A/N: It's as if the entire universe conspired to delay me in releasing this chapter. First, I had a tough week due to issues with my university platform that almost caused my re-enrollment to be late. Then a hurricane hit a good part of my state, and lastly, a portion of the document was deleted, which took me days to rewrite.
Fortunately, I managed to finish it before the month came to an end, which is honestly a relief.
Once again, responding to Reviews:
GustavoIVS: I will do my best to update regularly. As I mentioned in a previous note, I refuse to repeat the experience of releasing two chapters every four months. Although, much to my annoyance, I've realized that even with that speed, following the structure I have planned will take a lot of time.
That's why I'm taking my time with this arc. To be able to streamline the transition to the other parts and reach the good stuff.
maxtime: It's exactly as you say. Except that in the Lore of this Fic, that sense of Shirou is somewhat more developed and not really of natural origin.
And the two Emiya have survived another chapter. But I can guarantee that sticking their noses where they don't belong will hit them like a freight train when we reach the climax of the Arc.
Giuseppe: Having a Reality Marble places Shirou on the same power scale as at least a Grand rank magus, if not above, simply because he can replicate crystallized mysteries like Noble Phantasms.
The problem is that:
a) Shirou canonically has poor-quality magical circuits (each one gets damaged if he tries to maintain more than ten units of magical energy) and an average Od reserve: twenty-five to thirty units.
b) His attributes aligned with Sword make him practically incompatible with 90% of the existing Thaumaturgical Schools since he cannot use magecraft aligned with common elements accurately.
c) Shirou is canonically incompatible with the Mage's Association due to his ideology.
Ironically, he would be quite at home in the Church.
Now, let's start with the chapter.
Mandatory notice: The Fate series, its characters, and any elements of the Nasuverse present in the following do not belong to me. They are property of Type-Moon.
Clue:
'Thoughts.'
"Diálogo."
"Voz sobrenatural."
"Thaumaturge."
Í͕̟͓̈́͑ǹ͛͒co͎͉̍̐n̨̼͔̤̉ͮ͊c҉̘̪̟͉e̖͐b̬̝̪͢í̡ͣ̏̄̚bͤl̗͙͕̘͠ͅͅe̟̝͓̘̘͍̮ͤ̿͒ͯ̽̒̀ ̺͕̇ͪ
The smell was the first thing Kiritsugu noticed. Although the Tokyo Metro was regarded as one of the cleanest in the world—something he could attest to from his travels—its immaculate environment didn't quite reach the undergrounds where he currently found himself.
He didn't have to wait long before Hyouma Sagara appeared again, dressed in an outfit practically identical to what he had worn the night before. No, it was the same one, judging by the wrinkles in the fabric that Kiritsugu noticed, prompting him to wonder if the young man actually owned another shirt or if he was just too attached to this one.
"Alright, Ken-san. Follow me." Hyouma said, leading him through a door that led to a staircase, which they descended for a couple of minutes until they reached a poorly lit room with a single table and a television showing some kind of soap opera.
And a middle-aged man sat in front of it, holding a beer, his attention glued to the screen. At least until Hyouma coughed.
"Hey, jiji." The blonde replied, grumbling with a hint of annoyance on his face. "Pay attention, we need to get through."
The man started, shaking his head in surprise before mumbling something that Kiritsugu couldn't catch. He stood up from his chair and walked toward the nearest barren wall, where he placed his right hand.
The ghostly silhouette of a magic circle briefly manifested on the wall as the bricks began to shift, revealing a secret passage that extended into a T-shaped corridor.
"I see, so this is the entrance." Kiritsugu muttered before following Hyouma, who had already stepped inside. They had barely walked five steps when they heard the bricks shifting back into place, sealing the entrance.
"One of them, the closest one actually." Hyouma confessed as he pulled out a cigarette from the box peeking out of his pocket. "The route from here to the market is safe, or at least it usually is."
"Usually?" Kiritsugu questioned, raising an eyebrow while trying not to think about the small arsenal hidden beneath his coat.
"A lot of things are sold here, and there's always a maniac who wants to stir up trouble one way or another." The blonde shrugged, letting out a puff of smoke in the process. "Fights among traders are not allowed; at the slightest sign of conflict, the hired thugs of the merchants step in and take down the troublemakers. That's why disputes nearly always take place in these corridors."
"I see." Kiritsugu decided to stay alert, scanning the hallway they had just entered, almost expecting someone with ulterior motives to leap out at them.
"Hey, hey. Chill out, old man." Hyouma laughed nervously. "It's not that common, heavens. Are all people like you this paranoid? Tsk, I wouldn't want to be a bounty hunter."
'If that's your attitude.' Kiritsugu thought sarcastically. 'Believe me, you're doing yourself a huge favor.' He didn't know much about the blonde, but from what he could tell, he wasn't cut out for that line of work. And that was fine.
It wasn't as if he wished him ill to drive him toward an early and certain death.
Impressionable young men who had just embarked on the slaughter would often run around like headless chickens, becoming a nuisance even for professionals.
He figured it wouldn't hurt to share a small piece of worldly wisdom; after all, he was playing that same role.
"And you're right to think that; I'm sure your parents would appreciate it." He commented, receiving a snort in response from Hyouma, who had disposed of his cigarette butt, tossing it to the ground.
"Ha, that would be something." Hyouma chuckled without much humor, judging by the grimace that accompanied his face. "My mom would probably cry for a while and then go cash in the insurance without a second thought. My old man? Ha,
They would have kept going non-stop if it hadn't been for the sudden shattering of the silent atmosphere that enveloped them when a sound manifested in the distance.
Footsteps.
Slow and calculated, growing louder and closer just around the corner.
Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes and cautiously slipped a hand into his pockets, making a careful attempt not to be at a disadvantage if he ended up ambushed.
A silhouette emerged in front of them, coming to a halt as soon as it noticed the presence of the two men.
A man, slightly older, impeccably groomed, and dressed in an elegant black suit that gave him an air of utmost respectability. Apart from a firm face with well-defined cheekbones, the most striking feature that caught Kiritsugu's attention was not the expression, twice as severe as his own, but the black bulge at his waist.
"Oh, Suzurigi, buddy!" Hyouma greeted, his demeanor performing a complete turnaround as soon as he recognized the individual. "What a coincidence, I just run into you as I'm about to head in."
"Sagara-san." The man replied, crossing his arms while keeping his gaze fixed on the blonde. "I didn't expect to see you on this occasion." He stated coldly.
"Yes, yes, surely." Hyouma seemed to ignore the severity in the man's tone. "I imagine you came to buy what you were looking for."
The man nodded so slightly that one might almost believe it was a trick of one's imagination. "I wasn't here, but the Yakou assured me they could get it without too much hassle as long as I was willing to pay."
"Oh, come on. It's not like money is a problem for those you work for." Hyouma pointed out. "Besides, brews like that aren't easy to make around here. And I assure you that wanting to buy them directly from our friends in China would cost you twice as much with the interest rates they slap on their products."
"Maybe." The man responded, shifting his gaze back to Kiritsugu, who hadn't diverted his eyes even once.
"Your friend?" He asked.
"Nah, he's just tagging along to the market with me. An old dog, but new around these parts." Hyouma replied with a shrug.
