Beta read by Shigiya, FabledLife Gamercrusher55 and Paragon of Awesomeness
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-Demon Capital Tokyo-
(Some days later)
A cemetery was a difficult place to have any fondness for.
Rows of stone markers stood under a grey sky, hemmed in by open fields of grass. The older ones had weathered to soft, illegible shapes, weeds creeping over their bases. But the newer stones — recently planted, recently wept over — were kept meticulously clean by those who still remembered to visit.
In the field of stone, a fresh new addition had been made to one of the newer tombs. A bronze plate glimmered and shone with the name "Sawaki Kyousuke" etched upon it. Below his name were the dates, June 6th 2046 - October 26th 2072, followed by a short message: "A loving fiancé, a beloved brother, a responsible man, and a friend beloved by many."
Short and simple, a message that encapsulated the life of a man once shunned by his own clan.
Not many people had been present for the burial, the only blood relative to attend being the man's younger brother, who shared many similarities with him despite his clear youth — Sawaki Kosuke. Though his presence was brief, he was permitted only a quick visit before returning to the clan. In the days that followed, out of that handful, only two continued to visit.
Asagi and Sakura stood before the grave, both dressed in black.
The silence between them was almost suffocating, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the cold wind.
It was the elder of the Igawa sisters who spoke first, her voice no louder than a whisper. "I remember him joking once. He said that when we died of old age, sitting on the porch of our house watching our great-grandkids, he wanted us to be buried together. On a piece of land where it would just be us. Somewhere near Gosha village, where our ancestors rest." Her voice was thin, not the sound of someone who had cried for hours. Sakura knew her sister wouldn't shed a tear in front of her.
She was just putting on a strong front for her sake.
"I'm going back," she continued. "I'm retaking my role as a Taimanin. I've already sent a message to the clan Elder; we will be talking more with one another this evening."
"So soon?" Sakura asked.
Asagi nodded. "I can't wait around and do nothing. Not while the bitch who corrupted Kyousuke is still out there somewhere. I will find her, and I will kill her." Pure killing intent emanated from her at that final declaration.
"Are you going back to Gosha village?"
"Eventually, yes," Asagi replied. "I have been retired for… a while. My skills have rusted, so I'll need some training. But not now. These people, Oboro and her cronies, must still be somewhere in the city. As I said, I will get in contact with the Elder and make a plan soon."
"…I'm coming too," Sakura mentioned. While not saying it directly, her intentions were clear enough to make her sister frown.
"Sakura, I told yo—"
"No!" She cut her off with a loud voice. "After everything that has happened, you can't expect me to just stay behind and do nothing! He was someone important to me, also! And… a-and I don't want to lose you too, so just please, don't stop me from helping you. Because whatever you say, I'll ignore it if I have to and use force."
Asagi said nothing. What could she say? The bluenette understood, perfectly and painfully, the emotions churning through the blonde right now. To deny her that would be pure hypocrisy. She gave a quiet nod, crossed the short distance to the grave, and pressed her palm flat against the cool stone.
That was until she noticed a note at the back of the tomb, "E-Eh?"
Finding a letter with her name on it signed by, "Kyousuke?"
Without even missing a beat, she opened the letter, her heart pounding like a drum.
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To my dear Asagi,
I don't know how this letter will reach you but when it does, then it means things ended the way they had to. I made a mistake at the end that can't be undone, and I accept that. There is no point dressing it up as anything else.
My own weakness came back to haunt me in ways I never anticipated.
Asagi, I hope you're not blaming yourself. I know a hard path awaits you in the future and my biggest regret will always be not being there to support you. There are still terrible monsters out there that I know one day you'll have to face, those who will do terrible things to you, but never falter.
I still believe you will get through it. You always pushed through things that should have broken you in the past, and I have no reason to believe you won't do it again. I've always believed that about you.
There is so much I want to say, but doing so will only bring you more pain right now. For your sake, Sakura and for Kosuke's, do not drown in regret, Asagi. No matter what you say or think to yourself I know that none of what happens is your fault, and know that any time you think it is, I'll fight to the very core of my existence to say it isn't.
You and Sakura deserve to live a normal life, not one plagued with constant revenge and battle. Even if there are times to fight, to always fight doesn't suit you, so please continue to seek out those moments we dreamed of peaceful days. I don't want you to stay trapped in this moment living in a constant loop. I mean that. Grief has a way of turning into something that quietly eats away at everything else. If you can, don't let it do that to you. Live. Not as a continuation of this, but as something new. You deserve that much.
I left a letter to Kosuke, please, deliver it to him when the time is right.
Our memories together shall never be forgotten, my love.
I love you,
Kyousuke.
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Tears stained the paper as she brought it closer to her chest, embracing it and wondering how… had he known this would end like this? Why keep it a secret?
…So many questions, yet she could not be bothered to go through all of them, as for now, all she cared about was basking in the last words he left her. "Rest well, my love. But… I'm sorry, I can't let go. I just can't. I will avenge you." Then, Asagi turned and walked away without another word.
Sakura stayed behind for a little while longer, her eyes fixed on the grave. Her eyes grew moist with the sadness of losing someone she had also seen as a brother. A stray thought crossed her mind. 'Just what happened that day?'
Everything had been going so well, so wonderfully. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in a bloody room. Corpses of demons were all around, and her sister was hugging Kyousuke's dead body. The katana that had pierced his heart and cut his neck was still resting in Asagi's hands, from what she could recall.
At first, Sakura had been too shocked to think clearly — the disbelief alone was almost paralyzing. She'd been afraid of her sister. But then she saw the tears, and she saw the demons for what they were, and some part of her understood that something terrible had happened. The parasite on Kyousuke's body made it easier to piece together, even if her mind was still too rattled to fully trust what it was telling her. So she crossed the distance between them and held her sister — partly out of fear, and partly out of concern and worry.
A special unit had been dispatched later to clear the demon corpses discreetly. Within a matter of hours, the house looked as clean as it could be, without a red stain anywhere. Still, Sakura's mind projected all the stains and the stench, and sleeping at night was nearly impossible. The entire day went by in silence, with neither of them speaking a word. It was only the next morning that they finally gathered the strength to start speaking to each other, and for Sakura to finally get the full picture. But even that made it clear that even her sister did not know exactly what had happened, as she had also woken up with Kyousuke already in that state.
