Chapter 19: Episode 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Nasuverse or any other franchise that can be found in this fanfiction.

Words Count: 5232

Here's my usual spiel:

You can read up to 10 Episodes in advanced plus my other fic: Ars Goetia– Antichrist here.

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When I was a kid, I was constantly told by my parents that lying was bad. That it was wrong on many levels, and that good children should never lie under any circumstance. As I grew older, I realized they were wrong, I realized lies were required in order for society to function, so that the fabrics of our relationships didn't simply fall apart at the seams. Sure, lying didn't always help, but it's a necessity if you wanted to have any semblance of success in life. Unfortunately, by the time I realized this simple fact, the damages had already been done.

Every lie that came out of my mouth would feel like ashes on the tip of my tongue… Every dishonesty would send shivers of fear for repercussion down my spine… Every falsity felt like fish bones piercing the insides of my throat… "Is this the girl you told me about?" Gilgamesh asked, eyebrow raised questioningly as I struggled to come with something, anything that would rectify the situation. Telling lies was hard enough, telling it to the Gilgamesh– The Queen Of Heroes herself? That was sheer insanity. "I– I…" I stuttered nervously, glancing back at the Shiro.

The girl-in-question looked terrible, the blood was drained from deathly pale skin as a horror-stricken expression grew on her face. I didn't know what she was thinking, but whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be good by the looks of it. Suddenly, Shiro took a hasty step back as she turned to… Flee. Though if I had a feeling she wasn't fleeing from Gilgamesh, but something else entirely, something unseen by both Gilgamesh and I, yet clearly visible to the young heroine's eyes. "Shiro, are you alright?" I shouted after her as she stumbled through the doorway, falling into a fetal position while clutching her ears.

I had no idea what she was trying to drown out, since there was no noise besides the occasional whistles of the winter winds along with mine, Gilgamesh's and her own labored breathings. Still, I couldn't leave her like that, so I approached to bring her inside, but her struggled only grew the closer she got to the Church… Or maybe it was Gilgamesh herself? "Your Majesty, can you take a few steps back, please?" She didn't seem happy at that. Thankfully, Gilgamesh decided to listen for once as she retreated further into the Church. Finally, Shiro's whimpers subsided, albeit barely.

'So it really is Gilgamesh…' I didn't understand, this sort of things was never a problem for the Original himself. He had been perfectly fine facing Gilgamesh by himself in UBW, it wasn't even this bad in the Fate route, where he and Saber fought and lost to Gilgamesh. "Hey, hey…" I could only pat the girl's back and whispered in a desperate attempt to alleviate her pain. That seemed to help somewhat as her breathing grew less erratic and more steady by the second. "Can you hear me?" I questioned to no response. "It's alright… You are alright, just focus on my voice."

Shiro didn't reply verbally, opting for a hesitant and painful nod as cold sweats began to gather on her forehead. I couldn't bring her inside, whatever it was hurting her, it had likely been patronized by the Church and Gilgamesh. It made sense. While I had never seen the ghosts of the children taken and murdered to be supplements to the Golden Queen, their deaths must have left a stain on the location itself, that coupled with Gilgamesh's body, which was created from the black muds of the Holy Grail, it would be extremely painful for those more in tune with the Spiritual.

That's the only explanation I could come up with in this short a time, somehow my presence had changed something within the timeline. Or maybe it was her gender, but it was most likely that Shiro now owned a variation of Caren Hortensia's [Masochistic Spiritualist Constitution]. If that was the case, she couldn't stay here or her affliction would only grow from bad to worse. "Your Majesty!" I shouted at Gilgamesh as I put the tormented girl in a piggyback. "I'll get back and explain in a bit, please don't follow us!" Thankfully, Gilgamesh didn't disagree with the notion as she gestured for me to leave.

With her blessing in mind, I raced to the nearest street. While her symptoms had grown less and less after we crossed the 100 feet threshold from the Church, this was Nasuverse we were talking about… Who knew what this whole mess might do the Shiro?

