what I'm searching for."
This confused the redhead.
"What?"
…
"So you think this ghost rumour has something to do with some device that can bring back your friend?" Shirou asked as they walked, already contemplating how to avoid Ayako from getting involved too much in this as well. Despite having agreed to help her, if this put her life in danger, then he was okay going against his promises and facing her anger. With the war going on her life was more important.
Surprisingly, Gray shook her head. "I'm not sure for certain," she said, her voice quiet. "But recently Sir-My Mentor as a Magus mentioned a particular story to me concerning a certain Mystic Code that was brought here once by the previous head of the El-Melloi family. This Mystical Code is known to be powerful, part of a rare set called the Supreme Mystic Codes.
"Supreme Mystic Codes?"
He knew of Mystic Codes well enough in theory. Tools created through magecraft and extended what a Magus could accomplish in many ways. Some of his firearms, those the mercenaries had and the jewels that Rin and Luvia used fell in the category of Mystic Codes. Historical legends wielded some Mystic Codes to achieve their heroic deeds, like an enchanted sword or some type of mystical guide like some thread or a mirror.
In some cases, given enough time and fame, they could even evolve into Noble Phantasms. But this was the first time he heard of something called the "Supreme Mystic Code"?
"A Supreme Mystic Code is an honorary designation within the Clock Tower granted to Mystic Codes that symbolizes the main twelve families that hold the power and titles of "Lord" within it. Each one represents its family's authority and role within the institution, and they're treated as both symbols and highly refined instruments of Magecraft."
"So there are the Mystic Codes that are mainly used by the twelve leaders of the Clock Tower. Why is something like that all the way here?" Shirou cut in.
Gray hesitated, then continued, "Ten years ago, one of those Lords, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, came here for the Fourth Holy Grail War. He was considered a prodigy even among them, but he died during the war. For the Clock Tower, losing someone to a backwater country was... a major loss."
"Backwater?" He repeated with a curious head tilt.
Gray quickly shook her head. "Not like that. It's just... the Clock Tower doesn't have influence everywhere. Japan, in particular, isn't really under its control. There are some formal ties and a few Second Owners, but most of the local Magecraft traditions don't align with the Clock Tower's systems, so it's largely outside their focus.
"But there are still magi from the Clock Tower here," Shirou pointed out. "Four or five, at least."
"It's only because of the Holy Grail War. Without that, they wouldn't bother coming here at all, especially with the Three Families controlling access and the long gaps between wars. Japan isn't their territory and is incompatible mystery wise. Not only that, but the Three Families were successfully keeping out all the Mages who didn't see it as worth their time to stay. Is that why he barely sees their presence here until a Grail War starts."
He recalled Luvia having mentioned something similar in the past when talking about her sister's view on Japan. Turns out this extended to many.
"Times have changed but most people, especially from the Clocktower, remained the same for centuries." Saber mentioned, more to herself than anything else. Something that Gray visibly did not try to deny — even if this did not apply to everyone.
The hooded girl coughed lightly, clearly trying to steer the topic back on track. "In any case, the previous Sir brought a Supreme Mystic Code with him to the war. Both that and the family's original were present, but after the war only one was recovered. The Clock Tower took what they could and withdrew. The remaining one is said to be powerful enough that it exceeds standard Mystic Codes entirely. That's why it matters now... it might be the only way I can wake up Add."
"Add, that's the friend you talked about, right? The one who stayed by you for years, and was one of your only friends after what happened in your village."
"Yes."
"I see," he murmured, having no particular idea how that would help but trusting her words. Mystic Codes that didn't involve pumping magical energy into items were not something he had a lot of experience around, though it was one of the subjects that he mostly studied briefly with those books provided by Luvia. To be honest he was definitely interested in them. If he could make stronger weapons then that would definitely be a big boon for him. Before this war even began, coming across a complete one was next to impossible for him, but now with both Mystic Codes and Noble Phantasms around… he could not just ignore it.
'...Besides they may help explain those powerful weapons that have been popping up from thin air.'
"Sorry, but that's kind of the only reason I wanted to join you guys. It's not because I'm certain it's that mystic code per say," Gray continued with a tired tone but one filled with hope and determination, " it's just the only lead I have so far. There's a chance by the time this war ends I'll myself entirely. In order to find some answer I'm definitely going to need Add back. And besides the time period of this ghost story coincides after that Mystic Code's disappearance."