It was only then that she recalled that her boss had also been with them for dinner. Her heart froze, believing perhaps another life had been lost.
Much to her relief, he called her later, saying he had woken up in a hospital with some wounds but was unable to remember how he got there.
Remembering the presence of demons, the blonde figured that perhaps his body had been thrown outside by whoever was involved and ended up on the road before being taken to the hospital.
Sakura mentally chastised herself for not checking up on Emiya earlier.
"Sakura."
"Ah…"
Asagi's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "If you want to stay a bit longer, we can. I understand why you may need more time."
The girl realized that once again, she was showing weakness and making her older sister worry. Quickly slapping herself on both sides of her face, she forced a bright smile and quickly answered with a more… cheerful tone. "No, I was just thinking of something else."
She went to her sister, taking her hand.
"We need to go home. I'll make food for us today. You need to rest."
"Alright, maybe for a bit." Asagi's gloomy expression lessened, and a small, affectionate smile appeared on her face.
After the two women had gone, a third figure stepped before Kyousuke's grave. He watched the path they'd taken for a moment, then looked down and set a bouquet of flowers against the stone.
The wind moved through his hair as he stood there. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet.
"I'll keep my end of the promise — we settled that already. But I still need you to forgive me." He paused. "You heard everything. All of it. And you still called me a good person, even after I ended your lives because I decided it was necessary. That's not something anyone should just be able to live with. You were stronger than anyone understood." The wind picked up briefly, then settled. "I'll need that forgiveness for what's coming, too. I can't promise a happy ending — not for anyone involved. Certainly not for myself. Only that I'll see it through."
He was gone before the last words had fully left him.
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-Copenhagen Cafe-
Within the empty cafe, the sound of the coffee machine brewed in the background as the radio tuned to the local news channel. EMIYA quietly drank his fifth cup of coffee while reading more reports from his informant. As he took a sip, his eyes briefly moved to the countertop where a newspaper was folded up.
He had already read it.
The headline spoke of a gas pipe explosion in the area where Asagi and Sakura's house happened to be, a cover-up. Not sure whether to be amused or worried by how, even in this world, they used that same kind of excuse to cover up supernatural situations
"It's probably a coincidence," he did not give that much thought as a whole, going back to the reports, which were mostly about the Chaos Arena.
'There's a large possibility of things happening very differently this time around. Asagi wasn't captured along with Sakura.' He flipped through a page, looking out the cafe window. There were only a few minutes left before he was supposed to open. 'But despite my opening a cafe nearby and having limited interaction with them, things nearly went the same path. I fear there's a possibility she could still end up being captured somehow.'
He sipped his coffee, letting the bitter taste followed by a noticeable sweetness settle on his tongue. "Hah, now that Kyousuke is dead, there's no easily obtained bait or hostage for Black to hold over her head or use to lure her in. Sakura could be used to achieve the same, but capturing a Taimanin isn't an easy thing for Nomad. But that arena is still where… ah." His self-mumbling came to a halt.
"Hold on a minute."
So engrossed in the events of these past few days, what had happened before that nearly slipped his mind. The man got up and went to his barely used office, picking up another report, an old one about the identity of the Taimanin girl he had briefly encountered a few days ago. "Murasaki." It clearly mentioned her history as one of the top taimanins of her class in Gosha Village. More importantly, his eyes went to a particular line detailing her clan's association with the Igawa clan.
Emiya rubbed his chin.
"Strange, why was that girl here in the city so early on? Is it possible her presence could lead to what happened in other realities occurring once again, despite my interference?" he wondered. "If she is suffering from a bleeding effect from all the resets, then it makes things more troublesome, and she might believe Asagi has already been captured… No, if that were the case, then wouldn't she have gone to the house first? Perhaps she didn't know and came here for a different reason."
But the more he thought about it, the less sense it made overall.
"Do I have to check if she was captured?" he said out loud with frustration. "For that, I'd need to get inside the Chaos Arena itself, and that would risk having my existence discovered by Black. I'm not foolish enough to believe he hasn't increased security to a ridiculous degree after all the times I destroyed it."
Then again, it wouldn't really stop him if he just travelled inside using his spiritual form. Something he'd used in the past to infiltrate the place several times in order to reach Black. But without Presence Concealment, his presence could not be fully hidden, and Black could very well sense something amiss.
He'd found that some in this world had ridiculously attuned sixth sense, a particular face came to mind for that topic; a certain pink-haired Hell Knight.
He scratched his head. "I have no other choice. I'll have to pry information out of her first before trying anything else."
Speaking of Ingrid, he recalled her intent to make her love confession to Black, which had probably happened by now; though he highly doubts that it went well.
Even if Black was not dealing with his existence, Emiya had to come to realize that the man had an extreme fascination with Asagi. In fact, with the way he pursued her across timelines, it felt more accurate to call it an obsession, even if he also seemed fully ready to abandon her to an unspeakable fate at any time. Whether it was due to his enjoying tormenting the woman for some reason, or they were failed attempts to turn her into something new, he had not yet found out. Though given how much he let her suffer and be tortured throughout all these resets, he highly doubted the vampire's interest had anything to do with some twisted form of love.
"Hm?"
His eyes went to the clock.
The opening time was a few minutes away. Closing the folder and putting it somewhere no one would see, he went out in the main area of his cafe, tying on his apron and rolling back his sleeves. He looked out the window and saw that while a few customers were already waiting, a certain blonde had not come today.
"Hah," He couldn't blame her for that, given she was still grieving.
The process of mourning a loved one could be a lengthy process, and he figured leaving the two sisters together to support one another was more important than having her come to work. In fact, he was even prepared to prevent her from coming, just so she would stop pushing herself.
But as he was about to unlock the door, he saw two familiar figures in the distance, talking amongst themselves as they slowly approached his business.
'Both of them?'
For a brief moment, all three of them made eye contact. Sakura put on a smile and waved at him, while Asagi gave a simple nod in his direction. He could tell the former was faking it and hummed in understanding.
So instead of opening, he went back inside and came out with a tray of freshly baked cake he had made to sell. From the looks of it, he would need it as compensation for their waiting time.
