Beta read by Opal
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-Midchilda-
(A few days later)
The morning air was still cool as Shirou bent down at the side of the track, tying the laces of his running shoes. "Fuu…" Wearing a plain white t-shirt and blue athletic shorts, the bare minimum for his morning exercise routine. The sun had just begun to rise, casting long shadows across the nearly empty field that circled the entire area around an area reserved for those working in Riot Force 6.
"Alright then," done with his preparations, he straightened up and resumed his pace, settling into a comfortable rhythm as he completed his first lap around the track. The only sounds were his footsteps on the graveled surface and the controlled pattern of his breathing. The redhead entirely focused on maintaining an efficient breathing technique that wouldn't waste his stamina as he continued around the field.
Having a proper stamina whether it be for combat or any other activities was crucial, this understanding had been hammered within his mind countless times all throughout his life. Not to mention it helped with clearing the mind.
As he kept his eyes fixed ahead, the man's mind drifted back to the prior events from a few days ago. Not just the mission to find Jail Scaglietti, but also the meeting with Fate a few days ago. Thinking about the blonde haired woman, a slightly uncertain expression started to befall upon his face, "just what is she thinking? Just like with Nanoha, I can't tell what's going on in her mind at all."
This applied to Hayate just as much… In fact, all three of them were starting to become an enigma he could not see through at all or grasp. Trying to navigate the chaotic dynamic between Luvia and Rin was hard enough, but with those three continuing to feel like no progress was being made at all! From the day he first arrived till this very moment, the dynamic between those three proved itself so strange that he started to question himself more often lately.
'I'm not blind enough to miss that both women seem to be trying to start something with me simultaneously,' Shirou mused as he picked up his pace slightly. 'Can't say much about Hayate, she hasn't given me such an impression at all. Friends? My friendly boss? She's trying to be friendly but not in a way that raises some suspicions. Regardless, for the other two to want something with me — I can't help but find that very odd.'
"Fuu… hah…" keeping a study pace, seconds turned into minutes with his body warming up after the continuous run. Still too early to stop, with him having gone for much longer during his stay in London. A quick sweat wiped from his forehead with a small towel he'd tucked into his waistband, pushing himself a bit harder by increasing the speed of the run. "I can't just keep pretending everything is fine… they'll find out eventually, maybe there's something wrong with them rather than with me. It can't be some grandiose reason like me being that desirable. Heh."
A small chuckle escaped his lips after saying that. Not even once in his life did the redhead ever imagined finding himself contemplating such a particular subject. "It's more likely that there's something off about them to be so casually okay with me dating both of them rather than just one."
His thoughts drifted back to how they'd both changed their behavior upon hearing he might have dated someone else in the past. Reactions that he initially expected to see upon them back when he went to the movies with Hayate and a dinner date with Nanoha at the same time. As these thoughts consumed him, Shirou found himself accelerating until he was practically sprinting around the track, completely lost in his own world.
Limbs began to ache ever so slightly, but manageable enough for him to ignore it and his own heart thumping wildly within his chest. Hard to tell if it was only because of the exercise or some of these stressful thoughts.
'So what should I do now? Should I just go along with it and accept both of them? It would make them happy.' He made a slight face as he ran. 'That should be an easy answer, but for some reason I feel like I'm missing something important here and can't just accept it so easily.'
Something that he could not properly grasp hindered his consciousness to just accept both women regardless of how willing they were to accept this strange relationship. Worst of all, no answer came to him upon trying to figure out what that missing piece happened to be.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated it started to become. "Why… am I so hesita—"
"—Sh-Shirou!"
"Ah!"
The shout cut through his thoughts, surprising him enough to nearly make the latter trip right then and there and fall to the ground face flat. Barely able to catch himself at the very last second and regained his balance. "Eh?" Glancing behind, he saw a certain purple haired child running behind him, looking completely exhausted. Her face, covered in sweat, her breathing ragged, and she appeared to be on the verge of collapse.
"Lutecia? Oh! You're still here after so long? That's amazing! I'm surprised you could keep up with me," Shirou said enthusiastically, slowing to match her pace. Resisting the urge to chuckle upon seeing just how haggardly the young one ran. Slopping her arms back and forth, No technique being used to properly synchronize her breathing and jogging.
"C-Can't… hah… k-keep… ha… g-gah!" unable to keep this up for another second, The girl slowed down with her body swaying left and right. Clear signs of lightheadedness appeared right then and there, something which immediately made him grab her just as she started to fall backwards.
"Woah there!" being careful with his movement, his hands gently caught her body, pressed against her drenched back as she stared at the sky with blank eyes.
"I-I'm… dying… B-Bye…" those words were repeating with such a dry and dead voice that he wondered if she was not forcing it. But looking at her current state, he tried to keep her motivated by smiling at the girl.
"Don't be ridiculous. You did amazingly! Even if I was not using my magecraft or any sort of enhancement back there, for you to still keep up is an achievement in itself! I doubt even Erio is as durable as you."
Kind words mentioned for the sole reason to lift up her spirit, yet the only thing he got from it was a look of pure resentment that etched upon hatred.
She gasped for breath before responding, her voice barely audible. "I w-wasn't keeping up with you... You made… hah… dozens of extra rounds on the track and passed by me without noticing I'm there! Even… hah… even wh-when I kept calling you!"
Never had he heard such genuine resentment within her tone, despite them being sort of fueled by anger, he could not help but feel that she looked adorable regardless of how angered she became. Scratching the back of his head, he let out an awkward smile.
"I'm so sorry," Shirou said, a genuine look of embarrassment crossing his face as he turned to face her properly. "I was completely in my own head. I didn't even notice you were there."
"...It… I-It will… hah… take more than that to make it up… to me."