"Ten years, huh?" Shirou muttered. The timeline matched the date of the prior Holy Grail War, but that didn't mean anything. "The time coincides, but it could also be a coincidence."
"I'm aware and I'm willing to accept the results. Even if it's a small chance, I can't ignore it."
They walked on with Gray's mixture of determination and desperation on full throttle.
{Break}
-Semina Apartment Complex-
Crossing the other side of town. In a matter of minutes, they reached the apartment complex where Ayako had told them to arrive. "So this is the place…" Not the first time he came here, given this road led to many other places he frequented. Not to mention that time he woke up here after Ayako took him to her room to be treated for his wounds. Never at any point did he feel anything amiss from this place back then. "Guess I should call he—"
*—Yo!" His musing interrupted when a jovial voice called out from above. They looked up to see Ayako waving at them from a balcony. "I'll be down there in a minute," she called down.
As she descended the stairs, Gray looked up. "Is this really the location of the rumoured Red Riding Hood? An apartment which still has tenants?"
He understood her confusion, for this place looked… normal to say least. He honestly expected a nearby graveyard or an abandoned apartment complex instead but this one looked rather normal and occupied even. "This is the place according to Ayako," Shirou confirmed. He glanced at Gray. "Do you feel anything out of place? You said you could see ghosts right?"
Gray shook her head. "No. I don't feel anything. Everything looks kind of normal."
Ayako walked out onto the sidewalk, looking glad to see them. "Glad you could make it! Unfortunately, I couldn't get everyone to join. They have to work on a homework project that they forgot to finish, so I could only have some of them join."
She turned around and called out, "Ayaka! Kane!"
The brunette and the silver-haired duo of Ayaka Sayjou and Kane Himuro walked over. e The first to greet both Shirou and Gray was Ayaka who upon seeing Shirou widened her eyes in surprise. "A-Ah… I didn't expect to see you here, Emiya."
"I didn't know you'd be here either. Ayaka right?" Shirou replied, returning the greeting. "You're quite the model student, aren't you? I can't believe you were dragged into this too."
Mitsuzuri let out a laugh at Shirou's comment. "Hahaha, Ayaka may be quite the model student, but that doesn't mean she can't help out her fellow schoolmate for a little ghost hunt!"
Ayaka blinked before regaining a calm expression, before explaining herself, "Ah, I happened to stumble upon Ayako and her group looking for the ghost last time, and I got curious. So, this time I decided to join in myself."
She turned her attention to the hooded girl, who hadn't said much. The latter offered a curt, polite nod. Looking closed off and shy, speaking only when necessary. Ayaka Sajou looked at Shirou. "I was aware that you and Ayako were quite close at school, but I wasn't prepared for you to also be present today."
Shirou shrugged. "Yeah well we click pretty well. Hopefully, there are no strange rumors about us though."
Kane decided to offer her own statement as she shook her head. "Nothing of that sort. Just your typical kind of high school rumor. At most, it will just be a few wondering if you both are dating."
Ayako scoffed. "Those guys better mind their own business! What's up with them suddenly getting so interested in the lives of another person? Besides, Shirou is going to have put in a lot more work if he ever wants a chance like that." Ayako smirked with a toothy grin with no regard to any effect it could have on the guy in question.
'Seriously I don't know whether to be grateful for that or hurt.' Shirou lamented silently.
This only seemed to bring out a strong glint from Kane's glasses as she adjusted them. "Does that mean the chances aren't zero?"
"Alright, In any case," she turned back to the group, completely ignoring Himuro's prying question. "Alright everyone knows the ghost story by this point right? They're already familiar with the town's tale of its Little Red Riding Hood?"
She looked at Gray and Shirou for confirmation, the former who she had told prior today, and the latter nodding. "Good so I won't waste any time explaining it again."
"How do you even plan on finding the ghost in the first place?" He asked, unable to stop his curiosity from getting the better of him. "Are we just going to walk around each floor back and forth until we just stumble across it?"
"We won't need to do that," Ayako said confidently. "Ayaka and I have already come up with a plan. It will only involve visiting a certain floor on the upper levels, which is just closed off to the public for formality's sake at this point. Alright, any questions?"
All shook their heads in answer.
"Let's go then," the brunette muttered with an uneasy laugh as she adjusted the strap of her bag and started toward the apartment entrance as the others followed behind her.
.
.
.
