"Because it would be a massive waste to hide your beautiful feet." Illya didn't bat an eye as she gave the baffling reply, even as Sakura flushed slightly. "I made those stockings specifically to show off your feet. I suppose I could add a few toe-rings, and I'll paint your nails black, but I am not going to give you any boots or shoes. You'll have to make do without!"
"Okay, okay, I get it." Illya's voice had become progressively more passionate as she explained her reasoning, and Sakura hastily accepted before she started shouting and might draw her maids to the bedroom. The boots weren't that important anyway. "Then, uhm, if I can make another suggestion, about the corset…?"
It fit her extremely well, hugging her form tightly without being uncomfortable in the slightest, but Sakura worried it might be a bit too tight, showing off too much. Also, she wouldn't mind if it covered a bit more skin, at least to the point where she didn't risk exposing a nipple or a glance at her womanhood with every move she made.
"Say no more. I know exactly what you want."
"You do?"
"Yes. You feel it is too conservative! The corset needs to be even tighter, to better show off your curves, and it covers too much skin. Don't worry though, I'll make it an even better fit, and I'll cut out some parts on the abdomen, the back, and the flanks. Ah, the contrast between the black fabric and your white skin will be so amazing!"
"Now wait just a moment!"
That was the exact opposite of what she wanted!
"Can't wait! Time's a wastin." Illya didn't listen though, but then, she hadn't since Sakura had put on the outfit. "Can you try out the horse crop now? Just give it a swish at nothing in particular."
"…" Sakura had half a mind to protest again, to insist that Illya made the corset more conservative, not less, but knowing that the girl wouldn't listen anyway, she capitulated, for now. "Just swing it? Fine."
She swung the crop in a vicious motion, hearing how it made a lovely swishing sound.
"That seems alright at least." Illya nodded in satisfaction at the sound, before she pensively crossed her arms. "To really know for sure it functions well though, we'll have to test it on a live subject. I suggest using Rin-"
"Stop that." Sakura instantly realised Illya's motives, and she cut the little sprite off, giving her a frown. "Do not use me as a tool in your rivalry with her. I want no part of it."
"E-Eh?" Illya's attempt to mime confusion was hopelessly inadequate, but she didn't give up yet. "I wasn't thinking anything like that-"
"Do you think I am an idiot?" Sakura seized the other girl's chin with her free hand, instantly shutting her up, before brandishing the crop threateningly with the other. "I want to hear no more of this, or you will be my test subject."
Though Sakura wasn't much taller than Illya, she seemed to tower over the girl, utterly dominating in appearance and demeanour. With her distinctive outfit, her chin lifted to look down her nose at Illya, and the disapproving expression on her face, it could even be said that she looked downright intimidating.
Intimidating, and excruciatingly hot.
"…Marvellous." Illya breathed out, stars appearing in her eyes as she witnessed for herself how her costume came to life. "You truly are a natural!"
"W-Wha?"
The spell broke, and Sakura was left blushing and spluttering while Illya fawned over her.
It was an enjoyable afternoon for them both.
Gladstone Phamrsolone was not having an enjoyable afternoon.
Which was strange, because by all accounts, he should be most pleased indeed. He was in his Workshop, safe and sound, doing his research alongside his beloved wife, attaining success after success, with nothing in sight that should possibly have the power to bring his mood down.
But that just went to show that outward appearances were deceiving, because in fact, it could be said that he was most assuredly not having a good time right now.
"Gladstone? What is wrong with you, my love?"
Naturally, his beautiful wife, Hermione, noticed his distress despite his best attempts to hide it. After so many years together, working side by side both in their research and their lives, she generally had a fairly good sense for his moods and wiles, just like he had a good sense for hers.
She was trying to be there for him, going as far as to interrupt her work in order to take his hand, pleading with him to confide in her, and while Gladstone loved her to bits for it, he rather wished she'd leave it be this time.
Because his current problems were his and his alone.
He couldn't say that however, for she'd never accept it. She might even feel insulted he had the gall to try and dismiss her, and a wroth wife was terrifying indeed.
So he would have to try and distract her somehow.