"Akitaka Suzurigi." He introduced himself in the driest manner possible, almost sounding like a growl.
"Ken." The other black-haired man replied in a more neutral tone, causing the man to nod slightly in approval.
Letting his arms drop from his chest, he walked past the two and started heading toward the exit without looking back.
"Look at that luck, one of the more reasonable ones just walked out." Hyouma remarked once they lost sight of him. Sensing Kiritsugu's unspoken question, he rushed to explain. "He's one of many faces that have been visiting this place for years. He's got guts, if you ask me. The guy isn't a magus, yet he willingly dives into a place filled with them."
"Not a magus?" Kiritsugu asked, unable to fully hide his surprise at that revelation.
"Nope, one hundred percent normal." The blonde chimed. "He used to be a yakuza, but it looks like he snagged a better job under the service of an old Mifune family that, as far as I know, has a few ties to this little world of ours."
"I see." Possibly a family of magi that had lost their sorcerous potential, or perhaps some clan of hybrids like the Tohno who managed to survive the turbulent changes in society. "It's not unusual for those in the underworld and those wandering through the world illuminated by the moon to cooperate with each other. It's something that's happened for centuries, but you don't see a normal person diving into this every day."
"Oh, old man. You better brace yourself because you're going to see some wild stuff down here." Hyouma remarked, resuming his walk. "Follow me; we're almost there."
Kiritsugu walked behind him, noticing how the surroundings seemed to be shifting. The nosy one hadn't exaggerated when he called the place a labyrinth the night before because there really wasn't another word that described the nature of this better.
Long hallways filled with pipes, doors that led nowhere, and the occasional abandoned room. They even passed through an underground bridge that rose above a canal filled with waste. Kiritsugu swore he heard the squeaks of rats struggling against the current pulling them away, but he preferred to focus on the last hallway Sagara was leading him down.
It ended in a kind of open corridor with a slatted railing.
Hyouma had stopped at this railing, resting his hands on the edge and casting a glance down at what lay beneath.
Kiritsugu took his time getting to where he was. It was a large underground chamber, easily measuring twice the size of two considerable sports fields and reaching a height of about twenty meters, supported by three rows of reinforced concrete pillars, giving it the appearance of a shadowy subterranean and urban Pantheon.
But as soon as he reached the edge, something else immediately captured his attention.
"Feast your eyes, old man." Hyouma announced with a beaming smile, as if he were a tour guide. "And behold the treasure of Tokyo's underworld."
Below them, occupying a good portion of the floor of the immense underground chamber, numerous stalls and shops of various colors and sizes were lined up. Combining Eastern and Western styles, it was a surreal spectacle, especially when considering the small details that Kiritsugu's keen eyes allowed him to detect.
The dark-haired man frowned upon noticing a kind of cage covered with a thick blanket, as well as groups of what appeared to be guards dressed completely in black and armed with firearms.
"Well, shall we? I don't have all day."
Taiga seemed to be playing a game of counting how many farms she could spot along the road. Shirou had given up by the fifth one, choosing instead to admire the scenery from the window.
It had been no more than two hours since they left Fuyuki, heading towards a small town called Fukuoka, where there was a hunting lodge that Raiga visited a couple of times each season.
Shirou vaguely remembered hearing that it used to be one of Taiga's grandfather's favorite activities, but he had never had the chance to join him on one of those outings.
The two Fujimuras and he were accompanied by three of their subordinates, one being the driver and the others seated in the middle of the truck.
"Ughhh, are we there yet?" Taiga complained once she finally seemed to get bored of her game.
"Not long now, Taiga-chan," Raiga replied, having swapped his usual attire for something more suitable for a rural area. The only thing he kept was his tiger skin vest.
The oyabun had told the redhead that it was a trophy earned from an old rival of his who was involved in murky waters, after ensuring he wouldn't return to Fuyuki ever again.
Surely the story had more details, but after everything Kiritsugu had told him, Shirou had learned the lesson to best not delve deeper into such matters.
He opted to keep watching out the window until he came across a sign that bore the name of the place they were trying to reach.
"Raiga-dono, we're entering Fukuoka," announced the driver, a guy Shirou had seen a couple of times before, whose name was Ryouta.
"Excellent." The oyabun smiled in a way that the redhead found incredibly similar to Taiga. "We're right on time for the best hour. We shouldn't take more than ten minutes to reach the Ryokan."
'Ah, right.' Shirou thought, remembering how Raiga had mentioned the hunting establishment was right next to a small traditional inn that also served as a restaurant and resting area.
The truck quickly followed the road into a well-maintained village that seemed to preserve some of its ancient vestiges. Shirou found it beautiful.
And just as Raiga had claimed, it wasn't long before the truck stopped in a parking lot. The two subordinates of the Fujimura Group got out first and held the doors open, followed by Ryouta, Raiga, his granddaughter, and Shirou.
"Finally, solid ground. My legs were killing me." Taiga stretched, closing her eyes as soon as she touched the ground.
'It was just two hours, Fuji-nee.' Shirou thought, rolling his eyes. He glanced around, spotting a parking lot occupied by several cars, trucks, trailers, and even a limousine.
Either the hunting was more popular than he thought, or the inn was.
Speaking of which, it was almost as he had imagined. At least twice the size of his house and with a second floor, it was a traditional building that seemed to have been very well maintained since its construction.
However, it also had a couple of more modern pieces that broke the conservative image it was trying to convey. Aside from that, it was surrounded by a considerable part of forest enclosed by all kinds of signs that were too far away for him to read clearly.
He shook his head lightly upon hearing the trunk of the truck being opened and turned to see Raiga and his men pulling out a couple of long cases. He walked over and grabbed his backpack before asking if he could help carry something, receiving a bag with a couple of boxes in response.
The six of them began walking towards the inn and soon arrived at what seemed to be the reception. A young man sitting behind the desk immediately stood up upon seeing them, apparently recognizing Raiga.
"Fujimura-dono." He greeted, making a slight bow. "You arrived quite early."
"Ah, Moritoki-kun. Taking the reins of the business already? Good boy." Raiga praised. "And yes, I didn't want to miss the chance to catch the first of the season this time, fu."
The now-revealed Moritoki smiled courteously. "My father decided it was finally time for me to take on more responsibility here, and so far it has been very refreshing."
"I believe it, Moritoki-kun, I believe it." Raiga nodded in an understanding tone before gesturing with his hand for his companions to come closer. "You already know my boys, but here you have Taiga-chan, my granddaughter."
"Hi! Nice to meet you!" The brown-haired girl greeted enthusiastically, causing the young man to widen his smile and his cheeks to blush slightly.
E-The pleasure is mine. He replied, stammering, only to be interrupted by Raiga, who raised an eyebrow while the three yakuza chuckled quietly.
"And this is Shirou-kun. The son of a friend of mine who had to go on a trip and left him in my care." The oyabun continued. The redhead stepped forward and raised a hand in greeting, causing the poor young man to keep smiling despite the embarrassed expression that reflected on his face.
"Hello, welcome to the Ryokan Chiyojo." Moritoki greeted him kindly. "But aren't you a bit young to be hunting?"
