#sword spirit (human form) was the first I did I should have stopped while I was ahead lmao

[casiavium]

links meet but it's just my 600 AUs of skyward sword

[occasionallyprosie]

Devotion - Chapter 6: "In A Minute"

Dev reunites with one person from his past, and watches another from afar.

Meanwhile, instead of getting therapy himself, he gives it to his new kids AKA Captain Link, Mask, and Tune.

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First Chapter, Tumblr

"I know you," Ravio said near instantly.

Dev shakily inhaled—a useless habit—and nodded.

Ravio walked over, noticing Tune curled up and asleep with his head in Dev's lap, then his gaze raised back to Dev's face.

It visibly clicked. "Link," Ravio breathed. "Mr. Hero?"

"Ravio." Dev reached toward him and Ravio moved closer. Ravio took his hands but steered them, both Dev's and Ravio's both, to hold Dev's face.

"Look at you," Ravio whispered, studying his face. "You look like I did when we first met. Wrong eye color though, and not pale enough... Why so different?"

Dev blinked and his form quickly changed.

Lately, he had been using a form that better reflected his sword form, or rather a sort of mix between the Golden Sword and the Tempered Sword. He had violet hair that barely reached his shoulders but tied it up in a green ribbon, another green strand wrapping around a bit of hair by his face. He'd given himself a darker tan, one he had when he'd spent months at a time working in his orchard when he was still human, it turned out the sun couldn't tan sword spirits. Then he wore a pale, golden-yellow jerkin over a faded, burnt orange undertunic, the fabrics and style more reminiscent of a dream long ended than his once-favored red mail.

Suddenly, he was paler, still freckled but distinctly paler and those blemishes harder to notice as they nearly faded. Purple hair turned golden blond and a pink streak on the same side as the green ribbon, which remained. Gold and orange became dark green and red.

Ravio smiled almost blindingly. "There you are. How long, Mr. Hero?"

"Over three thousand," Dev managed. "Oh goddesses, Ravio."

Ravio squeezed his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "It's alright. You've done so well, Mr. Hero. You've gone so far. You're so incredibly strong."

Dev couldn't help but let out the small laugh that bubbled up. "Don't do that."

"But it's true. You've lived so long and I can't imagine you just hid from everything the whole time. You've must've saved the world so many times, met and lost so many people, and you're still making friends." Ravio nodded toward Tune's sleeping form. "You're so strong."

Dev closed his eyes and just relished in it. In Ravio's touch, his voice, he committed it all to memory.

"I remember this," Dev whispered. "It was while I was first—After we did the ritual, during that first year or so, right? You disappeared, stopped visiting for a while and I panicked so much. Then you came back and told me about this war and-and all these people you met and you had changed and I was so proud of you."

Ravio smiled at him. "Then I guess I don't have to worry too much about not going back home."

"You will," Dev swore. "I'll make sure of it."

"You haven't changed, Mr. Hero," Ravio laughed. "Not a bit."

Dev chuckled. "Maybe a bit. I don't fight with a sword anymore."

"Oh really? How do you fight?"

"If all goes well, I never will again. I... I've had to, but I don't want to fight anymore. Not myself."

Ravio smiled. "You know, that is different."

He did. He did have to fight.

A battle later that month went south. Mask got hit and downed, and Tune was with him, across the battlefield, desperately trying to protect him. Soldiers were spread thin across it, other displaced individuals fighting for their lives. Ravio would basically be playing wack-a-mole with the monsters, as more kept appearing no matter which he hammered into the ground. Midna was handling herself but that's as far as she could do.

Link got isolated and was getting overwhelmed.

"Dev, no," Fi intervened, her spirit wreathing around Dev's in a way to sort of stop him though they both knew it was ineffective. "We should not interfere."

"I'll interfere if I want to," he snapped at her. "They're going to die!"

She went silent at that.

Link brought tried to parry some attack and was disarmed, the Master Sword flying through the air as Link frantically brought his shield up as his only defense.

A huge, axe-wielding monster was about to break that shield in half, and Link as well. Fear shone clearly in his eyes.

A wall of flames suddenly exploded and Dev was standing between them. His hand held up, catching the giant axe, and looked like golden crystal and unbothered by the sharp blade. He held a fire rod in his other hand and a vicious grin was on his face.

"Don't touch my kit," he snarled and shattered the axe with a blast of magic.

He'd done some practicing since his sprite.

Flames roared around them as he turned to Link, pulling the Magical Sword from his pouch and offering it to him. "Get to the boys. I'll help clear the way."

Link just nodded, clearly a little bit awestruck and there was an odd warmth to his face that Dev couldn't quite place.

Dev burned his way through the battlefield, slashing and burning everything down around him. The bottoms of his fire rod had a sharp stiletto at the end and he used those to take down monsters and usurpers alike. He pulled out his tornado rod to help expand the reach the flames had.

Link made it to Tune and Mask's side, Dev trusted him to keep them safe as he began to thin the herd.

He couldn't let another hero die on his watch. Not another one, goddesses please.

His own magic helped the flames curve around soldiers and allies, shielding them even from the brunt of the heat no matter how close it came to them.

In minutes, the tide of the battle turned and Dev was standing back as the young ones finished the fight in favor of Hyrule. He let out a sigh and was about to return to sword form when he was assaulted.

"Mr. Hero! That was amazing!" Ravio gushed as he appeared beside him, robes torn and clearly exhausted yet alive with adrenaline. Dev offered him a red potion the moment he noticed the blood. "You know, I've said it a thousand times, but you do look like a dancer when you fight!"

Dev laughed lightly, attention flicking across the field to account for everyone as Ravio drank the potion.

"You have, and every time I've said that you should see Cadence," Dev reminded him and Ravio grinned.

"Dev! Ravio!" Link walked over to them, Mask unconscious on his back, arms loosely hung around his neck. "We're going back to camp. You... You know each other?"

"You called him, Mr. Hero," Tune said, half leaning on his sword. He was clearly exhausted, Dev guessed the kid, even for his alleged two adventures, was not used to fighting for hours on end, days at a time.

Dev chuckled. He went over and picked the pirate hero up. "Did he, bunso? I dunno..."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Ravio declared.

It took no time after he picked the not-quite-a-teenager up, that Tune slumped into his chest. "Y'er warm," he muttered, clearly about to fall asleep.

"That's what happens when you burn things, you tend to be a bit warmer. Proximity to fire and all that."

Ravio snorted beside Dev as Link gave a long, suffering groan. Midna yelled for Ravio to join her and Linkle, and Ravio soon ran off to join the other dark-worlder.

Link smiled at Dev, offering his sword back.

Dev shifted Tune to his back and took the Magical Sword, letting it disappear into his pouch.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Link assured, his voice a bit softer than usual as they fell into step. "You know, you're scary when you're protective."

"Hmm?"

"When you appeared. You looked ready to burn the world to the ground... just to protect me," Link explained, looking down. "I don't get it. You also called me your kit."

Dev blinked, then he chuckled softly. "You are mine, you know that? The moment you pulled me from the pedestal, I adopted you. That's just how it works. And... And well, I would."

"You would what?"

"I would burn down the whole world just to keep my kids safe. You, these two..." his Sprite, "I'd do anything for you."

Link looked surprised, but he didn't continue the subject any longer. Instead just falling silent as they headed back to the camp.

"Come on! There's another new person, she's so cool! She knows the same language we speak on Outset!"

Tune dragged Dev through the field of tents, Mask perched on Dev's shoulders.

"We're coming! You don't have to run," Dev teased, one hand on Mask's leg as the kid rested his chin on top of his head.

"Hurry up then!"

"He's always in a rush to meet people," Mask grumbled. "It's weird."

"Maybe, but you're weird for hating them," Tune responded cheerily.

Dev chuckled amusedly. He tagged along and as they finally came up to the mess area where a bright voice was singing some jittery tune alongside the slamming of mugs and stomping of boots.

He knew that voice.

Standing atop a table, shaking and hitting a tambourine, was the girl from his dreams.

Marin.

Dev didn't breathe, he didn't have breath, but even so it felt like his was stolen. Tune laughed and went up to join the singing and dancing, Mask even lightened up a bit in the cheery atmosphere. Dev watched Marin dance on the tabletop, he saw her pull Tune up to join her. He hadn't noticed it before, but the two had similar energy, similar warmth and enthusiasm, they had the same bright smile too. Dev found himself smiling.

She looked happy... He'd let her live this. If she recognized him, then he'd talk, but if not... He wouldn't bring up old wounds, because she was older. She looked to be at least in her twenties and they'd been sixteen when Link--when Dev had washed up on her island.

If it was a dream for her too, then... Then best she live on and forget about some boy she knew in a world they'd never get back.

He was far too old and much too immortal to let her dwell on that.

"Kit," Dev sat down on the castle wall beside the Captain, who glanced up at him, "what's wrong?"

"You know, why do you call me kit?" Link asked, the nickname apparently distracting him from whatever turmoil was in his mind.

"You remind me of a lion, a prideful, protective, ferocious, fierce lion. So kit," Dev gave him a soft look, one that generally got his kids to talk in the past, "what's got your mane in a mess?"

Link rolled his eyes with a soft laugh. "I... I'm tired, Dev. I know you probably wouldn't get it, being an immortal spirit and all, but..." he looked up at the moonless night sky. "How... How am I supposed to keep fighting when I'm leaving them all behind? There's... It's my fault. If I just gave myself over to Cia, this wouldn't be happening. They wouldn't be dead. Everyone around me is dying, Dev," he choked a bit, "how am I... Why can't I save them?"

Dev sighed softly. "I do get that, actually." Link looked at him. "I'm immortal, kit. I'm young in comparison to Fi, she's had many other wielders than you, like Mask and Tune, but I only had one and I existed for centuries before he was even born. I... I helped the royal family for a while, helped raise the princesses, hide the princes, saved the country a couple times by telling the ruling body to use some common sense. I raised those kids into great kings and queens, Link. They all died. My wielder, he died too, bled out in my arms, I half raised him too."

Link was silent.

"Then there was a mage, a long time ago, multiple but that's not the point. This one mage wanted this specific child, two of them actually but more specifically he wanted the Princess. If, theoretically, we had given him that girl, it wouldn't have mattered. He still would have destroyed all of Hyrule and killed its people."

Dev looked over at Link. The teenaged war captain was still watching the stars, but clearly listening.

"If you gave yourself to Cia, it wouldn't end this war, kit. All it would do is make our side lose you, our captain and leader, our friend and ally, our brother." Link looked at him at that last one. "She isn't alone, those monsters wouldn't stop attacking. She has ancient evils on her side, evils that the heroes of the past had to fight off. All that would happen if you gave yourself to Cia, is exactly that. You'd be with Cia. The war would not end, peace would not be won or bought, everything else would continue, they would keep attacking, and you'd be trapped in the heart of it at the whims of a madwoman."

Link flinched a bit, tugging his sleeve slightly. Impulsively, Dev set what was now his signature purple cloak around his hero's shoulders.

"I know it's hard, people are dying around you and you believe you're responsible for saving them." Link nodded slightly to Dev's words. "But this is war, Link. This is bigger than just you, even if Cia is obsessed with you, that's not how this works. Something else would have been corrupted, someone else, Lana maybe, maybe some random mage who decides to raise an ancient evil, something would have happened. Maybe you would've had to travel across all of Hyrule to gather some magical items from dungeons deep in the ground to come back and fight them alone. But I speak from experience when I say the death toll would not have been better. Without the armies to protect them, monsters would've flooded villages, flooded the castle even, or maybe the armies themselves would've been mind controlled and men you know and trust would be turning against you."

Link grimaced. Dev knew he already hated having to kill the men who had willingly betrayed the crown, to kill men who had done it unwillingly was...

"Frankly, there are dozens of other ways this could have played out," Dev continued. "But it played out this way, and when I look at our status, the statistics from battles, how you're managing your men when you're barely an adult yourself," Link flinched at that, "you are doing incredibly, Kit. Better than I would have ever done, even if I were my age and not your age."

Link tugged the cloak more around his shoulders. He let out a long, shaky sigh and silence lingered for a good few minutes. Dev just stayed at his side.

"Thanks," Link whispered into the air. "Thanks Dev."

He hummed softly. "Of course."

Dev crossed his arms as he stood in the entryway of a certain tent, Link was leaning over at table, scarfless. Dev knew that both Mask and Tune were curled up on their bed in another tent with the scarf wound around and over them both.

"You faked them out," Dev said and Link startled, reaching for a weapon only to raise Dev's own sword form against his intangible spirit form.

Link sighed, sheathing the Master Sword. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The boys are out cold with your scarf around them. You got them to sleep and then left. You know they hate it when you don't sleep too," Dev chided. He moved over to look at the map on the table.

"I have to finish this, and finish that report," Link said as he gestured to a stack of papers on the nearby desk. Dev moved over to it and flicked through them. "I don't have time to rest."

Dev sighed. "Goddesses... you have no idea how often I told myself that."

Link made a confused noise, looking at him.

"Just—When I was younger, I had a lot to do and little time to do it. I was right of course, I didn't have time to rest, but the difference was," Dev placed a hand on Link's shoulder, "I didn't have people who could take my burdens from me."

Link looked confused and Dev chuckled softly.

"Let's finish those reports together and then you need to get some rest. What helps you relax?"

"I... doing things with my hands. Knitting, training, braiding my sister's hair, stuff like that," Link said quietly. He unsheathed the Master Sword and set it out. It disappeared in a slight flash and Dev let himself become tangible and he picked up the reports.

"Well we're currently out of yarn," Dev noted, "and training is absolutely out of the question..." he hesitated and sighed. "Fine. Sit."

Link looked a bit confused but he sat on the edge of the bed and Dev sat down on the ground in front of him. A bit of magic had the papers floating in front of and around him, and he changed his form a bit.

The green ribbon fell into his hand while his violet purple hair grew out to his mid-back. Link startled and Dev combed one hand through it.

"If it helps you relax," he said softly.

Link made a small noise, something a bit strangled but deeply touched. Fingers slid through his hair and Dev worked on the reports, murmuring what he was reading and doing to Link while the young captain braided his hair.

"When'd you have long hair?" Tune asked after a battle.

"Because Link needed to calm down and he said braiding hair helped," Dev answered, cleaning the blood off Tune's face with a rag. "Goddesses, bunso, you either gotta clean up your act or you're joining me for training after this."

Tune grinned. "Can I braid your hair?"

Dev shrugged. "If you want, sure. Not now though. Later."

Tune lit up.

After that, Dev just kept his hair long, usually braided by either Tune or Link, and then he became Mask's practice as the fairy boy wanted to learn how to as well.

It was the nature of all things to end, and war was counted among them.

Dev pulled Ravio into a tight hug, as the merchant was one of the first to go back home.

"I'll see you in a minute," Ravio joked weakly.

Dev wanted to cry. "Bye, Ravi."

"Bye, Link," Ravio whispered, his words unheard by everyone else. "Be happy."

Dev tightened his hug before finally letting go. Ravio squeezed his hands before he gave another boisterous goodbye to everyone. Declaring they'd get discounts if they ever visited his shop.

Then he was gone.

Dev stepped back beside Link.

"You knew each other," Link said.

Dev gave a strained laugh. "You could say that."

Midna had insulted them all on her way out. Marin left with a promise to never forget them.

One by one, everyone returned home, then it was just four three heroes remaining.

Mask did the best at staying strong. Link pulled them both into tight hugs, Tune clung to him but declared that Link would be alright and now Tune had plenty of stories to tell Aryll when he got home.

Mask had quietly told Link that he better take care of himself from now on.

"You hear me?" The little fairy boy glared weakly at Link. "You take care of yourself! You eat every day and sleep properly! We-We—We won't be here to make you do it anymore, so you—You gotta do it."

Link was in tears. "I will, Dev's still here to be annoying. I'll be alright, Sapling. Just—Go home and be happy, okay? Promise me that you'll find something to be happy about."

Mask's facade broke and he was in tears, crying against Link's chest.

Tune stepped away from them and he turned to Dev. He approached and hugged the spirit, and Dev wrapped the young pirate in a tight hug.

"How... How do you and Ravio know each other?" Tune asked, his face against Dev's shoulder.

Dev smiled into the boy's hair as he tilted his head. "I was just like you once," he admitted in a quiet whisper, so quiet that neither Mask nor Link could hear him. "A hero. I was younger than you, maybe even younger than Mask, when I first started."

Tune's eyes widened and he stared at him as he pulled away. Dev gently brushed his hair from his face, keeping eye contact.

"I saved Hyrule so many times, bunso. One of those times, I met this merchant... You may never visit this place or hear of it again, but there's a land called Lorule, and it's the opposite of Hyrule."

"Ravio said he's from Lorule," Tune recalled.

Dev nodded. "He is. But just as Lorule and Hyrule are mirrors, so are its people. Ravio is my mirror, he is my Lorulean counterpart. If you ever saw him without his hood, you would've seen the resemblance."

"But if he's from your past then... He's died," Tune realized. "That's why you were crying."

Dev chuckled softly. He kissed the top of Tune's head before mussing blond hair and dislodging the green cap.

"I've seen a lot of loved ones die, bunso," Dev admitted. "Ravio was one of the first, but he didn't die during my adventures, nor while I was Hylian. He died of old age. That's better than some fates I think we've both seen."

Tune nodded. "You're... you're a hero?"

"Not anymore. Now I guide the hero so they can succeed. If I have my way, I'll never have to raise a sword again... Magic rods are okay though."

Tune laughed wetly and he hugged Dev. "Love you, Dev," he muttered. "Thanks for being my big brother."

Dev hugged the kid as tight as he could. "No, thank you."

They pulled apart and Dev squeezed his shoulder.

"Now go conquer that ocean of yours, little pirate. And tell Aryll and Tetra hi from me and Fi."

Tune nodded rapidly. He hugged Link and Mask one more time, telling Mask he better take care of himself or he'd time travel just to make him do it. Mask had laughed wetly and teased Tune that he better tell Tetra he had a crush on her. Despite the prompt argument, they went through the portal holding hands, only letting go at the very last moment.

Dev spent that night talking with Link and hugging the young hero until he passed out from crying and losing the two kids he adore.

Next>>

[votestaynight2]

"――――――――Eh?" It all happens in an instant. There's a man in red in front of Saber. The man in red is in an unfavourable position after being attacked by Saber, and he's about to receive a fatal blow.

Behind them… The person watching Saber from behind that man is someone I know.

"No――――" I reach out with my left hand and call out. I don't know who that man in red is. But I'm sure Saber will attack the person behind the man after she defeats him.

I can't let that happen. I can't let Saber attack her! "STOP, SABER!!!!!!!"

"――――!?" I feel a sharp pain. One of the marks on my hand disappears.

In its place… Saber halts her blow, which should not have been possible to stop.

"――――" The silver armor hesitates for an instant. Using that opening, the man in red quickly gets away.

"That guy――――he's…" I'm sure of it. That's the guy that was fighting Lancer.

"――――――――" Then the girl behind him is… Um, I don't want to believe so, but is it really…?

"Are you insane, Shirou? We should have been able to defeat Archer and his Master here. So why did you go so far as to use your Command Spell to stop me…!?"

"――――――――" What could I have done? I don't understand the situation at all. I stopped Saber only because I didn't want to see her slash at the girl who saved me.

"Master, please retract your order. If you act like this, I cannot defeat enemies that could otherwise be beaten." Saber readies the object in her hands again. In front of her is the red man she could not slay.

"No, don't do it. To be honest, I have no idea what's going on. But the one you're about to attack is someone I know. I can't let you attack someone I know." "What are you saying? She is Archer's Master. She is our enemy, so we must defeat her here."

"――――――――" Enemy…? She and the man in red are enemies…?

"…I don't care about that. First of all, I don't even understand this Master thing you're talking about. If you're going to call me Master, you should at least explain to me what this is all about." "That is true, but…" Saber hesitates.

Then… "―――Hm. So that's how it is, amateur Master-san?" She calls out to me with a polite yet harsh voice.

When I turn around, I see the man in red and the girl in her school uniform. "――――――――" I gasp. …So I wasn't seeing things. The person with the man in red is definitely "that" Tohsaka Rin.

"Tohsaka… Rin――――" How should I put this? Even I can tell that the man behind Tohsaka isn't human. That thing is not of this world, just like Saber. Then―――if Tohsaka is with him, she's also―――

"Huh? Oh, you know me? Then this should be easy. First of all, good evening, Emiya-kun." I don't know what her intentions are. But Tohsaka greets me with a big smile.

"Uh――――huh?" I'm troubled. When she greets me normally like that, I can almost forget about all these strange events and just greet her too.

"A-Are you serious!? This isn't the time for greetings! You're…!" "Yes, I'm a Master as well. In other words, I'm a magus like you. We're similar, so we don't have to hide it, right?"

"Magus? You're a magus, Tohsaka!?" My eyes widen, and I point at Tohsaka.

"Oh――――" …Crap. I don't know why, but she's… She's looking at me with real irritation…

"Uh, no, that's not what I meant to say." "―――I see. I get it now. So that's how it is, huh?" Taking a look at us, she turns to the man behind her.

"Archer. Can you turn into spirit form for a while? I'm pissed right now." "I don't mind, but what do you mean by pissed?"

"It means what it means. I can't calm down unless I make him realize what kind of a situation he's in. You won't have anything to do until then, so go away. Saber won't be able to lower her sword as long as you're here."

"Man, how difficult. Well, I shall obey if it's an order. If I may warn you, however, what you are about to do is needless." The man literally disappears.

"T-Tohsaka, that was…!" "Let's talk inside. You don't know anything, right, Emiya-kun? You can rest assured that I'll tell you everything, even if you say you don't want to know." Saying this, she walks toward the entrance.

"Wait, what are you thinking…!?" I stop her. And then… She turns, and the smile on her face isn't like the previous one.

"Are you stupid? I'm thinking about a lot of things. That's why I want to talk to you. Emiya-kun, it's okay to be surprised by sudden turns of events, but it might cost you your life if you don't just accept it.[l] Incidentally, do you understand that now is one of those times?"

"Uh――――ugh." "It's fine if you understand. So, let's go to your place. You're fine with that too, right, Saber? I'll explain things to your Master in return for sparing my life."

"…Very well. I do not know what your intentions are, but I shall restrain myself as long as you are helping my Master." Tohsaka goes through the gate.

"…She's really pissed…" I don't know why, though. I don't know, but…[r] "But still…" She's totally unlike the way she is at school…

So, I'm in a strange situation. In front of me is the school's number-one idol whom I admire, Tohsaka Rin. And following silently behind me is Saber, who calls herself a Servant.

"……" Oh. The hallway suddenly feels like part of a different dimension.

But I can't be a coward forever. I'm a magus, even if I'm just an amateur. Tohsaka Rin, a magus just like me, is acting boldly, so I have to act firmly as well.

…But I can only work out a few things. First, about Saber, who's following me. I'm sure that she's some kind of a familiar, because she calls me Master and I've made a contract with her.

I've heard that a familiar is a kind of assistant. Most magi transfer a part of their body into something and then summon it as another self. It is something that assists the magus. Consequently, it's commonly accepted that small animals are the most suitable as to reduce the burden on the magus.

…So I've been taught, but… "Hm? What is it, Shirou?" "…No, it's nothing."

…Saber looks human no matter how you look at her. And she is clearly superior to me, her master. I don't have the magical energy to control someone like that, and, more than that, I don't have the Magic Circuit to summon a familiar.

"……" So Saber must rather be something else than a familiar. She said she's a Servant. I don't know what that is, but I think the man called Lancer and the man in red with Tohsaka were the same thing.

Saber called Tohsaka a Master as well. I guess magi with a Servant are called Masters.

…It seems Tohsaka is a magus as well, but I have no idea who she is. The Emiya family are just outsiders who came to this town in my father's generation. That's why I didn't know that Tohsaka was a magus, and I'm sure Tohsaka didn't know that I knew magic.

…There are several magi in this town that I don't know about. If Lancer is the familiar of another magus in this town, does that mean I've stuck my head into a conflict between magi?

"Wow, it's pretty big. I am not used to this Japanese style. Oh, is that the living room, Emiya-kun?" Saying so, Tohsaka goes into the living room. "……" I should stop thinking. Let's just listen to Tohsaka's story.

I turn the lights on. It's already past one in the morning.

"Oh, it's so cold! Hey, the windows are all broken." "I couldn't help it. I was attacked by this Lancer guy. I was desperate."

"Oh, I see. Then were you fighting him alone until you summoned Saber?" "I didn't fight him. He just beat me up."

"Oh, so you don't try to show off, huh? …I see, I see. You're really just as you appear, Emiya-kun." Tohsaka walks over to the broken window.

"…?" Tohsaka takes a piece of the shattered glass, takes a look at it, and… "―――Minuten vor Schwei[szlig]en" She cuts the tip of her finger and puts a drop of her blood onto the glass.