There were two people I could bring Shiro to in this situation: Rin, who was probably in school at the moment, and then there was Kiritsugu Emiya… According to source materials, the man should still have access to his Circuits shortly after the end of the Fourth Grail War. I could only hope he wasn't on another excavation to the Einzbern Castle to save his daughter. I wasn't looking forwards to meeting the infamous Magus Killer, partly because I knew there was a real chance he would blame me for Shiro's current condition, but also because his ideology, dreams and personality were simply at odds with mine.

Basically, his dream for a World without conflicts seemed rather stupid and shortsighted to me. Humans had always thrived in conflicts, some of our best inventions were even the direct products of wars… Without it, Humanity itself would start to whither away like a tree with its roots rotten. As for his methods, I thought it was too cruel, too uncaring. Even though deep down, I understood that the man too detested his way of life. Still, that's no excuse for all the atrocities he committed as the Magus Killer.

Frankly, if it was me, if I had had to choose between my loved ones and the nameless, faceless masses, you wouldn't find me siding with the latter any time soon. I'd have let them die faster than I could spell 'sacrifice'. Probably why I preferred Heaven's Feel route more, despite not liking Sakura nearly as much as I did Saber and Rin. On a side note, Shiro's breathing had grown calm now. In fact, the girl was sleeping soundly on my back. Not going to lie, I was feeling kind of used right now… Good news was, we had reached the street and even gotten ourselves a cab without being questioned by the driver! Fuyuki just hit different, I guessed.

Thank Gods, it was going to be real awkward carrying an underage girl all over town. "Where to, kids?" Hmmm… Where was the Emiya Residence exactly? What? It's not like I was keeping tab on all the major players of the next Grail War, alright! Especially when we were still 10 years away from the event itself… Wait, I just had an idea. "Can you bring us to the Fujimura Residence, please." Shiro and Taiga were neighbor, right? So if I found her house, then the Emiya Residence couldn't be far from there. Although, the moment he heard the name, our cab-driver seemed to pale several shades. "I– I see. I'll bring you two there free of charges!"

…

Regardless of Worlds, money and connections were the two things that could determinate not only your Fate, but also your treatment. Whatever anyone said, just remember those two components. They would define your entire lives. Need an example? Here: "No– No… I can't possibly take your money." I never thought there would come a day when people wouldn't dare to take money from me. It just showed how influential the gangs were around this time, and the Fujimura Family, while not particularly big in Japan, had existed and taken root in Fuyuki in the last three decades. "Just take it, my good man."

I had to physically shove the banknotes into his pockets. The man thanked me profusely, then quickly left on his car, leaving me and Shiro at the doorsteps of the Fujimura Residence. The place was… Decent in appearance, it kind of reminded me of a temple actually, the architecture was old-fashioned with several thugs standing guard outside, thugs who were now approaching us. All of them had intimidating faces, some even had big scars that went from their forehead to their lower-jaws.

I didn't know why, but these guys gave me the shiver far more than the criminals of Kyoto. Perhaps we had the Grail War to thank for this? Sure, Kyoto was in shambles, but the people of Fuyuki had again and again experienced a Supernatural War, I'd have been flabbergasted if they weren't somewhat harder than criminals of other cities, if you caught my drift. "Whatcha doin' here, ya' brats? This ain't no place for you to wander, get outta 'ere!" I looked at the group, then at the sleeping Shiro. "Uhmm, can you please point me to the Emiya Residence?"

Having seen the girl on my back, the group collectively narrowed their eyes. "Ain't that Kiritsugu's lass?" Ah, so they knew her? Good. This would have been far more complicated otherwise. While I didn't quite remember if Taiga's grandfather knew Kiritsugu or not, my fanon knowledge told me the two had a working relationship of sort with each other. I had wagered Raiga would have warned them of Kiritsugu already. I was right. "Whatcha doin' with the little lass? You tryin' to do somethan', huh?" At some point in the middle of this, the biggest thug had closed the distance between us.

His breaths wafting in waves at my face. 'Good Gods, brush your damned teeth!' If I wasn't holding Shiro, I would have pinched my nose from the smell. Thankfully, I was soon rescued by an old man wearing a… Was that a stripped yellow haori? What the fuck?! "That's enough–" The old man, who was likely Raiga himself, drew a breath from his tobacco pipe, one so deep I was afraid he would break into a coughing fit. Luckily, that didn't happen. "– Don't bully the kid, Kizaki." He stared at me, eyes gleaming ominously, staring straight into my soul. "Let the kid explain himself."

