Pseudo-Singularity: Edo, Endless Duel of the Sword

[OnesFleetingGlory]

My Master once said that I was born in the wrong age.

That my pursuit of the way of sword was a mistake, and will bring me sorrows.

Heeding his words, I had vowed to follow the path of peace. A path of righteousness carried by gentleness. It was as simple as breathing.

With that in mind, I had decided to follow through with a vile ritual that can plunge Edo into chaos with express intention to put an end to it, for it was evil.

"...But that was the real mistake."

My calling was, and always has been, to master the sword.

With each swing, with each life taken during the ritual, I could feel my technique improved, my instinct sharpened, it was the greatest joy I ever experienced. And then I finally realized.

This is my path, this is what I yearned throughout this ordeal.

So now I ultimately decided, after cutting down my last foe in this so-called contest, my once steadfast partner and true friend in this war, I shall have my wish granted.

"Ah, if only this world were itself a living hell."

----‐--------------------------
Premise achieved. May or may not follow through depending on IRL situation.

[TrueMrMultiverse]

This looks pretty interesting-will keep an eye on this.

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Prologue

-Wandering Sea-

*Yawn*

I woke up at my own quarter in Novum Chaldea.
Beside me, Fou was purring and squeaking on my affectionately. I couldn't help but gently petting him and enjoying his soft fur. It all seemed fine, except...

"It's weird... what was that dream? It was dark, suffocating, and most of all... chaotic."

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the best I could describe it as was terror. I heard people fighting, clashing of steels, war cries, it's like on a battlefield.

Thanks to that, I woke up not as invigorated as I had hoped.

"Good morning, Senpai."

A voice heard from the direction of the door, it was Mashu.

"Good morning, Mashu."

"Senpai, are you going to the cafeteria for breakfast? I was on my way there, and thinking that I might as well pick you up."

"Thanks Mashu, I'll be right with you. Give me a moment."

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It's been a week ever since we dealt with Limbo, one of the Apostles of the Alien God. However, due to his interference, some Servants from Novum Chaldea could not enter the Singularity, with one of them was Kotaro Fuma.

"I'm sorry Master, I wished I could be there to fight alongside you and Lady Danzo."

Was what Kotaro said. Honestly, I didn't mind much, seeing that Limbo was finally gone for good, but I knew that Kotaro regretted not being able to experience it himself.

To be honest, I did have some regrets myself similar to Kotaro. I had wished that Musashi were also around to personally maim Limbo. It would've been really cathartic for her.

I thought I already put it all behind me, and yet, that weird dream somehow reminded me of that whole incident.

"Senpai? Are you okay? you've been silent."

"Huh? Oh yes, I'm fine Mashu. Just reminiscing about our last operation."

"You mean Heian-Kyo? Yeah, that was quite a battle, wasn't it? A shame that both I and Kotaro couldn't enter the singularity with you."

Mashu nodded, somewhat sadly.

"But still, Senpai, you barely ate your meal, and most of the Servants already left the cafeteria. And I'm already finished myself. Do you want me to accompany you longer?"

Mashu was always kind, but at the moment, I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts.

"Thanks Mashu, but it's okay, I'd like to continue eating by myself if you don't mind."

"...I understand. Well, be seeing you Senpai."

With that, Mashu left, leaving me behind in the now empty cafeteria.

...Or so I thought, as I continued eating, someone sat in front of me, and their identity had me nearly choked on my food.

"Oh? Pretty rare of you to eat here all by your lonesome, mongrel. Were you not usually hanging out with that Demi-Servant girl?"

It's Gilgamesh, King of Heroes. Specifically the Archer one. I grabbed glass of water and drank slowly to push my food down, and greeted him as respectfully as I could.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. Yes, today I just happened to eat my breakfast slower than expected. So as to not bother Mashu, I let her leave me first. And I'll rejoin her later."

"Is that so? Must be quite something that you wanted her to leave you be. Tell me, what is bothering you?"

"Um... it's really nothing, Your Majesty, I just-"

*SWISH-*

Suddenly, a golden disc appeared and from it a sword jutted out, nearly grazing my left temple.

"Don't be coy with me, mongrel. You may do so in front of the others out of consideration, but not to me. Next time you do so, you will lose more than just a few strands of hair."

I gulped. Archer Gilgamesh had always been unpredictable, more so than his other incarnations, but I was used to the more outrageous behaviors of some Servants, that I quickly got my bearing again.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty. My apologies."

Satisfied, Gilgamesh withdrew the sword. "Good. Now try again."

"Thank you. The truth is, last night I had a rather peculiar dream."

I told him about my dream. And how it left quite an awful impression in the otherwise calm sleep.

"A nightmare, hm? Although not the kind that jolt you awake. And it looks like you got it under control."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Which was why I did not intend to bring that up beforehand. But I wouldn't tell him that.

"Speaking of dreams, I happened to experience one myself, and an interesting one at that."

"You do?" I replied immediately.

Fearing for my temple, I decided to listen.

"I had perhaps the most amusing of dreams. That I was summoned in some dull feudal Japan as a Servant in some Holy Grail War. I was my own Master. It was perhaps the most lacking ritual that I ever witnessed, a poor excuse of a war. Its participants, on the other hand, were quite intriguing. So much that I decided to stay and observe them."

"That was... quite a dream, Your Majesty. If I may ask, who were these people that caught your eye?"

I probed further, hoping to appease his rage.

"Their names are of no importance, what you need to know is they were a Master-Servant pair. The Master was a samurai who served no lord, a ronin if you will, while the Servant belonged to a Saber-class, a prince more bratty than regal. The Master was unwittingly dragged into the conflict and was clueless about the War. Honestly, their circumstances vexed me a little with how similar it was with certain fool. But that's where the annoyance ended, for they served me well during the course of the ritual. Unfortunately, at the climax of it all, the anchor that bound my Spirit Origin weakened, and so I disappeared before I could witness the end. But I was entertained enough to leave with no attachment."

Sensing his tone turned jovial, I was relieved. But when I was about to ask more-

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

An alarm? Did they detect another singularity? I better head to the Command Room after this.

"It's fine. Go forth, mongrel. Attend your duty, for I have gazed upon the outcome of that place. But do try to entertain me."

"...?"

King Gilgamesh had often been quite cryptic with his words, usually out of his amusement. Not paying much attention to it, I dashed toward the Command Room.

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"A Pseudo-Singularity?"

"That's right, Fujimaru. Although, there are several details that might make this stand out compared to others."

As I arrived at the Command Room with Mashu, Da Vinci greeted me along with Holmes and Sion. But I noticed someone's missing.

"Where's New Director? He usually attends the briefing."

The one who answered me was Meuniere. "Oh, him? He got stomachache due to overeating, and also the shock of hearing where the Pseudo-Singularity is. But nah, I bet he's just overeating."

Shock? Why? Something about the Pseudo-Singularity?

Mashu, who stood beside me, asked Da Vinci. "So where is this Pseudo-Singularity, Da Vinci?"

"The coordinates were normal enough. Trismegitus II calculated that it's in Japan, during Edo period."

Japan again? Hearing that I suddenly shivered.

Noticing my expression, Holmes spoke to me. "I understand your wariness. Not too long ago, we clashed with Alter Ego Limbo on that very same country, specifically during Heian Era of Kyoto. The Pseudo-Singularity we detected this time has a gap of almost a century after that era."

"Could this be related to Limbo?"

It was then Holmes answered my question. "We suspected that, but soon discarded it. This singularity isn't as anomalous as the one prepared by Limbo, plus the bounded field protecting it is of natural occurrence rather than a skillfully crafted one. Rest assured, This pseudo-singularity was a natural one."

I sighed in relief, but puzzled. "So... if it's none of those, why does this Pseudo-Singularity stand out compared to others?"

Sion, who had been staying silent, suddenly spoke with vigor. "Aha! The million dollar question, isn't it? You see, we scanned through the era of said Singularity using Trismegistus II and we determined that the time period is during Keian Era. But get this."

Sion continued, while giggling. "A Holy Grail War-like ritual happened not too long ago in this era."

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[TrueMrMultiverse]

oooo-love the hints from Gil about SR

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 1

Still befuddled by Sion's answer, I asked another question. "A Holy Grail War? In Edo?"

"That's right, there are traces of Spirit Origin reading and they were absorbed one by one into a single point. And moments later, the gathered mana erupted throughout the place. Holmes deduced that it was a Holy Grail War."

Holmes continued the explanation, "Indeed, and it is safe to assume the gathering point was the Grail collecting the souls of fallen Servants, and the magical discharge moments later was the result of someone making a wish."

"Edo... Holy Grail War... "

My mind went back to a scene not too long ago.

[I] had perhaps the most amusing of dreams. That I was summoned in some dull feudal Japan as a Servant in some Holy Grail War. [/l]

Or so King Gilgamesh said.

(Could it be that he...?)
"Senpai? Is something the matter? "

I snapped back to reality as Mashu asked me.

"Hm? No, it's nothing. Just pondering about what that means."

"Are you sure? You have been behaving strangely since this morning."

As expected of a caring Kouhai, nothing gets by her.
"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Ahem," Da Vinci cleared her throat loudly, likely out of impatience.

"If I may? Now that you get your answer for 'What stood out'. Let's get into the 'How'."

Holmes started, "Yes. The earliest known Holy Grail War-which we will shorten into HGW from now on-happened in Fuyuki City of Japan, in early 21st Century. You all should be familiar with it, since that's what happened in Singularity X. It was a ritual devised by three Magus Families consist of Einzbern, Tohsaka, and Makiri, who went by Matou at the time. I believe we saw the person himself during London Singularity. The ritual was made as a means to reach the Root. The preparation itself takes decades to gather all the necessary mana to kickstart the HGW. "

Holmes continued the speech, "Now then, how did Japan of Feudal era possibly concoct such a large scale ritual way before the three families? I have deduced there are two answers."

I listened intently as Holmes spoke.

"One, someone 'outside of the scope' introduced the system to that era, which explains how it happened at all."

I unconsciously chimed in, "Like what Limbo did in Shimousa and Heian-Kyo."

"Kudos to Mr. Fujimaru. Which is why we immediately analyzed the Pseudo-Singularity under that assumption. Fortunately, we did not find any abnormalities, as we said before."

I sighed in relief.

"That leaves us to second one. To be frank, this is more unlikely than the first, but you know, when you eliminate the impossible... "

'Whatever left must be the truth." I finished Holmes' sentence.

"Haha, a bit simplified, but correct. The answer is that someone in that era found similar method on their own, and made the HGW based on that."

"But if that is the case, then the formula for HGW has been around for a while back then, right? And Fuyuki was just happened to be recorded first?"

"That is possible, but the basis for Fuyuki's HGW leans closer to western branch of mages, so it's unlikely to be based on this Pseudo-Singularity of Edo. I suggest another possibility, that someone received the knowledge of Fuyuki's HGW, and replicated the method. It is not too far-fetched when Clairvoyance skill exists."

Clairvoyance. A skill of Servant. And the exceptionally high-ranked ones were said to be able to perceive beyond space and time. I remembered that King Gilgamesh has something similar to that. Which means...

Sensing that the discussion came to an end, Da Vinci spoke.
"At any rate, we got a Pseudo-Singularity to tackle, and we can confirm what really happened in there once we get in. Since this is a Pseudo-Singularity, we can send you out alongside contracted Servants."

"Ah, that's good to hear, Da Vinci. Did you already decide on the line-up?"
"Of course. Given the location, my mind instantly thinks of certain Servants. So without further ado, come on in, guys!"

At Da Vinci's cue, the door opened and a group of people entered.

I recognized them. They were Yagyu Munenori, Mochizuki Chiyome, Sasaki Kojiro, Sakamoto Ryouma, Tamamo-no-Mae, and... Fuuma Kotarou.

"Good day, Master Fujimaru. I, Yagyu Munenori, hereby offer you my assistance in resolving this Singularity."

"Likewise, my Lord. Mochizuki Chiyome, at your service."

"Miss Da Vinci asked me to come as well. When it comes to swordsmanship, I believe Lord Munenori is quite accomplished himself, but I'm fine to lend you my sword as well."

"Hello Master, given the peculiarity of this Pseudo-Singularity, I believe you need someone that can gather information adequately."
"Don't forget me, Ryouma."
"Yeah, yeah, Oryou, you and I together. Just keep it in moderation, okay?"
"As long as you provide me with enough food, frogs even better."

"Ahem. Hi, Master! Your lovely Tamamo is here! To be honest, Tamamo has been out of action for quite a while, so it will be nice to go out there and touch some grass. I shall protect you in magecraft-related stuff. I believe a certain Hikki youkai can take an example from me!"