Wow, hard to remember anyone with this little stamina — even Issei could hold up his own given his disciplined lifestyle. Weren't kids her age supposed to be filled with energy?
"We should take a break and get something to drink," he suggested, gesturing with his head toward the water fountain near the field's entrance. As he pivoted to lead the way, he heard a soft, distinct thud behind him. "Hm?" Glancing back over his shoulder to see Lutecia sprawled on the ground, her cheek pressed against the rubber track.
"My legs... they're not working," came her muffled complaint, her voice vibrating slightly against the surface. "I might… never… hah… be able to walk again… Shirou."
"Good thing you have Garyu to always keep you company to help out." Despite himself, a small smile touched his lips as he joked with the little girl. He walked back, crouched, and carefully scooped her up into a princess carry. "Don't worry, a small run won't make you crippled for life. I'll get you some water and you'll feel much better, I promise."
Despite his comforting words, she just continued to stare at the clouds.
"I can see the light," the girl declared with theatrical seriousness, lifting a limp hand to point at the sky. "It's calling for me."
Shirou followed her finger with his eyes, noting the bright morning sun. "You're pointing at the sun. Don't look at it directly."
"It's your fault for making me run."
The redhead rolled his eyes at her exaggerated words. "You're the one panicking this morning about gaining weight lately. Because I fed you too much and now you're complaining?"
With a wave of his hand, a towel fell onto her face. Unfortunately, that did not seem to stop her little rambling.
"I usually like the sun," she mumbled beneath the fabric, voice sounding muffled, "but today I've grown to hate it. Shirou, make it disappear."
Shirou shook his head, a quiet chuckle escaping him. "I have not reached that realm of power, yet. But when I do, I'll be sure to remember and aim an arrow at it. Regardless, the light will have to wait. You're not dying from a morning jog, Lutecia."
"I'm not so sure about that..."
Perhaps Subaru had a point to have them train together, that girl would definitely be an excellent influence on the one in front of him. He carried her across the field to a small grassy hill topped by a lone tree, setting her down gently before sitting beside her. "There, now the pesky Sun will no longer try to harm you."
After that, they both drank from their water bottles in comfortable silence for a moment. With her breathing starting to calm down and for color to return to her face.
"You were pretty distracted today," Lutecia said, watching him with a curious expression.
"Was I… well, I guess you can put it like that." Shirou hummed in agreement, leaning back against the tree trunk with her gently resting her head on his shoulders. "Just thinking about some things that happened recently. Nothing serious, mind you, don't worry — just personal matters."
"Did it have anything to do with what happened at the hideout?" she pressed, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I am scared that if I fall asleep, I will have a nightmare of seeing myself in one of those tubes."
"No, that won't ever happen." Instantly, a stern voice came out of his mouth when saying those words.
Still, Lutecia kept pondering as her gaze became more analytical, looking at him for several seconds until she mentioned a single name. "Fate."
A name that made Shirou's smile tighten at the edges, The realization that he could not keep anything hidden from her really settled in right then and there. He turned to look at her directly. "Are you a mind reader?"
"Maybe... or maybe not."
The worst thing about this entire scenario was how hard it proved to be to tell if she was joking or not.
Still, he let out a long sigh, running a hand through his damp hair. "This is becoming a recurring pattern lately. "Fate confessed to me."
Lutecia went completely still, her playful demeanor vanishing. "...What?"
"Heh, I had the very same reaction. She didn't explicitly say 'I love you' or anything like that. Saying that she is not sure herself if it's love but making it sound pretty much like love." Shirou continued, looking out at the empty track, "but she implied she didn't see any issues with me giving her some attention. Even liked the idea of it, despite dating Nanoha." He gave a small, helpless shrug. "Which basically boils down to the same thing regardless."
Rather than a look of confusion or maybe even disbelief, what he got instead was the girl nodding her head. "It sure did take her a while to confess," Lutecia said, her voice matter-of-fact. "I thought it would have happened a bit earlier."
He head snapped back to look at her, his surprise evident. "What do you mean by that?"
"It was kind of obvious Fate was interested in you, at the same time as Nanoha," she explained, as if discussing a simple tactical observation. "I'm not surprised she would one day confront you about it."
"Was it that obvious? I knew we were getting along well, but I'd call our interactions more friendly than anything else. Even before you joined, we didn't have any interaction that wouldn't happen between friends."
"I suppose it depends on other circumstances, since you can use the same argument with Nanoha." She tilted her head, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Though I didn't expect Fate to confess to you right then and there, and even imply dating both of you at the same time. That's… odd."
A wave of relief washed over him, and his shoulders relaxed. "Right!? Thank goodness. I'm grateful that at least someone shares my mindset on this matter."
Lutecia gave him a strange look, her eyes slowly observing him from head to toe. She tapped her chin with a finger, a gesture of deep contemplation. "I wonder if you're releasing some kind of pheromone, like certain insects, to attract mate—Ow!"
She let out a sharp yelp as Shirou reflexively flicked her forehead.
"Stop saying ridiculous things. I'm not releasing anything."
"But this isn't normal!" she insisted, rubbing the red spot on her skin with a pout. "You're good looking, sure, but not to the extent that two people would agree to tolerate each other and date you at the same time! You are more likely to get dumped or ripped into pieces because of your actions!"
"I'm not sure how but that's kind of hurtful," Shirou said, his own lips forming a small pout, though he couldn't argue with her logic.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, her tone shifting back to seriousness.
"I'll just try to make both of them happy," he said simply.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You're just going along with it? Don't you have your own thoughts on the matter? Your own opinion?"
His own opinion? He did have one, it had not changed from the very beginning. "I don't want to disappoint them. My objective is to make both of them happy and not hurt someone with a rejection," he stated, as if it were the most logical conclusion in the world.