Shirou laughed nervously. "I don't think I can, I just came to accompany Raiga-jiji."
"He's too young to carry a weapon. Maybe when he's older, but he can take the opportunity to enjoy a walk in the countryside." The grandfather of Taiga commented cheerfully.
"That's true, although there aren't many kids around here to play with." Moritoki mused pensively.
"No problem!" Taiga exclaimed, who had somehow moved to stand behind the redhead during the conversation. "I'll be with him so he won't get bored." He announced while placing his hands on Shirou's shoulders, to which the young man had long since gotten used to.
"Oh, yes. I have no doubt about that, Taiga-chan. But first, I'd like to make the rounds with the guys, and you two are coming with us." Raiga said before turning back to the young man. "And speaking of that, how is my reservation?"
"Completely available, Fujimura-dono." Moritoki answered without hesitation. "The third area is all yours for the next few hours. It's the one with the most wild boars of all we've checked in the last few months, and there are some big ones." He concluded with a gesture using both hands to demonstrate the size of one of those animals.
"Excellent. We'll head to the hunting ground right away then." Raiga announced, signaling his men that it was time to move.
Ryouta paused to whisper something to Moritoki, whose eyes widened slightly before he nodded. "I can accompany you there." Then he turned to an employee of the inn passing by. "Keiichi! Handle the reception for a moment, I'm going to attend to some very important patrons." The poor man barely had time to nod before Moritoki practically shoved him into the seat he had just vacated, and then walked over to Taiga's side.
Blinking at the spectacle, Raiga continued with his walk. The group crossed a long hallway that eventually led them to a terrace. On the left side, it extended as a part of the restaurant but outdoors, while on the right it ended in some stairs leading to a sort of meadow with a couple of trees, surrounded by a fence with several gates.
Shirou soon noticed that it was the same one he had managed to glimpse from the parking lot, and this time he could indeed read the signs. There were several, most of them in bright colors like yellow and red, with messages limited to things like CAUTION, HUNTING ZONE, DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, although there were also others that simply displayed drawings of animals like deer and what seemed to be large pigs.
"That's where Fujimura-dono is going to enter, Shirou-kun." Moritoki commented, causing the redhead to turn to him. The young man pointed at the fence. "Behind that is pure wilderness. Only people who have paid a little are allowed in to hunt twice a year."
"Why only twice a year?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"I'm glad you asked." Moritoki smiled. "You see, it's to ensure that hunters don't kill more animals than necessary. Hunting isn't just a sport; it's something very important here."
"Shirou-kun, could you pass us the box you're carrying?" Another of Raiga's subordinates, whom Shirou remembered as Hajime, asked. He looked at his arms, recalling he was still holding that object and walked over to the rest, who had left their cases on a sort of table.
He handed the box to Hajime, who nodded as a thank you before placing it in a free spot just to open it.
Shirou flinched at the sight inside.
Bullets, all neatly arranged in enviable order within the container and shining, as if they were new.
CLICK
He heard the other cases opening, and he managed to see Ryouta and the third subordinate extracting a long brown form from each, which they confidently held in their arms.
"Ah, Ruger Mini-14." He heard Raiga comment. The redhead turned to see how Taiga's grandfather held his own, nearly identical to the other two except for the fact that it had the lower end ornamented in the pattern of tiger stripes.
It took every ounce of Shirou's willpower not to look at Taiga. Because of things like this, it was inevitable that the poor girl would be forever doomed to her nickname.
"Precise, lightweight, and reliable. Just the way I like it, they're perfect for hunting." Raiga declared, satisfied with his rifle before turning to his men. "Alright boys, the game awaits us."
The stairs leading down to the market were quite long, which resulted in the two taking longer than they anticipated to descend. The fact that they were also being used by others looking to go up didn't help.
According to Kiritsugu's watch, that had taken about three minutes.
As soon as they set foot in the market, the dark-haired man noticed that more than a few pairs of eyes were fixed on him. Some were discreet, but a vast majority had completely abandoned any subtlety in favor of being fully attentive to his presence.
It was to be expected. According to the blonde, this was a place frequented usually by almost the same clientele, so a new face would inevitably become a catalyst for attention. He would need to exercise double caution now.
Although Hyouma had mentioned that violence within the premises was not tolerated, Kiritsugu had survived for so long by not neglecting his instincts for self-preservation.
Killing any fragment of nerves within him inflexibly, he limited himself to maintaining his usual expression, cultivated by experience.
"Gossip is also good currency here," Hyouma commented wisely, looking completely unfazed by the intrigued gazes upon them.
"Speaking from experience," Kiritsugu kept the sarcasm in his tone to a minimum, but it was enough for the blonde to chuckle in amusement.
"Money is money." Hyouma shrugged before starting to walk down one of the aisles. "Now follow me unless you want to stand there like a circus attraction, hmm?"
Kiritsugu complied after giving one last glance at those who seemed intent on keeping their focus on him, soon following the blonde into the same space.
During his travels, the dark-haired man had already been to several esoteric bazaars and similar places. At the very least, in almost every large city around the world with a magical community, one could expect one or more such establishments to be in place, if they weren't already, as was the case with the oldest.
He was aware of the existence of around two dozen scattered throughout the world, each located on a different continent.
In Europe, there was a rather famous one beneath Paris in the more obscure parts of its notorious catacombs called Royaume des Morts, alongside another in Russia, the largest of the hundreds found in the territories that were once under the influence of the now-fragmented Soviet Union.
In America, there were a couple in the United States, with the main one located somewhere in New York City, as well as another with a notorious reputation for misfortune in Mexico City.
In Africa, ironically, there was one that was an open secret. Akodessewa, in Togo, officially cataloged as "the Largest Witchcraft and Voodoo Market in the World." How the Mage Association had tolerated its existence was still a mystery unresolved, although Kiritsugu recalled hearing somewhere that the Atlas Institute couldn't have cared less about such things.
Oceania boasted a rather famous one in Australia, which apparently also served as one of the largest centers for the buying and selling of ghostly species and other supernatural beings.
And Asia, well.
The most famous one was located beneath the city of Istanbul in Turkey, but there was also another in Kolkata, India, and naturally, one that was probably the largest of all, located in Shanghai, China.
Out of all these, Kiritsugu had visited four, not counting some smaller ones in Europe and Asia like the one he was currently exploring. Sometimes with Natalia and other times on his own with Maiya.
All shared a series of characteristics that made them somewhat similar to their mundane counterparts, until one took a closer look at the products, which were the main reason for their divergence.
Each stall had a table, shelves, and other furniture to display their wares. Those with a tent or a larger shop seemed to keep more items out of sight of the customers.
And oh, the variety was astounding.
On the tables lay piles of elongated and twisted bones that occasionally emitted an ominous glow, bags containing all sorts of powders and even tiny crystals, items like chalices and talismans of all shapes and sizes, and one could not miss the preserved remains of various animals.
The eyes of a taxidermy tanuki had been replaced with two orbs of shiny metal, and its jaws were wide open as if about to emit a shriek.
Above it and hanging like an ornament was a small, reddish hand, as if it had been skinned, thrashing uselessly against its bindings.