"Fuuma Kotarou, at your service, Master."

After their introductions, I greeted them back.
"Greetings, everyone. It is a pleasure, I look forward to work with you all."

After finishing my greeting, I spoke to Da Vinci.

"Da Vinci, I appreciate the line-up, but isn't this a bit overkill? Including Mashu, we got seven Servants accompanying me."

"Actually, Mr. Kotarou insisted to come along, and he wouldn't take no for answer."

Hearing that, I turned my gaze to Kotarou.

"Yes, Master. I would like to compensate for my inability to participate in the previous operation. I also already talked to Lady Danzou. "

"I see, alright then." I understood immediately. He must be talking about Heian-Kyo.

"Looking forward working with you, Kotarou-dono. Let's make the best of our espionage skill to help Lord Fujimaru."

"Likewise, Chiyome-dono."

Da Vinci clapped her hands to everyone's attention.
"So, is everyone ready? Let the Rayshifts begin."
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[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 2
-
-Edo, 1651, ???-
-
[Rayshift Complete]
-
As I heard the announcement from my device, I scanned my surrounding and saw if everyone's accounted for.
-
"Is everyone present?"
-
"Yes Senpai, everyone's here."
Mashu, Yagyu, Chiyome, Kojiro, Ryoma, Tamamo, and Kotaro. Everyone was present.

I was relieved by Mashu's I noticed something else.

"What is this stench?"

Before pondering further, Kojiro answered my question.

"Blood. There are fresh corpses nearby."
-
I observed where we were, which was an open field during nighttime. My eyes slowly adjusted and saw a horrible scene unfolded before me.
-
Under the illuminating starry sky, mounds of bodies could be seen as far as the eyes could see, some were scattered and mutilated, the crows could be heard cawing among them. It felt like the scene of hell itself
-
Mashu spoke, bewildered. "H-how horrible..."

But before we could ponder more, a voice could be heard.
-
[Testing, testing, do you copy? Has everyone arrived safe and sound?]

It was Da Vinci's voice.
-
"...Uh, yes, miss Da Vinci, we're all present, but..."
-
[Well, well, look at all those bodies. Are you perhaps in a battlefield?]
-
The way Da Vinci commented nonchalantly unnerved me, but she got a point. It was as if a massive battle had happened at this place.
-
Kojiro approached the bodies, examining them. "Judging from the severed parts, these were all done by a skilled swordsman."
-
Kojiro offered his analysis, which then Yagyu chimed in. "I agree, the parts that were cut, the wounds, all indicated to be caused by the same technique."
-
[Hmm. Interesting. Are there any hostiles nearby? Make sure that you are alert here, or someone could get the jump on you.]
-
"Not to worry, miss Da Vinci. I have my senses heightened after we spotted the bodies, and I have yet to detect any living beings."
"It's the same for me. Lord Fujimaru is in good hands.
-
I was relieved hearing the reassuring tones of both Kotaro and Chiyome.
-
Yagyu continued, "Still, this is surprising. Around this time, I have passed away only recently. From what I could recall, it is true that we still had minor skirmishes with disgruntled samurai from time to time, but it had been a relatively peaceful times. The amount of bodies scattered here seems too many for this to be a group of simple bandits, and the size of an army. It reminds me of... the Shimabara Rebellion."
-
Hearing that name, I shuddered. I was relieved that Amakusa wasn't among the Servants Da Vinci selected. Then again, she must had taken that into account, knowing the incident had occured not too long ago.
-
[We can ponder what happened here later. Let's set up a camp or stronghold somewhere, and then we can begin to investigate in earnest. Also, I chose Mr. Yagyu here because he is familiar with the topography of this era. Am I wrong?]
-
"No, Lady Da Vinci. You judged correctly. It is true that this era is close to the time when I was alive. Thankfully, the land here is still familiar enough to me, corpses notwithstanding. If I'm not mistaken, we are currently at the outskirt of Asakusa, a town northeast of Edo castle. We can pay the town a visit and ask the locals of what is currently happening."
-
Before anyone else could reply, Kotaro spoke.
-
"Lord Yagyu, I'm afraid we got company."
-
As if on cue, dark hazes started to form around us, and from them emerged monsters of varying sizes.
-
Ryoma exclaimed, "Monster?! Are they drawn by the corpses?"
"Who cares? This is more like it. All these talks make Oryo hungry, so they'll be good appetizers. Oryo don't want rotting meats."
"That's, um... good, I guess?"
-
Kojiro spoke, "Regardless, I agree with your girl, they will serve for a good exercise. My Monohoshi Zao shall cut them down."
-
"Don't worry, dear Master. Tamamo will support everyone. Oh, and you're my first priority of course."
-
"Don't forget me, Senpai! Hostiles detected, Mashu Kyrielight, ready to engage!
---‐------------------------------------------
After some time, Yagyu and the others had defeated many monsters, but their number showed no sign of relenting.
-
"Man, Oryo is so full, but they keep coming."
"You have a point Oryo, we can still carry on, but at this rate there's no end to this."
-
"I might know the reason. The leyline flow in this place looks twisted, and coupled with the bodies, they become fertile soils for evil spirits to manifest." Tamamo told me matter-o-factly.
-
Yagyu declared. "I believe it's prudent for us to retreat. Unfortunately, we must postpone our visit of Asakusa. The monsters came from that direction."
-
[Well, we still know nothing of what transpires here, so let's look for safety first. Do you know a place, Yagyu?]
-
"This direction will lead us to Yoshiwara instead."
-
[Hmm..? Isn't that a famous Red Light District in Edo?]
-
Hearing that, Mashu's face turned beet red.
"Ah?! R-r-r-Red Light...!?"
-
"Correct. The monsters are increasing as we speak. So the sooner we move, the better."
-
I knew what Red Light District was, and I imagined it was too much for Mashu's innocent mind. So I assure her.
-
"It's alright Mashu, safety comes first. We'll think about it once we get there."
-
"Uh, um... Yes, understood, Senpai! We shall break off from combat!"
------------------------------------------

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 3

Some time had passed ever since we moved from our initial drop point. Following Yagyu's lead, we're treaded the outskirt of town as we remained alert of possible hostiles. As extra precaution, I had both Kotaro and Chiyome to go ahead based on Yagyu's directive to scout the area, in case there were ambushes. Luckily, we had yet encountered any hostiles ever since that seemingly endless swarm of monsters. However...

"There are still pile of bodies even this far from our original location..."

Mashu noted, with hard expression on her face. Although there were far less, corpses were still present even after walking for a whole hour. The stench were worst than before along with the buzzing of flies, indicating they had died for quite some time then.

While remained calm, Ryoma responded. "...Indeed, but they didn't die by sword. At least not all of them. The wounds indicate that monsters are also involved. Still, a massacre of this magnitude was completely unheard of during this time of Edo."

"Mm-hm." Oryo nodded, seemingly agreed with Ryoma.

"Then, could it be related to the cause of Singularity?" I asked to Da Vinci, hoping to probe for some hint.

[Umm... it's still too early to tell. This is Keian Era, a period of relative peace in Edo, true. But there were several major events happened throughout it. One of them was Keian Uprising.]

Mashu chimed in. "Yes, Da Vinci. It was an attempted coup by a group of samurai against the shogunate, the reason being samurai were restricted in which lord to serve, and therefore threatening their livelihood, right?"

[Very good, Mashu. Yes, taking advantage of the confusion caused by previous' shogun's death, Iemitsu, the leaders of disgruntled samurai, Yui Shousetsu and Marubashi Chuya tried to invade important locations to assassinate high officials at the time. The plan was stopped before it could even begin thanks to Marubashi's loose lips.]

Da Vinci continued her explanation. [But that's not the end, because after that incident, several movements with the same motive began. This in turn showcases just how dissatisfied the samurai were with shogunate's policy at the time.]

Remembering what King Gilgamesh said, I confirmed with Da Vinci.

"They're called ronin, right?"
[Yes, Fujimaru, the lordless samurai, drifters who have become more and more common during this time. They went freelance, with some took odd jobs from all over to make ends meet, like mercenaries, and some went to be criminals. The more fortunate ones could take other professions like a scholar, but they're rare. It's hard for them to suddenly abandon the sword when it's their career in life. It's like when you studied your whole life to be a computer programmer but then you're forced to be a doctor.]

"Then, could this be because of Keian Uprising being carried out?"

[Again, Fujimaru, we still don't know for sure. Our best bed is to get in touch with the locals in order to get some context. It's no use speculating right now.]

Dejected, I relented. "...Yes, Da Vinci."

Yagyu then spoke to me. "This is only an educated guess, Master, but some of these people, these swordsmen were not ronin. The emblem stitched on their clothes indicate them as samurai officially employed by shogunate. They were apparently sent out en masse to deal with something."

This reminded me of my time in Shimousa, where an army had been dispatched to subjugate Rider of Kalasutra Hell and Berserker of Samghata Hell. The result was total annihilation of the army. I did not see the outcome in person, but the description eerily matched to what unfolded before me. That got me thinking, "I wonder who they were up against? Monsters? Bandits?"

Kojiro, who had been silent for some time, finally spoke. "Monsters, perhaps. But I can tell that some of their wounds were inflicted by incredible bladework."

I pondered to him. "Right, didn't you remark about that before, Kojiro?"

"Yes, and by the looks of it. It's the same person who did the massacre at the outskirt of Asakusa."

I shuddered at the thought.

Seeing my reaction, Ryoma spoke. "It's alright, Master. We already determined that the bodies here are older than the ones at Asakusa's outskirt, so it's safe to assume that whoever did this is in Asakusa. And Mister Kojiro, you seemed really impressed by this person's swordsmanship, but for all we know, they could be an enemy."

"Regardless, I have to praise the skill of the perpetrator. Not many people during this era can exhibit such mastery of the sword. The last known Sword Saints that are this skilled were Lord Yagyu, who's confirmed passed away at this time, and my bitter rival, Miyamoto Musashi. The male one, of course."

Hearing that name, I couldn't help but reminisce about Musashi. She saved us in Olympus by sacrificing her whole being, literally, it left a blank in Chaldea's Saint Graph Record.

"Don't be so hasty, Mister Kojiro, it is still undetermined on who did it, or even what. It's even possible that this was all a Servant's doing."

Ryoma raised a logical explanation. But before the conversation could go further, the two Assassins returned to greet us.

"Fuma Kotaro and Mochizuki Chiyome, reporting."

I asked them, "How was the situation?

Chiyome spoke first. "Yes, my Lord. The good news is that we've spotted the entrance to Yoshiwara, and there were no signs of hostiles and ambushes on the way there."

Kotaro followed, "The bad news is, the gate is sealed shut with bounded field. And there are Shadow Servants trying to force their way in."

Hearing the familiar term, I nodded. "Shadow Servants... about time we encounter some."

Mashu voiced her thoughts. "Senpai, I think we should focus on defeating them first. Perhaps after they're gone, the people in Yoshiwara might let us in."

Da Vinci's voice could be heard. [Good idea, Mashu. Nothing expresses goodwill than exterminating threats to people. But before we begin, I'd like to discuss about something, which is--]

--------------------------------------

We engaged with the enemies immediately, with Mashu, Ryoma, Kojiro, and Kotaro in view. The Shadow Servants, six in total, were soon perished, but I noticed that they were all Sabers.

"Hostiles neutralized. The combat is over." Mashu said while removing her shield.

"I hope with this, they would let us in."
"Let's confirm, Senpai. Excuse me! We managed to defeat the monsters! We would like to enter! Could you open the gate?!"

After Mashu's shout, noise could be heard from behind the gate, and from what I could make out of it, there were relieves and wariness mixed.

Moments later, the gate made a loud sound and was slowly opened.

Five of us remained on guard, as we saw people dressed in Onmyou garb lined up left and right, making a way for someone.

A woman in elegant kimono showed up from behind, and after carefully observing us, she took a bow.
"Greetings, kind strangers. Let me express my gratitude for taking care of the monsters. We had been surrounded all night."

Ryoma, who were fluent with exchanging pleasantries, stepped forward.

"Greetings ma'am. Thank you for opening the gate for us. We were travelers that got lost. Might we trouble you for shelter, and explanation of what happened here?"

"....?" The woman's eyes widened, and asked.

"Oh my... are you, by any chance, a Servant?"

We're all caught by surprise from her question.

Trying to keep the momentum, Ryoma answered. "Why, yes. Are you familiar with that concept?"

