───And so, the Season of War came once more.
This truth is something the people do not accept. Exhausted and hurt, they refuse to even understand it.
Even so, I can feel it. Through my Servant.
The war for the Holy Grail that destroyed and rebuilt the world has not yet reached its end.
A few days had passed since the tragedy that struck at the Colosseum, and Mosaic City was trying to recover, little by little.
In Akihabara, the area which had suffered the greatest damages, the tranquil feeling of a resort-city that the district once possessed had yet to return. Even so, the city had calmed to a point where its citizens appeared to have returned to normalcy.
And I had a job to do.
In the midst of the massacre caused by the dreadful Servant Nzambi, when zombified people and manipulated servants ran amok, I was the one who had been responsible for handling the situation, and as such I was obligated to help with the cleanup after the fact.
Dealing with the post-processing with the authorities was a painful experience, one that served as a constant reminder of Caren Fujimura’s absence. Though, looking at it another way, it was also time for me to calmly sort out what I was feeling in my heart, as well as an opportunity to restore my determination.
I knew what I had to do first─ Request a meeting with a
certain person.
The destination was the northernmost section of the Akihabara district, a place nicknamed “Yushima Tenjin”. It’s a shrine known for being the place to go to pray for success in one’s studies, the official name of it being “Yushima Tenman-gū”.
Since the shrine is called “Tenjin” after the Kami of Learning, the shrine must be dedicated to the God among scholars “Kankou” Sugawara no Michizane, though that fact had little to do with my current visit.
I was advised to visit Yushima Tenjin by the City Management AI of Shinjuku, Caren Himuro— No, I’ll just call her Himuro– after she heard out my aspirations.
The shrine I was heading towards was located in an area that used to be a part of a neighboring ward, one that was not considered a part of the Akihabara area prior to the war. After the reconstruction done by the Holy Grail it became an important location for the Spiritual Ley Lines, and was conveniently incorporated into Akihabara’s northernmost area. This area was just one of the places I was forbidden from entering in the time right before the Holy Grail Tournament, along with the rest of the Spiritual Leyline Management Sites.
The area in front of the shrine’s grounds are no longer Ueno Onshi Kōen’s Shinobazu Pond, but instead a coastline where a swathe of willow leaves sway. I guess it wouldn’t be wrong for you to say that the whole area in front of the shrine has been through a slip in time, returning to the scenery it originally had during the Edo Period… or that’s what I would say if it weren’t for the pure white sand and clear blue sea making it look like the beach at a tropical resort.
I walked along the twisted shrine road through Umebayashi Park by the sea side by side with Karin. The path we walked was crowded with beachgoers and visitors to the shrine at Yushima Tenjin, as usual.
“Hey, Eri-pie?”
“What?”
“I was just thinking, ‘After that terrifying uproar, there’s no way there’d be a single person on the way to the shrine, right?’ but… There are a lot of people, dontcha think? And doesn’t it look like they’re all going to the same shrine we are instead of heading to the beach?”
I nodded in response to Karin’s straightforward questions.
“...Guess so. I wonder if they’re religious people coming to pray for their families’ safety or something.”
Even though Servants have become an abundance in our everyday lives, the faith leftover from ancient times didn’t just disappear from the citizens. Instead, in this chaotic world, that faith has become a stronghold and in this time it has once again become necessary for a God to take root in this land.
The sight of Master’s accompanied by Heroic Spirits, spirits who have come from all across the world, times ancient and modern, going to worship at the shrine of the Japanese God of Learning… It was the kind of sight that was unique to the peaceful Mosaic City.
“This place is usually just full of tourists looking for a resort.”
“...Have you been to this shrine before, Karin?”
“That strange? I guess I should say I didn’t come here for myself, I’ve been since Momi wanted to visit. Sometimes we drop by on the way to Akihabara, since the tempura manju is super delicious.”
“Hmm. For Kōyō you say…? Tempura manju too…”
“Uh, side note, is that alright Eri-pie? It looks like the kid is going to end up wandering off on his own.”
