Beta read by Shigiya, Paragon of Awesomeness and FabledLife
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-???-
It was dark.
A kind of darkness so absolute that not even the faintest glimmer of light could slip through it, making even the simple act of glancing down at her own body feel like staring into the abyss. Yami couldn't even see the clothes she always wore. The girl could not remember how she had ended up in this place. There was no memory, no trail of thought, no signs, no sound, nothing at all. Just an oppressive, ink-black void that seemed intent on swallowing not just her surroundings but her very sense of self.
Despite having faced countless dangerous targets across the stars, abominations of all sorts, aliens who held the power to destroy cities, and even an absurdly powerful human mage whom, to this day, she still could not understand. Yet despite all of that, in this moment, Yami felt a chill that made her tense. Not fear exactly, but unease. The kind that dug into the back of your mind when something was not right.
"Is someone there?" she asked aloud, or at least she thought she did. No sound came from her lips. The silence was suffocating, so thick it drowned out her own voice, leaving only a faint whisper she could barely hear inside her own head.
Time passed, but how long was impossible to say. Seconds may have been minutes, but those minutes turned into hours until the passing of time itself felt meaningless. The longer she stood there, the more the unease within her heart began to twist into something deeper, into dread. It was not because of the dark, not because of the void, or even the solitude. She had lived with those for far too long to be shaken by them.
No. This was different.
It was the feeling that she wasn't alone. That someone, or something, had been watching her all this time.
"Come out," she warned them, not backing down from the possibility of this ending up in a fight.
And then it appeared.
Without a sound or flash of light, a figure stood before her. Strands of blonde hair, much like hers, long and soft, shimmered faintly against the blackness. Red eyes, jewel-like in their clarity, stared back at her. The body was that of a young girl, identical to her in both size and shape. It was like looking into a mirror that had been warped.
"You are… me?" Yami whispered, her voice finally escaping in the barest breath.
But this version of herself wasn't right. The claw-like hands, horns curled subtly from the sides of her head, and a smile that did not belong on her face… both foreign and unsettling. Her heart skipped a beat. Something was off; she did not like this.
The sight of this twisted reflection sent a ripple of revulsion up her spine.
Then the reflection raised one hand, which transformed in an instant. The appendage pulsed with dark energy, and in that instant, Yami realized her body wasn't responding. Her hair did not shift. Her arms refused to move. She couldn't even raise a finger to protect herself.
"No. Go away," she managed to whisper, her voice trembling. The dread inside her now surged with intensity. Her mirror image stepped forward, step by step, closing the distance.
The blade caught what little light existed. It was raised overhead.
Then it fell.
"—!"
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Eyes snapped open as the young blonde girl shot upright from the bed, her body drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, beating like a war drum.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Yami could barely catch her breath. It felt as if she had just escaped a brush with death, yet her mind struggled to grasp what she had just seen. The images were slipping away, surreal and fragmented, refusing to settle into anything coherent. Dreams like this were rare for her. In fact, she couldn't recall the last time she had dreamed at all, let alone something that felt so vividly real. But that figure in the dream, the one with her face, lingered like a shadow in her memory. It… was her? How? She could not recall taking such a twisted form at any point in her life.
"Hm? Did something happen, Yami?"
A groggy voice stirred beside her. The young assassin turned to see Mikan lying next to her, barely awake, her eyes fluttering open as she let out a soft groan.
"What the hell… is it already six? The sun is not up yet… It's probably going to rain," the brunette mumbled, stretching like a cat and yawning while reaching up to ruffle her untamed bed hair. Yami remained seated on the bed, her expression mostly stoic as usual, the girl silent. Her mind was elsewhere, trying to piece together whatever fragments of the dream she could hold onto before they faded completely. It wasn't until Mikan glanced over and noticed her state that she finally spoke again.
"Had a nightmare?"
"…I think so."
It had been years since she had dreamed at all. Most nights, she closed her eyes only to open them again to another morning—no visions, no stories, just darkness. It could not even be called sleeping, for she used to merely close her eyes while constantly keeping an ear out for any unexpected attacks. Half asleep while also half awake, the luxury of fully letting her mind take a break was not something she could afford most times before this. Now that things were different, she began letting herself rest more… yet she never dreamed.
So the fact that she had dreamed now at all left her slightly unsettled.
"How… did I get here?"
After she started training with Emiya, Yami found herself visiting his household more often, and each session left her exhausted. While her strength mostly remained the same, she grew more familiar with using the blade and managing her stamina, mostly—for it was the only way to contest against him. If he could surpass her in terms of skills, then she would simply attempt to outlast the man.
A surprisingly effective strategy, just yesterday she nearly managed to end the bout with a draw… the bruises back then were well worth it.
"Shirou brought you in," Mikan replied as she rose from the bed. "You passed out before dinner, again, so we figured we'd just let you sleep and save some leftovers for you in the fridge. Even though he barely had any energy to cook. I had to ask Lala to drag him away from the kitchen, and it was not easy."
She grabbed a high school uniform for Yami this time, which she placed near her side, the latter glancing at it with a blank stare. "I already ironed it out last night, but make sure that it's your size. We still have a day left before you start school. Nana and Momo already handled things on their side."
Right… the twins had decided to enroll themselves as well as her into Sainan High after they got bored just staying home all day, every day. A decision that Emiya did not seem to mind, strangely enough, only telling them not to cause a ruckus for him. Mikan was the one suggesting that she also join, rather than just spending her time walking around the city without having much to do.
Yami was not sure about such a decision; school did not seem like something suited for her.
A moment later, Mikan left the room, returning seconds later with a toothbrush in her mouth, brushing as she stared absently at Yami for a long moment. The way her eyes lingered caught the blonde off guard.
"Hm?"
"You're not having those kinds of dreams about my brother, are you?"
"…What?"
"The adult kind."
Yami tilted her head, not understanding at first. But then the meaning hit her. Her eyes widened slightly, and the faintest flush of pink dusted her cheeks. She frowned and narrowed her eyes at the girl whom she'd come to think of as a friend.
"Pervert."
"You're the one whispering his name in your sleep."
"I did?"