The woman answered, "Familiar enough, kind sir. I used to command one myself, as Master. And I believe the boy behind you is yours?"

(Senpai.)
(Yeah, Da Vinci told us that a HGW-like Ritual took place here once. She's likely among the participants.)

"And not just you, it seems the other three are Servants as well."

Ryoma looked at my direction, and I nodded. "You are correct ma'am. Then it will be easier for us to explain our situations. May we trouble you?"

"Please enter, I shall arrange for your stay in Yoshiwara. I am Takao Dayu, courtesan of Miura-ya."
--------------------------------

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 4

After meeting the courtesan, we were escorted to an inn near Miura-ya, the brothel where Takao Dayu worked at. The five of us were told to wait in a room, and so we used that time to discuss our situation.

"The people here are visibly restless, Senpai."

To Mashu's remark, I responded. "Can't blame them. Being hounded by monsters day and night would take its toll on people's physique."

Kojiro then chimed in. "Knowing that, this Dayu lady is sure impressive, she calmly leads the people and assesses the situation to make things orderly."

"I agree with Lord Sasaki. She might've presented herself as a mere courtesan, but the way people behave around her makes it clear that she has some level of authority over this town."

"It isn't much of a surprise if you know her history, Mr. Kotaro. Takao II of Miura-ya was one of the most famous courtesans of her time. So much so, that her story is also featured in a kabuki play, songs, and literatures. Though unfortunately, many of them are either dramatized, or outright fictionalized."

Hearing Ryoma's exposition, a thought crossed my mind.

"So, a historical figure became a Master in HGW?"

"That's right, according to her claim. The fact that she recognized a Servant's presence is proof enough."

Da Vinci, who kept silent over the line, spoke up.

[Indeed. There's a precedence before, like in Heian-Kyo where Raikou and her Heavenly Kings took part in. Still, it was Limbo's doing that such event happened, whereas this one didn't seem to be instigated by outside force.]

"It's pretty extraordinary Pseudo-Singularity, then. By the way, Da Vinci, about what we discussed earlier..."

Let's rewind the clock a little bit, sometime before confronting the Shadow Servants.

"You want some of the Servants to stay in spirit form?"

[Correct. There are several reasons for this. I did select the Servants that are suitable for this Pseudo-Singularity, but having so many people suddenly appear and fight these monsters with ease might spook the locals, so let's reduce our number. Next, I recommend Yagyu to be among them specifically because people of this era would be terrified to see a supposedly dead person comes back to life. And last, but not least, it might be helpful to have several backup that nobody knows about.]

"...Got it, Da Vinci. Yagyu-san, Tamamo, and Chiyome, if you please?"

Which led to the current situation.

[Let's stay like this for now, Fujimaru. Even though we could confirm that she means no harm, and knows about the existence of Servants, we shouldn't show all our cards yet. Besides, we can still communicate even in spiritual form.]

"Alright, then."

After some time, Takao Dayu entered the room where we were staying.

"My apologies for the wait, honorable guests. I had to direct the onmyouji to reestablish the barrier around the gate, and some more arrangements with the people."

Ryoma spoke. "It is alright, Lady Dayu. Pardon the intrusion, I believe we must first introduce ourselves. My name is Sakamoto Ryoma, on my left is Sasaki Kojiro, Fuma Kotaro, on my right is Mashu Kyrielight, and our Master Fujimaru Ritsuka."

"I see, I do recognize some of your names. But... Lord Sasaki? You are a Servant, not a human, right?"

"Why, yes milady, I am a Servant under the employ of Master Fujimaru."

"I see... I suppose Heroic Spirits could be summoned even when the person is still alive. Or perhaps... you've passed away some time ago?"

Hearing that, Kojiro raised his eyebrow. "... Pardon? Have you met my living self?"

"No, I have not, but I've certainly heard about your reputation. The one whose sword could rival that of Miyamoto Musashi, and lived to tell the tale."

That startled the whole group. We exchanged glances while pondering what that meant.

Kojiro spoke again. "I see, then perhaps I did meet my end somewhere. Sorry, I can't quite remember."

"No, it's alright, Lord Sasaki. I have experienced something even weirder before, like the fact that there's a female Miyamoto Musashi."

She said something that shocked me to the core.

I unconsciously interrupted. "Excuse me ma'am, did you say female Musashi?"

Lady Dayu was startled, but answered me. "Why yes, she was the Servant I contracted with during the ritual."

I asked again. "Does she like Udon?"

Hearing that question, Lady Dayu stared at me hard. "Oh my, Lord Fujimaru, are you an acquaintance of hers?"

I hung my head a little, then answered her question.

"Yes, you could say that. It's a long story, but if you know her, it will be easier for us to explain ourselves."

"I see, it looks like I stumbled on something bigger than expected. Please do so."

I started to explain about Chaldea, and Musashi's relations to us, and the concept of alternate timelines, as concise as possible. There were times where Mashu interjected to clear up the details.

After hearing our explanations, she nodded.

"Mm-hm, I think I understand. I had heard some of your explanations from Lady Musashi. So she had aided your organization from time to time, which is to correct the course of history? And this time, you are investigating this era?"

"Basically, yes. And with that out of the way, we would like you to tell us what and how it happened."

"Very well. This will be a long story, so bear with me."

"Understood."

"Two months ago, it all started by Lord Tsuchimikado Yasuhiro, the head of Onmyouji at the time, devised a large-scale Ritual that is said to be able to grant any wish, which he dubbed the Waxing Moon Ritual. With its power, he convinced the Shogunate to support him by providing resources."

Her story reminded me of Limbo's own plot, which turned my stomach.

"Afterward, seven people were selected as Masters commanding a Servant each, and they would fight each other to the death with the last remaining Master-Servant pair would have their wishes granted. Lord Yasuhiro claimed to be an Overseer and thus remained neutral during the Ritual, but in truth, he was a participant himself, as Master of Caster. I caught wind of his plot, and so approached him in order to participate myself, which I succeeded."

Figures. No way the maker would miss the chance to have their own wish granted. "I see. And then?"

"According to Lord Yasuhiro, there would be fifteen Servants summoned during the Waxing Moon, with eight other will be known as Rogue Servants, and tied to certain region's leyline instead to a Master. They're weaker than the main participants, with some exceptions. I myself, intended to summon a Servant, but before I managed, I met Lady Musashi and we ended up forming a contract."

Mashu noted the difference with regular HGW. "Fifteen Servants..."

"Yes, young lady. And then five more Masters appeared, and we all did battle. The war happened for a month, with some Masters died, Lord Yasuhiro included, some survived with some of them leaving Japan. Lord Yasuhiro's younger brother, Lord Takatoshi took over as the Overseer, and unlike his brother, he remained neutral to the last. I didn't make it to the end because Lady Musashi said that her time in this world was about to end. As planned, the victors received the Vessel for Waxing Moon, but they claimed that the construct was flawed and evil, so they disposed of it, thus ending the Ritual. Lord Takatoshi said that they would clean up the aftermath. However..."

She hesitated, but then continued. "A week ago, the leylines around Edo suddenly ran amok, and monsters began to appear all over Edo. Lord Takatoshi tried to keep them at bay, so he stationed the onmyouji in locations with major leylines, including here in Yoshiwara. Even the Shogunate intervened by dispatching their samurai to deal with the monsters. In the first few days, they managed the situation, but then monsters in the form of shadowy swordsmen appeared and overpowered the samurai. The one you encountered at the gate, in fact."

She must be talking about Shadow Servants.

"We barricaded in our respective city while messages being delivered through shikigami in order to keep everyone informed of newest situation. And then you guys showed up."

Ryoma spoke up. "I see, I suppose it's fortunate that we arrived here while the problem is still recent. We know that something's happened with the leylines across Edo, which made monsters appeared. Lady Dayu, may we assist you in solving this crisis? Us Servants can fight those monsters and protect the people, and also investigate these leylines."

Lady Dayu's expressions brightened. "By all means. Your help is a godsent, we may still be able to hold out now, but no one can tell how long the supplies will last if this goes on."

"Then we all shall rest for the night, and continue our investigation tomorrow."

Sensing that the discussion had ended, I spoke.

"Lady Dayu, may I trouble you for a bit?"

"Senpai?" Mashu looked puzzled at my question.

"Yes, what is it?"

"For future reference, could you perhaps tell us about the identity of other Master-Servant participants in the H- I mean, Waxing Moon Ritual? Other than you, of course."

The group turned their attention to Lady Dayu, at my question.

"Very well. I'll start with Lord Yasuhiro. As I told you before, his Servant was Caster. I don't know anything about them since Lord Yasuhiro kept it secret and took it to the grave."

"I see, that's too bad."

"Next was a military scholar employed by Lord Yasuhiro, Yui Shousetsu. Her Servant was Rider, who claimed to be Ushi Gozen and ended up betrayed her during the climax of the Ritual, summoning giant monsters that dwarved Edo Castle, and needed the alliance of remaining Servants to take down."

Ushi Gozen... I remembered that she was Raikou's alter ego, her Oni side that she wanted to erase but stopped by Kintoki. No wonder she would betray her Master. Although...

"Huh? Yui Shousetsu is a woman?"

"Yes, a woman, I myself found out not too long ago. And last I saw her she was taken in by the Dutch."

"The Dutch?"

"Yes, there were two foreign Masters, with one of them being Dutch. Her name is Dorothea Coyett, Master of Assassin and called herself a mage. Her Servant was Koga Saburo."
I suddenly felt shiver from somewhere. It was through my link with Chiyome.
(Come to think of it, Koga Saburo is her...)
But I'd ponder about that later.

"You said there were two foreign Masters, so who's the other?"

"The other was from China, his name is Zheng Chenggong. From what I heard, he was able to participate thanks to the backing of Lord Tokugawa Yorinobu. All I can say is that there was politic at play. His Servant is Archer, who was Zhou Yu."

"Zhou Yu..."

I knew about him. He was a famous strategist from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, like Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi.

"Next was a creepy man with disfigured body, who went by the name Chiemon. He claimed to be a survivor from Shimabara and sought to destroy Edo."

"Shimabara...!" I exclaimed. So there was a survivor from such a dreadful event.

Ignoring my reaction, Lady Dayu continued. "His Servant was Lancer. She's wielding two spears and seems to be a foreigner, with a strange headpiece on her forehead. But he during the ritual, and his Servant followed his demise."

"Strange headpiece..."

(It can't be Jeanne, can it? I doubt she would serve such an awful person..)

"And last but not least, the Master of Saber. The victor of Waxing Moon Ritual. He is Lady Musashi's pupil, Miyamoto Iori. And his Servant was perhaps the most renowned among the ones I heard, beside Musashi of course. He was Yamato Takeru."
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[OnesFleetingGlory]