Karin turned her head towards the boy in front of us.
…Voyager.
My… He’s my… he’s a person like me’s… he’s my very own… Servant.
His fluffy golden scarf fluttered in the sea breeze as he rapidly walked down a path I hadn’t even told him about.
“Hmmm? Something about you and Pran seems–”
“Voyager. His name isn’t Pran, because you already know it’s Voyager.”
“Crap, that’s right.” Realizing her mistake Karin quickly bowed her head down in apology. “That’s my bad. You already identified his True Name, so Voyager should be called Voyager. In that case, Voyager and Eri-pie seem… like they’re a bit awkward together?”
“...We’re not awkward.”
“Did you guys get into a fight?”
“Wha–? Absolutely wrong. Why would you think we fought?”
That was a lie.
After all, it had been pretty awkward since this morning, and there was also a little bit of a fight between the two of us.
In the days since I discovered his True Name, Voyager’s behavior had changed.
It was like his ego and his sense of purpose had risen to the surface in its own unique way, though that vague atmosphere around him was still the same in some respects.
He had always shown glimpses of stubbornness, but I get the feeling that something like a strong sense of fixation was born within him too.
He used to be brimming with curiosity when I would walk around the city with him, and he seemed to be interested in everything from the places I took him, to the things I showed him, to the foods he ate, like he wanted to absorb all of it. But not anymore.
This morning we had a dispute over breakfast. He seemed like he was unsatisfied with the cereal I got him, and said that “It would be nice if we had something different”.
“If you’re not happy with it then it’s fine if you don’t have any, isn't it?” When I said that and told him about the fact that meals are just a bit of stylistic beauty for Servants he just glared at me in response.
Seriously, what’s the problem with having the same food every morning for a week or two?
And right after that, I guess so he could try to add some flavor to his cereal or something, he took some of my most treasured jam, without even asking for permission! Of course, I got angry about it and we got into a little bit of a scuffle and… well, you know what happens.
“That was totally a lie, right?” Karin nodded her head in affirmation of her own assertion. I had no words with which to make a reply.
“...........”
“Eh, I guess it’s pretty understandable. Not only have you never had a partner to form a contract with before, but you’ve also never had a real relationship with a Servant. The basis of all your interactions with them is basically banishing them or killing them, right? Like “VANISH OR DIE!”, ya know? Not really the right timing for an honest bit of communication.”
“Guh… It wasn’t THAT extreme.”
“It’s fine, don’t even sweat it. You two can fight with each other as much as you want. Like Momi and I? We fight all the time!”
“Huh, that’s… honestly pretty surprising.”
I don’t know of any other Masters and Servants with a relationship as good and well-coordinated as Karin and Kijyo Kōyō’s. Then again, it did seem like Koharu and Galahad have a pretty volatile relationship on the surface.
“Heroic Spirits are sorta like our senpai in life, so they don’t really care about getting into fights.”
Karin smiled and looked at the boy walking ahead of us.
“I know I just said all that, but something about the kid does seem a little different…”
Different…? What exactly is different?
As the Reaper I’ve profiled Servants before. My studies of their exploits goes far in terms of both width and depth, but that experience has been totally useless to me in regards to the one Servant in existence who’s ever become a familiar presence for me.
And although I’m officially a Master myself, I still haven’t been able to handle the information that has been directly imprinted upon me by the Holy Grail.
Voyager suddenly turned his head. Then he gazed toward the ocean on his right.
I followed his gaze and saw a houseboat that was operating as a water bus approaching a small dock on the beach.
This beach is supposed to be a point of transit for those boats, not a place for them to land to drop off passengers. One of the people onboard jumped off from the houseboat, and the ship immediately changed direction and returned to its original course.
The sole person to get off the boat was a female student carrying a large bag over her shoulder. Her pale skin and white blouse looked brilliant against the blue sea. Her light-colored hair fluttered in the wind, and I could tell she was a little bit taller than me. I felt like I recognized her face from somewhere.
“Hey, that’s an Akijyo uniform!”