For a moment, Yami froze. She didn't know what to say. The idea that she had said Emiya's name aloud in her sleep filled her with a strange mix of embarrassment and confusion, for she could not recall doing so in the dream at all! Mikan didn't look like she was teasing, which made it worse. There was no sarcasm in her tone, only casual honesty.
Yami turned away, unable to meet her gaze. She had no explanation for it. No answer. No comeback. And somehow, that made it all the more frustrating.
But to her surprise, Mikan just shrugged and began walking off.
"Well, whatever. I won't pry about it. Since you're already up, can you do me a favor? Could you wake up both Shirou and Rito? Oh, and Shirou just moved into the new room Lala made for him; she just got done building it yesterday. I'm not taking any chances going inside a bedroom that has those two together so early in the morning."
Mikan began changing clothes without much fanfare, while Yami sat on the bed, still trying to process everything.
'Maybe I really am getting sick again,' she thought.
Such changes in her psyche could not be natural. Perhaps she had caught some sort of illness that her body wasn't equipped to fight off, or maybe there was some deeper malfunction occurring within her. Either way, it was probably best to visit Dr. Mikado later for a proper check-up, where she could hopefully get a diagnosis.
Several minutes passed. Her hair was now neatly arranged as it had been done every day for years, but now Yami was no longer wearing her gothic leather gear and instead was wearing casual clothes that Momo got for her. Without further hesitation, she left the room and padded quietly down the corridor. Her destination was marked by a red door that hadn't been there a few days ago — a new addition to the ever-growing house, despite it not getting any bigger on the outside. With a brief pause, she reached out and twisted the handle, letting the door creak open as she stepped into the room.
It was large but simple. Old-fashioned, even. Spartan might have been the more appropriate word for the barebones style present. The furnishings were few: a modest bookshelf tucked into the far corner, a low table with a small television atop it, and a second, narrow table pressed against the wall. Compared to Mikan's more lively and decorative space, this room seemed almost monastic. Still, that wasn't what caught Yami's eye.
Her gaze was already fixed on a certain pair of figures lying together on the large bed.
There, sleeping in perfect stillness, were two people. Emiya is the one responsible for the recurring bruises on her body over the past few days. She suspected he wasn't entirely human at all. Beside him lay Lala, the pink-haired princess whose father ruled over an entire galaxy. The scene was peaceful. Calm.
At least at first glance.
What made her brow twitch, however, had nothing to do with the fact that they were sharing the same bed. That part no longer surprised her. She had heard enough from Rito and seen enough with her own eyes to know that Lala's habit of sneaking into Emiya's room had become something of a nightly routine. Having even learned about the many failed attempts to stop it, from simply locking the door, to sealing the windows shut, to using those strange swords he called Black Keys that pinned people down by their shadows.
None of it worked.
No matter the method, Lala always found her way in. Even drugging her with sleeping pills hadn't helped. Somehow, every morning, she would be there, right beside him.
Apparently, even the redhead had given up trying.
And Lala had taken that as a victory.
But that wasn't the issue now. No, what made Yami's eyes twitch was their complete lack of clothes. Lala lay there without a single thread covering her, black tail swishing contentedly while she clutched Emiya's arm against her bare, sizable chest. Her long, smooth legs were thoroughly entangled with his, and beneath his chin, her face wore the unmistakable expression of someone who had gotten exactly what they wanted, nuzzling against the crook of his neck and breathing in his scent. The princess looked utterly at peace, as if she'd claimed her rightful place in the universe—which, apparently, was wrapped around this particular human.
"Hehehe… Shirou… let's go for another round," the princess mumbled in her sleep, tightening her grip on him.
To make matters worse, he wasn't alone in being smothered. Another source of discomfort was curled up on top of his face, Celine, the Plantas child, had apparently claimed his head as her personal pillow. Her tiny body rose and fell with his breaths, probably making it harder for him to breathe, and judging by the way his brow twitched in frustration, he was most certainly not enjoying getting slowly suffocated by the adorable little plant girl.
Without even realizing it, Yami found herself standing beside the bed. Wordlessly, she reached down and lifted the small green girl with practiced gentleness, setting her down on his chest instead. The moment his face was freed, his expression eased. His features, previously tense and strained, relaxed into something softer.
He looked so relaxed.
The thought drifted into her mind before she could stop it. It was strange, unsettling even. She was so used to seeing him frowning, scowling, or smirking most times, always calm and unshakable, that this unguarded version of him felt like an entirely different person. For once, he actually looked his age. Just a boy, no different from Rito and his friends.
Her eyes wandered downward.
His right hand, unlike the rest of him, remained untouched. It hung freely off the edge of the bed, just beyond Lala's reach, resting gently against the blanket.
Yami still felt the lingering echoes of the dream as she stood there, an uneasy flutter beneath her skin refusing to quiet down. A strange restlessness clung to her, something close to fear gnawing at the edges of her thoughts. She couldn't quite explain why it had such an impact on her. The sensation was still too fresh, too vivid. But then, her mind drifted to a particular memory from the first day he started practicing the sword with her. That subtle comfort she felt when his hand had rested on her head, a gesture really.
'He wouldn't mind it, would he?'
The question slipped through her mind uninvited. She had no definite answer, but she was willing to try. If it helped her stay focused, if it helped her wake up refreshed and ready to protect Mikan like he would have wanted, then it was worth it.
So, slowly and carefully, Yami moved to sit beside the bed. Her fingers hesitated for only a second before she leaned in, gently lowering her head to rest against the mattress. Her hands reached up and, with the utmost care, picked up his relaxed arm. She guided his hand until it lay softly atop her head.
"Oh."
The warmth returned instantly, just as it had the night before. A comforting ease began to flow through her, melting the last traces of unease from her body. The fear and tension that clung to her melted away, as if carried off on a breeze. Her golden eyes, heavy with a tiredness that sleep had failed to alleviate, began to droop.
"Just five minutes. Then I'll wake him up."
She whispered, feeling the drowsiness creeping in again. Despite the long rest she had already taken, that sensation of being drawn into slumber pulled at her gently, steadily.
A white flash and a mechanical click sound instantly caught her attention.
"—!?"
Her eyes snapped open in an instant. The noise and light came from the door. Her head shot up, and to her growing horror, she found two familiar faces peeking into the room. Momo stood front and center, a grin stretched across her lips. Right beside her, Nana stared in disbelief and a hint of… jealousy? Worse still, Momo already had her D-Dial out, its screen faintly glowing.
