I appeared at my destination in a near-instant, marvelling at the sensation of apparating. Harry was right. It really did feel like being forced through a tight rubber tube.
Taking a glance at my surroundings, I found myself at the open entrance of the main characters' high school. Attached to the left side of the entrance wall was a metal plaque that no doubt had the name of the school etched on it. But it was only after trying to read the sign that I realized one thing I had overlooked.
"I don't know a lick of Japanese." I held my face in disappointment, sighing.
I did know about frequently used Japanese words in anime and the most basic greetings like 'Hello' and 'Thank you'. But that was it. If someone asked me where they could find the nearest eroge store, 'eroge' would be the only word I'd understand.
How was I supposed to communicate with the people here if I couldn't even introduce myself? I immediately reached into my Inventory to get an item that would fix this.
Something that'll give me instant fluency in the Japanese language.
A skill book appeared in my hand, like the ones you'd find in video games. And the moment I held it, it felt like I had lived like a native Japanese for an entire lifetime. I didn't even have to read the thing. Everything instantly got implanted in my mind.
Well, that was easy.
Since it fulfilled its purpose, I tossed the sucker back into my Inventory, throwing it over my shoulder and into a portal. I was really loving this superpower the more I used it. Now, reading the plaque was no longer an issue. Etched on it was 'Homuraha Academy' in kanji.
But... did I overlook anything else? The answer evaded me. I stood at the entrance for at least a few minutes of thinking. Nothing came to mind, though, so after I applied a Disillusionment Charm to turn myself completely invisible, I stepped inside the academy to find Sakura.
Going past the open entrance, a white, multi-story building stood farther inside as I walked on the brick floor. On the left side of the area, a small section in the middle was carved out for more greenery, where a single large tree stood out from the rest. All of the tree's leaves had nearly fallen out. A clear sign of winter's arrival.
As I continued walking, I couldn't help but admire my surroundings. I was actually standing in Homurahara Academy, a place I previously believed only existed in fiction.
It honestly felt like I was still dreaming.
If only I had arrived in spring, at the beginning of the school year. Seeing the beautiful cherry blossoms along with this wonderfully sunny weather would've made this a far better experience.
The inside of the student building was more or less a mundane sight, except at the entrance where students replaced their outside shoes with their inside shoes. That was a system unique to Japanese schools, if I remembered correctly. Further in, what greeted me were clean hallways and orderly classrooms. Nothing out of the ordinary there except for the school's exceptional cleanliness.
It was near the end of the hallway that I finally found who I was looking for. I peeked through the small, head-sized window and into a classroom.
Sakura was still in her seat, sitting next to the window and listening to the teacher's lecture. For a moment, I merely stood there, looking at her, not only because I found her beautiful, but also because of the Crest Worms' aura. Their rotten presence was clear to my senses, and my connection to Nabu was telling me to get rid of the vile things at once.
If the Lord of Order had his way, I would already be wearing the Helmet of Fate and purging the worms out of her system.
Now how could I have her meet me in private? Telling her through Legilimency? No. Too intrusive. Whispering in her ear? Fuck no. That would be creepy as hell.
In the end, I settled on writing a note telling her to meet me on the rooftop for something that would change her life for the better. Making a letter in the middle of the hall would just be foolish, so I made it in the privacy of the male restroom. Had to cast a thorough cleaning spell, though. It seemed like someone had an awful time in one of the stalls.
Shit was literally everywhere.
Since I needed the letter to reach Sakura without anyone else noticing, I enchanted the letter and magically folded it until it was barely the size of a fingernail. Wearing a smile on my face, I gently blew it away. I watched it glide under the small opening under the door and through the air with the grace of cotton in the wind as it stuck close to the ceiling to avoid the notice of others. When it reached Sakura's lap, the letter unfolded to its full size without a single crease formed.
Being a wizard rocked.
"Eh?" Sakura gasped, and in such a quiet classroom, she might as well have yelled. The heads of her classmates turned towards her all at once.
"Is there something wrong, Matou-san?" the teacher asked, turning away from the chalkboard to look at her. He was a black-haired man in a green suit and wore a stoic expression under his glasses. I recognized him.
Souichirou Kuzuki. The name came to me unbidden. He wasn't a magus or a Servant, but he was a dangerous man, nonetheless. If future events played out in a similar way as canon, he would eventually become the Master of Caster.
"I-It's nothing, Kuzuki-sensei. I thought I saw a bug on my arm. That's all," Sakura replied with a reassuring smile as she brought my letter up to her desk.
"Hm. I see," Souichirou said before he returned to writing on the chalkboard.
How dry of a response. But knowing his backstory, it wouldn't be strange at all to develop the personality he had now. At least he seemed to be a decent teacher.
With the attention now taken away from her, Sakura's attention turned towards the letter. Her brows slightly furrowed in hesitation, but it wasn't long before her curiosity seemed to get the better of her. As she read its contents, her eyes widened in surprise and flicked in my direction, seemingly searching for whoever could have sent her the letter.
My job here was done for now. I needed to wait until lunch break, and a quick glance into a random student's mind with Legilimency told me I had about fifteen minutes to spare. Might as well use it to check on the others.
The first second-year classroom I encountered was Rin Tohsaka's. And while I would have liked to say her notable aura and beauty gave her away, it was really all because of her distinctive twin tails and long red coat. No one else at this school wore such a unique and eye-catching signature style.