"I apologize, everyone," he announced to the small crowd. "Due to some small renovations to address a wiring issue, the cafe cannot open at the usual time. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Please, help yourselves to these treats free of charge. I will be open for business this afternoon at the latest," he said while offering the tray before they could say anything.
Though displeased, the people could never say no to free stuff, especially when they were made by Emiya. They took the baked goods and left. Emiya then gestured for the other two to come inside.
…
The cafe was quiet, other than the fan on the ceiling and the occasional car driving by outside. The only regular noise was the soft clinking of spoons twirling inside the teacups he had served the two ladies. Taking a seat, no one said a thing for several minutes, each one of them brewing on their own thoughts while tea was served and drank in silence. Even he wondered whether or not to bring up his visit to the cemetery earlier.
Eventually, Sakura was the one to awkwardly break the silence.
"U-Um… Hey boss. Sorry for not being able to come to work for the last few days. And for not giving you notice."
Emiya just shook his head. "You're being ridiculous. You should never apologize for something as little as that, given what just happened. I understand the need to mourn, and I would never have forced you to push yourself. In fact, I would have forced you to go back home if you had tried to come in without processing your emotions."
"Yeah, thanks," Sakura said, looking down.
Emiya turned his attention to Asagi. "You probably need time and space to mourn more than any one of us. How are you doing?"
"I'm… hanging in there," she said. "Thanks to Sakura being by my side, I feel better… somewhat." But then she turned her attention to him. "I should be asking you that question as well, though. I heard from Sakura that you got hospitalized after what happened that night. To be honest, I was worried about what happened to you during that and after. What happened? Were you gravely hurt by that… gas explosion?"
His expression didn't shift, but his thoughts were moving fast. She's suspicious. Not surprising — what I told Sakura was thin, full of gaps. I can't deny being there, and waking up to find me gone wouldn't sit right with anyone. One wrong step and they'll have me cornered.
He didn't miss a beat. Not grief, not dread — he let uncertainty settle onto his face instead, something harder to argue with. "I barely remember it myself, honestly. One moment I was having lunch, and then — vertigo, out of nowhere. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital." A small pause. "Nothing serious. A few bruises. They discharged me after a couple of hours."
"…I see," Asagi said, but upon closer observation, he saw her eyes narrow ever so slightly.
He continued by placing his cup of tea down. "At least, that is the story I told to Sakura. To be perfectly frank, I lied."
"Eh?"
"—!"
This shocked both women. Sakura and Asagi looked at him with surprise, the latter even tightening her hold on her teacup.
He continued without missing a beat. "What I told Sakura on the phone wasn't the whole truth. Honestly, I wasn't sure I believed it myself." He paused briefly. "I actually woke up once before I came to in the hospital. And what I saw inside that house — these grotesque creatures — I told myself it was a nightmare. The pain made it harder to believe the longer it went on. There was another person there too, a woman whose face I can't place, but she seemed to be the one controlling them. I know how that sounds. My head wasn't right, my ears weren't working properly, but the moment her attention shifted to me, I knew I was in real danger. I tried to leave — tried to run for help — and then a fist came out of nowhere, hit me hard enough to send me flying. After that, nothing. I woke up in the hospital."
An innocent victim caught in the middle of this conflict, this image worked best for now. Kyousuke did not reveal any secret about him in his last moments, and they had no proof of his involvement. Not telling them after Kyousuke's decision was a way to honor him. To an outsider, it just looked like Oboro lost control over her so-called pet, and he went on to go berserk on everything.
"Y-You saw that? Why didn't you tell me this!?" Sakura asked, looking genuinely horrified and worried at that revelation. Even going so far as to check his body over and over again, dotting on him like a concerned girlfriend. "Did you get hurt badly? Anything broken? Can you breathe properly?"
A rain of questions befell upon him, yet he kept his calm.
"I'm fine, Sakura. Just some bruises that have mostly faded and a couple of cracked ribs that have me working on light duty. There's no need to worry about my health." Then, he let out a big, self-deprecating chuckle. "As for not telling you the truth… I'm glad I didn't. All of it turned out to be a nightmare at the end. Doctors said it was a sensitive chemical reaction caused by the gas leak. Once I learned what had happened to your house, I was mainly just glad not to have been scorched by the accident, and that you two weren't in the hospital with me or worse. And after my discharge, I felt it best to keep my head down and give you two some time; I couldn't imagine how you'd look at me if I started spouting nonsense about demons while you two were mourning. The last thing I wanted was to pile on—rambling about monsters when you were already going through hell."
Sakura immediately interrupted him, grabbing his hands, fingers interlocking with his. "You are not crazy!" she said, her voice loud enough that it echoed across the room. "I would never think of you like that, and I wouldn't think less of you because you had an encounter with demons!"
"Sakura…"
She looked him right in the eyes. "The world is a dangerous place, and there are many things people are not aware of or things that are kept hidden for their own peace of mind. What you saw was not just a nightmare."
"What?" he reacted, acting surprised and confused.
But as she was about to continue, Asagi stopped her by placing her hand on her sister's shoulder. The blonde froze, realizing what she was about to do, before awkwardly trying to compose herself. "N-Next time… please don't hide such things from us. You've helped us for so long, and I'm grateful for everything you've done. We'll do our best to help you whether your fears are real or not — just don't keep it hidden… please."
A good way to avoid the possibility of demons existing or not, keeping it vague and just making it sound like they were going to be there for him. Despite him seeing with his own eyes how some demons just walked across the shoreline without even being bothered to hide their appearance, somehow their existence still managed to be kept secret, for the most part.
How the general public hadn't started to suspect something was beyond him.
"The same goes for me," Asagi spoke next after her sister. "Despite us knowing each other for only a short amount of time, I don't think of you as a person who would intentionally say false things. I urge you, if there comes another time you feel anything wrong or think you saw something that feels strange, to immediately come to our house."
This made Emiya chuckle. "It's very nice of you to indulge my little fantasy about demons existing, but perhaps we should focus more on matters of actual import."
"Geez, you're being stubborn again, boss. But… um, just a hypothetical question," Sakura asked, "what would you do if demons existed?"
Not being so subtle anymore, though he supposed she could not just ignore that curiosity within her. He didn't say anything for a moment, focusing on his coffee. After a few seconds, "If demons truly existed, then the world is a much more dangerous place than I ever imagined." But then he smiled. After all, he still had a constructed image to maintain, for now. "But even if that's the case, I'll just continue to try my best and make people happy in this scary world with what little I have."