The lobby itself looked ordinary enough at first glance… honestly nothing stood out to Shirou's eyes. 'Not exactly what I had in mind when thinking about a haunted place either.' The old fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, flickering every few seconds.
That being the only 'scary' aspect so far, was noted.
As they walked deeper into the building, The bi-spectacled raven haired girl quietly moved closer to Shirou's side. Every now and then he could sense the girl glancing toward him before quickly looking away again whenever he turned slightly in her direction.
The first few times he ignored it, assuming she was simply nervous about being there, but after catching her staring again less than a minute later as they walked up the stairs, curiosity finally got the better of him.
"Do you want to ask me something?" he said. "Or is there something on my face?"
The sudden question made her visibly fluster. "W-What? No, that's not it!" She waved both hands quickly before lowering her voice in embarrassment. "I was just... curious."
"About?"
Ayaka hesitated briefly before answering in a whispered tone in his ear.
"You don't really seem like the type of person who would come to a place like this willingly." Her eyes shifted toward the dim hallway ahead. "Most people interested in supernatural rumors either treat it like a joke or get scared halfway through and leave."
"And what about you?" He asked. "Do you actually believe in this kind of thing?"
"I do," she answered without hesitation.
That immediate response caught him slightly off guard. The girl crossed her arms loosely while continuing down the corridor beside him. "After everything that's happened in this building, it'd be hard not to, of course."
Replying with such an obvious answer brushed away whatever momentary tenseness he had at her stance on the matter. Then she looked back toward Ayako, who was walking ahead with Kane. "Besides, she said you came because of a promise, right?"
Shirou nodded lightly.
"I did. I already told Ayako I would help."
"Why?"
"Because she would have just gone without me instead. It's probably better for me to just do it with her and get it over with."
Sayjou stayed quiet for a second before speaking again. "Still... places like this can become dangerous to more than multiple people. Usually it's better if ordinary people don't involve themselves too deeply into them."
The comment made him glance toward her. "It's not like I don't agree, but there are also times when you can't help when other people do get involved. Are you trying to convince me and Gray to leave?"
That immediately caused her expression to stiffen.
"No! That's not what I meant…" She shook her head quickly, nearly stumbling over her own words. "I just..." A frustrated sigh escaped her. "I don't want anyone getting hurt because of this… cases of injuries or traumatic experiences are a dime a dozen in such instances. If something happens here, I would feel responsible."
That answer made him pause for a brief moment before giving a small nod.
"I understand that." His voice remained calm. "You can count on me to help make sure that doesn't happen. Still that kinda makes me feel reassured."
"How so?"
"Cause it means you're a good person." Gray, who had been walking behind him, gave a firm nod as if to say "That goes without question."
The straightforward response seemed to catch her off guard. For a second, Ayaka simply stared at him before quietly looking away.
"... Alright."
After that, the conversation died down as the group made their way farther upstairs. The higher they climbed, the stranger the building began to feel. Though he was not sure if it was because of this place being haunted or because he was told so beforehand.
At first there had still been signs of normal life around them. The distant sound of a television behind a wall. Faint conversations from another apartment. The hum of an air conditioner somewhere down the hall.
Little by little, those sounds disappeared. By the time they reached the upper floors, the silence had become almost unnatural.
No footsteps.
No voices.
Not even the creaking of pipes.
Only the sound of their own shoes against the concrete stairs remained.
Eventually, they stepped into a hallway sealed off with several strands of yellow police tape stretched messily from wall to wall. Some of the strips hung loose as if people had forced their way through before. The emergency light overhead flickered weakly, causing the corridor to pulse between dim light and shadow every few seconds.
The air had become stale, dust drifted lazily through the hallway, moving slowly enough to almost look suspended in place. A faint dry wood scent lingered beneath the smell of old walls where the paint already started to fade and damp concrete.
The walls themselves were worn and tainted due to years of going without being cleaned.
Nobody spoke for several seconds. Even Ayako's earlier nervous energy had disappeared completely.
Finally, Kane pointed farther down the corridor. "This is the place on floor eleven, The family lived in the apartment at the end."
Their footsteps sounded unusually loud as the group carefully moved forward. Inside his mind, Shirou called out quietly.
'Rider. Do you notice anything?'
For a moment there was silence before the Servant answered.
'Nothing obvious. There is no lingering scent of blood or death despite what supposedly happened here.' A brief pause followed with the cold wind making him shiver ever so slightly. 'Still... something feels wrong. I simply cannot determine what.'
