Sorry for the late post, it'd been a while since I went out with my sister and we were out longer than I expected.
-
I stood at the edge of a sheer cliff. A step further and I would plunge into the depths below, where the grassy scapes were dotted by barebones hovels huddled together as if that would somehow protect them.
Above, dark skies rumbled. Thunder raged, and crimson lightning danced just above. The wind made the bells hung from my spear ring incessantly. The animals fled, the birds too, and the men and women who dwelled below as well.
I stood at the edge of a sheer cliff, spear in hand, robes fluttering in the wind, and a grin upon my face.
By now, I had grown used to this. My ancestor, no matter how stupid and brainrotted, was infinitely more dedicated and willful than I could ever be. In being unapologetically himself, he was the bravest man I had ever seen. I could not help but admire all that he accomplished.
"Highkey, take a chill pill. You're gonna get mogged into oblivion if you try to challenge the Gods. Everyone knows Susanoo-sama's a genuine crashout."
Though my words made no sense, the skies themselves raged in answer. Lightning crashed down all around, setting aflame the empty fields. Much of it coalesced and hung in the air for a moment before lashing out at me.
I swatted it aside with a hand.
The skies roared once more. Then, something came rushing forth from within. A great black serpent with blood-red eyes shimmering in the dark. It's great maw parted to reveal great jagged teeth bigger than myself.
It howled and pranced and roared, flying around in the sky.
"You!"
"Me!"
I only grinned.
-
I was sent into a genuine bout of contemplation when I awoke in the morning. So much so, that I ended up unknowingly hitting the Aizen pose when I sat up, fingers steepled together and all that.
Genuinely... what was going on with my ancestor?
...That first dream... That figure had been a literal god, hadn't it?
He fought a dragon. He fought a dragon bigger than the skyscraper I was rooming in... with no cheats at all, in the age where every myth walked the planet and humans were little more than ants.
Every single dream-memory made me feel like even more of a bitch.
How was I supposed to measure up to that?
No, beyond all that, he wasn't even selfish. The first Zen'in was a defender of the people who cared not at all for wealth and lust, but only what he deemed 'right' and 'cool'.
He... He worked for his power.
I was merely chosen.
I didn't even notice when I was done cleaning up, or when I walked into the dining hall. My body had moved on auto-pilot until I was sitting down with a plate of hot pancakes drizzled with syrup and fresh berries finished off by a tall glass of milk.
"You look troubled."
Bazzet sat down across from me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She'd taken my advice about her bland food apparently, replacing the tasteless with a few pieces of still-steaming toast, fried eggs, and some mashed potatoes that were a little too buttery for my tastes.
"You know who I am...?" I half-asked, half-answered.
She held her silence for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. She sheepishly scratched her cheek. "It was force of habit. I'm sorry."
"What'd you find out?"
"Zen'in. That's the extent of it. I didn't want to..."
Nodding, I put my fork in my mouth. "It's fair. I'd want to know too. But, Enji Zen'in, pleased to make your acquaintance."
The older woman frowned for a moment. Just when I was beginning to worry, she nervously extended her own gloved hand. I gave it a firm shake. Then, a bright smile crossed her features. She was far happier than me for it. For a good moment, I was simply taken aback by the sight.
"Bazett Fraga McRemitz. I'm still a bit suspicious of your words for Kirei, but I'm looking forward to our time together."
"Be more apprehensive about this," I sighed. She knew what family I was from. "Or I'll start thinking you're an easy woman."
"E... Easy? That wasn't what I-"
"Then you were just trying to use your feminine charm to lead this poor youth astray." I shook my head from side to side, smiling. "I expected you to be above that, Miss Bazett."
"...You think I'm charming?"
Why was that what she chose to focus on? It just went and made my words embarrassing instead.
I could only groan and stuff my face.
After a long silence, Bazett spoke up once again. "Will... you be free today?"
Would I be?
Even with Shirou Emiya out of the way, there was no guarantee I wouldn't get utterly speedblitzed by some other servant. Shuwen simply wasn't strong enough to measure up against the likes of Berserker, not that I blamed him for it. There was scarcely any legend capable of beating that monstrous creature.
And yet, worrying would get me nowhere at all.
"Yeah. The murders, right?"
The Enforcer nodded politely, "Yes. If a master is responsible for them, they have to be neutralised."
I raised a brow.
"Yes, I have the discretion to deal with any individuals that pose a risk to the First Principle of the Clock Tower. If you help me, I'll keep my promise."
-
By the time we left the hotel, the Sun was high in the sky. It wasn't warm though. Winter had come in hard. Freezing winds from the bay and rain clouds made me cling to my windbreaker.
Though we did garner some attention as Bazett was a foreigner, the few people out and about knew to keep their heads down and mind their own business. That was just the sort of country this was.
I hung back, watching as Bazett questioned a store owner, notepad in hand. She made her way back to me with slightly slumped shoulders.
"Nobody knows anything, or they don't want to admit anything."
"Well, you're a foreigner."
A 'gaijin', so to say. This was still the early 2000s.
"I don't see how that should matter." She frowned faintly, stuffing her notepad into her coat pockets. "I'm trying to help them... How about you ask?"
I shook my head. "No point. It's not like anyone actually saw the murders."
The only answers we'd get from asking around would be what was already in the news. Most recently, a family of four had been stabbed to death in their home, leaving only a young boy as the sole survivor, and there were only two servants in memory who needed other sources of mana to sustain themselves.
One was Medea, but she wasn't outright stabbing people, at least not herself. That left only one other option.
"Actually..." I raised my hand, "I think I might have an idea."
Bazett stopped walking and craned her neck, listening intently.
-
Tracking down my target wasn't all that hard, not when I was intimately familiar with him as a person, if only for how much I had hated his character when I watched the anime and the movies.
Hate was always more memorable than happiness.
Shinji Matou. The eldest son of the Matou family.
To find him, we needed only ask for directions to Homurahara Academy, the high school Rin, Shirou, and almost every member of the main cast attended. From there, it was a matter of waiting around till closing time when a certain blue-haired teenager came out. He was dragging a purple-haired girl with him, yanking her along roughly by her wrist.
She had her head lowered, and made no effort to resist him.
I didn't know if Bazett was just a good person, but she tried to intervene the moment she laid eyes on the two. I stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"What?"
"It's not our business."
That gave her pause, "I suppose..."
"Just wait till they're away from the other students."
-
Hope you enjoyed.
You can find six chapters ahead at patre0n.com/Bleap