Urgggh, fine. Time to turn on negotiating Magus Mode then. "Shiro showed up at my house, then suddenly dropped unconscious. I don't know why, but I think Kiritsugu might have an idea?" I stressed his name, hoping Raiga would understand. He did. Thank Gods for that. "You know about Kiritsugu's work?" I took a quick thought, then decided to nod. This way, I'd be able to create a connection with Raiga, which could only work in my favor. "I'm aware somewhat thanks to my heritage."

I didn't explain further, and Raiga himself didn't ask. "The Emiya Residence is two blocks away, Kiritsugu should be there at this time. I just talked to him half an hour ago." Afterwards, he pointed at one of the thugs. "You, bring them to Kiritsugu."

Nothing else needed to be said as we traded knowing looks. Well, that was quick. I followed the thug to Emiya Residence. The place was quite big, way too big for just one man and a little girl, there were even a courtyard and a shed where Shiro would summon Saber in the future. As I carried Shiro into the main building, I felt myself tripping over a Bounded Field. It wasn't anything lethal, just a simple one that would notify Kiritsugu of incomers. Still, it was ingenious regardless. It made sense, Kiritsugu had broken through countless Bonded Fields while active. I'd have been disappointed if he couldn't even do this much.

There didn't seem to be anyone home, but I knew that wasn't true. I could feel him staring at me from somewhere. Not sure where, but I could feel it… He was probably up on the rooftop, or hiding in one of the many rooms with a gun aimed at my head as precaution. To save us some time and efforts, I decided to do something I normally wouldn't. "EMIYA KIRITSUGU! I know you're here, Magus Killer! I just want to return the girl to you, and maybe talk about something! Will you please show yourself?!"

Silence.

No wait. I heard something, footsteps. They were light, almost inaudible, but if I focused hard enough, I could still hear it through the whistles of winds. There he was, the infamous Magus Killer in the flesh… "Hello there. Nice to meet you, I'm Leonis Magnum– First-Gen Magus, part-time Enforcer." I carefully put the unconscious girl down under his watchful gaze, bringing my hands up in an universal sign for peace. "What did you do to my daughter?" He questioned, staring at the pale girl and I shrugged. "Nothing, she did this to herself." I sat on the entrance of the building, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the sweats that had gathered on her forehead.

"I live in the Church–" I explained, pausing to wet my lips. "She wanted to talk to me, but couldn't wait, so she came snooping around. Whatever happened to her, I'm in no way responsible." Kiritsugu looked skeptical at that, but he hadn't shown any sign of hostility yet. "And why should I trust you? For all I know, you could be here to kill me and my daughter." I sighed. "Look, dude. I just went on an hour ride thanks to traffic to bring your daughter back. If I was here to kill you, I'd be sending death threats and letters demanding you come to a location of my choosing…

So, why don't you sit down and we can talk this out like civilized people. Alternatively…" I summoned my rapier to my hand, Circuits once again humming in anticipation at the promise of violence. His face went blank as his fingers, hidden under his yukata twitched. The situation was quite tense, but when he saw me de-summon the blade, Kiritsugu swiftly took seat opposite to mine. "You're dying." I started suddenly. Though, the Magus Killer didn't seem too caught off guard at my words. "The Curse of the Greater Grail, it's eating you from the inside, you have at most one or two years to live."

Still no answer. "I'm not here to teach you how to raise your own kids–" I stressed, stopping to see his expression break from that blank mold in just a split second. "But you need to show Shiro how to do Magecraft properly." He opened his mouth to speak, only to get shushed by me. "I know, I know. You don't want her following the same destructive path you did, but–" For a second, I thought to just stop there. Rin was a known element, I could predict how she would react to certain information, which was why I had told her my secrets in the first place. Kiritsugu? Not so much. Still, he was a dead-man walking.

"Look, I know of some events that have yet to come. Regardless of what you do, or don't, Shiro will be at the center of a deadly conflict between Mages…" I stared at the sleeping girl, seemingly struggling with nightmares as she rolled and whimpered. I held her hand, hoping that was enough, and she quickly settled down. "Even if she wasn't, her last name alone will cause her untold amount of troubles in the future. Should she encounter any Magus without her own Magecraft, there is a real chance they will try to take her life, if only to be able to brag that they kill Emiya Kiritsugu's daughter.