Interlude

One night near a beach, a peaceful, quaint town once stood nearby.
-
No more did it exist, for it replaced with smell of burnt corpses and ruins of houses.
-
Amidst of it all, a group of people were seen surrounding a campfire, drinking away some liquor.
-
"Hahaha! What a haul we got today! Boss' hunch was right!"
-
"I know, right?! Who would've expected that some port town would hide such luxury goods? The villagers here sure got some nerve keeping it all for themselves!"
-
"Haha! Too bad that nothing escapes the Boss' instinct! They all had it coming! With loot this much, I'm sure we're loaded for a whole year!"
-
"Well, not all of them. This time is quite a score, we even leave our usual territory. Don't you think it's better to leave no loose ends?"
-
Among the men who had chatted merrily, bragging about the carnage they accomplished, one changed his tone as he gestured to the man sitting a few distance away, accompanied by a young boy carrying a jar of liquor.
-
"What, the brat? Don't worry, the Boss just wanted to gloat about his life to him, nothing more. You know him, he's just gonna keep the brat around until morning, and then he'll bite it."
-
"I know, I know, it's just that, don't you think Boss is a little too attached to him? He is unusually affectionate, and not even joining us for drinks. I'm worried that he might just spared him on a whim."
-
"Ssh! Don't say that out loud! He'll hear you! Well, don't worry too much about it, if he did do that, we'll just have to persuade him, or do something about it ourselves."
-
"Yeah, I hope you're right."
-
The bandit's concern was not unfounded. Their Boss was impressed by the boy's way of carrying himself, even as they murdered his parents. He was eerily silent and calm, albeit gloomy, yet he had done a fine job of pleasing the Boss.
-
"....."
-
"...as I pierced my foes using my trusty spear, I gained more and more recognition from Lord Hideyori, and he even planned to offer me a position of a lieutenant. However, it was then that..."
-
The boy listened silently as leader of the bandits bragged about his past achievements. Only occasionally answered back when asked. 'Yes, sir', 'That's good, sir', 'Wonderful, sir". He poured him drink as it's about to empty, with meticulous approach. The boy had wondered why he was spared, and not be given death like the others. But in the end, it did not matter to him, for he was aware that his life would forfeit soon.
-
As the bandit leader talked, one of his gang approached him.
-
"Boss! We've got company!"
-
The leader's face grew stern, he put away his cup and grabbed his spear.
-
The rest of his gang followed suit, standing up with weapons in hand.
-
The boy stepped to the side, while curiously witnessing the new figure entering the scene.
-
One step, two step, the figure slowly emerged from shadows in the woods, illuminated by moonlight.
-
It was an old man, about 50 to 60 years of age. He had a long unkempt hair of pure white, obstructing the feature on his face, except for the goatee on his chin.
-
He carried a katana on his left hip, and nothing else.
-
Impatient, a bandit asked.
-
"What do you want, geezer? Scram before you're getting hurt."
-
Not answering the question, he instead gave a question of his own.
-
"...Did you brigands do this?"
-
The old man gestured with his head toward the ruined town.
-
"So what? It's none of your business. It's their fault they couldn't defend themselves."
-
Hearing the bandit's remark, the boy's chest tighten. A regret began to sprout.
-
"I see."
-
After a curt answer, the old man stepped forward.
-
Seeing that, the bandit leader laughed.
-
"Hahaha! You think because you have a sword, you could stand a chance against us?! This geezer has a death wish! Surround him, boys!"
-
At his command, the group of bandits began to approach the old man, encircling him.
-
The boy, who had been watching from the sideline, felt worried yet curious at the old man's actions.
-
The gang inched closer toward the old man, and together with their leader, rushed to the old man at the same time. This could be it for him, thought the boy.
-
*click*
-
"Kenjutsu Musou, Kenzen Ichinyo."
---------------------------------------

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 4

The morning after, in the inn at Yoshiwara.

"Nnngh..."

I woke up to the sound of chirping birds. I had slept soundly, yet I did not feel as well-rest as expected.

"A dream again..."

This time, the dream was nowhere near as vague as back in Chaldea. I felt like relieving someone else's past. If so, it was a tragic one, with the person was spared from his supposed fate purely by chance. Yet, the dream ended right after the boy was saved.

"But, his savior's swordplay seem familiar..."

Suddenly, a knock was heard. The one who greeted me was Mashu.

"Good morning, Senpai. How was your sleep?"

And I greeted her back. "Oh, it's good, Mashu, thank you. And you?"

"Yes, me too. The others are already out in the front. Ryoma-san had just finished discussing our next course of actions for today with Lady Dayu, so I was told to wake you up."

I was surprised that the others already planned things ahead without me. Then again, I doubt I could contribute much to the discussion, and being the only human, they might have been considerate and had me take some rest as much as I could.

"Thanks, Mashu. I will be right with you."

"Yes, Senpai."
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After meeting up with others, we walked down the road of Yoshiwara while taking in the view. Despite Da Vinci's claim of it being Red Light District, it was quite beautiful, with cherry blossoms bloomed brilliantly, and the town was quite bustling.

Lady Dayu wouldn't accompany us to our destination, for she had other matters to attend to. It was fine by us, for we had some private discussions to make.

I asked Ryoma. "So we are to investigate a nearby leyline?"

"That's right, Master. Lady Dayu managed to cleanse Yoshiwara's leyline, or Spirit Font as she calls it, and so Yoshiwara is safe inside. And the Tsuchimikado Clan has established several protections at other locations just like they did here. But the same can't be said about outside. Monsters keep manifesting from smaller leylines everywhere, and keep claiming those who're unfortunate enough to be outside the towns at the time. Resolving them all will be difficult, not to mention that Shadow Servants began to appear."

"I see. And since the Spirit Font here is stable, we'll try to resolve a potential location where monsters might emerge?"

"Indeed. However, we've confirmed that monsters did emerge at the place we're going to. And so, this doubles as extermination duty."

We exited Yoshiwara as Ryoma finished his summary.

The bodies of soldiers came to view, and the stench was still permeating the air, but more tolerable. Maybe because I've grown used to it.

Curious, I asked. "Where is this location again?"

Kotaro answered this time. "It's Torikoe Shrine, Master, about halfway between Yoshiwara and Asakusa. Although there's a shrine, it's not a place with Spirit Font."

"Torikoe Shrine, huh. I recall there's a shrine by that name back in my home country, so it could be the very same. I wonder which figure is enshrined there."

Hearing me pondered, Mashu responded. "It is Yamato Takeru, Master. The shrine's name was a reference to how Takeru ended up deified as big white bird emerged after his death, and the shrine was even originally named Shiratori (White Bird) Myojin."

"...Oh." I had expected to talk about him soon, but didn't expect his name to come up this way. But then it makes sense since it could be connected to his summoning back during the Ritual.

Da Vinci spoke through our lines. [Yamato Takeru. Arguably, no hero in Japan is more famous than him. The conquering prince of ancient Yamato. Under his father, Emperor Keiko's orders, he journeyed across Japan to quell so-called insurgences and subjugate local tribes. Armed with legendary sword Amenomurakumo, later known as Kusanagi, he slew men, demons, even gods alike in his conquest. Comparisons are made of him to Britain's King Arthur. Not surprising for him to be the Ritual's victor. If it were gacha game, you could say the Master hit the jackpot by summoning him alone.]

"Well, I know him, and his comparison to King Arthur. Knowing Artoria, I assume his life also wasn't all that happy?"

[You are right, Fujimaru. In fact, you could argue that his story was mostly joyless, even outright tragic. The reason behind him following all those orders was for him to be accepted and acknowledged by his father, but every time he succeeded on his quest, the Emperor would then send him out again for another task, not out of faith, but out of fear. This in turn alienated him from his allies, with perhaps the only one genuinely supported him was his wife, Ototachibanahime.]

I was relieved to hear that. "So he did have someone whom he loved, and loved him back, among all the carnage."

Da Vinci, however, wasn't done. [Unfortunately, that did not last long. During their journey across the sea, the god dwelling in there made raging waves that caused their ship stuck, unable to advance or retreat. Fearing for her husband's life, Ototachibanahime offered her own by leaping into the sea. This quelled the god's anger, and the waves calmed down. Later, Yamato Takeru found her comb washed ashore on the beach.]

My heart sank upon hearing it. "That's sad."
[Yeah. By the way, you're already some distance away from Yoshiwara, so I guess it's safe for others to manifest.]

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Yagyu-san, Chiyome, Tamamo, you can all materialize."

On cue, the three other Servants who had been in Spirit Form appeared.

"Good day, Master."

”I, Mochizuki Chiyome, am here, my Lord."

"Phwaa, finally. My body is stiff all over. Not manifesting for a long time could be detriment to my health, Dear Master."

"Hey, hey, don't forget Oryo."

Ah, right. I forgot about her. Ryoma had suggested her not to show up as well, as a flying woman would also draw attention.

Feeling guilty, Ryoma spoke. "Sorry Oryo. I'll gladly treat you to all the food you want for lunch."

"Hmph, you better keep that promise."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too. Still, you guys heard our talk with Dayu yesterday, right?"

"Yes, we did. About a ritual that was like HGW, and also Edo's current predicament."

Yagyu started. "Honestly, I find it baffling that the shogunate would approve of such rudimentary ritual to take place in the capital, with all the danger it entails. Then again, the late head of Tsuchimikado seemed rather crafty in his conduct to make sure the ritual would progress no matter what."

To that, Ryoma chimed in. "I agree, Mr. Yagyu. From what we gathered around town, the Tsuchimikado clan has been in decline even before the passing of his father, Tsuchimikado Yasushige. We can only assume that he devised this ritual as a way to reclaim his family's former glory, perhaps out of desperation."

"To think that my ancestor, Kouga Saburou was a participant in that Ritual. I am admittedly curious of how he fared."

Mashu interjected. "We could ask Lady Dayu for more details, Miss Chiyome, but I think we've troubled her enough at the moment, and she seemed to have her hands full with maintaining the order in town and preserving the Spirit Font."

"Speaking of leylines, we're going to investigate those, right? When it comes to analyzing leylines, you can leave that to Tamamo, Dear Master."

Tamamo puffed her chest, confident in her abilities. This did sound like the job of a Caster.
"Right, we're counting on you, Tamamo."

"Everyone, eyes on the road, we've got company."

At Kojiro's warning, we all looked to the front. a group of skeleton soldiers manifest on the street.

"So they also manifested in broad daylight. Luckily, they seem manageable, and Torikoe Shrine is just up ahead. Let's cut through them and make our way to the shrine."

"Alright, battle formation everyone."

"Yes Senpai, Mashu Kyrielight, ready to engage."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, well, that is quite a horde."

As we arrived at the shrine, we found the place overrun by big monsters. Soul Eaters, One-Eyed Onis, Cursed Lanterns, and more.

"This place has become a monster nest. I admit, even I will find this tough even by going all out."

To Kojiro's remark, I declared. "That may be, but you're not alone Kojiro. And we do not need to hide our allies here. Let's dispatch them."

"Right you are, Master. Shall we turn this into competition, Lord Yagyu?"

"I do not see the point of that, Lord Kojiro. However, I don't mind if that's what you want."

Yagyu responded to Kojiro's taunt.

"Thank you, having a Sword Saint such as yourself join in will make this worthwhile. Let's see how this will go."
"Well, the rest of us shall make do with working as a team."

Kotaro nodded. "I concur, Mr. Sakamoto. Let them indulge in their game."

And so the fight was split in two teams, one consisted of Kojiro and Yagyu, the other of me and Mashu, Ryoma, with Tamamo and the other two Assassins tow.

The way Kojiro carried himself, I tended to forget that he was supposed to be an Assassin. The bladework he displayed was phenomenal. Seeing them in action together, I couldn't even tell him apart from Yagyu who was of Saber class.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The monsters had been dispatched. Even with difference in number, the group with both swordsmen had racked more body counts than the other team. It was quite impressive.

"Hmm.. shall we call this a draw?"

Yagyu noted the amount monsters each of them defeated. They were even.

"As much as I loathe to do so, I have no choice but to agree. Perhaps we should've taken the other's share of foes as well."
Kojiro begrudgingly accepted.

"Now then, with this place clean of monsters. I can start my analysis. Now you all be good boys and girls as I do my job, capiche?"

Mashu answered. "Yes, Lady Tamamo. Please do."

She began to chant in front of the shrine, and I could sense magical energy flowing into her.

As we wait, I wanted to discuss about another thing, but Ryoma beat me to it.

"Say Master, what do you say that we pay a visit to Asakusa after this? Last time it was overrun with monsters, but things might be different this time. And we need to speak with the victor of the Ritual, since no doubt he knows what happened to the Grail, or Vessel in this case."

Ryoma suggested a good plan. The one who knew the actual conclusion of the Ritual was certainly the victor.

"Miyamoto Iori. Adopted son and pupil of Miyamoto Musashi. In this era, he's said to be a successful vassal under certain Damyo, and live a wealthy life. But..."

"According to Takao Dayu's story, that isn't the case here. He's a ronin who's struggling to make ends meet, and Musashi, the male one, passed away earlier than was recorded."

"There are indeed discrepancies with our own history, which was apparent enough with how I, by which I mean Sasaki Kojiro, survived their fight in Ganryu-jima."

"Hmm. It seems the more we learn about this Pseudo-Singularity, the more bizarre the circumstances are."

"In any case, we need to meet him. We might get to know more from the victor himself."

[Ah, guys, sorry to interrupt your discussion. But Holmes left me a message to relay to you.]

Da Vinci suddenly interrupted from our lines.
[Basically, he deduced that the cause of this Pseudo-Singularity was due to a Holy Grail reading we spotted. But we can rule out that it
isn't due to outside interference, so it's a naturally occurring one. And get this, he has three speculations about what transpires. First, it is a Holy Grail-like object unrelated to the recent Waxing Moon thing. Second, the Grail was the Waxing Moon all along, but according to Takao Dayu, the victor had disposed of it safely, so perhaps the disposal was imperfect to cause all this, but there's another explanation if that is not the case, which leads to the third. Do you see where he's going?]

I put two and two together, and my eyes widened, with the others had likely reached the same conclusion.

"...That the victor lied, and he kept the Vessel for himself."

Everyone went silent. If it was true, then we had finally found the likely culprit of this Pseudo-Singularity. But the way Takao Dayu described him, he seemed to be a decent, righteous person advocating peace. Things didn't match up. But perhaps it was a ruse?

