Led by his ahoge, Haru slipped into a large, empty building. There was no one but it felt like a predator waiting for prey.
His ahoge buzzed a warning and he ducked behind a pillar, holding his breath. A man in a black coat passed by, scanning carefully, taking the stairs over the elevator.
"Emiya Kiritsugu?" Haru whispered. "What's he doing here?"
Then it clicked, and his stomach sank.
"Is this the Fuyuki Civic Center… where the Grail appears? How did I end up here!"
Once the Grail descended, its black mud would flood the place, curses burning everything.
Haru doubted he'd survive that…
"Is it too late?"
His ahoge pointed to a nearby room; close to the goal. He clenched his jaw and ran.
"No matter how the story's shifted, the Grail's core hasn't changed, it will remain rotten inside. I can't be sure if Kiritsugu will still face Kirei. Better assume the Grail's coming soon."
"I need to find the riot's cause fast. If a fire breaks out now… no one gets out; gangsters or civilians."
"If I can stop the chaos, they'll at least have a chance to react. Otherwise, they're dead without knowing why."
Haru reached the door, sliced the lock with Muramasa, and burst in.
He moved through the dark, sensing no threats, and found the light switch. Flipping it, he spotted a teenage girl slumped in the corner.
His ahoge twitched, pointing that she was the key.
"Hey, wake up." He turned her over and froze.
Brown ponytail, fit frame, sportswear, and a bamboo sword gripped tight even while out…
"Taiga Fujimura?!"
She wasn't just anyone. She was Fujimura Raiga's granddaughter, practically underworld royalty.
But that wasn't the point. In the future, she'd be Shirou Emiya's guardian; half-sister, half-mother.
And she had EX-rank luck after being able to quantify. She is even able to sidestep a meteor by sheer luck!
Her kendo skills were unreal too, rivaling Ryougi Shiki, per some author.
If something happened to her, it explained the chaos; Raiga must've been coerced.
Oh, and well she is somewhat tied to Haru too…
The "First Strike" skill? Taiga could pull it off as a teen, more by fluke than mastery. Still, her talent outshone Haru's old self.
Pushing mixed feelings aside, he checked her breathing and found it steady and had no wounds.
"Mmm… no more food… ugh…" Taiga mumbled, still asleep.
"…She's just sleeping? Not knocked out?"
Haru half-laughed, half-groaned. EX luck indeed; while the world burned for her, she napped soundly.
"Wake up!"
He rapped her head with his knuckles.
She stirred, sensing someone, and swung her bamboo sword; pure and focused.
Instantly time seems to be slowed. Haru saw it all; the blade's clean arc, slicing the air without ripple, aimed dead-on.
But seeing wasn't enough. His body lagged. Before he could reinforce, the sword reached his face.
"No time!"
He couldn't dodge or strike back; it was a perfect hit. He had to block.
Clang!
At the last second, he flicked Muramasa's hilt up, barely stopping it. If she pushed, he'd be done.
"A kid?"
Taiga blinked awake, pulling back her sword.
Haru exhaled, awed by her crisp, forceful swing.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Taiga asked, dazed.
"I'm Haru… well it doesn't matter. You're in the Fuyuki Civic Center."
"Civic….how? I was leaving the dojo…" She frowned. "Wait. Some weird guy in red took out my guards… then it went blank."
"Red clothes… Assassin."
Haru nodded. She'd been knocked out or put under a spell, sleeping until now.
So Assassin sparked the gang war. But why? To force the Grail early?
That'd only paint a target on him.
"You're Taiga Fujimura, right? Your grandfather's tearing the city apart looking for you. It's a mess out there. You need to see him, or—"
Before he finished, Taiga shot up. "What?! I've got to stop him!"
She bolted for the door, bursting with energy, like she hadn't just been kidnapped.
Haru smiled with relief. Once she was out, the Fujimura Group would spot her, and Raiga would stand down.
Suddenly his ahoge stung sharply.
"Wait!"
He grabbed her with reinforced strength. Almost at the same time a gunshot cracked and a magic bullet lodging in the wall where her head had been.
Even the overly lively Taiga turned serious. She and Haru faced the door, grim.
"Sorry… but you'll have to die here."
The red-clad Assassin stepped in, his voice heavy with pity and resolve.
Haru sucked in a sharp breath, his stomach twisting.
This wasn't just some weak enemy, it was a real Servant. Even an Assassin-class one was far beyond what any human could face.