"That's a cop-out answer."
That it was to anyone hearing it, he was aware of that better than anyone.
"It's a genuine one."
Lutecia's frustration was plain to see on her face. "Dating two women at the same time is just begging for trouble. Unless you're some kind of master at this thing and can handle both of them simultaneously, you're going to trip up and have it end in disaster."
Shirou fell silent, his gaze distant again.
"..."
The girl shook her head, her purple hair swaying with the motion. "Did you give her an answer?"
"No," he admitted quietly. "I was quite speechless back then, No answer from me would have been enough to summarize my current thoughts on this entire thing. So I mostly kept my silence. I should not mess it up."
Not the kind of answer Lutecia wanted to hear, but it was the truth nonetheless. Fate did not ask for an answer in their last meeting, with her saying to just keep going with what they already had — he could not deny it out of the blue.
"Why is your love life more chaotic than having to deal with Jail?" Lutecia wondered aloud, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"It's not that bad," Shirou mumbled. "At least no one is getting hurt and it's only a matter of confusion at how this can even work at all."
"I feel like it's more than that. What kind of person would actively try to date two of the strongest mages who could easily blow up entire cities at the same time?" she asked rhetorically. "You're probably the only one with the guts to do it."
"Hopefully it won't be three powerful mages," Shirou whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, turning away slightly. "Don't mind that last part."
Hopefully, it was just his paranoia getting the better of him. While one could argue that the signs were there with Fate from the beginning with her actions being just as blatantly obvious; the same did not apply with Hayate! He spent less time around her than the other two and rather it being anything romantic… he genuinely believed that the girl was just genuinely friendly. The cinema could be counted as just an outing for her to relax after working so hard, with no signs showing she had alternate intentions.
'I bet even the teasing is mostly done out of boredom.'
After their conversation, a brief silence settled between them. Lutecia shifted, lying back on the soft grass and turning her gaze to the clouds drifting overhead. Some of the sunlight peaking through the leaves from the tree creating a beautiful pattern upon the two. Watching her, Shirou decided to do the same, lying down beside her as well.
"You know," he started, breaking the silence, "you really need to improve your stamina. This is the first time I've seen someone get out of breath from not even running a full hundred meters."
Lutecia gently hit his arm. "I'm a support type and summoner. We don't need to run or use our legs that much. I can just fly."
Again, he shook his head. "Having good stamina is always a plus regardless of your role in combat. It can be useful during precarious situations in combat. Imagine how much more effective you would have been against me if you when we first fought, were you actually more athletic."
She scoffed. "What's the point? You could have just reacted just as fast and blocked my attacks with your sword or that flower-shaped barrier field. What was I going to do, hit you with my legs and break it?"
As she said that, Shirou had a flashback of a certain blindfolded Servant who looked a bit too similar to the girl next to him, whose kicks could easily shatter his bones from a single leg sweep. He cringed internally, remembering the pain and how overwhelming she could feel at times, and was grateful that Shinji was her master.
"With the right training and spells, you could be quite lethal," he told Lutecia rather quickly. "But perhaps it's fine if you don't go that fast. I don't need to deal with a second one."
This confused her. "What?"
"Never mind, ignore that too."
"You've been saying strange things these past few days," she observed.
"I'm probably just feeling homesick," he said, his voice growing fainter.
"What else? Ah, don't worry," she told him softly. "If you are worried about your own situation and the others can't help you find your way back, I'll be the one to do so. Just like you gave me a place to stay, we can both be happy."
Shirou mused on her words for a few seconds. The way she'd phrased it made it clear that despite wanting to help him find his way back, it didn't sound like she was willing to stay behind either. This conflicted him. He could understand why she felt this way, but he also felt a responsibility to bring her along with him if he had the means. She had family here and friends.
But then another voice in his mind asked… Did that not apply to him as well? Precious people who cared about him?
This put him in a dilemma that he brainstormed for several minutes. Without realizing it, his thoughts gradually slowed, the warmth of the sun and the soft grass beneath him lulling him into a state of complete relaxation. The world faded away without him even noticing.
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"Ah," a surprised sound escaped his lips the next moment he regained consciousness, his eyes snapping open. The sky was still clear but the position of the Sun, having sifted enough to indicate a few hours had slipped through. He must have fallen asleep.
'Lutecia wasn't the only one exhausted it seems.'
When he tried to sit up, he felt a weight on his left arm. "Hm?" Turning his head, he found Lutecia sleeping soundly, using his arm as a pillow. Hughing it tightly, her head resting against his shoulder with a bit of drool leaking onto his shirt.
"Heh," He smiled and chuckled softly at the sight. "She really is just a kid," he whispered to himself.
Unable to resist, he gently pushed away the strands of hair that had fallen across her face. His movement stirred her slightly in her sleep, but then began gently caressing her head, which calmed her down and made her tighten her hold around his arm.
As she did so, proceeding to follow up with a faint mumble. "Mom..."
"..."
Shirou froze completely, all thoughts disappearing from his mind as his world went black. He stared at the girl whose eyes had suddenly stopped quivering as he saw a tear slip from beneath her eyelid.
"I miss you, Mom," she whispered.
At that moment, a sense of guilt and anger washed over him, the anger aimed at no one else but himself. 'What am I doing?' he thought, realizing that he had been so focused on his own issues and miscellaneous things lately that he had forgotten he had yet to fulfill his promise to Lutecia.
As the wind picked up and dark clouds began gathering in the sky — making it clear that rain would soon arrive — Shirou said softly, "I'm sorry for being selfish, Lutecia."
He had to get done with this matter, at all cost, before even contemplating his own issues. She deserved that.
