THE FUYUKI ANOMALY
PROLOGUE SEQUENCE
6:57 PM; Fuyuki City
Emiya Shirou was getting ready to leave when the middle-aged man stepped into the Copenhagen.
“Yo, Otoko-chan, it’s been a long time.” he greeted the young woman standing behind the counter. “Is your father in?”
“I told you before, call me Neko.” the young woman grumbled before grabbing a bottle from the top shelf and pouring out a glass. She slid the glass over to the man who picked it up carefully. “Dad’s out at the moment. Had some business to take care of.” She said.
“Is that so? Shame. I was hoping to meet him.” the man said. He was a large man, easily standing at six feet. But the most noticeable thing about him was his flamboyant clothing. He was wearing a blue kariyushi shirt with orange flowers. “Hey, who are you?” he said when he noticed Shirou.
“Pleased to meet you, sir. My name is Emiya Shirou. I work here as a part-time worker.” Shirou said.
“Emiya?” the large man asked. “You related to Kiritsugu?”
“Yes sir, he was my father.” Shirou said.
“Adopted father.” Otoko clarified, noticing the large man’s confused expression.
“Huh. Didn’t think he was the sentimental type, that Emiya.” the large man man said to himself. He turned his attention to Shirou. “Your old man helped us out a lot in the past, did you know that?” he said. Shirou did not know what to say so he simply nodded. The large man downed the contents of the glass in one go and pulled a stool closer. He sat down and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
“The name’s Yamada Jirou.” The large man said. Something about his demeanor made Shirou think that Yamada had spent some time abroad but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Yamada-san.” Shirou said, bowing down low this time.
“Heh, a kid with manners. I like that. Kids nowadays don’t know how to greet his elders properly.” Yamada said with a grin. One of his front teeth was missing. Shirou realized that Yamada’s accent felt off. He must have recently returned if his accent was this way.
“You better get going, Shirou. You have school tomorrow, don’t you?” Otoko said.
“Yes, you are right. Good night, Hotaruzuka-san, Yamada-san.” Shirou said, making sure to bow properly before exiting the shop. Yamada watched him leave before turning back to face Otoko.
“Nice kid.” He said. Otoko poured him some more.
“You said that his father helped you out in the past.” she asked. “How?”
“That? Oh, it wasn’t a whole lot.” Yamada said. “He wanted to meet the old man so we asked him for a lot of cash in return. It turned out that he was really loaded. Handed over a hundred grand just like that.”
“A hundred thousand yen?” Otoko asked.
“American dollars.” Yamada corrected her. Otoko’s eyes widened.
“Just like that?” She asked.
“Yeah. Really threw us in a loop, that did. We all decided that it must be a really bad matter if he wanted to talk directly to the old man so we arranged a meeting. The old man took a real shine to him too.” Yamada chuckled.
“I am surprised you didn’t try to milk him for more.” Otoko remarked. Yamada threw up his hands in mock-anger.
“Hey, give us honorable organizations more credit than that. We gave our word that we would take him to the boss, so we did.” Yamada said. He downed his glass in one go and set it down with a satisfied sigh. “Although, you’re right. We should have pumped him a bit more.”
“Shamelessly honest as always, Yamada-san.” Otoko said as she refilled the glass for a third time.
“What can I say? It’s part of my charm.” Yamada replied.
“I thought your charm involved beating rival family goons into a pulp with your bare fists.” Otoko remarked. “You went abroad after sending twenty of their soldiers and a few lieutenants to the hospital. Do you think you are safe now?”
“Hey hey, little girls aren’t supposed to talk about dangerous things like that. Shouldn’t you be more focused on finding your happiness?” Yamada said.
“I am happy right now, Yamada-san. But if you are here and the Shijima family hasn’t forgiven you, that could mean a lot of trouble down the line.” Otoko said. “So I will ask you again, Yamada-san; are you safe now?”
Yamada snort derisively. “Do you really think they would forgive me that easily? Of course they wouldn’t.” He downed his third glass. “Damn it, Otoko-chan, you killed my buzz.” He pulled out his wallet, took out five one thousand yen banknotes and put them on the counter. “Keep the change. And don’t worry, I am safe. The old man made sure to break Shijima’s back for me.”