On the other side, there was a huge ornamented mirror, decorated with reliefs of dragons and currents of air, which instead of showing the reflections of the two in the usual way, projected some kind of monstrous entity with two heads that dissipated as soon as they passed through it.
And in front of them, a stall that looked more like a greenhouse displayed a small tree that seemed ordinary at first glance.
An illusion that quickly shattered when the man tending to it threw a mouse at its roots, which rose up as if they were snakes and impaled the rodent, who slowly appeared to lose color as the tree drained its blood.
One stall had all kinds of bottles and vials, some almost identical to those he had seen at Saitou Reiroukan's Workshop, as well as what seemed to be a huge cauldron behind it and even a refrigerator.
It was tended by a young man with androgynous features and messy hair that reached his neck, who silently greeted Hyouma.
"Seiji Jinga." The blonde informed once they were several meters away from that stall. "His family specialized in local alchemy, but they've been trying to learn about Western practices lately. He's an idiot who thinks he's the second coming of Abe no Seimei, but he's got a good eye for potion and brew-making; it helps that he doesn't usually charge as much compared to others here."
Interesting, but already familiar with Sougen, who had experience in the field of healing brews, Kiritsugu doubted he would need to seek someone else.
"Do you know everyone who has businesses here?" Kiritsugu asked curiously.
"Nah, I'm familiar with several." Hyouma confessed. "But I'm sure there are more than a couple I've never dealt with, directly or indirectly.
What I do know are their names and occupations, but it wouldn't be hard for me to learn their more significant or recent movements."
"I see." Kiritsugu replied. "This place indeed has things. I think I can find what I need here instead of having to go back to the continent."
"Ughh, that would be such a hassle." The blonde commented with a grimace. "And well, you never really clarified what you're looking for, so I don't know where to point you. But don't worry, we'll just go to some of my favorite stalls, and I'll gladly tell you where you can get lost."
"And those are?" Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow.
"Just around the corner." Hyouma indicated, and just as he said, there stood a tent somewhat larger than the rest. It was being watched by two men stationed at the entrance who had unfriendly faces, which didn't change when Hyouma approached them to ask for permission to enter, a request they granted.
The interior was filled with cages and glass tanks, each containing different creatures. Lizards, monkeys, snakes, frogs, and all kinds of arthropods were displayed, as if it was a zoo or a somewhat exotic pet shop.
Except for the detail that there were more than a few animals that were anything but normal.
A spider with disproportionately large legs as big as a chair that seemed to be devouring what remained of a dog.
A grotesque featherless, eyeless bird that tried to scream unsuccessfully in a cage.
A tank of pale brown crabs whose shells appeared to have engravings of angry men's faces.
And other animals of clearly supernatural origin.
"Welcome to Nurarihyon's emporium." Announced a woman with black hair dressed in a pale orange sweater. "Is there anything I can offer you gentlemen?..." She managed to say before furrowing her brow upon sighting Kiritsugu, who immediately felt an alarm ringing in his head, forcing him to reach for his waist.
"Sagara." The woman growled, crossing her arms. "And here I thought the only rats here were the ones I have in cages."
The blonde had paled for a moment before raising an eyebrow, seemingly recognizing the woman as well. "Ritsuka?"
"Suse-san to you." The woman's tone couldn't have been more severe. It was clear that a dispute had taken place between them in the past and it did not seem to have been resolved. "I would ask what you're doing here, but it's obvious."
"... I didn't know you were in Tokyo... or that you worked here." The blonde laughed nervously, trying to break the tension that was forming in the atmosphere.
"I arrived two days ago." Ritsuka commented, without changing her tone or stance. "The old man is an acquaintance of Kuonji-san's witch and went on a trip to Hokkaido to catch a youkai for his collection; until he returns, I'm in charge of the business."
"I see." Hyouma bit his lower lip before continuing. "Look, I really regret that..."
"YOU abandoned ME in the sewers with that stupid chimera." Ritsuka growled. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to escape while that thing was chasing me? It took hours to get out, and on top of that, I was covered in so much grime that not even with thaumaturgy could I get rid of the stench for days!"
To his credit, the blonde looked embarrassed for a moment before sighing. "Yeah, I know. I froze when it happened and just thought about running... But, are you okay, right? When I found you later, you weren't hurt and the chimera had finally died."
"You. Left. ME. THERE." Ritsuka emphasized, pointing at him accusatorily while a purple flame began to flicker at the tip of her index finger, causing Hyouma to back away. "And you're gonna pay for this, Sagara..."
Kiritsugu decided it was enough and let out a fake sneeze to grab the woman's attention, who turned to look at him without releasing the spell she was about to cast.
"I have no idea what grudge you have against him, but I paid him to guide me through this place." Kiritsugu declared calmly. "And for that, I preferably need him in good shape. Would it be possible to postpone your revenge on him until I finish my business here?" He asked.
Ritsuka seemed to ponder this for almost a minute and lowered her hand, only to shoot a small magic bullet at Hyouma, who couldn't dodge it and let out a small groan of pain as it hit his belly.
"Ugh!" He complained, lifting his head with a pained expression. "Why?"
"Don't exaggerate." Ritsuka replied, her gaze unable to hide the pleasure she felt from that. "That was the weakest I could conjure. It's not like it was a Gandr."
"Ugh, witch." Hyouma muttered, shaking his head slightly. Ritsuka chose to ignore him before turning back to Kiritsugu.
"Okay, can I offer you anything, Mr...?" The woman asked.
"Ken." Kiritsugu replied before shaking his head and pointing at the blonde. "Unfortunately, the one with business here is him. He told me that once he was done with this and another, we could get to mine."
"I see." Ritsuka frowned slightly before nodding. "Well, feel free to look at the products, Ken-san. Maybe something will catch your interest. I'll go get what the sewer rat wants."
"Did the old man agree to sell it?" The blonde asked, somewhat surprised, receiving the response of the dark-haired woman nodding coldly.
"It's in the back. Follow me." She continued before walking until she disappeared among a row of cages, with Hyouma following her and leaving the dark-haired man surrounded by the beasts.
Seeing that he had nothing else to do but wait, he decided to take a look around to pass the time.
The closest thing was a crab tank, where the crabs seemed to cluster together without a care and whose black eyes did not lose sight of him.
'Shirou would probably wonder how they cook,' he thought with some humor before looking at the next tank, where he found four pairs of eyes staring back at him intently.
The giant spider seemed to have eaten the remains of the dog a while ago, judging by the blood on its fangs and the absence of remnants. For now, it just remained still in the middle of its prison.
Spiders were animals used as familiars by some magi, and on several occasions, they were extensively modified using thaumaturgy to shape them as efficient killing tools. Natalia had told him about a magus from her homeland who, falling into despair after being labeled as a Sealing Designation, became a kind of Dead Apostle with arachnid attributes after experimenting with himself and his familiars.
The trail that the Association's Assassins and a group of Bounty Hunters followed eventually led them to a school somewhere in Poland, where they encountered horror: the place was practically infested with enormous spider webs and a massive number of spiders that had been devouring the corpses of children and using them as nests to lay their eggs.
Destroying the Apostle had been nothing compared to the titanic task of preventing any of those mutated animals from escaping under the risk of causing an even worse massacre.