{Break}
-Riot Force 6 HQ-
Given without realizing so much time went by, the duo rather than continuing their exercise had to report to work instead. After their conversation ended, Shirou and Lutecia made their way back to the main headquarters of Riot Force 6. As they walked through the corridors with him glancing around curiously. Seeing both familiar and plenty of unfamiliar faces all around. "You know, despite having been here for a while, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually come to this building."
"Given every hectic situation we've been forced to deal with," Lutecia added, "we haven't really had much opportunity to relax in this place."
As he headed further inside towards the main area where their team gathered inside, the man suddenly saw a woman walking out of a nearby door. "—!" A familiar woman with long pink hair walked in, holding several files in hand without immediately noticing his presence. He panicked upon seeing her, instantly feeling nervous. His prior actions with Hayate wouldn't necessarily be well received by those who cared for her, and he feared some of them might still hold a grudge against him.
"L-Lutecia, take another path," he said quickly, grabbing her hand and trying to walk away.
But a hand came from behind and grabbed his shoulder.
His escape route thwarted by the very Wolkenritter he wished the avoid. A dry voice called his name. "It's been a long while since we met Shirou. The least you could do is say hello, but instead you choose to ignore my existence? How rude."
Shirou turned his head slowly to see the stern face of Signum smiling at him. It might have looked like a smile, but it certainly didn't feel like one, given the way her eyes seemed to bore holes through his skull.
"Uh, h-hello, Signum," he managed to stutter, trying to play it off. "It's only been a few days. I didn't notice your presence."
"It's understandable," she played it off smoothly. "You must have had a pretty hectic week to make you so distracted. You should rest more and watch over your health."
"I-I'll take your advice to heart," he answered awkwardly, still stuttering slightly. "I was just practicing with Lutecia this morning."
"It was torture, not training," Lutecia intervened.
This made him chuckle awkwardly, trying to think of a way to slip away. "I should be heading over to meet with the group. It's been a while since we were all gathered together in this place."
But before he could leave, pain shot through his entire body, "Ouch!" as he felt his ears being pulled. He turned to see Signum giving him a dry but amused look.
"We have a lot to discuss," she said in a dry tone as usual. "You better not be walking away from me."
Signum then started walking away while still holding his ear, dragging him along. "Lutecia, if you don't mind, I'm borrowing him for a bit."
The latter just gave a thumbs up. "I'm not getting involved with his mess."
As they walked through another facility within the building, Shirou quickly tried to explain himself. "I didn't try to double date both Hayate and Nanoha intentionally! I just wanted to not disappoint both of them, given I messed up with the planning and didn't have the heart to say no! I-I've learned my lesson and won't do it again."
As he continued speaking, they arrived at a training facility where Signum finally let go of his ears. As Shirou tried to backstep away, he felt like he bumped into something and realized a large warhammer was behind him. Turning around to see Vita standing there with a scary look on her face, as if she were staring at an enemy.
Did he get dragged here for a potential murder scene?
"I can explain," Shirou said, making a desperate face.
"You don't need to explain," Vita said. "We've heard enough. You've explained plenty to both Signum and Hayate." She looked at her fellow Wolkenritter. "Should I hit him full force?"
"You shouldn't," she replied calmly. "We need his head to be intact, not blown to bits."
That made the redhead clicked her tongue. "Fine. I won't hit him too hard. Cracking his skull open a bit won't kill him. At least it'll make him learn his lesson."
Feeling a sense of dread, Shirou contemplated what to do next when he suddenly heard a chuckle from another direction. A lab door opened and a blonde woman walked out.
"Fufufu~! Alright you two, stop teasing the poor soul so much," she said. "He's on the verge of a mental collapse."
Shirou recognized Shamal, already thanking the woman several times inside his mind.
"What mental collapse?" Vita retorted. "This brat has the guts to date three people at the same time, so this shouldn't be anything in comparison! Besides, don't pretend like you're also not hoping for a chance to teach the boy a lesson!"
Shamal agreed with a small hum. "But this isn't the time for it. Hayate wouldn't be happy if we punished him."
Confused by their presence and how this was not a ploy to assassinate him, Shirou asked confused, "What's going on?"
Signum ended up answering his question. "It's just like I told Lutecia. We needed to borrow you for a bit to show you something."
Still feeling suspicious, he wondered aloud, "You weren't actually pulling me somewhere secretly so you could take me out once and for all without raising alarms, were you?"
"Poor planning," Signum said simply. "Lutecia does know where you are, so no."
That did not inspire any sort of confidence at all. Instead, it only made him more wary.
"You didn't deny my earlier words about attempting to kill me."
"It's in the works."
The woman crossed her arms and gave him a look that made it clear she was probably being genuine, which sent a shiver of dread down his spine.
Shamal came to his rescue, chastising Signum lightly. "You're teasing the boy too much. You're taking Vita's bad habits." She then turned to Shirou. "I'm the one who actually told them to bring you here. This has nothing to do with Hayate; we'll discuss that matter later. Rather, I wanted to show you something concerning your gem."
This immediately caught his interest.
"Come on now, follow me. It's just going to take a few minutes."
Shamal led him into the lab, which was surrounded by computers and several screens displaying a myriad of different data—enough to give someone a headache from a single glance. Several staff members of Riot Force 6 were present, fully focused on their tasks, completely ignoring him as he walked in.
"Don't mind them," Shamal said. "It's been a while since they've studied something so strange and alien. It's like a kid getting a new toy."
Shirou nodded in understanding as he noticed his gem sitting in the middle of it all, surrounded by several pieces of equipment within a glass container. Something he had given to her right after their last mission after Hayate suggested that her team could study it a bit more to find any clues for his return. He doubted anything major would be uncovered from it but was willing to give it a try.