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So if you really want what's good for her, then you have to teach her how to defend herself." Finished with my speech, I gently brushed away the hair that had stuck to Shiro's forehead due to the sweats. For a while, we just sat in silence. I didn't look at him much, but the occasional glances told me all I needed to know. Kiritsugu… He wasn't looking too good, he seemed to have aged twenty more years as he slumped against the sliding door behind him. "I have to teach her?" I bobbed. "Yes, otherwise she will go into the Moonlit World blind to the dangers it poses."

"I see…" More silence. "Surely, you must realize her aspiration? You and I, we saved her, but we didn't, not really. Our actions have led to her idolizing the idea of Heroes, unaware of the pains and sufferings it will cause to both her and those around her. That, coupled with the trauma from the Fire, Shiro can never live the life of normal girl, she will never find happiness like that."

"Why didn't you teach her then?" I chuckled humorlessly. "I– I can't. I'm dealing with my own problems." I paused, not sure how to phrase it in a way that wouldn't be taken poorly by the Magus Killer. "And honestly, I dislike her presence. Not Shiro herself, but her presence. Yesterday, when we met for the second time, I kind of blew up and shat all over her dreams… It wasn't intentional on my part, but knowing that I might have a part in condemning an innocent girl to a life of strife and never-ending struggles? That's– That's too much." I held a hand to my head.

I had never been particularly good at sorting out my own feelings, but having someone to wallow in misery with me must have brought out something, because I was on a fucking roll. "You care for her." I didn't refute. It was the truth, I cared for Shiro just as I cared for Rin, and not simply because she was a fictional character brought to life either. I had saved her, literally dragged her ass out of Hell on Earth. It was stupid; it was so, so fucking dumb, but I felt responsible for the girl. It's a problem I had always had, getting attached too easily and too fast, but I couldn't help it.

I wish I could, but I couldn't…

"I understand, I will give Shiro the best I can manage. It's not much, since my own accomplishment in Magecraft is rather lackluster, but I will teach her starting tomorrow." I breathed a sigh of relief at that. At least now I wouldn't have to worry about this troublesome girl anymore. "And you are correct, I am dying. I think I can last at best two more years before my body wastes away completely. I'd ask you to take care of her in my stead, but from what I can see…" Kiritsugu looked at me, and I meant really looked. "I don't think I will have to."

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Sasaki sat in his seat, tense as the higher-ups of Kiyoshi discussed the deal. Although he had tried his best minimize Bakugou's punishments, even a blind man could see the teenager wasn't going to have an easy time in the organization after this whole mess. At some point, the meeting had shifted, from its initial formal tone to a full-blown War. The more old-fashioned of Kiyoshi believed it would be a terrible loss for their side should they agree to the Magus' demands. While the younger ones thought it wouldn't matter, since it was doubtful that the Magus could use the knowledge anyways.

Both had valid points. While their Martial Arts were their greatest strength, at the end of the day, it would not matter if their organization was consumed and integrated into Ragnarok. At the same time, they would be giving centuries of accumulations of their forefathers and ancestors, which wasn't ideal.

Of course, there were two other opinions: A few thought they should just lie down and accept their 'Fates'. Sasaki quickly wrote down their names so he could launch an investigation later. Some believed they should do as they had always done and forced the Magus to do their biddings, which was incredibly stupid if you knew anything of the bloody War that went on for almost one-hundred years five centuries back. Then, there the more hotheaded ones who thought they could take on Ragnarok even without the Magus' help, though thankfully these were few in numbers.

Amidst all the chaos, the only people still managing to keep a semblance of professionalism were Sasaki himself. The current de facto leader of Kiyoshi– Akio was once nothing more than the former leader's son, but after his father was killed in ambush perpetrated by Ragnarok, he had since taken over the position. However, his ascension was in no way smooth-sailing. Having been born into wealth and power, not to mention being the only child in his family, Akio had never had to work for anything.