That answer only made him more cautious.
Nearby, Gray had remained quiet as usual and followed the group obediently. While the others focused mostly on the apartment ahead, her attention moved constantly across the surroundings, carefully observing the walls, windows, and corners of the corridor.
He approached her near one of the dirty windows overlooking the city below. "If you're wondering why she didn't join us, Saber is actually outside keeping watch. There isn't much point in having two Servants being present here and with no one guarding the outside."
So she really did tell her beforehand to not join them. Shirou leaned slightly beside the window.
"I see. You getting, anything?"
"Maybe, I'm gonna need some more time though."
"Got it." While glancing at her face, Shirou grew anxious feeling he needed to address something. "Hey is it alright if I say something that might be a bit touchy."
"I mean I guess, I probably owe you one after that backwater comment."
"It's okay I know you didn't mean anything by it." Shirou took a deep breath before continuing. "I know it may not really be my place to comment on this, but after hearing your story..." He glanced toward her. "I think Saber may be as much of a victim in all of this as you are."
That finally made Gray look directly at him. Shock and confusion appeared clearly on her face.
"What do you mean?"
He thought for a moment before answering. "From what you've told me, it sounds like Saber, your Servant, never really had control over any of it. People far into the distant future after her time kept trying to force her return through rituals and sacrifices that she had no part in nor could have predicted. None of that was her choice…I mean have you asked her if she knew about all this beforehand. I don't know her true identity since you understandably talked around it, but she strikes me as a Heroic Spirit who would despise what the folks from your place have done to you."
Gray stayed silent.
"It really does feel similar to your own situation," Shirou continued. "Being dragged into something against your will and forced to watch the consequences happen around you." He looked back toward the dark apartment doors at the end of the hall. "If anything after finding all this out, Saber is probably carrying guilt over all of this. At least that's what I see when I look at her face."
The now blonde-haired girl lowered her gaze slightly.
"I don't think the anger should be directed toward her. I mean I know that being around her must be tough for you. Rightfully so, but I also don't want you to blindly hate someone who it looks like was as much a victim as you." His expression hardened a little. "I feel it should be directed toward the people who created the ritual in the first place."
Gray's gaze dropped to the floor. "I… I know," she said softly. "I am keenly aware. But despite that, I cannot help myself but hate her. Hate that face that took everything I had and will take everything else if nothing is done."
So she said, and he did not fault her for that. Hatred like this could not just vanish in the blink of an eye.
Just like the Great Fuyuki Fire where he lost everything.
"I understand," Shirou said gently. "And when, not if, but when we are able to free you of this curse, you should try and give Saber a chance."
Gray looked at him, her expression unreadable. "I'll see."
as, "Hey, are you two coming? We're already at the door." Ayako called out to them making the duo then turned their attention to the other three.
Ending their conversation both walked to join the others. Shirou approached the apartment door they were in front of and took a good look at, noticing how its paint was peeling around the number plaque. "This is the place?"
"Yep, this is the place," Ayako confirmed. She then rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small, black camcorder, which she tossed to him. He caught it instinctively, looking at it with confusion. "Why'd you give me this?"
"It's to get footage and catch the paranormal," Ayako explained, pointing at the device. "I don't have the money to buy those fancy night vision ones, but a regular one should suffice. It can help us catch things we might have missed with our own eyes. Kaede was supposed to be our Filmographer, but she bailed on us at the last second. When Yumizuka said she needed to finish her homework, you should have seen how fast she grabbed her hand and ran off with her. Anyway if it's you, I can trust you'll know what to do best."
Shirou nodded, accepting the role. He turned the camera on as Kane, who had been silent until now, produced a set of lock picks and went to work on the apartment's lock. With a soft click, the door swung open, revealing a dark space beyond.
"Aren't you the mayor's daughter? Why do you know how to lockpick?" Ayaka questioned Kane.
"I'll leave that to your imagination. Besides, why don't you guys know how to lockpick instead?"
"Because were functioning members of society?" Ayako gave the most normal response possible.
"Okay, please call me back when you're kidnapped with no way to escape." At that morbid comment they continued onward.