"…!?" What kind of magic is this? The shattered glass recombines and restores itself in a matter of seconds.

"Tohsaka, that was…" "It's just a small demonstration. It won't be enough to repay you for saving me, but I have to do at least this much. …Well, I'm sure you would've fixed it even if I hadn't, but that'd just be a waste of magical energy, right? All you'd really have to do is replace the window, but we don't want to talk in this cold, do we?"

She says this as if it's completely natural. But needless to say, her skills are beyond my comprehension.

"No, that's amazing, Tohsaka. I can't do that sort of thing, so I'm glad you fixed it." "Huh? Of course you'd be able to fix it. Handling glass is elementary. Restoring glass that broke a few minutes ago is like a simple admission test for school, right?"

"So that's how it is? I was only taught by my father, so I don't even know the basics or the elementary stuff." "―――Huh?" Tohsaka freezes. …Damn. It seems I said something I shouldn't have.

"…Wait. Then you're saying you're just an amateur who can't even run his own workshop?" "…? I don't have a workshop." …Well, I do have that shed as my training area, but I think Tohsaka would get mad if I called that my workshop.

"…I'm going to ask, even though it's impossible. Could it be that you don't know how to handle the five main elements, nor how to make a Pass?" I honestly admit that I don't know.

"……" Wow, that's scary. She's so beautiful usually, so this makes her look pretty frightening now.

"Then what are you, just an amateur?" "That's not true. I can at least use strengthening magic."

"Strengthening… that's an awfully odd magic. So, you can't do anything other than that?" "…Well, to be honest, probably not." Her glare makes me answer vaguely.

"…Geez. Why did Saber get summoned to a guy like this?" "Humph." It makes me mad. I haven't been playing around. I know I'm an amateur, but I don't think it matters right now.

"Well, I guess it doesn't make any difference. There's no point in complaining about what's already happened. More importantly, I have to pay back my debt right now." Tohsaka takes a breath.

"Well, I'll begin. Emiya-kun, you don't know what kind of situation you're in right now, correct?" "……" I nod.

"I thought so. Well, it was obvious, but I had to make sure, right? It's only putting flab on my mind if I explain it to someone who already gets it." "…?" I think that was a weird phrase but I stay quiet, as I think she'll beat me up if I make fun of her now.

"To put it bluntly, you have been chosen as a Master. You have a holy sign on one of your hands, right? On your hand or on your arm. There are personal differences, but there should be three Command Spells engraved. That is the sign of a Master." "On my hand… oh, this."

"Yes. That is also a spell that controls the Servant, so take care of it. It's called a Command Spell and you can retain control over your Servant as long as you have it." "…? What do you mean 'as long as I have it'?"

"The Command Spell enforces unconditional obedience. That mark overrules your Servant's will and makes them obey your command. There's no spell needed to activate it, and it will be activated when you put your mind to using it. You'll be killed if you lose all your Command Spells, so be careful."

"What… I'll be killed?" "That's right. Masters killing other Masters is fundamental to the Holy Grail War. And the Master that kills the other six Masters is awarded the Holy Grail."

"What…?" H-Hold on. I don't understand what Tohsaka is talking about at all. Like the part about Masters killing other Masters. And the part where the winner gets a Holy Grail… wait, does she mean THAT Holy Grail…!?

"You still don't understand? To put it simply, you've been dragged into a game. A survival game between the seven Masters, a game called the Holy Grail War. A battle royale that won't end until you kill all other Masters." Tohsaka Rin states this as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

"――――――――" The phrases I heard swirl in my head. I have been chosen as a Master. Tohsaka says she is a Master. Familiars called Servants. ―――And… A battle to the death between magi, called the Holy Grail War.

"Wait. What's that? What are you talking about all of a sudden?" "I understand how you feel, but I'm just telling you the truth. …Besides, you should understand deep down. Having nearly been killed by that Servant twice, you should know you're in a situation you can't run away from."

"――――――――" That's… Certainly, I was almost killed by that Lancer guy, but…

"Oh, that's wrong. In fact, you weren't almost killed, you were actually killed. I'm surprised you're alive again." "――――" Not almost killed, but actually killed.

…That's right. I was killed by that guy. I should be more surprised about the fact that I'm alive than about this situation I'm in.

…The wound in my chest. …The escaping blood. …The escaping warmth. And… The pure voice I heard amidst all of that―――

"Do you get it now? That is your situation. You can't run away just because you don't know anything. But you're prepared, since you're a magus, right? We are beings who kill and are killed." Tohsaka is in a good mood, maybe because she enjoys watching me be troubled.

"――――――――" …Yeah. I'm already prepared. But…

"…You know I was killed by Lancer, Tohsaka?" I wonder how she knows that fact.

"―――Damn. I got caught up in the moment." She's acting suspiciously.

"That was just a guess. Forget about it, it's trivial." "…It's not trivial. Someone certainly――――"

"Forget about it! Your main concern should be grasping the situation you're in. You're one of the seven Masters of the Holy Grail War." Tohsaka turns her back to me and paces as if she's a teacher or something.

"Look. Every few decades, seven Masters are chosen in this town and are given a Servant. A Master uses his or her Servant to kill other Masters. ―――This is the ritual called the Holy Grail War."

"I've also been chosen as a Master. That's why I made a contract with a Servant, and you made a contract with Saber. It doesn't seem like you summoned Saber yourself, but Servants are given to Masters by the Holy Grail. So it is possible for an ignorant magus like you to be chosen as a Master."

"……" Tohsaka's explanation is too brief for me to understand. But there is one thing I do wonder about.

"…Hold on. You say Saber is a familiar, but I'm not convinced. Familiars are things like cats and birds, right? Well, I do hear that some use human ghosts, but Saber has a body. Besides, she doesn't look like a familiar."

I glance at Saber. Saber is quietly listening to our conversation. …She looks just like a human being. I don't know her identity, but she's a girl about my age.

"Familiar, huh…? Well, Servants are in that category, but they are on a different level. That girl over there is a Ghost Liner, considered to be the strongest of all familiars."

"Ghost Liner……? Then do you mean she really is a ghost?" "A ghost… huh? She's similar, but Saber would kill you if you compared her to one. Servants are heroes of the past given bodies. Beings surpassing humans, more like spirits."

"Huh? Heroes of the past given bodies?" "That's right. A legendary hero that was pulled from the past or the present or whenever and given a body.

"Well, it's the role of the Master to summon them, and the Holy Grail does the rest. It's impossible for a magus to give shape to a soul, so we're assisted by a strong Artifact." "Hold on. So a 'hero of the past' means… what…!?"

I look over at Saber. Then she's a heroine from the past too? Well, it's true that nobody would dress like that now, but still…

"That's impossible. I've never heard of any such magic." "Of course not. This isn't magic. Think of it as a phenomenon created by the Holy Grail. It's impossible to recreate a soul and give it a body without it."

"…Recreate a soul? Then a Servant isn't a ghost…?"

"No. Haven't you been taught that all humans, animals or machines that leave any great achievements behind get removed from the ring of reincarnation and sublimate into beings of higher rank? Heroic spirits are like that. To put it simply, they have been worshipped and made into artificial gods."

"'Ghost Magic' such as supplicating ghosts uses heroic spirits to make miracles happen. But the Servants are familiars made from the heroic spirits themselves. So they accompany you in spirit form, but if need be, you can give them form to make them fight."

"…Hm. So you mean you can give them form or keep them in spirit form? That guy that was with you disappeared by turning into spirit form?"

"Yup. He's keeping watch on the roof now. I think you could tell from that battle, but the only ones who can beat these Servants are other Servants, spirits like them."

"Well, we can attack them too if they take form, so we might be able to beat them. But Servants are all as strong as monsters, right? So we let monsters deal with monsters. The Master usually supports them from behind."

"…Hm." Tohsaka's explanation irritates me for some reason. She calls them monsters. I don't know about the other Servants, but I don't want her to talk about Saber like that.

"Anyways, someone who becomes a Master must kill all the other Masters using his Servant. Do you understand so far?" "…Technically, yes. But I'm not convinced. To begin with, who started such a thing and why?"

"That's not something I know about, nor should I answer. You should pose that kind of question to the one overseeing the Holy Grail War. The one thing I can tell you is that all you can do now is fight, and since Servants are powerful familiars, you should use yours wisely."

Tohsaka says this and turns to Saber.

"So, from what I hear from Emiya-kun, you must not be in full form, Saber. You were summoned by an apprentice magus who has no idea how to be a Master."

"…Yes, I am not in full form, as you say. Since Shirou does not have the magical energy to give me form, it will be difficult for me to turn into a spirit or to replenish my magical energy."

"…I'm surprised. I'm surprised that you're in that bad of a state, but I didn't think you would honestly tell me. I was wondering how I ought to find out your weakness."

"I do not wish to let others know of my weakness, but I do not think I can fool you. It would be meaningless to hide our situation from you. So it will be better for us to tell you of our situation, and to have Shirou better understand the situation he is in currently."

"Correct. And you have a good personality, too. …Geez, I'm regretting it even more now. If I was your Master, I would have certainly won this war!" Tohsaka clenches her fists in anger.

"Hmm. Tohsaka, do you mean I'm not fit to be her Master?" "Of course not, idiot." Wow. She just said something that any normal person would have trouble saying.

"What? Do you have any more questions?" And she doesn't realize it. Her honor student image from school crumbles inside of me. …Good going, Issei. Tohsaka certainly shows no openings, just like a devil.

"Well. We're done talking, so let's get going." Tohsaka suddenly says something strange.

"Huh? Go where?" "We're going to see the guy who knows all about the game you're involved in… the 'Holy Grail War'. You want to know the reasons behind the Holy Grail War, right?"

"―――Of course. But where is it? It's already late, so…" "It'll be fine. It's in the neighboring town, so we should be back by dawn if we hurry. And besides, it's Sunday tomorrow, so it should be okay to stay up late."

"No, that's not the problem." It's just that a lot of things happened today, so I want to have a rest and think about them.

"What, you're not going? …Well, if you say so. But what about you, Saber?" Tohsaka asks Saber. "Hold on, this has nothing to do with Saber. Don't push her."

"Oh, you're already feeling like a Master? You don't want me talking to Saber?" "T-That's not it! It's just that if what you said is true, then Saber is a heroine from the past, right? So she wouldn't know about this time since she was just summoned. So…"

"Shirou, that is incorrect. Servants can adapt to any time. So I know a lot about this age as well." "Really?" "Yes. This is not the first time that I have been summoned in this age."

"Wha…?" "No way, what are the chances of that…!?" Hey, Tohsaka is surprised too. …So that must mean Saber said something incredible.

"Shirou, I agree with her. You lack experience as a Master. As a Servant making a contract with you, I want you to become stronger." Saber stares at me silently. …It's a gentle stare that's worried not for herself, but for me.

"…All right. I'll go. So, where is this place, Tohsaka? It's a place we can come back from, right?" "Of course. We are heading to Kotomine Church in the neighboring town. That's where the false priest, the one who oversees this battle, is living."

Tohsaka makes an evil smile. It looks like she's having fun dragging me around while I don't know anything. "……" It might be prejudice… But I'm beginning to feel like there's a problem with her personality….

We walk through the nighttime town. It's past one in the morning and there's no one out at this time. The lights in the houses are out, and only the streetlamps illuminate the silent town.

"Hey Tohsaka, are you planning to walk to the neighboring town?" "Yeah. The buses and trains have stopped running. A walk at night is good once in a while, right?" "I see. Then, if you don't mind me asking, do you know how long it takes to get there?" "Well, it should take about an hour on foot. If it gets late, we can always take a taxi."

"I won't waste that kind of money. And besides, what I mean is, it might be dangerous for girls to walk around at a time like this. You know it's dangerous, right? I won't be responsible if something happens." "Don't worry, nobody's going to mess with us. You may be forgetting, but Saber is really strong."

"Oh." She's right. Whoever it is, if someone attacks her, they'll be counterattacked viciously.

"Rin. What was Shirou saying? I did not quite understand." "Huh? Well, he was just making a big misunderstanding or being plain stupid. He's saying he'll help us if some pervert appears."

"What? Shirou is my Master. I should be protecting him instead." "I don't think he's thinking about that sort of thing. He seems unconcerned about magi and Servants and all. I kind of wonder what's going on in his head." "……"

Tohsaka and Saber now know each other well enough to talk to each other. Saber has been silent ever since I stopped her from going out dressed like she was.

She said she wouldn't take off her armor, so I made her wear a raincoat, and she's been quiet ever since. Now, she follows me and only speaks to Tohsaka.

"Wait, where are you going, Emiya-kun? Isn't that the wrong way?" "We need to get to the bridge, right? Then this'll be a shortcut." I don't want to walk alongside them, so I quickly make my way to the small side-road. They follow me without objection.

We come out into a park. We have to cross that bridge to go to the neighboring town of Shinto, but――

"Wow, I didn't know about this road. I see…since you can get to the bridge from the park, all you have to do is head for the park." Tohsaka looks up at the bridge, talking happily.

Maybe it's just because it's nighttime. Tohsaka's face, looking up at the bridge, seems even more beautiful than at school… I'm troubled.

"Let's go. We didn't come here to play around." I hurry Tohsaka, who is standing still in the park, and make my way up the stairs. Once we reach the road alongside the bridge, Shinto will be straight ahead of us.

There's no one on the bridge. That's only natural as not many people use it even during daytime. It's more normal to use the bus or the train to get to the neighboring town, so this bridge is rarely used.

It's because it's so long, and it carries a fear that it might collapse on you. That must be why this place isn't used for dates, even though it's perfect location-wise.

"…That's stupid. What am I thinking?" Saber is following me silently and Tohsaka is walking right beside me. Trying to ignore them, I hurry across the bridge.

Beyond the bridge, Tohsaka leads us into the suburbs. When I think about Shinto, only the office buildings in front of the station come to mind, but beyond those, the streets are very old.

The suburbs are the oldest of all. There's hilly roads and a lofty view overlooking the sea. As you go farther up the hill, there are fewer buildings and the foreigners' cemetery built on the slope can be seen.

"The church is up here. You must have been there at least once, right?" "No. I know it used to be an orphanage, though." "I see. Then it'll be your first time today. You should prepare yourself. The priest there is a difficult man to deal with."

Tohsaka starts up the hill. …Looking up, I can see a building at the top of the hill. A church atop the hill. I never thought I'd visit God's house for the first time for a reason like this.

"Wow―――this is really awesome." The church is magnificent. The church's grounds must cover the whole top of the hill. A flat expanse welcomes me as soon as I reach the top. The church isn't that big, but it is compelling, towering over its visitors.

"Shirou, I shall remain here." "Huh? Why? I can't just leave you when we've come up here together."

"I did not come for the church. I followed to protect you. If your destination is the church, you should not go any farther, so I shall wait here for your return." Saber says clearly. It doesn't seem like she'll budge an inch, so I decide to respect her decision.

"All right. Then I'll be going." "Yes. Please do not let your guard down regardless of whom you are facing, Master."

It is a large, impressive chapel. Since it's so big, many people must come here during the day. The priest here must be quite distinguished if he's entrusted with such a church.

"Tohsaka, what kind of person is the priest here?" "It's kind of hard to explain. I've known him for ten years, but I still can't grasp his character." "You've known him for ten years…? That's a pretty long relationship. Is he a relative of yours or something?"

"He's not my relative, but he is my guardian. On top of that, he is my senior as an apprentice, and my second teacher." "Huh… senior as an apprentice…you mean apprentice as a magus!?"

"That's right, but why are you so surprised?" "Because he's a priest! Aren't priests forbidden to use magic!?" By their nature, a magus and the church cannot be in harmony.

The organization that magi belong to is called the Magic Association, And the other side of religion, the side you wouldn't see while living a normal life, is called the Holy Church. The two are barely similar. They cooperate on the surface, but they're always trying to kill each other when given the chance.

The church hates heretics. They totally eliminate the inhuman, and they count magic-using humans among their targets. For the church, miracles are only given to holy saints. Any miracles performed by other people are heresies.

There are no exceptions, even for those within the church. The higher one rises in the church, the more one is prohibited from the impurity of magic. And for a follower entrusted with a church like this and the more divine protection one receives, the more one should stay away from magic―――

"…First of all, is the priest here on our side?" "Yes. He is the one supervising the Holy Grail War, after all. He's a real Agent. …Well, I don't know if he has divine protection, though."

Tohsaka's footsteps echo as she approaches the altar. It's bad manners to do that when the priest isn't here, but it's so late at night. He won't be in the chapel, so if he's anywhere, it'll be the private room in the back.

"…Hmm. So who is this priest? You said a name like Kotomine before…" I ask Tohsaka while following her. Tohsaka stops in front of the altar and turns to me with an uncomfortable expression.

"His name is Kotomine Kirei. He's a student of my father, and we've had an inseparable relationship for ten years now. …Well, I wish I'd never met him, though." "―――I feel the same way. I did not want an apprentice who does not respect her teacher."

A footstep. He must have noticed our entry as he slowly appears from the other side of the altar.

"You didn't answer my repeated calls, and now you bring a strange guest. …Hmm, so he is the seventh one, Rin?"

"Right. He's a magus, but he's pretty much a beginner, so I just couldn't let him be. …I believe it was the rules to report here when one becomes a Master, right? It's a rule you invented, but I'll follow it this time."

"Very well. Then I must thank this young man." The priest called Kotomine slowly turns to me.

"――――" …Without realizing, I step back. …He's not scary at all. …I don't feel any hostility from him. But this priest still has a presence that makes the air around him feel heavy.

"I am Kotomine Kirei, the one entrusted with this church. What is your name, seventh Master?" "―――Emiya Shirou. But I haven't agreed to this 'Master' thing yet." I glare back at the priest, trying not to lose against his presence.

"Emiya――――Shirou." "Huh―――?" The weight on my back turns into a chill. The priest slowly smiles as if he's met someone pleasant. ――――That smile. It makes me―――

"I thank you, Emiya. You have brought Rin here. If it were not for you, she would not have come." The priest makes his way toward the altar. Tohsaka moves away from the altar and stands beside me.

"Then let us start. Emiya Shirou, you are Saber's Master, correct?" "That's wrong. Certainly, I made a contract with her, but I don't understand this whole Master and Holy Grail War thing. If a Master should be a proper magus, then you should go and choose a better person."

"…I see. This is serious. Does he really know nothing, Rin?" "I told you he's a beginner. Train him from the very first steps, will you? You're really good at that, right?" Tohsaka urges the priest.

"―――Oh, I see, I see. That's how it is, huh? I understand. This is the first time you have ever depended on me. Emiya Shirou, I can never thank you enough." Father Kotomine laughs. Their conversation makes me feel uneasy.

"First, let us correct your misunderstandings. Listen, Emiya Shirou. Master is not a role you can give to someone else nor is it something you can stop being once you are chosen. Those who have the Command Spells carved on them cannot resign from being a Master. You must accept that fact."

"――Why can't I quit?" "The Command Spell is a holy mark. Becoming a Master is a trial placed upon you. You cannot escape it just because it is inconvenient.[l] You cannot be released from that pain until you obtain the Holy Grail."

"If you wish to retire from being a Master, all you can do is obtain the Holy Grail and wish for it. If you do that, everything will be as you desire, Emiya Shirou. Your wishes, even cleaning out all the mud inside of you, is possible―――Yes, it is even possible to start everything over again.

Therefore, you should desire it. If the time comes, you will appreciate being chosen as a Master. If you wish to erase those burns that cannot be seen, all you have to do is to accept that holy mark."

"Wha―――" I feel dizzy. The priest's words don't make any sense. They just confuse me more and more as I listen. …But still, his words soak into my brain and clot like blood.

"Kirei, don't go off topic. I asked you to tell him the rules. I didn't ask you to open up his old wounds." A voice cuts in. "―――T-Tohsaka?" That clears up my dizzy head.

"I see. It is pointless to say anything to these kinds of people, so I was trying to take away his morality while he still misunderstood. …Heh, I guess it is true that compassion is not good for others. And I rather enjoyed it too." "What? Does it do you good to help him?"

"Of course. Helping people means saving yourself in the end. …Well, it won't do any good to preach to you now. So, let us return to the main topic, Emiya Shirou. The battle you have been dragged into is called the 'Holy Grail War'. Have you learned from Rin that this is an all out war between seven Masters, using seven Servants?"

"…I did. It's some ridiculous thing where seven Masters kill each other, right?" "Indeed. But we are not committing these inhuman acts because we want to. Everything is a ritual to determine who is the most suitable to receive the Holy Grail. Because of its greatness, we require trials to determine its owner."

…What trials? I'll bet this priest doesn't think of this Holy Grail War thing as a "trial".

"Hold on. You keep saying 'Holy Grail War', but what is it? You can't possibly mean the actual Holy Grail, right?"

The Holy Grail. A chalice said to have received the blood of Christ. It's considered to be the greatest holy relic, and said to be capable of many miracles.

The most common legend about it is that the one who obtains the Holy Grail will obtain the world. …But that's just a myth. After all, the Holy Grail itself is pretty much something that "exists, but doesn't exist".

"A Holy Grail that makes wishes comes true" definitely appears in many folklores and legends around the world . But that's it. A fictional power that doesn't exist and isn't possible. That's the Holy Grail.

"So answer me, Kotomine Kirei. Is the Holy Grail you're talking about really the Holy Grail?" "Of course. The Holy Grail that appears in this town is real. As proof, the great miracle of the Servants has occurred.

Summoning and controlling past heroes. No, a miracle close to resurrecting the dead is almost sorcery. A Holy Grail with this much power shall grant its owner unlimited power. The object's unreality is worthless in front of that truth."

"――――――――" So. He means that even if it is a fake, it doesn't matter if it has powers that would overwhelm even the true Holy Grail.

"…All right. Let's assume there really is a Holy Grail. Then why is it required to do something like the Holy Grail War? We shouldn't be killing each other if the Holy Grail exists. If the Holy Grail is so great, we can all share its power." "That is a fair argument, but we do not have such freedom. Only one person can obtain the Holy Grail. That is not something we chose, but what the Holy Grail has decided."

"The Holy Grail decides the seven Masters and summons the seven Servants. As I have said, this is a ritual. The Holy Grail chooses the people suitable to obtain it, and selects its appropriate owner by making them fight for it. That is the Holy Grail War―――the ritual where those chosen by the Holy Grail slay each other to obtain it."

"――――――――" The priest speaks plainly. I have no rebuttal and look down at my left hand. …There is the mark they call the Command Spell. I guess as long as I have this mark, I can't quit being a Master.

"…I'm not convinced. Even though only one person can be chosen, I don't like the idea that all we can do is to kill the other Masters." "Huh? Hold on. You're misunderstanding if you think that you have to kill them. There's no need to kill the Masters." Tohsaka taps on my shoulder and says something unexpected.

"Huh? But you said we have to kill each other. Kotomine said so too." "You will kill each other." "You be quiet, Kirei. Now, the Holy Grail in this town is in spirit form. It's not something physical, so we have to call it forth with a special ritual―――we have to materialize it.

We can call for it as magi, but since it's in spirit form, we cannot reach it. Do you understand what that means?" "Yeah. Only spirits can touch spirits, right? ―――Oh, that's why you need the Servants…!"

"Exactly. To put it simply, the goal of the Holy Grail War is to eliminate all the Servants except your own. So there's no rule that you have to kill the Masters."

"―――――" Man, she could have told me that earlier! Honestly, Tohsaka and this priest were being mean. …Now I'm relieved. So even if we enter this Holy Grail War, Tohsaka's not going to die.

"I see. I guess that is one way to think. Then let me ask you, Emiya Shirou. Do you think you can beat your own Servant?"

"…?" Beat Saber? That's impossible. Magic is useless against her, and she's very skilled with her sword.

"Then let me ask you one more thing. It is a boring question, but do you think you are superior to your Servant?" "…?" What's he saying? I can't beat Saber, so there's no way I'm superior to her. For this question, my answer will always be that I am weaker than my Servant, so…

"――――Oh" "That is right. Servants are hard to defeat even with a Servant. So what should you do? See, it is such a simple solution. Servants can only exist with a Master. No matter how powerful the Servant is, the Servant will disappear if the Master dies. So…"

That's right, it's a natural solution. No one would choose to take the hard way. If you want to win, the most effective way to kill the Servants would be to kill their Masters instead.

"…Okay. I understand that killing the Master is an effective way to eliminate other Servants. But then, if their Servant gets killed, does that make someone not a Master anymore? Only Servants can touch the Holy Grail, right? Then there's no point to a Master that doesn't have a Servant."

"No, the right to be a Master still remains as long as you have the Command Spell. A Master is a magus that can form a contract with Servants. As long as you have the Command Spell, you can form a contract with Servants.