"After you gave it to us for further studies, I grew curious and decided to observe it a bit closer," Shamal explained.
"You can observe all you want, but you won't find anything out of the ordinary," Shirou said. "It was just a gem I saw Rin use for her magecraft."
"That's where you're wrong," Shamal countered with a confident grin. "Rather than seeing this as simply a miniature storage for magical energy, you should see it as a beacon."
This made him curious. "A beacon? Wait, aren't you supposed to be in charge of everything medical? Why are you even inv—"
"Don't change the subject!" With a serious face, she continued, "I'm having doubts calling it even that. Maybe a faint trail? Regardless, it's curious how it's even possible for such a thing to leave just a prominent trace so subtle but definitely detectable from a ridiculously long distance."
"How?" Shirou asked.
"It shouldn't be," she admitted, "but the magical energy within it seems to be more different than the regular ones we're dealing with. It's… very potent."
Shirou's heartbeat rose as he observed the gem for several seconds before turning his attention toward her. "What does this mean?"
Unfortunately, the answer he got from Shamal turned out to be another headache. "While the energy within it does raise one's curiosity since it's so fundamentally different that we cannot get a proper understanding of its true purpose, at the very least, we are certain whatever you friend did to send you here must have had this gem involved"
He didn't need to hear the details to understand what she implied at the moment, but he kept his expectations in check. "Does that mean we could use it to make something that will lead me back to my own world?"
Shamal shook her head, disappointment clearly visible on Shirou's face. "It's very unlikely for us to do that. The magic itself within the gem is so uniquely different from our world that in order to do anything, it would require a tremendous effort, much less being able to open a portal. But we have discovered another important thing."
Then again, Rin was studying under the Wizard Marshal's tutelage, it made sense for what she studied to be beyond regular magecraft… that old monster was a True Magic user after all.
Passing him a file, he looked inside to find even more readings on the gem along with several ways they tried to make use of it. "Such a little thing carries an enormous amount of energy. That differs from a relic enough for it to not be classified as one, but it possesses enough energy to practically be one in the first place."
Just as Shirou felt his expectations rise over the possibility of going back home, all of it soon calmed down like having a bucket of cold water dropped over his head. This didn't mean much at the end of the day, given the group didn't mention being able to replicate such a thing.
Seeing his changing behavior, Shamal gave him an apologetic smile. "This is just the beginning. If we continue research, eventually we'll be able to find something. But for now, a good way to use this gem would be like a battery that could help you in combat. I can synchronize it with your barrier jacket so that it may act as a secondary source of power for you to rely on."
Surprisingly, Shirou shook his head. "While it would be useful, I don't wish to use the stone in such a way and possibly ruin one of Rin's most treasured belongings."
"There are few things we can theorize with it," Shamal said. "Unless this thing gets destroyed, the owner of it might be using it to try to find you, but I cannot be sure of that given my lack of understanding over the kinds of magic used by this Rin."
Hearing that, he walked over and carefully retrieved the gem from within the container, feeling its warmth. Becoming more relaxed, strangely enough not because of any special effect, but because of the certainty that Rin was most definitely trying to locate him even now.
He smiled and looked at Shamal. "This must be the case. She's far too stubborn to give up so easily. I wouldn't be surprised if at any point she would appear to drag me back to our world. That's the kind of person she is."
His expression slightly changed as he looked at the gem, his smile decreasing as he was clearly thinking about something else. He looked at her again. "I'm grateful for your effort, but I want to be a bit selfish and ask about another matter entirely."
"You don't need to be shy," Shamal said. "You can ask right away. I'll do my best to help you."
"Um, this may require Hayate's help. If you can pass her this message. Can you help me meet someone for a second time?"
…
As the clock ticked by, Hayate proved herself to be quite efficient in helping him with his request. As no less than an hour after, the young man found himself back in front of a cell where Zest was being kept. The area was as quiet as ever, with enough security to make any thoughts of escaping practically disappear from one's mind. Zest sat in his jail cell in complete silence, eyes closed without even so much as moving an inch.
Then his eyes slightly cracked open. "You're back. What do I owe this unexpected visit for?" he said as he spotted a person standing in front of his cell.
With his red hair blending with the background, Shirou appeared with his hands inside his pockets. "You seem to be resting comfortably well despite being restrained."
Zest answered him with a lighter voice. "This is nothing. I got off quite lightly given the kind of things I know Midchilda was known to do to individuals like me. I'm surprised to not find myself on top of a medical table not that long ago, rather than in a white room surrounded by lamps with certain scientists trying to experiment on my body to see the changes done to me by Jail."
"Given you're under Hayate's protection, she wouldn't let such a thing occur."
The older guy visibly did not believe him. "It's only a matter of time. The woman is playing a losing battle against an entity just as stubborn as anything in this world. If they wanted to, they would have done so a long time ago with or without her consent. Don't be naive enough to believe such words. Some horrible monsters reside within these walls."
Strangely enough, Shirou didn't argue with him at all or try to convince him as the old man expected. Rather, he mentioned, "I have something else entirely to ask. The matter of your imprisonment can be discussed later. I came here for a completely different subject."
This caught Zest's attention, especially when Shirou asked, "About Lutecia's mother."
Finally, his eyes fully turned to him, his eyes widening. For the first time since Shirou arrived there, he showed a big reaction. "They found her?"
"No," Shirou said with clear disappointment in his tone. "We didn't… Can you tell us more about her?"
Zest was silent for a moment before speaking, his voice softer than before. "Megane Alpine... She was a brilliant researcher in our team using the same device as Lutecia to provide us with support, one of the best in her field. She had a kind heart, always putting others before herself and always did her best to help us. Without her, many wouldn't have been able to make it out alive and even myself, I owe her my life."