Meanwhile, Tamamo broke the silence by reporting her findings.

"Tamamo scan is complete. So, there is some kind of 'taint' detected in the leylines. Perhaps it is the remnant of that Ritual they talked about, and in turn it brings forth all kinds of monsters in the open. It's true that cleansing the Spirit Fonts will ward off the monsters, but only temporary. The tainted leylines will soon flow from somewhere else and corrupt it again. So the only way to solve it permanently, is to cut it at the source."

From Tamamo's result, everyone concluded what was the source in question.

The Waxing Moon Vessel.

And taking what Holmes had deduced, the third speculation had grown more and more likely.

Ryoma spoke up. "I suppose we need to tread this carefully. If he did turn out to be an enemy, then we have to rethink on how best to
approach this."

Suddenly, Chiyome turned her head.

"Hold. Everyone, I sense someone spying on us."

Before I could ask Chiyome to elaborate, she immediately dashed toward the shrine's entrance.

"They're running. I'll capture them!"

The rest of us followed after her.

Right before the entrance, we saw Chiyome apprehending a young woman, with short black hair and dressed in green kimono.

"Ouch! Easy with the hold, missy! I won't resist or anything!"

"Then perhaps you could tell us who you are, and why you were spying on us?"

The girl paused for a bit, and talked.

"I-I am Ogasawara Kaya, I didn't come here to spy or anything, just wanted to pray to the shrine before I spot you guys."

I found the girl's remark weird.

"Didn't you hear that it's been dangerous to go out lately? Especially on your own? Even the nearest settlement is quite a walk from here.

Not to mention all those corpses on the road would be too much for someone your age to brave through."

The girl rebutted, albeit in a stuttering tone.

"I, um, I have a talisman that can ward off monsters! You're the suspicious ones if you ask me!"

[Hmm? Hang on, this reading...]

Da Vinci mumbled through the line.

[Guys, this girl is a Servant.]

After hearing Da Vinci's words. I took some time to think before the meaning sank in.

WHAT?
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[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 5

At Torikoe Shrine.

We returned to the front of the shrine, along with the girl who called herself Ogasawara Kaya.
-
[Ogasawara... according to history, that's the family of a daimyo whom Miyamoto Iori served under. I assume this girl knows him well. But more importantly, our analysis concludes that she's a Caster-class Servant. Well, not fully manifested Servant, more like she is possessed by one.]
-
"I see. Is it true, Miss Kaya? Or whoever you are right now, are you a Servant who's possessing this girl?"
-
Hearing my question, the girl sighed and spoke.
-
"...I suppose there is no point in hiding this. The voice is right. I am a Servant who was summoned as part of Waxing Moon Ritual. And the only one remain."
-
I recalled what Lady Dayu told us. The Ritual had summoned fifteen Servants in total, with seven under Masters, and eight as Rogues. And with the Ritual finished, they all should've vanished along with it.
-
"Then, how come you're the only one still here?"
-
"I honestly don't know. Perhaps because my soul is bound to this girl? Or because I still have a role to play?"
-
Ryoma chimed in. "Regardless of her circumstances, this is a boon for us, for we meet another participant of the Ritual. We could learn more of what happened in the Ritual from her perspective."
-
He continued. "So on that note, Miss Caster, what is your True Name?"
-
"I can answer that for certain. I am Ototachibanahime, wife of Yamato Takeru. I was summoned alongside my beloved, who was of Saber class."
-
"....!"
-
[My, my, a chain summoning? I suppose his feelings for his wife was strong enough to bring her alongside him.]
-
Hearing Da Vinci's remark, Ototachibanahime blushed.
-
"Well, I was pleasantly surprised myself, to see my husband once again after my sacrifice, against all odds. I watched silently from within this girl, how he lived his days in this era, enjoying various things with his Master, Lord Miyamoto Iori, as they fought other Masters and Servants. I've never seen him having such bright expressions when we were alive, that it brought me joy."
-
Hearing her story, I suppose I was glad Takeru found happiness somehow beyond his tragic legends.
-
But then, I sensed a dark twist upon seeing her face grew saddened.
-
"Unfortunately, at the culmination of the Ritual, with them being the last one standing, I sensed my beloved's demise. I was confused at first, but then I heard from Lord Iori, through this girl's body, that he left peacefully, claiming that his task was done. I suppose he vanished the moment the Vessel was dealt with. Yet I somehow remain, bound to this girl's soul. I remained dormant waiting for my own end, but a week ago monsters emerged alongside shadowy figures, and out of worry, I visited my beloved's shrine whenever I had the chance, hoping for his guidance."
-
Kotaro spoke. "And that's when you spotted us."
-
"Yes. I've been here several times before, but it's become rather difficult as fiends began to appear and made this place their nest. Without any combat abilities, I only dared to reach up to the entrance. But today I couldn't sense their presence, so I came closer to find out why."
-
I had doubts regarding Miyamoto Iori's versions of story, but that could wait.
-
"Lady Ototachibanahime, do you know where Lord Iori is right now?"
-
"Well, usually he would be at his house in Asakusa, but with many monsters appearing recently, he received many tasks that often require him away for days. The most I know is that he isn't at Asakusa right now."
-
"I see."
-
Ryoma called to my attention. "What do you think, Master? If we go there, we might not be able to meet Miyamoto Iori, so should we return to Yoshiwara? Or should we still go there?"
-
While pondering about our next course of action, the girl before us asked.
-
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but who are you people? And how come there are many Servants around?"
-
"Ah, right. We do owe you an explanation."
----------‐-----------------------------------------------
We explained ourselves to her as concise as possible.
-
"I see. In short, you are from an organization called Chaldea, here in order to solve what's happening around Edo, correct?"
-
"Yes, that's the gist of it."
-
"Then I'm glad. It seems my prayers have been answered somehow. My beloved would be disheartened to see Edo in this state."
-
Ryoma spoke. "Then, Lady Ototachibanahime, could you return to your- I mean the girl's home? We're grateful for your cooperation, but I'm afraid we've been away from Yoshiwara for too long. We might get in touch with you during the course of our investigations."
-
"I understand. I would be happy to help."
-
With that, the girl left the shrine on her own. I'm relieved now that I know she's a Servant, since she could manage in the street somewhat.
-
Mashu then brought up the previous discussion. "Let's get back on topic, Master. What do you say we do?"
-
"Hmm... how about we split up? While it might be pointless to go to Asakusa since Miyamoto Iori might not be there, it won't hurt to see the situations there. Me and Mashu, along with Yagyu-san, Chiyome, and Tamamo will go there. Ryoma-san, who has made a positive impression toward Lady Dayu, will return to Yoshiwara along with Kojiro-san and Kotaro, whom she already know. You can tell her that we go to Asakusa, but just me and Mashu."
-
[Hmm... not a bad plan. This way, we can keep tabs in many places at once. Well put, Fujimaru.]
-
"You said it, Dear Master has come a long way as decision maker for his Servants."
-
"I agree. It will be an honor to escort you, my Lord."
-
"Then it is decided. Mr. Sakamoto, we're counting on you for resolving the affairs in Yoshiwara."
-
"Leave it to, us Lord Yagyu. I wish you all luck."
----------------------------------------------

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 6

The time had reached noon. As the group parted ways, my group who consisted of Mashu, Yagyu-san, Tamamo, and Chiyome were on our way to Asakusa. Before we depart, however, Da Vinci suggested something.

"I already told you, Fujimaru, people of this era could recognize mister Yagyu. So as to avoid unwanted attention, I prepared something in your bag."

I rummaged my stuff according to Da Vinci, and found a wig of long, curly white hair.

Mashu pondered at the item. "A disguise, Da Vinci? "
"That's right. With this, mister Yagyu can still materialize and help in battle while keeping his identity hidden."

Feeling a bit skeptical, I turned my attention to Yagyu.

"What do you think, Yagyu-san? "

Yagyu wordlessly accepted the wig, and wore it.

I could barely see his eyes with that disguise, which made me wonder if he found it uncomfortable.

"Yes, this will do. Thank you, miss Da Vinci."
Both me and Mashu sighed in relief, and the other Servants commented on.

"Oh my, you look dashing Yagyu-san! I can barely recognize you!"

"I agree with Lady Tamamo, lord Yagyu. You look like a wandering ronin, it truly suits you."

I couldn't tell whether Tamamo truly meant what she said, but I agreed with Chiyome's appraisal. No one would recognize him as the Tajima-no-kami with such unkempt appearance. While

Tamamo's ears and tails might stand out, they're invisible to others unrelated to her via witchcraft, something I learned back in Heian-Kyo.

"Then it's settled, let's be off to Asakusa."

Like before, we cleaned up the monsters along the road, saving officials who were in the process of carrying the corpses. Yagyu's disguise worked and he remained anonymous, though I got worried when one of them noted his bladework seemed familiar, but didn't say more. I suppose Shinkage-Ryu was famous enough around this era, but Yagyu was hardly the only practitioner, so-

(Hm...? Shinkage-Ryu...?)

I immediately thought of my dream last night, the familiar swordplay, and tried to recall the old man's appearance. He looked like...

"Everyone, we're almost there."

Snapped back to reality by Mashu, I didn't finish my train of thought. The familiar entrance of Asakusa was visible. And outside it...

"Shadow Servants! Mashu Kyrielight, awaiting for your orders, Senpai!"

(Oh well, I'll hold that thought for now. Time to fight.)

"Alright, I'm ready to engage."

On cue, Yagyu dashed towards the Shadow Servants. They're all swordsmen of some kind, armed with katana, zweihander, scimitar, and other sword types, implying that they're Sabers.

(Sabers again, like last night.)

However, no matter how skilled they were, they still fell short to full-fledged Servants with a Master.

Mashu and Chiyome took on two Shadow Servants, who were quickly defeated by Mashu's shield and Chiyome's snakes.

Meanwhile, Yagyu faced three. He deftly swung his sword, targeting vital points of Shadow Servants. With Tamamo's witchcraft supporting him, his strength was incomparable.

"Kenjutsu Musou, Kenzen Ichinyo."

With a single stroke of Iaijutsu, he bifurcated all three of Shadow Servants. As he sheated his sword, the remains of Shadow Servants disintegrated.

Yeah, it was the very same.
----------------------------
Meanwhile, the other group arrived at Yoshiwara. They were greeted by a courtesan. "Good afternoon, and welcome back, dear guests of Yoshiwara. Although, I see that your group is fewer than before?"

Ryoma spoke. "Ah yes, Miss. Our friends have some business in Asakusa, and so we split up. I believe they'll return before sundown. And you are..? "

"Glad to hear it. My name is Yamabuki, working under Madam Dayu. I was asked to receive you on her behalf."

"Thank you, miss Yamabuki. How is Lady Dayu'a doing? "

"She is fine, kind sir. It's just that she is in the middle of attending an important guest, and so can't personally receive you herself. "

"An important guest, is it? How kind of her. Please send our regards. "

"Will do, sir. Have a nice day."

After bidding Yamabuki farewell, Ryoma and the others walked toward the direction of the inn.

Kotaro pondered. "I wonder who the guest is? A Daimyo? Or someone from the shogunate?"

"That might be close, for them to be able to set a meeting with Takao Dayu herself means they're quite an important figure."

Ryoma was also curious about this person.

"If it's someone from the shogunate, do you think they might have an inkling of what's happening in Edo? We might find out about something while they're here."

Kojiro gave an intriguing idea. Which Kotaro followed.

"You're right Lord Sasaki. If you agree, I can go to Miura-ya to-"

"Kyu-Kyu Nyo Ritsu Ryo!"

Suddenly, they're surrounded by fox-like spirits commanded by a group of onmyoujis.

Kotaro gasped. "Shikigami?! "

The three huddled back-to-back as the newly emerged foes encircled them. And then, a new figure entered.

"Stand down."

At his command, the onmyoujis relaxed their posture, but the shikigamis remained on guard.

The figure was also dressed in an onmyouji garb, but his face was hidden by a veil.

The figure began to spoke.

"Lady Dayu spoke the truth. They are indeed Servants, and the ones we're unfamiliar with. Although, it seems there are fewer of you."

Ryoma calmly asked. "And who might you be?"

"Tsuchimikado Takatoshi, the current head of Tsuchimikado clan. I came to Yoshiwara due to the disturbance that occurred last night. Now, to respect Lady Dayu's wish, as she claimed that you meant no harm, I shall give you the benefit of the doubt and hear you out. I apologize for high-handed approach, but I can't risk anything when chaos threatens Edo."