“You’re a bad liar, Yamada-san. I’ll tell Dad that you swung by.” Otoko said, picking up the money and putting it in her pocket. Yamada smirked before stepping out of the shop. The cold winter air greeted him and left Yamada shivering.
“Shit, should’ve worn something warmer.” he muttered to himself. He rubbed his hands together and blew on them. The streets were crowded and shops were open. Yamada quickly made his way to a garments shop and bought a plain white coat. Outside the shop, he saw a man wearing completely black and his heart skipped a beat.
“He’s dead. He’s dead.” he muttered to himself before quickly making his way.
The story he had told Hotaruzuka Otoko was a complete lie. They wouldn’t simply let an outsider meet the old man just because he dropped some cash. When Emiya Kiritsugu had entered his office, the war between the Fujimura and the Shijima family was at a critical juncture. Yamada had wanted to destroy the Shijima family’s businesses but had little luck regarding that front. Hen Kiritsugu had asked to see the old man, Yamada had blown him off irritably. If you really want to meet the old man, I’ll arrange a meeting myself after you take down a Shijima family business, Yamada had said at that time.
I hope you’ll remember your promise, Emiya Kiritsugu had said before he had left his office.
“Hey mister! Had a long day? Why don’t you unwind by coming to Sunshine Soapland?” a high school girl said, interrupting Yamada’s thoughts.
“Eh, not feeling it at the moment.” Yamada declined. He hadn’t visited and paid his respects to the old man yet. And if he was delayed because of a stopover at a soapland, he would be in a world of trouble.
“Oh? In that case, please have this.” the high school girl said, offering him a packet of tissues which Yamada graciously accepted. He would have to pay the place a visit sometime else.
It would be an understatement to say that he was surprised the day after Kiritsugu had paid him a visit. Someone had gone to three of the largest Shijima family’s offices and had murdered every single soldier and employee. Someone had tipped off the Shijima family which was why the police never got involved. One of Yamada’s spies tipped him off about the attack early in the morning. This had happened barely two hours after Kiritsugu had left Yamada’s office. Yamada had no illusions as to who was responsible for the attacks.
When Kiritsugu paid him another visit, Yamada arranged a meeting between him and the old man. After that, he went to war with the Shijima family. With the Shijima on the back foot by such a brazen attack, Yamada and the Fujimura family had no trouble in breaking their backs.
A cold breeze made Yamada shiver and brought him back to the present. He was standing in Verde and was surrounded by young people. Couples meandered about, hand in hand, completely oblivious to his presence, salarymen in business suits stumbled drunkenly out of bars, and a few solitary individuals could also be seen, minding their own business although a few people looked at him as if he was an escaped zoo animal. It felt strange that nearly ten years ago, Yamada had personally conducted a silent massacre of Shijima family soldiers. As soon as he had Kiritsugu escorted to the old man, he had led a pack of his own soldiers into Verde, systematically ambushed and murdered nearly fifty Shijima goons, and then hid their bodies.
That day, the Fujimura family muscled the Shijima family out of its territory and became the undisputed masters of Fuyuki. And they had an outsider to thank for that.
Yamada decided to revisit the places where he had overseen the war. He wanted to see how much Fuyuki had changed since his departure. He slipped into one of the many narrow alleys of Verde and made his way to an empty lot. There was nothing there to see except an old, one-eyed cat who gave Yamada a look before grooming itself. The air-conditioning units on the surrounding walls created an ambient thrum and warmed the lot slightly. They had found some Shijima soldiers here and had promptly strangled them to death before putting their bodies into a sack. They had later taken the bodies out to sea, tied weights to them and threw them overboard.
The thrum of the air-conditioning units sounded different. The one-eyed cat yowled in terror. Yamada looked around. One of the building walls was covered with insects. Insects whose very presence filled Yamada with mortal terror. He quickly took out his cell phone and dialled a number.
The insects flew at him. The cat yowled for one last time.