She had taken a picture… didn't she…
"Princess Momo. Princess Nana."
For some inexplicable reason, panic surged through the former assassin. She didn't know why she reacted like that. What she had done wasn't strange or inappropriate, and yet, her heart beat faster and her face turned bright red like a kid who'd just been caught red-handed trying to steal from the cookie jar.
"Oh my, would you look at that," Momo purred with a devious smirk. "The stoic and serious Golden Darkness has turned into a needy little girl, begging for a head pat from her dear onii-chan. I wonder how Mikan would react to this? Will she get jealous?"
A chill ran down Yami's spine. Dread crept into her chest like ice, spreading fast. Her eyes sharpened immediately.
"Delete it. Now."
Her voice was quiet but firm. Even if they were royalty, that picture could not be allowed to exist and could cause a major misunderstanding she did not want to deal with!
"I don't think so~" Momo replied sweetly. "It would be a real shame to lose such an adorable photo of you and of a rather spicy piece of blackmail material, don't you think so, Nana?"
"Shhhh! You two will wake him up! And don't drag me into this!"
That was it; if negotiations didn't work, then she would need to rely on actions.
"Hyaa!"
The startled squeal left Momo's lips as Yami's hair flared to life, blonde strands twisting and forming into a pair of hands that launched straight toward the phone. But Momo was quick to react, already having her D-Dial glow a bright white light before a large wall of vines emerged between them and blocked the hands made of hair.
"This is your final warning."
Yami's voice dropped into a growl as more hands began to form from her hair, moving like trained predators ready to strike. At the same time, several of Momo's plants were summoned, all of them resembling venus flytraps, sunflowers with vines in place of their roots, and roses with fangs. "Come now, it is just a picture, there is no need to react like that. I was just joking earlier, Mikan wouldn't get jealous!" As the princess said that, her plants uncurled and rose defensively, their leaves quivering.
"I cannot take the risk." Yami retorted, her hands turning into blades which then pointed at the twins, who were beginning to look a bit pale. "You have no other choice, Princess. Delete it now yourself, or I will cut that phone into pieces if I have to."
"Um… t-there is no need to overrea—ah!"
The hallway had turned into a battlefield at this point, with it mostly being Momo trying to stay as far away from her attacker as possible while making sure her D-Dial would not get sliced apart. Gulping at how murderous the blonde looked, as if she had done something unforgivable.
She was just trying to tease her a bit!
"Enough." A gruff voice reached her ears and stopped everyone in their tracks. "The sun is not even fully out yet, and a lot of you are already causing a commotion this early."
"Hmmm…"
A sleepy hum escaped Lala's lips as she stirred awake, her arms stretching lazily over her head. She made no attempt to cover herself, her ample chest rising and falling with each breath, the morning chill drawing a small shiver from her body. Without hesitation, she snuggled closer to Emiya, seeking warmth.
"Good morning, Shirou," she mumbled in a groggy voice. Her hand reached up toward him, and without a moment's pause, she pressed a quick kiss against his lips.
It happened so casually and naturally that no one else in the room had time to react.
"This would've been a better morning if you'd just stayed in your room," Emiya muttered, voice thick with fatigue. There wasn't even a trace of irritation in his tone anymore, suggesting this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. "At this point, why do you even have a bed if you're never going to sleep on it?"
"You're warm, and you smell good. It reminds me of my workshop."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Why are there so many people here today?" Lala blinked a few times, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She sat up slowly, glancing around and taking in the unusual scene. "Yami? Momo? Nana? Did you all want to sleep with Shirou too?" she asked before smiling. "It's fine if you do, I made the bed big for a reason!"
Her question had all three girls blushing fiercely, but before any of them could form a reply, Lala's eyes landed on the corner of the room, where several of Momo's plant creatures stood locked in a tense standoff against a cluster of animated golden hair tendrils. A battle line had clearly been drawn.
"Eh? This looks fun. What game are you playing?"
"They're fighting," Emiya replied flatly.
"Why?"
"Your sister took a picture of Yami while I was patting her head, and now she's embarrassed and wants it deleted."
The moment he said it, Yami's entire body stiffened. Her gaze snapped toward him, eyes wide. Her mind reeled.
He knew?
He had been awake the entire time?
Her jaw tightened. That meant… he had let her do it. He hadn't stopped her, hadn't said a word. All this time, he was just lying there, letting her rest like that.
"I didn't want to disturb you," the man said gently, as though reading her thoughts. "You looked tired, and Celine does get a bit rowdy if you wake up early."
So he had been awake. The blush that had already started to form on Yami's cheeks deepened to a furious crimson that spread to her entire face. A storm of emotion swelled within her: confusion, embarrassment, frustration, something she couldn't even name. It clashed together in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Ah—Yami!"
White wings burst open behind her in a sudden flare, and without another word, she launched herself straight through the window. Glass shattered in her wake as she vanished into the sky, unable to bear the weight of the moment or face anyone in the room.
"Idiot."
She muttered the word to herself under her breath, flying with no direction. She didn't understand why she had acted that way. It was just a dream, just a strange, lingering feeling, and yet she had done something she couldn't explain even if she tried.
'Will he think I'm a pervert?'
The irony struck her bitterly. She had spent years scorning people who acted impulsively based on feelings they didn't understand, and now here she was, no better than the ones she used to judge.
Still, her fingers slowly drifted to the top of her head.
The warmth had been real. That strange, calming sensation had worked. Her thoughts felt clearer, and the nightmare's grip on her mind had finally loosened.
"I'll buy some taiyaki for the others." And with that whisper, she kept flying.
Until she noticed a figure on the streets waving at her, wearing a similar kind of leather armor with a cheerful smile on her face.
What was she doing here…
{Break}
(A few hours later )
-Sainan commercial district-
The gentle tapping of fingers against a smartphone screen echoed softly beneath the hum of city life. Emiya sat with his back straight, blending in with the overall surroundings, as he sent a few quick replies to his sister and the twins. The chaos from earlier that morning had already consumed most of his mental energy, dragging him into responsibilities when all he had hoped for today was a little time to himself, maybe even a chance to do retouching on the walls around the house, which had been worn down with time.