The Servants whose Masters are killed do not disappear right away. They can stay in this world until their magical energy runs out. If such 'abandoned Servants' exist, a Master with no Servant can form a contract with them. That will allow them to rejoin the war. That is why Masters kill other Masters. Because if you allow them to live, there is a risk that they will impede you in the future."

"…So what if you use up your Command Spell? Then you won't be able to form a contract with other Servants, and the freed Servant will go off with someone else too." "Wait, that's――――" "Yes, you're right. If you use up your Command Spell, you will be liberated from your duty as a Master.

…However, I do not think a magus exists that would waste a Command Spell that allows them to use such powerful magic. If there exists such a magus, he isn't even an amateur, but just a chicken." The priest laughs, as if he knows what I'm thinking about.

"……!" I'm annoyed. That priest is making fun of me. I think he's trying to provoke me.

"You must understand now. So we will finish the explanation of the rules. ―――Well then, let us return to the beginning, Emiya Shirou. You said you have no intention of being a Master. Do you still feel that way?"

"If you want to abandon your responsibility as a Master, that is fine too. As you have realized, you may use up your Command Spell to end your contract with Saber. In that case, I will guarantee your safety until the Holy Grail War ends."

"…? Hold on. Why do you have to guarantee my safety? I can protect myself." "I do not have enough free time to care for you either, but this is one of the rules. I have been dispatched to supervise the repeating Holy Grail War. That is why I must minimize the victims of the war. Protection of magi who lost their claims to being a Master is one of my biggest responsibilities as the supervisor."

"――――Repeating Holy Grail War…?" Hold on. Repeating… does he mean that this kind of battle has happened many times before…?

"What do you mean? The Holy Grail War didn't just start now?"

"Of course not. Do you think a supervisor would have been dispatched if it were so? It is the duty of this church to recover the holy relics, as we are the lowest of the special agencies. Originally, it was our goal to research and recover the True Cross, but here, we have a duty to investigate the Holy Grail. We have to investigate the 726th Holy Grail that has appeared in this far eastern land. We must recover it if it is real, and disprove it if it is not."

"726th… that many Holy Grails?" "Who knows? It just means that there have been at least that many things that seemed like one.

And one of those is the Holy Grail from the Holy Grail War observed in this town. According to records, it is said that the first battle occurred about 200 years ago. Since then, the battles between Masters have been repeating in a cycle of about 60 years. This is the fifth Holy Grail War. Since the last one was ten years ago, this will be the shortest cycle yet."

"Wha―――are you guys insane? You guys have repeated this thing four times already…!?" "I feel the same way. As you said, people have repeated this event many times. ―――Yes. In the past, the Holy Grail Wars were terrible. Masters were driven by their desires, forgot their teachings as magi, and just killed each other indiscriminately.

I think you already know, but it is the highest crime for a magus to use his magic in public. A magus cannot allow his identity to be revealed to society. But Masters in the past have violated that. The Magic Association dispatched a supervisor to caution them, but they only made it in time for the third Holy Grail War. The one dispatched then was my father. Do you understand now, boy?"

"…Yeah, I understand we need a supervisor. But from what you said, isn't this Holy Grail War fundamentally bad?" "Oh? How is it bad?"

"Because the past magi were people who'd break the rules of the magi, right? Then let's say this Holy Grail thing really exists. What will you do if the one who remains is someone who uses the Holy Grail selfishly? It's bad if such a thing is obtained by someone who has no problem killing others. If it's the job of the Association to look after magi, then shouldn't you guys be punishing those kinds of people?"

I question, with a little hope. But as I expected, Kotomine Kirei laughs.

"Of course not. There are no magi who will act outside their own interests. We only supervise the rules of the Holy Grail War. We do not care about what happens afterwards. The Association is not concerned about the kind of person that obtains the Holy Grail." "That's ridiculous…! What if the Master that gets the Holy Grail is the worst guy possible!?"

"It would be problematic, but we can do nothing. It is the Holy Grail that chooses its owner. And we do not have the power to stop a Master who has been chosen by the Holy Grail. It is a grail that makes wishes come true, after all. The one who obtains it will be able to do as he pleases. ―――But if you do not want that, then all you have to do is win it yourself. That is the most reliable way, isn't it?"

Kotomine is trying to hold back his laughter. It's like he's enjoying my clumsy inability to accept the facts.

"What's wrong, boy? I think that was a good idea. Will you not accept it?" "…That's none of your business. Anyway, I don't have any reason to fight. I'm not interested in the Holy Grail, and I don't feel like a Master even if you say I am."

"Oh. So you are not concerned about what the winner of the Holy Grail would do, even if it leads to disaster?"

"That's―――" …I can't answer that question. Crap, his words are violent. They force the truth onto me, whether I want it or not―――

"That is fine if you have no reason to fight. So you are not troubled by what happened ten years ago?" "――――Ten years… ago…?"

"That's right. At the end of the last Holy Grail War, an unsuitable Master touched the Holy Grail. I do not know what that Master wished for. All I know are the results of the disaster that came afterwards." "――――――――"

For an instant, That image of hell flashes in my head.

"――Hold on. That can't be…" "It is. It is an event that everybody in this town knows about, Emiya Shirou. Five hundred killed or wounded. One hundred and thirty-four buildings incinerated. That inferno, still unexplained, is the remains of the Holy Grail War."

"――――――――" ―――I feel sick. My vision blurs. I lose concentration and I can't focus my eyes. My body stumbles.

But I hold myself firm. I hold onto consciousness by clenching my teeth. I hold back my nausea with the anger boiling up in me.

"Emiya-kun? What's wrong? You're pale white. …I know it's not a comfortable story, but… if you want, we can take a rest for a while."

I must have looked terrible. I think it's very rare for Tohsaka to be worried like that.

"Don't worry. I feel better after seeing your weird face." "…Hey, just what is that supposed to mean?" "Oh, I wasn't implying anything. I meant it literally, so don't worry about it."

"Well, fine… hey, that's worse, you big oaf!" The school's number-one honor student, Tohsaka Rin, smacks me in the head. That does it. With that, the nausea and anger go away.

"…Thanks. You really did help, so don't bully me around too much. I've got a few more things to ask about." She looks like she hasn't hit me enough, but she still lets me continue.

"Oh, you still have questions? All right, let out everything you want to say." He should know what I want to ask, yet he asks me to go on. Fine. Emiya Shirou won't lose to you.

"Then I'll ask. You said this is the fifth Holy Grail War. Then, has anyone ever obtained the Holy Grail?" "Of course. A terrible event like that annihilation doesn't happen every time." "Then―――"

"Do not be hasty. It is easy just to obtain it. After all, the Holy Grail is tended to in this church. If you speak of just touching it, I touch it every day." "Huh――――?" T-The Holy Grail is at this church…?

"Of course, it is only the vessel. It is empty. Rin mentioned earlier that the Holy Grail is in spirit form. What we maintain is a well-made replica of the Holy Grail. We use this as the catalyst to draw down the real Holy Grail and transform it into a Holy Grail that grants wishes. It's like the relationship between Servants and Masters. …Yes, there was indeed a man who obtained the real Holy Grail, temporarily, using that method."

"Then, was that Holy Grail real? No, what happened to the guy who obtained it?" "Nothing. The Holy Grail was imperfectly completed. It was the work of a foolish man, affected by sentiment."

…? With the previous pressure gone, the priest narrows his eyes as if in regret.

"…What do you mean? Didn't the Holy Grail appear?" "It is easy to just make the Holy Grail appear. Once the seven Servants are present, the Holy Grail will appear in time. As Rin said, there is no need to kill other Masters. But that does not complete the Holy Grail. That thing decides its own appropriate master. And thus, it refused to be obtained by a man who avoided battles."

"Heh, so that just means it's useless to obtain the Holy Grail without settling matches with the other Masters. The Master who first obtained the Holy Grail in the last war was just a chicken. He just ran away from the Holy Grail, saying that he didn't want to fight other Masters."

So saying, Tohsaka looks away from Kotomine. "―――No way." Does that mean Kotomine was one of the Masters in the last war, and that he retired because he refused to fight in spite of obtaining the Holy Grail…!?

"…Kotomine. You didn't fight?" "I did until halfway. But I made a bad decision. As a result, I only obtained an empty Holy Grail. Well, I guess that was my limit anyway. All the other Masters were monstrous. I lost my Servant first and was taken under my father's protection.

…Come to think of it, it was inappropriate for a son of the supervisor to be chosen as a Master. Father died at that time. Since then, I have succeeded the role of the supervisor, and I protect the Holy Grail at this church."

Saying that, the priest called Kotomine Kirei turns around. Before him stands the symbol of worship.

"That is the end of our conversation. The only ones qualified to obtain the Holy Grail are those who have Servants. When there is only one of you left, the Holy Grail should naturally appear in front of you. Tell me your decision regarding whether you want to join this battle, the Holy Grail War, now." The priest requests my final decision.

"――――――――" I'm at a loss for words. I had no reason to fight until just now. Now I have a reason to fight and the will to fight. But can I really accept this?

"Are you still undecided? Look, a Master is not something you can be just because you want to. Rin has been training long as a magus, but it was not determined that she would be a Master. All that could be decided beforehand was whether to prepare for it or not.

Only magi are to be chosen as Masters. If you are a magus, you should have been ready already. I guess it cannot be helped if you say you are not. You and your teacher were failures in that case. It is merely annoying for such a magus to be fighting, so get rid of your Command Spell now."

"―――――!" He doesn't need to ask. I won't run away. Honestly, this Holy Grail War and Master stuff doesn't seem real to me. But still, if I must choose between fighting or running away, I will never run away.

The priest said it as well. If I am a magus, I should be ready.

That is why I must decide. Even though I'm an amateur, Emiya Shirou is a magus. If I have decided to become a superhero in the footsteps of Emiya Kiritsugu whom I've admired all this time―――

"―――I will fight as a Master. If the cause of the fire ten years ago was the Holy Grail War, I can't let it happen again." As if he likes my answer, the priest smiles with satisfaction.

"―――" I take a deep breath. I have cut away all hesitation. As a man, I said I will fight. So from now on, all I have to do is go forward with pride and refuse to go against my word.

"Then I shall approve you as Saber's Master. In this instant, the Holy Grail War is accepted. ―――I approve the battle in this town, from now until only one Master remains. Everyone shall follow their pride and compete fully against each other."

The priest's voice echoes heavily through the church. There is no meaning to that declaration. Only Tohsaka and I heard the priest's words. This man merely rang the starting bell as the priest of this church.

"So it's decided. In that case, I'm going home, but may I ask you a question too?" "I don't mind. This might be your last chance, so I shall answer most questions."

"Then I shall ask. Kirei, you're the one in charge of overseeing this, so you should have information on the other Masters. I've followed the Association's rules, so at least tell me what you know."

"That's troubling. I really want to tell you, but I do not know the details either. Including Emiya Shirou, there are not many legitimate magi this time. There are only two Masters I know about. Three if you include Emiya Shirou."

"Oh, I see. Still, you should know the order in which they were summoned. You are the supervisor, after all." "…Hmm. Berserker was first. Caster was second. The rest are pretty much the same. Archer was yesterday, and Saber was summoned a few hours ago."

"――I see. Then that means…" "The Holy Grail War has officially started.[vr] Rin, you are not allowed to come to this church until the Holy Grail War is over.[l] The only time it is permitted is…" "When I lose my Servant and wish for protection, right? So I pretty much get points deducted if I come here for any other reason."

"That is correct. You may become the victor, but the Church will not ignore the points deducted. They will take the Holy Grail away from you after a boring discussion. That would be the worst case scenario for me." "You fake priest. A person on the side of the Church supporting the Magic Association?"

"I am serving God. That does not mean I am serving the Church." "Whatever. That's why you're a fake."

And Tohsaka turns her back to the priest. After that, she just makes her way to the exit without saying goodbye.

"Hey, is that okay, Tohsaka? He was your fellow pupil, right? So―――" Shouldn't there be a more proper farewell?

"I don't care. I feel rather relieved from breaking my ties with him. More importantly, you should leave too. You have no business here now." Tohsaka walks across the floor without stopping and leaves for good.

I sigh and follow her. And then… "―――!" I feel a presence behind me and turn around. The priest, who's behind me before I know it, is looking down at me.

"W-What? Do you have anything else to say?" I back off as I say so. …Just as I thought, I don't like him. Maybe we're just incompatible or something, but I can't get myself to like him.

"If you don't have anything to say, I'm going!" I make my way to the door, trying to escape his stare.[r] As I go… "―――Rejoice, boy. Your wish will finally come true." The priest says, as if declaring an oracle.

Those words are… Aren't those the true feelings I haven't yet realized?

"―――What are you saying all of a sudden?" "You should know. Your wish will not come true unless there is a clear evil. Even if it is not something you approve of, a superhero requires a villain to defeat."

"―――――!" I feel like everything has turned black. The priest said it. The greatest wish and the ugliest wish I have are the same. …Yes, the desire to protect something… …Is, at the same time, none other than the wish for something to violate it――――

"―――Y-You…" But there's no way I'd wish for something like that. I don't remember a moment when I've wished for that. Such an insecure wish… …Just means the target ideals are inconsistent. But the priest says as if to pierce my heart, "Good thing you have an enemy now."

"No, you do not have to gloss over it. Your worries are normal for a human being." The priest smiles. "――――!" I shake off the priest's words and walk to the door.

"Farewell, Emiya Shirou. This will be my last warning, but take care on your way home. Your world will change completely from now on. You are now at the point of kill or be killed. You are now a Master." He says so as I quickly make my way out.

…It's a bit windy now. It must be partly because this place is on top of a hill. The wind is a bit stronger than normal and carries a sharp chill.

"Shirou. Is your business here complete?" "Yeah. I learnt more than enough about the situation I'm in. About the Holy Grail War, about the Masters, everything." "Then―――"

She comes closer and looks up at me. …It's only natural for her to do so. Her fate is determined by my choice.

"…I don't know if I'm good enough for you, but I've decided to fight as a Master. I'm sorry that I'm only an amateur. Are you still content that I'm your Master?"

"It matters not. You are already my Master. I have already sworn to be your sword."

That scene flashes through my mind. "―――You're right. …Yeah, I'm relieved that you say so." I take a deep breath and look at Saber again.

"Then let's shake hands. Let's do our best together, Saber." I extend my right hand. I don't care what relationship a Master and his servant should have, nor do I know what I should be doing now. If this is the way things are going to be, I at least want our first greeting to be in style.

"――――――――" "Saber? Um, are we not supposed to shake hands?" "―――That is not the case. I was merely surprised by this sudden action."

Saber takes my hand as she says so. "I shall swear to you once more here. As long as you possess your Command Spell, I shall be your sword."

"I don't get the situation too well, but yes, please." Saber is really serious, so I nod.

"――――――――Hm." …Come to think of it, this is weird. We're under the winter night sky. I'm shaking hands with a girl I just met, and we're talking like we're making a contract.

"―――Ohhh. I guess I can leave you two, huh?" "――――!!" I quickly let go of her hand. When I turn around, I see Tohsaka―――and that knight in red.

"You two are getting along well. You weren't even talking before, but things have certainly changed. What, you trust Saber now?"

"Um… No, that's not it… Well, I guess you're right. I don't know anything about Saber yet, but I'll be with her from now on."

"I see. Then you should be on guard. Since you two are in this war, I won't go easy on you either." "?" I tilt my head in wonder. For a brief moment, I don't get what she said.

"…Hey now. Do you understand that we're enemies? I brought you here because you weren't my enemy yet. But you're one of the Masters now, right? Then I think there's only one thing to do now."

"Um――――hm?" Well, she's right. But… "Why? I don't intend to fight you."

"…Man, just as I thought. Geez, it was meaningless to bring you here." Tohsaka slumps her shoulders. "Rin."

"What? I thought we promised that you wouldn't talk until I tell you it's okay." "I know, but we will make no progress like this. We do not need to find out if our enemy is ready or not. If there are enemies we can defeat easily, we should attack them without holding back." "Hey, I know that without you having to tell me."

"If you know that, act on it. Or what? Are you going to show him mercy again? …Hm. I don't imagine so, but don't tell me there's a 'special' reason for this."

"T-That's not it! …I just owe him one. I can't fight him fairly until I repay him for that." "…Heh, you sure are difficult. Then I shall be disappearing. Call on me again after you repay him."

The knight in red―――Archer, disappears. No, rather, I just can't see him anymore. According to Tohsaka, Servants are spirits.

Saber says she cannot turn into spirit form, but I'm sure Tohsaka's Servant can since Tohsaka is a complete Master. …Well, that aside…

"Hey, Tohsaka. The thing about you 'owing' me… do you mean what happened back then?" "Yeah. No matter what the reason may be, you used your Command Spell to stop Saber. So I have to hold back a bit to balance things out."

"…Balance? You worry about weird things, Tohsaka." "I know. I understand this is just flab on my mind. But I can't help it. I hate owing people." She turns away.

"But this service is limited. I won't hold back tomorrow, so go and make plans with Saber." "…Hm. So the service is only for today?"

"Yup. …Well, I brought you here. Um, so I'll at least go back to town with you." Tohsaka starts to walk without looking at us.

"Let us go, Shirou. As she says, it is not good to stay here." "……" I nod to Saber and follow Tohsaka.

The three of us descend the hill together. It might be because Tohsaka is walking ahead, but we go down the hill with few words.

There is a forked road ahead of us. One path leads to the main street going towards the Shinto station, and the other leads to the big bridge leading to Miyama City. "――――――――" Tohsaka stops at the intersection.

"Tohsaka? Why are you stopping? We should head to the bridge if we're going home, right?" "No. I'm sorry, but go home by yourself. I forgot since I've been concerned with you, but I'm busy. I'm already in Shinto, so I'll go look while I'm here."

"――――Go look… you mean for other Masters?"

"Yeah. I don't know about you, but I've been waiting for this time. This night, the start of the battles between seven Masters, the Holy Grail War. So I can't go home now. Since I couldn't beat Saber, I need to take it out on some other Servant."

"――――――――" …Tohsaka's eyes show her determination. That makes me realize… Tohsaka Rin is a magus. Her mentality and her knowledge as a magus are complete.

"――――――――" So why…?

"So we'll part here. I've repaid my debt, and it would be troublesome if we stay together any longer. We should part here and become enemies from tomorrow on." Why does she have this part of her that's unlike a magus?

She did not explain the rules to me out of any sense of obligation. She just supported me, understanding the situation I'm in, and acted fairly.

So things are back to normal now that the explanations are over. As a Master, I will just be a target to her now. "……" But still, Tohsaka said those words to me.

For Tohsaka, everything that happened tonight is unnecessary. 'It would be troublesome if we stay together any longer.'[r] If she's going to say something like that, she should have left us alone from the beginning. Tohsaka's smart, so she should know that all too well. But still, she set aside all thoughts of loss or gain and helped me out.

The Tohsaka in front of me is so different from the one at school. Even when I put it nicely, she's sour, cranky, unapproachable, and so different that I want to scream. Man, it feels almost like a fraud.

…Yet, still… Tohsaka Rin is just how everyone thought she was.

"I see. Tohsaka, you really are a good person." "Huh? What are you saying all of a sudden? I won't go easy on you, even if you flatter me."

I know that. She won't go easy on me, and that's why she said it'll be a bother if she feels empathy for me.

"I know. But I don't want to be enemies with you if I can help it. I like people like you." "Wha―――"

Tohsaka falls silent for some reason. The silent suburbs… The church at the top of the hill and the silence of the foreigners' cemetery feel surprisingly warm.

"A-Anyway, just run to the church if your Servant ever gets killed. If you do, at least your life will be safe."

"I don't like it, but still, I'll take that advice. It won't happen, though. No matter how I look at it, I'll die before Saber does." "――――Phew." Tohsaka reacts strangely once again. After letting out a sigh, she glances at Saber.

"All right. I won't give you any more warnings because that'd really be soft. Just be careful. Even though Saber is strong, it won't matter if her Master gets killed." She turns her back and starts walking.

But… As if she's seen a ghost, her feet stop dead in their tracks.

"―――Hey, have you finished talking?"

A youthful voice echoes through the night. The melodic tone is unmistakably that of a young girl. My vision is drawn to the top of the hill. There――――

I don't know when the clouds parted, but a brilliant moon is now shining in the sky. The shadow is long and grotesque, like a devil in a picture book. In this gloomy town of shadow-pictures stands a figure that should not be there.

"―――Berserker." Tohsaka mumbles a word I'm not accustomed to hearing. Even though I don't know what she means, I can feel the giant's dreadfulness all too well.

That thing is not human. Then―――it is one of the beings called "Servants", just like Saber. "Good evening, Onii-chan. It's the second time we've met like this." The girl smiles as she says this. That innocence sends a chill down my spine. The girl looks so out of place next to the thing behind her, it feels like I am dreaming. "――――――――" No, chill is an understatement. Not just my body, but my mind is frozen as well. That thing is a monster. I'm not even staring at it, but its mere presence roots me to the spot.

"―――I'm surprised. He surpasses Saber in raw power!" Tohsaka glares at the monster above her, clicking her tongue. In her, I see despair―――and the spirit to not lose to it.

"Archer, this isn't an enemy that can be beaten head on. You should fight it in your unique style." She murmurs this quietly. The knight without form replies to her.

"Understood. But what about your defense? You cannot defend against his charge." "There are three of us. We can manage if all we need to do is defend." He must have nodded to her words. The presence behind Tohsaka vanishes instantly.

"―――Emiya-kun. You can choose whether to run or fight. …But if you can, try to run away."

"Are you done? Can I start now?" The girl laughs playfully. She lifts the sides of her skirt and curtsies in a manner quite out of place in such a situation.

"Nice to meet you, Rin. I am Ilya. You should figure it out if I make that Ilyasviel von Einzbern." "Einzbern―――" Tohsaka's body stiffens, apparently recognizing that name.

Perhaps she liked Tohsaka's reaction, as the girl smiles happily. And then… "Then I'll kill you now. Go ahead, Berserker." …She orders the strange shape behind her, as if she's singing.

The massive form flies through the air. In one bound, the thing called Berserker crosses the dozens of meters from the top of the hill――――!

"―――Shirou, stay back…!" In the moonlight… "Bullets" rain down on the descending giant like shooting stars…!

"[wacky len=15]" They have extreme accuracy. The silver lights that are shooting through the giant are indeed "arrows".

No, the word "arrow" is an understatement. It's like a barrage from a machine gun, and each shot could pierce through rocks. ―――Eight shots of that. It should be able to mow down houses, but…

"No way! It's not doing anything!?" It has no effect on the giant.

The two swords clash. The giant sword of Berserker, who came down through a rain of 'arrows'… And the sword of Saber, who ran to his landing spot. The two blades spark on contact…! "Fuh…!" "[wacky len=6]" The swords clash. Even though she is overpowered by Berserker's attack, Saber does not yield. Silver lights run through the darkness. How much magical energy is in that small body of hers? Even though Saber is obviously weaker, she is proving to be a match against Berserker. She blocks, parries, and faces the assault of that giant sword head-on.

"――――――――" I must not be the only one who's awed. The Master of that giant and the one standing next to me, Tohsaka, are also fascinated by Saber's figure.

"…! Archer, back her up!" Tohsaka screams out at once. In response, a silver light comes flying out of nowhere.

The silver light strikes the giant right in his temple. The arrow that came flying through the air is as powerful as a tank shell. No matter what this giant may be, he has to take some damage from that.

"――――Got him…!" Saber slashes with her invisible sword right after the shot connects. But… Her attack is countered by a huge blow, and Saber is flung away.

"Guh…!?" Saber slides across the asphalt.

A black whirlwind runs in pursuit, and… Silver lights come flashing down to intercept him! But they have no effect. The three arrows hit the giant square in his forehead, but simply disappear.

"[wacky len=9]――――!!!!" The giant does not stop. Saber blocks the giant blade with her own.

"Saber…!" My scream is meaningless. As Saber blocks Berserker's sword head-on, she is flung away like a ball―――and she falls to the ground.

"――――!" Is she dizzy? Saber has her knees on the ground and does not move. "――――This is it. Smash her, Berserker." The girl's voice echoes. The black giant charges at Saber with brutal speed.

"Keep firing, Archer…!" Tohsaka starts running as she screams. ―――She must intend to help Saber. She runs up the hill while taking out something that looks like a rock.

"Gewicht, um zu Verdoppel ung――――!" Tohsaka scatters obsidian jewels in the sky, and numerous silver lights come flying from the heavens. Even with that, Berserker's charge does not stop. "What a――――" …Monster. …I finally understand how absurd he is. That giant isn't just "strong". He must be protected by some "law" of immortality created from abnormal amounts of magical energy.

"Good, ignore the annoying ones. Archer and Rin shouldn't be able to get past your Noble Phantasm." The girl's voice rings out. The giant's sword is swung.