While his father had had to fight for his position with his seven siblings, slowly growing not just in Martial prowess, but also personality and charisma, Akio was nothing more than a slightly talented child. It's thanks to this that he never got to build a network of connections like his father once did, meaning supports for him were few and scarce in the organization, especially since his aunts and uncles, together, still held a decent amount of influence in Kiyoshi.

In fact, he hadn't even had an ceremony to officialize his authority, which was fine in Sasaki's opinions. They were already in a vulnerable position as it was, they didn't need to hold an important event that could easily be infiltrated and attacked by Ragnarok. "What did he want again?" Akio questioned, seeming to have been away in his own little World. Sasaki massaged his head exhaustedly. "Sir, he wants us to provide materials for the… Mystic Codes, in additional to monetary payment and access to our Martial Arts. He wants one books for each shipment."

"Is that so?" Again, Sasaki had to physically resist the overwhelming urge to slap the teenager over the head. It was only the fact that he was the leader that held him from doing anything he would regret. Sasaki was raised in Kiyoshi, having been orphaned after one of Ragnarok's more reckless attack and then saved by the late leader. Needless to say, he truly wanted Kiyoshi to thrive in the current Age. It's why he had spent his time trying reign in the different factions within the organization to little success. As bad a leader as he was, Akio still had more claim to the position than anyone else at this table. Besides, Kiyoshi did not need in-fighting right now.

"I do not understand why we are humoring this at all. We have done our research, the little brat is nothing more than a First-Gen who has neither power and influence. Nobody will know if we take him by force." Said one of the more extreme Martial Artist. No wonder they lost the War between Worlds if they all thought like this. The only advantage they had had over the Mages was that of sheer quantity. "Because–" Sasaki started, glaring at the group in annoyance. "If it gets out that we kidnap a Magus unprovoked, it might be seen as an attempt to reignite the War between Martial Artists and Mages.

At that point, we won't even have to worry about Ragnarok, the entire might of both Worlds will fall on our heads! Such a simple notion, is it that hard to grasp?!" He slammed his hand angrily, leaving the indent of his palm permanently stuck on the nice, wooden table. A shame really, Sasaki had loved the piece of furniture when he was a child. "Why do we need him at all? Are we not superior to those bunch of upstart thugs?! Have our forefathers not thrived and triumphed over far worse during the Warring Era?!!" That got a round of applauds from the more simple-minded ones. How they had managed to survive this long was anyone's guess.

Thankfully, cooler heads seemed to have prevailed as his fellow Captain chirped in helpfully. "Nagisa-san, while we are superior in techniques and skills, Ragnarok was built by a rag-tag group of thugs, their Arts are more external than anything we have, which mean their troops are way easier-trained. We don't have that luxury. All of our members require time to grow, time we simply don't have. A war of attrition will end poorly for us." Sasaki cut in. "Indeed, even if we won that way, there is no doubt the sharks will smell weaknesses and attack us at our most vulnerable."

Another voice added. "Not to mention these… Mystic Codes–" He spat angrily, as though the words were ashes in his mouth. "Are extremely dangerous. Last week, twelve of our men were merely grazed by them, and they still haven't been able to get out of beds. Curses, I think."

If the circumstance had been any different, Sasaki would have laughed at the fact that the old man Sekiro was actually backing him up… The two of them hadn't seen eye-to-eye since he was promoted to Captain. Sekiro was always too stubborn, believing him to be unworthy of the position, something Sasaki had been glad to prove him wrong. Unfortunately, with how much things were at stake, Sasaki couldn't even muster a smile as he leaned against the cold, black leather. "So what, we are just gonna let that shithead Magus rob us in broad daylight?" Izumi– The Third Captain roared.

"Do you want us to thank him too? Maybe buy a dildo for each of us so he can fuck us even harder, huh?" That comment belonged to Danzo– Eleventh Captain and the organization's clown. Whatever his adopted father and late leader had seen in the man, Sasaki couldn't see it, he certainly hadn't found any redeeming quality, that's for sure. "Well, the Great Sasaki-san–" The man stressed and spat his name sarcastically. "You have been pointing out flaws, but you haven't picked a side, have you? Why don't you tell us your opinions?"