Kiritsugu wondered if the spider he was currently observing was something similar.
"Wow, you're ugly." He commented, and the arachnid almost seemed to have heard him, as when he placed a hand on the wall of the tank, it rose up on its hind legs, baring its fangs while spewing a whitish goo at him.
"Ah, I see you caught Kidomaru's attention." He heard Ritsuka's voice behind him, forcing him to turn around. The woman had returned and looked somewhat calmer.
Kidomaru. Kiritsugu repeated, casting a quick glance at the demon spider that emitted a sort of growl from its place.
"A two-year Tsuchigumo. Nurarihyon, the owner of this place, found it in the forests surrounding Yokohama after following a couple of urban legends about a giant spider wandering around. Since it wasn't very big at that time, it didn't take long to catch it, and since then it's been here as one of his favorite pieces." Ritsuka informed before pointing at the spider. "Although it sometimes gives me the creeps, I think my least favorite part is having to feed it once a day."
Kiritsugu nodded. "Tsuchigumo? Like the spider from the legend? I thought they were extinct."
"If you mean the giant spiders of old classified as Monster Beasts, they are." Ritsuka nodded. "Kidomaru belongs to those that descend from Oni that transformed into one. One could say it's more of a demon in the shape of a spider, but it's easier to say it's a Tsuchigumo."
"... I see. And is it for sale?" Kiritsugu continued to inquire.
"Yes, it is. But I don't envy the bank account of whoever wants to buy it." Ritsuka approached and gave a pat to the tank. "This little bastard has a price above six figures, and honestly, it's more beneficial for the old man to keep it here and profit from what it generates."
Ah, I see. Kiritsugu thought. It made sense; parts of spectral species were something very valuable to mages, and they were always willing to pay to have even a piece of them. "And what do they extract from this?"
"Well, the silk is an excellent conductor of magical energy and incredibly durable. And its venom is quite appreciated for its properties; a friend of mine from the Botany Faculty at the Clock Tower almost sold her kidney to buy enough to poison an entire apartment." He commented with some sarcasm.
That caught Kiritsugu's attention. "The Botany Faculty... Did you study there?"
"A couple of years." Ritsuka confessed proudly. "However, I didn't stand out much there. I had to switch to the Curse Faculty, where I graduated under Professor Grazilier with Rank Cause. Did you study at the Clock Tower too?"
Kiritsugu shook his head. He wasn't lying, really. "No, I took a basic course in General Fundamentals in Singapore many years ago, but my sorcerous potential was never high enough to delve deeper. I work as a consultant for a somewhat influential family on the continent."
"Oh, I see. An ex-bounty hunter." Ritsuka deduced, receiving a slight nod of the head in response. "It's not uncommon to see people like you around here, though usually, they're looking for things like weaponry and such for their hunts."
Kiritsugu reacted to that. "Would you happen to know who I could approach here? My matter leans more towards equipment of that sort."
Ritsuka smiled. "You know what, Ken-san? I have someone specific in mind for that."
Raiga and his men had already entered the premises for over half an hour, accompanied by one of the establishment's employees. This left Shirou with the company of Taiga and Moritoki, who occasionally wandered off whenever another employee sought his attention but always returned, trying to strike up a conversation with Taiga with little success.
The redhead, for his part, was relegated to being the third wheel.
One thing he wished to do to entertain himself was to practice his thaumaturgy, something he couldn't do in that moment for obvious reasons.
Thinking a little about that, Shirou let out a sigh as he recalled how much his life had changed since that visit to Misaki.
While he didn't miss the unsettling aura of Mr. Makihisa Tohno, nor had he developed any attachment to his mansion, he couldn't forget a pair of eyes similar to his staring at him intently while making him promise something.
"Will you ever come back?"
Well, Kiritsugu had mentioned that maybe in the summer they could take a trip back there, something Shirou looked forward to.
But it wasn't even April yet and the end of July seemed very distant. So he could only wait and carry on with his life.
To distract himself, he focused his attention on the landscape, admiring the contrast between the urban setting of Miyama and the rural beauty of Fukuoka. He could have spent almost an hour gazing at the vegetation before Taiga finally gave in to one of her more basic instincts.
"... Guh, I'm bored." The brown-haired girl grumbled, resting her head in her hand.
Moritoki, who had apparently been talking about a movie, suddenly fell silent when he realized that the girl wasn't paying attention to him, blushing even more intensely, much to Shirou's confusion.
"What do you want to do, Fuji-nee?" asked the redhead.
"Mou, you should have asked that earlier." Taiga protested, poking Shirou's cheek with her index finger. "I don't know how you could just sit there the whole time without saying anything."
The amber-eyed boy shrugged. He had been bored, yes, but instead of complaining, he had preferred to just relax there.
Something that Taiga, as hyperactive as ever, could never appreciate, but well, that was her loss.
"Eh... There's a game room in the hostel." Moritoki suddenly commented. "It's hardly ever used, but there are plenty of things there to have fun, if you want to go." He offered.
Taiga immediately accepted without giving Shirou a chance to say anything.
The three of them went back inside the building and followed the young man's directions down a second hallway that eventually led them to a somewhat large room filled with sofas and all kinds of seating.
It was a space that starkly contrasted with the traditional atmosphere of the hostel, as almost everything in it was modern. With the exception of a couple of decorations, like a Chinese vase at the entrance and things like a series of noh masks hanging on the walls, it didn't resemble the rest of the place at all.
A bookshelf attached to one wall was filled with old magazines, manga volumes, and at least two entire rows of movies.
On the other side, a dartboard hung on the wall, already having a couple of darts stuck to its surface.
Two tables, separated by several meters and surrounded by chairs, occupied the center, with a series of drawers close by that likely held cases and boards for board games.
And finally, Shirou spotted the silhouette of a foosball table identical to those in the Fuyuki Gallery.
"Oh, wow." Taiga exclaimed, before noticing an armchair that looked like a giant pillow and launching herself onto it, landing on its fluffy surface. "Yay!"
"Is it always like this?" the young man whispered discreetly to Shirou, who simply nodded, causing Moritoki to close his eyes before asking again. "Well, anything you want to do here to shake off the boredom? Watch a movie or something? I think we have almost all the volumes of Yu Yu Hakusho there if I'm not mistaken."
Shirou glanced at the bookshelf but preferred to focus on the foosball table, which he pointed at.
"Can we play?" he asked, and Moritoki nodded in response. "Hey, Fuji-nee. Do you want to play foosball with me now?"
Taiga almost immediately got up from her comfortable seat and walked with Shirou towards the table while Moritoki turned on the switch that activated the machine.
Not even three minutes had passed before Shirou found himself crushed under a score of seven points in favor of Taiga against his three, a consequence of the frantic movements of the brown-haired girl, who managed to shoot the puck into the redhead's goal almost every time, despite Shirou's efforts to block her assaults.
Moritoki played after him, taking his place, and the situation took a turn, as this time it was Taiga who had to go on the defensive against Moritoki's accurate shots, who apparently had been practicing with that board since childhood. Shirou, who served as a glorified referee and moral support for the brunette, didn't have to intervene as the young man scored point after point, much to Taiga's growing frustration.