And… Saber bravely blocks it with her sword and is flung away once again. ―――She flies dozens of meters. Saber flies through the air like a pitcher's fastball and plows into the open terrain off the road.

"――――――――" She must be dead. Once is bad enough. But she can't be okay after receiving such a blow twice.

The black whirlwind moves. The match is already decided, but he's not done yet. The giant called Berserker roars and charges onto the open land.

"――――――――" She'll die. Even if Saber's still alive, she'll surely die now. …And. As long as I'm here, I'm sure I'll die as well.

'If you can, try to run away.' The one who said that isn't here. Tohsaka went after Berserker. She must intend to keep fighting against this monster that is unscathed by all those attacks.

"――――――――" I―――

[idiotwhotalkstoomuch]

I never expected you guys to like demon Senjuro so much lol I’m really happy to see that like it was such a random impulse thought but the au has a lot of room for growth

In this post Im gonna establish a few things about what happened to Senjuro and Kyojuro in the events between Senjuro’s “death” and the pillar meeting. I will only cover their relationship and a little bit of Senjuro’s relationship with Tanjiro. The others can come at a different post cause this post is gonna be long lol so I put it under cut cause no one really wants a post to flood their dash

TW: Mentions of death (some are children), mentions of cannibalism (If you’ve seen even the first episode of demon slayer and had no problem, you’re fine with this post. This post is slightly not anime only friendly as I make references to an upper moon and I show a manga only panel as of posting this) Shnjuro gets really depressed but luckily there is no attempted suicide

Senjuro Rengoku

- His class was at the bottom floor and they were cleaning the school (I heard thats a thing in Japan if someone has a better idea on what they’re doing feel free to shoot an ask) when they got attacked

- In canon we dont know his age but I’m gonna guess like 12-14 but in the au he is 13 so he was 12 when he became a demon. A rogue demon attacked Senjuro’s class and Senjuro ran to get help and was fatally injured but still managed run to get help as he was given a nichirin sword and even if it didnt change color he must have known breathing techniques at the very least on a basic level and the demon was too preoccupied with some of the teachers and others trying to kill the demon, of course unaware of what it was except for Senjuro

- Upper moon 4 was sneaking around when he saw the all but dead body of Senjuro and demons really dont have standards for turning people into demons so when he noticed he was alive, turned him into a demon mostly so that if he did find any “evil people” (demon slayers) he could use him as his meat shield alongside his personalities

- When Senjuro woke up as a demon (cause even if he was a breath user he was very inexperienced so Hantengu had no problem making him a demon), he had no memory of his life as a human and looked around trying to find a human to satiate his hunger and saw a human in the distance with someone and began to run to them to satiate his hunger when he felt himself being held back. 

- The spirit of Ruka Rengoku gently held her son back and instructed him to not eat humans as that’s not something he should do and even if Senjuro couldn’t recognize the woman holding him back, he found himself obeying her and running to go to a place to hide from the sun

- From that moment on for a few day he would hop from place to place whether underneath homes, in caves or any place he could find to avoid being seen and to be shielded from the sun and found himself growing sleepy so in the cave he hid in, far away from the place he was last in, he closed his eyes and fell asleep for a year

- When he woke up, he had unwittingly burnt away Muzan’s control of him and was unsure on what to do when Ruka’s spirit appeared again telling him that he needs to find his way home. Senjuro wasn’t actually listening to a lot of what she said except one thing stuck to him. 

- “Senjuro”, he didn’t know what his name was as a demon but the name seem to stick to him and he figured this must be his name (he would of course be correct)

- When he found himself staying with the Kamaboko squad, having been spared despite being a demon due to him not having any form of aggression to them (something they all noticed due to his general demeanor and their enhanced sense) and Tanjiro could smell he hadnt eaten one human and he invited him to join them. He joined Nezuko in her box (she can grow really really tiny if she wants or is tired)

Reference: 

Kny chapter 85

- He joined for two reasons: One, he was really scared of people and demon slayers especially so when Tanjiro offered him the chance to be able to be safe and hide he took it. Secondly, he wasn’t sure but the smile Tanjiro gave and his warm reassurance reminded of him of someone, when he thought hard he only saw blurry shadows and got a headache so didn’t try to push it

- Tanjiro did ask him in the wisteria house while Zenitsu was chatting with Nezuko and Inosuke was off being Inosuke about his past and Senjuro told him about his brief meetings with a woman with black hair and asks if they’ve met before as he feels familiar

- This is where he gets the idea that the woman with black hair (Ruka) is his mother and Tanjiro guesses that the person that he thinks is Tanjiro must be his father (right on the first part Tanjiro but wrong on the second lol, you tried)

- He wears a cyan yukata with a new hakama pants as the clothes he was previously wearing was the same bloodstained clothes he wore after turning into a demon and Tanjiro didnt want to leave him in that. Tanjiro thought to get him a gag but the idea made Senjuro uncomfortable so Tanjiro made him swear to never eat a single human

- In Mount Nagatumo, he was too scared to jump out to protect Tanjiro like Nezuko but when she gets sliced up he leaves the box to watch her while Tanjiro fights Rui, unfortunately he is caught in Rui’s webs like Nezuko and was saved from it by Nezuko flames (though it did burn him a fair bit, Nezuko would apologize to him for this later)

- Giyuu doesn’t kill Senjuro cause his resemblance to Kyojuro despite the different clothes and demon eyes is clear to anyone who can see and Shinobu also finds herself hesitating but shakes those feelings off as Kyojuro deserves better than to see his little brother as a demon. Luckily Giyuu stops him and Senjuro runs with Nezuko and Tanjiro but is later taken back to the demon slyer corps by a Kakushi who put him and Nezuko back in their box

- When Sanemi stabbed the box, he moved to try and protect Nezuko but the box was too cramped and they both got stabbed despite his efforts. Later when he tries to bait him with his marechi blood, he’s too focused on resisting the blood and on Nezuko who he had grown to see as a sister to care about the wide eyed looks the pillars were giving him.

Kyojuro Rengoku (I am so sorry in advance Kyojuro simps I put this man THROUGH IT)

- He had just finished a mission and was going to get another mission when a crow he hadn’t seen work in years came flying to him, obviously panicked telling him how Senjuro’s school was attacked and how no one can find Senjuro among the bodies. The crow was Shinjuro’s

- When he hears that, all the kakushi and other demon slayers present would say they had never seen the flame pillar run so frantically, he only stopped to apologize briefly if he bumped into someone while running but the only thing racing in his mind was his little brother who had no weapon to defend himself with. He forced the image of his brother being nothing but a corpse away only thinking about saving Senjuro

- When he reached the school, he forced himself to calm down. Panicking isn’t going to magically bring Senjuro to him so he needs to keep himself in check because with so many people dead, he’s not the only one concerned over the kids

- There were no survivors on the area that was attacked, the police were there investigating the deaths of the many children and teachers, Kyojuro had to spend time convincing the police he was with them and to be allowed to investigate as well

- With no survivors, he heard from the police that there was a blood trail when they got there and he went to find the trail, when he reached the end of it where there were no traces of Senjuro but since the people there were untrained civilians, Senjuro was the only possible person to have been there

- He spent multiple days searching, Mitsuri was at one point sent to check on him and it was clear he was pushing himself, as days passed by, his composure and bright demeanor were crumbling and he started latching onto any lead to at the very least find the body of Senjuro to take back home but it was becoming clear that he would never find it and a kakushi had to be the one to tell him that his body was likely eaten to the bone or eaten and discarded to either rot away or eaten by someone else

- Kyojuro took a week off, not just because of the grief he felt at that moment but because he needed to check on his father and make sure he would be okay, the man didn’t even face Kyojuro when he came in to visit, he forced himself to not cry in front of his father as he tried to talk to the man who couldn’t even say a word and just drank away even as his eldest son tried to talk to him

- Servants were hired to monitor Shinjuro by Kyojuro as he was concerned about his health both physically and mentally but he did notice how Shinjuro never resisted to being taken care of by the people he hired. They reported to him he could be heard muttering Senjuro’s name and even stares at his room for extended periods of time

- When he made his return, he apologized to the pillars for his behavior the past two weeks (even though no one blamed the man, some even said it was okay if he needed more time, they wouldn’t judge) but whenever he was told that he said he had to be strong to protect the weak so he could be someone that could stop families from ending up like his own

- He was far more determined in killing demons, demon attacks had become personal to him now, whenever he saw a demon eating people he found himself wondering what they must’ve thought in the afterlife as the demon desecrated their bodies

- In the pillar meeting, when he was informed of a swordsman who travelled with not one but two demons, he felt disgust as who knows how many humans they could eat. On the way to the meeting, he couldn’t help but notice Shinobu deliberately avoiding him a bit, Giyuu was doing the same but the man never really talked with them much to begin with

- When he saw Senjuro go out of the box with Nezuko, he felt the smile on his face drop and his heart practically sunk to the core of the earth as he saw the unmistakable hair of a Rengoku and the face was so clearly Senjuro’s despite his eyes having a black sclera and his iris and pupil becoming cat like, the pillars had all turned to see if the flame pillar was alright and he could hear Himejima mutter prayers and Mitsuri was on the verge of tears seeing Senjuro alive but as a demon

- He found himself going into denial until Tanjiro, who had been freed as Obanai left to comfort the distressed love pillar, ran and yelled Senjuro’s name and told him to resist his hunger

- “My sister and the other demon with us are different! They would never eat a human!”

- Senjuro was a good kid, he was innocent, kind and a bit on the timid side. He had helped raise him, he knew Senjuro would never want to harrm a fellow human even when threatened. 

[bumbleklee]

Could you make a fic based on the song Moondust By Jaymes Young? With Xiao or Zhongli? It’s fine if you decline, I enjoyed your Lonestar fic a lot! Also, thank you in advance if you do this! ^^

after this, i decided im a monster. this is so sad, like so so sad. i don't know if this is what you had in mind but since the song is basically about learning how to live/love without someone, i went down a death route. i also went w xiao. pls enjoy (and grab a tissue)

before reading: ANGST!!! you literally die and are a ghost the entire time. mentions of injury and blood as well as self-harm and suicidal thoughts. word count is around 2.1k (under cut for length)

I'm building this house, on the moon Like a lost, astronaut Lookin' at you, like a star From a place, the world forgot And there's nothing, that I can do Except bury my love for you

Death was quick.

You know instantly that you’re dead the second you open your eyes. You can still remember the feeling of the Fatui pyro agent slicing his knife across your throat and if you think about it enough, your neck tingles. You remember falling to your knees, being laughed at, and then you saw nothing.

Well, you saw blackness.

And then when you came to, you were standing in the middle of Liyue Harbor. The world seemed duller but it was real. No one paid any mind to you, so you assumed you were a ghost.

It’s nice to still be able to watch the sun rise high above your hometown.

There’s no panic, no rush to find out what’s going on, you don’t need to. Your hands travel to your throat and the horrific wound is gone. In fact, all of the scrapes and bruises and imperfections on your body were gone. Death brings solace, you humor.

Your peaceful moment was interrupted by two frantic voices. They catch the attention of everyone in the area, including you, and you spin around quickly.

Xiao.

“Break the contract, please, Zhongli-” His voice is frazzled, filled with a sadness the living can’t understand. “I can’t live without them.”

You looked down at your left hand, heart shattering at the absence of the jade ring. Right. You were going to marry Xiao later that year. Not anymore.

A hundred thousand memories of sweet kisses and long nights flooded into your mind. They caused you to hold your breath, too many emotions crashing through your tired form. You felt like crying but couldn’t (ghosts didn’t have tears, you guessed).

You’re standing right in front of the love of your life and he can’t see you.

Maybe it’s a good thing he can’t see you because Xiao already looked wrecked. His eyes were puffy and red and his hair was disheveled. Unhealed scratches wound his arms like ribbon. You had been with Xiao for years, through the good and the bad, and never once had you ever seen him in this state.

He’s pleading still and Zhongli has an indescribable expression on his face. “I can’t,” His voice is barely a whisper, “You know I can’t.”

Xiao wails, falling to his knees. Zhongli feels his pain, you know he does, yet he won’t put him out of misery. You watch as Zhongli bends down and lifts the adeptus into his arms, swiftly walking away from the crowd. You follow ensuite and Xiao’s eyes are hazy, staring through you over Zhongli’s shoulder.

“I’m right here.”

But he doesn’t hear you.

The brightness of the sun, will give me just enough To bury my love, in the Moondust I long to hear your voice, but still I make the choice To bury my love, in the moondust

You begin to follow Xiao around. Not that he goes anywhere, too heartbroken to move, but you keep watch of him like he once did for you.

He resorts to staying in Zhongli’s apartment. The consultant isn’t around most of the day and Xiao rarely leaves his bed. His tears stain the satin pillowcase and he curls upon himself. Sometimes you stand in the doorway and stare, other times you muster up enough courage to go and sit on the unoccupied side of the bed.

The first time you touch Xiao again is at night. He’s crying and without thinking, you wrap your body around his. His chest is pressed against yours and you press your lips to his shoulder.

It’s not warm anymore. In fact, it feels like nothing.

But still, you hold Xiao until he’s asleep. You don’t let go all night, opting to watch your beloved finally get some rest. You wonder if this is how it’s going to be for the rest of eternity? Would you follow Xiao around aimlessly for centuries more?

Or maybe you’re just stuck here. You recall a saying from an elder in Liyue years ago, “Spirits with unfinished business can’t move.”

You decided then that you were going to help him move on, help Xiao bury his love for you.

Nothing can breath, in the space Colder than, the darkest sea I have dreams about the days, driving through your sunset breeze But the first thing, that I will do Is bury my love for you

There’s no book about being a ghost. You have to figure it out on your own and you’ve never been more grateful no one can see you go straight through the wall for the third time that hour. Over time, you create your own handbook in your mind, jotting down anything you discover as your time as a dead person entails.

Within the first week, you understand that no one can see you, hear you, or feel you. And while you can vaguely touch objects and people, the sensation is different than when you were alive. Every human trait was thrown out the window - you don’t need to sleep, breathe or eat and drink anything.

You attend your funeral exactly a week after your body was discovered and someone propped your sword against your casket. You try to grasp it, to pick it up, but you only manage to push it over with a gust of nonexistent wind. It clambers to the floor, the funeral parlor growing silent, and you take this as your cue to leave.

You wondered if Xiao, or anyone of that matter, could sense you at least. Even if Xiao couldn’t see you, just him knowing you were there would ascend you to the afterlife (right?).

You also find out you can’t leave Liyue. There’s an invisible border keeping you trapped in the country and, frankly, you don’t mind. Xiao won’t leave Liyue so you don’t need to leave Liyue. But sometimes you get anxious that one day Xiao will leave Liyue and never return. And if you haven’t accomplished your goal yet, would you truly be stuck as a monster among men?

The brightness of the sun, will give me just enough To bury my love, in the Moondust I long to hear your voice, but still I make the choice To bury my love, in the moondust

On particularly good days, Xiao talks to you. Zhongli was gone early one morning and Xiao pulled himself out of bed and to the living room, opting to open the blinds and see sunlight for the first time in weeks.

You sit on the coffee table with your legs criss-crossed as Xiao mumbles desolate words.

“I keep just wishing I would wake up dead. I miss you so much.”

You frown. “I’m here, I’m right here.”

But he can’t hear you. “You aren’t here to make me laugh at your stupid jokes anymore. And I just...I should have been there! I should have-”

His voice cracks and you move off the coffee table, wrapping your arms around his quivering body. You try to press yourself against him, squeeze your arms so tight that he’ll feel you, but you can’t. You can’t kiss his chapped lips and move your bodies so he’s curled into the crook of your neck.

Sometimes, you watch Xiao hurt himself. He digs his nails into his arms or thighs until he draws blood, only to push it all away and scream into the ground. You want to snap him out of him, tell him to stop doing that to himself, but you can only sit and stare.

You were nothing to Liyue - a common human who added nothing of importance to society. Yes, your death was sad for many people but the world kept turning. Xiao, on the other hand, was so special. He was the Vigilant Yaksha - the people of Liyue needed him forever.

“I miss you. I love you. I miss you.”

I'm a cast away, and men reap what they sow And I say what I know, to be true Yeah I'm living far away, on the face of the moon I've buried my love to give the world to you

Xiao goes out sometimes. It’s either to patrol the city or on a walk with Zhongli. It’s not much but it's an improvement. Like always, you follow him.

He’s started to have nightmares, waking up in a rush. He used to comfort you when you had nightmares and it pains you that you can’t return the favor. You try, by God, you try. You run your hands down his back comfortingly but Xiao only cries harder.

When Xiao sees Ganyu for the first time in months and she gives him homemade almond tofu, he smiles. It’s small and quick but you see it.

Growing up, you had thought that the living mourned the dead. When your grandmother died, you felt broken for a while, but that pain was minimal compared to this. Having to live endless days as an invisible soul while the living grieved was unbearable.

When no one is around, Xiao breaks down. He hurts himself, insults himself and wishes for you endlessly. When Xiao tries to jump off the roof of the apartment complex in the middle of the night and survives with only an injured arm, you realize he’s pushing his body. He’s trying to kill himself.

So, you scream.

Every waking hour of the day you scream.

“I’m right here, Xiao! I love you and I’m right here! I’m sorry for being careless and getting killed but you aren’t ready to join me yet!”

You know he doesn’t hear you, he can’t hear you, and yet Xiao slowly stops hurting himself.

The brightness of the sun, will give me just enough To bury my love, in the Moondust I long to hear your voice, but still I make the choice To bury my love, in the moondust

It takes a year for Xiao to finally begin to cope with your death and you know your journey will be coming to end soon.

He still talks to you except now it’s hopeful and filled with acceptance. On the anniversary of your death, he travels to the Dragon-Queller early in the morning. He sits down in the spot he used to take you to and rubs the grass softly, as if motioning for you to sit down next to him.

You do.

“I’m leaving Liyue next week.”

A million feelings run through your veins. You want to throw up, scream, cry. Is a week enough time to get Xiao to move on from you? Had he already moved on? There were too many questions you couldn’t fucking ask.

You can’t bear to listen to the rest. Your feet travel on their own, taking you far away from Xiao and back into the heart of Liyue Harbor. You didn’t know where you were until you heard a voice call out for you.

“Hey, you!”

You were imagining voices now. You felt sick to your stomach.

“Y/N!”

A short, young woman came into your view and you finally looked up. You had walked right into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Hu Tao was staring at you, not through you.

“I knew you were still here.”

Hu Tao could see you.

It didn’t make sense but you didn’t have time to make it make sense. Without thinking, you cried out to Hu Tao and begged her to help you save Xiao, save yourself.

“I want to go with him,” You say.

“But you can’t.”

“Then he’s going to forget about me.”

Hu Tao chuckled softly, “You think Xiao would forget about you?”

You don’t answer. Maybe it was you that didn’t want to forget about Xiao. Either way, it hurts. “He’s going to fall in love with someone new and-”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

It was. You wanted Xiao to be happy without you, to learn to love again. You wanted him to bury his love for you so you could both be free.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Hu Tao says, “Xiao will find you again one day.”

She clasps her hands together and reaches them out to you. You look down and see a moving image of Xiao. He’s still talking softly, this time with a small smile on his lips. You close your eyes suddenly, not wanting to see anymore. You step outside of the funeral parlor and whisper “I love you” into the wind.

The sun is shining high in the sky when Teyvat begins to disappear from your vision.

Maybe in another life you and Xiao will spend forever together. You’ll have a grand wedding, start a family, and grow old together like you should have. But for now, you’ll see him from the moon.

[sellyoursoulforagoodfic]

Fated Part 2

Ares x reader

Word Count: 1230

Summary: Ares is hurt, and you are pissed.

When you arrived, Hera was nowhere to be found, but Thanatos was already waiting outside the bedroom door.

“You’re not taking him, little brother,” you warned icily.

He looked sad as he replied, “That has yet to be decided. You and I can quarrel about secrets later. You being with him will strengthen his spirit. Go.”

You kept your eyes trained on him as you walked past to enter the bedroom, but he didn’t so much as twitch from his post. The sight inside the spacious bedroom, however, was one that you knew instantly would haunt you until the end of time.

Hera stood next to the bed, a piece normally piled with comfortable red and golden throws that was now covered only in the stark white sheets that served to highlight how Ares’ normally beautifully dark complexion was a sickly grey color.

Apollo, the god of healing, was speaking to her softly not noticing your entrance. “There isn’t anything more I can do for him,” he was saying. “Now, we just have to give him time to see if he pulls through. Though with Thanatos lingering outside the way he is . . .” His tone made it abundantly clear what he thought of Than.

“Do not speak of my brother in such a way,” you ordered. “If there’s nothing more for you to do, then leave.” You’d already had a low opinion of this Olympian based on what Ares let slip about the event that drove him to Thrace in the first place; this commentary certainly wasn’t helping endear him to you.

His golden eyes--so disturbingly similar to your family’s trademark color yet so violently different in the type of glow--snapped over to you, shining brightly with his anger. “And who are--”

“She’s right,” Hera interrupted, clearly wanting to calm the brewing fight. “Ares would not want us here longer than necessary. He will be well cared for in her hands.”

“And who exactly is she?”

“The wife of Lord Zeus’s only legitimate heir,” was her lofty reply. Normally, you’d hate to hear the scorn in Hera’s voice as she talked down on Zeus’ other children, but right now you just wanted them out.

Clearly flabbergasted, Apollo finally stormed out without a word.

“Watch over him,” was Hera’s command before she, too, left.

Which left you alone and finally able to get a good look at the prone form on the bed.

As you’d noticed before, his skin had taken on a grey edge to it. Even the war paint-like streak around his eyes--already bone white normally--looked somehow paler. His armor was missing, presumably to dress his wounds, and you didn’t care enough presently to locate it. In fact, all of his usual clothing was missing; the only thing covering him from the waist down was that white sheet. You assumed that meant he had no injuries where he was covered since it would have just gotten in the way of healing him.

The thing that drew your attention after that initial scan was the line of burn-like marks diagonally across his chest, each in the shape of a link in a chain, all an angry red that almost matched the color of his eyes. An alarmingly human color on a god of Olympus. Still, the wounds at least didn’t seem to be open or infected. Apollo’s work, no doubt.

His breath was shallow as you gently brushed his light colored hair out of his face. “What happened to you, my love?”

“According to Hermes, giants. They caught him and bound him in an urn for the last thirteen months.” At some point, Thanatos had apparently entered.

Your hand delicately traced the shape of your husband’s face. You said nothing.

“The Olympians are frightened. They now know exactly what it will take to kill a god.”

“Will this?” Your voice was so painfully close to cracking you squeezed your eyes shut for a moment upon hearing it. “Kill him, that is?” Tears threatened to well up in your eyes, but you blinked them back; crying could wait until you were alone.

A gentle, cool hand rested on your shoulder. “Even I don’t know what our sisters have planned.” Thanatos hesitated. “I should have noticed. He and I see each other frequently, and still I failed him in a way he would never have failed me.”

“I am his wife, Than, and I didn’t notice. Your crime is no greater than my own.”

“Then perhaps it is no one’s fault,” he mused. “If you have not already thought of it, I’d recommend sticking to nectar to nourish him since ambrosia may prove too much for his current state.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, sister. I must take my leave; I have mortals to collect. I . . . pray I won’t need to return.” There was another pause. “And congratulations on your marriage. For what it’s worth, I’m happy to hear that Fate worked itself out in that regard.” A bell tolled behind you immediately after that, signaling his departure. 

“Thank you,” you repeated in the silence that followed.

And so began your vigil.

Your first action once you were able to will yourself away from his side even for a moment was to drag one of the room’s couches over to the bedside so you wouldn’t be horribly uncomfortable. Then you went hunting for his most prized belongings: his armor and swords. Fortunately, they were right where they were supposed to be--in the armory. Likely, they transported themselves back home while he was trapped judging from the dried giant blood caked on them and the fact that his family would never have such care for his things.

You gathered them in your arms, unflinching in the face of the seething rage the pieces emitted. “I know,” you murmured as you gathered the tools you’d need to clean and sharpen them. They calmed somewhat upon recognizing your presence. “I’m going to take care of you,” you continued. “Revenge will be yours soon enough.”

His breastplate, the most sentient piece, would need to be cleaned first. It would have to go to Hephaestus soon to replace the various torn clasps--you absolutely did not let your mind linger on how they got that way--but for now you could rid it of the blood and mud. Cleaning each piece to its original beauty, to Ares’ standards was a task reminiscent of particularly vengeful gods, but you were glad for the work. It kept your hands busy in the breaks between carefully dripping nectar into your husband’s mouth, made the days pass by faster it seemed. Your mouth never stopped moving as your regaled both Ares and the items of every passing thought that crossed your mind as you worked.