{Break}
(A short conversation later)
After the conversation concluded, Asagi finished her tea and snacks, then left, leaving only Sakura behind. EMIYA cleaned up the table, setting the place for customers to arrive very soon. The conversation after his answer was mostly boring back and forth, and Asagi looked almost disappointed at the end of it.
She came for answers but got none, expecting to uncover some truth he would not give her.
Still, one aspect that impressed him about this woman was her mental fortitude. Despite having lost someone so close a few days ago, her demeanor became as tranquil as still water. Her emotions were under control, and almost like he was talking to a completely different person.
She was out for blood but kept that desire firmly in check.
"Hm?" His phone buzzed, checking to see if one of the handful of people who had his contact was sending him a message asking if the cafe was going to be open today. Sending a reply back to Ingrid, he got another response a few seconds later, asking if it could be a private moment with just her. Looking at that, he wondered if that confession had crashed and burned, and her wanting to come here to drown her sorrows. "Good timing… I'll need to check my inventory. She drinks a lot."
While he got busy with figuring out what to plan for later, Sakura cleared her throat to get his attention.
"I'm sorry for making you close the shop for a few hours," Sakura said. "You already had to keep it close for a day or two when you were hospitalized, and again today. I-I hope it won't cause you any issues. I can work for free for the next month to help with the co—ah!"
A flick to the forehead cut her off mid-sentence. "Ouch! Hey!" She rubbed the spot, glaring at him.
He chuckled. "Where did the loud, expressive Sakura disappear to? Did someone swap you out when I wasn't looking? You've apologized for trivial things at least three times now."
She pouted. "I haven't apologized that much!"
"You have. And I get the distinct feeling you'll keep doing it unless I knock some sense into you — literally, if necessary."
Her cheeks puffed out in indignation. "You're so mean! Stop treating me like some little kid. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a beautiful, mature woman." She struck what she probably thought was a seductive pose, complete with a purr that landed somewhere between confident and absurd.
That earned her another flick to the forehead.
"Ow! Again?!"
"I'll stop when you start acting your age instead of performing it. And don't look so wounded — with a skull that thick, I doubt you felt much." He set down the cloth he'd been using to wipe the table and fixed her with a more serious look. "So. Why are you still here? Your sister left a while ago. Why didn't you go with her?"
"I want to work today," Sakura mentioned with an energetic tone, puffing her chest and getting up from her seat.
Not even a second passed before he already gave her his answer, "No. You're not in any condition to work, both physically and mentally. You need to go back home and rest. You can come back tomorrow, and I'll prepare something new for you to try out."
Besides, he had some plans for today, and having her around could make it tricky if she were to eavesdrop unintentionally,
"I can't go back to that house so soon," replied the young woman so quietly that her voice was no louder than a whisper. "Every time I go back there, I remember everything that happened and Kyousuke. Everywhere I look, I remember how happy he used to be, how my sister and he would spend time together laughing. But now it's so silent it feels almost suffocating."
"…"
Emiya said nothing, his back facing her as he picked up some of the dishes at the counter. "Fine. I'll make an exception, just for today. But you will be getting a full month's pay in advance as well."
"Eh? Why?"This started Sakura, asking again as if she did not believe her ears. "Y-You don't need to do that. I'm not in any financi—"
"It's my way of supporting you," he cut her off.
"You're already doing that by talking to me and giving me a place to work. Spending time here is already doing more for me than any time sleeping and recovering. I feel better, and so did my sister…"
"Really? I couldn't tell."
As she said that, he couldn't help but internally shake his head. 'The only reason Asagi came today was probably to piece together what happened back then and find out everyone involved. She's already suspicious of me, given her strange behavior through all these resets. What happened last time didn't help. I wonder just how long this will go on until she just straight-up remembers everything. If that were to happen, I'm almost certain the first thing she would do is not attack Black but come for my head immediately. A walking disaster working so closely to her sister. Anyone would be utterly horrified, and I would not blame her at all.'
Then, out of nowhere, Sakura said, "I told my sister to work here."
"Hoh?" This caught his attention. He turned around and looked at her, more curious than anything else. "Why did you do that?"
"For the same reason," she said while pointing at herself. "My sister is suffering more because she loves… loved Kyousuke. Everything in that house will remind her of him. I don't want her to remain in that place alone while I'm here. It won't be good for her mental health." She looked a bit guilty. "I'm sorry for telling her that without asking you first, but it was more of a spur-of-the-moment kind of deal."
While he told her, "It's fine, I completely understand," while saying that, on the outside, on the inside, he thought, 'This could be troublesome. If she accepts and tries to work here, not only would it potentially accelerate the rate of familiarity she has towards me due to some kind of bleeding effect, but she would also see some of my clients who would recognize Asagi, making things more complicated than they already are.'
He told her, "I'm always happy to have Asagi welcome in my cafe. If she truly wishes to work here, then we can discuss it further later on. But for now…" As soon as he said that, he grabbed something from the fridge and presented it to Sakura. It was a small bowl of strawberry parfait with a little cookie shaped like a cat on top. "I was planning this for later, but I thought you might like this. Give it a try."
Sakura looked at him with confusion. "You barely touched your snacks and coffee when we were talking. You're going through a lot right now, and I just want to see you smile a bit more. I figured this is the only way to do so."
Sakura's hands trembled. Before he knew it, she got up and ended up embracing him, her arms circling around him in a tight hug. Her face was buried in his chest, but he did not push her away. He could feel a damp spot spreading on his shirt. Rather than pushing her away, he returned the embrace, gently massaging her head.
"Everything will be all right," he said with a soothing voice.
"I wasn't strong enough to stop what happened back then," Sakura whispered.
"You're already strong enough to support your sister and put on a smile like that just to make sure the other one wouldn't feel the burden as well." He knew what she truly meant by not being strong enough, but truthfully, he doubted she would have been able to accomplish much. Oboro came prepared, and Kyousuke had long since been altered. She could not have been able to save him and would have just done the same as Asagi or worse, gotten captured instead.
