As Haru waited, tense, Kariya spoke slowly. "How do I know you're not lying?"
'He's softening!'
Haru breathed out. "I'll tell you something that'll happen soon. If it does, you'll know I'm speaking the truth."
"What?"
"The Three Kings—" Haru almost said the Three Kings' Banquet, then switched. "In the Einzbern castle outside the city, the King of Heroes, the King of Knights, and the King of Conquerors will debate who gets the Grail."
"When?"
"Tonight! Send your familiars to check. It won't take long."
"Fine… I'll send the bugs. If it happens, I'll trust you and join you."
Kariya fixed his gaze on Haru. "One more thing…..why help me?"
"If you know the future, why not pick the winner? That'd be easier and pay off more. You say I lose, so why bother?"
Even worn down, Kariya's magus instincts were sharp.
Haru glanced at Sakura hiding behind him, smiled at her, then said, "Call it making up for past regrets."
Sakura's fate, Kariya's tragedy… If Haru hadn't met them it would be fine. But since he had, and a few words could change their lives, so why not?
"One question: Has Sakura been adopted by the Matous? Why's her hair still black?"
Kariya gave him a knowing look. Haru asking about her hair suggested he knew the Matous' dark side, boosting his credibility.
"She's officially adopted, but the attribute change hasn't started. Shinji just got back. If his circuits aren't completely dead, Zouken might not need Sakura."
"Shinji? Matou Shinji? He's in Fuyuki?" Haru was stunned. This wasn't the plot he knew.
In the original, Shinji was overseas until he was twelve.
'Wait, so Sakura hasn't been touched by Zouken! That's amazing!' Haru's heart jumped.
The story was off-track, which unsettled him, but Sakura being safe thrilled him.
"If your prediction holds, I'll come back to this park." Kariya took Sakura's hand and left.
Since Sakura joined the Matous, Kariya kept her close, too wary of Zouken to leave her alone, even during the war.
Sakura glanced back, waving timidly. "Bye, big brother."
Haru blinked. It was the first time anyone called him that.
Rias always claimed she was the older one…
"For that 'big brother,' I've got your back, little sis!" Haru decided.
Then he looked around, frowning. "Do I wait here?"
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
He didn't. He kept searching for the Kamizukis. Every second mattered; they could be dead by the time he found them.
"But isn't this pointless?" he muttered. His chances were very small of finding two people in this big city.
"StarGate, any way to find them quickly?" he asked, hopeful.
[Warning: Further exchanges will harm your life force.]
Haru sighed. Just then, a clear, firm voice cut through. "Hey, kid, where's the nearest electronics store?"
He looked up and froze.
Golden hair glowed in the night, red eyes and flawless features framed by old-style, neutral clothes that hugged her waist and legs. She looked young but carried a magnetic pull.
"Speechless, mongrel? Charmed by this form?" She tossed her hair. "Answer me, and I might overlook your rudeness."
"Mongrel?" Haru blinked, struggling to match this striking girl with the King of Heroes.
"Over there." He pointed to the street he'd come from, lined with electronics shops.
"Hmm, fine. I'll let you live. Be thankful until your last breath." She smiled and brushed past him.
As she passed, Haru felt a chill, his hair standing up.
"Oh, and here's your reward. Use it well… little magus."
A golden ripple opened, dropping coins and gems at his feet, piling into a small heap.
By the time he snapped out of it, she was gone, leaving only the treasure behind.
"Was that… Gilgamesh?" Haru's mouth twitched.
"From proud king to proud queen…"
He eyed the pile; gems and gold, each worth a fortune.
"No matter the timeline, Gil is always rich!"
If she got lost a lot, her direction-asking tips could bankroll a country!
'Sign me up for Uruk!'
Calming down, Haru realized she'd marked him as a magus but didn't attack. Maybe he wasn't worth the effort.
He wasn't even worth one treasure shot…
Then a thought struck. "StarGate, can I trade these?"
Gil's treasures weren't normal; they were relics from the Age of Gods, thick with mystery. Any magi would give everything for one.
[Scan complete. Items count as magical tools and can be exchanged. Pick a category.]
Haru marveled. 'Ran into a rich queen and got a loot for pointing the way. If I were a Servant, my luck would be A-rank!'
He thought it over. First: find the Kamizukis fast. Second: protect himself. He'd lost his bamboo sword and had nothing.
"I need a search device, one that takes me right to them. And a sword. I can't use anything else."
[Ding! Search complete. Best options found.]
[For locating people: Enhanced Search Device: Saber Radar. For combat: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm: Muramasa.]