“Yeah, it is…”
Just as Karin said, the girl was wearing the summer uniform from the Akibagabara Jyogakukan High School, “Akijyo” for short. She waved goodbye to the people who stayed on the houseboat, all of whom were wearing the same uniform.
Naturally, she had to be older than Karin and I, who were still in Junior High School but…
The girl quickly took off her shoes and socks, and instead of taking the long way around the wharf which would be an inconvenience for her, she chose to jump across the deck of a small boat that was moored at the dock.. With an agility filled leap, she easily jumped over several small boats as well, and quickly landed in the shallow water in front of us. She clearly didn’t care if she got wet from the splash of her landing.
While we were watching such a situation unfold before us from land, she must have noticed us from the other side.
She blushed and blinked her eyes at us, and from her position on the beach pressed her lips together with her index finger as if to say “Shhh”, telling us not to tell anyone. She was in the uniform of a prestigious young lady’s school, and it appeared that she was aware of the fact that she was behaving mischievously while wearing it. And then…
“WELCOME HOME MY LORD!!!!!”
From deep within the shrine grounds the sound of a voice filled with energetic cheer echoed out.
The owner of said voice came dashing towards the schoolgirl, and it was someone who I immediately recognized. A slender and tall female Servant, one with interesting features that you couldn’t mistake:
Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune— Ushiwakamaru.
(Ushiwakamaru… I had a feeling about it but to think she really was a woman…)
Today she looked like she was working a part-time job, the total opposite of the gallantly armored warrior she had appeared as in the Tournament.
She was wearing a bib apron and a triangular bandana in order to put aside her long black hair. Underneath the apron she was dressed in a light, swimsuit-esque outfit that, depending on the angle, made it appear as if she was wearing nothing but the apron itself. On her chest was a logo and illustration for “Yushima’s Masterful Tempura Manju”, the place that Karin mentioned earlier. She must have come straight from the kitchen of the tempura manju stall on the shrine’s grounds.
The student girl was literally jumped at by Ushiwakamaru, and it was like she was being mobbed by a large dog who was overjoyed and over-excited by her return.
“My Lord! My Lord! My Lord!”
“Yep, yep, it’s me, it’s your lord.”
The student girl acted as if she had gotten used to this. If that’s the case then… I see, that girl must be Ushiwakamaru’s Master.
During the Tournament she was wearing an elegant and traditional kimono, so the impression she gave here was quite different. Karin also seemed to have noticed, as we looked at one another and nodded.
“Ahhhhh~ It’s not fair that you leave your Ushiwaka at home My Lord… My Loooord…”
“Oh c’mooooon, cut it out already~! It’s too hot~! And stop sniffing me!”
Suddenly, her eyes opened wide as she yelled “Dossei!” and executed a backwards pivot throw. Ushiwakamaru was thrown completely off, down onto the sand with a thump.
It was splendidly done.
The schoolgirl’s movements were done in a manner that was casual and slight, but she performed an Aikido tenchi-nage.
Without a care in the world, Ushiwakamaru laughed gleefully as she rolled away on the ground, before noticing Voyager, who was crouched over the two companions in observation.
“Oh? Aren’t you the one from the other day…?”
From the position where she was lying on her back, Ushiwakamaru quickly reseated herself into a seiza position on the spot and politely bowed her head to Voyager.
“I’m extremely grateful to you for your help that day. I didn’t intend to leave you with the task of taking care of an opponent who was a bad match for me, so I’m truly indebted to you. Were you injured?”
“No, I’m okay.”
Voyager was likewise without any shyness, nodding his head to Ushiwakamaru. It appeared that the two remembered each one another from the arena.
“That’s great to hear! Although, it seems that there’s something different about you compared to our first meeting.”
“...Do you think so? You… smell good… today. That’s not… the smell of blood, this time?”
“Hehe. This is the famed aroma of Tenman-gū Shrine! The freshly fried food we provide is particularly exceptional! I’d certainly be happy to treat you to some. Hey, My Lord? Rurihime-dono───”
Ushiwakamaru called out a name as she looked back. The girl, called Rurihime, looked to Voyager.