(Then, he must be the important guest Lady Dayu attended to.)

Hearing the figure's words, Kotaro spoke as he readied his kunai.

"What do we do, Lord Ryoma?"

"Let's do as they say for now. There's no point for bloodshed when they're just being careful."

"Aw, boring." Oryo spoke while still invisible.

Kojiro sneered. "Not that this bunch are any match for me, let alone all of us."

"Now, now, mister Sasaki, as much as I understand how much you're raring to go, please hold it in, for Master's sake."

"Fine, fine."

Satisfied with Kojiro's answer, Ryoma began to spoke up.

(Well, time to put my diplomatic skills to use.)

---------------------------------------

"What's the matter, Senpai?"

Mashu asked as I lost in thought.

"Oh, just wondering about the other group, I hope they're not bored waiting for us."

"Do not worry, Dear Master. Those three can surely find something they can spend time for. Maybe they're having fun with some courtesans in Miura-ya."

"BHWA-?!" "WHAT?!"

Both I and Mashu got flustered from Tamamo's remark, with Mashu's face becoming red.

"Wh-wh-what are you saying, miss Tamamo?! I mean, I can see that with mister Sasaki, but not Kotaro, and especially not mister Ryoma! Oryo is with him, and I won't dare to think what she'll do if-"

"Ara, whatever do you mean, Mashu? Surely they have Sugoroku, Shogi, and other board games to kill time? Are you insinuating something else?"

"Wh-?! Er, I mean.. " Mashu's face had become red as tomato.

(Ah, that's what Tamamo is doing, teasing me and Mashu.)

Still, that helped me relax. In the street of Asakusa, we found fascinating sights, such as a giant lantern, and we're also asking people about Miyamoto Iori. We split up at the moment from Yagyu and Chiyome, with the former asking around town, and the latter observing from higher point. We're all to meet up in front of Senso-ji temple after an hour.

[So, what did you guys find?]

After we met up, Da Vinci asked of our results. My group started first.

"Well, me, Mashu, and Tamamo asked the townsfolks about Miyamoto Iori. They hailed him as the finest bodyguard in Asakusa. And after monsters began appearing, his reputation skyrocketed to the point of worship, with many calling him 'Gentle Swordsman', 'Dual Wielding Debt Collector', 'Bane of Thugs', 'Carving Master', 'Second Coming of Miyamoto Musashi' to name a few."

[Hmm... one of those names seem odd, but I see that he became a successful samurai in this era, which makes sense given the current situation. And-]

Before Da Vinci could speak again, Tamamo chimed in.
"Oh, oh! Also, he seems to have quite a number of fanclubs. They say that he's rather good looking, his brooding vibe is, in their own words, 'sexy', the way he wields his swords is so majestic, blah blah, what a playboy!"

[... Okay, admirers, noted. What about mister Yagyu's findings?]

It's Yagyu's turn.

"I spoke to some ronin in the area, and their views are ranging from mixed to outright opposite. Some of them hold a grudge toward Miyamoto Iori, claiming that he hoarded all of the big jobs himself, though I sense that he only accepted the jobs when offered, rather than seeking them out. Given his reputation, it's understandable that he earned the jealousy of his fellow ronin. Also, ne'er-do-wells around here feared him."

[Yep, opposite side of society holds opposite view of a person. So that checks out. And miss Chiyome?]

Chiyome went silent for a bit, before opening up.

"Um... Yes, I managed to gather intel regarding Miyamoto Iori. He mostly receives his jobs from local constable who acts as the middleman for him sometimes. I also found his house, which has some kind of barrier around it. Not powerful, but enough to ward off monsters. And also... "

[Hm? What? Don't keep us in suspense.]

"... I found the constable's, uh, residence, and, well, you might want to see it for yourselves. I can guide you there."

I was confused with Chiyome's reluctance, so I followed her.

"Uh... Okay, right behind you, Chiyome."

------------------------------------------------------

"GEH!?"
In front of some house, a pair of gaudy, shiny banners can be seen draped on either sides of the entrance, with big words written on it.

Babyloni-ya.

[Oh, my.]

"S-S-Senpai, this is... "
Now I understood Chiyome's awkwardness. That's the last thing I expected to find in this place and era.

".... Now I understand, miss Chiyome. The word that fits this situation is 'outrageous'. My condolences."

"Thank you, Lord Yagyu. To be honest, I nearly fainted when I read those."

Well, now that story back in cafeteria makes sense. King Gilgamesh didn't just dream being summoned in Edo. He WAS in Edo. Maybe not exactly him, but one of his versions from Throne of Heroes manifested in this era. But that means..

"Wait, Chiyome, don't tell me the local constable was...? "

Chiyome's expression became relaxed.

"Oh, no, Lord Fujimaru. He is a Japanese man, not mixed or anything. And apparently, the banners were found by chance."

Phew, I was relieved. If it were King of Heroes himself, it's gonna make the situation needlessly complicated.

Tamamo let out an annoyed snarl. "Damn that Goldie, what was he thinking, opening a shop in Edo? Well, maybe as a form of amusement, but this proves that he was one of the Rogue Servants summoned. And did as he please instead of getting involved, I bet. What a show-off. "

[Well, putting aside the absurdity of, well, that, it seems there is a ruckus in front of the door. Let's take a closer look.]

Heeding Da Vinci's words, we approached the place. Voices could be heard.

"... How many times do I have to tell you?! Iori-san isn't available right now!"

An argument could be seen between a crowd and a man. A man among the crowd spoke.

"That's what you've been saying for two days! When will we be able to ask Lord Iori for help?! My business can't continue if the monsters outside are not dealt with!"

This time, a woman chimed in. "Get in line! I was here before you days ago! I need Lord Iori's expertise to carve exceptional statues as gifts!"

Still another shouted. "Oi Sukenoshin! Why did you let these people cutting in line?! I need Lord Iori as my bodyguard while I deliver goods to Kanda! People are getting impatient!"

The man named Sukenoshin shouted back at the top of his lungs.

"AS I SAID, IORI-SAN ISN'T HOME FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER DAY!"

".... "

[Wow, talk about in great demand.]

I pondered the situation. "So, the constable's name is Sukenoshin. And like Kaya, or Ototachibana said, Miyamoto Iori has been away for days."

Hearing my words, Chiyome spoke. "Yes, Lord Fujimaru. And as long as those crowd remain, we cannot ask that constable about Miyamoto Iori in peace. Perhaps we should give up the notion for now."

"Still, this is our chance to find out more about Miyamoto Iori. I can understand Master's reluctance to give up just like that."

Yagyu spoke out my thought. Unwilling to leave empty-handed, I need to think of something.

But ultimately, I settled on wait it out.

"Let's wait for a little bit longer, if the crowd doesn't clear away in an hour, then we'll return to Yoshiwara."

"Pfft, Master is too soft. Here, let me handle this."

"Huh? Tamamo, what are you-"

Tamamo drew an ofuda, and throw it to the top of the crowd.
The noisy crowd gradually went silent.

"... Tell you what, Sukenoshin. I'll look for someone else. Lord Iori might be the best bodyguard around, but my goods need to be delivered soon."

The woman, who had vehemently insisted on Miyamoto Iori for wood carving, nodded.

"Strangely, I start to feel the same way. The statues need to be made soon, and if Lord Iori is not present, then I'll just find someone else."
"I agree with you both. I should also ask elsewhere who're willing to eradicate the monsters. Perhaps an onmyouji will suffice."

The constable named Sukenoshin was dumbfounded seeing the crowd's sudden change of heart.

"Huh? Uh... Sure. I'm glad you're all understand. Move along now."

The crowd quickly dissipated.

I also shared his reaction. What did Tamamo do?

"Oh, just a simple suggestion spell, Master. It's something that dispel people's anxiety and obssession to certain subject. It's only temporary, and they might return soon, but plenty enough time for us to ask the constable questions."

"No way, that's brilliant! Tamamo, you rock!"

"Teehee, go on, keep the praise going."
While I intended to do so, we're interrupted by Mashu clearing her throat.

"Ahem. Good job, miss Tamamo. Now let's ask the constable."

"Aww, Mashu, don't be such a spoil sport, but you're right. Let's go."

We then approached the constable who was still confused with what happened.

Mashu started. "Excuse me sir, can I ask you some questions?"

"Hm? Oh, are you guys looking for Iori-san too? Man, the guy has been popular lately. Sorry, but Iori-san is just not in Asakusa right now."

His exasperated tone indicated that he's been at this for quite a while.

"Yes, we know. We just want to know where we can find him."

"Well, he received a personal request from the shogunate, alongside many other ronin from other regions, to subjugate nest of monsters that has been growing at the outskirt of Edo. It's rather dangerous, but I've been receiving messages daily from there, and Iori-san is doing well, enthusiastic, even."

"I see. And, where is the location?"

"It's at Yokosuka, south from Edo."

If I remember right, that's rather far, seeing that we're currently northside of Edo.

"And how long do you think he'll stay there?"

"He'll back in a day, at least. ... Is what I'd like to say, but according to the report, monsters that came from the sea are way more numerous than initially estimated, so he'll be stuck there around a week, give or take."

Alright, we had plenty of time to discuss this with Ryoma and the others.

"I see, thanks sir. We're grateful for your information."

"Sure, young lady. "

Before we took our leave, I couldn't help but be curious.
"By the way, sir. What's the story behind those?"

I pointed at Babyloni-ya banner beside him.

"Oh, this? Just something left behind by some merchant, a textile wholesaler. His goods were used to be the rage of the town, but then he disappeared along with the properties, with only this was all left. But the coloring, the calligraphy, and everything look too expensive to just be thrown out. And so, I keep it around just here, it also works for nice decorations. Though the first few days people mistook this place as that wholesaler's new shop, but then they soon no longer pay much attention to it. Instead, it serves to promote Iori-san's deeds, who was once the wholesaler's attendant."

Everyone suddenly felt both pity and admiration toward the ronin.

Tamamo was baffled. "To think he could put up with Goldie's nonsense..."

I couldn't help but remark. "Suddenly, I felt a sense of kinship with him."
---------------------------------------

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 7

As Fujimaru and the others were conducting their investigation, at the outskirt of Edo to the south, group of samurai could be seen engaging monsters invading town. They were originally ronin, who now being employed by Tokugawa shogunate in order to repel the monsters that came from the sea. Normally, this task would've been given to the military belonged to the shogunate, but they suffered heavy loss during the previous battles with monsters that came from Edo itself. The shortage of manpower forced them to seek another help, where the ronin entered.

"Huff...huff..."

A ronin-turned-samurai could be seen breathing heavily. He and his fellow ronin had been fighting and killing monsters for hours. His group was one of the more fortunate ones who survived the onslaught of monsters these few days. It could be attributed to their strength and experience, which were remarkable for average people who've lived in peaceful times. But regardless of their abilities, they soon hit a wall.

"Dammit! What are these things?! I can't cut them no matter where I aim at!"

Before them, a large, four-legged creature looms ever closer. Covered in black hide, the creature has no visible eyes, with wide gaping mouth ready to devour its preys. The Soul Eater.

His ronin companion shared the sentiment. "I-it's no use, our katanas don't work. We're gonna need something like an odachi to pierce through."
This in turn responded by angry bark.

"And where do you think we could get that?! Moreover, who's gonna wield something that big?!"

"I don't know! I'm out of ideas, too! I'll just spout nonsense if it's gonna make things better!"

As they argue back and forth, the creature inched closer, with its horn-looking appendage began to glow.

"O-oh shit! It's doing something! We should retreat! It's better than die trying to figure out how to-"

"Flame Drake."

Suddenly, from behind them, a large fireball was shot toward the monster. The monster was pushed back, its move was interrupted. It howled angrily in response.

"Huh? What?"

Confused and flustered, both ronin looked behind them. A ronin dressed in tosca kimono stepped forward. He drew his katana and wakizashi in both hands.

"You two should withdraw. I got this."

The ronin recognized the new arrival.

"M-Miyamoto Iori?! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the opposite side of town?"

"I already took care of the monsters there, so I came here to check."

"Y-you did?! so quickly?! N-no, that's not important! What are you gonna do to that thing?!"

"Calm down, Aniki! Did you forget what just happened? Whatever he did before, seems to hurt it. It has an effect. If we go at it together, then-"

The tosca samurai interrupted. "No, you two are already exhausted fighting monsters for hours. Besides, you will just be in the way. Withdraw."

"W-what did you say?! How dare you!"

"No, he has a point. We couldn't hurt that thing before, and are tired. We need to return to the camp."

