Fate/Reach Out (Fate/Stay Night x Persona 4)

[Crying]

There was also Chie getting brought into the TV World for the Shadow Yosuke fight, which didn't happen in the game.

[Kishou the Badger]

Not to mention how Shadow Chie was revealed...

I can assure you that the direction of the story is going to be different. Although from how I'm seeing it now, it might be more superficial changes. The problem with Personas 3 and 4 is that they're pretty scripted as to how the events unfold, so there could be constant fighting throughout the majority of the school year.

Still, I might have written myself into a stump since that cliffhanger. So many directions to go to but not sure how or what. At least there will finally be some action again. I can only imagine that I'm boring the readers with not just the long build-up chapters but also how the plotline is too railroaded at times.

[Crying]

It's not your fault that Persona 4 (and 3 more so) is a very linear game. There's only so much you can do to make it unique while staying on the rails.

I kind of wonder what would happen if Shirou managed to form a Social Link with "Nami"? I always wondered what would happen if Yu/Souji did it, but it never really gets brought up.

What Arcana would "he" even have? Probably a made-up one like Adachi's. Or a thoth/hermetic one like Marie's. Or maybe "he'd" get a regular Arcana, but with reverse meaning like how Nyx was (apparently) Death in reverse?

Or maybe it'd be the Happy Squirrel?

Bah, you've already decided the Social Links Shirou will have (except maybe Hanged Man, if I remember correctly) so I'm basically just wasting my internet breath.

That's totally a thing, shut up.

[warellis]

Are there differences in Margaret and Shirou's relationship here vs her relationship with You in OTL Persona 4?

[nitewind]

She wasn't teaching the P4 protagonist magecraft to start with.

[Twi]

I really want to see this carried over to the HGW. This Shiroe would be so boss.

[warellis]

She wasn't teaching the P4 protagonist magecraft to start with.

Yeah but was she teaching the P4 protagonist something, as in actually doing lessons with him?

[Crying]

As far as I remember she just asked you to do stuff and you doing it helped a bond form...

I always thought it was one of the weirder Social Links.

[Lunaludus Scribex]

As far as I remember she just asked you to do stuff and you doing it helped a bond form...

I always thought it was one of the weirder Social Links.

She would ask you to show her particular Personas with specific skills, and each time you did, her SL would go up a rank. It actually makes a fair bit of sense, when you think about it--Personas are supposed to be manifestations of the self, and Margaret, because of who and what she is, understands Personas better than just about anyone other than Igor and Philemon. She really is learning more about Yu you as a person each time you fulfill one of her requests.

[Kishou the Badger]

The first thing I can think of after coming to this world was the ground shaking. I ran ahead without realizing, scared and frightened while ignoring my brother and sister. I didn’t get very far before I ended up tripping over a branch.

This world is so different. I’ve never seen a forest so dense and green before. But I barely had time to notice its beauty. Not when I thought I was going to die.

My brother called out my name and dove by my side. I felt his arms cover me and we tucked our heads down to the dirt road. The shaking didn’t stop, but I kept my head down as long I could.
The shaking slowly stopped. I looked up and saw a herd of big brown beasts galloping away. I never seen anything like them. So we must really be in another world, after all.

I was just relieved to be safe after that. “Thanks, Shirou.”

My older brother, Shirou. He has red hair like a brick or fire, darker than my own brown hair. We’re not related like real brothers, but we grew up together. He always looks after me, or anyone for that matter.

Shirou smiled and ruffled my hair. “Anytime. Just be more careful.”

“Dummkopf!” Looking up, I saw a long white haired, red eyed girl in a purple coat run down, cursing more words in German. That girl was our younger sister Illya.

Her full name is Illyasviel von E. I had trouble remembering the full name, but at least I didn’t have to think of the last name at the end. I always had to call her by her full name, Illyasviel, and pronounce it just the right way.

But Shirou gets a pass. “Go easy on him, Illya. It was a tough jump.”

Illyasviel glared between the two of us, both mostly on me. Illyasviel always hated me. “And he ran screaming like the baby he is into that herd of monsters!”

“To be fair, lassie, the Ulk ran right into Ollie-boy, not the other way around!”

She turned and snapped at the fourth member of the party; a yellow fairy in a green suit with a hooked lantern on his nose. “You stop coddling him too! You’re not his doll, anymore!”

Mr. Drippy. A toy I had the last five years. Or it should have been a toy before he came to life. A real, talking fairy, and he told us all about how to get to this other world.

“Bah, it’s all water under da bridge, now,” Mr. Drippy said, hoping ahead. “Come along then! From here we can find a way to Ding Dong Dell.”

“What’s Ding Dong Dell?” Shirou asked the fairy.

“It’s a city!” exclaimed Mr. Drippy. “Much like your own Fuyuki, eh! The buildings are nice, the people are bursting with enthusiasm, and wait until you meet the Top Cat that is the King. A literal cat at that!”

“A cat that is a king of a city?” Shirou asked wryly. “Now I’m know we’re not on Earth anymore.”

Mr. Drippy stopped and pointed over a cliff. “There it is, kiddies! The kingdom of the Rolling Hills!”

It was an amazing view. Standing over the ledge, we could see everything. Tall mountains in the distance, old rock formations of an age forgotten, lakes filled with sky blue water, green trees and forests that almost threaten to over populate the lush green fields.

And of course, was the city that Mr. Drippy was pointing to. It was so far, but I could make out the blue orb-like roof-tops and shining white structure that was the main palace. It looked so small compared to Fuyuki City, but it was still wonderful.

The colors, the sounds, even the smell of water and flowers… it was all so beautiful. To think no one else back home even knows about this place.

“So this is mom’s world,” Shirou said aloud. He was thinking the same as me. And maybe Illyasviel too, I can’t be sure.

“And she’s around here, somewhere,” she added softly.

“I’m sure you kiddies can do it!” Mr. Drippy smiled and gave his encouragement. “After all, who better to find the Great Sage Alicia than her own tykes?”

Yes, that’s right; we’ll find mom. We have to.

<><><>
Shades of Purity
A Ni No Kuni and Fate/Stay Night crossover
<><><>

My name is Oliver Sage, and me and my brother and sister are all Wizards.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. We all live in a place called Fuyuki City, Japan. It was all the world I knew back then, with its big buildings and divided districts, the Shinto and Miyami districts. My family and I live in a big house in Miyami, with the other suburban houses and buildings.

All I know about the city district is that there were a lot of new buildings build after the fire when Mom and Dad first met. I don’t really like that district. The buildings look nice, sure, but they’re not as warm or comforting as the ones in Miyami.

Our adventure from Fuyuki to Mr. Drippy’s world started like any other day. I was returning from my morning walk from the local grocer. This was usually Shirou’s job but he was asleep still in the annex from his late night experiments. Mom told me to go in his place when they get breakfast started.

“Ah, there you are Oliver!”