“…Oh. Oooooh! You’re the boy from the Colosseum! The kid who was able to defeat that atrocious Servant! The way you sparkled made you stand out, so I just couldn’t forget about you. Thanks again! Seriously, thank you so much for the help. Gosh, I couldn’t handle everything with just my dear Shana, so you know I was about to cry– just baaarely on the verge of tears.”
“It was quite the predicament, but Rurihime-dono endured with such strength.”
“Yep, thanks for that.”
She had a look about her that gave me the impression that she was so excited she was ready to go in for a hug on Voyager, knock him over as she grabbed him, and haul him away with her. She seemed like she was just barely resisting doing such a thing by putting both of her arms up in the air to stop herself.
The feeling she gave me screamed “stranger danger”.
A second later, she turned towards me with an even brighter sparkle in her eyes.
“So, you must be that boy’s Master? Or, is it you? You look so young! Oh wait, you two wouldn’t happen to be middle school students by any chance would you?”
“C’mon, it isn’t me! Look over there, that one’s who you want.” Karin said as she pointed at me.
“Y-Yeah. I’m Voyager’s Master. Um… to be honest, I have a special favor to ask of you today, regarding the Tenman-gū Shri───”
“Oho? A favor for me, you say? As long as it’s not about studying, I can take care of you, got it?”
“Huh? Shouldn’t that be the other way around?” Karin said with a puzzled look on her face.
Right as it looked like Karin was about to unload a barrage of questions, Ushiwakamaru suddenly tugged on the other girl’s sleeve.
“───My Lord, your father is just over there.”
When we looked back towards the shrine’s grounds, there was a middle-aged man dressed in a Shinto priest’s hakama standing underneath the great torii.
“Ah, father… I’m home.” The girl fixed the hem of skirt, which had been put into total disarray, and brushed the sand off of her.
As the man approached us, he recognized who I was and gave a slight bow with the proper posture.
Surprised, I corrected my own posture in response, bowing my head to return the courtesy.
Wearing a purple hakama with a white pattern, this man was the chief priest of Yushima Tenman-gū Shrine, and the man whom I had been hoping to meet with, the one who I had been referred to by Himuro.
I had already met with him a few days before this at the Colosseum, at the time of a site inspection that was being conducted there. He already knew of me at that time, too.
Even so, I somehow never expected… I just didn’t think that the Master of Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune, a very popular participant in the Holy Grail War Tournament, would turn out to be the daughter of this shrine’s chief priest.
*
Karin and I were then given permission to meet with the chief priest of Yushima Tenman-gū Shrine.
We were invited in, not to the shrine office, but to the inner sanctuary itself, which had been expressly cleared of people for our visit.
Due to the fact that the sanctum was a location with a powerful Bounded Field designed to keep out low-ranking familiars and other such magecraft, both Voyager and Kijyo Kōyō’s presences were implicitly refused. As such, they were forced to remain outside.
The chief priest’s only daughter, Rurihime, and Ushiwakamaru were also not allowed within.
I started with my request, which was in regards to handing over my role as Akihabara’s Nightwatch to somebody else. I would give up the duty I had originally been entrusted with by Caren, since I would no longer be able to continue acting as one of the agents who "deals with''Servants for an unknown period of time…. A plea I knew was self-centered.
I told the chief priest everything, without hiding any of the details.
From the existence of an enemy who had thrown Mosaic City into pandemonium, to the outbreak of a new Holy Grail War, which would bring about more harm to the public than the incident from a few days ago, rapidly approaching.
And of course, the fact that a Servant had manifested before me for the first time, someone who had not been able to form a contract with one before this point in their life.
Naturally, most of this information had likely already reached the chief priest’s ears, but even so he listened to me in silence.
The chief priest of this shrine was assigned to an integral role and key location for the purpose of maintaining and preserving Akihabara’s Spiritual Ley Lines. Alongside Kanda-myōjin Shrine, which protects the city’s weakest point, Yushima Tenman-gū Shrine performs an essential duty within this city.