Yet here he was, not even noon, and his entire day had already filled itself out.
Other than finding Yami and reassuring her that he wasn't angry about anything and that she really didn't need to be embarrassed, something else had popped up rather unexpectedly. A message from Ryouko. Just one line, no explanation.
[Would you like to go on a date with me?]
Bold, direct, and uncharacteristically void of any preamble or teasing. He had known her long enough to sense something more behind it. That woman was definitely not the type to ask such a thing over a text message. She loved to verbally tease from time to time, but never through text, where she kept things professional, funnily enough — unless there was a deeper reason. Which meant she probably wanted to talk about something important, and this was just her way of making sure he showed up.
He had answered in seconds, asking for time and location. Her reply had been just as fast, as if she'd been sitting with her screen on, waiting for him to respond. He left the house with a simple black buttoned shirt with a white shirt underneath and the first pair of matching pants inside his closet he could find.
Nothing special, or else both Rito and Mikan would start stalking him like before.
Now, he found himself in the middle of the city, seated on a bench just outside a mall, watching the large minute hand reach twelve. Right on time.
"How rare, you look very fashionable, Emiya."
The voice came from in front of him, familiar and amused. He looked up and blinked.
Ryouko stood before him, a soft smile on her lips, her posture relaxed yet striking enough to turn heads. She wore a cream-colored sweater that hung loosely around her frame, dipping low enough to show off her bare shoulders and an ample amount of cleavage framed by two thin black straps. A rather short skirt hugged her hips, and black stockings ran down to her high heels, the shine on them catching the light with each step she took.
Most people who knew Ryouko would expect to see her in her signature lab coat or her relaxed house attire, that frilly pink shirt she wore without care. This, by contrast, was captivating. A few people walking by even paused to whisper among themselves, speculating if she were some sort of celebrity or model.
Still, his eyes didn't linger on the clothes or the attention she drew.
They landed instead on what was hiding just behind her.
Peeking out as if she hoped to blend into the shadows was a smaller figure, pressed close to Ryouko like a frightened kitten. Her long blue hair reached her lower back, and her round face peeked out timidly from behind Ryouko's arm. Her presence triggered a memory, one involving a ghostly assistant who had once opened a door for him, only to become so startled she had quite literally fainted and let her soul leave her body for a moment.
"Nothing to say?"
"Just can't seem to find the proper words, I'm not used to seeing you like this. I also see we have company. Who might this little guest of ours be?" he asked, the faintest trace of amusement in his voice.
The girl flinched behind Ryouko once more. Her grip on the older woman's sweater tightened so severely that he half expected her to tear the fabric right off.
"I wasn't expecting this to be a double date."
"Sorry, it was a last-minute decision," she replied with a soft chuckle. "I've been holding this back for a while now. Shizu tends to lose her nerve at the worst possible moment, so I figured it was best to go through with it while she still had the courage. But don't worry, our second date will indeed be just the two of us, wherever you want."
She said it so casually, but he could tell from her tone that she meant it. If she was being serious, then there was no reason to doubt her. And even without needing her to explain, he could already guess the real reason Shizu had come along.
"Alright then."
He rose from the bench, walking toward the two of them. The smaller girl looked at him as though he were some kind of massive beast, eyes wide, lips trembling, her entire body practically vibrating with anxiety. Her skin had gone pale, and the way she clung to Ryouko's arm made it clear she had zero interest in any interaction.
So, he stopped a good distance away, not wanting to scare her further.
"I don't think I ever had the chance to properly introduce myself to you," he said calmly. "Hello there, you can call me Emiya. I still owe you thanks for helping me save Ryouko that day."
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"…Ever since then, she has been practically traumatised by you, Emiya. At this rate, I truly believe she fears you more than she fears dogs, which is saying something, given that even that chihuahua from a block away would make her manifest her telekinetic abilities and cause chaos."
"You didn't have to put it like that, Sensei!"
"Fufufufu~! Forgive me, I just couldn't help myself~!"
At a small café with iron tables lined neatly in a small patio along the pavement, the trio sat together under the shade of a leafy awning. Steam curled gently from a pair of coffee cups while a glass of fruit juice sat untouched before the ghost girl. Ryouko took the reins of the conversation, her voice animated as she tried to ease the younger girl's discomfort — he appreciated the effort. He'd had a similar conversation with the nurse once before, though back then, there hadn't been a third guest present, especially not one so directly impacted by the events of that night.
"I remember now. One of the class pet rabbits had escaped, and I was searching for it inside that abandoned building."
As he spoke, the fragmented details began stitching together in his mind. The chill wrapping around his body, that eerie numbness crawling through his limbs, he remembered it clearly. That strange sensation, like something trying to slip beneath his skin and replace him from the inside out.
Slowly, his gaze shifted to Shizu.
"So it really was you that night."
No wonder she looked like she'd seen a ghost, despite being one herself. Still, her reaction made far more sense now. The laws governing spirits in this world were clearly different from his own. Here, ghosts could not only interact with the living but were visible to ordinary people, even those not attuned to the supernatural. That alone bent the rules he was used to a great deal.
From what he could piece together, whenever her soul fled her body and attempted to inhabit someone else's, it seemed to temporarily override the original soul's connection to the body, yet didn't displace it. How she hadn't damaged her own soul or those being possessed in the process was a mystery he had neither the time nor the desire to unravel. It wasn't the reason he'd come here, and it wouldn't be something he'd pursue in the future either.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you. That was never my intention, and I truly did not wish to harm you. So please, accept my apology."
He lowered his head in a respectful bow, his voice calm, sincere, and devoid of any theatricality. The gesture caught both Ryouko and Shizu off guard. The ghost girl flinched, her cheeks flushing bright pink as she frantically waved her hands.
"Please, there's no need to do that! Lift your head!"
"Does that mean you accept my apology?" he asked without moving, his forehead still pointed toward the tabletop.
Was the situation embarrassing? Not particularly. Whether or not the passersby stopped to watch or misread the exchange was irrelevant to him. Ryouko was someone important to him, someone who had offered help more than once. Not just him either, but she'd also assisted those he cared about. And Shizu, timid as she was, was clearly being groomed as the woman's student and perhaps even her eventual successor. If that were the case, she might one day be responsible for those around him as well.