"Please, darling, do not concern yourself over me." He started out by playing the strong man, assuming a stubborn expression he knew she would pierce straight through.
"Gladstone." Indeed, she wasn't fooled for a moment, giving him a patient yet insistent look. "We are husband and wife. You can trust me."
"I promise you it is nothing dire. It's just that…" He let his voice trail off, looking away as if in shame and guilt.
"That?" She prompted him, taking a step closer.
"No, it is nothing. Please, don't let-"
"Gladstone." Her voice took on a warning edge, one that showed it was high time he manned up and fessed up, and Gladstone pretended to yield at last.
"No, you are right, my dear. It is dire! I am nearly in the grip of despair. The many years of failure are getting to me." Hamming it up just a little, but not too much, he brought up a matter that was indeed troubling him, but wasn't the one he was actually concerned about right now.
"Failure?" His wife fell for it hook, line, and sinker, and Gladstone had to hide the flash of triumph in his eyes. "Gladstone, we haven't failed-"
"Don't say that!" Dramatically, he turned away from her, pressing his hands to his chest as if in actual pain. "You know it is true. How long have we spent researching those blasted Mystic Eyes already? How many failures have we had to suffer through over the past eighteen years? How often have we promised our sweet Ophelia that the Awakening of her beautiful Mystic Eye was close at hand, only to fail to follow through every time? We failed, Hermione! We failed our daughter!"
His words were harsh, but they were true, and the last point in particular hit his wife hard. They both loved their daughter more than anything else in the world and wanted only the best for her, yet it was becoming increasingly clear lately that they had consistently failed her since her birth.
Ophelia was special, there was no denying it. She was the long-awaited result of many generations of careful breeding, the successful outcome of a plan that aimed to bring about the manifestation of a Jewel-Ranked Mystic Eye in a member of the Phamrsolone-family. She alone had achieved that pinnacle, even if her eye had been dormant when she was born.
Elated by the success, Gladstone and Hermione had thrown caution to the wind and tried all manner of brazen experiments on Ophelia in an attempt to awaken it. Experiments that should have been refined first. Experiments that, in hindsight, had led absolutely nowhere.
They had monopolised their daughter's time, forbidden her from learning any Magecraft of her own in fear that it would interfere with the process of awakening, and kept her hidden away from the world. At the time, they had thought it best for her. A necessary evil that shouldn't take much longer than a year or two.
But now, Ophelia was at the cusp of womanhood already with her eye as dormant as ever, and Gladstone and Hermione were struck with the realisation that all their efforts, the countless experiments and treatments, had been for nothing, and that they had stolen many years of their daughter's life with nothing to show for it.
More than that, they had wasted her entire childhood.
Yes, Ophelia was always delighted to participate in her parents' research, and she never complained about any of it, but that only made it worse. She'd trusted them so completely, and they had failed her, putting too much pressure on her when they should have let her find her own place in the world first.
Just thinking about all the Magecraft Ophelia could have learned, all the research she could have done, if she hadn't been pulled into her family's project too early brought bitter tears to Hermione's eyes, as she was overwhelmed with regret.
Of course, Gladstone hated seeing her like that, even if it was all according to plan, and he gently embraced her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.
His wife was strong though, and soon, she pulled away again, her tears dried and her eyes full of a fiery light that showed she wasn't about to give up yet.
"We have failed our daughter, yes, but all is not lost. We shall attempt once more, and this time, we shall succeed." She swore, looking determined and almost heroic as she proudly held up a fist. "We shall awaken Ophelia's Mystic Eye within the month, and then all shall be well."
"But my dear, we have promised this a hundred times already, over the past ten years at least. What is so different this time?" Gladstone didn't really want to ask, loath to temper her enthusiasm, but they needed to be realistic.
"All those new materials you obtained! Don't tell me you don't feel it, Gladstone. They are so potent I can only shiver in their presence. Those crystals you bought are a miracle on themselves! It seems like I can use them to make anything! It is simply amazing. You are amazing!"
She praised him effusively, stroking his ego and threatening to inflate his head, but Gladstone couldn't enjoy it, as she inadvertently reminded him of his secret predicament. The problems he did not want her to know about.