I was just making the turn to my house when I was called out. I looked ahead and saw a tall boy with purple hair. “Shinji! What are you doing here?”

Shinji Matou’s a friend of mine, and the older brother of another friend, Sakura. He’s smart, popular, and a vice captain of the high school archery club. He can be kind of mean though. I think that’s why Sakura’s uncomfortable with him and why he and Shirou aren’t friends anymore.

“I wanted to make sure you heard the big news,” he said with a smile.

I like Shinji, but Shirou and Illya keep telling me not to be friends with him. He used to make me cry, but that hasn’t happened in a while, and he’s the only other magic user I know in Fuyuki.

I was curious what he meant, too. “What big news?”

Shinji’s smile grew as he leaned in and whispered. “It’s ready.”

I almost asked, “What’s it?” but stopped myself. Shinji’s the kind of person that doesn’t like stupid questions, so I tried thinking what he meant.

It came to me quickly, and I smiled back. “You mean-?!”

“Just got the last shipment of parts the other day, and finished installing them last night.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, twirling them idly in his fingers. “All that’s left is the test drive tonight.”

“That’s great, Shinji!” I was really excited. All our hard work was finally going to pay off! And we could get it running tonight… “Wait, does it have to be tonight? I’m not sure if I could do it on short notice.”

“Oliver, we’ve been working on this for the last year,” Shinji said. “I get that you want to be a good boy and stick to your curfew, but if we don’t do it now, then we may never get another chance at all.”

“But why?”

Shinji looked at me funny. He had this sneering look, like he would make at other people before yelling at them. Or at least that’s what Shirou tells me. Shinji might be quick to anger, but he was always smart and honest. He would have a good reason for this sudden interest.

“I’m only telling you this because you’re familiar with magecraft,” he said finally. “And of course you’re my friend… but there’s going to be a big battle between summoners and familiars in this city soon. Dangerous stuff. Almost entirely taking place in the shadows. I’m going to be representing the Matous for it too, so I want to make sure I have nothing left hanging before it starts.”

“A battle?” The idea of fighting honestly makes me nervous. Magic should be the stuff of wonder and miracles, to help others. Like the wizards from Mom’s world. They would work together and learn from each other. Why should people fight? Why people like Shinji?

Why Shinji? “Wait, you too? Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be more than okay,” he smirked. “I’m going to win and show all those cronies that anyone can do magecraft.”

How Shinji and I became friends was entirely by accident. I dropped Mom’s magic book, The Wizard’s Companion in front of him, and he picked it up before I did. He meant to give it back, but he saw the page on spell runes. I still haven’t forgotten the look on his face. He looked haunted.

I later learned that he was from a family of mages, but he lacked the “circuits” for it. Sakura was adopted to his family as a replacement head. I still don’t get much about magi, but they take heirs very seriously. Shinji never liked admitting he wasn’t a magus, and made me promise not to tell anyone; especially Shirou. He’s always so proud and sure of himself, so I can only guess he didn’t want to be embarrassed.

I could honestly understand where he comes from. I grew up with magic, and although I didn’t have to worry about heirs or losing magic, I’m not good at it. Shirou has a specialized branch of spells only he can do, and Illya has more mana to spare than me, Shirou, and Mom combined. And Mom too… she’s a Sage back where she’s from. One of the best ever. It makes me proud to have her for a mom, but I’m not sure if I can ever prove myself to them. I’m a slow learner, can only cast four spells, and I have to look them up to get the runes right.

Which is why this project of ours is so important to both of us. It was something to prove to ourselves, and to prove that no one should ever doubt us again.

“Alright,” I told him. “We’ll do it tonight.”

Shinji ruffled my hair playfully, still smiling. “I knew I could count on you, kiddo. Meet me by the Mion River after curfew, and bring that wand and book of yours. You know it only works with that one spell.”

Shinji left for school after that, leaving me at the front gate to my house. I know I told him I would, but I was already having second thoughts. The Wizard’s Companion belongs to Mom; she only lets me borrow and read it for the stories and geography of her world. I’m not even allowed to practice or use them without her watching.

Still, what Shinji and I accomplished… I wanted nothing more than to see it fly. I’ll just have to be discreet and not let anyone find out. Besides, it was only for one night, before Shinji’s big battle.

I didn’t know at the time that this night would be when everything in my life changed. Because if I had, I would have reconsidered Shinji’s offer.

<><><>
...Yep. I did it again. April Fools.
Try the other links to Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity, as they were updated too.
...what's that? They were duds too?
Oh yeah. Still April Fools.

I'm not sorry.

[nitewind]

Freaking tease, you are a teasing teaser who teasingly teases.

Edit: That reminds me, I still have that copy of Ni No Kuni I picked up just because of those snippet Kishou did a while back. Really need to get playing that, and Kishou really needs to get writing that fic too.

[Lycodrake]

If only I had the system for Ni No Kuni. ;w;

[Shrimperor]

that was the nicest April Fool ever, but also one that hurt, alot...
especially since i couldn't believe my eyes and tought you were finally releasing th sequel to the oneshot ;_;

and i still need to play the games, PC Port when

[Kishou the Badger]

The concert was a disaster.

Inoue couldn't believe it. He knew Rise; he was her manager. She always seemed to be calm and collected off the stage. And she was a rising star not even close to plateau-ing. Her fans loved her. Her songs were selling. She had just been told that she was worthy of a movie role for goodness sake! There shouldn't be any reason she would announce quitting in front of her loyal audience.

And yet here he was, riding the limo out of Okina with Rise. Sure, the concert went on as intended, as she played a few more songs, but it was clear that the once happy atmosphere of performing was a lie. More than a few desperate fans tried climbing up on stage to convince her otherwise before security stepped in. And Rise just didn't have that same glow when she sang and danced. It was like all the pressure and tension had just zapped Risette away from existence and the more vulnerable Rise showed herself for the first time.

"You could have told me," he said finally. Rise never liked starting a conversation first, but this silence was aggravating. He didn't want Risette to end this early. Especially this way.

"Told you what?" she snapped, surprising Inoue. Her gaze was still fixed out of her door window, chin and cheek resting on her palm near the door. "That I suddenly wanted to stop just seconds before I was expected to perform? Or that I thought the movie role was a horrible birthday present?"

Birthday? But today was- ...June 1st. "Oh," said Inoue, somewhat ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, I understand that you must feel upset. We can set up something tomorrow after the inter-"

"I don't care," she cut in. "And I don't want to go to the interview, or the movie shoot, or anything else Idol-related. I want to go home."

"Rise-chan, your parents live at least two days away from Okina."

"Then drop me off at Inaba. My grandmother lives there."

"But Inaba is a town in the middle of nowhere."

"Exactly."

Wow, she was serious. Inoue was starting to get concerned, and his frown showed it. "Aren't you taking your hiatus a little too seriously?"