"F-fine then! Don't think that we owe you!"

The ronin scrambled away from the place, leaving Iori alone with the Soul Eater.

"Have a taste of Niten Ichi-ryu."

The Soul Eater dashed toward Iori with its mouth wide open. Iori observed it calmly.

"Too slow."

Iori dodged to the side at the last second, making the Soul Eater missed its intended mark and slammed into a wall.

"Wind Stance."

While the foe was disoriented, Iori imbued his katana with enchantment magecraft, with his free hand preparing a spell. He pierced through its fur with movement akin to fencing.

The creature groaned in pain before jumping back. Instead of giving chance, Iori bombarded the Soul Eater with green energy from his left palm, forcing it to put up a guard.

Iori used this opportunity to approach the foe, reaching toward his pocket for gems, and throw it toward the creature. The gems then exploded and broke its guard.
Seizing the opportunity, Iori charged forth and unleashed another magical slash, which burned the surrounding. The Soul Eater groaned in pain, and then roared loudly, producing shockwave that pushed Iori away.

The creature made another charge toward Iori. This time it was assured the prey won't be able to dodge.

"Earth Stance."

Iori faced the charge head-on, with both hands at the katana. His stance stopped the Soul Eater in its track, and then, while borrowing the energy from the collision, Iori swung his sword with all his might, disorienting the creature once again.

"It's over."

Iori dealt the killing blow toward the creature's head. The creature grew limp and collapsed, silently disintegrating.

"Phew."

After cleaning his blades, he sheathed his swords, planning to return to the camp.

"Hm?"

He felt someone observing him somewhere, but couldn't locate them. Their presence was gone shortly after he sensed them.

(A spy? Are they trying to ascertain the situation at Yokosuka?)

However, Iori was also aware another possible reason of the spy's existence.

(Or are they after me?)

As he thought, he caressed the crimson book hidden in his person. The prize he gained after winning a certain Ritual.

(No matter. Whoever it is, I shall cut them down.)

With determined look, he resumed his walk to the camp.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Interlude

One step, two steps, three steps.

An old man walked through the woods in the middle of the night. His stance was relaxed, but vigilant. Not far behind him, a boy holding a wooden stick could be seen trailing behind.

"...Why are you following me, boy?"

Without stopping, or looking back, the old man addressed the boy. He was aware of him following behind.

The boy spoke up. "I have nowhere else to go."

"Wrong. If you were to stay behind, the vassals of shogunate would have arrived soon and found you."

The old man bluntly rebuked the boy's reason.

The boy spoke again. "But I have no one else anymore. No home to return to, no family to welcome me."

"Also wrong. You might be able to enter an orphanage, or choose something else if you so wish it. The shogunate will treat victims like you fairly.
Your life might not be the same anymore, but you still have options as to carry on with your life."

Yet another rebuke. Seemingly running out of excuses, the boy spoke up.

"I... I want to learn what you did back there."

To this statement, the old man stopped, and looked back.

"What I did?"

"Yes, that... swordplay you did? The way you swiftly dispatched those thugs? They outnumbered you more than eighty men to one, yet you killed them all gracefully, as if you're dancing through it."

The old man's expression slightly moved hearing the boy's remark.

"You're quite expressive, boy."

He was genuinely impressed with the boy's description, but then his tone returned to indifference. He then resumed his walk, with the boy following suit.

"However, do not expect that I will teach you how to wield a sword. I am but a mere ronin. I have no intention to take in disciples."
The old man hoped that his words would discourage the boy. However...

"A 'mere ronin', sir? But you took on eighty-something bandits without a scratch. No 'mere ronin' I heard of could take on ten men, let alone eighty."

Slightly irritated, the old man raised his voice.

"You are missing the point, boy. I do NOT take disciples. Now, you better go back to where you came from, lest you miss out the vassals."

"No."

A straightforward answer with resolute tone.

"This is my choice, sir. I already resigned myself to the bandits back then, I thought my fate was sealed alongside my hometown. And then you came and killed them all. I was spared, but more importantly, I witnessed something quite dazzling before my eyes. It's something I really want to demonstrate it myself one day."

The old man stopped again, this time to ponder. He was aware of what the boy referred to. The swordplay he used to kill the bandits. Yet he was also reminded of his own deeds. His action resulting in the boy's survival. Had he not intervene, the boy would have shared the fates of his family and friends. He realized, in that spur of the moment, he cut them down after witnessing the carnage they had partaken in. And he was responsible for the boy's fascination of the sword. Feeling guilty, he made up his mind.

"Then you may follow me. But I warn you, I have no intention to train you, or feed you, or even take care of you. You must fend for yourself.
If you don't like it, you can leave."

The old man imposed a harsh condition, yet the boy's expression only brightened in response.

"Yes sir! Thank you sir!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days became weeks, and weeks became months.
The boy proved to be self-sufficient, and was still persistently following the old man. journeying from town to town, to the point they walked through almost half of Edo. The boy is now used to doing various chores, and in rare chances, could see the old man in action. He tried to imitate
the old man's moves, only to end up tripping or hitting himself with his own wooden stick.

The old man began to enjoy the boy's company, yet grew restless of his continuing fascination of the sword. He was not going to let the boy to fall into such doomed lifestyle.

One night, when they're sitting around bonfire together, the old man started a conversation.

"Iori, do you still intend to learn the sword?"

Hearing the old man spoke, the boy named Iori felt pleasantly surprised.

He thought, (Is this it? Has the day finally come?)

"But of course, sir. Not a moment in this journey did I forget my aspiration."

Iori proclaimed proudly. To that, the old man nodded, and asked again.

"And what will you do once you learn it?"

The boy was confused with the question, but answered confidently.

"Why, to fight bad guys, sir. Wrongdoers and such, like the bandits who destroyed my home. I intend to make a name for myself once I grow up, and become famous throughout the land."

Listening to the boy's plan, the old man heaved a sigh.

"In that case, I want you to listen to me first, and think carefully, and then decide."

Iori nodded, and so the old man started.

"First and foremost, times have changed. The era where people sharing your aspiration is the norm is over. These days, the government has established a stable and efficient administration that will ensure the peace and tranquility of Japan for time to come. Perhaps you have already heard, the last campaign we had was the Siege of Osaka, which happened over twenty years ago. This marks the end of Japan's warring states, or Sengoku Period. Now, under Tokugawa shogunate, no more wars waged by opposing clans, no more honors are given in taking others' lives, and finally, no more use for the way of the sword."

The old man took a breather, then continued his story.

"Now let me tell you my story. I too, used to be like you, choosing the way of the sword, before I grew disillusioned by it. Before all this, I was a high-ranking vassal who served directly under the shogunate, and as you suspected, an accomplished swordsman. But after years of service, I grew tired of the political upheaval, and so resigned from my position to pursue the sword further. A decision I soon regret, for the moments where the use of my sword was necessary have been particularly rare, perhaps once a month if I was lucky. The art of the sword ultimately amounts to nothing more than a way to kill other human beings, regardless of the person's intentions or beliefs. It clashes with the current era's policy. Warriors no longer constantly needed, as the shogunate has taken care of most of the strife that had disturbed the land. It is only a matter of time before the way of the sword is completely abandoned."

Iori listened silently to the old man's story.

"So tell me, Iori, after hearing my story, and the futility of following the sword for days to come, do you still wish to learn?"
The young Iori looked downward and went silent for some time, thinking through his decision.

"...Yes sir, I still do. I can't forget the bladework you showed me that night, even if I wanted to. And conflicts still exist, like those bandits. The way of the sword still has some use even as I grow up."

Resigned, the old man gave in.

"Very well, I shall teach you."

Iori exclaimed in his mind. 'Finally!'

"Hooray, thank you sir!"

"Let us start immediately, you pick your wooden sword, and then swing it up and down over there, for thousand times."

Hearing the number, Iori gasped.

"Thousand, sir? Isn't that a bit too much? I would be lucky to just reach hundred. And right now? it's already nighttime, I don't think-"

" You're the one who insisted, and this is my way of training you. You have no right to complaint. Swordsmanship naturally requires strong sword arms, and this is to prepare you for techniques you will learn."

Hearing the words, Iori quickly regained his vigor.

"Alright, sir! I mean, Master! One thousand, right?!"

He quickly grabbed the wooden sword and reached the designated spot and counting loudly.

"ONE! TWO! THREE!..."

"Good, do so until you reach thousand, and in the morning I'll start teaching you some techniques."

"!!! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT!"

Bolstered by the old man's promise, Iori kept counting his swings.

........

However, his voice gradually went smaller and smaller

"Eighty-nine, ninety, ninety-one,..."

........

After reaching two hundred, Iori was too tired to make a voice, and so he started to count in his head.

(Two hundred-one, two hundred-two, two hundred-three...)

........

(How much was it again? Three hundred and... twenty-three? twenty-two? Crap, I've lost count...)

Iori was now panicked, and glanced to the old man's direction. He could see him leaning against a tree, falling asleep.

'Should I count again? No, that won't do. Do I need to start where I last remembered? Ugh, I might as well swing this till I faint before I reached thousand.'

Despite his annoyance, he continued to swing, hoping that his master didn't notice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"...Huh?"

Iori opened his eyes to a blue sky. He found himself lying on the dirt, arms and legs spreaded.

"...Looks like I did pass out. I hope I didn't upset Master-"

As he looked around, he found himself alone in the woods, with the campfire already extinguished.

"Sir? Master?! Where are you?!"

He then frantically ran toward the entrance of the woods, but he couldn't find him.

"I'm sorry that I lost count! I'll do it all over again! So please show yourself!"

He desperately pleaded to the old man, hoping that he might be nearby.

He returned to the woods, running to and fro for any signs of the old man, to no avail.

After hours of dwelling in the woods, he nearly fell off a cliff, a dead end. Thinking back, he finally reached conclusion.

"...You never intended to train me, did you? Not after what you've been through."

He recounted what the old man told him, and its significance. He lost his passion for the sword long ago, only a purposeless ronin wander to where his feet carry him. Not a speck of willpower left in him to teach someone else his style.
Holding back his tears, and gritting his teeth, the youngster then vowed.

"Fine then, I shall do it myself. I shall find someone else who is willing to teach me. Just you wait, old man, I will surpass your sword with my own way and technique."

After finishing his promise, he returned to where the campfire once lit, and continued swinging the wooden sword. He made sure he reached that thousand, with every swing counts, and without collapsing again.
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[OnesFleetingGlory]