They stayed like that for several minutes as he let her vent her emotions. This did nothing to reduce the sensation of guilt that was continuously bubbling up within him. Just like always, he just pressed it down swiftly, reminding himself again of his mission and of the consequences if he were to fail.
{Break}
(Evening)
After a few hours of working in the cafe, Sakura started to show more color to her face, but her mood was definitely not as vibrant as before. Most of the regular customers noticed her subdued state, but none tried to pry deeper before he intervened. She didn't seem to mind the attention and concern from others, so he let her be and instead went on to cook as usual.
Looking outside at the setting sun, it came to his mind that his prior arrangement with one of his most loyal customers would happen at any moment. "Sakura, I believe that's enough for today. You should head home."
This ended up making the girl a bit frustrated. "I'm feeling fine, I can continue to work for a few more hours."
"It's not because of you," he said with a shake of his head. "I'll be closing down the place for today earlier than usual to handle some matters."
This made her curious. "What matters?"
"Just a quick check-up, I promised the doctor," he told her rather than bringing up Ingrid. Knowing full well that such information would only fuel her curiosity, and for the girl to even attempt listening to the conversation or spying on them.
Hearing that it involved the hospital, Sakura started to panic ever so slightly and went towards him. "Why not just let me accompany you? Are you feeling any pain? Let me take a look!"
He patted her head again, growing to like the action, given it managed to calm her down every time. "You're worrying too much. It's mostly a general check-up I haven't done for quite a while. And after that, I will be going to meet a friend of mine later on to get a new supply of coffee beans and other ingredients."
This shocked Sakura. "You actually have friends? And you're not a loner?"
"I suppose it would make more sense to call us acquaintances," he told her. "Now, help me clean up the place."
It did not take long, given that they had opened the place later than usual. Leaving after bidding him goodbye. "Stay safe."
"I'll do my best,"
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With the cafe now fully empty and with everything fully prepared, including the addition of several crates of high-concentration booze. All in all, he was fully prepared and stocked up to entertain whoever came through that door.
"She should be here any moment," Emiya said to himself.
Right on cue, an expensive car stopped in the distance, the tired screeching to a halt and stopping right in front of his cafe.
From within, a tanned woman with pink hair got out in a rather form-fitting black formal wear. She looked not in her best shape, with her hair already down and in a dishevelled state, vacant eyes, and even the same clothes she had worn for what looked like a while. Not exactly the kind of face one whose confession went well would have, and it did not take a genius to realize what happened. Emiya went back behind the counter until the doorbell to his cafe rang, and she walked in. Ingrid headed straight for the counter and sat in her usual seat before raising her hand and commanding, with a dry tone, "Give me the entire stock of your strongest drink, please."
He did not even try to argue with her and started preparing them, soon placing a handful of bottles and glass cups in front of her. Looking at her with an unreadable expression. "I take it that it didn't go well?"
As soon as Ingrid heard that, she flinched. Her eyes grew ever so slightly more misty and watery, her hands clenching as she shook her head. "It did not work at all. My boss rejected me."
Emiya put on a look of disappointment and shook his head, telling her quietly, "What a shame, I'm sorry that it went badly."
She then pressed her head on the counter, leaning forward, letting down her guard instantly for the first time since she came. Ingrid looked around the cafe and made a comment, "How gloomy the place looks today with just us."
Emiya did not deny it. "Well, it is practically nightfall with barely any lighting from the outside, and from the looks of it, today might be a gloomy day in general, with plenty of people that just may need something to drink and an ear that will listen to them."
"I like the sound of that." This made her smile without realizing it as she agreed. "I don't understand… I have worked for my boss for so long, years, literal decades, having done so much in his name, yet being treated like that was definitely hurtful."
While cleaning up the glasses, Emiya observed her practically chugging down the glasses of alcohol. Downing dozens of them like water. "Whoa, slow down. Some of that is high proof vodka, you'll get knocked out if you keep drinking it like water."
"Who cares if I get knocked… certainly not that guy…"
Her mental state turned out to be worse than he had imagined. "Hah, listen, it's unfortunate that things did not go the way you wanted and that your feelings weren't returned, but it is not the end of the world. Perhaps your boss might be more worried about something else, more preoccupied with something else. It could be a timing issue that caused him to say hurtful things. Maybe if you try at another time?"
She just shook her head. "No, I may not know much of what's going on with him lately, but I do understand the kind of person he is. When he says something, he always means it, with there being little chance of him changing his mind. He's been like this for as long as I can remember. Even though lately he has been behaving strangely, when I asked him to share some of those burdens, he rejected me so resolutely." She then started mumbling incoherent stuff. "It was supposed to be my duty, the very reason behind my job, to share his burdens… yet I was denied."
"You might be thinking too harshly of yourself," Emiya told her. "I know for a fact that you are a capable woman who takes her duties seriously. There are so many factors to take into account, rather than what you mentioned."
She just let out a mirthless huff of air. "Heh, I hope that is the case. But if not, then it doesn't matter either way."
"Perhaps you should go out more," he suggested. "Do activities that will take your mind off this thing. I'm even willing to accompany you. I recently got word from the conversation between my customers about some sort of event happening at the Chaotic… Arena? No, Chaos Arena. Perhaps we could go there together."
"What!?" As soon as he said that, he saw the woman freeze in place as a look of uncertainty and fear passed through her eyes. She looked at him awkwardly. "T-That might not be a good idea, Emiya. It's not really a kind of place someone like you would like. The things going on there are not for everyone."
Emiya just put on an innocent face. "Eh, really? Strange. From what I heard in people's conversations, I thought it was just an underground wrestling match thing, organized by the company Nomad. Then again, for how many people talk about it in public and it happens in such a flashy way, it's hard to call it underground, so I guess it's just marketing."
Ingrid took a swig of a glass before letting out a loud exhale. "You're… um, you're not wrong. There are combatants that will fight in the arena. But it's not exactly what you're thinking about, it can get pretty… brutal."
He hummed. "From the sound of it, this year's Chaos Arena match in particular would be quite interesting. Some of my guests wouldn't stop shouting about how there would be some kind of special guests, and I was told not to miss it."
Ingrid groaned, facepalming and not so silently cursing those non-existent fools he mentioned. "You need a better clientele. The people in this part are some of the worst criminals and psychopaths that you shouldn't be hanging around, much less serving them coffee and snacks. How they haven't ransacked this place is a miracle in itself. Still, you shouldn't be listening to them spouting nonsense."