Rise finally looked back to him condescendingly. "Of course not," she said. "I'm taking my retirement very seriously."

"All because we forgot your birthday?" asked her manager.

"Yes!" Rise declared. "And while I'm at it, I'm sick of being some marketing doll for your company because you think everyone's an idiot. Sure, give every guy the expectation that they can fantasize about having us as their first time, or some other kinky sex position."

"Rise-chan!"

"Oh, that's right!" she clapped her hands, smiling in mock realization. "I can't talk about sex because I'm supposed to be an innocent stereotype and role model for young girls!" She then scowled. "It's completely unrealistic! And every idol company has been doing this same crap for, what, thirty years now? If idols are supposed to be role models, then we shouldn't play onto some escapist fantasy!"

"I never thought you felt this way," Inoue said after a long silence. "You used to love singing."

"I do," she admitted, frowning. "I still do. Singing, dancing... I feel like it's the only thing I can convey for real whenever I'm on stage."

Her hand reached over and picked up a stage photo of herself- no, of Risette. It was supposed to be a signed autograph that she would give to her fans after the show, but the mood was so bipolar between depression and denial that she opted for a quick retreat instead. It was among some of the hastily packed items from her concert.

The image was a cute one too; she posed for it just the other day at the same stage before the concert started officially. If one didn't know any better, they'd say she had hundreds of photos made ready as she was performing in the same pose.

"But my voice isn't real. My smile is just an act. Even my name is fake. My stage persona Risette... that's all they see. That's all anyone cares to see. And I'm tired of it, Inoue-san."

Silence filled the car again, and Inoue wondered if this was his fault. He kept pushing Rise to go further because she had the talent for it, and he earnestly believed she could handle whatever the idol business had in store for her. It was almost a shame that she would fall after coming so far in a short amount of time, but that was no excuse for her feeling distraught and depressed.

He didn't want to cause a repeat of Yuko Osada and Kyoko Ochimizu either. The former committed suicide almost ten years ago, and the latter... well, he could see why people claimed her to be a cold-hearted dragon. The details were still vague, and most people forgot about it over time. Still, did Rise consider her Risette role so constricting that she would contemplate suicide?

Before long, the limo drove to a stop at the shopping district of Inaba. A lot of the kids and young adults had left to see her concert tonight, and were probably taking the long ride back home through Okina traffic. But mostly, the traffic and activity were barren to the extent that it felt like a ghost town. Inoue didn't like that.

He had also heard that there was a serial murderer loose in this town with two victims last April. He didn't like that either.

"Rise-chan," he said as his soon to be ex-idol opened the car door. "If it's a break you want I can book you a five-star hotel. Any place, anywhere. Really, money's no problem."

"I appreciate it, Inoue-san, really," said Rise. For as much as he could get on her nerves, he was a good manager and adult figure to her. "But I want peace and quiet with my relaxing time. I'd be harder to find here than on Yakushima Island."

Inoue hummed, though he didn't look convinced. Rise shrugged and added, "Besides, Inaba likes to exaggerate their gossip and rumors. I'm sure this murderer thing has already passed."

Well, at least Rise was aware of the danger, albeit dismissive of it. "Rise, I still believe you could be a great idol if you apply yourself. Not many young women get a chance like you did, especially so early in their career." Seeing her annoyed scowl, Inoue quickly added, "I'll tell the news and paparazzi tomorrow that you're taking a break; that might quell the upset at the concert, and still give you your privacy. If you've cooled down and change your mind about retiring, then we'll continue on as we did; no harm, no foul. But if you're still insistent about quitting, well... it'll be a shame, but we'll find someone else to fill in your shoes. Perhaps help promote Kanamin some more."

Kanami Mashita, Ms. Ochimizu's new idol. She was also a newcomer, just a few months after Rise's debut, and just as well received. Everyone liked Kanami, even Rise liked Kanami. Rise's hiatus might just be the break she needed to get her own solid fanbase.

Satisfied that she had nothing to worry about, Rise stepped out of the car and bowed. "Thanks, Inoue-san. See you around... I guess."

"Take care, Rise-chan."

With that, the limo drove off and left Rise in the dark, quiet streets. Letting out a soft, exhausted sigh, Rise carried her suitcase and box of "souvenirs" with her as she hiked up the hill. She had called and left a message at her grandmother's earlier, saying she would be staying for a while. Really, this was a blessing in disguise; Inaba was literally just a half-hour away from the concert, and her grandmother was usually so complacent and understanding. Having that one birthday card made her day, all things considered.

She stopped as she observed the tofu shop her grandma ran and lived in. Marukyu Tofu, in all its simple glory. All it had to go for it was a dark blue sunshade advertising the name. It was surprising to see it still open despite all the other stores closing down. Guess nothing could beat all natural soybean byproducts. She could even see the small soybean farm to the side of the house, hidden behind the stone wall.

After admiring her grandmother's home, Rise walked up to the door. She was about to knock or call for her, but before she could feel guilty about waking her grandmother so late, she saw a note on the door.

"The door's open. Lock it when you get inside, my dear. -Grandma"

Rise smiled, surprised and touched that her call had reached her. Sure enough, the door was open.

She carefully placed her box down and set aside her rolling suitcase after stepping inside. She never got a chance to change out of her idol costume after the concert. Perhaps she should take a quick shower before bed? Or why not sleep in now and take a long bath in the morning? There were no more photo shoots, or interviews, or Risette concerts...

Her musing stopped when she heard the doorbell, and her mood soured.

Inoue. Who else but her manager would come back at this hour, hoping to change her mind at the last minute? Well, she wasn't having any of that.

Rise opened the door, prepared to make the argument quick; she was tired and wanted to sleep. "Look, Inoue-sa-"

She barely got a good look at the shadowy figure before it moved and pulled her outside. This was definitely not Inoue-san.

Unable to overpower the shadow, Rise cried out for help. But her voice was immediately covered with a sweet-smelling rag. Her struggles were in vain, and she was starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

How could this be? How could anyone have known she lived here? This wasn't some stalker fan upset with her quitting showbiz, was it? Unless...

"Guess I got my birthday wish after all," the voice said, equal parts scary and obsessed.

The Inaba Serial Murderer. The night wasn’t even over since her concert and she had been caught by them, probably to be used for some bizarre torture before being left for dead on a telephone pole. Even as the chloroform muddled her senses, barely coherent to her numb body being lifted away, and she saw the void-like darkness that was the back of a truck outside the tofu shop, Rise had one bitter thought before succumbing to heavy sleep.

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

<><><>

Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 30: Meet me at Marukyu’s

<><><>

June 2nd, Dojima Residence, Morning

Shirou had never been to a concert before, but he was pretty sure that what happened last night was strictly out of the norm.

Not long after Risette’s announcement, the crowd erupted with complaints and some in front tried to climb on stage. Yosuke in particular looked devastated and held the magus’ body for support (as well as making him promise to never speak of that sentimental display to anyone). Nanako looked sad too, but she sounded and looked more worried for Risette in particular than the fact she was quitting.