The group filed inside. The air inside was stale and rather neutral, smelling of dust and disuse. He raised the camcorder, its small screen casting a faint glow on his face as he turned it on, and it began to film, panning across the room. The main living area was sparsely furnished, a sheet-covered sofa and a lone coffee table the only occupants. A thick layer of dust coated every surface, and the curtains were drawn tight, plunging the room into near-total darkness, save for the beams of their flashlights cutting through the gloom.
"Wow, this place looks... normal," Ayako said, her voice echoing slightly. "Creepily normal. Anyway, I knew this room wasn't empty! They still haven't cleared Mr.A's stuff unlike the other room. But why not? If anything there's nothing wrong with this one, so why not open it up back for rent. Okay, everyone spread out. Look for anything out of the ordinary. Cold spots, strange noises, anything."
Shirou moved carefully, his footsteps leaving faint prints in the dust on the floorboards. He filmed the kitchen, the counters bare, the sink stained. Gray moved beside him, her footsteps silent. She leaned in close. "I don't sense any bounded field nor any spirits for that matter," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Nor any traces of magical energy in the air either. Do you sense something?"
"Rider says something feels off, but she can't pinpoint why. She can't sense any magical energy from any particular direction either."
The blonde haired girl nodded, her own flashlight beam sweeping across the peeling wallpaper. "Let's look around," Ayako's voice called out from another room, followed by the sound of a closet door being opened. "Check the bedrooms too!"
Shirou looked around, his camcorder light sweeping across dusty surfaces and peeling wallpaper. As seconds turned to minutes, nothing out of the ordinary was found. Gray also commented on the lack of findings, her expression looking a bit disheartened.
"You need to have some faith," Shirou said, trying to cheer her up. "We'll find something."
So he said, but even he did not have much belief if that upon seeing just how little there was to search in this place. Still, without voicing out that part of his thoughts, he checked the other places slowly.
"Damn it, the lights are out. Guess the electricity must have gotten cut off in this apartment." Kane mentioned from the other side of the place as she flicked the lights. "Let's not spend too much time here."
The realization did little to settle his nerves. In a building like this, where entire sections had been abandoned after the incident, every small sound seemed louder than it should have been. The silence hanging through the hallway was not natural silence either. It felt stale, suffocating, as though the entire floor had been sealed away from the rest of the world for years despite people still living beneath it.
Shirou stood near the apartment entrance, eyes moving across the dim corridor while trying to figure out what exactly he should even be looking for. There were no obvious signs of magecraft, no visible traces left behind on the walls or floor. Just peeling wallpaper, old stains near the ceiling, and the weak emergency lights casting a dull glow over everything.
Then something moved at the edge of his vision… a faint outline moved.
"Hm?"
It crossed the hallway for only a brief moment before disappearing past the stairwell corner. His eyes narrowed immediately, but by the time he turned fully, there was nothing there anymore. No footsteps followed. No sound of a door opening or closing. For a second, he wondered if his eyes were simply playing tricks on him after standing around in this oppressive atmosphere for too long.
The young magus stayed still, listening carefully. Nothing reached his ears at first, aside from the sound of feet wrestling from the people behind him. But then—
Drip.
The faint sound echoed through the corridor. Not loud. Barely even noticeable at first. Like a single droplet falling into a shallow puddle somewhere farther down the hall.
…Another droplet followed several seconds later.
Drip.
His gaze shifted toward the stairwell area. The weak lights there flickered inconsistently, buzzing faintly before dimming again. Shadows stretched along the walls each time the light cut out, only to pull back when it returned.
"It wasn't raining earlier..." he muttered quietly to himself. Not to mention, when they first walked onto the hallway, no traces of any leaking pipes could be spotted.
The sound came again, this time it felt closer.
Carefully, he stepped out into the hallway. The floor beneath his shoes creaked softly as he moved, each sound seeming far too loud against the stillness around him. Even the distant noise from the lower floors had completely vanished. No televisions. No conversations. Nothing.
Only the buzzing light.
And the dripping.
His hand instinctively brushed near the folded hidden gun inside his pocket while his eyes scanned the corridor ahead. The neighboring apartment across from the stairway came into view. Ayako had mentioned earlier that nobody lived there anymore after what happened.
Yet the sound was definitely coming from that direction.
"..."
The closer he walked, the more noticeable the smell became. Dampness mixed with something metallic lingering faintly in the air. Not fresh enough to be immediate blood, but enough for his body to recognize it anyway.
The emergency light flickered again.
For the briefest instant, Shirou could have sworn he saw movement behind the frosted glass panel beside the apartment door.