The divine majesty of Sugawara no Michizane, who possesses both the aspects of a God of Sincerity who prays for peace across the nation and that of a savage Thunder God, is only fully demonstrated here, at the Tenman-gū Shrine.
Suppose that the attack the other day wasn’t aimed at the Colosseum, but instead at destroying the Tenman-gū Shrine. In such an event, not only would the Bounded Field surrounding Akihabara have collapsed, but a great many of the Servants in Akihabara who receive their Magical Energy from the Spiritual Ley Lines would have completely fallen into dysfunction.
Even if the scope of our roles was considerably different, both the integral role that the chief priest held and my own role consisted of protecting Akihabara. In a manner of speaking, our roles were two sides of the same coin.
The chief priest’s reply was succinct─── “Have no worries. You can leave this to me.”
With the threat from the outside made clear, the Shrine would lend its full support in dealing with any anti-Servant cases in order to prevent the spread of chaos in the city.
However, that role would not be left to the chief priest, as it would instead be entrusted to his daughter, Rurihime— Wait.
—HUH?
*
This must have been Himuro’s doing.
She must have been anticipating this development. She must have predicted my inner turmoil, must have been laughing to herself this entire time.
Damn it, the Caren Series really is filled with nothing but tricksters…
I had expected that the chief priest himself would be unable to undertake the duty of handling the anti-Servant cases, considering how busy he already was, but even so I had been hoping he would be able to give me some kind of alternate plan or even give me advice on putting something else in place myself.
Not only was this outside of my expectations, but his response itself also managed to surprise me.
This was not a chief priest putting his faith in Rurihime’s abilities, but instead a father who was forced into making a desperate, last-ditch effort for his daughter. Or at least that was the impression that I got from him.
(Ahh, could it be because of my…)
When I came to that one objective fact, I felt just a little sorry for the man…
Being forced to confront the sight of a kid, even younger than his high school-aged daughter Rurihime, already doing this kind of job most likely annoyed him… Or at least, I think that's probably what caused him to make the decision the way he did.
With some feelings of depression, I headed towards the area behind the inner sanctuary, where a small shrine stood. Conversing in front of that shrine was Rurihime, Voyager, and Kijyo Kōyō.
“Oh, Kōyō…”
This was the first time today she had shown her face.
Rurihime, who looked as though she was more in her natural element in this form,, had changed out of her Akijyo uniform and into the red and white uniform of a miko. With the change, her elegant and graceful look from the Holy Grail Tournament had returned.
“I see, so Akihabara’s peace and future rests on my shoulders now, does it?”
“Um, I’m sorry for asking you so many times but… it really is a dangerous job–”
“Uh-huh, mhm.”
When I went to tell her the details and discuss things with her, the girl gave me a pretty positive reaction to the whole situation, which left me bewildered.
“—Not to mention that it isn’t uncommon for certain people to hold a grudge against you. Even when you’re not actively doing your job, the dangers of it will always follow y–”
“Yep, yep. It must be a real pain to be an Ally of Justice.”
“....That… That’s not what I was trying to say.”
I understood that she was being earnest about things in her own way.
I understood that but, even so, I didn’t feel like her seriousness about the matter was really coming through. I felt like I was finally able to infer the chief priest’s true motivations.
“I didn’t think it was possible but… Rurihime, are you the type who feels the call to be an Ally of Justice?”
“Nope, absolutely not. But I get the feeling the Holy Grail Tournament won’t be starting back up anytime soon, right? I’m going to end up being so bored without it.”
“Sigh… That’s… I guess that could make sense.”
I noticed that Karin was glancing over at me, as if she wanted to jump in. Considering she was a girl who was never scared of talking back to her seniors, she seemed like she had been obediently following the conversation the entire time.
“Hey, Miss Rurihime? Hasn’t Akijyo been on break from school this whole week? Didn’t you go out of your way to go all the way to the school then?”
Now that she mentions it, Karin’s right. Since I was always in and out of classes I didn’t even think about that at all.