He had no intention of letting an old misunderstanding shape her view of him.
"Muuh! Please listen to me! If you keep doing this, Run and Nana will get mad at me!"
"I'll handle them."
"People are staring at us!"
"Let them. It's not as if they can do more damage than what I've already done to you."
"Why are you being so stubborn?"
"I'd rather call it sincerity. Mixed with a little passion to earn your forgiveness."
His words brought a muffled laugh from Ryouko, who looked as though she was thoroughly enjoying herself, watching the exchange unfold like a midday soap opera. Shizu, on the other hand, was turning redder by the second, flustered and unsure how to respond.
"Having been a ghost for so long… and having gone through something like that, a near-death experience, I understand that it's not something you can simply forgive on the spot. So rest assured, from now on I will try my best to find a way to—"
"Alright, I forgive you!"
Unable to withstand the pressure a moment longer, the girl suddenly leapt from her seat and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him upright in one swift motion. Her eyes shimmered with the threat of tears as she glared at him with all the authority she could muster.
"I forgive you already, so stop making a scene!"
Oh? So she could now touch him without shrieking in fear. That was progress, he supposed. Glancing at her expression, her cheeks puffed in a flustered pout and her brows furrowed with frustration, he wouldn't lie, he did feel a flicker of temptation to tease her further. But instead, he offered a gentle, honest smile.
"Thank you. One day, come visit me at school. I'll make you something good to eat as a way to make up for my mistake, or you can just think of something to request yourself."
"Geez, I already told you that you don't need to go that far… It was my mistake in the first place. I shouldn't have tried to possess you without your permission. But-but if you really are serious about listening to one of my requests, then I want you to date Run for real this time!" She turned her gaze away, embarrassed, and stared at the ground as though it held something worth studying.
"Run?" Since when did those two become such good friends? Then again, Ren and his sister were visiting the clinic regularly for check-ups, so it made sense.
Watching her now, far more subdued than when they began, he glanced at the nurse. The older woman gave him a knowing look, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"I'm still curious as to what's going on with her; it doesn't seem like the girl has any genuine feelings for me. So why go through all this trouble?" he asked, though Shizu was not able to give him any answer in return. "But if that is truly your request, then I will see what to do after talking to her when we meet again, is that satisfactory?"
She quickly nodded her head several times like a bobblehead,
"Is that really all you wanted to ask of me? Nothing that would benefit you alone?"
Her silence as she looked a bit uncertain at first made it clear that she indeed had something in mind, so he kept his silence and waited for her to continue.
"I-If you don't mind me asking, Emiya… are you… Are you really human?"
The question caught him off guard, not because it hadn't occurred to him before, but because she had finally summoned the courage to ask. Her tone was hesitant, but she looked him in the eye as she waited for a response.
"What do you mean by that?"
Shizu fidgeted with the straw in her drink, clearly unsure how to phrase what she wanted to say. She looked toward Ryouko, who gave her a small nod, silently encouraging her to continue.
"When I tried to possess you… It felt like I was… transported somewhere else. That place didn't look like anywhere in Sainan. It didn't even feel like the real world. Everything was heavy. The air, the dust, the smog… the whole atmosphere felt… depressing, if I had to put it into words. What was that place?"
She looked back at him, uncertainty swimming in her gaze. Her eyes flicked to Ryouko again, but the woman offered no words of explanation. She simply sipped her coffee with closed eyes, letting him decide what to say. Whatever his choice, she would follow his lead.
After a few long moments, he finally spoke.
"That was my magic."
"Eh?"
Perhaps not expecting such a blunt answer, the girl tilted her head. The brunette next to him raised an eyebrow with growing curiosity.
"It's hard to explain without diving into specifics that really aren't all that important," he said with a light shake of his head. "But unlike typical mages, you probably saw like Magical Girl Kyoko, where she just conjures up her flames, my magic doesn't function in quite the same way. That place you saw, that strange landscape, is the origin of it all. If you've ever seen me use various swords or different types of weapons, they all come from there."
"Then… It's teleportation magic?" Ryouko muttered under her breath. Her brow furrowed, the wheels clearly turning as she tried to reason it out. Meanwhile, Shizu still looked completely lost even as Ryouko continued.
"Wait. That would actually make sense. Why else would there be a physical place inside your body? A separate dimension, maybe? Unless it's a portal of some kind?"
She seemed to be building up several theories but chose not to press for confirmation. To that, he simply shrugged. From her perspective, it could be interpreted as teleportation magic. After all, the weapons were technically created inside his Reality Marble before being pulled into the real world. But that wasn't the literal truth, and the full explanation was unnecessary to unravel here and now.
"Something like that. On that day, you must have unknowingly entered the space where I store my weapons through me, somehow. It makes sense you felt threatened, considering what's kept there. Plenty of those blades were specifically crafted to harm entities like you, and you most likely felt at least one of them nearby. I must have reacted without meaning to, maybe tried to resist the possession, and ended up flooding myself with magical energy in my attempts to expel you, which likely did your trauma no favors."
It was a half-truth stitched together with enough plausibility to get by. There were things he didn't say, of course. That was what she saw, what she felt, was just a glimpse of the deeper mechanisms at play. Still, she believed him. Her expression held no trace of doubt. Ryouko, however, wore a different face. The faint smile she maintained made it clear she didn't entirely buy his explanation, or she at least suspected there was more to it that he was still hiding.
"I see. I… I honestly thought I was going to pass into the afterlife back then," Shizu admitted quietly. "It felt like you were trying to exorcise me or crush me entirely."
He had no real answer to that. Truthfully, even he wasn't sure what would happen if someone like her remained inside his Reality Marble for long. It wasn't like Unlimited Blade Works was designed to trap souls.
At least, that's what he liked to believe.
This was the first time someone had ever gotten inside without him even activating the spell. Maybe it was her own ability that triggered the connection… So many unknowns. And if she ever tried to possess him again, he couldn't promise her safety, even if he did everything he could to avoid harming her.
"You really should've approached me afterward, you know. I could've apologized properly, without making such a spectacle like today."
He teased her gently, and rather than shrinking away, she puffed her cheeks in protest.
"I was just… I was just…"
She tried to reply, but the words wouldn't come. She didn't need to say them. After going through something like that, approaching him again would have probably felt impossible. He was, after all, the one who had nearly destroyed her by accident.
