Little Rin didn't know what to think.
She'd been ready to give up, but someone saved her! Not her magus father, not her gentle mother, not even anyone she knew.
And this stranger told her to run while he held the line?
"No! What about you?"
Her noble pride wouldn't let her abandon him, not like this.
Haru snapped, "If you don't go, we're all dead! You came to save them, right? Get them out and find help!"
'This girl; so smart later on, but right now she's all heart and no plan.'
"Right… Kotone, lean on me. If you can walk, help others. Let's move!"
Convinced, Rin guided the kids to the emergency exit, glancing back at Haru.
"I don't even know his name…"
Once they were gone, Haru let out a shaky laugh. 'Well, I'm in a deep mess now.'
He'd rushed in on pure impulse without thinking for what came next. Now it sank in: he'd been reckless. One mistake, and he'd be done.
And there was a problem…
The familiar still blocked the door!
He'd kept it at bay by holding Ryuunosuke, but there were two issues:
Ryuunosuke wasn't its master, and the familiar might not care about him.Haru was just a kid; even with adult strength, he couldn't restrain Ryuunosuke forever.
When Ryuunosuke came to, Haru would be in trouble.
'No way out the front…' He glanced at the emergency exit. 'But it won't let me get there.'
Then he spotted something and got an idea. 'Got to take a chance!'
He shoved Ryuunosuke at the familiar. As it stumbled, Haru dashed toward the back.
But halfway there, the familiar caught up!
'So fast!'
Haru felt the rush of air behind him, stunned by its speed. He didn't know it moved like an insect, bursting forward in sudden leaps.
'Now!'
He swung his sword in a wide arc, flinging bottles from the bar counter at the familiar, slowing it down.
Liquids splashed, painting the ugly creature in messy colors.
Haru smirked, grabbing two steak knives and a lighter; Ryuunosuke's tools for torment.
He threw the knives into the familiar, and as it flinched, he tossed the lit lighter. Fire roared up!
The liquids were alcohol; mostly weak, but mixed with strong stuff like vodka, they burned hot.
But the flames didn't stop it. A shadow shifted in the fire.
'Tough as a roach!' Haru turned and bolted. He couldn't fight this thing yet.
If he could use "First Strike," maybe, but he wasn't there. He had the theory, but it wasn't his skill. Normally, mastering it would take months, even years.
Fate's swordmaster, Sasaki Kojirou, was only a few steps ahead, and most swordsmen never reached "emptiness."
(Given time, Haru might grow to challenge Servants, but now he was just a kid running from a nasty monster.)
He raced toward light, reinforcement magic pushing him to athlete-level speed, though it drained his magic fast. As a seven-year-old, his 21 circuits were excellent, but his life force was thin, limiting how much he could convert.
In three minutes, he'd be empty.
The familiar's noises grew louder behind him. His sharpened senses tipped him off to danger, letting him dodge just in time.
After a tense chase, with his magic nearly gone, he saw the alley's exit!
But suddenly his face went pale. He jammed his sword into the wall, forcing a hard turn.
A second later, a familiar three times larger crashed where he'd been.
It spread dozens of wild tentacles, blocking his path, its slimy, toothy maw dripping.
Haru spun around; the smaller familiar had caught up, cornering him.
He grimaced. This was the worst danger he'd ever faced, in this life or the last.
He even thought he might die here.
'I couldn't even save Uncle and Auntie, I just got myself killed. Guess real life isn't like anime; guts alone don't cut it.'
Drawing his last magic, red lines traced over his sword. He yelled at the familiar, "Come on!"
If this was it, he'd go down swinging.
With that, he charged the smaller one.
'Wonder how Mom and Dad will handle it? Rias… hope she doesn't cry.'
No fear, no pause, no thought of backing down, no doubt. His mind was clear: just cut the enemy.
Strength, angle, agility… Swordsmanship asked for so much, but at its heart, it was simple: a steady mind and one clean strike.
Ignore life and death, and the blade stays true. Forget pride and shame, and it won't waver. With one focus, the sword's path can't be stopped.
In that fleeting moment, Haru touched the ultimate realm through emptiness—
"First Strike!"
A perfect, fleeting slash faded into the dark.
A thin line crossed the familiar, then it split apart.
These things had no weak spots; just flesh and malice. Even sliced up, they'd squirm like worms.
And Haru's bamboo sword was just a practice tool, but this strike went beyond limits!
That was "First Strike"!
Not just physical; it brushed "concepts," an unavoidable, rule-breaking move.
"Impressive… too bad I got it too late."
Haru gave a faint smile, collapsing as his magic and stamina ran out.
The larger familiar crept closer…
'Did I at least go out cool?' Sadness crept in. 'So much left to see, and I couldn't even take the first step…'
Before he passed out, he heard a sharp buzzing, like a swarm of bees.
Insects!