Time is a River
Fate is the Current
Then the blade of infinite thinness that cuts through that an infinite number of times at infinite speed is…
Will of Fate, Hollow Sword
Prologue: A New Employee
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It stood there, proudly maintaining that fierce pose.
A true beast, that which stalked the infinite plain.
That red coat, reminiscent of blood freshly drawn.
A lithe form, fitting for that which ran a thousand leagues but yet was never ridden ….!
The man let out a sigh of profound admiration as he stared at the majestic creature, something so far from his existence as to be considered a miracle.
Yes, that was the Lamborghini Murciélago.
Called a supercar, it was a true rarity, something that most people would never even imagine, or hope to see with their own eyes their entire lives.
The man in the coat looked at the Murcielago with admiration along with the rest of the crowd of admirers.
“What a car. I can’t believe they are actually showcasing this”, he said as he looked around the showroom. Many other cars were there, vintage and otherwise, but the Murcielago held pride of place.
Apparently the owner of this storeroom called in a favour from a friend in Italy, who had the car shipped here to Japan for this special showing of various vintage cars. These were the thoughts of the man as he admired that car.
“Heh, if only I could afford such a thing. I guess it’s just a dream after all. But it’s good to dream if it’s something like this .” ran the thought through that man’s brain.
Holding back another sigh as he thought of the unobtainable prize, he flipped open his cell phone and looked at the time, “I guess I should go now. It doesn’t do to be late for work after all and besides its best not to piss Touko-san off”. Flipping the cell phone closed, that man exited the storeroom whistling a merry ditty.
To those observing, if they could tear their eyes away from the radiance of the cars and especially that supercar, he looked like nothing more than a young man, perhaps off to university or to some job.
Well that was true, after all.
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I’m singing in the rain…
Kokutou Mikiya whistled this tune cheerfully as he made his way to his place of employment.
Mikiya, though whistling that cheerfully was actually thinking deeply about another conversation that he had with his parents over his life choices. It was expected that they would not understand his desire to quit university just to work in some detective agency, however interesting that job may be. Mikiya let out a giggle as he imagined what his parent would do if they knew the truth of the Garan no Dou. Well, humanity was meant not to imagine some things…
“Please share the joke, Nii-chan. It seems rather funny”
Mikiya jumped slightly at the voice of his younger sister, Kokutou Azaka as she gazed at him with an interested look on her face. Sweating slightly Mikiya shrugs. “Ahh, it’s nothing , Azaka. Don’t worry.”
Azaka looks at him again and shrugs herself seemingly accepting the explanation though Mikiya thinks he hears her mutter something like… Shiki? Underneath her breath.
He decides it was nothing and seeing that he has arrived at their destination, walks up the stairs as Azaka follows.
Azaka usually attends a prestigious girls academy, but is here for a few weeks on holiday, Mikiya remembers suddenly.
Ahh, high school life.
Mikiya’s thoughts run back to his time in that place and the person that he met there.
Speaking of which, as he opened the door on the second floor…
Yo, Mikiya, Azaka.
Dressed in an impeccable blue kimono with her usual diffedent expression on her face, Ryougi Shiki greets them from her position leaning on the wall.
“Hey Shiki, I’m surprised to see you here”, Mikiya replies as he sets down his jacket.
“What’s that supposed to mean”, Shiki responds slightly as Azaka sets down her own jacket and glares at Shiki as she chats so self-centeredly with other people’s brothers.
“Ahh, well you’re the type that likes loafing around so I didn’t think you’d come so quickly”, Mikiya smiles at Shiki as he sits down in his customary seat.
Shiki glares at him. “Don’t apply that faulty logic to me, Mikiya. Isn’t it you who is too carefree?” Shiki says as she shifts her head slightly.
“Sorry, sorry”, Mikiya apologizes as he gives in to Shiki’s glare.
“Touko-san, what is the problem that all of us needed to come her today”, Azaka, unnoticed over by the door and getting steadily more pissed off by Shiki and Mikiya’s witless conversation asked the president of their little company, who is sitting there giggling slightly as she took in the entertainment.
Puppet maker, magus, architect.
Aozaki Touko took a drag from her cigarette and smiled at Azaka’s annoyed face.
“Yes, about that. I called you guys here to discuss a change in employees”
Azaka’s eyes brightened. “Is someone quitting, or by chance being fired?” she asks in a pure voice that seems totally innocent.
“Reien Girls Academy. They certainly train girls to have manners” thought Touko as she looked a t Azka’s guileless (or so it seemed) face. She looked over at Shiki and Mikiya. Both looked clueless.
Touko stifled a laugh and said” No, we’re getting a new employee.”
The eyes of all three widen, even Shiki.
“What sort of person is it?”, Mikiya asked in surprise.
“Ahh.” Touko took another drag from her cigarette. “A magus”, she replied. “He studied for a bit over by the Clock Tower but he left and came back to Japan”
“Clock..Tower?”, Mikiya asked curiously. Touko looked at him in slight surprise before snapping her fingers.
“Oh yeah! You guys don’t know right? I guess I’ll tell you. To put it simply, the Mage’s Association, the worldwide governing body of magi has three branches. Atlas, known as the Giant’s Pit is an association of alchemists located in Italy. The Sea of Estray, called the Wandering Tomb is a group of smaller associations situated around Europe that research various things. And the head of the Mage’s Association, the Clock Tower, is located in London.” The three nod slightly as Touko finished her explanation.
“I met this guy on a business trip last week . He uses an unusual thaumaturgy and not only that unlike most of the assholes from over by the Clock Tower, he’s actually a decent guy.” Touko took another drag from her cigarette, put in the ashtray and lit another.
“Actually, it’s more than that. I thought Mikiya was the idiot with the kindest heart, but this guy surpasses even him.”
Now both Shiki and Azaka look surprised, while Mikiya looks sheepish.
Nicer than Nii-chan! Unbelievable!
What mental defect does he have?
“…”
Everyone there stops and turns to look at Shiki, who made that unbelievable comment .
“What do you mean by that, Ryougi Shiki?”, Azaka growls out while she unconsciously grits her teeth. Even Mikiya looked slightly, oh so slightly insulted while Touko seemed interested.
“Touko only collects people with mental defects so this guy must have one. Well, I guess being nicer than Mikiya could be considered a mental defect” Shiki muses while completely ignoring Azaka’s look of growing anger.
“Eh. Do I really seem that way?” Touko’s quiet question was ignored by Azaka’s passionate shout.
“Shiki, you…”
She was cut off as she heard a series of steps coming from right outside the door .
Touko clapped slightly. “Ahh that must be him” She checked the time. “Hmm, he’s right on time, what a honest guy’, she said lightly.
She turns to Azaka “Hey, you should put on a good face for your new sempai, Azaka”, she grins.
Azaka frowns slightly but doesn’t say anything. The door opens.
Wearing a slightly long coat over a white T-shirt and jeans, the man steps over the threshold and smiles slightly at the sight of the people gathered in the room.
Waving a hand, he introduces himself.
“I’m Emiya Shirou. Nice to meet you.”
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There’s the prologue of a fic that I posted here last year, I brushed it off and decided to repost. Hope you guys like it, and I sincerely hope it doesn’t suck. Please give some constructive criticism.
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Originally Posted by Hermitfold