"So, now that this misunderstanding is behind us, I hope you'll stick close to Ryouko and help her out with her work involving providing medical care to aliens and humans." He extended his hand, gesturing for her to shake it. But the moment he did, he noticed her flinch. Only slightly, but enough for him to register it.
He should have expected that and retracted his hand.
It wasn't realistic to think she'd just accept him without reservation just because she'd accepted his apology. Fear rarely vanished so quickly — best to stay patient.
"I'll try my best. Now that I'm registered as a student at Sainan High, I'll be in your care."
After that, the three of them settled into easier conversation, shifting to lighter topics. Though not fully at ease, Shizu began to speak up more often, occasionally asking for help with schoolwork or advice. He answered each question patiently, keeping the mood steady and flowing as the minutes turned to an hour.
Then, with a sudden jolt, Shizu whipped her head toward the clock.
"Oh no, I almost forgot! I have an arrangement with a new friend of mine, so I'll have to leave early! Sorry, we couldn't talk anymore, Emiya. We can continue at school!" With that said, the girl left the two of them before running off in a hurry, though he slightly suspected she just felt awkward, given this was their first genuine interaction.
"Careful there. Even if she is a ghost, she's still my precious little assistant," Ryouko said with a bright, serene smile as she watched Shizu's departing figure from the corner of her eye. "Wouldn't want her getting entangled in any love affairs."
"You're making it sound like I tried to seduce her or something," he replied dryly, leaning back slightly in his seat. "Our conversation was nothing short of courteous and polite."
"Like when you teased the poor girl and tried to fish an apology out of her?"
"I was mostly trying to break the image she had of me," he said, finally lifting his cup and taking a calm sip of coffee. "It worked, didn't it?"
"Hopefully."
Their conversation drifted on after that, smooth and easy, filling the quiet café space with idle chatter. Without either of them noticing, another hour passed. Eventually, he glanced at the time and realised he'd need to head home soon if he wanted to prepare lunch. He finished the last of his drink and stood, setting his cup down and pulling some cash from his pocket.
Ryouko waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, please, I invited you out. I'll cover it."
He ignored her and paid anyway. Just as he turned to leave, she caught his hand in hers, slender fingers curling around his wrist. She threw him a small smirk while he looked at her with confusion.
"Where do you think you're going? We're not done with our little date just yet. I did mention Shizu was an unplanned addition. I called you here for something else entirely."
So there had been another reason after all. His eyes narrowed slightly, thoughts turning. Several possibilities came to mind, none of them particularly light.
"Is it related to Solgam?" he asked in a low voice. "Or is it another candidate after my head?"
"Kind of the first. Not the second, you kind of scared most of them off with that stunt with Lacospo."
She stood then, guiding him, at some point even entwining her arm with his as they walked through the street, making sure that his arm was rubbing against her breasts. "You wouldn't mind me indulging myself with this little display of intimacy, would you?"
"As long as you won't start kissing me out of the blue. I'm already dealing with Lala on that end."
"How envious~!"
He said nothing in return, walking beside her while thinking about the main subject of the matter. If this had anything to do with Solgam, then he couldn't say he was surprised. While Gid had completely eradicated the force that came here to kidnap the nurse, he doubted those extremists were the only ones in their circle. The ones who came after him had merely been one faction.
"To give you a better understanding," Ryouko began, her voice taking on a more serious tone as they moved down the sidewalk, "Solgam isn't the only force that opposes the Emperor and his regime. There are many other groups scattered across the galaxy, working together to disrupt his hold and sow as much chaos as possible. They seek a variety of means with which to do so, be it creating weapons of mass destruction, super soldiers, and so on, almost all of which they'll sell to the highest bidder. Solgam is just one of many. One out of a thousand."
He nodded, following along with the topic of the conversation so far. War was the prime opportunity for such people; he had dealt with their kind plenty of times, especially back when he was alive.
"And the man you met before, Kuro, he's been tracking down the remnants. Dismantling what remains of the old order, one cell at a time."
"So we're dealing with another group like them? And they're on their way here? Let me guess — their interest in you is similar?"
"Do you remember why Solgam came after me in the first place?"
"I can make a guess," he said, eyeing her. "Your expertise in alien biology?"
Ryouko blinked once, a little surprised, but then she let out a soft chuckle.
"Bingo," she said. "Back when I was your age, more or less, I dedicated myself to bioengineering and alien medical studies. I studied over a hundred disciplines related to the subject. You could say I was quite good at it."
"Good enough to make a terrorist organisation fly across the galaxy to a backwater like Earth just to kidnap you," he muttered. "'Quite good' sounds like an understatement to me."
"I'm telling the truth," Ryouko said, her voice sincere, not a trace of performance behind her words. "I'm not trying to be humble or downplay my abilities. Back then, I was surrounded by true geniuses, people whose talents and insights often left me speechless. I always believed many of them were far better than me."
She paused briefly, a faint smile forming at the corners of her lips.
"Among those geniuses… I was close friends with one. She had this incredible gift. She could see patterns I never noticed and form theories that even left our professors baffled. She's the very reason Yami was even born."
As soon as the words left her lips, they came to a stop, having arrived back at the clinic. She motioned him to follow and was just about to open the door when a loud crash echoed from inside. The unmistakable sound of glass shattering filled the air.
Ryouko let out a weary sigh. "I told her to just let me handle the cleaning…"
She opened the door and stepped inside. The first thing he saw made him freeze. A woman was kneeling in the center of the room, surrounded by the remains of broken glassware, looking utterly pitiful with her hands raised helplessly mid-motion. She wore glasses, her hair was long, and her expression was far too flustered for someone who was supposed to be in control of a lab.
"Yami?" he asked instinctively, before immediately realising his mistake. This woman wasn't her.
For one, Yami didn't wear glasses. And this person looked a good two decades older physically than the blonde assassin he knew. She sat on the floor, flinching as if the very sight of him might prompt a scolding.
"A-Ah… R-Ryouko… I was just…" Her voice faltered the moment her eyes landed on him. Recognition flashed across her face and was very… blessed when it came to her assets. She knew who he was. And he noticed.
He turned slowly toward the brunette at his side, eyes narrowing just slightly.