Possessing wavy black hair paired with blue eyes, Rin Tohsaka gave off the impression of a noble lady from older times—graceful, elegant, and dignified. This side of Rin truly was a sight to see, and after seeing it in person, I understood why she gained the admiration of her peers, especially the guys. It was also a different side of her that wasn't shown often in the anime.
Rin wasn't the only familiar face in her classroom. Ayako Mitsuzuri, the current captain of the school's archery club, was here as well, along with a few others. But I couldn't remember the other's names.
I moved further ahead until I spotted more familiar faces in another classroom. Shirou Emiya, the main man himself. Issei Ryuudou, a monk-in-training and a friend of Shirou's. And lastly, Shinji Matou, my primary reason for coming here.
Shinji Matou's seaweed-like hair framed his incredibly punchable mug. The fact that I had a similar hairstyle as him annoyed the hell out of me.
While I had set out to save Sakura first, I was already here. There was no way I would miss this chance to mess with him.
I apparated into the classroom for a better view and angle, my invisibility remaining in the process. The students seemed to be taking a math test. Their teacher sat at the front of the class, supervising them. Grinning, I raised a hand towards Shinji and focused on telekinetically moving his arm.
Shinji let out a sound of surprise as he suddenly found his writing arm seemingly moving on its own. It threw the pen in his hand at the teacher, and the pen struck the teacher's forehead with a loud 'thwack,' leaving a smear of blue ink above his eyebrow.
The classroom froze.
"M-Matou?!" the teacher sputtered, wiping ink as Shinji gaped, his face turned red.
"What the hell?!" Shinji hissed, clutching his rebellious wrist.
I didn't let go.
With a telekinetic nudge, his hand shot out again—this time seizing Issei Ryuudou's half-finished math test. Before Shinji could blink, his traitorous fingers crumpled the paper into a ball and hurled it out the window.
"My test!" Issei yelped, lunging futilely toward the sill.
"Matou-san, stop this at once!" his teacher yelled.
"Shinji, what is wrong with you today?" Shirou added, eyes wide as he stood up.
Shinji's mouth opened, ready to snarl.
Not yet.
I guided his hand toward his own test paper. His fingers spasmed, gripping another pen like a dagger. Shinji tried ripping the pen away using his other hand, but that wasn't happening on my watch. I extended my telekinetic grip to his other arm, preventing it from moving.
Hmm. What should I do next? Ah, I got it. Let's kill his reputation. Especially his reputation with the ladies.
His hand moved. Not to write. To draw.
Hasty, jerky lines took shape: a crude stick figure of Shinji himself, bowing before a giant dick. A speech bubble connected to Shinji's figure, with "I <3 cock!" written inside.
Shinji's choked gasp was priceless.
"Stop it!" he screamed in desperation.
Shirou leaned over, blinking in confusion. "Shinji, is that… a dick? And… oh. Oh. I-Is this why you're going out of control? Was this weighing on your mind too much? It's okay, you know." He put a hand on Shinji's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile on top. "There's nothing wrong with liking men, Shinji."
I almost cackled right then and there.
The entire back row craned their necks as snickers and sounds of surprise rippled through the room. The girls exchanged stunned looks and released whispered gasps at Shirou's words.
"No, no! It's not me! It's! Not! Me!" Shinji shrieked, face purpling as he tore the page to shreds. "Something's controlling my—"
The lunch bell rang. Perfect timing.
I released my telekinetic grip. Shinji's arms dropped like deadweight, knocking his bento box off his desk. Rice and tamagoyaki splattered across his shoes.
"FUCK!" he howled, kicking his chair.
Chaos erupted. Students scrambled away as Shinji raged, flailing at the air and glaring at anyone who looked. Shirou and Issei exchanged bewildered glances. The teacher's calm mask had broken long ago. His sigh was volcanic.
Mission accomplished.
I slipped out, chuckling like a madman. Mr. Worm Junior? Thoroughly rattled. Sakura's suffering wouldn't be avenged by humiliating Shinji alone… but damn, it was a satisfying appetizer.
—x—
Sakura's POV - Class 1-D
The bell's chime cut through the tension within her. Sakura stayed seated, clutching the mysterious letter. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
[Meet me on the rooftop. I can free you.]
A trap? A cruel joke? Hope, vicious and fragile, bloomed in her chest anyway. She glanced toward the hallway—just in time to see Shinji storm past, face thunderous, whispering something about "not liking men".
…Odd.
Taking a shaky breath, Sakura stood. Whatever this was… she had to know.
—x—
Kayden's POV - Rooftop
I leaned against the sun-warmed fence, the Disillusionment Charm melting away. Below, Fuyuki sprawled like a toy city. Peaceful. For now.
The rooftop door creaked open. Sakura stepped out, violet hair lifting in the breeze. Her eyes scanned the empty space, then locked onto me.
Through Legilimency, I sensed the emotions rampaging inside her. Surprise. Fear. A flicker of desperate hope.
I offered a small, non-threatening smile. "Sakura Matou?"
She flinched, fingers tightening on the doorframe. "H-How do you know my name? Who are you?"
Time to skip the small talk.
I raised my right hand. The Elder Ring gleamed gold on my finger as I commanded my magic to come forth.
"My name is Kayden," I said softly. Magic hummed in the air, condensing in my palm, golden and warm. "And I'm here to talk about your grandfather's worms."
Her breath hitched. All color drained from her face.
...Uh oh. Did I skip too much?