Risette didn’t have much energy for her concert either. She sang and danced, but it looked like she was going through the motions. It wasn’t an effort to make her last concert her best, but rather getting it over with quickly.

Fortunately, the morning news seemed to alleviate whatever worries the fanbase (and Yosuke) might have had since last night.

“Mr. Inoue, is it true that Rise Kujikawa, aka Risette, is quitting the entertainment business?”

The entertainment news channel was showing a conference with the manager Minoru Inoue as hundreds of cameramen and reporters hovered around him. Despite the noise and attention, he didn’t look at all deterred by it.

“While it’s true Rise-chan has proclaimed retirement, it happened at a stressful time for her. Until further notice, she’s taken an extended leave from showbiz and will come back when she’s ready.”

“But if she doesn’t come back?” asked another reporter.

“Then that is her business,” Inoue shrugged, nonchalant of the rather serious air to the question. “I know a lot of people wouldn’t be happy about that. I’m one of them. But the decision to go on is Rise-chan’s alone. Until then, we’ll just have to wait and hope for the best.”

“Where is Risette staying right now?”

“I’m afraid that’s not my place to state here,” said Inoue. “Rise-chan wants nothing more than to relax away from the attention of her fans. I will say that she is enjoying her time in the comfort of family members.”

The crowd seemed to erupt in questions and each trying to get theirs answered first. Seeing as it was time to go anyway, Shirou turned off the TV once he deemed the rest of the interview unimportant. As he headed for the door, he grabbed Dojima’s spare umbrella from the closet; the morning weather said it was going to rain later in the afternoon. “Let’s go, Nanako.”

“Coming,” she said, slinging her backpack on. In moments, the two were out the door and headed for their respective schools.

Their walks were usually quiet. Whether it was because of Nanako’s shy nature or Shirou only speaking when needed, there was no need for idle chatter. That was fine, as the two cousins bonded simply with being together in silence. Although today, Nanako broke that silence with a question circling her head since the concert.

“Hey, big bro?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think Rise-chan is going to be all right?”

Shirou had his own concerns about the idol (mostly Investigation Team related), but he didn’t expect Nanako to be asking about her. Yosuke definitely, but not Nanako. Then again, she was at the concert too and also a fan…

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But what I’m certain of is whatever problem Rise is facing in her hiatus, that her family is going to help her through it.”

“Really?” asked Nanako. “But what if she doesn’t want help?”

“I guess they’ll give her space if that’s the case. But the thing about family is that they’re always there to help when you least expect them to.”

They reached the point where their schools diverged. Shirou walked on ahead but Nanako paused at the fork in the road. “B-big bro!” she called out quickly before he left. The red haired teen stopped and turned to her. Even when she blushed and averted her gaze, he stayed and watched patiently for her to finish. “Umm… you’d help me if I was in trouble too, right big bro?”

“Of course, Nanako. You don’t even need to ask.”

“Even if I was sad and lonely? Even if I was captured?”

“I’d come running to get you always.”

The casual admittance and confidence behind his words brought a smile to Nanako’s face. “Pinky swear!” she insisted, extending the digit.

Shirou smiled back, and knelt down to her height. His hand was bigger than hers, so strong that even his pinky felt like it could tug hers off. But the gesture was gentle, which made her feel safe.

Around the time her mother died, her father had told her that their family wasn’t going to get any bigger.

And yet right at this moment, she was standing and smiling with her older brother.

One that would promise to protect her always.

<><><>

After School, Teddie’s Hub Space

Teddie sighed; he knew he shouldn’t be loafing around like this, but for some reason he couldn’t stop doing it.

This world was getting cluttered again. He had earnestly hoped that with Yuki-chan’s rescue the process would stop. To make sure he didn’t lose track of time again, he clapped himself a sort of clock. And a “calendar”, as Shirou-sensei called it.

Heck, with the stockpile of Daidara weapons, and having no accidents for weeks according to his tally, he went ahead and made the once empty hovel into a sort of living quarters, complete with four walls. Weapons and armor were carefully placed on racks and walls and other stuff (as it was dangerous to drop them all in a pile). A circular table with chairs lined around it had been set up for group meetings. A big couch had been “clapped” and placed in the side corner when he finally found himself a girl to score. (Or was it “date”?) He also moved his blankey and pillow close to that same corner so he could sleep and be close by when his friends came back.

It was a nice distraction, to say the least.

But that wasn’t why the blue bear was feeling more blue.

Teddie closed his eyes and sniffed again. There was nothing stuffy or impairing his senses, at least to his knowledge. He knew for certain that something was out there. It didn’t matter where he was. He should be able to track the scent, like he did with Yuki-chan and the others.

He struggled to find the mark, much to his dismay and grief. But even so he sniffed again, to find this new world. It was on the tip of his tongue. It was close, and he knew the others were counting on him. Maybe. Maybe…

Or maybe not. The scent still eluded him.

Once more, Teddie sighed, slumping in defeat. “Shirou-sensei and the others are going to be so disappointed…”

If he couldn’t help them, they would have no reason to come back to him. They would leave him alone. He would have nothing to do but prance around and think about nothing.

So swallowed up in his thoughts he didn’t even notice the Investigation Team arrive through the TV Tower Stack. It was their commentary on the new décor that made him realize he had company, but he wasn’t happy or excited by that fact for once.

“Oh, don’t mind all that,” he droned. “It’s been there for weeks.”

“Oh, there you are, Ted,” said Yosuke. He and the others walked over to the bear as if nothing was wrong. “You made all this?”

“You guys never showed up so I got bored,” Teddie explained. He didn’t bother turning around or saying much else, which caused the human members (and fox) of the Investigation Team to exchange worried glances.

“That’s, kinda why we came over today, Teddie,” said Chie. “A lot of stuff happened and we haven’t gotten the chance to see you lately.”

“So we thought to drop by and visit,” Yukiko added. “We even brought you some food.”

Teddie’s round ears twitched at the mention of food. He slowly turned to find Yuki-chan holding a white bag with some sort of fancy seal stamped on it. “Junes”, it read.

Curious, the bear squeaked over and sniffed the bag. At least he could identify the aroma of greasy meat and melted cheese from this proximity, so his nose wasn’t broken yet. Gingerly taking the bag from Yuki-chan’s hands, he looked again at the expectant faces of his friends. They weren’t mad or upset at all, but happy.

That was very nice of them, Teddie realized. But it was also very troubling. He fidgeted with the bag, rolling the paper bag up more. “So you’re not here because someone else was thrown in?”

At once, all their smiles fell to some degree of uneasiness and horror. “What?” asked Shirou-sensei.

“You don’t know?” Teddie asked back. “Someone was thrown in last night. June 1st, around 11 PM.”

“Are you sure?”