The redhead didn't have much to laugh about either, as soon as his adoptive sister lost, he got to experience Moritoki's throws firsthand.
Almost an hour passed since they started playing, and the local boy had crowned himself the undisputed champion after winning more than nine games in a row, having only been defeated once by pure luck thanks to Taiga, much to her delight, who seemed to forget the number of victories Moritoki had as if hers had been the only one.
And she decided to cash in on it by insisting on doing another activity.
When Moritoki asked what else she wanted to do, Taiga merely pointed to the dartboard on the wall.
The young man had retrieved the two darts still stuck in it and pulled out a case from a drawer, which he proceeded to place on one of the tables before opening it, revealing it to be the container for the darts.
"Do either of you know how to play this?" asked Moritoki while holding one of the darts. Taiga quickly nodded, while Shirou shook his head, causing the young man to let out a sigh. "Very well, you can go first, Fujimura-san." He said, handing her one of the darts.
"Watch closely, Shirou." The brunette commented, preparing to throw the projectile before lightly biting her tongue. "This is how you make a perfect bullseye. Heeeya!"
The dart shot through the air and ended up lodged in the middle of the second ring, nowhere near the center of the board, much to Taiga's surprise.
"Ahh?!" she exclaimed, complaining. "Give me another one, please!" she demanded from Moritoki, who shrugged before handing her another.
Taiga furrowed her brow and her face took on a mask of absolute concentration as she held the dart and threw it.
Only for it to join the first in the same ring, as if mocking her.
Taiga let out a near-feral growl and stretched out her right hand, where Moritoki placed another dart.
Not ten seconds later, a third dart joined the other two on the board.
Then a fourth.
And a fifth.
And the sixth.
And so on, until reaching double digits. The board was now filled with darts, and none were remotely close to the center.
"Bwaahhhh." Taiga complained with her spirits low upon seeing that. "What's wrong with me today?"
Shirou simply patted her on the head while Moritoki went to retrieve the darts. "Well, Fujimura-san. I think I can safely say today was not your day." He commented, obviously holding back laughter.
"Buuuuu." The brunette whimpered in response.
"Well, Shirou-kun." The redhead turned upon hearing Moritoki address him. "Would you like to give it a try?"
He nodded and walked to where the young man indicated. He positioned himself beside him and placed one of the darts between three fingers of his right hand. "Spread your legs a bit, about hip-width apart, okay?"
Shirou obeyed immediately, causing the young man to smile. "Alright, now place your right foot in front of the other one and imagine a line from it to the dartboard," he pointed out, "once you've done that, make sure your other foot points in the opposite direction."
Raising an eyebrow, Shirou complied again. Moritoki brought his free hand to his chin, as if analyzing something, and added, "Keep your shoulders and hips straight. Don't hunch or move your hips back, think of yourself as a statue."
Seeing that Shirou followed along, he nodded before using both arms to make the redhead bend his right arm and bring the dart to eye level. "Don't grip the dart too tightly or tense up. Throwing a dart isn't about strength, it's about control. And finally, raise the tip of the dart slightly upwards." He instructed, guiding him with one hand until he was satisfied.
"And now what?" Shirou asked once Moritoki stopped giving instructions.
He simply pointed towards the dartboard. "Now, you throw it."
Shirou's amber eyes fixed on the white point in the center of the dartboard as he slowly moved his hand back, and finally threw the dart.
It swiftly crossed the distance to the dartboard and embedded itself deep into the fourth ring, below the target he had visualized.
"Tsk." The redhead complained upon seeing this, only to hear Moritoki give a small round of applause along with Taiga. "Well done, Shirou!" the brunette complimented him.
"Not bad for your first try," the young man admitted with some surprise. "Why the long face?"
"I wanted to hit the bullseye," Shirou grumbled, frowning, causing Moritoki to chuckle lightly.
"Oh, come on, kid. Hitting the target isn't that easy; it takes a lot of practice or an absurd amount of luck to pull it off," he commented, before discreetly gesturing toward the brunette. "And sometimes that luck doesn't work, as you've already seen."
Taiga nodded sagely, realizing that the young man was referring to her, which made her blush with embarrassment.
"Hey, as if you could do it," she huffed, crossing her arms in indignation.
Moritoki merely smiled cheerfully before picking up one of the darts and taking the spot where Shirou had just made his attempt.
He adopted the same stance he had shown the redhead, but instead of pulling his hand back, he simply threw the dart after tilting his wrist.
It flew with enviable speed and ended up perfectly lodged right in the center of the target.
If Taiga's jaw hadn't been firmly attached to her skull, it surely would have dropped to the floor after seeing that.
"..." A fly could have easily slipped in through her mouth, and none of the attendees would have noticed.
"Wow," Shirou exclaimed.
"Did you see what I did?" Moritoki asked as he collected the dart. "I did everything just like you, except for one thing."
"Your arm," Shirou pointed out. "You never moved it. You just threw the dart."
"Not exactly," the young man held the dart, adopting a nearly identical position while slightly moving his wrist. "See? The trick is there. It's true that you need to move your arm down to throw the dart, but it's the wrist that really helps you get it there."
Then he handed it over to Shirou.
"Now, try it again."
The redhead nodded, holding the dart with three fingers while getting into the same position. Letting out a slight sigh, he separated his legs a bit and placed his right foot forward, standing firm as he angled his other foot to the side, and with his eyes traced an imaginary line to the target.
He placed his right arm in front of him, bending it so that his hand was at eye level before slightly raising the tip of the projectile.
"The wrist, never neglect the wrist," Moritoki reminded him.
Shirou closed his left eye while concentrating on the center and tightened his grip on the dart with his three fingers. For a brief moment, the game room of the inn and its occupants faded away, leaving him alone in a blank space, with only the target for company.
Slowly, he began to bend his arm slightly backward, letting the tail of the dart come close to his eye.
The beating of his heart could almost be heard as he balanced the projectile between his fingers.
Then Shirou moved his arm forward, remembering to tilt his wrist, releasing the dart which shot forward and ended up sticking right in the white circle at the center.
The amber-eyed boy gaped at the sight while feeling Taiga hug him from behind, congratulating him. "Well done, Shirou!"
"Thank you, Moritoki-san," the redhead replied, only for the young man to shake his head. "No problem. I've been playing with these things for years; I don't see why I shouldn't share what I've learned with someone else."
"Oh?" Taiga tilted her head slightly to one side as she released Shirou. "I bet the people who play with you curse your skill."
"Haha, I wish," the young man responded while rubbing the back of his neck. "The truth is, it was rare for anyone to play with me. At least when it came to throwing darts, most of the time, I was the only one willing to play. Almost nobody was interested."
"Ah? Why not? It's fun," Taiga asked, a bit confused.
Noticing that the two seemed engrossed in their conversation, Shirou shrugged and walked over to the target, pulling out the dart he had thrown, smiling contentedly at his result.
He headed to the table where the case with the other darts was, and was about to put this one with the rest of the pile when he caught sight of another silhouette at the bottom. Intrigued, he leaned in and noticed a dart very different from the others.
It had a long shaft, completely wrapped in a piece of old cloth with a ring at the tail, and the tip was a triangular, smooth blade that looked like it still had its edge.