Emiya then looked at her and offered his hand. "Then why don't you just accompany me? Given how frequently you drink here, we might as well be called acquaintances. For some reason, you are familiar with this Chaos Arena; maybe you can show me around while keeping me out of trouble."
This made her chuckle self-deprecatingly. "You're very trusting. Someone like me is the worst kind of person you could be acquainted with, or worse, a friend. I've done things many would find disgusting and deplorable."
Emiya said nothing at first before shrugging. "It's not my place to pry about my customers' lives and private affairs. But despite what you said, I feel like you're not that bad of a person. Just a lost soul. You're a smart person, just lost in your own limbo, and I thought that perhaps a push from me would be enough to help you."
Did he truly believe those words, not entirely. While the woman was duty-bound and served with pride and loyalty, she still served a man who committed so many atrocities faithfully. Killed in his name, most likely having done similar capture missions like Oboro for all he knew.
Though just like with Oboro, he did not hate them or even Black, for that matter. Having met or confronted so many atrocious individuals who committed similar levels of evil, if not worse, it became easier to feel desensitized and numb when looking at them. After all, he was not much better, given how much he had killed, both innocent and guilty.
His prior words managed to make her smile as she looked at him. "You're a bit too nice for your own good. People will take advantage of that."
Emiya shrugged. "I'm used to it, and I've learned to live with it. At the end of the day, I trust my guts."
"Then you should get your guts checked by a doctor, because something is clearly wrong with you." She joked with him for the first time after chuckling. "What you said is true. There will be a special guest."
Finally getting loose-lipped, he was wondering when that was going to happen.
"Would you mind me asking what exactly you heard? You have to understand, ridiculous rumors are quite plentiful around these parts, some quite exaggerated and others purely fantasy."
He nodded, "The rumors circling these parts in particular, that this supposed guest is a ninja of sorts, that is known to hunt demons. Ah, I believe the word happened to be Taimanin?" He then made a silly face. "Putting aside the ridiculous claim of demons, I just can't believe my clientele still believes in such a thing, even in this day and age. People in Nomad just have too much time on their hands, and these rumors keep getting more ridiculous, I feel."
Ingrid made another face. He continued, "I owe you all a lot. Always looking out for me despite their criminal nature, so I'll just go by myself to check it out for a bit. If I don't like it, I can always just leave."
She tried to tell him, "It's a dangerous place, filled with repulsive people."
He just looked at her with amusement. "I run a cafe in one of the worst areas in town. I've gotten somewhat used to dealing with bad people. I even joke that those very same bad people have become friendly towards me."
Clearly seeing that her method was not working to deter him from going to the Chaos Arena, Ingrid finally relented and passed him a different number on a paper. "This is my… personal number. No one can hear or see us talk here. Just call me when you're going there. I'll make sure you don't get into trouble."
This did not surprise him. Looking at it, he went along with the act. "You work there?"
"Kind of," Ingrid said, not specifying what.
This was the opportunity. "If the rumors about a ninja being there are true, is it not just some kind of way to promote and attract customers?"
After a long pause, she said, "It's real. Those people still exist. She…" A dismissive wave of her hand. "Let's just say she showed up a couple of days ago and made a hell of a commotion. Practically trying to challenge the place itself." Her expression curdled into something scornful. "Stubborn woman. Get under your skin fast, spouting all kinds of nonsense. Honestly? Watching her fight five people in the arena might do her some good."
Emiya said nothing. 'Murasaki.' The timing of her arrival and this announcement—it lined up too neatly to be a coincidence. And if that was the case, Asagi would get wind of it sooner or later. Maybe she already had. She'd charge into the Chaos Arena trying to play hero, and everything would spiral back toward the same outcome as if he'd never been here at all.
His jaw tightened. Was that what this was? The world course-correcting, shoving events back onto their original track, no matter what he did? He turned the thought over, prodding at it from different angles, why would it try, what mechanism could even account for something like that, but the more he reached for certainty, the more it slipped through his fingers. He couldn't even confirm the premise, let alone the logic behind it.
'What a headache, I'll try to figure things out later.'
And so, she kept drinking.
One shot after another.
Treating them as if they were water.
Time passed by, and without even realizing it, several hours had passed, with the number of glasses on the table having grown enough to create a small mountain of glass stacked one on top of the other. Emiya thought with amusement that a single person had somehow managed to drink through a week's worth of alcohol, despite him having prepared in advance. Ingrid's face was flushed and crimson. She looked at her bottle rather than the glass cups, having started to drink directly from it. "It'sh… not faaaair," she mentioned, her voice incoherent and slurry.
Ingrid's head lolled forward, then jerked back up. "I've d-dooone sho mush f'r 'im," she slurred, words tumbling out in uneven waves. Her fingers fumbled with the empty glass, nearly dropping it. "Wha'sh... wha'sh th' poin' of bein' a hell knift if I can'... can' even..." She hiccupped loudly, then leaned in conspiratorially, breath heavy with alcohol. "Can' even do m'damn jshob prop'ly!" The Counter Guardian remained perfectly still, knowing the alcohol was doing his work for him, dismantling her defenses word by slurred word.
She continued, her hand sloshing the drink in wild arcs as she gestured. "Thish ish—" she hiccupped, "—prob'ly Ob'ro' s fault for failin' her mish'n." Her head lolled forward before snapping back up. "Tha's why Black'sh in a bad mood an' rejek-ted me!" She slammed her palm on the counter, missing by several inches. " Had tha' bish-hic-tch jus' done wha' she wash s'posed to, none a' thish—" she squinted, losing her train of thought momentarily, "—woulda happ'nd!"
Her voice rose and fell erratically as she cursed her rival again. "In 'er nex' mishun to kid- kidnap Ashagi, I hope she failsh an' diesh in th' line of duty!" She swayed dangerously on her stool, one finger jabbing at nothing. "Or bet- better yet, failsh an' getsh—" she hiccupped loudly, "—raped by orshh as punishmen'!"
Quite some animosity between them; maybe he could use that to his advantage. How? He was not sure yet, but just something useful to note. Emiya hummed, now certain that she had drunk enough to be fully inebriated. "Why would someone who already failed once be sent again to capture Asagi?"