“My nose might be a bit rusty, but I can still tell when my world shifts. It always happens whenever someone is thrown in here.”

“That’s impossible!” Chie-chan cried. “We all saw Kanji-kun at school today and he was the last person to show up on the Midnight Channel!”

Yosuke looked forlorn as he uttered, “Right before Risette.”

“Risette-chan?” Yukiko blinked. “But I thought she was still on tour.”

“She publically announced her retirement at the concert last night.” Shirou grimaced. “Her manager later assessed it as a hiatus this morning, and that she left to live with one of her family members. He just never said who or where.”

“And of all the places, of all times, it had to be during another rainy day in Inaba.” Yosuke trembled, and glared hotly at the bear. “Teddie! You know where Risette is, right? Take us to her right now!”

There it is. The point where everyone would hate the useless bear. “I can’t.”

Yosuke didn’t believe him. “Bullshit. You know this place better than any of us! You took us to that old shopping district and the castle through all that fog!”

“Y-yes I did, but the way things are now, I don’t think I can find my way back to either of those places again.”

The others looked shocked and concerned. Yosuke just looked angrier. “Let me get this straight; you roped us into helping you, when you could only smell out Shadows and where other people have been thrown in, and now you’re trying to tell us that you can’t even do the one thing we need you for?”

“Well, yes, but-“

“WHAT THE HELL?! What makes today, of all days, any different from last month?!”

“Today’s different because this world wasn’t such a dump!” Teddie snapped back, stomping his squeaky foot in anger. He couldn’t help it; he was under a lot of stress and the last thing he needed was being heckled and reminded that his usefulness was at stake.

“Why do you think I wanted you guys to stop whoever’s doing this in the first place?!” the bear cried. “Whenever someone’s thrown in, they bring in all their thoughts and feelings with them. That means more clutter, more jumbled up thoughts, and even more agitated Shadows! It was hard enough trying to tune out the other voices and focus on the first few places. Believe me, I’ve tried looking! I’ve spent all day since I first felt the person’s presence here on it but I could only get a general direction of where she is.”

“W-well, that’s something, right?” Chie asked. “Just send us to where you last felt her and we’ll head that way! We don’t have to worry about getting lost either because of our fog glasses!”

“Have you ever been on a ship, Satonaka?”

Everyone turned to Shirou for his non sequitur. “Uh… no?”

“Then you don’t know how serious they take their navigation and charting. They have to carefully plan the shortest route to their destination by the degrees, especially in long journeys. If they miss their turns by even the smallest margin and keep going straight, they could miss their destination entirely. What you’re suggesting to Teddie is to go on a hunch and possibly never find Rise.”

“Not to mention all the Shadows we would run into if we take the wrong path,” Teddie muttered.

Chie looked downcast. “Uh, right. Forget I mentioned that.”

Yukiko had been deep in thought since the revelation of Rise’s kidnapping, and finally came to an epiphany. “Say, Teddie? How did you find me?”

“Huh?” Teddie blinked, pausing in pulling the tin-foiled burger out from his bag (as he started to wonder if he was indeed “hungry”). “Well, since I can tell whenever someone comes in here, I usually can tell what their feelings are before the Shadows start showing up. I just try to recall more of those feelings with my nose and follow it.”

“Her feelings?” Chie blinked.

“Uh-huh!” Teddie nodded. “I distinctly remember Yuki-chan feeling lonely with a touch of wanderlust. It was more comforting than the last two who were rather angry and bitter in comparison. Of course, there weren’t as many Shadows around so my senses were better.”

“So are you saying that if you have a better clue as to who Rise-chan might be, you can find her?”

Everyone stopped and stared at the chestnut haired girl. Teddie blinked, unintentionally dropping the foil-covered burger back into the bag… and then dropped the bag as well. “Chie-chan, you’re a genius!”

“I am?” Chie asked, honestly baffled. “I-I mean, that was a complete shot in the dark, so…”

“She is.” Yukiko half-smiled, amazed and proud that her friend came to the same conclusion she did. “She just needs to be more certain of herself.” Chie blushed and gazed down to the floor, not at all used to the praise.

“All I need is just a hint to better understand this ‘Rise-chan’,” Teddie explained. “Something to give me a better understanding of her, something to know what she is like…”

“Finally!” Yosuke all but shouted with an excited, dynamic pose. “All my months studying Risette trivia and fan sites are about to pay off!” He quickly dug into his school bag and pulled out a notebook as he started scribbling and listing aloud. “Okay, so her favorite color is pink, she’s a shy yet friendly girl with a perfect smile, she once dyed her hair blond-“

“Uh, that’s great and all, Yosuke,” Teddie winced before cutting him off. “But that doesn’t really tell me anything about her.”

“What are you talking about? All of this is legit from her interviews!”

“Not that it helps me any in finding her.”

Between Yosuke’s insistence on his knowledge being useful and Teddie not budging on the issue, it was likely to drag out into a very long fight. Shirou quickly stepped in, literally between the two. “Guys, settle down. We’ll just have to find another clue that would work better for Teddie.”

“But Emiya-kun,” said Chie. “It just started raining today, and we have three days to get Rise-chan out before her Shadow kills her!”

“All the more reason to start looking around,” Shirou explained. “We are the Investigation Team, are we not?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Teddie nodded. “Why don’t you guys start with where Rise-chan was last at before coming to this world?”

“Like we have any chance of finding that out in three days,” Yosuke argued. “We don’t even know where her relatives are in this town!”

Tama’s eyes seemed to brighten as she barked for attention. “Yip! Yorwl!”

“What is it, girl?”

In response to Yukiko’s question, the fox made a beeline to the stack of TVs, looking back and urging towards the exit for them.

“I don’t need to speak fox to know that she’s giving us an obvious lead,” Chie smiled. “Let’s follow her!"

One by one, the Investigation Team left the way they came in. Only Shirou fell back, noticing how quickly Teddie lost his smile. “Are you alright, Teddie?”

“I don’t know,” the bear said. “I keep trying to think what I can do, but then I only end up making myself feel sad. It feels so bad, like all my stuffing will burst out at once…”

Sweat rolled down the back of the magus’ exasperated head. “But he’s hollow inside,” he thought bewilderedly, but held his tongue from stating that outright. Teddie always seemed to suffer from low self-esteem in trying to find his worth. It was an endeavor that Shirou more than sympathized with.

“You silly old bear,” he said, patting the round dome of Teddie’s head. “You don’t have to keep proving yourself. You’re already my better when it comes to Gradation Air.”

“But what about Rise-chan? And whoever gets thrown in after her? If I can’t find them, who will save them?”

The bear made a valid point. Shirou mulled it over before shrugging. “I could probably ask my benefactors about a Persona that specializes in scouting, but we can worry about that after Rise.”

Teddie still looked worried, but he nodded all the same, feeling more at ease. “Uh, Shirou-sensei? Do you mind keeping what I said about thinking between us? I don’t want the others starting to think that I’m useless.”