--
8:30 PM; Tohsaka Mansion
The doorbell rang twice. Rin grimaced and looked at the clock. Punctual as always.
“Good evening, Rin.” Kotomine’s voice came from downstairs. Rin stood up and made her way downstairs. Kotomine was waiting for her along with her servant golem. There was a bag of take-out food containers in his hand.
“That better not be mapo tofu.” Rin said. Kotomine chuckled.
“Do not worry. This is curry rice. I thought we might try something different this time.” he replied.
“You mean you thought you might try something different this time. I always order different food.” Rin said. She motioned to her golem, who took the bag from Kotomine and made its way to the kitchen. “Let’s get this over with.” Rin said.
“You make it sound as if this friendly dinner between a mentor and his ward is a painful affair.” Kotomine said as they both made their way to the dining room. Rin sat at the head of the table while Kotomine seated himself at the opposite end.
“Jesus Christ-” Rin began.
“RIN!” Kotomine said. “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.” Rin merely rolled her eyes before continuing.
“Just because you enjoy these torture sessions doesn’t mean that other, saner, people do as well.”
“And what might be so painful about this?” Kotomine asked.
“We have been over this several times and yet you elect to forget what I say every time so it is useless to explain. Hence my statement of us getting over this farce as quickly as possible.” Rin answered.
The golem brought the curry rice in two platters which it set down in front of them. It left the dining room and came back carrying a tray of two glasses and a jug of water. It set the glasses down in front of them, filled with with water and set the jug down in the middle of the table. It then went to the corner of the room and stood there.
“You have become quite skilled in golem crafting.” Kotomine observed.
“This isn’t my creation. It was made by father. I merely repurposed it.” Rin said.
“Your modesty towards your work is unexpected.” Kotomine said. “And even repurposing a tool requires great skill.”
“Stop flattering me.” Rin said before starting on her curry rice.
“How are your studies going? Do you require my help?” Kotomine asked between bites.
“They are going quite well without you.” Rin replied.
“What are you studying nowadays?” Kotomine asked.
“Nothing much. I am more focused on the Grail War.” Rin said. She held up her right hand, showing the back to the Kotomine. Two crescent shaped lines, the smaller insider the larger, and a small, straight line were inscribed on it.
“A wise decision. What have you done so far?” Kotomine asked.
“I am not telling you.” Rin answered.
“Fair enough, I suppose.” Kotomine said. “Is there anything you wish to know about the Grail War?”
“Yes.” Rin said. Kotomine’s eyes widened very slightly but he remained composed.
“Oh? Pray tell.” he asked.
“Who will represent the Matou family?” Rin asked.
“Whoever the Grail chooses.” Kotomine said. He put down his spoon and leaned back. “Are you worried about her?”
“Shut up!” Rin suddenly yelled, banging her fist on the table. Kotomine smirked. This was going to be fun.
“No need to be irritated, Rin. It is human nature to worry about the ones you care about.” he said.
“I don’t care about her.” Rin said.
“I am sure you think that is true but do you really believe what you just said?” Kotomine asked.
Rin remained silent.
“A little advice from a teacher to his student: Don’t participate in this War. You will lose your life because you can’t take the life of another. There is no shame in prioritizing your own survival. Your father would have wanted it.” Kotomine said.
“You don’t know shit about my father.” Rin said.
“Language!” Kotomine said strongly but without raising his voice. “And please refrain from throwing baseless accusations at others, Rin. It is considered bad manners to do so. And I knew your father more than you did.”
“I am his daughter.” Rin said.
“Which is why you don’t know him as I did.” Kotomine said. “A child only knows his parent as a nurturer and a caregiver at first and . It is one of life’s greatest ironies that the people we care about most are the people we know the least.”
“Which hippie guru’s book have you picked that quote from?” Rin asked.
“I speak from experience.” Kotomine answered.
“What do you mean?” Rin asked.
“That is not important at the moment. What is important is your participation in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki.” Kotomine said.
“You don’t know if it’s going to be her that will participate for the Matou.” Rin said.