"I d- don' fuckin' knowww! Bl- Blacksh jus' shaysh sho an' shum... sumthin'!" Ingrid slammed her fists against the counter, making alcohol slosh over the rim and splash across her blouse. "Hyaaaa!" She gaped at the spreading dark stain on her clothes, swaying slightly as she pawed at it with clumsy fingers. "Noooooo! All m' alcohol ish... ish leavin' me, too! No-nobody likesh me, an' nobody luvsh me! M' vodka ish... ish gooooone!"
"I'll give you another bottle." He presented his last remaining bottle of whiskey, which she somehow kept chugging as if it were water without her kidneys failing. "Before I give you this, the Taimanin you captured wouldn't happen to be someone named Murasaki?"
Ingrid slapped her hands together, nearly missing on the first attempt. Her eyelids drooped at different angles as she gaped at him, jaw slack and uneven. "Yoooou're a—" she swallowed hard, her tongue visibly struggling to form the word, "—sssspy... spuh... psyyyy-chick?"
"Heh, no, I'm not a psychic if that's what you're asking. And let me guess, Black won't be back during the event at the Chaos Arena, and the entire thing will be operated by either you or someone else?" He asked curiously, with the woman nodding her head like a chicken.
"Pipon~! Correct!" Ingrid even went as far as to make a large 'O' with her arms, but the action caused her jacket to ride up, revealing her toned tan stomach.
At least he had gotten what he needed—confirmation that Murasaki was captured. Which served nothing more than bait, knowing Black against Asagi. "We should stop for today," he said, having gotten everything he needed to know. Not to mention, the possibility that Asagi knew about Murasaki's capture made him start to suspect something he needed to confirm. "You shouldn't drink another bottle because I'm literally out."
Ingrid just moaned and started singing off-key. "La la laaa~! Bla-ack doshhn't luv meee... Uuuuuuu~! Ob'ro'sh a bitsssh... la la laaaa~!"
She lurched upward, swaying dangerously. "Ah!" Her legs buckled instantly, and she crumpled to the floor in a heap. "Hehehe, antssh are bitin' my legssh! Sho many li'l bitey antssh!"
It was almost cute how she acted when extremely drunk, but he also happened to be in no mood to entertain that train of thought and see just how far she could go under this influence.
"That's just something you get from sitting somewhere for too long," he said, moving to help her up, but the moment he reached for her arm, she clung to the bar counter with surprising strength. "I c'n shtill drink!" she insisted, fingers white-knuckled against the wood. "M'not done! Gimme 'nother one!"
"Hn!" She proved herself to be surprisingly resilient and stubborn to let go.
"You need to go home," he insisted, trying to pull her away proved to be a bigger challenge for her fingers, which dug into the wood and ruined his expensive counter. "I'll bring you there myself if I have to! You're in no condition to drive or walk — you'd be dangerous to others with that strength."
A wet belch erupted from Ingrid's throat. She dragged the back of her hand across her mouth, smearing lipstick onto her cheek. "I haaaaa—" her voice hitched, "—aaave no h- home t' go ba... ck to!" She swayed, nearly toppling from her seat. "Wha'sh... wha'sh even th' point? S'jus' a col', hollow plashe given t' me by shum... by shum... by a man who don' even wan' me!" Her fist pounded weakly against her chest. "Failyur of a knigh' don' d'sherve t' live!"
"—!"
A familiar golden sword with a silver crossguard materialized in her hand. She brought it to her neck, her blouse gaping open, revealing large tan globes, as she tilted her head back. With a wild, uncontrolled motion, she swung it sideways, splintering the edge of his coffee table. "M-maybe thish way," she slurred, eyes unfocused, "Black'll missh me, an' that... that fuckerrrr will regr-regret not... not cherishin' me more!"
Emiya watched with a strained smile. "Alright, I admit, giving you so much alcohol was a mistake." If she killed herself, it had nothing to do with him, and he'd have one less obstacle. But who would believe a hell knight would commit suicide just from being too drunk in his cafe? He let out a deep sigh and massaged his temple. "Why couldn't she have done this somewhere else?"
Hands shot up and instantly grabbed the blade by its cutting edge, both fingers pressing hard against both surfaces of the blade, preventing her from pushing it into her neck. Ingrid tried to force it away, but the blade didn't budge — staying firmly within his grasp. She looked at him with half-closed eyes. "Youuuu're sho... sho fffuckin' shtron'," she mumbled, words melting together like ice cream in summer heat. She swayed left to right, barely able to stay upright. "Azzz ekshpec... ekshpected fr'm my n-new besht frien'!"
"Best friend?" Emiya asked with amusement. "So I went from acquaintance to friend in a matter of minutes? Interesting."
"I don' have any... any other friendsh," she mumbled, her head lolling forward. "They bar'ly con-tack me 'nymore. Ever'one jus' wansh to fu-fuck me or fuck me over." She hiccupped loudly, sloshing what remained of her drink. "You're th' only one who lishensh... who lishensh t'me." Her gaze drifted past him to an empty corner of the room. "Isn' tha' right, Cap'n Whissskers?" she slurred to the vacant air.
Shaking his head, he used a stricter tone. "Snap out of it. I'm taking you home." He shook her slightly to get her attention.
She looked at him with dazed eyes, pupils dilating and contracting as if unable to focus. " B... Blaaaack?" Her tongue seemed to catch on her teeth. "Whennnn... didja... y'know... ge'over heeeeere?" The last word stretched like taffy as her head lolled slightly to one side.
"..."
He almost did a double-take on that one.
"What?"
Hot tears carved paths down her flushed cheeks, dripping onto his sleeve. "Whyyy woul' you ig-nooore me sho... sho harshly?" Her words slid into each other, vowels stretching like taffy. " Am I no' good 'nuff? Haven'... haven' I prooooven m'self all theeesh yearsh?" Her fingers dug into his arm with surprising strength, nails leaving half-moon imprints through the fabric.
This started to get out of hand. Maybe the white hair reminded her of him? But aside from that, they looked nothing alike! "Snap out of it! I'm not Black."
She ignored him, her head swaying in a lazy figure-eight. "Whhyyy—" her voice caught on something in her throat before continuing, "—din'tchoo ak-ssept m'luuuv?"