“No one would think that anyway if they knew.” Yosuke might crack a joke about it, but when push came to shove he always meant well as the girls did. “Your world is going to be all right and the murder mystery will be wrapped up before you know it. You’ll see.”

Teddie’s frown finally broke back into a relieved smile. “Thank you, Shirou-sensei.”

The tarot that best represented Teddie was that of a classic five-pointed star. Much like the Sun, a detailed face was painted on the surface of a gold star. A smaller, black star-like figure was positioned opposite and perpendicular to the vertices, and both star shapes seem to be covering over a white-gold sphere space; possibly the moon. The points of the face star divided the night starry sky into different shades of blue and purple.

Thou art I, and I am thou.
Thou hast established a new bond.
It shall bring thee closer to the truth.
Thou shalt be blessed by Personae of the Star Arcana.

<><><>

Shopping District

There was a mixed blessing in a rainy afternoon over Inaba. The crowd of people was scarce enough throughout the streets, but because the weather virtually everyone was indoors. The only people remaining at school were in cultural clubs like Drama and Music, or simply studying at the library.

There would still be someone out and about holding an umbrella and walking around for whatever reason, but for the most part, no one was around so no one would question why four Yasogami High students were chasing after a fox through the rain down the hill of the Old Shopping District.

As the team raced down the slope of the hill, Shirou’s eyes caught sight of something further down the road and barked to their lead. “Wait, stop! Stop!”

Realizing his intent, Tama stopped and ducked by the trimmed bush next to the Shiroku convenience store. Following her lead, the Investigation Team huddled close under the sunshade and near the old wind-up capsule machine. They took the time to catch their breaths and close up their umbrellas.

Yosuke seemed confused by their change of direction and asked aloud, “Wait, why did we stop?”

“Two reasons,” said Shirou. “First and most importantly, we’re here.”

Everyone looked ahead and noticed the humble Marukyu Tofu store just next to Shiroku. “Marukyu? Risette’s related to the tofu lady?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Yukiko exclaimed. “Kujikawa-san shares the same family name as Rise-chan! I always thought that was peculiar.”

The other members turned and gazed at Yukiko, somewhat exasperated. “That information would have been helpful weeks ago, Amagi-san,” Yosuke droned.

“It never came up,” Yukiko reasoned with a shrug.

“And to think she’s among the top academic students,” Shirou muttered to himself. Honestly, for someone that managed to ace her tests and exams with flying colors, Yukiko Amagi was quite slow outside the classroom.

Chie, close enough to hear, turned towards him with a glare. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Shirou said quickly. “Anyway, keep watch while I try to listen in through Reinforcement.”

“Why not just go up and ask the lady ourselves?” asked Yosuke.

“Because of Reason No. 2,” Shirou pointed again, this time to a police car parked just outside the curb, barely visible under the streetlight.

“That’s Doji-nii’s car.”

<><><>

Marukyu Tofu

When the matriarch of the tofu store called about her missing granddaughter, no one wanted to take the case. When she revealed that her granddaughter was the pop idol Risette, they all wanted to drop everything and take it.

Ryotaro Dojima scolded them of course once he saw the chaos ensuing in the station. He knew some good men on the force, but a lot of them were also lazy and inexperienced. Not that he could blame them fully, since Inaba used to be a quiet town before the serial murder case. None of them knew how to properly handle it, instead they wished that it would silently go away.

Dojima wished that sometimes too, if only for the safety of his family, but he knew that some crimes just don’t fade away. Because he realized the severity of the possible call (and partly to stop the bickering of who would go), Dojima volunteered with Adachi in tow; specifically, by driving ahead and radioing the station while everyone was still arguing.

The two cops shared a quick laugh on the ride but when they pulled up to Marukyu’s, they were all business, and spent some time questioning the old woman living there.

“I got it; Rise-chan eloped in the dead of night so no one could find her!” Adachi declared with a smile. “She said she wanted to quit, she chose a country town people barely know about, and no one has seen her since the concert! It all fits!”

“That doesn’t explain the box and suitcase, Adachi,” his senior partner argued, pointing to the two items in question by the front door.

Adachi’s resolve faltered, but he weakly reasoned, “Maybe she wanted to travel light?”

“With all due respect, Tohru-kun,” a third, elderly voice told him, “My granddaughter is not the same kind of girl you’ve seen in idol media. She’s smart and has a good head on her shoulders. And even if she wanted to elope, she wouldn’t have left her cellphone or credit card.”

The junior detective slumped down from his triumphant pose and slinked away, hiding the obvious distaste from being called by his first name. “So much for my theory.”

Seeing that they wouldn’t be distracted again, Dojima turned back to his interviewee and resumed questioning. “When did you notice the contents again, Kujikawa-san?”

“Two hours ago.” The tofu shop owner frowned. She was still in her white kerchief uniform, and her hands were molding tofu patties for her latest order, but it was slower than her usual pace. Partly from the conversation with the police officer, and partly due to her growing depression. She still worked, if only to keep her mind occupied…

“And you didn’t think to call the police until an hour later?” Dojima clarified as Adachi wrote down their conversation for notes.

“You know how teenagers are, Ryo-kun,” she answered with a familiar tone; she always referred to others by their first name as if they were all her grandchildren, which was sort of endearing. “They want to play and goof off the moment they are given the opportunity. And my daughter was fresh off from showbiz. I assumed she had dropped in, slept, and then left to catch up with friends. It was only when I realized that no one had seen Rise-chan at all that I assumed the worst.”

“I see.” Dojima nodded. He had just dropped off his daughter and nephew to see a Risette concert last night. That same night she decided to call it quits, and disappeared without a trace. Adachi’s “elope” theory might have held some merit if it weren’t for the box of autographs or her suitcase full of clothes.

“I do hope that it’s just some tasteless prank,” she added. “Rise-chan just arrived home. She can’t possibly be related to this murder mystery that the town’s going crazy about.”

Dojima would have preferred that as well. All that he got from Yukiko Amagi that pointed to the M.O. was hearing the doorbell, and someone calling her name. The deaths of Yamano and Konishi happened so fast that there was no chance to figure out if there were similar factors in their disappearances compared to Amagi’s. Perhaps…

“Do you recall hearing anything last night?”

Kujikawa-san’s head shook no, at least partway. She stopped and her face morphed to realization before nodding. “Now that you mention it, I did hear the doorbell last night. I just assumed it was Rise-chan before she let herself in.”

“Because you unlocked the door?” he clarified.

“And left a note on it. I knew Rise-chan was coming because she called me after her concert. I told no one else.”

Adachi had been scribbling on his notepad while glancing occasionally at the box of autograph pictures before throwing his two-cents in. “Could it be possible that someone read your note and planned an ambush?”