“I never said that I knew.” Kotomine pointed out. “But think about this rationally, Rin. Even if she isn’t chosen by the Grail, Matou Zouken can simply transfer the Command Spells to her.”
“Why would he do that?” Rin asked.
“Think for a moment, Rin.” Kotomine explained. “Who is the candidate that poses the most danger to the Matou? It is you. And who is the one person you would want to fight the least? It is her. So it is the most logical thing for Matou Zouken to make her the Matou participant.”
“What about the Einzbern candidate? Her or she might be a more powerful mage than me.” Rin asked.
“Yes, that is likely. But power alone does not make one dangerous. You possess several advantages against the Matou that the Einzbern do not have. You know the city quite well, you have a good idea who the Matou candidate might be, you have more assets available to you here and your lineage is compatible with this land.” Kotomine said. “The Einzbern participant may be powerful but he will be fighting with a severe handicap. Which is why you are the most dangerous potential participant.”
Rin fell silent and resumed eating. Kotomine smiled and looked outside. Despite the cold, it hadn’t snowed. Kotomine made a mental note to buy some oranges on his way back. The golem lit the gas lamps in the dining room before resuming its position. The room now resembled a chiaroscuro painting.
“Why do you think my father wouldn’t want me to participate in this War?” Rin asked.
“Two reasons, mostly. The first being that Tokiomi-san did not expect to lose the Fourth Grail War and did not expect his daughter to have participated in the Fifth. He left no mention of preparations to be made for your participation.” Kotomine answered.
“Father did not know that the Fifth War would take place only ten years later. To say that he wouldn’t want me to participate in this War just because of that is not a good enough reason.” Rin said.
“You are correct but I think that Tokiomi-san would have wanted you to have every bit of preparation as you could possibly muster. And as for the second reason why, it’s simply because you are the last Tohsaka. If you die in this War, the lineage dies with you.” Kotomine said.
“It’s all I have.” Rin said quietly.
“Pardon?” Kotomine said.
“This Grail War. It’s all I have.” Rin said.
“Don’t speak nonsense, Rin. You have your mother, your grandparents, your house, your friends.” Kotomine said. “Do not reduce yourself to a single event.”
“I am the heir to the Tohsaka name. To run away from the very War that my family founded, there can be no greater dishonor. And that is why, Kirei, I believe that my father would want me to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki.” Rin said.
“I see.” Kotomine said. He stood up from his chair and looked at his ward. Rin’s eyes had a determined look in them. She had no idea what her words entailed and that delighted him. “There are still ten days until the War begins. Make sure to think carefully.”
“Good night, Kirei.” Rin said. Kotomine simply nodded before leaving the Tohsaka manor.
--
10:00 PM, Fujimura Residence
Fujimura Saiga was a man without an excess of sentiment or empathy. And he was content with it. He was sitting with his father-in-law at the moment. His father-in-law, Fujimura Raiga was enjoying a sumo match that was on the television. It was a weekly ritual for the two of them to watch the television show his father-in-law liked and not discuss business. It had started out because Namie, his wife, suggested it as a way for them to feel like a family.
Both men did it to humor her even though they knew it would never work. Raiga saw him as less of a son-in-law and more of a weapon at his disposal. And Saiga asked for nothing more.
The sliding opened and a manservant on the other side bowed low.
“Tsushima-san is out at the gate and wishes to meet you, Fujimura-sama.” he said. Raiga frowned.
“I told you all before, don’t disturb me if there is a match on television. Send him away.” he said.
“Very good, Fujimura-sama.” the manservant bowed, slid back the door and left.
“Suzuki doesn’t seem to be in proper shape today.” Saiga said.
“What?” Raiga snapped.
“Kinzaemon, the wrestler.” Saiga explained.
“Oh, you were talking about the match.” Raiga’s demeanor softened. “You’re right, Kinzaemon doesn’t seem to be in the best shape. But then again, you have to remember, he was only promoted to sekiwake because --“ he began explaining but Saiga ignored it all. The best way to please Fujimura Raiga was to ask about sumo. A furious Raiga was one of the few things Saiga feared.
