"What's that on your hand?" Sakura asked, her heart skipping a beat.
Black turned over his right hand and showed her the Command Seals he had obtained after making a pact with Medea the Caster.
It was evening.
Black and Sakura were walking out of the school premises, both getting late as usual.
Sakura, of course, had recognized the Command Seals, because she too possessed them. However, Zouken Matou had sealed them, giving her Servant's command to her brother, Shinji, instead.
If she accidentally ended up using Mana, especially with Command Seals on her, then it could trigger a chain reaction. The Corrupt Will within the Holy Grail Fragments incubating inside her could go berserk, then.
Sakura also knew Einzberns were among the three great Magical families.
So, Black coming out to be a Master in the coming War shouldn't have surprised her.
Yet, as she looked at him and remembered the gentle smile with which he had joined her to help her out cleaning the Archery Club, it made her worry about him.
Black was about to reply when someone came marching toward them from the front.
"I knew it…" Shinji Matou, the acting-Master of Rider-Class Servant, hissed, eying Sakura standing next to Black. "That's why you were coming home late these days! You whore…"
Shinji raised his hand to slap Sakura, ignoring Black.
But Black caught his hand midair.
Shinji's eyes widened. "You dare!" he spat, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "Do you wish to die?!"
Sakura saw the doom coming, making her face pale.
She knew how Shinji was, especially with a Servant by his side. There was no denying that he could hurt Black.
"No…" Sakura said, her voice shaking. "… It's not like that! He's just…"
"Shut up!" Shinji snapped. "I will deal with you later…"
Then, with a jerk, he snatched back his hand.
Or, at least, he tried.
Black looked at Shinji with dead, red eyes as the boy tried his all to snatch his hand away. However, no matter how much force he used, he just couldn't do it.
On the other side, Black's hand hadn't even moved an inch.
Slowly, Black began pulling Shinji toward him.
"The Holy Grail War has yet to officially begin," he said, twisting Shinji's arm, letting him see his Command Seals. "Any act of aggression against a Master before that is breaking rules, isn't it?"
Shinji's eyes popped out.
He almost called the Book of the False Attendant that held Sakura's Command Spells, letting him control Rider.
However, before things could reach that far, someone intervened.
"What's happening?!"
Black, Sakura, and Shinji looked in the direction and found Shirou Emiya walking toward them with a frown on his face.
Black let go of Shinji's hand, ignoring the boiling magical fluctuations in his surroundings. It was like a needle's tip was pressing against the back of his neck.
It wasn't that he feared confronting Rider right now. Not to mention, as Rider was in control of Shinji, she was much weaker currently.
Black alone would be enough to take care of her.
Still, it wasn't something he desired at this moment.
Next to Black, Sakura shuffled on her feet as she saw Shirou approaching them.
For the last few days, she had been losing interest in Shirou, despite having a soft spot for him. She still kept her schedule of going to his home and making dinner for him before returning to Matou Mansion.
However, when she was with Black… she felt different. Free.
Also, it didn't feel so bad when someone stood up for her.
"Black Von Einzbern," Black introduced himself, smiling, shaking hands with Shirou. "I am dating Sakura."
Sakura gasped.
She didn't even get the time to reject the claim.
Meanwhile, Shinji's entire face twisted in a stunned rage. Cursing under his breath and grinding his teeth, he walked away, his fists shaking, going white.
Shirou let out a wry smile. "I didn't know you were dating someone, Sakura," he said. Then, he looked at Black. "Shirou Emiya. You are the new transferred student, right?"
Sakura was having a panic attack.
Before she could clear things up, though, Black said, "Sakura mentions you a lot. Thank you for treating her nicely. Would you mind if I joined you two for dinner today?"
"Uh… Sure…" Shirou agreed.
Black smiled.
Then, he looked at a stunned Sakura and winked.
"… And… perhaps, while having fun," Black whispered in her ear, "I will make you drink a little. You can't go home if you are too drunk to remain awake, right? Haha…"
Sakura stood there for a moment as Black and Shirou walked forward.
For a moment, she felt like she could live a normal life as well.
"Ah…" Sakura said, running after them. "… Wait for me…"
…
Late Night,
Kirei Kotomine frowned as the man walked into the church in the middle of the night uninvited.
This man was wearing a black jacket and black pants, contrasting with his white hair and red eyes.
Kirei knew something weird had happened recently on the Einzbern's side. Perhaps, only he knew the true nature of Illya as the Grail's Vessel. This fact could have given him an immense advantage in the coming War.
So, he had sent Lancer to check it out, making sure Illya was safe.
After contacting Bazette, a Mage sent by the Mage Association, who had summoned Lancer to participate in the Holy Grail War, Kirei had killed her, snatching her Command Spells.
Now, not only did he have a contract with Archer from the previous Holy Grail War ten years ago, but he also had a Lancer as his Servant.
To Kirei's utter surprise, Lancer had failed to penetrate the Boundary Field setup around the Einzbern Castle. At least, not without making the owner know of it.
It was then that Kirei had learned the existence of a new Homunculus among the ranks of Einzbern Mages.
A male Homunculus.
And, if Kirei's instincts were right, then this Homunculus was none other than the new Vessel.
******************
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