He had indeed obtained amazing materials, giving them a real shot at awakening Ophelia's Mystic Eye, but the price of those materials had been incomprehensibly high.
In order to obtain them, Gladstone had sold his soul to the Dead Apostle Ancestors.
He was a traitor. There was no denying it. He had betrayed his own kind to their ancient enemy. He was giving them information about his fellow Magi, about the dealings of the Neutral Faction, in exchange for rare and precious materials, ranging from leaves of long-extinct trees to crystals straight from the caves of ORT itself.
Gladstone knew that made him evil, for one did not lie with pigs without getting filthy, and he struggled mightily with it. After all, he hated the Dead Apostles just as much as anyone else, even now. If someone had suggested to him, only as little as a year ago, that he would come to work for them, he would have been most enraged at the scathing insult.
He was not a cackling villain, truly. This had not been his choice. He had been forced into his current situation, by factors beyond his control.
What else should he have done when he had realised, a little over a year ago now, that his attempts to awaken Ophelia's Mystic Eye were entirely fruitless, and that he had stolen her childhood for no gain whatsoever? How could he possibly have sat back and done nothing?
Any father in his position would have done exactly the same, he was certain of it. Any man would have gotten desperate, sufficiently so to do something drastic.
Such as accepting the offer of a mysterious figure to trade information for resources.
Looking back on it, Gladstone was astounded just how easily he'd been reeled in. It had started out small, just a few bits of intel on families he didn't like anyway, but as time went on, he'd been sucked deeper and deeper into the mess, until he had to fork over everything he knew and more. Even when he realised his mysterious benefactors were Dead Apostles, he couldn't stop.
He was well and truly trapped.
The Duke of Predation truly was a vampire by any meaning of the word. He'd reached out a helping hand, only to grab Gladstone by the throat, and he hadn't noticed he was being sucked dry until it was too late.
"We shall awaken Ophelia's Mystic Eye with your new materials." His wife, knowing nothing of this, tried to cheer him up, but only made him more worried instead. "Keep faith, Gladstone."
'Keep faith'.
Easier said than done with a knife poised at his back.
Nevertheless, he nodded, making a brave attempt at a smile. He should not bother his lovely wife with his own issues. That was not how a husband should behave.
Nor would he tell Ophelia, either about his dealings with the Dead Apostle Ancestors or about the fact that all experiments they'd performed so far on her had been useless. It would only needlessly distress her at a time when there was real hope.
Unbeknownst to him however, Ophelia had heard every word.
Since she was keyed into the Bounded Fields of her family's Workshop, Ophelia Phamrsolone was able to listen at the door without being assailed by the defences. It wasn't something she was proud of, eavesdropping on her parents, but she felt she had no choice.
She had to know what they were planning for her next. What sort of experiments they wanted to conduct on her now.
Some people might say that if something horrible was going to happen to you, it was better not to know until it actually happened, but that wasn't Ophelia's experience. She hated being aware that she was going to suffer horribly, but not knowing how exactly. It was absolutely nerve-wracking, almost as bad as the experience itself.
She wanted to know what horrors awaited her, to prepare in whatever way she could, so she regularly eavesdropped on her parents while they were working, pressing her ear against the door of the Workshop, the thin wood providing no obstacle.
It was always bad. Her parents had creative minds, and the treatments they conceived were enough to make her tremble in fright every time. By the time she left, she was always either fearful or outright terrified, depending on how much and how long she was going to suffer that particular time.
But what she heard this time, what she managed to catch from her parents' muffled conversation today, was worse than anything she'd ever heard before. It sapped every bit of strength from her limbs, forcing her to lean on the door as her legs started trembling in shock.
Useless.
The experiments had been useless.
All the pain she'd endured at their hands, all the suffering she'd gone through on their operating table, all the countless hours in which she'd nearly gone mad from the agony, just to awaken her rumoured Mystic Eye…
It had been useless. Completely useless!
She was no closer to awakening it than when the treatments had begun!
Fourteen years of anguish, from her fourth birthday until now, close to her eighteenth, had been for nothing!