The tofu lady looked hurt and indignant at the very suggestion, but couldn’t find fault in his reasoning. “I don’t know. But I know that there wasn’t anyone on the street when I went outside at 11:14. I remember because that was just after Rise-chan called me.”

“About that call,” Dojima said. “From what I understand, Rise was pretty popular in showbiz. Was there any reason why she would suddenly quit?”

“What difference does it make, Ryo-kun?”

“Depending on her reasons, it might determine if Rise’s disappearance is linked to the perp or someone from the paparazzi.”

“Hmm…” She hummed in thought. “Well, from what I understand, she just wanted a break.”

“A break?”

“From all that strenuous work as an idol. She sounded happier telling me she was coming over than whenever she had to doll herself up and perform for all her fans. There was a time when she was happy and excited about being an idol, but that passed over time.”

“Any reason why?”

“I assume it was thanks to all of the little things that build up over time. The stalkers, the tabloids, the late nights…” The woman sighed. “That manager of hers, I wonder what he was thinking setting up that concert last night.”

“But I heard it was a big success,” Adachi said. “Or at least, partially as far as ticket sales went.”

“It was also Rise-chan’s 16th birthday.”

The detectives exchanged awkward glances in the following silence. “That’s the first I heard about it.”

“Yeah.” Adachi frowned. “I would think that a rising star like Risette would have her birthday known to the public.”

“When Rise-chan realized how different the idol business was to her old life, she did her best to keep her stage personality separate from her private life. She probably regrets that since too many people associate her with what the media shows than how she really acts. Her parents and I were usually an outlet for her stress whenever she had time to call. She told us, 'You’re the only people I feel real to’.”

“I see,” said Dojima. He felt he had a clearer picture of how to go about this now, and had asked all he needed. “Thank you for your time, Kujikawa-san.”

“If we hear anything new at the station, we’ll call you,” added Adachi. “Oh, and feel free to call us again on your end.”

“I know how busy you policemen are with your jobs,” the old woman said. “But please, Ryo-kun, Tohru-kun, bring my granddaughter back safely.”

“We’ll do everything we can,” Dojima promised. “Good night, Kujikawa-san."

The two bowed and quietly left the store. As Dojima fiddled around in an effort pull his car keys out of his pocket, Adachi stared up at the dark sky.

“I have a bad feeling about this one, Dojima-san.”

Dojima rolled his eyes. “If it’s another one of your elaborate theories, save it. Just stick to what you know and build from there before jumping to conclusions. No one is an expert overnight.”

“Noted,” the rookie said. “But hear me out this time; wasn’t it raining just as bad before Yamano and Konishi’s bodies were discovered?”

Dojima stopped and turned his gaze up to the utility pole next to them. Two women had been found dead and suspended on the wires. They should have been electrocuted, or bore signs of wounds that could kill them, or even drugs in their bodies. No evidence was found at the towers or on either of their bodies, so they could have died from heart attacks for all the police knew.

But now that Adachi mentioned it, it was always raining when the women vanished. Amagi had fit the pattern too. Worst case scenario they would have to assume that Rise was the fourth in this string of kidnappings. Except…

“It just started raining tonight,” he said, still staring up. “Last night was cloudy, but no rain. The latest Rise could have disappeared was early this morning.”

“Well, it would be kind of crazy for the perp to follow a rigid schedule based on the weather, you know? The news only predicts and forecasts the weather a week in advance, and even then there’s a chance of it being wrong.”

“Good point,” said the veteran detective. “Speaking of, the news said it was going to be raining the next few days, up until Sunday. Best case scenario we have the next two days to find her before she dies.”

“That barely fits our search time with the other two any better.” Adachi winced. “And it’s not like we have any leads like Saki Konishi or the Amagi Inn.”

Dojima mulled in thought before digging his keys out and opening the car door. He stopped again, this time looking past Adachi towards the convenience store.

His partner blinked, slightly startled yet unaware that his boss was looking past him, not at him. “Sir?”

Could someone be watching him? The killer couldn’t be that daring, and no one else would have figured out Rise Kujikawa’s stay would have been here. Not yet anyway.

Dojima stared for a second longer before dropping it. He didn’t have time to chase random shadows. That would probably be their plan anyway, trying to distract him from the rescue. “We’ll just have to make some rounds and hope for the best. But I have a theory.”

“Oh?” Adachi smiled with no small amount of irony. "And what's that, Dojima-san?"

“For someone to kidnap four people without so much as being noticed, they would have to either be very sneaky, or know how to hide in plain sight. Each kidnapping happened without anyone noticing, so there must be some sort of getaway vehicle involved.”

The two cops were now inside, seatbelts buckled, and the car’s engine roared to life during the course of Dojima’s explanation. “So what do we do?” asked Adachi.

“There are street cameras at both ends of the shopping district, and we finally have a time stamp for Rise. We’ll double back to the station and see if there’s anything out of the ordinary from last night.”

Adachi winced. “You think we’ll find anything out from that?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to look. Like you said, we don’t have any other leads.”

<><><>

Yosuke poked his head out of the store once he heard the car. He watched it drive down the way to the gas station and turn around the corner before uttering, “They’re gone.”

From their rushed and sudden hiding spots, the teens all sighed in relief, Shirou especially. Eavesdropping on an official police investigation and hoping no one would notice? He had kept secrets from Fuji-nee and Sakura for years, but this was something else entirely.

“You idiot!” Chie seethed from behind a store shelf. “What were you thinking trying to get closer like that!?

“I was trying to be Shirou’s eyes since he was too busy being our ears!”

“We already got arrested once! I doubt the police are going to give us a pass the next time around when they find out we’re trying to do their jobs!”

“Ahem.”

The fight ended as quickly as it came from the front desk. An old, hunched woman stared at them with her far apart, beady eyes. A small pair of round glasses, sans the temples, sat on the bridge of her nose and looked impossible to see clearly with them. She wore a polka-dot scarf tied over her black hair and a red kimono under a blue apron.

“I don’t mind what you kids do in your spare time”-Old Lady Shiroku smiled-“but if you come into my store, at least buy something.”

“Oh, we’d love to, Shiroku-san.” Yosuke bowed quickly. “But we actually had to duck in here to dry off before reaching to our friend’s place. See you when it’s nice and dry!”

“Did I mention that I have a promotion sale today?”

Yosuke’s foot was out the door, but held in place as he and the others stared back. “Say what?”

“Today is raining, so I’m having a sale,” Shiroku explained. “Everything you see in here is 20% off.”

Shirou blinked. “20%? Is that a big price cut?”

“That’s the idea; it convinces customers to shop here on rainy days and even clear out a bit of the inventory, as you can plainly see.”

Indeed, it was a very cluttered shop. Despite the dark rain outside, the room was well lit with the lamps overhead. For merchandise, there were bagged snacks and chocolates, school supplies like pens and lined paper, even medicine and disposable diapers. And then there were various decorative statues from beckoning cats to nesting dolls. Probably the most eye drawing was the statue of a frog with a lit pipe on the center stand. Shirou pondered that this looked more like a warehouse than a store.