Sasaki fixed his glasses. His eyesight had gotten worse in recent days, he would have to get a new prescription soon. "Well–" He began, setting his hands on the table as he scanned the seated occupants. "The way I see it, I believe we should agree to Leo-san's demands…" That got the twelve Captains and the twenty-four Commanders all riled up. Some agreeing, others name-calling Sasaki with derogatory slurs and insults, then there were the few who accused him of colluding with the Magus to gather more power, which was so stupid Sasaki couldn't be bothered to look at them.

Set aside the fact that he had only just met the Magus yesterday, Sasaki was the former leader's son, adopted or not, he had had the privilege of going through their entire library since he was a wee-child. What reason could he possibly have to resort to such a dishonorable act? "Please, fellow Captains. Let me explain…" Sasaki said, voice low as he gazed at each and every one of them with irritation, daring them to interrupt him. "We aren't the strongest organization in Asia, it's doubtful that we are even the strongest in the city, let alone Japan. Is this because our recruits and children are weak and talentless?" This quickly got a collective round of 'no' from everyone.

"No, I don't think so. I believe the reason we aren't the strongest is because we were too set in the old-ways. The World has changed, the relationship between Martial Artists and Mages is no longer as tense as it was centuries ago." He slumped into his seat, feeling the cold leather of the armrest stick to the undersides of his arms. "We have to change too. Other organizations have already established contact with different Mages, but theirs are nothing more than fragile partnerships." It was true, most Martial Art sects and schools had made deals with Mages from old and ancient Houses.

Mages who couldn't care less if their partnerships were broken. Mages who were dishonorable and wicked in their ways. "Are Leo-san's demands too much? Perhaps. But we aren't doing this just to deal with Ragnarok… We're doing this for a better future. As Danzo's Commander has said, Leonis Magnum is a First-Gen Magus, he has no powerbase within the Tower, no backing, which means this is the period of time when we can build and nurture a relationship with him that much easier."  Sasaki pulled up several folders, throwing them on the table for all to see.

"But it won't remain that way… I've heard from our spies in the Tower that Leonis Magnum– An eight years-old child, along with the aid of another Magus, has managed to defeat an Apostle." That got their attention. "Sure, killing Apostles is nothing new to us or the Mages, but how many here are confident they can kill one with only two people? How many can confidently say they could have done a better job when they were in their teen years, or Gods-forbid, in their prepubescent?" No one answered. "That's what I thought… I'm making a lot of assumptions, but I think Leonis will be big in the future, nurturing a relationship with him can only help, not harm.

And even if I was wrong, we would be building a relationship with a Magus who could make us Artifacts to last for generations, and if we are smart about it, this partnership could potentially extend to his children, and his children's children." Having made his point, Sasaki tapped his fingers on the armrest, waiting for someone, anyone to refute. Although, by the looks of things, none seemed to have anything to say, so he continued, this time looking at his adopted brother– Akio. "But, this isn't for me to decide, it's Akio's decision." Sasaki put his hand on the teenager's shoulder. "What do you say, brother?"

The teenager scanned the room nervously as he spoke, voice barely above a slight whisper. "I– I think we should take votes…" Sasaki sighed. "Very well then, those in favor of my proposition, raise your hands." Twenty-six hands were raised in total, with only ten still contemplating their options. "Then it's decided, we will agree to the Magus' demands. This meeting is adjourned." Decision made, the higher-ups of Kiyoshi quickly vacated the room, leaving the pair of siblings behind. "I– I…" Akio started, stumbling over his words as he took in a calming breath. "I don't think I'm fit for this, nii-san. Maybe you should be the new leader instead."

"Nonsense!" Sasaki interrupted. Some might think Sasaki would covet the position, being the adopted child and all, but their brotherly love was strong. They had grown up together, and despite his many faults, Akio had not once treated him like anything less than a brother. "You can do this, brother. I believe in you, I believe you can succeed father, but–" He paused, looking outside the giant windows in the room. It had been built years back, long before Sasaki was taken in by the couple after his adopted mother complained that the lack of sunlight was making her dizzy. "But, in order to do so, you must believe in yourself too…"

Sasaki reached for the documents left sprawling on the table, averting his eyes from the downtrodden teenager. "Never speak of this again, Akio. I won't do it, I won't take what is rightfully yours."

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