He paused, looking at the wall of his cell as if seeing the past. "We were assigned to investigate Jail Scaglietti's activities, but uncovered things that went deeper than anyone expected. We had several people above us try to put a stop to this, but I kept being stubborn. I tried to expose the corruption, but instead, we paid the price with our lives almost."
Zest's hands clenched into fists. "I promised her I'd protect Lutecia. But I failed. I got involved with Scaglietti's people, thinking I could use their resources to help Megane. Instead, I just became another pawn in his game."
He looked at Shirou, his eyes filled with regret. "Megane was everything to Lutecia. She was a loving mother who would do anything for her daughter. The last time I saw her, she told me to take care of Lutecia."
"Is she still alive?"
Zest sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know if she's alive or dead. But if there's any chance... Regardless, that's the main reason why Lutecia even worked for Jail. I remember telling you this already. Why are you asking for the details now?"
"What was the last thing you heard about her?" Shirou pressed.
Zest didn't seem bothered by having his question unanswered. "The last I heard of her was when we still worked with Jail. She was still in a coma with no signs of recovery."
Dread filled Shirou as he connected the dots. She must have been present in the Saint's Cradle. With a shaky voice, he asked Zest, "Was… was she there?"
He remembered the moment he used Caladbolg within the Saint's Cradle, how he had destroyed the entire structure. His heart started beating like a drum, worry and anxiety flooding through him. His breathing became shallow as the thought of having killed Lutecia's mother overwhelmed him.
"Did I... did I accidentally kill her back then?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Surprisingly, Zest said, "No, you most likely did not."
This confused Shirou. "What makes you say that?"
"Had you truly killed her, Jail could have easily used it against you to bring Lutecia back on his side."
"But that's not enough proof to say that I didn't kill her," Shirou argued.
"No, it's not enough proof," Zest admitted. "There may still be a chance that you killed her."
Shirou clenched his hands into fists. "Then why don't you hate me? If it turned out to be the truth?"
"It doesn't matter anymore," the man on the other side said calmly. "I doubt the doctor even had any plans to save her to begin with. He could have most likely just lied to Lutecia from the beginning, not just to her, but to me as well. Her mother would have wanted her daughter to live a peaceful life, even if it came at the expense of her own death."
"How could you accept such an answer!" Shirou screamed, slamming his fist against the barrier of the cell. The man looked at him with a stoic face, not reacting to his outrage.
"I made her a promise to bring her back, to reunite both of them," Shirou continued, his voice breaking. "How can I accept the reality that she may have died by my hands? How am I going to face her? I can't accept it. I absolutely cannot."
Zest closed his eyes. "It's impossible to save everyone. It's impossible to grant everyone the perfect life they wanted without some sacrifice."
"But like you said, given that there's no guarantee she lived, there's also no guarantee she died," Shirou argued, unwilling to accept this truth.
His silence was taken as an affirmation for the redhead, still, Zest looked at him with a strange expression. "What are you planning on doing then?"
"I'll find out the truth myself, one way or another." Shirou just shook his head slightly. "I'm pretty sure our last mission to find him failed. Even if we knew her mother was alive, it still requires us to find the scientist himself, which has been failure after failure. After what happened last time, he wouldn't be showing himself so easily. I know finding Jail at the end of the day would solve most of my issues and other people's issues as well. But I swear I will find him one way or another. We can't let that man stay hidden for too long."
He looked at another cell beside Zest's and realized that a certain number was no longer inside. Truthfully, he wasn't that surprised after what they were told last time by Gaius. He narrowed his eyes.
"I suspect that someone does know the truth but is simply not sharing it."
{Break}
(An hour later)
After finishing her work — which involved mostly taking care of paperwork and the usual exhausting bureaucratic tasks that never seemed to end — Fate stretched her arms above her head, feeling the tension in her shoulders lessen. 'Uhn…! Hah, time to pay the others a small visit,' she thought.
As she left the building and headed to the headquarters of Riot Force 6, she encountered Lutecia sleeping in the lounge. Surprised to see the girl there, she approached her quietly. "She looks so cute when she's sleeping," the blonde murmured to herself before playfully poking Lutecia's cheeks with amusement.
Only to see her eyes open up, which surprised Fate. "You weren't sleeping?"
"No, just resting my eyes from boredom," Lutecia replied. "Shirou is torturing himself again."
"Torture?" Fate asked, doing a double take.
Lutecia just pointed at the window on the wall of their lounge. Fate went over to peek and saw a certain redhead holding a spear and fighting with Erio. Both of them were clashing and trading blows, though with Erio being the one on the offensive and Shirou mostly being defensive.
The brief sparring session showcased Erio attempting to overwhelm his partner with a series of rapid thrusts and wide sweeps, only to have Shirou effortlessly parry each attack with minimal movement. When he lunged forward with a particularly aggressive strike, Shirou sidestepped and used the shaft of his spear to redirect his momentum, causing the young boy to stumble slightly. In the background, Caro was cheering for Erio while Subaru rooted for Shirou, and Teana served as the arbiter overseeing the fight.
Fate found herself smiling at the scene. It was cute how both boys were getting along. She started to wonder if there was any kind of weapon Shirou wasn't familiar with, given his proficiency with the spear.
"Have you seen Nanoha?" she asked Lutecia.
The girl pointed downwards. "She mentioned something about going to leave early to do a bit of shopping."
This surprised Fate. Why would Nanoha go shopping at this time of day? Deciding to find her friend out of pure curiosity, and because she had something to tell her, Fate headed toward the shopping area. The building itself was large enough to house its own living quarters, offices, training areas, and even a small mall where local staff could shop to save time.