And what was with the lines underneath the shelves and tables?

“This…” Yosuke said slowly, eyes widening. “This might actually be good. We’ve been meaning to stock up on medicine, and the timing couldn’t be better for a sale.”

“And Daidara’s close by,” Chie added. “Probably wouldn’t hurt to get some stronger armor.” To herself she muttered, “And maybe my commission order too…”

“All right,” said Shirou to the now huddled team. “We made some good time finding a lead that might help Teddie, so let’s use the next ten minutes to get ready. Satonaka and Amagi will stay here and go through the medicine aisle. Buy as much as you can within reason.”

The girls nodded, and Shirou handed Yosuke some of his pay from MOEL. “Yosuke, you head to Daidara’s and pick up four sets of armor. I’ll trust your judgment on what we need best.”

“Uh, think you can ask about my order while you’re there?” Chie spoke up. “I already paid him for it, so don’t worry.”

“Wait, what did you order?” Yosuke asked, before horror and realization settled in. “It’s not another chain whip, is it!?”

“Of course not!” Chie snapped hotly, much to his relief. “Look, just check if it’s ready yet, okay?”

Shirou stepped outside and spotted the fox huddled by the capsule machine. “Tama, do you remember my bow and quiver? Tucked away in the back area of the shrine?”

Tama nodded.

“Do you think you can head over, pick it up, and wait for us at Teddie’s?”

Instead of answering, the vixen sprinted at full speed through the rain toward the shrine steps. He hoped the rain didn’t bother her much with all the fur, nor that she didn’t have trouble finding it. They had cleared out most of the weeds weeks ago and had only just started using the place for archery practice. Or rather, Shirou fired a few shots, content that his skill hadn’t waned at all, and tried in vain to teach the same principles to the others.

Perhaps he should ask Ichijo and Nagase for pointers, as they were captains of their own teams. He also still owed Ichijo a favor…

Yosuke slapped Shirou’s back, while holding his umbrella over their heads. “Well, the girls are already doing their shopping, so that leaves us with getting armor.”

“Actually, I said that you were the only one to get the armor. I even gave you money to help with that.”

“Well then, what are you going to do?”

“Something only I can do.” Shirou pulled out the Velvet Key and made a turn to the familiar stained glass door. “Talk to my benefactors.” A flash later, he was gone.

Yosuke blinked, wondering where the hell his friend went, before shrugging and entering the weapon store. “One of these days I’m going to find out how he does all that.”

<><><>

Unbeknownst to everyone involved, a figure was standing solemnly in the rain and fog. It did not bother them. But seeing the fools run around trying to solve everything was amusing.

They were aware of the person who had pushed Rise into the other world, and before her Yukiko. They were also aware of the one that was manipulating this so-called murder case from within, possibly content and amused.

And now they had seen how this boy, Shirou Emiya, was trying to save people before even trying to solve the mystery.

Their fancy with the boy had waned. No, that was a lie. If anything it had grown beyond mere curiosity. He was very similar to the kidnapper and the manipulator in their outlooks. Broken, flawed, and tragic. But whereas one went on to become a tragic character of his own Despair, and the other would watch the events unfold while remaining apathetic and Empty, Shirou pressed on with Hope in his silliest of dreams.

Oh, his aptitude in magecraft mattered, but not in having a leg-up on his competition. They realized he had some knowledge of it the second day of his arrival, even though it wasn’t complete. But they were surprised that he used the talent with the help of others in mind.

Sure, the boy was naïve, ignorant, and foolish to the art. But those very flaws had brought out an honest soul willing to look beyond what was shown as a façade. Igor might have given the boy a push, but that was unavoidable as he always backed up Philemon’s chosen.

Still, they couldn’t afford to play favorites like Philemon or Nyarlathotep. This “murder mystery” was important to the world, and they couldn’t be swayed by someone they wished to succeed. And although they earnestly WANTED Shirou to win, he could never become an Ally of Justice if he was just handed victories like this one.

Heroes needed to earn their mantle, to prove they could handle everything Gaia threw at them. Though it wasn’t like they could give him someone to save-

…Could they?

Yes. Yes, that could work. It was perfect, even, in more ways than one.

They reached into their pocket and pulled a thin, bamboo comb. This comb looked less like the modern rectangles meant to brush long strokes of hair at a time, but more like a sword hilt with its pointed design.

They brought it to their hair and pulled down. With each stroke along their hair, the power of separation grew.

Soon, all their moral limitations would be gone; whatever happened to it, they couldn’t say, but there wouldn’t be any compassion towards it. There would be no favoritism from here on, and whoever won would do so through their own efforts… and possibly some more trials set up by them personally.

Shirou Emiya wanted to be a hero, and a hero needed to face villains without moral compassion or restraint.

For the sake of the young man they had grown fondly toward, they would be that villain.

“I wish you the best of luck, Shirou-chan.”

[TheInfamousMan]

As I said, great chapter and it shows Dojima's intelligence as well as Adachi's cunning in manipulating Dojima's line of thinking. And Shirou growing as a person and actually saying his sassy comments rather than just thinking them, showing him to be more comfortable around the others.

And man, bet the Magi are going to have an aneurysm when they realize that the gods could really give less of a shit about them, and that they're no more special than normal people to them.

[warellis]

As I said, great chapter and it shows Dojima's intelligence as well as Adachi's cunning in manipulating Dojima's line of thinking. And Shirou growing as a person and actually saying his sassy comments rather than just thinking them, showing him to be more comfortable around the others.

And man, bet the Magi are going to have an aneurysm when they realize that the gods could really give less of a shit about them, and that they're no more special than normal people to them.

The magi probably wouldn't give a fuck in the first place. What need do they have for the praises of Elemental spirits?

Also rather interesting about Marie coming out possibly due to Shirou.

[TheInfamousMan]

The magi probably wouldn't give a fuck in the first place. What need do they have for the praises of Elemental spirits?

Also rather interesting about Marie coming out possibly due to Shirou.

It kind of feeds into an amusing thought process where, little do the Magi realize, they're in a cosmic horror setting where all the forces that make up the universe don't give a shit about them and view all of humanity, Magi included, on the same level.

They're all equally insignificant/lower.

[Kotonoha]

It kind of feeds into an amusing thought process where, little do the Magi realize, they're in a cosmic horror setting where all the forces that make up the universe don't give a shit about them and view all of humanity, Magi included, on the same level.

They're all equally insignificant/lower.

They already know that though.

[TheInfamousMan]

They already know that though.

Sure don't act like it, or maybe they're just in denial in their own way.

[CG-3m1y4]

Nice chapter, as usual. Like how you showing Shirou to be a bit more open in talking his ass to others.

Now, if only you would also continue that F/sn x Ni no Kuni crossover...