The door slid open once more. The manservant prostrated himself. “Tsushima-san says that the matter is of utmost importance and he will not leave until you deign to meet him, Fujimura-sama.” he said.
“Is that so? I suppose that it can’t be helped. Send him.” the old man said. Saiga felt irritated. This was not how the evening was supposed to go. Tsushima himself knew that. There was nothing that was important enough to warrant disturbing his father-in-law. The manservant bowed deeply before closing the door and leaving.
“What has happened, I wonder?” Raiga muttered to himself. Saiga remained silent. Of the four of them, Tsushima Osamu was just as likely as Yamada Jirou to get in trouble.But that was before the Fujimura family had decided to leave their roots and become legitimate business men. Saiga couldn’t think of anything reason to startle Tsushima except for a sudden bankruptcy.
The door opened a third time to reveal Tsushima Osamu kneeling behind the door. He prostrated himself before speaking.
“I beg your pardon, Fujimura-sama, but I believe Yamada-san is in trouble.” he said. Saiga felt confused. Yamada wouldn’t ever ask for Tsushima to speak for him. And he was in Hawaii to begin with. Even if he was in trouble, they wouldn’t be able to help him.
“Enter.” Raiga said. Tsushima bowed his head before coming inside the room. Saiga felt the first pangs of alarm taking hold of his brain. Tsushima was never this polite, not even when he talked to Raiga. Whatever had happened was troublesome enough to frighten him into politeness. And if it could frighten Tsushima then it definitely would mean trouble down the road. The manservant closed the door behind him. “Now, tell me what has happened.” Raiga commanded.
“I received a call from Yamada a little under two hours ago. When I picked up my cell phone, all I heard was his scream and the sound of a thousand insect wings.” Tsushima began to explain. “I kept calling his name while the connection lasted but to no avail. After the call disconnected, I tried to get in touch with him again. But he wouldn’t pick up his phone. I then sent some of my men to Verde --”
“Wait a moment, why did you send your men to Verde?” Raiga asked sharply. Tsushima bowed his head once more and did not raise it.
“Yamada-san had some business in Fuyuki that is why --“ Tsushima began but was cut off by Raiga slamming his fist on the table.
“He came to Fuyuki? That idiot came to Fuyuki? Has he forgotten the Shijima captain?” Raiga roared. It was astonishing how loud the old man could yell. It was as if he was still the young man who terrorized the local populace. “I sent him to Hawaii to keep him away from that Shijima captain. Did he think that there would be no consequences from having an affair with the enemy’s wife? And did he think that five years was enough for that Captain to forgive him?” Raiga took a deep breath before composing himself. “What did your men find in Verde?”
“Well, nothing. But a few shopkeepers remembered a large, tanned Japanese man in kariyushi shirt walking around at around 8 o’clock. That means that he did go there and that his timing matched the call he made. If he disappeared after that, we can say that something had happened.” Tsushima explained.
“Well, let us suppose that this did happen.” Raiga said. “What made you think that he would be in Verde?”
“The woman he had an affair with in the past lives in Verde.” Tsushima said. That surprised Saiga.
“It is not like Yamada to get hung over a woman.” Raiga frowned.
“Actually, boss,” Tsushima began. “Yamada and that woman secretly remained in touch. They sent letters to each other through the owner of a bar called the Copenhagen. Yamada came back to smuggle her out of the country.”
“That damned brat. What did he expect to happen if he got caught, for me to break the Shijima family’s back for him?” Raiga grumbled. “Wait a few more days. This is Yamada we are talking about. I am sure he found another woman and forgot all about his grand plan to elope.”
“And if he still doesn’t show?” Tsushima asked.
“Then we go to war.” Raiga said simply before turning his attention back to the television.
--
AUTHOR: Whew, this took some time to type out. I wrote this chapter because I was getting tired of Grail War fanfics. For those of you came here expecting more Fuyuki resident shenanigans, fear not, for they are on the way. This is more of a prologue chapter, setting up the conflict. As for the title, I couldn’t come up with a better one so I suppose this will have to suffice. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this. Thank you!
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Originally Posted by Hymn of Ragnarok