More than a dart, it resembled a kind of knife, and for some strange reason, it felt remarkably familiar to him.
He grabbed it by the handle, lifted it, and began to inspect it with curiosity, drawing the attention of the other two.
"Shirou, what do you have there?" Taiga asked before her eyes landed on the knife and she recognized it. "'Is it a kunai?"
"Oh, that old thing." Moritoki sighed at the sight of it. "I forgot it was there. It used to be part of the decor in a living room years ago, but my mother took it out and it ended up with the rest of the darts."
"Where did they buy it?" Shirou asked, still inspecting the dagger.
"I don't know. It's been part of the inn for as long as I can remember; my great-grandfather collected antiques, and this kunai was apparently one of the pieces he bought. My grandfather told me that once his old man claimed it was one of his oldest pieces, but the truth is we've never really believed that."
"Do you think it could be real?" Taiga pressed one of her fingers on the blade. "Maybe it was the weapon a brave ninja used on their last mission." She joked, pretending to take the knife and throw it just like she saw in an old movie.
"Hahaha, I really doubt it." Moritoki shook his head. "Kunai were mostly tools for gardening and masonry. They were that way long before ninjas even existed and remained so when they disappeared. It's more likely that it belonged to some servant who lost it years ago, and some con artist found it and sold it to my great-grandfather."
Noticing how Taiga was holding it, he added, "Plus, contrary to what movies show, kunai were not throwing weapons. For their shape, they're more useful for stabbing something."
"Oh? So they're not useful?" It was as if Taiga's illusion had just been shattered.
"Eh, someone who has practiced with that a hundred times might be able to use it like that." The young man offered thoughtfully. "But to be honest, I don't see anyone doing that without getting desperate."
"Oh, I see." The brown-haired girl nodded, though it was clear she was now somewhat disappointed by the revelation.
Moritoki narrowed his eyes for a minute as an idea formed in his mind, nodding to himself, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.
He placed a hand on the shoulder of the brown-haired girl and gave it a comforting pat.
"Alright, alright." He reassured her. "Come on, let me buy you a drink, okay?"
She was nearly jumping for joy when Taiga accepted the offer.
"Shirou, I'll be right back. Do you want anything?" She asked the redhead, who shook his head. "Alright, just keep this and the other darts for now, okay? I won't be long."
The amber-eyed boy was left alone in the game room and shrugged his shoulders as he placed the kunai on the table and began putting the other darts into their case.
It took him less than a minute to arrange them in there, and he was about to do the same with the kunai.
'Are you really real or not?' He thought, looking at the old knife with curiosity. Moritoki had said it was most likely not, but there was no way to find out.
But Shirou could.
It was something he had discovered by accident while cooking. In one of his many readings about Reinforcement Thaumaturgy, Kiritsugu had made it clear that its effects weren't limited to merely amplifying the physical attributes of an object.
Yes, the most basic application was making a sheet of paper tough enough to break a pencil tip if he tried to stab it with it, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Kiritsugu had replaced an old bulb in the shed with Shirou's help, and out of pure curiosity, the redhead had tried to reinforce it.
Aside from it not breaking (a good testament that his efforts in practice hadn't been in vain), the light emitted from it was much brighter than even the new one.
Apparently, Reinforcement applied to food could enhance its flavor. And it was obvious that with just knowing that, it was inevitable that Shirou would try it.
However, when he attempted to use Structural Analysis to read the structure of the dish he had just repaired, he was taken by surprise when it focused on the knife he had put aside. And what he was reading wasn't the familiar shape of it, but all the times he had handled it to cut something, as well as a couple of times when Taiga or Kiritsugu had done so.
Seeing that Kiritsugu had commented that Structural Analysis was rather useless, Shirou reasoned it wasn't worth telling his father about this. Given his history, it might be something normal, and Kiritsugu probably assumed he had already discovered it.
But the redhead had been somewhat surprised by this and tried doing the same with other objects, getting a range of different results.
Reading one of the pencils he had used for his practice yielded nothing more than that it had been held by him and Kiritsugu a couple of times and had been exposed to a flow of magical energy.
Reading the coffee table in the living room was confusing, and he could only grasp a couple of instances where someone had left something on it.
Reading the doorknob of the bathroom showed him how many times it had been opened in the past few days.
But when he tried to do the same with the practice shinai he used in Kendou against Taiga, it felt like he could relive all the times he had held the wooden sword, almost as clear as if he had seen it on video.
He experienced the same with the other shinai in the place, and he could catch glimpses, albeit less vivid, of the times he had picked them up, as well as Taiga and even Kiritsugu. Not as lively as with his favorite, but it was enough of a clue for the red-haired boy to notice a pattern.
If he concentrated a little more, he could read some history of objects using Structural Analysis. But unless he focused really hard, the information came out jumbled and provided details he didn't understand.
However, some of those problems disappeared when he tried the same technique with items that had a blade, or at least with knives and seemingly wooden swords.
It wasn't as if he could suddenly know everything about the object, but he did obtain a more organized view of its history.
And seeing that a kunai was nothing more than a glorified knife, Shirou was confident he could unravel the mystery of its history without much trouble.
The door was closed, and Taiga and Moritoki would be back soon. He just had to activate his circuits and focus on the kunai; it shouldn't take him more than a minute.
The hammer of the revolver fired in his mind, causing the warm sensation of his magical circuits to envelop his body, but rather than let it distract him, the red-haired boy merely placed his hand on the blade of the kunai before reciting his Aria.
Trace on.
His eyes stared at the blade without blinking, narrowing as if they wanted to pierce it with just his gaze, and then he delved into the abyss of the kunai's history.
He could easily see how he and Taiga had held it, as well as a blurry image of someone putting it back in its case. Following that, he glimpsed a more distinct silhouette handling it several times as if it were a toy, leaving it abandoned on a shelf.
Shirou frowned and pressed the analysis to read more.
The kunai changed hands several more times, and one of the clearer images he saw was it being used as an impromptu nail for a beam, which made him sigh.
Well, mystery solved. Just as Moritoki had stated, there was nothing special about its history.
He was about to release the analysis when the hazy images began to suffer from something he compared to the static of a television.
Huh? Shirou thought, perplexed by a phenomenon he had never experienced before.
Dozens of static images manifested until they finally revealed a semi-clear image of the kunai having a rope tied to its ring and being thrown against a wall.
Someone appeared to ascend via that rope as if practicing climbing, and a pale hand covered in bandages and black folds retrieved the kunai from where it was embedded.
The blade seemed to clash with much larger blades, skillfully maneuvered by its wielder, who then threw it like a dart at someone, successfully stabbing their arm.
Only to pull on the rope, drawing it back quickly to the wielder who...
Shirou gasped at the brutal scene he had just witnessed.
Other shown scenes were almost identical. The kunai being used as a weapon against others and a tool for climbing, even to take someone's life.
But then, these seemed to swirl and slowly the atmosphere turned into something more.
It began with color. A deep red flooded the ambiance of every memory, to the point where Shirou saw nothing but a crimson screen that seemed to drip like a pool of blood.
Shirou tried to release the analysis, but it appeared to have become immersed in the vision to the point where it could not be deactivated, leaving the red-haired boy adrift in a scarlet sea.