After that came the swords he normally kept strapped to his back. Still you talked. As you cleaned. As you sharpened. As you gazed longingly at his slack face. Thankfully this time passed without visits from either the Olympians or Thanatos. Your brother’s absence specifically, you took as a good sign.

Your voice was beginning to go rough from use by the time you started tending to his main weapon, the sword with the vicious curve and an edge stained red with the blood of those that’d fallen to it.

Your grip tightened on the hilt when an equally rough voice said, “When is the last time you slept, my love?”

[ranmanjuu]

titled “shin shin”.txt

came across a post... a long, long while ago about a god of death type reader and got super interested, since of all the cyikemen games, ikesen is the one most surrounded by death on a larger scale (cause, war and stuff), so i wrote this at... 2020? almost one year before, at 21th of july. i had more of it written, but i really didn’t like it cause it felt too “quirky wattpad reader” and plus me just copying from the original prlogue without adding anything, so... yeah. enjoy!

(also, very important that anyone who wants to do whatever with this idea, feel free, no need to ask me)

You didn’t like your existence

To call it “your life” would be simply wrong; you don’t breathe, you don’t eat, you don’t sleep. All you are is a walking, talking existence that has a job to do until you fade away. You didn’t even like your job.

To lead a soul from their death to the Land of the Dead was a grim job. You learnt their regrets, their anger, their sadness, all which you knew was personal. But you had to be there. You had to ensure that their soul is at peace, so when the time comes to cross to the afterlife, they don’t get reincarnated as a ghost, stuck forever with their past emotions.

Shinigami, was your kinds’ name. God of Death.

You were a part of the blanket term ‘yokai’, or as some would call in other names such as ‘ayakashi’. Those who fall under the category were spirits, demons, animal-like creatures, or, similar to you, gods. For as long as you’ve known, supernatural creatures didn’t mesh with humans well most of the time.

Fear of unknown from both parties led to anger, rashness, and cut communication and involvement altogether for perhaps half your life.

You’ve existed for long; you stopped remembering the exact number after 1.000 years. All you did now was remember the year you came to the world, and do the math. But that doesn’t matter much, does it? The only thing you concerned yourself with is when you’ll fade away.

However, for your own sake, you do take a break. Such a job is heavy for the heart, and a walk doesn’t help as much, but it’s a nice thing nonetheless.

Kyoto. You were just done leading a soul that got caught in a traffic accident. You never traveled outside of the country, but would it really matter if you did? You still appreciated everything as it were; there has to be some light in a life to look forward to.

This particular city was rich in human history, you knew that. Maybe it’d be a fun thing to do, even if you didn’t have much an interest in it.

“All your famous warlord knowledge, packed in a mag! Come get one now!” A boy’s shouts filled the nearby streets, attracting attention from the occasional passerby’s. Including you. A Quick Guide To Your Warlords, the magazine read on the cover. Sounds interesting, and you were bored, so you took one and stuffed it in your pocket.

With a blank mind, you were brought forth to a temple by your wandering legs. Honno-ji. A small, quiet, quaint place. The setting sky burned up above as the small cries of the crickets sounded all around.

You’ve heard some stories of the small memorial in front of you. One of the unifiers of Japan died here—betrayed, as you remembered. But you can’t draw an exact name.

While drowning in your thoughts, the approaching presence coming to you was acknowledged but not paid mind to further. Until you shift your eyes to the side as said figure was in your peripheral vision—a man dressed in a lab coat. The two of you said no words, only continuing to gaze at the stone in front of you.

You only started to react when the sky above you turned darker and darker—not by the setting sun, but by the awfully black and almost purple clouds gathering up above you. That’s unusual, you’ve never seen anything like that in your life.

The once bright and bold sky now rained down drops of water on your face. You didn’t even notice you shifted to your human form—and a look at your hands covered in specks of droplets confirmed that.

“What poor timing.” The man next to you said, causing your eyes to glance at him. He looked solemnly to the monument, then to you, “Are you alright? Do you have an umbrella?”

“No, unfortunately. I didn’t expect it to rain. . .” your eyes linger to above his head, where a set of numbers and a small text was visible to you only. The death profile, as the others call. A set of information that shinigamis can see in most creatures, usually entailing their names, time of death, and cause of it.

It’s a cursing bit of information; always reminding you of what you are.

Out of nowhere, a thunder ripped through the clouds and hit directly on the small monument—a loud crackle following along. Your arm flew up to protect the man next to you by reflex, as your body stood there in momentary shock. You’ve seen death by  lightning, but that was unlikely to happen now.

You whipped your head towards the human next to you, who seems the slightest bit appalled, but stood his ground. A strange thing catches your attention. . .

His death date. It’s flickering—changing.

From a century where he was supposed to die. . .to the 15-16th century.

A date of death changing has been a rare thing that happens, however unlikely, but—it’s never jumped that far before! To the past, too?

Utter shock froze you in place as the numbers flicker back and forth, leading your attention away from everything else—him asking you if you were okay, and most importantly—

—the black ball that formed where the stone was.

“Watch ou—“ before you can warn the man, the image of him next to you twisted and distorted, slowly getting sucked in whatever it was.

And so were you.

Wait! He isn’t supposed to die yet—!

The world faded to black.

       Ugh. . .my head. . .

Your vision fades in and out, clear then blurry, until you’re finally wide awake. The scenery around you changed drastically, what was first a small place in the city of Kyoto is now. . .a dark forest. You’ve seen this kind of environment before in your memories—you just don’t know how you got here.

The lab coat guy—!

You immediately stood up from the dirt beneath you, looking around and trying to sense his soul around you. Nothing. Pursing your lips in slight unease, you started making your way through the criminally underlighted woods.

You’ve roamed around in the forest before. Most of your time on this world, you didn’t settle in a house or anything, you preferred to just wander around like a lost ghost. You didn’t have a need for one—you don’t need shelter, not food, not clothes, nor drinks. You were a lost ghost.

The branches and rocks and whatever else you tripped on didn’t bother you. All you were focusing on is now just. . .walking. Without even a set destination. The only guidance you had was the occasional moonlight that peeked through the trees up above.

As minutes pass by, you start feeling a faint presence of human souls.

It’s distant, and not much from how weak it is, but I should go and see.

All other senses were rendered useless for now as you focused on the source of the souls, and slowly marched your way to it. It grew closer and closer, until you saw a faint light coming in the middle of the forest.

Two people, you now concluded. Your footsteps remained silent and your presence unknown as you creep near the light.

A fire was set in a small clearing, and you can now see the two people. A man with dark hair, dressed in monk’s clothes and a scar marking his face, with another feminime-looking boy, purple-haired in armor.

“Are you ready for this, Ranmaru?” The monk spoke in a low voice. “You’re about to kill the demon. Bring him down for good.”

Kill, huh. An assassination was about to commence.

“. . .Yes, Master Kennyo.” The boy—Ranmaru—spoke, wavering in unease but still tried to be certain.

‘Master Kennyo’ smiled; a bitter, unresting one, “Good. They’ve light the fire at Honno-ji, arrive there and kill him. I will follow shortly once the fire has spread,”

“. . .Understood.”

Clutching his sword until it shook in his hand, Ranmaru turned around and walked off from the clearing.

You overheard the conversation and calmly watched his figure fade away. It isn’t your place to intervene—not if this is fate, but even so—you’ll follow him. At least you can rest the soul of the victim.

In silent steps trailing him, you heard a last piece from Kennyo. “Finally, we’ll have our revenge. . .”

      You took your time in following Ranmaru’s path. If whoever’s assassinated dies, it’s soul will still remain until they can go to the afterlife. Time stops for them as long as it takes to get their soul guided away from the living land. Is it immoral in a way? Perhaps.

Unless. . .you can stop them from getting killed. But often when you try to intervene, the death happens either way.

So what’s the point?

Nihilistic thoughts aside, you sensed more human souls coming your way; five, from what you can tell. But you paid no mind to that. Until it got nearer, and nearer, and nearer, and—

“Oof.” In your blank stated mind, you bumped into someone, causing them to huff in surprise. You yourself paused and looked—a brown haired man wearing red armor, “Hey, watch where you’re going—!”

His complaints died on his tongue as soon as he finally saw who he bumped into. His expression, from a slightly irritated frown, turned more into one of confusion, “Huh? Hey, what’s someone like you doing here in the woods? Nighttime, also? Such weird clothing, too. . .”

His spoken words made you raise an eyebrow, “Ignoring all that, I’m sorry for bumping into you. I just had some business is all.”

“In the dead of night? What are you, an. . .enchantress? Those stories of w-witches in the forest?” The man’s voice wavered more with each passing word. The quirk in your eyebrow deepens.

“I assure you, I’m not—“

“Yuki~! We leave you for a few seconds and you’ve already found yourself a partner?” A velvet and rich voice arose from behind the dark bushes and trees, all of them being pushed aside to reveal an auburn haired man, this one more built in his body.

The one you’ve been talking to—Yuki—blushed and shook his head vehemently, “Ugh, no! I’m not like you; we just bumped into each other is all. And I think it’s some kind of witch, too—”

The redhead man tutted at Yuki in a disapproving manner, “Now, now, Yuki. Have I not taught you how to talk properly in front of such a beauty all this time?” His attention turns to you, and in a second, his eyes lit in passion, “Forgive me for his prudeness, my goddess, dear Yuki needs a lot more lessons than I thought. However. . .if you want to be with a real man, I’m always up for service.”

“Will you stop flirting with everything you meet. It’s disgusting.”

Three more people emerge from the shadows, the small bits of moonlight pouring to their features. The one who spoke was a blond one, cladded in blue armor and with eyes that said he wanted to have nothing to do with any of this.

“But Kenshin, you can’t just turn away at such a beauty laid in front of your eyes.” The flirt replied to the cold comment with a smirk.

“Stop. Or I’ll kill you.”

The bickering of the two were left unnoticed as another man with dark blue hair stepped up, far closer than what you were expecting. His hand reaches and caresses lightly on your clothes, “I have never seen such a design or material like this before. How fascinating. Would you like to switch with one of my kimonos?”

“Yoshimoto, I’ve already claimed them! Don’t steal them right under my nose.” Flirt Man threw a light complaint, turning away from Kenshin for a moment.

“Art is to be appreciated by everyone, Shingen.” Yoshimoto simply responds, now tugging lightly at the sleeves of your shirt.

Okay, you’ll admit it. You’re slightly overwhelmed.

So far, you haven’t said anything, mainly because you don’t want to. It feels like anything you say won’t make the situation better anyway. But still. . .even in your long life, this is quite bizzare.

You observed each of them one by one. Then your eyes landed to the last one, the same brown haired man you saw earlier. Now, in. . .some sort of ninja attire. While you tilted your head in slight curiosity, you’re at least satisfied to see he was safe.

And his death date has changed, too. . .

Speaking of death, you’re finally reminded of following. . .who was it, Ranmaru? to an assassination.

Gently freeing yourself from Yoshimoto’s admiring touches to your clothes, you bowed slightly in front of them, “I appreciate meeting all of you, but I have to go.”

You don’t see Sasuke opening his mouth to say something, and neither do the others, as you walked off to the darkness.

       You thought by losing your way from your unofficial guide, you wouldn’t find the destination. But luckily, even going in the same direction as he did led you to it. Honno-ji. This time, it’s in the midst of drowning in fire. You made your way through the front door and entered where the fire wouldn’t reach you—but it wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

And in the middle of the room not yet entirely covered in flames, was who you assume the victim, sleeping. The cause of death, “died in an assassination while the building was set on fire”, said as much. Dressed in black armor, you could tell he was important, somehow. Not everyone can casually wear one, despite the past few people you’ve met been donning it.

The text displayed above the man’s head displayed the same old. Nobunaga Oda.

On the other side, you see a silhouette approaching steadily, sword in hand. Ranmaru, you guessed. You double checked yourself to make sure you weren’t visible to the human’s eye, and you were just fine with watching another death as you have—

Until, for the second time today, the death date for Nobunaga Oda flickered.

You froze as what was 21st of July, 1582, blinked into a later date. Much later.

What. . .?! That was the second time today—what am I supposed to—

Your chest felt heavy, and your hands trembled in uncertainty of what you should do. Do you save him? Watch him die? Would he even die at this moment? Or would it be later? You’ve never been in this position—the answer was always clear. And now you’re terrified.

Your body swayed back and forth violently, as two sides fought in your head of what to do. But time was running out—he’d be assassinated if you didn’t take this chance. And he’d die. That’s the same as you killing him, you thought, and you’ve sworn to never do such a thing.

From your disarrayed thoughts, your legs moved on their own and walked to him. You’re saving him, then.

[inkdemonapologist]

Some of my doodles for Session Six of our Call of Cthulhu game!! We finally got back up with that potion-maker from Last Loop and tried to explain EVERYTHING to her, since she’s the one who seemed the most ready to believe us last time (Also, we saw her voluntarily possessed by a spirit at one point, so it seemed like it would be a good starting point to explain some of our problems).

This went.... chaotically, as there are 0 tells for who’s talking and everyone was very insistent on contributing to the conversation. The alive versions of Sammy and Joey mostly stayed out of this mess.

ALSO!! WE’VE PICKED UP SOME NEW INSANITIES! Henry has a mania that compels him to draw/document everything he learns (in case we lose memories or loop again), Sammy still has the mask thing, Joey’s picked up an obsession with symmetry after witnessing his body horrifically transformed by a corruption across half of it, and Sammy, after seeing the Star Pool lurker’s indescribably horrible non-ink-demon form, is filled with a terrified respect for it and has become strangely deferential. I DID NOT EXPECT SAMMY’S SANITY DROPS TO LINE UP SO PERFECTLY FOR CANON PROBLEMS, 

Anyway, have some more out-of-context quotes!! Some of these are just conversation because imagining people trying to hold a conversation with three different voices coming out of “Henry” is my favourite thing now.

[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (inkcryptid), and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]

[Sammy] *summarising* (So we're gonna run by Josephine and see if she has anything that maybe we should know, uh, based on our current predicament, which has gotten even more complicated than the previous time we talked to her, which hasn't happened yet!)

[Alive!Sammy] Is something wrong? [Henry] No! No, everything's fine. Let's go. [Alive!Joey] ...I don't think anything's been RIGHT for a while...

[Sammy] (Are we, as a, uh, unit -- do we have the mask on?)

[Ghost!Joey] There's... three of us in here? [Ghost!Sammy] Sure, that's a normal thing to say!

[GM] Josephine looks like she is trying to figure out what to say, but she is having... trouble. [Ghost!Joey] Have you ever had someone... hang out with you... during the festival? Like, kind of, possession? [GM] She raises an eyebrow, but nods, and says "Yes, that's part of my duty, as a leader of this religion." [Ghost!Sammy] Fantastic. That seems to be happening to us. [Ghost!Joey] We're not, exactly sure how we managed to get... in the past again... but we're -- *points with Henry's non-sketching hand over at the live ones* [Joey] Live!Joey just confusedly shrugs and sips his coffee. [GM] "...Uh, go back a minute."

[GM] "And you don't know how this happened?" [ghost!Joey] Not exactly? I -- [Henry] Sammy fell into a Star Pool, and Joey got killed, or, was a host for the cultists. [ghost!Joey] I don't know if I got killed, but, [Henry] Well, you looked goopy. [ghost!Sammy] I don't know what was going on with me, either; I still seemed to be running around. [Henry] Also very goopy.

[ghost!Joey] So, that's a confusing answer! Um. Let's pretend *points at alive!Joey* that he didn't listen to you, and he went up to the Star Pools anyway, without the potion, and then something happened up there that resulted in whatever is happening to us now, which included us losing our memories and waking up later as the same... entity, but we didn't know for a while, and.... uh... it looks like the last time we saw our bodies that weren't alive and human still, they looked... corrupted by the Star Pools. [ghost!Joey] Do you know what might've happened to cause all that? [GM] "...I think there's a lot to unpack there," she says.

[GM] And, indeed, one of them has turned up a pair of gloves! It's somewhat worn, but they don't have holes or anything. Though they might not match your ensemble. [Joey] As long as they match each other, that's fine! [GM] They do that. [Sammy] (I mean, Henry has-- not to rag on Henry's fashion sense, as a man who's worn nothing but the same shirt and suspenders for twenty years, but Henry doesn't have much of an ensemble going on, really.)

[chatting while Joey's player steps away for a moment] [Sammy] Sorry for making you guys deal with Alive!Sammy; Ghost!Sammy genuinely doesn't know how to argue for this. [Sammy] It's like, yeah I dunno! Sounds like a raw deal! [Henry] Henry also doesn't know how to argue for this, it's like, Hey! Do you want a whole bunch of awful, horrible, terrible memories? ....No? Oh. [Sammy] CANT IMAGINE WHY!! [Sammy] Like, please? I'd like my body back? ...it's your body, we'd be sharing it-- but not like this situation, uh, [Henry] Just please, take... I have... take Sammy back. [Sammy] Could you take this off of my hands, I'm really tired of dealing with it, [Henry] I love 'im. But I need a break. Please come take your lost.... self. [GM] Your wayward self. [Henry] Who's this sassy lost child. [Joey] *re-entering chat* Ah, we're talking about Sammy. [Sammy] OH MY GOSH.

[Henry] I ROLLED A ONE HUNDRED! [Sammy] Henry is VERY tired and distracted. [GM] Henry's sketching again. He was left unattended for a bit and he's sketching again. [Henry] Yup, [Sammy] *sputters* HE CAN'T BE LEFT UNATTENDED, WE'RE BOTH HERE [Joey] HE LITERALLY CAN'T!! [Sammy] THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM!! SAMMY WOULD LOVE TO LEAVE HENRY UNATTENDED!!!

[Sammy] Is the voice familiar? [Joey]  Is it the Lurker's? [GM] A bit...? [Henry] A bit familiar or a bit like the Lurker's? [GM] ...Yes.

[ghost!Sammy] Joey, what do you think it was? [ghost!Joey] I think it has something to do with our situation, and perhaps the fact that-- [ghost!Sammy] "OUR SITUATION" doesn't really clear anything up, that could be a LOT of things right now!

[Sammy] Sammy doesn't want to be back in the actual time we belong in! He's dead in that one!

[Sammy]  I guess it's also Alive!Sammy's turn. I don't, uh, [Sammy]  ...there's too many Sammys, [Joey] (Alive!Sammy just goes WHAT THE FUCK) [Sammy]  Yeah, I don't think he's prepared, when he turns the corner, to find cultists with swords, and Henry immediately drawing a gun and screaming at them; I don't think he's prepared for any of this, or has a game plan for what to do in case this happens, other than just, yelling, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” [GM] at Henry, or the cultists? [Sammy]  ....BOTH????

[Joey] Does Joey know of any way to interrupt magic? [GM] Injuring someone is a good, classic way to do that.

[GM] So, you can do an attack, whether it's with the gun or with your fists! [Sammy] *flipping through character sheet* I mean, I feel like I'm probably not just shooting him, I-- wHEN DID YOU ADD "DUSTPAN" TO MY WEAPONS???

[Sammy] The idea of Joey just continuously accidentally killing people is REALLY funny to me.

[Sammy] This is going MUCH better than the last time that we fought anybody! [Joey] Apparently Joey just needs to be really angry, and then my dice are like, “yeah, you can kill people.”

[GM] *flipping through the rules* Here we go, "Disrupted spellcasting, for example, if they are shot!" Well, okay then-- [GM] ......ohhh. [Sammy]  Uh, [Henry] "Oh?" [GM] HM! ........ let me get a d8. [Henry] Concern...???? [Sammy]  It's probably fine. It's... it's probably fine. [GM] ........ [GM] Uh..... huh. Well. That's an 8. [Sammy]  On the d8. [GM] Yyyeah,..... you disrupted his, casting,,, it's not a serious spell so most of this stuff is not extreme, but I rolled an 8, and that says, [GM] "A mythos monster is accidentally summoned." [Sammy]  WHAT?? [Henry] WHAT??? [Sammy] WHAT???? [Joey] *dying of laughter in the background* [Sammy]  I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS AN OPTION??? OKAY!!! [GM] I didn't think it was, at this level of spell!! [Sammy]  Remember when I said that this was going well? I NEED TO STOP SAYING THINGS.

[Joey] How is Sammy putting on the mask? [Sammy] With his.... hands...? [Joey] No, like, how is it laying on his head, [Sammy] OH.

[Joey] Ghost!Joey would like to turn it so it's like, in the middle of his head. But like, on forehead, so that they can still see. [Henry]  (A fancy visor!) [Sammy] (...you can still see if it’s on the side...) [Joey] (Joey would really like it if we, put it in the middle.) [Sammy] (...I FORGOT YOU HAVE A SYMMETRY THING)

[GM] You felt, when Sammy and the cult leader were both giving the Lurker commands, that there was a kind of tug-of-war going on there, and it seems like the cult leader won that round. [Henry]  Wait, we can give the Lurker commands? [Joey] We're allies. [Sammy] Yeah, we're the host. [Henry]  Oh, um, [Sammy] Sammy asked it for help! It didn't, uh... this is how things always go for Sammy, so, I feel like this is correct.

[Sammy] (...Henry pulls out a gun, someone tries to grab him and he just bashes that person over the head, Joey tries to help by shooting this cult leader to stop him from casting a spell, and this horrible weird bendy monster is unleashed, Henry IMMEDIATELY kneels to this creature, and it starts listening to him, and he grabs the amulet and starts directing it to murder people after pulling the mask down over his face, so, yeah!! I can see that being pRETTY UNSETTLING actually!!)

[Joey] And I've already accidentally summoned a demon, somehow! [GM] This is just how Joey rolls, he just aCCIDENTALLY SUMMONS DEMONS, apparently! Even when OTHER PEOPLE are casting spells, Joey finds a way to accidentally summon a demon!

[Sammy] We do need those; those ARE our bodies running away,

[Lurker, when asked if he can shapeshift] It depends on the host! I didn't do this. It's pretty awesome, though! I feel like this is actually something that was designed to be this way, for the first time I can remember! Deliberate, you know what I mean? [Henry] “Yeah!” Henry says, not knowing what he means.

[Sammy] We're very focused on getting out of here. [Henry] We're channeling Wally Franks! [Sammy] NO! Don't channel Wally Franks! He didn't get outta there he just YELLED ABOUT IT, which is what WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW!! LET'S ACTUALLY GET OUTTA HERE!

[GM] You guys go around a corner that at least obscures you from immediate sight, though it's good the Lurker is as, uh...... [GM] ........ [GM] ........ [GM] ...uh, for lack of a better word, bendy as he is, [players explode with laughter] [GM] I TRIED, I couldn't think of anything else! [Sammy] NO I SAW THE GEARS TURNING IN YOUR HEAD

[GM] You have a small Bendy. [GM] He's blinking. [Henry] Henry is.... is having, a moment,

[Sammy] We're honoured you're joining us, but we really should get moving?

[Henry] Just let him ride on his shoulders like a kid, that'd be adorable! [Henry] Henry's having SO many emotions right now. He wants to be respectful, but also, oh my god, that's so cute?? and also my OC???? Oh my god??????

[GM] I don't think the Lurker is familiar with the concept of piggyback rides. I mean if he's asked I'm sure he's down for whatever, but, [Henry] Henry's gonna ask the Lurker if he wants to climb on his shoulders and ride. [GM] The Lurker thinks this is a FANTASTIC idea, because nobody has ever carried the Lurker around before!

[Alive!Sammy] Sammy's very pale. [Alive!Joey] You have a... Bendy now, Henry...? [Henry] Uh, kinda! This is the Lurker. [Alive!Joey] “The Lurker”? [Henry] The giant monster? He's... small now, so he's not a giant monster.

[Alive!Sammy] Henry WHAT is going on? Or, whoever you are right now, [Henry] It is me; look, I've been letting the others talk because I have no idea what's going on. I don't know... I just want to get everyone out of here alive. [GM] (What a Henry thing to say) [Alive!Sammy] *snarking* Well, we're alive SO far! Maybe don't run at people with swords, in the future? Might help with that. [Henry] That was Sammy. That wasn't me. [Joey] (*laughing* "By the way, that thing you were lecturing me about? That wasn't me, THAT WAS YOU!")

[GM] The Lurker settles down when it is clear that the hug is not a threat.

[Henry] (I AM LOSING IT! I hope you know what you've done to me!) [GM] (I was not expecting this either but here we are!!) [Henry] (Maybe it was my idea. I can't believe I've done this.)

[Joey] Alive!Joey at some point shows Bendy how to hold the pencil. [GM] He says "Oh, hey, neat!" and has an easier time. [Henry] Oh my god, cute? [Sammy] (*losing it in the background*) [Joey] I was just thinking that if he's sitting next to Henry, and he watches the Lurker fumble with the pencil enough, he's going to just, reach up and-- [Sammy] (I LOST NINE SANITY TO THIS ASSHOLE!!!) [Henry] (But he's so cute!) [Joey] (Well now he's cute, maybe you get some sanity back!) [Henry] (Like petting a cat! You get sanity back from petting the Bendy.) [Sammy] (Yes, he is adorable, I will serve him faithfully.)