“Yep, I did. I’m acting as a class representative right now, so there’s a lot of stuff for me to do, ya know? I also got called over by the student council asking for help, so I went over in the morning. We had to check on the safety of the students and stuff~, it was sooo hard to contact some of them through the Information Network~. Then, since the school had been turned into a temporary evacuation center, I had to lend a hand to clean things. So I asked my dear Shana– My dear Ushiwaka to do the house-sitting for me.”
“Woooah, you had to do all that annoying crap? I guess that’s what it means to be a High School Student.”
“Oh it wasn’t like that! It made me so happy to see the faces of everyone from the school, it was the first time in a while.” Rurihime turned to face me.
“Your name’s Erice, right? You wouldn’t happen to have heard anything about Koharu, would you?”
As a participant in the same tournament, she was worried about Koharu’s safety.
“Last I know she was going back to the Riedenflaus family to receive medical treatment for her injuries.”
“Is that so…”
Karin furrowed her brow.
“Koharu’s arm was injured… right Erice? Was it really bad?”
“No idea. It wasn’t life-threatening at least.”
“I see. In that case, I’m sure she’ll be fine!”
Karin’s reaction was typical for the next-generation, as modern medicine was capable of restoring the average injury back to its original state. However, Koharu was stabbed in her arm during a life or death battle with Nzambi. On her right arm, right above where her Command Seals were located.
“About that I… I’m not too sure…” After muttering that, Rurihime’s expression darkened for a moment, before quickly turning back to a smile. “Erice, you probably have a better chance of running into Koharu than I do. If you do happen to see her again, can you please tell her I send my condolences? And also tell her that I want to fight her in the arena again.”
“Of course. I won’t forget to let her know.”
I wanted to see Koharu again too. Right now, I was certain I needed her.
Rurihime flapped the sleeves of her miko outfit with excitement.
“Alright, I’m really motivated all of a sudden. Isn’t this gonna be pretty neat? The Nightwatch! What do you think about it, Shana!?” With a snap, the instant the girl raised her hand Ushiwakamaru came flying out from the manju stall, skidding sideways as she came.
“I understand the situation! Everything, I get it all! Naturally, I already knew that My Lord would accept this undertaking!”
“I know right~? Shana, your skills are probably getting dull too, right?”
“Actually, My Lord… While you may have some experience with martial arts, you do not possess any technical knowledge of Magecraft like Lady Erice, so you will need to start learning from the basics during your work. Do you not believe that starting out like that all of a sudden is rather reckless?”
“Urgh. I guess you’re right about that.”
“Regardless, this Ushiwaka will serve as My Lord’s sword and shield in defense of her being, no matter the occasion!”
“O.K.! I’ll make sure to be careful… What, is there something else?”
“Indeed. In addition to those concerns, I believe your Father has been pushing you exceptionally hard lately. You aren’t trying to use this as an excuse to run away from your studies, are you…?”
“Woah, it’s fine if you don’t say things you don’t have to ya know! A-Anyway, I have high expectations for you Shana! Even more so than during the tournament!”
“Of course. I am the only one who is fit for this role. My Lord has had an exceptional instinct for fighting since she was young after all, more than most would know what to do with.”
Rurihime blushed in response to the variety of things about her that were being spoken of so openly, while Ushiwakamaru held her chest out with pride. In spite of the carefree attitude she appeared to possess, it seemed as if she actually had quite a bit of courage and guts.
“I think it’s probably fine if you leave it at that.” Karin muttered under her breath. She said it in a hushed tone, like she was trying to water her words down..
“You know something, It would be better if a job like this just didn’t exist. I mean, what’s the point of a job where the asshole who wants to do it the least is also the jerk who’s best suited for the job?”
“...Karin?”
I thought I had gotten used to Karin’s bad language, but I found myself getting a little antsy to try and gloss over the way she had spoken.
“I don’t think it’s anything like that, it’s not like I’m trying to impose on Rurihime or anyth—”
“I already know that! I get that you don’t really want to give it up to anyone else. You’re not doing this stuff because you like it, and that’s why you don’t want anyone else to take over, right?”