A chill ran down
"̵̘̘̫̌̾ş̵͕̠̱͕́̈́̾S̷̮͔͕͔̘̐͗͊̓͘͜͝s̸̠͇̮͉̞̙̟̥̎͌̂͊̅͝S̷̨̤̜̙͎̻̟̈́͒͊̈́̉̚s̷̹͎͓͙̒́͗͝S̶̮̩̀̐̃͛̾ṣ̷̪̹͉̌́̍͂S̷̗̙̚s̶̩̳͍̙̻̝̼͒́̏̓͒̏̈̈́ͅṢ̶̘̳͚̏͊͌̏̅s̷̥͚̤̗̄̉~̸̢͓̀͑"̶͚̙͖̥̩̖̲̋̇̈́̀͊͋̕͘
A monstrous hiss echoed throughout the room, making him grit his teeth as he attempted to release the analysis once more, but without any success.
"̵̘̘̫̌̾ş̵͕̠̱͕́̈́̾S̷̮͔͕͔̘̐͗͊̓͘͜͝s̸̠͇̮͉̞̙̟̥̎͌̂͊̅͝S̷̨̤̜̙͎̻̟̈́͒͊̈́̉̚s̷̹͎͓͙̒́͗͝S̶̮̩̀̐̃͛̾ṣ̷̪̹͉̌́̍͂S̷̗̙̚s̶̩̳͍̙̻̝̼͒́̏̓͒̏̈̈́ͅṢ̶̘̳͚̏͊͌̏̅s̷̥͚̤̗̄̉~̸̢͓̀͑"̶͚̙͖̥̩̖̲̋̇̈́̀͊͋̕͘
The hissing returned, with twice the intensity, filling him with a tremendous panic that only grew as he felt that something was getting closer.
"̵̘̘̫̌̾ş̵͕̠̱͕́̈́̾S̷̮͔͕͔̘̐͗͊̓͘͜͝s̸̠͇̮͉̞̙̟̥̎͌̂͊̅͝S̷̨̤̜̙͎̻̟̈́͒͊̈́̉̚s̷̹͎͓͙̒́͗͝S̶̮̩̀̐̃͛̾ṣ̷̪̹͉̌́̍͂S̷̗̙̚s̶̩̳͍̙̻̝̼͒́̏̓͒̏̈̈́ͅṢ̶̘̳͚̏͊͌̏̅s̷̥͚̤̗̄̉~̸̢͓̀͑"̶͚̙͖̥̩̖̲̋̇̈́̀͊͋̕͘
He closed his eyes, trying to conjure again and again in his mind the image of the hammer being fired as terror threatened to make his heart explode.
He didn't want to look, he didn't want to look.
"̵̘̘̫̌̾ş̵͕̠̱͕́̈́̾S̷̮͔͕͔̘̐͗͊̓͘͜͝s̸̠͇̮͉̞̙̟̥̎͌̂͊̅͝S̷̨̤̜̙͎̻̟̈́͒͊̈́̉̚s̷̹͎͓͙̒́͗͝S̶̮̩̀̐̃͛̾ṣ̷̪̹͉̌́̍͂S̷̗̙̚s̶̩̳͍̙̻̝̼͒́̏̓͒̏̈̈́ͅṢ̶̘̳͚̏͊͌̏̅s̷̥͚̤̗̄̉~̸̢͓̀͑"̶͚̙͖̥̩̖̲̋̇̈́̀͊͋̕͘
The surprise made her open her eyes, encountering the same red screen with no signal of anything else.
But then...
"̵̘̘̫̌̾ş̵͕̠̱͕́̈́̾S̷̮͔͕͔̘̐͗͊̓͘͜͝s̸̠͇̮͉̞̙̟̥̎͌̂͊̅͝S̷̨̤̜̙͎̻̟̈́͒͊̈́̉̚s̷̹͎͓͙̒́͗͝S̶̮̩̀̐̃͛̾ṣ̷̪̹͉̌́̍͂S̷̗̙̚s̶̩̳͍̙̻̝̼͒́̏̓͒̏̈̈́ͅṢ̶̘̳͚̏͊͌̏̅s̷̥͚̤̗̄̉~̸̢͓̀͑"̶͚̙͖̥̩̖̲̋̇̈́̀͊͋̕͘
The infernal hissing sounded once more, but it did not come from behind his back or from either side.
It came from above.
Shirou raised his gaze and was met with horror.
The sky, if it could be called that, was a thick reddish curtain that covered everything, occupied by an immense, dark mass from which eight titanic, bulging necks emerged, ending in eight equally repulsive heads that opened their jaws wide, revealing rows of fangs and the abysses they led to.
"̵̘̘̫̌̾ş̵͕̠̱͕́̈́̾S̷̮͔͕͔̘̐͗͊̓͘͜͝s̸̠͇̮͉̞̙̟̥̎͌̂͊̅͝S̷̨̤̜̙͎̻̟̈́͒͊̈́̉̚s̷̹͎͓͙̒́͗͝S̶̮̩̀̐̃͛̾ṣ̷̪̹͉̌́̍͂S̷̗̙̚s̶̩̳͍̙̻̝̼͒́̏̓͒̏̈̈́ͅṢ̶̘̳͚̏͊͌̏̅s̷̥͚̤̗̄̉~̸̢͓̀͑"̶͚̙͖̥̩̖̲̋̇̈́̀͊͋̕͘
The eight heads hissed before descending rapidly from the heights, all while Shirou could do nothing but scream and scream...
"Ugh." Shirou's eyes shot open, and he dropped the kunai onto the table. Apparently, at some point during the vision, he had grabbed it and lifted it in front of him.
"What the hell was that?" he wondered, rubbing his temple, feeling a bit sore from the sensation. First, he had been seeing a bit of the kunai's recent history, but then it had shown him violent scenes of one of its owners, who apparently had been a ninja, and out of nowhere...
Everything had turned red, and he had been trapped there with the vision of a multi-headed demon serpent...
What the hell did that mean? What did that thing have to do with the kunai? More than finding answers, Shirou had stumbled upon more questions.
His head was burning; it felt like he had contracted a fever out of nowhere or...
His eyes widened as he realized that his magical circuits were still active, emitting a constant signature of magical energy. A signature that, while no ordinary person could notice, someone with a sense like his or accustomed to dealing with such matters would pick up immediately.
Quickly, he deactivated his circuits after imagining the trigger in his mind and let out a sigh of relief when it worked, unlike in that vision.
And speaking of that.
Shirou took another look at the kunai lying on the table with a somewhat anxious expression. He had bitten off more than he could chew with that, and while nothing more than a scare had happened, he shouldn't tempt fate next time.
"I'm going to have to tell Kiritsugu." He reasoned with a grimace, sighing once more. What a day, just when he thought everything was going to be normal.
Just then, the door opened, revealing Taiga.
"Shirou, let's go eat. Grandpa came back a while ago and started cooking the boar he hunted."
The redhead felt his interest pique and walked towards the brown-haired girl; to be honest, he was a bit hungry.
He was halfway there when he blinked, seeing a name appear in his mind out of nowhere, one that seemed to have come from the kunai's blurry memories.
Chiyome.