[GM] Make a navigate check. [Joey] *rolls terribly* Joey doesn't know where the fuck we're going. [Henry] I missed the navigate check too. [Sammy] Ohhhh boy, we better not get lost... [Joey] Sammy, do you remember where we're going? [Sammy] Oh, don't ask Sammy. Don't ask either Sammy. [Sammy] Alive!Sammy will eventually ask "You DO know where we're going, right?" [GM] You guys..... uh, get lost! Well, let me check one thing. [GM] *rolls* [GM] ... THE LURKER, APPARENTLY, CAN GET YOU BACK TO WHERE HE APPEARED,

[GM] What a useful pocket demon. [Henry] I love our pocket demon. [Joey] I love our son... [Sammy] Joey, [Joey] Firstborn... [Henry] Adopted from a cult! [Joey] We went to Haiti and adopted a son. [Sammy] Sammy's role as third wheel here is getting weirder and weirder.

[Sammy] I can't believe Binoculars is a Bendy fan.

[Joey] (Meanwhile, Ghost!Joey remembers something? There is an inscription on the floor between the laundry room, and Josephine's room, that does not allow the passage of evil spirits. I... don't think the Lurker is going to make it past that.) [Henry] (Ohhhhhhhhh) [Sammy] (Hmm. Also... BRINGING THE LURKER in to see Josephine feels, hostile???) [Henry] (OH... I didn't think about that; he's just my kid now!)

[Joey] (I have literally no idea for Joey.) [Sammy] (Gosh, what a thing to ask... I just have to appreciate, what a thing to ask a Type Three -- "Okay, what's YOU?") [Joey] (Joey looks down at the mask, feeling all of his inner masks,,,) [Sammy] ("I'M COMPOSED OF THINGS THAT MAKE OTHER PEOPLE THINK IM SUCCESSFUL,,,")

[Ghost!Sammy] After you. [Ghost!Joey] Actually, I would feel more comfortable if you went first, [Ghost!Sammy] ...Fine. Fantastic. [Joey] (This is-- I don't know if Sammy can feel it, but this is definitely out of, still thinking about the slight guilt that ran through him when Sammy was blaming EVERYTHING on him, and telling him to keep them out of this,) [Sammy] (I mean, Sammy just thinks this is risky and wanted Joey to be the guinea pig, so, that's nice that you were thinking of him!)

[Sammy] A quick kiss won't be enough time for Sammy to like, stop bluescreening in time to react to this? So, um, uh, he- he just, uh, needs, uh, a- a minute, but he, will be, blushing furiously. I think that's the only reaction! [Joey] Perfect~ [GM] The spirit lady probably flashes him a thumbs up. [Joey] *laughing* Sammy DIES. We did all of this to get him alive again, and he just DIES. [Sammy] SLAIN INSTANTLY.

[whirlybirdwhat]

Skyjacks fic!!!  Word count: 1.5k

a name, a name, a chance

- A name is something given, and a name is something taken.

Or: a reflection on the characters and names of the crew of the Uhuru - or at least, the Captain's and his council's.

-

A name. Did they have it before the stars fell?

Maybe. 

They aren’t sure. They have it now, two of them, one they aren’t sure when they earned, and the other chosen entirely by them. 

The first. 

Gable. Ga-Ble. God is bright, it whispers in quiet moments. God is bright. God is blinding. 

(God is dead dead dead dead dead burned and scorned and destroyed by their own blade, the blade that gable drove through their heart, the act that made the world collapse and the seas rise and they are dead - fallen - forever)

It weighs like a stone on their shoulders. God is bright. God is blinding. God is dead.

Does it mean they are now the blinding one? The bright one? They don’t feel like it, no matter how much holy fire leaps from their swords and casts glowing light over their face. They are just… Gable.

Fallen. Wandering.

(Gable.)

It’s no wonder that they are more comfortable with the name they chose for themself - the name they picked on a whim, on a moment, all by their lonesome.

Skyjack. 

A sailor. A sailor who steals from ships, who hijacks them and takes them from their own. A sailor from the skies, free and limitless, whose horizon knows no bounds but the sun and clouds.

As a Skyjack, Gable is not fallen. 

As a Skyjack, Gable is not bright.

As a Skyjack - Gable is free, from every duty but to their crew and captain, and that is more fitting than anything they could ever dare to be.

Gable Skyjack.

Perhaps, in time, they could come to like their name.

-

A name. He’s had many. Travis Mattagot, Jolly Jack, Kevin, Puck and Neville, Johnny and Connor - names that flow past his ears like water, each more unimportant than the past. 

He likes the names. He like at the constant change, the constant new assumptions, always being what he isn’t but also what he is. 

(A changeling, never the same body, never the same form, born over and over and over again. Suppose a name could be like that too.) 

Puns, lilting off the tongue. 

His Current is one of his favorites - Travis, according to some far away islands, meaning to cross. It stings in all the worst ways, reminding him of his failures, how he could cross but Margret couldn’t, and how now, he always fails to cross into the next life. A failure, is what he is, horrible and ancient and Travis. 

(He likes it. The way it gives itself to snarls of rage only spoken by close friends, personal and horrible and wonderful. Travis. To cross. To traverse. All he couldn’t and could do at once. Wonderfully confusing.)

And, of course, who could forget Mattagot, the name of a beast, a spirit, helpful and hindrance, one that brings fortune and agony and in the same. A warning. A threat. All cursed by his enemies as they shouted Mattagot and prepared to kill but never quite succeeded. 

Obvious, like a bent card in a deck, but only if you were looking for it. 

Perfection, in a name.

(Of course, though, it isn’t real. A pretend, a fake, a mirage, smothering and covering up the name William that only was spoken when there were gambles to be made. He likes who Travis is - the skyjack, with friends and crew and triumphs.

William is… William is supposed to mean warrior. Protector. Strong willed. 

Travis isn’t William. He could never be. William could never be William.

Travis is just a fraud. A fake. Lasting one more day on a gamble and a debt and oh, if it doesn’t sting sometimes.)

He wants to be Travis. He wants to make Travis real.

He just hopes he can. 

-

A name. Jonnit is a name without a meaning, and it’s just the way Jonnit likes it. A black slate, a way to grow, room to grow, destiny forgotten in the face of something new. With nothing telling him who he is, or who he could be, just a chance to be Jonnit.

Whoever Jonnit would be. 

His parents liked to tell the story sometimes, of how they kept scratching out the names of their firstborn, looking for something fitting, something perfect for their child, their son their AnikBasrDrishSim-unnamed child. 

Then, like magic, they had asked - 

Asked…

Well, Jonnit didn’t know who they asked, probably unimportant, he’s forgotten about, but they came up with Jonnit on the spot.

Like magic, they say, and suddenly Jonnit has a name without a fate,

A chance to be who he wants.

And that’s really the trouble isn’t it? He wants to be so many things - feels like he should be so many kings, so many fates, that it’s hard to choose. Stowaway, cabin boy, apprentice, lookout, star watcher, seer, bird racer, Captain’s council, Jonnit, Jonnit, Jonnit - 

It’s so much sometimes. So, so much, when compared to Gable, who’s gentle smile seems to shine when they’re happy for once, and Travis’ seems so confident spouting what he’s not.

They know who they are. 

Jonnit wishes he knows who he was. 

(Except, he does, doesn’t he? He just isn’t him yet. Right now, he’s Jonnit, the cabin boy. He’s Jonnit, the star watcher. But someday - 

Someday he’ll be Jonnit, star in the sky, captain of a fleet of golden sails that shine like angel fire. He’ll be Jonnit the Starcatcher, Jonnit the Captain, Jonnit, the greatest Skyjack since Orimar Vale, stronger even, freer even, so strong as to help the Jonnit of the past rather than just the present.

He’s not him yet. It’s pressure, so much pressure to live up to him when he’s just Jonnit now, small and young and just starting to know what he’s doing but -

He just wishes he was.)

He will, soon.

He knows this, like how he knows the name Jonnit spreads throughout Burza Nyth and the Liquid Swords and Nordia and N’Goni, back home and through the sky. 

He’ll get there.

He just can’t wait.

-

A name. Dref Wormwood is an odd name, but a comforting one. It’s soft and able to be spoken without a stutter, and gains looks of oh, odd name, rather than oh, I know that name.

It is a comfort, because it is not him, or who he was. It is not Alistair Youngblood, heir to a red-ridden name. It is not Alister Youngblood, born to cruelty.

It is not who he was. 

(Alistair, his family calls, and it is mocking, it is horrible, Alistair Youngblood – Dref could go a hundred years without hearing it and be happy.

But yet, like all things out in the open air, it isn’t to be.)

It is not who he was, but it is who he will be. Dref Wormwood, doctor of the Uhuru. Dref Wormwood, necromancer of Orimar Vale. 

Dref Wormwood friend.

It makes him smile to hear it said, ever since Orimar sounded it out that first time. A blessing. A chance. A name.

His name.

Who he is.

It’s an odd name, but a comfort, because Dref means nothing at all, unlike the regal defender or repeller of Alistair, and Wormwood is a star and a plant and a remedy and a poison, while Youngblood is just a legacy. It’s his name. His choice. His comfort.

(When he dies, his crew does not say Alistair Youngblood. They say Dref Wormwood, friend and crewmate.

Even in the afterlife, the beyond, it makes Dref smile.) 

A comfort, yes. 

-

A name. The name Orimar is a good name. A strong name. A name that means a thousand things across a thousand islands, but a good name nonetheless. 

(It’s a remnant of a culture forgotten, a culture lost, but Orimar clings tight and does not let it go, because he more than a man, more than a Skyjack. 

He is a corsair, and corsairs are as greedy as they are free. He keeps his name and he keeps his home, because he will take the skies and home alike if it means keeping what he holds dear. He will be King. He will be Orimar, boy of something long ago.

Of this, he is certain.)

But Orimar Vale is a feared name, a terrifying name, one that strikes horror into his enemies’ hearts and makes knees and arms and everything shake. 

Orimar Vale, captain of the Uhuru - freedom, sailing in the air. Orimar Vale, the man who will be king. Orimar Vale, lover of the Bandit Queen.

Orimar Vale, immortal in legacy and now in body.

Orimar Vale is a name that will not be stopped. 

(Even if there are moments where he shakes, where he reaches out, where he takes a pause on his steps to power to shelter orphans young and old, people lost and alone, gathering them on his piece of freedom and helping them Take Flight.

He will pause, because he wants o be King, because he wants Power, but also because he wants to protect what is his. 

And he cannot do that without being human to.)

It is name, a legend, that will echo across the skies, even when people say there are no kings, because Orimar Vale is more than a king.

He is a captain. 

And that, perhaps, place in front of Orimar Vale, is the best name of all. 

[dzamie-oc]

09 - Luminescent

See, I told you guys I’d make one minors can interact with. I’m not a fully lewd dragon!

Length: 2800 words Rating: E (contains a major character death) Summary: A wizard is sent to prevent disaster from befalling a kingdom. He decides that the nearby dragon, a creature so strongly associated with greed, must die. The dragon has no idea what's going on, but now it is glowing.

-----

Once, in a wonderful kingdom, the king felt troubled. He sought first the advice of his royal alchemist, who prepared a concoction to lift his spirits. Alas, the brew had only a fleeting effect; the king thanked the alchemist for her efforts, and sought instead the advice of his court wizard. The wizard, who grumbled as always for being called from his lavish tower, nonetheless put on a smile and conjured for the king fantastical illusions, and then cast a spell to relieve the ruler. Yet again, once the wizard’s efforts had concluded, the king once more felt troubled. Finally, the king sought the advice of the seers. The wise men beheld the king, and studied the court, and conversed amongst themselves. Finally, they approached him once more with their revelation.

“Your Majesty,” one said, “it would appear that a creature of greed has infiltrated these peaceful lands. If it is not soon dealt with, its corruption may spread - such corruption is the cause of your unease.”

“A grave danger indeed,” the king said. Other kingdoms had fallen to the foul temptation of greed, and he had done his best to learn from their downfalls. Once again, he called on the alchemist and the wizard for their aid.

The alchemist shook her head sadly. “Many apologies, Your Majesty, but I have sworn against creating poisons.” And the king already knew this, so she was given her leave to return to her duties.

The wizard stepped up. “Your Majesty, I have heard tell of a dragon settling in the mountains. Surely such a beast is the cause of this greed. By your leave, I shall slay it, and keep its head for my tower, to serve as a warning so another of its kind will not come again.”

This bravery impressed the king greatly, and the wizard was granted materials with which to travel to the dragon, and the town nearby. Several aides thought that his requests were too grandiose, yet, none of them had faced a dragon or used such powerful magic, so they did not speak up. And with that, the wizard left on his quest to slay the dragon and claim the beast’s head.

----

“Hail, mighty beast!” the wizard called, standing ahead of his attendants, “I come bearing a gift of a blessing!”

The wizard knew, of course, that he was no match for such a foe. In these situations, however, he knew he must be cunning. And so, when the dragon slinked closer, supporting its long, maned body on just four rather short legs, he spun a tale.

“As a show of good faith, o dragon, permit me first a spell for the two of us: once cast, neither may injure the other, be it by claw, sword, fire breath, or magical lightning.” The dragon bowed its head in assent, and so the wizard raised his staff. When he again set it down, it was so. Curious, the dragon raised a paw to the magic-wielding human. The wizard did not flinch, and when the creature batted lightly at his body, the beast’s paw recoiled as though it, itself, had been struck. It looked at its paw, nodded, and set it down.

“My magic is that of balance,” the wizard continued, “so there may be some minor curse to every blessing, as that is the way of nature.” This was, in honesty, only half false: casting a curse invited misfortune on the caster, yet a blessing would allow him to avoid such a fate. And, as he sought fortune himself, this was what he needed to do to best the creature. “Now, if you accept my gift, what form would you have it take?”

The dragon stared at the wizard for a short time, then spoke in the tongue of dragons, “prey is growing wise to me, and it is always such an undue burden on the herds and their families. I would be grateful if you could reduce how many creatures I must kill to prolong my own life.”

The wizard nodded gravely, then raised his staff. A dark beam shot from its end, and then one of light. It spun to inspect itself, yet found no difference, save for a greatly lessened feeling of hunger. When it turned once more to inquire, one of the wizard’s attendants gasped.

“By the stars! Its mouth glows like a candle!” she exclaimed. The dragon, confused, curled its head back to hold a paw before its muzzle, opened its jaws, and watched the orange-yellow light shine off of its scales.

“You should need eat merely one or two deer per week, great dragon,” the wizard explained, “and although I apologize for the curse, it is my sincere hope that the blessing outweighs it.” With that, he and his entourage took their leave to rest in a house near the nearby village. Once they were suitably far away from the dragon, he explained his plan, “of course, such a glow will scare off all prey. The beast will starve, and I will return with its head, to revel in His Majesty’s bountiful generosity at a job well done.”

This proved true, as, over the following weeks, the dragon found that his glowing maw would never fail to startle his quarry and ensure its escape. And so, after much thought, the dragon retreated to the darkest corner of its cave. When it heard the faint sounds of hooves or paws on the rocky floor, it opened its jaws and used the light, not as a warning, but as a lure. True to the wizard’s promise, too, it felt full after merely two wolves, and it was not until the following week that hunger struck once more, for one, single deer. And in the meantime, it busied itself observing its territory, and the nearby human town. So long as it allowed itself one or two days to feed, it was still able to do as it pleased.

And so, after an entire month, the wizard returned to the dragon’s cave. There, he did not find a corpse, or even a dreadfully weakened wyrm. Instead, it rested, curled like a large, maned snake, and regarded him with a thankful smile. “Oh, wizard, I must admit, I had not expected your spell to hold. Yet it has done as you promised, and I will surely remember your kind action.”

That his blessing had truly outshone his curse irritated the wizard, yet he could not let it show. “Friend dragon, if I may consider you such, that is wonderful news. I had returned to attempt to remove its effects, both good and bad, but if you are pleased with it, I shall offer a blessing anew, in gratitude for your own gratitude.”

The dragon’s face lit up, and not only for the magical glow from within its jaws. “Friend wizard, you are far too kind. Yet, this past month has enamored me of the workings of a nearby town. I speak only as a dragon does, and so fear they would flee at my sight. If it is not too much, could you grant me the ability to speak in the human tongue, that I may more closely observe them?”

“If it is not too much?” The wizard had to keep himself from scoffing at the mockery of his well-renowned and valuable skills. “Dragon, such a thing is child’s play - although, I must warn you that, once again, it will come with a curse.” And once again, the dragon dipped its head. So, with a beam of black and a beam of white, the entire dragon began to glow softly, as though every so slightly covered in fire.

It looked at its body with visible trepidation. “A high cost, o wizard, and yet-” It stopped suddenly, and put a paw to its muzzle. “Oh, it did truly work, and how splendidly I speak! Friend wizard, please, one of my scales in thanks; I have heard that it can be transformed into five and twenty times its weight in gold.” With that, it pressed a shed scale into his hand - gently, as it was still mindful of the very first spell cast - and set about thinking on how to still hunt with its new body.

Once again, the wizard left feeling certain of his impending victory. “To talk is a trifling matter,” he explained to his attendants that night, “no creature which is not already lame and collapsed will ever fall prey to it again, and surely, it will starve.” He held up the glittering scale given to him by the beast. “And to think on its scales... why, I could return with a heap of treasure for the king, and yet quietly keep a far lesser weight in scales for myself, knowing myself to have an even greater value...”

His first prediction rang true, as the very next week, the dragon found that, while some may approach a strange, glowing hole, none would venture near a glowing dragon. It was fortunate to find a deer whose leg had given out, yet knew such luck would not hold. So, it instead flew to the village it had observed, slithering through the air as a serpent does along the ground.

It was soon approached by wary soldiers, and so took a step back. “Hold, please, and hear my words. I have been subject to an unfortunate mixed blessing at the hands of a friend wizard. I bear you no ill will, and I entreat you, please, spare for me but one deer a week on which I may sustain myself. In return, I will gladly guard your livestock, or protect your merchants through the woods - none who wish either harm would dare approach with a dragon on guard. And, should some beast or bandit prove me wrong on this, I may sate myself on them and you may keep the requested deer.”

Its well-spoken plea fared well enough to gain audience with others, and soon the village elder. She accepted its proposition without hesitation, and the dragon soon found itself many friends with the farmers, whom it would often see in the fields, the oft-traveling merchants and their family, and even a number of others who simply wished to see what all the fuss was about with the new addition to the town.

After a month, again, the wizard sought out the dragon, and when he failed to find it, he sent his attendants to ask in the village, in case they had unwittingly pilfered his quarry. They returned well before expected, with news of a glowing dragon. So the wizard invited it to his temporary house, so as not to anger the villagers with his next curse.

“Hail, dragon, I see you have found the villagers well.”

“I have indeed; they are a friendly people and have accepted me eagerly.” It beamed at him, and not only with its magical light. “No longer am I solitary, and this is a greater gift than your first.”

“Well!” the wizard exclaimed, his face tight as he suppressed his aggravation, “as a tribute for your... profound luck, would you take a third? I understand my last curse proved, shall we say, substantial, so I shall not feel slighted if-”

“Your generosity knows no bounds, friend wizard,” it eagerly replied. It wiggled its entire body, shaking its mane about before settling into a more somber expression. “Although, my request is not so optimistically fueled as before. One of the town’s young has complained of pain in her back for weeks on end, now, and it disquiets me to see her suffer as such. Is it within your power to grant the power to heal? I will gladly bear a curse for such a boon - not merely to me, but to the town.”

He thought for some time on this - he could not include the feigned “balance” curse he had used to disguise his own intentions, but at the same time, surely it would not survive long enough to discover the depth of his deception. A black beam, and a white beam, and the glowing dragon was reduced to barely a man’s height from nose to tail. “A powerful blessing comes with a powerful curse, I’m afraid. I hope I will see you again, dragon,” he concluded, and left out that he would prefer the dragon not be alive to see him in return.

The long, yet now much shorter, creature snaked out of the darkness. It soon found the girl with the hurt back, curled around her, and, in a flash of light, healed her body. She hugged it tight, tears of joy in her eyes; its eyes, too, were wet, but it did not smile. It soon flew to the village elder, who looked concerned at the dragon’s new state: both its size and its tearful visage.

“I sought a blessing from my friend once more, to be able to heal. However, you see its cost.” It gestured to its diminutive body. “No longer am I fit to guard against bandits, and should a wolf happen along while I am about, at best it may take me rather than a cow or sheep. I thank you and your village kindly for all that you have done for me, but I will not burden you with my upkeep unduly.”

It turned to leave, but before it could leap into the sky, the elder spoke up. “Now you hold it right there, dragon! If you think we’d kick you out just because you’re capable of less now, we must’ve given you a horrible impression this past month, or else you weren’t paying any attention! We didn’t abandon Yosef when he broke both arms, we didn’t abandon Rivka when she fell deathly ill for two months, and we certainly aren’t going to abandon you just because you’re a mite smaller!” She grinned at the dragon, and it stared back at her and wiped its eyes with the back of its paw. “I may not know where or who you were before, but now you’re here and ours, and most importantly, you’re us.”

It took all its restraint to not pounce at her with a joyous hug, but even with its new healing power and smaller form, it figured it was best not to risk her health, barreling into her like that. And so the dragon remained in the village, playing with those out and about, running errands here and there with the great benefit of flight, and helping guide visitors and children safely to the village from the woods and mountain. And it was fed, and some people even offered it beds, while others lightheartedly accused them of trying to steal the dragon.

And one month passed again. The wizard cast a spell to point him to the dragon’s body, for surely it would be difficult to find, even glowing as it was. He was surprised to see the spell guide him to the village, and began to think of what to do if the villagers had taken it out themselves, and tried to steal his prize. However, this plotting was interrupted by a cheerful voice.

“Friend wizard! You have come to visit me, here?” The dragon scarfed down a bite of chicken, quickly told a nearby child, “don’t do that, I’m being a bad example,” and flew through the air to land in front of him.

Frustration and jealousy boiled over into rage. After an entire season away from his lavish tower, trying and failing to subtly kill the dragon, his temper snapped. “You stupid lizard!” he shouted, his face twisted into a snarl, “three times I’ve hit you with a curse that should have left you starving alone in the wilderness, and three times you’ve lived through it! By the king’s orders, I came here to slay a dangerous, greedy creature, and by the fates, I shall!” As he raised his staff, a wild wind whipped up around the two of them. Children were quickly ushered indoors, and the few villagers who tried to lunge in and scoop the dragon away from the apparent madman were tossed aside by the sudden storm.

“Wh- you... you weren’t trying to befriend me?” the dragon asked, shocked and hurt.

“Why would I do that?!” the wizard shouted, “I came here to end you, not see you flourish. Now die, foul vice, die!”

The wizard pointed his staff at the dragon. A bolt of lightning shot from the tip, crackling through the gap only a couple of feet across, directly at its snout. There was no time to talk. There was no time to move. The spell would hit the dragon squarely with every ounce of the wizard’s power.

And then, just like the dragon’s paw had, several months before...

The spell bounced back and slammed directly into the wizard’s body. He lifted several feet off the ground, then fell to the dirt, unmoving.

Miles away, the king felt his sense of unease suddenly lift. He smiled, and quietly thanked the wizard for doing what needed to be done.

[woopsydaisydney]

“Legend Weavers”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: This drabble is written with my own Original Characters. I hope to one day write a full story with these characters and their world. I figured a prompt challenge would be a good way to introduce them to readers.

Word Count: 2,050

Approx. Reading Time: ~8 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drew’s head was spinning after she left the council hall. Night had fallen in the time it had taken for her world to turn itself upside down.

Even after it had been explained to her- she still couldn’t believe it. She had died 25 years ago? And now she was back, with a new life and no memories of her old one, and no one knew how or why?

Ra couldn’t stop staring at her like she was a ghost. 

Bianca would barely give her room to breathe. The freckled girl had stayed glued to Drew’s hip no matter how hard she tried to shake her.

And Eros. Eros wouldn’t even look at her. Wouldn’t speak to her. He left the room not long after her arrival at the castle headquarters. She didn’t know why but a part of her soul ached because of this. The part of her soul that remembered their names and faces even when her mind couldn’t recall ever knowing these friends.

God, how she wished she could remember. Drew tried explaining to Mother Nature’s council that she was just ordinary. She explained that she lived an ordinary life up until the tornado swept her and her van off the road. She explained the shock she felt at having the breath squeezed out of her by a stranger- Bianca- hugging her when she regained consciousness. 