"Would you care to explain what's going on?"
Ryouko, in contrast, seemed entirely unbothered. She smiled and walked forward as if introducing two friends at a party. As she passed him, she gave his cheek a playful pinch and a caress.
"Let me introduce you properly. This handsome young man is my dear friend and cute little hero, Emiya."
Before he could protest the description, she moved to the blonde woman and placed her hands gently on her shoulders.
"And this is one of my oldest friends. Former classmate, fellow scientist, and one of the sharpest minds I've ever met, Tearju Lunatique. She's the one who started the project that ultimately gave birth to Yami. The latter was made using Tearju's own DNA, which… well, technically makes her either her mother, her sister, or maybe her template if you view Yami as a clone? It depends on the person."
She said it with cheerful ease, but Emiya's gaze never left the woman in front of him. His eyes narrowed further, expression unreadable as he pieced together the implications. The name Tearju wasn't unknown to him. He remembered Yami mentioning it before, and the assassin's mention of this woman.
There was no mistaking it now.
He took a step closer.
"You're not taking her away," he said quietly. "She's safer here."
"…"
"…"
Silence followed. Neither woman spoke. Tearju looked stunned, uncertain. Ryouko, for once, seemed to hesitate.
{Break}
-Yuuki Residence-
While Emiya was away, the responsibility of keeping the household in order was divided among his siblings and the Devilukean sisters. That included keeping an eye on Celine, who at the moment was sitting cross-legged on the floor, bouncing with excitement as she played video games with Rito.
"You press this button here to shoot, this one to move— yeah, like that! And this one—oh! You got it already? Wow, you're a fast learner!"
Celine gave a triumphant cheer, mashing buttons with the enthusiasm only a sun-soaked child could muster. The sunlight she had basked in earlier seemed to energize her, and without Emiya around, her tendency to wander off into places she wasn't supposed to had become more of a challenge to manage. Rito had taken the initiative to keep her distracted with something fun and safe.
"Woooooh! Ba! Ba! Ba!" she squealed, eyes wide and fixed on the bright colorful screen, fingers flying across the controller.
It was undeniably cute watching her let out tiny war cries every time her character fired a gun or an explosion lit up the screen. She'd taken to the game shockingly fast, fingers already darting across the controller with the eager confidence of someone who'd done it for years, not minutes. Together, the two of them were holding off a relentless swarm of zombies pushing their way into a high school, one of those fast-paced co-op shooters his brother had bought for him on his last birthday.
'We'll run out of ammo at this rate, I'll just switch to the spear then.'
"Hopefully you find this a bit more entertaining than sneaking into the shed and trying to nab one of Nii-san's knives again," Rito said with a laugh, eyeing her with playful suspicion.
It wasn't the first time she'd tried that stunt either. The girl had a disturbing fascination with sharp, dangerous objects, often to the horror of everyone in the household. More than once, she'd been caught red-handed attempting to sneak into places she clearly shouldn't have been, usually followed by frantic shouting and some form of rushed damage control.
"Mau! Ba!" she squealed, smashing her palm against the buttons as another zombie crumpled on screen.
"Can't say I blame you," he admitted, still smiling. "I tried that once myself and got caught just as fast. They do look cool, though, don't they?"
Celine didn't respond, fully locked into the game, her attention sealed to the small blue-haired avatar she was directing with surprising finesse. Button-mashing came naturally to her, and she didn't miss a beat.
"Well, this should keep you busy until he gets back. He'll probably be home by the time lunch is ready," Rito added, taking a sip from his soda before placing the can gently on the floor beside him.
But then the doorbell rang.
"Rito, can you get that?" Mikan's voice rang out from the kitchen, loud over the clatter of pans. "I'm a bit busy with lunch! A-Ah, Momo! Don't hold the knife like that, you'll cut your finger!"
Apparently, the alien princess had taken an interest in cooking for herself. Rito suspected it had more to do with impressing his brother than any genuine passion for cuisine, but he had no solid proof — just a hunch sharpened by experience.
"Coming!" he called back, rising to his feet as the bell rang a second time.
He half-expected to find Zastin on the other side, probably back from helping their dad with errands. But the moment he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat.
His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"S-Sairenji!?"
There she was, standing politely just outside the doorway, hands folded in front of her, dressed in her usual school uniform, her short blue hair catching the morning light like a halo. He nearly tripped over his own feet, stumbling back with wide-eyed disbelief.
"Good morning, Yuuki-kun," she said softly, tilting her head with a gentle smile. "I hope I'm not intruding. I sent a message to Emiya earlier, and he said I could stop by."
A pang struck him at the realization that even outside of school days, his brother kept in contact with Haruna so casually while he struggled to even talk to her. The fact that she did not message him at any point almost disappointed the boy until he remembered that he never gave her his number in the first place.
"What are you doing here by the way?" he said while trying to look as relaxed as possible, not wanting to mess anything up when such a rare opportunity presented itself to him at his doorstep, literally! "Come inside, don't stay outside like that, have a drink."
"No, no, it's fine. I was just passing by to give you this."
From the pocket of her blazer, she pulled out a small bag filled with various boxes of chocolates and other sweets. Rito stared at the content as if it had materialized from thin air, blinking slowly, fully in disbelief.
The implication struck him like a lightning bolt. This looked far too much like chocolate meant for Valentine's Day! But it wasn't even Valentine's Day in the first place!
As if reading the thoughts splashed across his face, Haruna's own went beet red. She shook her head so quickly her hair fluttered with the motion.
"No! It's not like that! This isn't from me! I mean, it is from me, but only because my sister asked me to deliver it for her! She wanted to give it to your brother, but couldn't come because of work, so she told me to hand it over instead. I brought one for you and Mikan, too!"
She turned her bag around and opened it slightly, revealing a neat little cluster of similar boxes, all tied with the same patterned ribbon.
Rito felt a small wave of disappointment wash over him. So she hadn't made chocolates for him, specifically. At least not in that way…
'Did she include one for me because she felt obligated… or because she really meant to?'
He had no answer.
"That's really nice of her," he said aloud, trying to push the question away, still happy that at least he got something from her! "I didn't know my brother and your sister were that close."