Chapter 8

" ...pai? Senpai!"
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Mashu's shouting jolted me up.
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"Huh? Mashu? What is it?"
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"You seemed lost in thought, what's wrong?"
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What's wrong? I wondered about that myself. As we walked out of Asakusa, I seemed to be dreaming the continuation of the dream last night.
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(But that means... I was sleepwalking?)
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[Focus, Fujimaru. We were discussing about our next move after what we garnered regarding Miyamoto Iori, whether we're going to pursue him to Yokosuka or stick around here a little longer.]
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"Ah."
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"That's right, Senpai. But we don't decide yet. Da Vinci and I agreed that we should meet up with others first."
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"I see. Then, I'm inclined to pursue Miyamoto Iori sooner than later, since he's more than likely to be the center of all this."
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[Yes, yes, we all of the same opinion as you. But try not to daydream too often. Being out in the open, who knows what kind of ambush are lying in wait.]
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Da Vinci got a point. But it was news to me too. What was the significance of these dreams? And the old man called the boy 'Iori', so it was Miyamoto Iori's past?
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[So yeah, let's discuss this again as we return to Yoshiwa- Wha?! Hey! What are you-]
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[Hello, hello! Sion Eltnam here! Sorry for sabotaging your comm. I'm ready for an earful from Da Vinci, but there's an emergency!]
-
That got everyone's attention.
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While fending off monsters, our group arrived safely at Yoshiwara, right before sundown. This time, we had a welcoming committee.
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"I take it you are Fujimaru Ritsuka?"
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A group of onmyouji formed a line just before the gate to Yoshiwara. One of them addressed me.
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"That would be me, yes."
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"Come with us. Lord Tsuchimikado has been expecting you, along with your companions."
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I braced myself. (Alright, just remember the scenario we agreed on.)
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Thankfully, I already had Yagyu and the others dematerialized long before we reached Yoshiwara, as Sion commanded.
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Me and Mashu were escorted to Miura-ya, where then Takao Dayu greeted us. The onmyouji stood on guard in front of the building.
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"I apologize on Lord Takatoshi's behalf, Lord Fujimaru, for such treatment. He said that this matter was of utmost importance."
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Seeing her restless, I assured her. "It's okay Lady Dayu, we understand. As long as our comrades are safe, we won't do anything rash as well."
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"Glad to hear it. This way please, Lord Takatoshi's waiting for you with your friends."
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As I walked inside, it dawned on me that I was in a brothel. Mashu apparently was of the same mind, if her flushed cheek was any indication. But it hardly mattered at the moment, right now I needed to focus on the conversation with the head onmyouji.
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Upon entering, I saw a man with a veil sat down on the edge of the room. Ryoma and the others were also present. Judging from their serious expressions, it would be rather tense.
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The man started. "Lord Fujimaru Ritsuka, is it?"
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I nodded. The man gestured me to sit down, which I did.
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"I believe you already know me from my subordinates. I am Tsuchimikado Takatoshi, the current head of Tsuchimikado clan. Do you know the reason I am here?"
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I carefully answered. "...To investigate strangers who suddenly showed up and took care of monsters."
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"Indeed, that was my original purpose. But upon arriving here, and seeing the company you are with, I suspect it is more than just that."
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Tsuchimikado continued. "I recognized that your... companions are all Servants, and with you the only human of your group, which makes you their Master."
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No use denying it, so I confirmed. "That is correct."
-
He spoke again. "And your Servants here said that you're from an organization called Chaldea, here to investigate the disturbances that have been occurring in Edo, and perhaps throughout all of Japan."
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(Alright, this is it. I first confirm, then explain our purpose as told by Sion.)
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"That is also correct. We are part of Mage's Association, coming here to find out about a ritual that happened in Edo a while ago. A ritual that involved the summoning of Heroic Spirits."
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"Oh?"
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"As you said, I have Servants accompanying me here, as necessity to deal with the more... unsavory parts of this operation. Only a Servant can defeat a Servant after all. Our organization detected the disturbances that still occurred here despite told that the ritual was over, and also to figure out how a ritual possessing some foundations of Western magecraft, could possibly happened here in Japan."
-
To that, Tsuchimikado nodded. "A fair question. I still have some of my own regarding your presence, but that will suffice for now. Time is of the essence."
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The leader of onmyouji began. "It all started months ago, with me and my older brother Yasuhiro, the previous head of the clan, came across ancient documents in our clan's possession. It turns out to be penned by none other than our great ancestor, Lord Abe-no-Seimei."
-
"...!"
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A name that startled the rest of people in the room. Even the Servants in spirit form reacted to it, with Tamamo in particular seemed displeased.
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"It contains information about a certain ritual that involves seven summoners, called Masters, who summon seven powerful familiars of history and legend, called Heroic Spirits, to do battle for the ultimate prize that can grant the victor's wish, the Holy Grail. Unfortunately, the record was not sufficiently thorough on how to conduct such a grand scale ritual, nor did it list out the necessities to do so in the first place, leaving us to scramble about to fill in the blanks."
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Seeing a gap, I cut in. "Why would you go to such length based on an incomplete instruction?"
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"I was of the same mind, but my brother insisted on it, telling me that it's a chance to restore our clan's prosperity. I could hardly blame him, it is true that our clan is in decline, and with the passing of our father, my brother Yasuhiro, who was magically superior, took it upon himself to achieve the task left behind by our father, the responsibility to lead our clan to success. To that end, he would take any chances that could see it realized."
-
Then it really was as Ryoma speculated, desperation.
-
"Driven by that duty, my brother worked himself to exhaustion for months to come. He resorted to anything he could come up with, such as information of foreign arts, experimental techniques, and even divination. He gradually filled in the blanks as I helped him taking care of other affairs in our clan. His efforts finally bore fruit, with the summoning of the first Heroic Spirit in what he then called Waxing Moon Ritual."
-
The first. That would meant the Servants were not summoned simultaneously. If my memory served, Lady Dayu said that Tsuchimikado Yasuhiro's Servant was a Caster, though she didn't know their True Name. Perhaps his brother might be privy of it.
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"The Heroic Spirit was contained in Caster class, and his True Name was Hieda-no-Are. With his assistance, Yasuhiro managed to improve the Waxing Moon even further, resulting in all seven classes to be summoned."
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Curious, I asked. "Who is Hieda-no-Are?"
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"He was responsible for the creation the text Kojiki, a compilation of every possible myths in Japan. He likened himself as 'Recorder', and honestly, a rather eccentric person."
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Kojiki, I'd heard about such record alongside Nihon Shoki. If I remembered right, they both also contain the legend of Yamato Takeru.
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Hearing no more question, Tsuchimikado continued. "And then, after gaining the shogunate's approval and support, my brother began the ritual in earnest, once seven individuals were selected. However, he did not tell them that he participated himself, only that he would oversee the ritual personally."
-
Well, this was familiar. Even though he's descendant of Seimei, his way of doing things was more like Douman.
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"Curiously, the people from overseas also caught wind of it, and entered Edo to participate themselves. Among them was perhaps your colleague, Lady Dorothea Coyett?"
-
(Alright, this one also what Sion warned me about.)
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"I do not know Lady Dorothea personally, but Chaldea did receive information based on her report, and so we acted on that."
-
"I see." Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Tsuchimikado continued. "Sure enough, the process of the ritual was far from ideal. There were many unexpected factors emerged during its course, among them were lack of present knowledge for the summoned Servants, and eight more Masterless Servants known as Rogues. Thankfully, most of them did not cause trouble, and the ones who did were discreet enough not to stand out themselves, so the ritual was fairly hidden from public's eyes. The ritual claimed the lives of several participants, including my brother's. And then I took over the role of the overseer, but not involved in the ritual itself. I watch over the proceedings until Lord Miyamoto Iori emerged as the victor, and disposed of the Waxing Moon's vessel, claiming that the object was evil. However, since he was the victor, he had the right to treat the prize as he please, so as long as it does not endanger Edo or reveal the Mystery, we left him be at the moment."
-
It seemed we managed to get the bigger picture behind this HGW-like ritual. But the problem was the aftermath.
-
"Lord Tsuchimikado, I'd like to ask, we've heard from Lady Dayu that the onmyouji took care the aftermath of ritual once it was over, did you encounter any problem during the clean up?"
-
"At first, we did not. While the ritual was happening, we utilized the massive network of leylines underneath Edo to draw the necessary magical energy to sustain it. The Rogue Servants that were summoned had maintained their existences using the corresponding leylines as anchor. Once the ritual was over, we immediately suppressed the flow of energy in the leylines to prevent more monsters from appearing, and in turn dismissing the Rogue Servants. It all went well, until monsters start appearing again a few weeks ago."
-
"Hmm..."
-
Still, that did not explain why Ototachibana was the only one remaining. But I should not tell him that yet.
-
"Understood. Lord Tsuchimikado, could you tell us how the situation was ever since?"
-
"Certainly. At first, the shogunate naturally had us answer for these disturbances, hence the need to be swift. We managed the situation fairly well, until the appearance of Servant-like entities in black. They are weaker than even the Rogues, but still strong enough to overwhelm five samurai. Each of them wielding swords of varying origin. Responding to our plea, the shogunate sent out their vassals to quell them, but there was one who stood out from the rest, annihilating the army of samurai meant for subjugation. You could see its handiwork on the road somewhere between here and Asakusa."
-
"!"
-
It sent chills down my spine. That mountain of corpses was caused by a Shadow Servant?
-
"And there was another thing that made it stand out. According to a survivor, it spoke as it killed, with each word becoming clearer and clearer. The sentence that he could make out was, 'Give me more challenge'."
-
An evolving, blood thirsty Shadow Servant. Great, as if there wasn't enough problems already.
-
"The entity vanished alongside the other after killing the majority of the shogunate's army. Due to that, they suffered shortage of manpower to deal with the situation, forcing them to enlist the ronin to compensate. Among them was Lord Miyamoto Iori. Lord Fujimaru, I heard that you visited Asakusa before this. Were you looking for Lord Iori?"
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My turn to speak. "Yes. Seeing that he was the last person to make contact with the vessel, we have a reason to suspect that Miyamoto Iori could be connected to the current happenings. Unfortunately, he was not there, and an acquaintance of his informed us that he joined the ronin hired by the shogunate, to subjugate monsters emerging in the outskirt of Edo near Yokosuka."
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Tsuchimikado nodded. "Indeed. He is one of the two Masters who survived the ritual and still remain in Edo. The other being Lady Takao Dayu. And seeing that Lady Dayu is nothing but cooperative to us, we naturally excluded her from suspicion. Although, Lord Iori is not showing any suspicious activities, he remain distant to us. We still keep track of his whereabouts, and monitor him even as we speak. The reports say he's exceedingly distinguished in killing the monsters in Yokosuka, that many people in the area either admired or are terrified by him, claiming he used some kind of sorcery along with his dual swords to annihilate the monsters. It makes sense to use magecraft to better deal with the monsters, and while his constant use of it might threaten Mystery, it is still manageable when monsters are the more immediate threats."
-
That confirmed that he was still in Yokosuka.
-
"Understood. Then, if you allow us Lord Tsuchimikado, we would like to depart to Yokosuka tomorrow. It's imperative that we need to meet him soon, as to prevent this chaos from spreading further."
-
I expected some objections, but Tsuchimikado was surprisingly agreeable. "I agree, Lord Fujimaru. I would like to have an escort ready for you, but we ourselves are already spreading thin, and my own hands are tied with managing the leylines across Edo, as to suppress the emerging monsters to a minimum. More worryingly, we have heard rumors, the sightings of shadowy figures killing people who're unfortunate enough to cross their path. According to witnesses, they were going southward."
-
Southward. Were they drawn to Miyamoto Iori?
-
Before we knew it, the day had gone dark.
-
Seeing that there was no more to discuss, Tsuchimikado stood up.
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"Now, I shall take my leave, for I still have business to attend to. And like before, I have an onmyouji keep watch of Yoshiwara. While I do recognize your earnestness, I hope that you will behave while you're here in Edo."
-
An understandable concern. Anyone would be wary of strangers suddenly showing up.
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"Understood, Lord Tsuchimikado."
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As Tsuchimikado was about to leave, he paused. "Oh, there's one more thing that you might need to know."
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"There has been a rumor going around, that a swordsman wielding two katanas saving people from monsters and shadowy figures, then gone in an instant across Edo."
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I tilted my head hearing that. "Isn't that just Miyamoto Iori?"
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Tsuchimikado, however, disagreed. "We kept an eye on Lord Iori at the time, and determined that he was nowhere near the area when the rumor began to circulate. Also, the swordsman declared his name everytime he saved people."
-
That got me curious. "His name?"
-
"Yes. According to people, he went by the name Doraku."
-
It made me curious. "Doraku... Do you think he was a Servant?"
-
"It is very likely. However, none of my men caught glimpse of the swordsman, so we could not determine that."
-
"I see. Thank you for the warning, Lord Tsuchimikado."
-
"My pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me."
------‐------------------------------------------
With Tsuchimikado's leave, I breathed a sigh of relief.
-
"Whew, that was nerve-wracking."
-
Then Mashu spoke to me. "But you did well, Senpai! You managed to remain dignified throughout the conversation!"
-
Hearing her praise, I blushed. "Hahah, thanks Mashu."
-
[Hmm... yeah, passable, I guess. I'd grade your performance six to seven out of ten. You could really use some domineering attitude to lead the talk, Fujimaru.]
-
Sion scolded me through the comm.
-
"Well, I don't think being 'domineering' will help us gaining their favor, Sion-san. By the way, where's Da Vinci?"
-
[Sulking in the corner, apparently still bitter from my earlier stunt. Still, we needed to devise a plan immediately before reaching Yoshiwara.]
-
True. Looked like while we were at Asakusa, Sion monitored Ryoma's group. And she saw them being surrounded and apprehended by the onmyouji. Ryoma made up a story on the fly without contradicting what we told Takao Dayu last night. Thanks to Sion, we could go along with Ryoma's version of the story.
-
Thanks Sion, and you too Ryoma, for your quick thinking."
-
"You're welcome Master. It is important for us to not make enemies before deternining who our enemy really is. Although, there's someone here who was eager to fight right there and then."
-
"Hmph."
-
Kojiro pouted to that. It seemed Ryoma was referring to him.
-
[Well, we have so much to discuss, and seeing that it's already so late, what do you say we hit the sack early and talk about them on our way to Yokosuka? And I also have to talk with Da Vinci about earlier...]
-
"I second that, Sion. Let's return to the inn and prepare for tomorrow."
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"Yes, Senpai." Mashu agreed, along with the rest.
-
And with that, the day's finally over.
‐------------------------------------------------------