'There has to be a tiny chance… no, in a straight fight, there's no chance at all,' Haru thought, forcing himself to stay calm. 'I can't take him head-on. I need to stall and find a way to escape.'
He opened his mouth, ready to say something; anything to buy time, but Assassin raised his flintlock pistol and fired without a word.
At such close range, even Haru's reflexes weren't enough. The bullet grazed his shoulder, and his left arm went numb in an instant.
"Ugh… no Origin Bullet?" Haru stumbled, rolling behind a pile of junk. 'If it was an Origin Bullet, I'd be dead already… Maybe he doesn't think I'm worth it. Or, as a Heroic Spirit, his bullets might be different now; maybe a Noble Phantasm.'
Assassin lived up to his Magus Killer reputation: no hesitation nor any interest in talking.
"Hey! Mister, what's your problem?" Taiga Fujimura yelled, stepping forward with her bamboo sword raised. "Dragging me here and shooting a kid...you're definitely the bad guy!"
Her cheeks burned with anger. "Fuyuki's peace is under my protection: Taiga Fujimura! Give up now, mister!"
She lunged, her stance perfect, swinging the bamboo sword with a sharp whistle toward Assassin.
Haru's heart skipped. 'Sis, don't just charge in! You'll get us both killed!'
He knew the gap between humans and Servants. Most Servants had skills so sharp they could match Noble Phantasms, like Li Shuwen, Lancelot, Heracles. Their speed and strength alone were beyond human limits.
Sure, some magi or "normal" people had faced Servants in the stories, but they always had an advantage or some serious boost.
Normally, a Servant was untouchable for a magus.
Even with Taiga's sword skills, the difference was too big. She'd be killed in seconds.
But what happened next left Haru stunned.
Assassin reloaded his flintlock in a flash. Haru's magic-enhanced eyes barely caught the blur. Less than a tenth of a second, and he was aiming at Taiga, smooth as water.
Her sword was almost on him, but he didn't flinch. Bullets beat bamboo, and even if she hit, what could it do?
Scratch him?
He pulled the trigger with confidence and got a dull click.
Jammed? A Servant's weapon jammed?
Even Assassin, a battle-hardened killer, looked confused for a moment. Then Taiga's strike hit his collarbone dead-on.
He flinched, grabbed her sword, pulled her in, and punched her stomach.
Thud!
Taiga slammed into the wall, muttering, "Ow, ow, ow…"
Maybe because it was a rushed hit, she wasn't hurt badly. Oddly, she'd landed on something soft, like a cushion.
Assassin and Haru stared at each other in silence.
Haru couldn't hold back a laugh. 'That's the gap between Luck E and Luck EX.'
Assassin's eyes narrowed at the sound. He dropped the pistol, pulled out a submachine gun, and sprayed Haru's cover.
"Reinforce!"
Haru cast reinforcement on the junk pile; mostly wood scraps. The Assassin's gun was stronger than a normal firearm but not a Noble Phantasm. With full focus, Haru held off the first burst.
Meanwhile, Taiga charged again. Her steps seemed sloppy but had a hidden rhythm.
Assassin, learned his lesson, put his gun and swapped to a dagger. With his superior speed, he slipped past her swing and aimed at her heart.
Suddenly, the Assassin's foot tripped on something, slowing him. A shadow dropped from above with a rush of air.
'A sneak attack?' He jumped back; right into the falling object.
Clang!
A huge lampshade crashed onto his head.
In the dim light, it looked like a farmer's hat.
Taiga yelped and stepped back. But after seeing the sight, she giggled.
Assassin had tripped over loose wires. A normal person might've just stumbled, but his strength yanked the whole fixture down, lampshade and all.
He stood there, covered in dust and glass.
For a moment, the cold killer seemed to wonder what his life had come to.
Thinking back, when he'd grabbed Taiga, stray cats and dogs had followed him, and a tree nearly crushed him out of nowhere.
When passing by the diner, a gas explosion occurred in the kitchen. No one was hurt, but a shard hit him. Without his Noble Phantasm, he might've been the first Servant killed by a stove.
He eyed Taiga warily, taking a step back.
Not that he feared her; she was still just a girl. If he tried, he could end her easily.
But pushing it might bring more bad luck, and he couldn't risk that.
He had bigger plans. Better to save his strength.
She wasn't a Master, and the purpose of using her by causing chaos was already done. She was useless now.
'I'm not scared of her Luck E curse,' he told himself. 'I just don't want to waste effort on a harmless girl. I am definitely not a coward!'
'I'm a killer with self control!'
He repeated it three times in his head.
............
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