"Same here! I figured they just knew each other from just this one time meeting, but apparently, there's more to it. Whenever I ask her for details, though, she gives me the most ridiculous answers. It's so frustrating! Humph, if she won't tell me, then I'll just ask Emiya, he better not ignore me this time or try to weasel his way out of it!"
She huffed, crossing her arms. Whether the irritation was genuine or hiding something else, again, Rito couldn't tell. Her reaction whenever talking about his brother looked much more lively than anything, even if she looked angry at him, it was not the kind of face she showed to him or anyone else in school, for that matter. 'Nii-san told me that they were never going to be in a relationship since he is not interested in her… but what about Sairenji herself? Does she…'
It felt unfair how he could not just ask the question directly to clear these thoughts once and for all — he just did not have the mental fortitude to do so. "Haha, well, brother stuff, I guess. Still, are you sure you don't want to come in?"
"It's fine. I need to get back and finish some homework," she replied. "But I'm curious. What are you doing right now? I could hear you shouting something from outside."
"Oh, I'm just looking after Celine for a while. She's—"
His words came to a halt. He turned slightly and raised his arm to point towards the spot where the plant-based toddler had been seated on the floor, happily mashing buttons not even ten minutes ago.
But now the spot was empty.
The controller lay abandoned on the rug. Rito's eyes widened.
"Celine?"
He moved quickly, stepping into the living room, completely forgetting the uncomfortable feelings from a few seconds ago. The girl was nowhere in sight.
"Celine! Where are you?"
"Hic!"
The tiny sound barely reached his ears, but it was enough.
"Um, Yuuki-kun! You might want to come here—quick! Ah, no, wait! Don't move, you'll fall!"
Haruna's panicked voice rang out from the front entrance. Something inside him twisted and tightened. He darted toward the doorway.
"Celine!"
He arrived just in time to see the small girl wobbling precariously atop the wooden porch railing, her tiny hands grasping one of the soda cans that had been left nearby. She looked flushed, her cheeks unnaturally red, and her eyes glazed in a way that sent alarm bells ringing in his head.
"Celine, that's dangerous! Stay still, I'll come get—"
Before he could finish, she tilted backward.
"Ah!"
She had taken another sip of the soda just as her foot slipped from the railing. The can tumbled out of her hands. So did she.
"Celine!"
He didn't think so. His body moved before his mind caught up, launching himself forward with every ounce of strength he had. Arms outstretched, he caught her a split second before she could hit the ground.
The two of them landed hard, his back slamming against the floor with a loud thud. He groaned. But he had her. She was safe.
Then he realized something else. His fall had been softened.
"Hehehe… wuuuuu…hic! Mau!"
Celine giggled, clapping her hands in glee as if the near-accident had been the best rollercoaster ride of her life. She was beaming with joy.
"That's not funny! You could've been seriously hurt! What are you thinking? Wait, are you… drunk? On soda?"
That couldn't be right. It made no sense. But there was no mistaking it. Having seen it a couple of times on his dad's face when he got drunk after a marathon of work. Her face was red, her movements wobbly, and she was acting like someone completely intoxicated. Yet it was just soda.
"Um… Y-Yuuki-kun…"
He heard Haruna's voice speak not from beneath him, taking a back, he slowly turned his gaze down to find the girl pinned underneath him with his hand having somehow made its way inside her shirt and grasping her breasts. At that moment, he wanted to curse his clumsiness with all his might, his plans and goal of spending some time with the girl having been completely ruined by this.
"Ahhh! S-Sorry, Sairenji! I didn't mean to, I swe—ugh!"
"Kyaaaa!"
Her fists came flying at him, striking his face with the strength of a truck hitting him head-on. His body flew backwards until it crashed through a cupboard beneath the stairs. Immediately, an array of lights burst forth, followed by a burst of pink smoke filling the area. Hearing the commotion, Mikan and Momo ran over to see what was going on. "Eh, Haruna? What are you doing here? And on the ground?" the pink-haired Devilukean asked, tilting her head cutely in confusion.
Hearing her friend stutter and barely making sense of her words before piecing them together, she recalled something, and a worried expression filled her face. "Wait… isn't that cupboard where Onee-sama stashed some of her inventions yesterday to hide them from Emiya?"
Mikan nodded, "Oh, right, it's actually because I told her to keep those away from Celine and out of sight. Which invention was it again?"
Her question was quickly answered when both of them heard a groan coming from the smoke, and a figure walked out of it. "Damn it Celine, remind me next time to never let you be anywhere near any sort of sodas ever again… S-Sairenji, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to do that!"
That… did not sound like Rito at all.
All three girls froze in place, mouths hanging open as the pink smoke cleared to reveal a sight that was becoming disturbingly familiar in the Yuuki household. Where Rito had crashed now stood a shapely young woman with generous curves that were far more pronounced compared to Momo. The shorts clung desperately to wide hips, perky bubble ass and toned thick thighs filling them out until they looked to be painted on, while the stretched shirt had given up entirely on covering a midriff it couldn't possibly accommodate, stretching and hugging the bountiful tits. But most jarring of all was the unmistakably feminine face framed by orange hair, wearing Rito's bewildered expression as she—he?—stumbled forward on unsteady legs.
"Eh… why does my voice sound different?" Rito voiced out, confused by not only their reactions but also his own voice, "Ah, Celine, there you are. Hm? What's going on with you?"
The little girl had already fallen asleep by now, but not without a few physical changes in the form of the large twitching bud on her head where the flower used to be.
Poof!
Another stream of smoke hit Rito head-on, forcing him to cough repeatedly, but now with a beautiful flower appearing on his head.
Click!
At the same time, the entrance door opened with a familiar redhead coming in, looking not exactly in the best mood. "I'm back, I had to meet a… friend… for… what?" He looked in front of him in confusion, staring at the figure holding Celine, who held a great resemblance to his little brother.
"Who is this girl?"
Then it seemed to finally click in his head upon seeing the clothes the girl was wearing.
Emiya went completely pale in an instant and took a step back, fear in his eyes, as the girl turned to look at him with hearts in her eyes and opened her mouth.
"N-Nii-san…?"
----------
Small AN: Just to address a few concerns I saw people have, fem Rito is NOT falling for Emiya and he is not staying as a woman forever. Just like in canon, the effects are temporary and mostly for comedy.
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.