“...Huh!? What are you trying to say?” I suddenly lost my cool and started to talk back to Karin.
(Not wanting to give it up to anyone else? Me of all people?)
It was a painful decision for me to make, but I was just trying to fulfill my duties in my own way. I wanted to make sure Karin understood that, so I made sure to reach out to Karin today—
“.........”
Before I knew it, a pair of pale blue eyes were staring straight at me. Voyager’s serene gaze put me at a loss for words.
It wasn’t that he was worried about Karin and I arguing. I could feel that he had dangerous intentions, that he was trying to get me to make a more direct confession toward Karin. But what could I possibly say…?
“........
(mmrm mrmm mrm)”
In his hand was a freshly fried tempura manju, given to him by Ushiwakamaru. His little cheeks were puffed up as he absentmindedly gobbled it down.
I felt my stomach muscles tighten up as I somehow managed to stifle any laughter as I asked:
“V-Voyager…? Did you remember to say thank you?”
“(Mrm)”
Karin couldn't help but to break out in laughter. Rurihime on the other hand seemed impressed, arms folded and head nodding as she let out an approving “Uh-huh!”.
“You guys are… pretty hard to deal with, huh? It’s honestly overwhelming. It’s like a whole different world from that of us carefree high school girls. And really, that’s why taking this job sounds so interesting to me.”
“I think you’re pretty hard to handle yourself Rurihime…”
“You think so? I feel like I’m rather different from the next-generation children who were born into this world.”
“...Now I get it. You’re part of the Boundary Generation, aren’t you?”
As I was myself an exception without a Holy Grail, I knew that such a question was a complicated one to answer.
*
One way or another, we were able to secure a successful applicant to take over my Nightwatch duties.
I couldn’t even begin to properly convey how serious and demanding such a role was using words alone and, just as Karin once said, I still find it hard to approve of or understand the seriousness carried by the Holy Grail War Tournament participants.
I made a promise with Rurihime to call her at a later time, and our group made our exit from the shrine’s grounds. All that remained from here was for Caren Himuro to get in contact with and assist her, and failing that find another unit in the Caren series to do it.
As I was considering all of this, Ushiwakamaru stealthily approached and stopped me before I could leave.
“Lady Erice, and Lady Karin as well. I must bow my head to your considerations. I must also express that your concern for My Lord is only natural.” Leaving her master behind, Ushiwakamaru approached us by herself. "Know that with my blade I shall sweep aside every spark that comes our way. But… As I avowed earlier, My Lord’s vigorous and hotblooded nature in regards to battle has been with her ever since she was a child. She will not stop until she has taken the type of wound that slams into her with such force it makes her. That is why her father has been having such a hard time."
"Um, you mean Rurihime's father and why he looked so stern?"
She certainly did seem like a disobedient girl who would cause worry for her family after all. Who do we know like that?
Ushiwakamaru smiled a bit, as if relieved.
“But it is exactly for those kinds of situations that I am here. It is my role as a military commander to weigh the skills of our enemies and ascertain when we need to retreat. If the situation goes beyond our control, it is my promise that I shall act as a shield that will block one thousand arrows to ensure My Lord escapes.”
“What are you on about, Ushiwakamaru? Saying that kind of stuff is no good, ya hear!?”
As Karin hounded her for it, Ushiwakamaru’s eyes blinked incessantly in response.
“May I ask why it’s no good… Such a disappointing reaction…”
“Because it’s no good, that’s why! Seriously, you Heroic Spirits, why do you always– as if it were the natural thing to do– try to do the coolest things!? You’re all so smart but so so stupid!”
“W-Wait a second Karin! There’s no need to be rude about it–!”
I consoled the newly dejected Ushiwakamaru and chided Karin before we said our goodbyes once more. As Ushiwakamaru swung her tongs in a wave, Voyager waved a small hand back in response.
“You know, it almost seemed like Rurihime knew you from somewhere Kōyō.”
After I asked, Karin nodded in response.