Along the way, she tried to find that particular brunette but couldn't locate her no matter where she looked. This confused Fate, but she decided to keep looking, venturing from the grocery areas and soon ending up at the clothing section. Finally, she spotted a familiar brunette in the distance.
"Ah, there she is."
Her eyes widened upon realizing that her friend was standing in front of a display of lingerie, a set that did not look like something one would wear every day and was rather risque.
"Oh my~!"
Feeling a bit mischievous, she quietly headed over, making sure her friend wouldn't see or hear her footsteps. She slowly made her way right behind Nanoha and noticed how her friend kept staring at a red lingerie set; silk and lace, with intricate patterns that left little to the imagination. But still modest enough to not showcase too much, just enough to have the imagination go wild.
Even Fate was shocked by her friend's choice of attire, but then an idea crossed her mind. Her smile grew as she closed the distance between them and whispered right next to Nanoha's ear, "Is this set to showcase to Shirou?"
"Wah!" Nanoha jumped in fright, letting out a terrified sound as she turned around to see Fate standing there with a visible smirk on her face. Her face went red before she exclaimed, "Never do that again! I nearly had a heart attack!"
"It's not my fault you were so engrossed in your choice of lingerie that you completely forgot about your surroundings," Fate countered.
"I-I was just looking at it out of curiosity," Nanoha insisted.
A response that made sense… too bad for her, she didn't believe a single word of that at all. "You might look better with a black one. Get that if you want to impress Shirou. It matches your hair more and honestly, You would be far too embarrassed to wear something like that privately much less in front of someone"
Nanoha went red once again before trying to insist, "Th-that's not the case. H-Hey, what are you doing?"
Fate just rolled her eyes and grabbed a black set. "I'm making the decision for you."
Nanoha tried to argue, "It might not fit me."
"I'm very aware of your three sizes and can tell this will fit you perfectly,"
But then her eyes went toward a blue set that caught her attention. She started contemplating something and discreetly grabbed it while whispering, "This might look good on me."
She then called for her friend, who was still standing in her spot. Nanoha was surprised when Fate paid for both sets. Trying to catch up and stop her from doing so but being a few seconds too late.
"You didn't need to do that.
"It's nothing big," Fate replied. "Just think of it as an early birthday present from me, of course, this is just part of it, I still have another one planned. We should walk together. It's been a while since we hung out like this."
Nanoha agreed as both left the store, heading toward their living complex which was nearby without needing to use a car. As they walked in silence, Fate felt a bit uncomfortable as a certain thought kept rising in her mind again and again. She sighed and gathered the courage to speak.
"Um... I rather not keep this a secret from you so I'll just say it right now. I… I kind of confessed to Shirou." A surprising amount of courage ended up being required to say those words than she anticipated. With her even contemplating keeping her silence but able to push through at the very last second.
Nanoha looked at Fate with wide, surprised eyes, while Fate felt a wave of guilt wash over her.
"I know you told us you didn't mind about such a thing," Fate continued, her voice softer now, "but I still couldn't help but feel guilty after pondering on what I did. It felt like I was taking away something you deserved and should have been only for y—ah!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Nanoha rushed over and hugged her tightly, surprising Fate.
"I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed with clear excitement. "I didn't expect you to do that without having me push you to do such a thing."
Taken aback by how excited her friend was, couldn't help but ask, "You don't feel even a bit of anger for what I did? No matter how one looks at it, it was still a selfish move."
Nanoha looked at her with genuine warmth. "You're not just a friend, you're my best friend. We've always shared everything, so why would this be any different?"
Fate wasn't so easily fooled and stared back at her friend. "You don't need to put up a front in front of me. You can tell the truth without having to worry about small nonsensical things like being afraid to hurt my feelings. Tell me if you feel comfortable or if you're pushing yourself to treat this matter as if it was completely normal. I know you, Nanoha. I know you wouldn't treat this matter so casually. I know we had to talk with Hayate After the dating scandal, but I feel like you did not mention everything."
This made her friend quiet down a bit as she looked in the distance. "I did have some hesitation in the beginning," she admitted softly. "I started to worry if Shirou might already have someone he loved back in his own world and would never accept such a relationship. That line of thought made me question if I would feel jealous if he had someone else in his heart from this world."
She paused, then continued, "But after thinking about it and seeing him interact with you and Hayate... I didn't actually have those feelings I was worried about. I didn't feel bitter or jealous as I feared I would. Instead, I just felt happy that we could all be happy together and that nothing would change between us."
Nanoha looked at Fate with vulnerability in her eyes. "That was what I was most afraid of… something permanently changing between the three of us."
"Nothing like that would happen if you were to enter a relationship," Fate assured her.
"But I don't know that," Nanoha insisted. "I can't be certain of it. Something might eventually change down the line. Still, I cherish what we have, and that's why I don't see any issue with either you or Hayate being with him as well."
Fate asked, "Is Hayate even in love with him? She didn't give such an impression."
That's when Nanoha gave a strange expression. "Actually, I'm not sure. I get the feeling that Hayate just likes to tease Shirou a lot, but I'm not sure if that's something she does out of pure amusement or because she's interested in him like we are. Perhaps she's just searching for another friend and would also get a bit upset if she wasn't paid attention to by anyone."
"That makes sense," Fate said. "Should we talk this through with her?"
Nanoha shrugged. "It's fine. It's important to let Hayate make the decision herself. If she's not interested in that way, then so be it. If she is, then it works out either way." Then she quickly turned her attention back to Fate. "Stop changing the subject! How did the confession go?"
"It wasn't as grand as you're thinking," Fate said, giving her a brief overview of their conversation.