They were shocked to learn that she basically underwent a total system reset in the past 25 years. The day she “died” on the battlefield in their world was the day she was found as a newborn on a street corner in Pennsylvania. They were almost as shocked to learn this as Drew was to learn that these people- these gods and spirits and legends- never aged at all.

“What do you mean your 354th birthday was three months ago?!” Drew had half shouted at Bianca as the taller blonde girl was trying to make small talk.

Bianca had paused for a long moment. She continued in her borderline-annoyed French accent, “You know, if you’re going to freak out about every little thing for a whole ass second time, this is going to get really taxing.”

That was another thing. Everything was apparently happening to Drew for a “second time”. The people around her kept alluding to the “first time she had tried this” or the “first time she had done that”. She wouldn’t believe a word of what they were saying if it weren’t for the annoying nagging feeling of her own memories trying to resurface.

She walked outside to clear her mind.

The lights of a town a few miles down the hill twinkled along with the stars. Ra had told her about how the castle was cloaked from view of any passerby. The humans just saw a bunch of uninteresting ruins. Drew found herself wondering, if this were to continue to be her life as apparently it was before, would it be worth it to be unseen by the world?

She readjusted her long black ponytail as she let out an exasperated sigh. The soft breeze tried to soothe her as it danced across her dark skin.

A sniffling sound above startled her as she whipped around.

It was Eros sitting on the roof of one of the castle’s dormers. Drew squinted for a moment in the low light. His back was to her and massive feathered wings were curled up over his shoulders and head. His shoulders were slightly shaking.

She straightened her bulky cargo jacket and found an easy enough way to climb up. The old brick was strong under her hands and sneakers and she easily found handholds. In no time at all, she was sitting next to the winged man on the shingles.

“Are you crying?” Drew asked.

“Please,” his voice cracked against the word, “Don’t acknowledge it.”

“Yeesh, okay…” her own voice trailed off.

They sat like that for a while. Eros still crying and her staring off into the darkening countryside. The stars were very visible here and she could make out the faint outline of the milky way. Drew took the time to just sit and take in the view while she tried to process the day’s events.

After a few minutes, she felt eyes on her.

Eros was watching her. Her dark brown eyes met his blue ones and that little part of her soul ached again. She forced herself to look away.

“We were close,” Drew said. It wasn’t a question.

Eros nodded in her peripheral. She noticed his hand moved briefly to take hers, but stopped short.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember,” She said, though she wasn’t sure that was 100% true. Some part of her remembered him, she was sure.

“I can tell you. About how things were before,” His hopeful voice carried an accent that Drew couldn’t quite place. Greek maybe?

Drew nodded, accepting his offer.

They sat for hours as Eros told her about her previous life. In some ways it was quite similar to her current life. 

She was adopted as a child. Wanted to go to law school. Took a gap year in college to travel- that’s when the tornado swept her away both times. 

Bianca was her first friend because Bianca’s job as a Mythology Keeper for legends and spirits required her to keep in close contact. Eros was the second friend Drew had met in their world. They had fought sand demons in Egypt together not two hours after Drew’s transformation. Eros’ older brother, Ra, the king of all legends, had been wary of Drew at first but they too had grown to be friends.

The legend of chaos and war, Morrigan, had waged war against Mother Nature. The threat brought together legends from around the world. Drew’s group of friends specifically were vital in the war due to their proximity to Ra. They trained and fought together.

Drew suspected that Eros was leaving certain things out. Occasionally he would stutter and pause before taking up the story again in a different place. Nevertheless, she was enraptured by the tale of her adventures. She had fought Morrigan one on one multiple times. She was the one who had discovered Morrigan’s lair. She was quite the fighter, Eros emphasized, and scared the daylights out of anyone who tried to spar with her in training.

She had powers- like the rest of the legends. Strength and mastery over the wind. They had been trying to decipher which legend she was chosen to embody. She was Native American so they had decided to research Native legends. But then she died.

The story cut off suddenly and a new wave of tears sprung up in Eros’ eyes. His hand flew to his mouth and he looked away from Drew for the first time in hours.

Instinctually, her hand reached up to stroke the bend in Eros’ wing. Subconsciously or not, he leaned into the touch.

“You used to do that to comfort me,” he said around his hand.

“You don’t have to tell me the rest,” she whispered, “I mean, I just found out I had another life- and powers! You already told me more than I was hoping to learn.”

“N-no but I have to tell,” Eros half sobbed, “You need to understand. The guilt and sorrow I’ve felt for the past 25 years. I don’t age but my heart is… s-so heavy with those years.”

Drew removed her hand, and patiently waited for him to continue.

“It was me. You died… because of me,” he looked back at her. A fear in his eyes.

“What?” Drew’s brain tried again to process.

“I had died first. In the battle in the Himalayas,” Eros seemed in a trance as he spoke. Like he could no longer stop the words from coming out. Like he had kept this inside for so long that nothing could stop it from spilling over.

“Morrigan had killed me. I remember seeing the Olympians after I died. My mother and father. Then they told me it wasn’t my time and I came crashing back.” Eros could barely form the words around the cries trying to come out of his throat, but he forced his way forward in the story.

“When I woke up… there was a scar in my side from the healed wound. Ra was sobbing and holding me. I looked over and… and…” 

Drew’s heart was hammering in her chest, eyes wide. A memory sparked in her mind. Morrigan’s sword piercing Eros’ side. Eros falling and not getting up. Then some time later, Drew shaking hands with Morrigan. Then… nothing.

Eros continued, “You were limp in Bianca’s arms. She was yelling at you. Calling you stupid but she was crying. Ra told me he was sorry, he couldn’t stop you.”

Eros stopped, tears still flowing. He stared into Drew’s eyes now with an intensity that broke her heart.

“What happened?” She asked breathlessly after a moment of silence.

“You saved me, Drew. Morrigan offered you a… a deal. You gave your life for mine. I tried to crawl to your body but I was still weak and Ra wouldn’t let go of me. You disappeared before I could reach you…”

“But-” Drew stuttered, “But I’m alive. I didn’t die.”

“Didn’t you?” Eros said.

His hand, after being held back for so long, grasped Drew’s. His other hand cupped her face.

“Drew, I will forever be grateful for your sacrifice. Even if you can’t remember it.”

Drew must’ve looked like a deer in the headlights. 

“Why didn’t Morrigan just kill me?” She asked, desperate, “Why did she send me back as a baby? Why can’t I remember anything?”

“I don’t know- I don’t know,” Eros said, “But even as horrible as she is, I’m grateful for her mercy.”

Drew grabbed him into as tight of a hug as she could manage. He returned it tenfold, his powerful wings coming up to wrap around them as well. Only then did she allow herself to start crying. Everything that had been revealed to her that day, and only then was she crying. She mourned the life she had forgotten and the human life she was just taken from. She mourned Eros, but hugging his chubby frame grounded her, reminding her that he was right there. She was angry at Morrigan. No. Furious. Hell, she was even angry at Mother Nature. It was her war. Why should they be the ones to fight it?

After a while they peeled themselves out of the hug. They were both cried out and exhausted as the moon now shone overhead. Eros helped Drew down from the dormer and they walked back inside. Eros walked her to the room she shared with Bianca. The feeling of deja vu as they walked the halls was almost overwhelming.

Bianca opened the door when they arrived.

“I knew you were with her, Eros, but let’s not encourage her to ignore curfew like you do,” Bianca scolded before turning to Drew, “Come in, I have some pajamas for you.”

Drew nodded to her and Bianca walked back inside.

“Ra will be expecting me back in our room,” Eros said, moving to leave.

“Can I ask you one last thing?” Drew stopped him.

“Of course,” He said.

“Who were you to me?”

Eros paused, thinking, as they looked at each other. She noticed he had a sprinkle of freckles across his nose. Not as many as Bianca who was absolutely covered head to toe. Another memory popped into her mind and she knew that he had more freckles in the spot on his back between his wings.

“You know, that’s actually hard to say. I’m not… really sure,” Eros said, turning slightly red.

“Why?”

“We never talked about it.”

And with that, Eros left down the hall with a wink. Drew took a note of the gesture’s familiarity as she went inside the room. A part of her suspected he might be lying but she couldn’t think of a reason for him to do that... right?

Tonight she would sleep. And tomorrow… Dammit, tomorrow she would figure out how to win this war and regain the memories of her past life.

No one would stand in her way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Writing Prompts:

@promptsforthestrugglingauthor : #1363

“Are you crying?”

“Please,” their voice cracked against the word. “Don’t acknowledge it.”

@givethispromptatry :

“Who were you to me?”

“You know, that’s actually hard to say. I’m not really sure.”

“Why?”

“We never talked about it.”

[clareguilty]

Magic is the Moonlight

An old Hanzo/Reader fic i did as a birthday present for momo Rating: Explicit | Contains werewolf smut, knotting Word Count: 2500

It was nearly sundown when Hanzo returned to the cottage. You had been listening intently all afternoon for the sounds of his return as you did your work about the small house. Hanzo was usually silent, moving through the woods without a trace, but you had learned the clues to hearing when he returned home.

Sure enough, the already gentle forest grew even more still, signaling your husband’s approach. The birds fell silent, and any other animals that had lingered around the gardens excused themselves as the Ōkami returned to his den.

You cleaned up the sword you were sharpening and rushed to the front of the house, embracing your husband before he was even through the front door. He smelled of the forest -- vibrant and alive. Hanzo lifted you easily, burying his face in your neck to gather your own scent before kissing you deeply. You dug your fingers into the fur of his headdress, kissing him back with enough love to make up for the several days he had been gone.

He pulled your bottom lip between his teeth, growling softly. He had clearly missed you as well during his long trip. You pulled back in surprise at the slight pinch of his teeth. He glanced down at you in confusion, brushing your hair back as you stared at him with wide eyes. Sure enough, his teeth were already sharp, longer than you were accustomed to.

“It is almost sunset,” you dragged him into the house. “Why did you wait so long to return home?”

Hanzo tugged off his shoes and handed them to you to put away. “There was trouble on the far side of the mountain. A family’s cart broke down, so I escorted them safely out of the forest.” Of course, Hanzo was always providing assistance to the travelers who braved the forest. He removed his headdress, following you into the house and hanging the pelt in its proper place. His bow and quiver were carefully laid beside the white fur. Hanzo bowed slowly before coming to sit by your side. You had already gathered a basin of water and a brush to help clean him. You helped him remove his gi, folding the shirt neatly before wetting a cloth to begin washing him.  

Hanzo sat patiently as you washed his chest and arms. You fretted over each scratch or bruise you found, gently dabbing away any dirt or blood. Hanzo smiled softly at your worry. His wolf spirit would heal him by morning. Any trace of injury would be gone by moonset.

You sat the water aside and carefully began unbraiding Hanzo’s hair. Long white strands, thick and coarse as a wolf’s fur, braided in two long pleats down his back. You brushed through his hair carefully, humming softly as you worked.

At last, Hanzo’s hair was brushed and clean, and you braided it back -- this time into one braid instead of two. He thanked you with a kiss, before taking the basin into the washroom to finish cleaning himself. You prepared a pot of tea while he was busy, serving two large bowls of stew for the both of you.

Hanzo was still shirtless as he returned from the washroom, but he had changed into a clean pair of pants. He knelt behind you as you sipped your tea, burying his face in your neck and hair. His arms wrapped around you as he breathed deeply. The nearness to him made your heart race, and you had no doubt he could hear your pulse with his heightened senses. The yellow wolf marks on his right arm glowed faintly. The sun was dipping below the mountains outside. You shuddered in anticipation.

“Is everything alright, hime?” he asked. You nodded, leaning back into his embrace.

“I’m fine,” you assured him. “It is almost dark. You should eat.”

Hanzo reluctantly let you go, planting a soft kiss on your neck before turning to his stew. He ate quickly, emptying his bowl before you had cleared half of yours.

“It was delicious,” he hummed appreciatively, sipping his tea much more slowly.

“The wolf hungers,” you teased him.

Hanzo looked at you with dark eyes. His mouth quirked and you glimpsed the sharp fangs that seemed even larger than just an hour before. “I can feel the wolf stir already. He longs for you, hime.”

You flushed, and warmth spread through you. The moon was full tonight, and Hanzo’s wolf spirit would awaken. Your heart raced at the mere thought. Since you had been married, the full moon had always been a night you looked forward to. Hanzo’s wolf spirit loved you just as much as his human form, though the Ōkami had a very passionate way of showing you his love.

Hanzo noticed your flush, and his smile only widened. His teeth were impossibly sharp now, and you remembered how they would feel dragging along your skin. Your skin was burning with anticipation, and you shifted slightly to help alleviate some of the tension that was coiling in your stomach.

“I can clear the table, my love,” Hanzo said, gathering the bowls and tea cups. You tried to follow after him to the kitchen, but he stopped you with a hand on your arm. “I’ll take care of it,” he insisted. “Would you like to get ready for bed?”

His eyes burned with the question. Already, flecks of gold were overtaking his black irises. You nodded and let him disappear into the kitchen.

The bed was already made up, you had made sure of that when the afternoon had passed and Hanzo still had not returned home. Part of you had wondered if you would go to bed alone, only to wake up with the Ōkami looming over you. Another part of you had worried that Hanzo would not return home at all. That he would spend the night in the forest, and only return home once the wolf spirit had left.

That was what he had done in the beginning. When you had first met Hanzo, he would disappear on the night of the full moon. You worried constantly, terrified that he would meet the great wolf spirit that guarded the mountain forests. It wasn’t until months later that you realized Hanzo and the Ōkami were one and the same. Even then, Hanzo was hesitant to stay with you during the full moon. It was only after your wedding that you convinced him to show you the wolf spirit.

You smiled to yourself as you slid open the screen walls in the bedroom, allowing the last of the evening light to fall across the room. The moon was already peeking over the mountain tops; it would not be long now. You sat on the wooden porch just beyond the screens, watching the sky darken as you waited for your husband.

Hanzo was silent as he entered the bedroom, and you jumped when he settled in beside you. Already, the white hair on his chest and arms had grown coarser. Claws were beginning to show at his fingertips. His ears were beginning to change as well, and you knew that they would be far from human by the time the moon had risen.

The wolf marks gleamed in the pale light, golden against Hanzo’s skin. You reached out to trace them. He smiled down at you, tracing his own thumb over your cheek and swiping across your lips.

“I missed you.” He leaned in to press his lips to yours. “Nights in the forest are cold without you by my side.”

You slid into his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Maybe I should journey with you then.” You let your lips trail over his neck and chest.

Hanzo chuckled, and the sound rumbled against your lips. “I thought you were through with your journeying days? Are you ready to give this up so soon?”

You grinned and pressed yourself even closer against his warm skin. “I’ve taken my break to be a housewife,” you shrugged. “Besides, it gets lonely in this cottage without you.”

Hanzo’s expression changed minutely. It was a look you couldn’t read. Clawed hands grabbed at your hips, lifting you easily and carrying you into the bedroom. You glanced at Hanzo worriedly once he had set you down again. This time, you understood.

The wolf had awoken.

Hanzo’s eyes were a vibrant gold, watching you with intense scrutiny. You kissed him deeply before moving to undress. You unwrapped your yukata and folded it neatly. Hanzo was stepping out of his pants as well, setting them beside your clothes.

You had barely returned to the bed when Hanzo was upon you. He pushed you onto your back, pinning your wrists beneath one hand as he kissed and licked across your neck and chest.

“I’ve been able to smell you since I returned home.” His teeth ran along your skin, never biting down, but leaving pink trails that made you shiver and whine. “You’ve been waiting,” he breathed. “You want my cock.”

You nodded and whimpered as his clawed fingers ran along your hips and thighs. He was right. Since early that morning, all you had been able to think about was Hanzo. His mouth, his hands, his cock. And now he was here, giving you everything.

The only light was the brilliant silver shine of the moon as it washed over your skin. Hanzo’s teeth shone; his smile was wicked. His hold on your wrists disappeared, but you gasped as his hands parted your thighs. Lips brushed your cheek, your neck, over your nipple and stomach, down your hips and thighs. You squirmed in Hanzo’s strong grip.

“Please,” you whined. Your begging was met with another chuckle, breath ghosting over your hip bone.

“Always so eager,” Hanzo teased. “Look at you -- dripping wet. Have you been like this all day?”

You nodded. “I need you.”

“This is what the wolf hungers for.” He licked at your wet pussy, dragging his tongue up, over your clit. “There is nothing that sates him more than your pleasure.”

You cried out as Hanzo closed his mouth over your clit, dragging his tongue over the sensitive flesh. He held your thighs as he continued to lick and suck at your pussy, keeping you perfectly still beneath him. You gasped and moaned with each press of his tongue against your slit. Hanzo had been gone nearly a week, and you had missed his touch desperately during your nights alone. He made it clear that he desired you as well, making up for lost time as he buried himself between your thighs.

“Come for me, hime,” Hanzo ordered.

You obeyed. Digging your heels into his back, you cried out and came over Hanzo’s lips. He continued to run his tongue over your slit, even as you lay back on the bed, exhausted. Once he was satisfied, Hanzo gave a gentle nip to the inside of your thighs before pulling in for a deep kiss. You tasted yourself on his tongue, moaning as he held you tightly.

“Are you ready?” Hanzo tilted your chin to meet his eyes.

“I need you,” you breathed.

A low growl echoed through the room. Hanzo’s hand slipped between your bodies to stroke himself. Your eyes followed the movement. Even without the aid of the wolf spirit, Hanzo was impressive in size. Now, more beast than man, his cock was massive, heavy where it rested just below your navel. He dragged the tip against you, brushing against your clit and smearing the slick that already painted your thighs. Your rolled your hips, trying to take him inside of you.

“So desperate,” Hanzo teased. He pressed in slowly. You gasped at the stretch, nails digging into his large shoulders as he moved inch by inch. Your eyes fluttered shut. You were lost in the sensation of Hanzo filling you.

“Tell me when you are comfortable,” he said, voice low and gentle. You felt his hips meet yours, felt the slight swell at the base of his cock as he settled fully inside you. You shifted a bit, grinding against him as you adjusted to the new feeling of fullness.

You nodded. Hanzo kissed you sweetly and slowly began to rock his hips. His pace began to quicken. He became more forceful with his thrusts. The wolf needed you.

Hanzo growled and dragged his teeth over your chest, stopping only to kiss and suck at your nipples. “The wolf cannot decide,” he said, voice low and rough as he fucked you even harder.

You glanced up, unsure of where Hanzo was going.

“If he wants to take you with us on our journeys, keep you by our side at all times. He wants to have you, to fill you as often as he wants. You are his. He will give you everything.”

You moaned and sank your teeth into Hanzo’s shoulder. It was too much, his words, his claws on your hips, his cock sinking into you over and over again.

“Or, if he wants to breed you. You would be such a good mother to our pups. He wants to give you his seed, see you take it all.” Hanzo began to fuck you faster, harder. You could feel his knot begin to swell. Your head grew light, mind swirling with he thought of being filled, of being bred. You needed Hanzo’s knot. You needed his seed.

“Please,” you whimpered, voiced broken and high. “Please knot me.”

Hanzo’s eyes glowed bright. He bared his teeth and pressed forward, sinking into you completely. His knot was already pressing inside of you, only just beginning to swell but you felt so full.

The sensations only heightened as Hanzo was fully settled inside you, held close as his knot locked you together. He rocked gently, breathing hard into your skin as he came. You felt each pulse of his cock as he finished inside you, the warmth blooming as his seed spilled.

You came around him, clenching on his cock as he continued to thrust against you. His words, his touch, had sent you tumbling over that precipice. His thumb rubbed your clit, carrying you through your second climax.

Hanzo was careful as he rolled so that you were laying on his chest. He brushed your hair back, kissing you deeply as his hips continued to rock. “I love you, hime.”

“I love you too, Hanzo.” You smiled resting against the fur on his chest.

“Will you need anything?” Hanzo asked as you dozed; you were still lightheaded from the fullness of his cock inside you.

“Water,” you murmured. “Maybe tea.”

“Tea might be best,” Hanzo rubbed circles into your back. “The wolf is not yet sated.”

You glanced up in surprise. “Again?” you asked, bewildered.

“We have missed you,” Hanzo reminded you. “It is important to make up for lost time.” He kissed you deeply.

You lay your head against his chest, bathed in silver light. The moon rose steadily in the sky. A distant howl echoed from the forest.

[savethelastdan]

Sesskagu

"Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door

Last night a little angel came pumping on my floor

She said come on baby, I got a license for love

And if it expires, pray help from above, because

In the midnight hour, she cried more, more, more

With a rebel yell she cried more, more, more

In the midnight hour babe more, more, more

With a rebel yell more, more, more

More, more, more!

She don't like slavery, she won't sit and beg

But when I'm tired and lonely she sleeps in bed

What sets you free and brought you to me, babe

What sets you free, I need you here by me, because

In the midnight hour, she cried more, more, more

With a rebel yell she cried more, more, more

In the midnight hour babe more, more, more

With a rebel yell more, more, more

He lives in his own heaven

Collects it to go from the seven eleven

Well, he's out all night to collect a fare

Just as long, just as long it don't mess up his hair

I walked the world for you, babe

A thousand miles for you

I dried your tears, of pain, babe

A million times, for you

I'd sell my soul, for you, babe

For money to burn, for you

I'd give you all, and have none, babe

Just to, just to, just to, just to, to have you here by me, because

In the midnight hour, she cried more, more, more

With a rebel yell she cried more, more, more

In the midnight hour babe, more, more, more

With a rebel yell she cried more, more, more

More, more, more!"

“Fujin.” The wind sprite bows low, bangs brushing the marble floor. “She’s returned.”

The wind god exhales sharply. It sends the air in the room skittering every which way, and he draws it back to his side with every step towards The Gate.

His realm and that of other gods is separated by the structure; today, as it has been with many other days, a wind demoness has two of the tall golden spires in her grip.

Wrenching the metal back and forth with her weight, she glares at him with a sparkling rage. As Fujin looks down his nose at her, her lips draw back to gift him a flash of bared teeth.

“Send. Me. Back.” With each snarled word, she pulls harder at the gate. The protective winds of his realm batter her from all sides, tearing at her sleeves and earrings.

It’s curious. He has never bestowed the gift of incorporeality on a creature so ungrateful before. Indeed, from the blink-of-an-eye life that the demoness had (if you could even call it that) one would think she'd be glad to be rid of such a thing as a body.

Especially with how violent that one pathetic creature was with it - Naraku, who if he’d been able to take the Shikon jewel in hand and maybe had a few more brain cells rattling around, could have unseated Fujin himself. This little wind spirit should be thankful that she doesn’t have to worry about such things, anymore. 

With a twitch in his mustache, Fujin turns. As he walks back to the cold halls of his kingdom, the woman's continued snarls bite at his heels. 

-

Sesshomaru lies beneath many layers of rubble. Poisonous blood seeps from a hundred wounds, making the rock on all sides of him to heat and bubble. His self-directed anger - at being so easily caught by surprise, at being arrogant enough to think himself above any threat now that Naraku has departed the Earth - disintegrated hours ago.  He can faintly hear Jaken and Ah-Un’s panicked scrabbling, many feet above him at the top of the wreckage. It will take them some time to drag him out, and then even longer to find his lost swords - he can hear them too, a furious shrieking that rings through the rubble almost melodically. 

What little air he has is stale, bitter. For the first time a long time, he cannot catch her scent in it. 

-

Fujin bends to glimpse her face through the bars. It shimmers and fades, as all his wind spirits’ visages do; only the anger in her scarlet eyes is constant. 

“Send me back to the land of the living already, you insufferable, pompous -” 

Fujin speaks, stroking his mustache with one finger. “What more could possibly be waiting for you there?” 

She rears back. The hands twisting against the metal turn white at the knuckles; A flurry of air sends her bangs puffing up off of her head, and for the briefest of moments she looks tired. 

Which is impossible; only those with physical forms can tire. One of the many reasons that such beings under his power have no need of it. 

“I...”

With a resigned hmph, the Wind God stiffens. “Creatures like you will never stop wanting.”

Before she can form a comeback, he waves a hand. The Gate shudders; with a roar, the winds around it all rush forward. 

Metal scrapes against metal. The wind spirit screams. 

Fujin walks away. 

-

The bleeding has stopped, his bones and muscle starting to thread back together. But before he is fully healed, the rocks on all sides of Sesshomaru’s broken body shudder. 

He stiffens against the rumbling, trying to pick up the sounds from the surface far above and wherever Bakusaiga and Tensaiga are trapped, all at the same time. Then, with a painful-sounding roar, the rock rips away.

Sunlight blinds him as the layers unfurl.  Ah-Un’s noses brush a shoulder each, and he faintly registers Jaken shrieking his title. Fresh air fills his lungs in a sudden burst that makes his hands curl into fists. 