He flicked her forehead, making her yelp and let go. She pouted and held her forehead.
"Trying to find love with a man obsessed with another woman is a waste of time," he said. "You'll never succeed, especially not like this. Move on and find someone else. Stay there on that stool, you'll fall if I even leave you for a second. Just… don't move while I get you some water."
Leaving Ingrid there for a bit, he went back to the kitchen for a few seconds and returned with a glass of water. She drank it and fell silent, her eyes closing. He tried to wake her, but she didn't respond. "Damn it," he muttered. He didn't know where she lived and couldn't just leave her in her car.
The trip from his cafe to the small apartment above it was a short one.
The woman did not weigh much at all despite the fair amount of muscles hidden underneath. The scent of expensive perfume mixed with the stench of alcohol radiated from her and would most definitely stick to his clothing for a while.
"Thankfully, she did not vomit on the floors or me," mumbled the man while her head lolled against his shoulder. Navigating the narrow staircase leading to his living quarters, the dim light from the single bulb overhead cast long shadows on the walls.
His room was Spartan, almost monastic in its simplicity. A bed, a small nightstand, a single window looking out over the alleyway; not much to even see there. "There we go." He lay her down on the bed, her body sinking into the mattress, and immediately pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.
"I doubt she will remember anything at all tomorrow." After that, he turned to leave, to give her the space and privacy she needed to sleep off the heartbreak and the liquor.
But as his hand left the blanket, her own shot out from beneath it, faster than he would have expected from someone in her state. Her fingers, surprisingly strong, wrapped around his wrist.
"Ingrid?"
"Don't…"
The word was a slight slurred whisper, but it sounded more coherent than her prior rambling. Before he could process the warning, let alone pull away, the world tilted. With a powerful motion, Ingrid used her grip on his wrist as an anchor and pulled him in. In a heartbeat, the positions were reversed as her form settled on top of him, pinning him to the bed.
"Oi," He looked up at her. The sophisticated woman who sat at his counter was gone, replaced by this wild woman. Her face was flushed a deep crimson from the alcohol, her messy pink hair a wild cascade around her face, partially obscuring her eyes.
Her breath, hot and smelling of spirits, fanned across his face. She hovered over him, her body pressing down as if seeking his warmth. With her free hand, she began to fumble with the buttons of her own shirt. One by one, they came undone, parting the dark fabric to reveal the skin beneath.
The black lace of her bra presented starkly against her tanned skin, a delicate garment that struggled to contain the fullness of her breasts. The thin material did little to hide the hardened points of her nipples, which were clearly visible through the sheer lace, standing out in the cool air of the room, hard and stiff.
She leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his ear.
"Please, Black… love me just for tonight."
Looking at her face and there being no way for words to go through her in this state, his eyes twitched with irritation. "Damn it. Never again will I let you near that much alcohol."
{Break}
(A few hours later)
-Chaos Arena-
Within the veil of the night, where not a soul could be seen wandering the area that would soon become overcrowded by thousands, a single figure leaped from building to building. Clad in dark purple clothing matching her hair and a tight-fitting combat suit that did little to hide her hourglass figure, Asagi moved like a phantom against the skyline. The wind whipped past her, carrying the distant hum of the city.
Equipped with nothing but a single katana, she came to a halt as soon as she landed on the rooftop closest to the arena. The massive structure loomed before her. "She must be here."
Looking at several points, the woman spotted the tight security present in every corner. Patrolling guards with assault rifles, fixed emplacements, and, gliding silently in the air between buildings, small, insectoid drones sweeping the area with red scanning lights. Despite that, she did not go back or bring reinforcement. Instead, she crouched low, her body a coiled spring, and scanned the place for an opening, a small crack in their defenses where she could slip through without being noticed.
An opportunity that came a few seconds later. Two guards on a nearby catwalk turned their attention away for a brief moment, one pointing at something in the distance, the other leaning over the railing to get a better look. It was all the time she needed. She pushed off the rooftop, her body a silent arrow in the dark.
The Taimanin veteran landed in a roll behind a large ventilation unit, the impact muffled by her perfect form. Her footsteps made little to no sound as they carried her across the terrain, no different from a ghost in the machine. Despite not having moved with such speed and dexterity for years, the eldest Igawa sister found herself fitting back in with surprising ease. Her muscles, honed by a lifetime of training, remembered the motion of combat and infiltration. Even starting to believe that her whole plan to go back to the village to sharpen up her skills might not have been fully required after all.
Regardless, her actions proved to be useful. She bypassed several layers of defenses, slipping under a drone's patrol path as it passed overhead, its red light missing her by inches. She used the noise of a passing cargo train to mask the sound of her snapping a lone lookout's neck. She made it within the building itself, slipping through a high, unguarded maintenance window.
Landing on a metal catwalk inside, her sword was already in her hand. It flashed in the dim light, instantly cutting through one of the lookouts there to keep an eye on the lower levels. "Urgh!' Her blade cut through his neck and forced a fountain of spray. He couldn't call for help, and in the shadows, he couldn't be seen.
Before his corpse had even touched the ground, she was already moving. "Hnn!" Two more heads went flying in a spray of crimson as she cleared the catwalk. Asagi got more and more familiar with how she used to move, the old instincts taking over completely. Then, after taking care of the bodies just in case, she leaped down to the next level, landing behind a squad of four men discussing their next break. They never even registered her presence before her blade ended their conversation.
With a gaze aimed in the distance, overlooking the Chaos Arena's center from a high vantage point, she clenched her fist before whispering to herself. "Hang in there, Murasaki. I'll be there soon to take you out of this hellhole."
With that said, the woman ventured deeper inside, her goal clear. This was not necessarily about revenge, but the desire to save someone who shouldn't have even been here. It was information she got from the elder just recently, and she could not wait any longer to save her before it was too late. As her figure disappeared inside, leaving a bloody trail in her wake, the alarm systems remained silent, her work too swift and precise to trigger them.
On a crane near a building in the middle of construction, on top of it, particles of light materialized into a physical form. Wearing his beige coat with the wind rustling his hair and blowing the fabric, the Counter Guardian stared down at where Asagi had gone and couldn't help but close his eyes with a heavy frown.
His prior suspicion turned out to be true after all.
"That foolish woman."
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, 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.