In the end, Nanoha couldn't help but give her a look of disappointment. "What? No kissing?" Her disappointed face then turned into a smug smile. "You need to do better if you want to catch up."
Fate slapped her friend's shoulder with an amused smile. "You're being unreasonable! This isn't a race. If we both become too bold, Shirou might run away from us like a rabbit."
"But at least his reaction will be cute," Nanoha countered.
"Well…" Fate genuinely started to think about it and agreed. "I will admit, he is quite adorable when he makes that flustered face, with his face matching his hair color."
Nanoha nodded with a confident smile, then became a bit dispirited. "Lately, it's been getting harder to make him react like that. I fear he might get used to it if I do it too many times. Heck, he even started to counter me, and it's working! I'm starting to lose ground against him."
"Then we just need to use something bolder and more aggressive," Fate suggested.
Nanoha turned to look at the bags carrying the lingerie before looking at her friend, who was doing the same. "Why don't we just try on the lingerie to see if it fits? I don't need a wardrobe malfunction, and how embarrassing would it be if he were to see it?"
"Aha!" Fate exclaimed. "So you really did plan to show it to Shirou!"
Realizing she had made a Freudian slip, Nanoha just pushed her laughing friend ahead. "Just get this done quickly!"
"Wait, we need to pick up Vivi first!"
.
.
.
While those two went about their day. Shirou went back to his apartment with Lutecia, the latter being carried on his back.
"It was the worst day ever," Lutecia muttered.
"It wasn't that bad," he replied. "You at least got to improve your skills. I was impressed with how versatile you were against both Subaru and Teana during their sparring session."
Lutecia just said, "I did it for the promise of you cooking whatever I want without stopping me or saying no and buying anything I desire."
"Yes, but as long as it's not something illegal like asking me if you could drink beers or some sort of alcohol."
"No promises," Lutecia said. "You made that requirement a bit too late after we made our deal." She mumbled this as he opened the door to his apartment but was surprised that the door was unlocked.
"Eh? Strange. I'm sure I locked the place…"
He walked inside to see Vivio watching TV as the girl got happy to see him and rushed towards both him and Lutecia, "Lucia! Shirou!" shouting their names and giving them a hug. Lutecia accepted it while nearly falling to the floor with how little strength she had. "I've been waiting for you all day!" Vivio exclaimed.
Shirou asked, "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be attending school that Fate said she applied you in for?"
"It's tomorrow, not today! I want to use my last day to play with Lutecia." She said while dragging Lutecia away, the latter tried to escape but was overpowered by someone younger than her. She looked toward Shirou to save her but only got a dry look.
"An eye for an eye," he said, alluding to the fact that she didn't help him when Signum dragged him away.
Facing a look of betrayal, he dismissed it with a chuckle and went to the kitchen to start making dinner but was surprised to see that there was already a casserole being cooked on the stove. He realized that if Vivio was here, then so was Fate. Given he had given her access to his kitchen, it wasn't surprising to see her use it regularly.
Clang!
"What?" The sudden sound of something falling to the ground caught his attention.
With him immediately wondering if either Lutecia or Vivio got hurt when playing around. "Lutecia! Vivio! Are you two okay?" He quickly headed over, realizing the sound came from his room. Getting no answer, his pace quickened and without any hesitation, he opened the door. "Lutecia! Vivi—eh?" Right then and there, he froze in his spot upon seeing an incredulous scene.
It wasn't Lutecia or Vivio playing around or breaking something, but instead Fate and Nanoha in the middle of trying on what looked to be lingerie. Both of them were in the middle of wearing them as they also froze upon him opening the door. Fate wore a deep blue lace set that contrasted beautifully with her blonde hair, while Nanoha had on a black silk piece with intricate red patterns that barely covered what it needed to.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Was this what they called staring death right in the eyes?
As both sides went silent, several alarm bells rang in Shirou's mind. But deciding to keep his calm, he closed the door and started pondering, touching his chin and humming with some worry on his face. "Did I see wrong? No, I definitely did not. So… do I just go along and pretend as if I saw nothing or just compliment their taste?"
While Rin did mention several times that he had a bad habit of not noticing this simplest things about a woman, he did learn that it was crucial to always hand out compliments whenever they made the smallest change whether it be with their hair, types of clothes they were or even the different kind of bracelets they had on that day. But he had to admit, he never was in a situation where the one thing he had to potentially compliment a woman about, or two women in this case, was the lingerie they seem to be wearing.
'How do I come out of this without looking like a creep?'
His muse ended as he felt a pressure on the doorknob, with a sickly sweet voice sounding from the other side. "I know you're still there, Shirou. Why aren't you opening the door?"
"I'm contemplating how to come out of this alive. Or with hopefully just a red slap mark on my face." He answered honestly, sensing that trying to play dumb would not work at all in this scenario.
He heard two giggles from the other side, at least it didn't sound as bad as he feared with this time, Nanoha's voice coming through. "It's fine, we were just trying out some new things we got from the store. You can open the door now, we've already gotten dressed. Don't worry, mistakes happen, we won't blame you for our fault."
It sounded legit enough and he doubted they would be tricking him just to pummele his face right as he opened the door. But if that was the case, then it wasn't the first time he ended up on the receiving end of such a punch and would survive it.
And so, after taking a deep breath, Shirou opens the door with the most sincere smile on his face only for it to disappear the next second and be replaced with a confused one. "Um… didn't you tell me you two were already dress—wah!"
Two pairs of hands grabbed onto him and pulled him inside the very next moment without giving him any time to resist, the door closing behind with a loud thud and not forgetting the lock this time.
In Lutecia's room, Vivio reacted, "Did you hear something?"
Lutecia replied, "It's probably nothing," as both of them went back to playing games.
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