Sesshomaru opens his eyes to see Kagura’s panicked face, and assumes he is hallucinating. 

-

When Kagura turns a series of nasty barbs on his retainer, blaming the kappa for Sesshomaru’s current state, the assumption that he has gone crazy becomes less certain. When Jaken returns the bitter words in kind, it is entirely disproven. 

Still, Sesshomaru focuses his strength on attempting to stand, rather than asking how it is possible that she could be kneeling beside him as flesh and blood instead of air and spirit. After a few minutes of rest, his focus turns to locating his weapons. It saps any energy he might have had to interrogate her. 

Insult burns bitterly in the back of her throat, but even so, she can’t help but be relieved that he’s not quite as bad as she thought (as the Western winds reported to her, as their mistress spirit). Launching another threat in Jaken’s direction for good measure, she pays Sesshomaru’s cold shoulder back in kind.

Indeed, the two of them do not speak to one another directly for quite a while, other than a few mutterings under her breath on Kagura’s part as they march away from the site of his near demise. Only when they reach Sesshomaru’s fortress (nearly unrecognizable in how much time it has been since he’s set foot in it), and she collapses on his bed in exhaustion, does either of them realize the power it must have taken for her to be reborn - and how much more after that, to dig him out of the collapsed mountain. She lifts her arms to inspect the twitching musculature beneath them and senses his eyes watching her. 

Even then, it is not until midnight’s moon shines through the windows that he speaks. 

“Is this temporary?” 

“I don’t think so.” She rolls onto her back to stare at the ceiling. Her body carries a faintly shimmering demonic aura; it’s a relief, since Fujin could have easily sent her back as a human. Just the thought of being so helpless makes her want to retch. “Even if it’s supposed to be, I’ll do what I want regardless.” 

The entirety of Sesshomaru’s chest aches - what does she want, what could she, when her heart and revenge and justice are no longer within the confines of this world? When he looms over her, asks the question - “what did it cost, to lose your freedom?” - Sesshomaru cannot keep it from sounding like an accusation. 

Kagura rears up, hair falling down her shoulders like pieces of the night itself. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, you ungrateful prick. Don’t even bother to thank me for - “ 

When their lips meet, it feels like returning to a place he’s walked a thousand miles to reach. Kagura's sigh sends gusts of air rippling through the room; Sesshomaru sets a hand on the back of her neck to ease her. The chill of her flesh is a hazy memory sharply recovered. 

When Kagura flinches as the hilts of his swords dig into her skin, he moves to pull away. But her arms lock around his neck in a strangling grip. 

“More,” she hisses. Words fill the space in her mind, but it’s the only one her lips will form. Life, living, loving, feeling, freeing - “More.” 

[shera-dnd]

Chapter 2 of our little Princess and Knight AU adventures. Now that we’re all familiar with the princess, I think it is time we were introduced to the knight in question

You can read this fic through the AO3 link above or under the read more link down here. Whichever one works for you.

That night the white knight marched into Lady Schnee’s tent. Though her stance was determined, her steps were weary after the long day of constant fighting, and her demoralizing defeat.

“Lady Weiss,” greeted the Schnee servant that waited within, “it’s good to see you well.”

He was a man whose largeness of body was only matched by that of his heart. Every word that left from under his full mustache was spoken with a care, and kindness, that Weiss had yet to receive from anyone else.

“It is good to see you as well, Klein,” she replied as she found herself a bench to slump on.

She took off her helmet for the first time all day, releasing her long ponytail of silver hair from its confinement. Taking a nearby piece of cloth she wiped the sweat that had gathered on her brow, and let out a sigh she had been holding all evening.

“I take it the tournament did not go as you expected,” he commented.

“I’ve lost,” she simply declared, not wanting to linger on this topic much longer.

“I’m truly sorry to hear it, my lady,” he replied, placing a hand on her shoulder, “but this is only your first tournament, Lady Weiss. There will be plenty of chances to make the people of Atlas see you for the knight you are.”

“Thank you, Klein,” she replied, offering the man the best smile she could manage, but it was as weak as she felt in that moment, “but I can’t help but dread that this humiliation has set a standard for my coming battles.”

“Humiliation is what you’ve brought upon half my men today,” her sister declared as she joined them within the tent.

The stern glacier of a woman that was Lady Winter of House Schnee, Knight of the Winter Maiden, grew but a few degrees warmer as she saw the defeated expression on her sister’s face, and for a moment the facade melted away; she was simply Winter.

“You fought well, Weiss,” she assured her, “you stood on equal footing with the Black Knight of Vale. That is not a feat to be taken lightly.”

“Thank you,” Weiss sighed, but accepted the praise, “I’m glad to have made good on our training.”

Winter gave her a nod and a proud smile, before the frigid winds of her duty froze her expression once again into that of Lady Schnee.

“Now, I must be on my way,” she informed, “Knight Commander Ironwood has requested my presence.”

“Of course,” Weiss replied, bowing her head slightly as she did so, “when should I expect your company again?”

Her sister stopped to think for a moment.

“If your identity is to remain a secret, I do not believe it is wise for us to meet in person any time soon,” she concluded. Weiss understood her decision, but that did not mean she found any joy in it.

“Understood,” she surrendered, “I wish you luck with your preparations, sister.”

“And you with yours.”

As she left she also seemed to take Weiss’s high spirits with her, leaving her only with her lingering frustration over her defeat, and dread over the coming month without her sister.

“I believe I am in need of some fresh air,” she eventually declared. She picked her helmet up and added, “I’ll just be stepping into the woods for a moment. No point risking exposing myself.”

“Do stay safe, Lady Weiss,” Klein asked, voice full of worry.

“I still have my sword and the iron of my armor,” she assured him, “unless Lady Blake returns for a second round, I believe I’ll be fine.”

As silently as she could, Weiss stepped away from the tent and quickly made her way to the forest; only removing her helmet again once she was sure she was fully out of sight of the festival goers. She took a deep breath, taking in the fresh scents of the forest that stretched around her, placing her focus anywhere but in the frustration that boiled inside her in that moment.

Weiss shook her head and groaned loudly, kicking at a patch of grass in her way. It wasn’t working. Perhaps a brisk walk would do better at working that disappointment out of her. Though certainly brisk, what she did do was closer to stomping than it was to walking.

Curse this tournament, curse this Black Knight, curse Lord Ironwood, and curse her father while she was at it!She always made a point to stop to curse him whenever such a foul mood struck her. It was a good habit to keep, all things considered. He always had at least some fault in her foul moods, and perhaps one day one of these curses would finally land and the bastard would die some ignoble death.

No, no, it wasn’t proper of her to get like this. She was the heiress of House Schnee and if she was to maintain such a title she had to play by his rules - Winter was living proof that he was not above rescinding such privileges after all - though at the very least this White Knight character allowed her some level of much needed freedom.

She leaned back against a nearby tree and rested her head against it, closing her eyes she took another long and deep breath. She had been gone for a while now, it was probably about time she returned to her tent. Wouldn’t want Klein to worry over her well being after all.

“We thought you were dead!” A voice furiously shouted in the distance.

“Good!” Another voice shouted back, “had I stopped to tell you my intentions you would have killed me on the spot instead!”

Weiss opened her eyes. Shit, she wasn’t alone in the woods anymore. She had to get back to camp before anyone caught her here.

“And with good reason!” The first voice replied, “you betrayed us!”

“What I have done was for the good of the fae,” the second voice returned in a steely tone, “you’re just too blinded by vengeance to realize it.”

The good of the fae? There were fae in these woods with her. She had to get away right now and…this could be her chance. Were she to strike a blow against the fae she would be welcomed home as a hero. Her father would have no basis to deny her her right to become a knight.

She snuck closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the two arguing faeries.

“I would rather let vengeance blind me than allow myself to be turned into their pet!” The first voice bit back.

“I am not their pet!” The second denied, “I am their equal!”

“And yet you don their symbols, you wear their face, and you play their game,” the first one continued.

Weiss could almost see them now. It was too dark and the forest was too thick around these parts for her to make out too much detail, but she could see the shapes of the fae locked in bitter argument.

“You may see me as subservient, but I have not forgotten my roots, unseelie,” the second retorted, “I am fae, but I am also a Knight of the Fall Maiden, and it is my duty both to my court and to my kingdom that I help them find peace.”

A fae knight? And one from Vale of all places? Now that was simply not possible. The fae couldn’t even touch iron, let alone wield it as a weapon. And who would even dare to bring one of them to their order in the first place? Only a mad man would ever try.

Weiss stepped forward, now more curious than ever as to who these fae might be. She had to be slow and careful now as to not catch their--

Snap went a twig under the weight of her boots. She looked up to the figures that argued in the woods, only to be met by a familiar pair of golden eyes staring at her and through her soul. It was her.

Weiss’s hand flew to her sword as she stepped back and braced herself for a fight. But as soon as her left foot moved back it was snagged by a root that hadn’t been there before. Maybe she should curse fae tricks next time too, if there was a next time.

When the Black Knight charged at her she did her best to block the blow, but with her posture already precarious as it was, she found herself being pushed to the ground. She raised her blade again, preparing to fight on her back if she had to, but the ‘knight’ deigned only to kick the blade aside and plant her boot on Weiss’s chest.

“Lady Weiss Schnee I presume,” ‘Lady’ Blake greeted, her form now fully human once more, “you have your sister’s scowl. I see it runs in the family.”

“What are you doing?” The other fae demanded, “kill her already.”

The human form that woman had taken was not unfamiliar to Weiss. She remembered the beautiful woman cheering for her from among the crowd, and had entertained asking her for her favor once the real tournament had started. So much for that thought.

“Ah yes, for no evil shall befall us or our people were we to kill the Schnee heir,” Blake replied, sarcasm nearly dripping from her voice.

“Try it,” Weiss challenged, “I’ll make sure you both burn before you have the chance to regret it.”

“That won’t be necessary, my lady,” Blake assured her, “my friend does not wish for the atlesians to find out who we are, and you don’t want your father to find out what you’ve been doing with your free time. I propose we keep each other’s secrets.”

“How are you so sure there is even a secret to be kept?” Weiss bluffed, “how are you to know I don’t have my father’s blessing?”

“I don’t believe you would have suffered those fools at the arena were you able to wield the weight of your name against them,” she countered.

Weiss scowled at her, furious at the thought of being so easily read. Still she refused to give in.

“I will not betray my kingdom by allowing you two to freely enact whatever plans you have,” she declared, “I’d rather you both slay me now than be complicit in your actions.”

“Do not tempt me, Schnee,” the woman in blue threatened.

“As belligerent as my companion is,” Blake interjected, “I don’t believe she has any nefarious plans for you to worry over.”

“Do you really want me to simply trust that you two are only here to enjoy the festival?”

“You are one to speak of trust, human,” the woman in blue countered.

“If it will dissuade your mistrust,” Blake sighed and stepped back from Weiss. She drew her sword and, taking a knee, she planted it on the ground, “I swear on my honor as a Knight of the Fall Maiden that neither me nor Ilia intend any harm and that if you are to keep our secret, we will keep yours too.”

Weiss was taken aback. Lady Blake’s oath carried the conviction of a knight. She spoke with the same unquestioning certainty that Winter had used when she swore herself to the Winter Maiden. Fae or no, there was no doubt in Weiss’s mind that Blake truly saw herself and carried herself as a true knight.

“What?” Ilia scoffed, “are we to simply trust the Schnee? After all her house has done to us?”

Weiss got up and reached for her sword. Ilia braced for a fight, but was caught by surprise when Weiss reached for Blake’s hand and helped her stand up again.

“And I swear on the name of my house,” that earned another scoff, “that I will do you both no harm as long as you do not bring me harm, and I shall keep your secret as long as you keep mine.”

Ilia remained unconvinced, but Lady Blake was relieved to hear it. She placed a hand on their shoulders as they brought them close. They were too busy glaring daggers at each other to spare Blake a scowl.

“Now that that is done with,” she began, “Lady Ilia, Lady Weiss, I believe it’s time we all got back to camp.”

[kurisus]

Chapter 88-2 thoughts

I’m writing this at 6 AM because I CAN’T SLEEP WOO. As mentioned in my snaps, I first read this chapter while in a work call so I’m rereading it now to be able to focus a bit better. Buckle up, this will be long. Spoilers as always.

So Yukine was not necessarily snuggling with the wolves. He was asking them to eat him. I think in all the other bad stuff happening this chapter this detail got overlooked slightly but it’s bad!!!!

Who was the shadow we saw approaching him when he was with the wolves?? Was it trash dad after all? I think it has to be.

really don’t appreciate the Suzuha mention in THE YEAR OF OUR LORD TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY

Yukine was such a caring brother it makes my heart hurt. Yukine in general makes my heart hurt. How did it end up happening that his mom just left him behind??

so if Fujisaki is telling the truth, we now know the context of Yukine’s death. And somehow, I think this is the most unpleasant revelation to come out of this chapter. Big statement, I know, but it explains...a lot.

Yukine was writing letters to his sister in secret for probably years, and as soon as his dad found out...well, we know the rest. I remember speculating (and a few others did too) why Yukine was barefoot and not struggling in that panel a couple chapters back that showed his final moments. So if he was already beaten enough to warrant hospitalization, that would explain why he wasn’t reacting the way he should have been.

At this point, if trash dad WAS telling the truth, I’d be fine if they didn’t show the actual scene of his death and just left it at that. Which means...we now know everything about Yukine’s time when he was alive. And of course there’s a lot we can say to fill out the gaps, but we have all the most important details. Finding out exactly how he died was the last piece in the puzzle. Aside from his full first name, that is.

Yukine yelling at trash dad to shut up and him continuing on anyway :) we really needed to know his final thoughts were “why?” :) I hate it here :)

I really hate even talking about this, this shit is FUCKED

okay so as far as trash dad is aware, Yukine’s body was still in the fridge. Meaning he had no idea that Yato went to dig it up all those months ago. Meaning Nora never breathed a word about it to him. I don’t really know how to express my feelings on this but thank you Nora. we owe you one. I have a feeling trash dad’s intent was not to give him a proper burial (since he’s all about false shows of kindness), though as to what it was, I cannot say.

I think at this point it’s pretty clear that Yato is the one who gave him a proper burial. When the panel of the empty refrigerator dropped a few months back, the fact that the body was missing struck me as just odd, and I thought maybe Yukine’s dad dug it back up for some sort of weird ritual, but judging by what we know now, that doesn’t seem likely. As soon as people started saying Yato buried him I was smacking my face like “of COURSE that’s what happened duh”

so trash dad is confirmed to drop his body in a very similar way to Hiyori, and we also confirmed that the version of him in the black robe is his spirit form. Nora mentioned his “body” a while back but now we finally got to see it. Is he a half ayakashi?? Is this just something he can do because he’s possessing Fujisaki’s body??? gah Adachitoka I want ANSWERS

Hagusa’s vessel name is just a double whammy. It’s like a horrible inversion of the fact that Yato named Kazuma Kazune. “Kazune” has the double meaning of referring to their time limit as well as being the “Kazu” Yato was already familiar with. With Hagusa, that name refers to a type of grain that looks like rice...in other words, something that appears valuable but is worthless. And now we see the vessel name is Yuuki? Adachitoka galaxy brained to punch me in the face.

SO THE REASON YUKINE DOESN’T HAVE A CELL PHONE IS BECAUSE HE DIED BEFORE THEY WERE INVENTED???? I always thought it was because he didn’t need one since Yato, Hiyori, Kazuma, and Kofuku were really the only people he needed to communicate with. but he seemed really excited to use trash dad’s. I’m in pain.

I’m thinking back to when Hiyori almost asked Yukine how he died way back in the beginning of the manga and trash dad now telling Yukine “Hiyori never wanted to know? I bet she did, since humans always want to pry into other people’s business” you shut your mouth

Speaking of Hiyori all we got of her this chapter was her looking pissed off. When she arrives to the fight I just want her to fuck shit up. She may not have her half ayakashi form but she can still snap trash dad’s neck in half.

Perhaps the reason Yukine didn’t find any news articles about himself was because “Haru” was just a nickname. I find it hard to believe that there was nothing about him going missing, especially since his dad made a fuss with putting up missing person flyers everywhere. There’s no way the police wouldn’t have gotten involved, right?

Either way it doesn’t really matter--his dad never got charged with anything even if he was a suspect, and no one else cared enough to look either.

this is so many levels of fucked

“So even now my father is still killing me” this line. THIS LINE. THIS FUCKING LINE. It’s such a succinct and excellent summary of Yukine as a character--as much as we love our son, the fact remains that he is dead. And he is dead because of his father’s abuse and society’s neglect. So no matter however much he grows and changes in the afterlife, it cannot change that his life was cut short far too soon, and everything good that happens to him is overshadowed by the fact that it’s indirectly because of his nasty father. And he got away with it. I can’t.

Before this chapter came out I speculated we’d want to strangle Yukine’s dad even more than we already did. and I was right. but holy shit this line was a kick in the gut while I’m still recovering from “that boy loved people”

Yukine loved people too....he loved people and they turned their backs on him BUT HE NEVER GAVE UP ON LOVING!!! IT JUST TOOK A DIFFERENT SHAPE. FUCK.

So Father knows someone visited the fridge. I wonder if he’s figured out that it was Hiyori yet. I just want her to snap him like a twig. it’s what he deserves.

Father also doesn’t care about Yukine, like, at all (we been knew), to the point he couldn’t even realize the only blond character in this fucking manga now has black hair. MAN. that just says a lot about him, huh.

Are we going to find out whether one of his parents was foreign?? He and Yuka are both noticeably light-haired and it hasn’t been addressed aside from Yukine’s hair color changing.

The hair color change was the only spoiler I saw before the chapter came out and it’s been haunting me ever since. I thought initially Yukine dyed his hair while trash dad was out, but now I wonder if the dark hair is his vessel form? Fujisaki summoned him before leaving, so I don’t know. He does look like his bird ayakashi form with having clawed hands as well.

I remember seeing speculation that trash dad generally tells the truth. well as of this chapter we know he’s a fucking liar. Hiyori left that flower, and I think it will end up being important in the long run when Yukine realizes that she’s the only human who truly cares about him.

Whether trash dad has been telling the truth about other things remains to be seen. We still don’t know how he got out of Yomi, if that’s really what happened to make him immortal. But this lie about the flower seems to be a white lie. He could have just said he didn’t know. If he so readily lied about this, who’s to say he hasn’t been lying about other things too, you know?

Yukine destroying the fridge would normally make me be like good for her.jpeg but since the context is him with trash dad I actually hate it

Since Yukine is now so eager to meet his dad I can’t shake the feeling that he’s dead. It would be the perfect gut-punch for him to demand why his father killed him, only to find out that he’s dead (and maybe even that YATO did it...which would only add more fuel to the fire....fuck) and never get to resolve his turmoil.

I’ve been on the fence about whether Yukine’s dad is still alive but based on this chapter I’m putting my bets on “he’s dead and Yato killed him back in the early manga because that would cause the most suffering at present and that generally seems to be the route Adachitoka takes.”

Like, yeah, if Yato did it it was to protect Yukine, but that doesn’t matter when he’s already so pissed off at Yato.

Yato only fired on trash dad because he didn’t know that it was Yukine with him. And Yukine is again thinking that Yato is trying to hurt him. This chapter is also a horrible inversion of...was it 83-2? where Yato tried to kill trash dad and Yukine stopped him? Except now this time it’s not because Yukine wants answers, it’s because he’s pissed at Yato and loyal to trash dad.

Yato was also a fool for thinking sniping trash dad from afar would work, especially when it didn’t even work the first time.

So now the thing I’ve been working up to talking about throughout these many, many words: Hagusa’s vessel form is...himself. He is the weapon. This is such a wonderful (and terrible) narrative choice I’m delighted by where it will take us physically and metaphorically, but obviously it hurts. A lot.

Yuuki being himself the weapon that trash dad fights Yato with for what may be their final showdown is such a fitting culmination to his character arc in this section of the story. (when trash dad said he would turn him into a weapon I DIDN’T REALIZE IT WAS LITERAL)

This is also a good choice art-wise because it means even more pain with seeing Yukine physically fighting Yato rather than Yato and trash dad fighting with swords or something.

So Yato met with Yuka before (it was a flashback, as many people pointed out to me after I goofed last month lmao) but whether that was earlier today or further in the past remains to be seen. I hope he told her to get out because it seems like trash dad is heading into her house while Yato and Yukine face off.

well. “face off” is maybe an exaggeration. Yato will not be able to fight Yukine at all and I’m anticipating he gets the shit kicked out of him, again, while he tries to make him see reason. bro. I hate this. I really, really hate this. This final fight is going all the ways I knew it would, but hoped it wouldn’t.

Hiyori and Nora come help please

July can’t come soon enough

I’m pretty sure this is my longest thoughts post ever. so much happened and I have so many feelings about all of it.

[dangermousie]

I continue to love how nothing is magically fixed and there are no shortcuts. Even after the trip to Infernal Hell and all its emotional and actual revelations and the huge thing that is Bian accepting Wushe=Zixiao=Xiao Jiu, Bian is still not OK with the situation or ready to accept and forgive (let alone get into a relationship), still processing, still dealing with the scars and while he doesn’t hate or fear Wushe any more (and you can tell in their interactions; and it’s great honestly), I love that he is miles away from OK with him and just wants to get the hell away from him and never see him again (or at least not for a while so he can either process or not deal with it), he just can’t because they are off to save the world.

This is a gonzo story in a gonzo world but its approach to trauma and processing and healing feels so real. I still can’t believe the author is doing that - such a high wire act and she does it so well.

And this is what I call growth.

Wushe is never gonna be the life of the party (and honestly, it is sad how looming and terrifying he generally is when you remember the fun high spirited kid who was always bossy but you could tell why the family doted on him) but the fact that he’s both aware enough and, more importantly, cares enough (!!!!) to stay further from people because he knows he freaks them out is so huge. (Especially since you know he’s doing it because he’s trying to be good for Bian and earn his approval; he’s self-leashing!)

And the fact that he so calmly admits he went through this torture to a room of people. I love it so much, not sure why - is it because this shows spine or because it shows he only cares about Bian’s opinion about him, the rest of people are so unimportant to him, he doesn’t care what they know or don’t, think or don’t?

I love it so much!

You know, how Bian’s stress relief is polishing his sword (his literal sword, get your mind out of the gutter!) and the poor man’s been doing a lot of it lately? I could get into how his other hobby used to be not battle related but the immensely peaceful hobby of growing orchids but he’s abandoned it and it’s tragic and I hope whatever form the ending takes, it includes him having a huge garden with every variety possible (side note - the fact that he’s a little wistful about it is so hopeful though because remember when he really cared for nothing, none of the mundane things he used to love? He cares a little now, and that’s so good.) 

But! You know what also occurred to me while reading about Bian with his sword and Wushe coming to find him? Wushe himself is like a sharp deadly sword in Bian’s hands. It’s as if Bian attracted the devotion of a sharp sword - deadly, intense, one that has no idea how to interact or do relationships, and always on.

The chapter ends with Wushe guessing about various problems Bian is thinking about, stating about how they can deal with it, and then asking “did you think of me?” And it’s so interesting to me here because I get both of them. On one hand, I want to go - give him space and room and time to process things!!! He’s had so much trauma (a lot of it inflicted by you), he’s had so many revelations, he just needs peace and to be alone if he wants to! But I completely get why Wushe is unable to. He’s barely human and barely sane and he lives and breathes Bian who’s his world, his meaning of life, his soul and goodness, his connection to sanity. In an earlier chapter, it says that of course he held on tightly (hug wise) because he’s drowning and Bian is his life preserver. And that is true not just of that moment but in general. It’s not that he doesn’t get why he should go slow or anything, it’s not that he doesn’t feel remorse or want to do what Bian wants in all things - it’s just that he’s literally INCAPABLE of giving space because he needs it to live and live sanely. He is never going to force Bian into intimacy again, when Bian says jump he will say how high etc, but he can no more step back than he can fly to the moon - he needs to be around him, he needs to fight for a place in Bian’s heart, he’s clinging to a cliff by his fingertips and Bian is his hope of being pulled up. So I get why he has no stops even if I want to tell him LET HIM BREATHE!!!!! (PS but did you notice that this is the first time Wushe brings it up in a few days at least?! He didn’t talk about it on the way and for someone like Wushe this is huge! He IS trying.)

The thing is, this is such a weird novel for me, where I love Bian to bits, find Wushe fascinating and don’t hate him, find the relationship interesting and intense but I honestly don’t care if they end up together as long as Bian ends up happy - whatever makes him happy I am fine with. I can see the author slowly working her way to that happiness being Bian x Wushe and I am completely fine with it (which is impressive, earlier I’d have been !!!!) but it’s so interesting to me how all I want is Bian’s happiness whatever form that takes.