“How do I put this, it’s sort of like we knew each other before we actually got acquainted with one another? Since we’ve come to pray at this shrine before she saw Momi and remembered who we were.”
“Hmmm. Kōyō, were you coming to offer worship to Sugawara no Michizane, perhaps?”
Sugawara no Michizane was a person who lived during the early Heian Era. Meanwhile, Kijyo Kōyō lived during the middle-period of the Heian Era, which would have been around one hundred years after Michizane’s death. That was around the time that his haunting storms would have been raging.
(Ah…)
I had forgotten a much more important piece of the puzzle.
While I had my moment of clarity, Karin told me what Kōyō was saying back in her Spirit Form.
“She said ‘No, that’s incorrect. I was visiting the shrine to worship more ancient Gods’.”
“I see… Now I understand. It’s Togakushi Shrine. That small shrine was Togakushi Shrine, wasn’t it?”
“Togakushi, as in the place from around Momi’s hometown? I think it was near… Nagano Prefecture, right?”
“Mhm. That’s it. Mount Togakushi, Oninasato Village, the place where Mount Izuna used to be– Wait, Karin, shouldn’t you know all of this as Kōyō’s Master?”
“Ahaha, sorry, my bad.”
Originally Yushima Tenjin was a shrine dedicated to the Gods of Togakushi, prior to the enshrinement of Michizane… In other words, it was dedicated to the Kami associated with the Legend of Ama-no-Iwato in Japanese mythology.
Since she can no longer hope to visit the Togakushi Shrine in the Shinshū Province, that shrine at Yushima Tenjin must have become a very important place for her.
To think that the shrine associated with Togakushi is protecting the Spiritual Ley Lines of Akihabara. It would make me incredibly happy if Kōyō were to pray for the peace of this city while keeping such thoughts within her heart.
Yet, in spite of that, I’m currently denying such favor as I abandon my own responsibilities toward the same thing.
(Speaking of the Gods… There are Divine Servants too. Those bastards who attacked the city were Divine Spirits, no mistaking it…)
Servants from the mythical era when the greater Gods roamed, Divine Spirits are those who have surrendered a part of their soul in order to become a Servant. They are particularly rare in Mosaic City, despite the fact that it’s home to countless Servants. It’s likely that there’s only one per city, and among them, I still don’t know of any related to Gods from Japanese mythology.
(There are some minor deities from a folk lore level registered here and there, but…)
If such a being were to manifest, it would be a very powerful entity, one who would have an advantage from the land. But the fact of the matter is that this is not the case, and as such that is why I believe the citizens still maintain true faith.
“Kōyō, thank you for this.”
“Hm? Oh, you mean like for the prayers? If that’s the case, you should know that Voyager prayed with us too!”
“That’s just because he’ll imitate anything he sees.”
“He’s so innocent and fresh, right? It’s like he’s just been born!”
We stared at Voyager’s back a few steps ahead of us for a while as we walked through the park.
“—So then, what the heck is your plan here? What do you think you’re doing, asking someone else to handle your work for you?“ Karin asked me in the serious tone from before.
“It’s not like I quit my job as a Nightwatch I… I’d like to return to it if I can, if possible. Actually, I think I have to. Whether or not Rurihime will keep doing it when that time comes will depend on how she feels about it.”
Karin stopped in her tracks and grabbed onto my hand tightly.
My left hand, which still felt uncomfortable from the Command Seals being engraved into it—
“Eri-pie, answer this question honestly. This isn’t about what anyone else wants. I’m asking you. What do you want to do?”
“Erice wants to go.”
The boy’s words swallowed us whole.
Voyager answered the question. Clearly, like the sharp ring of a ship’s bell declaring that the time to put out to sea had finally come.
And the deflated sails of my heart swelled with a heavy sense of unease as the tailwinds of defiance blew through them.
I felt as though I had read this exact scene in a book somewhere before.
Even still, Karin continued to ask us questions.
“...Where? Where do you want to go?”
“To Fuyuki.”
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Originally Posted by Comun