The light returned.
Nothing was there…
He continued forward carefully until only a few steps remained between himself and the abandoned apartment. The corridor suddenly felt narrower than before, the walls almost closing in around him.
Then his foot stopped. "Ah," a soft splash reached his ears. Looking down, the man saw dark crimson spread beneath his shoe; a small puddle.
Slowly leaking from underneath the apartment door.
"Hold on," he said, leaning downwards and touching the liquid. At first, he thought it was perhaps water, but instantly felt something warm with a faint scent of iron reaching his nose. As the clouds outside started to part ways, the moon finally showed, bringing down enough light to illuminate the area. He saw the crimson stain of blood on his fingertips.
As the moonlight momentarily illuminated the area, it cast several shadows from the walls and windows, including a small humanoid figure standing behind him, its shadow stretching upon the floor right beside him.
"—!?"
Shirou got goosebumps as his nose twitched, now sensing the presence of magical energy nearby.
He felt like he was smelling the color red itself.
He got up, his hands already reaching into his pockets for his hidden gun. He jumped around and pointed the gun at where the figure had been, only to see that the place was empty.
The moonlight became obscured again by the clouds in the sky, plunging the hallway back into darkness. Shirou felt his heartbeat quicken as for a small moment there, he genuinely felt extremely uneasy. He looked back at his hand and saw that there were no stains there. He whipped his head around to look at the neighbor's door, where the previous puddle had disappeared, leaving nothing there.
"Something is definitely messing with us," he said. He asked Rider, "What happened? Did you see what I saw?"
"There was a brief spike of ambient mana in the surroundings," Rider replied, "but I did not see anything."
This confused Shirou, who was pretty certain that something had been standing behind him. Then he heard a crash from the room, which made him call out, "Ayako! Gray!" and rush inside.
He walked into the apartment once more, but as he reached the inside, he stopped, left confused and a bit stunned at the sight. Upon getting inside the room, he realized that no one was there, and the crash itself happened to be a blank picture frame that had fallen onto the floor.
"Huh?" He heard a small click as the door behind him closed, engulfing him in more darkness.
This time, Shirou already had his gun retrieved and was in a defensive position while observing the closed door. He walked toward it, intending to open it, missing that the faint moonlight behind him illuminated the living room, sneaking through the curtains as it revealed a hooded figure with a red hood and a bloody smile watching his movement ever so silently.
.
.
.
-Fuyuki Church-
The church office remained quiet most of the day aside from the faint scratching of pen against paper and the occasional crackle from the fireplace near the far wall. Moonlight filtered through the tall stained-glass windows, casting dim colors across shelves lined with old books and stacks of documents waiting to be processed. The air carried the scent of candle wax, ink, and old wood polished so many times over the years that the surface almost reflected the firelight.
Behind the desk, a certain fake priest continued working through several piles of paperwork without visible frustration. One hand moved calmly across the paper while the other neatly adjusted finished documents into organized stacks. The priest's posture never changed… almost seeming mechanical in its movements just like his expression, giving the impression that even endless administrative work could not disturb his composure.
A few meters away, the atmosphere differed completely.
A golden haired man lounged across a long sofa with the ease of someone who treated the entire room as his personal property. One leg rested over the other while a half-filled wine glass swirled lazily between his fingers. The golden king looked utterly uninterested in the paperwork surrounding him, though his crimson eyes occasionally drifted toward the priest with faint amusement.
"For an overseer of the Holy Grail War," the king remarked, a small scoff escaped him breaking the silence, "your duties are surprisingly unimpressive. Mediator, supervisor, caretaker... in the end, your role can practically be summarized as running after incompetent mongrels and cleaning up their messes."
Kirei did not immediately respond. The sound of pen against paper continued for several more seconds before he calmly placed one completed document aside.
"It is merely part of my duty," he answered evenly. "I perform it without dissatisfaction. There are even aspects of it that I find somewhat enjoyable."
That earned a dry laugh from the blonde king. "Uhahaha, as if that were the whole truth. You should know better than to be so casually dull in front of this king, priest." A dangerous glint flashed across his eyes after mentioning those last few words. Only then did Kirei finally look up from the desk.
"My apologies, my king," he said with a small bow of his head. "I was merely attempting to humor you with my diligent boredom."
"Hmph."
He took another sip from his wine, though the faint smirk on his face showed he was not actually offended. Kirei returned his attention toward the papers before speaking again.
"The cleanup operation at the Sagara mansion proceeded more smoothly than anticipated. Most of the structural damage remained confined to the interior." His fingers lightly tapped one of the reports. "Even Caster's attack did not affect the neighboring district significantly. The bounded field surrounding the estate prevented both sound and magical disturbances from spreading too far outside. As for the kids, sending them back to their parents and erasing all memories from those involved is no hassle…unless,"
"Unless?"
"Could we find a more appropriate use for them?"
"I thought I told you I did not approve of that gesture."
"Even so, you did not deny it as well."
Gilgamesh glanced down at the dark red liquid in his glass, his expression turning more dismissive.
"At least those fools were not completely incompetent." His lip curled slightly. "Though sacrificing so many children merely to obtain such pitifully small power..." A look of disgust crossed his face before he even finished the thought. "Modern magi truly have become pathetic creatures, degrading themselves to such insignificant acts and behaving as if it's worth anything."
The king let out a quiet scoff.
"If that waste lacked talent, he should have simply accepted his own mediocrity instead of crawling after shortcuts like a starving rat." Despite the harshness in his voice, he still added, "Though I suppose I can acknowledge that he struggled desperately in his own way. Attempting to reach a higher station is natural for all those who work hard."
A small smile appeared on Kirei's face at that statement. "I believe it has been some time since I have heard the king offer such praise toward another person."
Gilgamesh immediately narrowed his eyes.
"It was not praise." His voice sharpened slightly. "Do not misunderstand observation for admiration."
"Of course."
The priest lowered his head slightly again before continuing.
"Then perhaps someone else within that group drew your interest, perhaps?"
The king went quiet for a moment, seemingly sorting through the memory with little investment. "The daughter of my former summoner possesses some potential; that other jewel mage as well. They have the drive to climb the ever infinite ladder of human potential and not become scared away even if pressed by unlikely odds. Though time will tell if they can." He swirled the wine again before adding dismissively,
"I see, that is reassuring especially after all the work I put into raising Rin?"
"It's precisely because of that I have already seen what that girl is capable of. It's merely a matter of doing now."
"But overall, there was nothing particularly remarkable among them. Those traits are present in many more."
That answer brought a brief look of disappointment to Kirei's face despite his attempt to remain composed.
"I see… I had hoped that someone carrying the same surname as that man would prove more... noticeable.
Gilgamesh looked directly at him. "You're talking about the red-haired boy?" He waved his hand. "You should stop focusing on that Faker. He is merely the bottom of the barrel in this situation, barely scraping by and mostly surviving just due to pure luck. Such an individual does not deserve any recognition."
Kirei nodded his head. "I will listen to the king's words." He paused before asking, "If I might ask, what is going on with the boy now?"
Gilgamesh closed his eyes, his bored expression turning slightly intrigued. "The boy and the vessel are playing around with that Mystic Code that you yourself have shown some interest in the past. Hoh… not even a day later and already he is getting involved with that? I'll admit, he at least finds himself in entertaining situations more than anything else."
This revelation made the fake priest's eyes widen with interest. "I did not expect for its existence to be discovered so soon. But I should have known, given one of the Masters is a follower of the current El-Melloi head." Finishing the last of his paper work, the priest slowly rose from his seat.
"What do you plan to do?"
"I will continue doing my job and act as an overseer," Kirei said, getting up from his desk and walking toward the door. He stopped in front of Gilgamesh and bowed to the man. "I initially let that thing continue to exist, finding its development curious. I almost felt that this must have been what you must have experienced when you watched me all those years ago. I wanted to know if it would become something evil or good." He looked up at the King. "I ask for your permission to intervene."
Gilgamesh, looking bored once again, merely waved his hand again. "I grant it. I am not interested in that little toy. Had it made an active choice to do something of itself, then perhaps I would have taken the effort to check it out myself. But now it's merely a broken fragment of an entity no longer inhabiting the world of man that has become sentient. Nothing I haven't seen before and nothing that will pique my interest. However, if you can find enjoyment in it and use it to entertain me, then I allow you to go and observe."
Kirei nodded and walked out of the room. "Shirou Emiya," he murmured to himself in the hallway. "Quite the meddlesome person, getting involved with so many things across the city in such a short amount of time. How curious, and so unlike his father."
-------------
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, Taimanin with 3, 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.