And now her parents wanted to try again from the start, without ever telling her the truth!
For the first time in Ophelia's life, shock and fear had to make way for pure rage, and she pushed herself off the door and stormed away, crying and seething at the same time.
Ophelia had always been a dutiful girl, never complaining about anything she went through in the pursuit of her family's ultimate goal. She did what was expected of her and didn't act out in any way. She was calm and obedient, some might even say excessively meek.
Case in point, she didn't even hate her parents, even after everything they'd done to her. She didn't love them, or even like them, but she didn't hate them either. Meek, little Ophelia would never dare to. Instead, she'd found all sorts of other things to blame and despise.
Sunday for instance. Her parents would always work on new treatments during the week and then test them on her on Sunday. Always on Sunday. To the point where she'd come to dread the very day itself.
Scalpels too. She hated them with a passion, frequently indulging in pleasant revenge-fantasies where she'd take all the scalpels in the world and melt them down into a lake of smouldering steel.
The smell of bleach, however faint, made her unreasonably angry no matter where she was or who used it. It wasn't at all unusual for her to want to throttle random cleaners she encountered by pure chance.
But not anymore. No longer was she going to blame a particular day of the week, or surgical implements, or a cleaning agent, for her misery. For the first time in her life, her hatred was aimed at those who deserved it.
Her eyes had finally been opened, and she had a plan for revenge.
Frankly, even she was surprised she was already thinking of revenge only moments after her worldview had been torn apart so suddenly and brutally. One would think that fourteen years of indoctrination to be quiet and meek weren't easily overcome, but there was no denying the fact that a provisory plan to get back at her parents had popped up in her mind only an instant after she heard her father admit the truth to her mother.
Perhaps the plan had been there already, slumbering in her subconscious, only coming to the surface now that Ophelia's passions burned brightly for once. A buried desire to free herself from her yoke, finally coming to expression.
In truth, her first instinct was to pick up a hammer herself, any hammer would do, and smash her parents' skulls in, but that was not within her capabilities. She knew she didn't have the stomach for murder, no matter how well-deserved. She rather doubted she'd have the required physical strength either.
Instead, she'd let the system sort them out, by reporting her father's crimes to the Department of Policies.
Oh yes, she knew about those crimes. She had figured out long ago that her father was up to his neck in something illegal. It was obvious, especially since he barely made an effort to hide it from her.
In his eyes, she was nothing but his dumb little daughter, who happened to possess the ultimate Mystic Eye but didn't amount to much otherwise. She was stupid, harmless, and not worth the effort of lying to.
He was wrong though. Ophelia wasn't a fool, or harmless. She was more than capable of drawing her own conclusions when her father gave her a few weak excuses after she caught him acting shady, or when he dismissed perfectly reasonable questions for no reason whatsoever.
She knew something kept him awake at night, that something made him frown rather than smile when he received extraordinary gifts through the mail, and it was simple enough to deduce that it had to be something illegal.
She hadn't told anyone though, not even her mother. Until now, she'd always stayed well away from it, as good daughters do, politely ignoring his strange behaviour. They were still family after all, and she owed him for taking care of her. She had even believed that he loved her, in his own twisted way, and she wouldn't betray someone who loved her.
No longer. Now that she had learned the truth of his heinous actions towards her, she intended to search his office until she found out exactly what he was up to.
And when she'd found it, she was going straight to the proper authorities to turn him in, to deliver him into the claws of the Department of Policies. That would be her revenge on him, him and her mother both.
Of course, her chances of getting into the Department of Policies were so low as to be infinitely close to zero, she knew that, but fortunately for her, she didn't actually need to go there.
Policies' agents would come to her instead.
Over the past few weeks, Ophelia had been approached by multiple people asking questions about her family, particularly about her father. They were innocent questions, not hinting at any unscrupulous motives in the slightest, but as said before, Ophelia was no fool.
She'd already worked out her father was almost definitely committing crimes, so it wasn't hard to deduce why there suddenly were so many people taking an interest in him.
They were investigating him, scouting out the surroundings and talking with his family in order to procure the evidence they needed to bring him down.
The investigation didn't seem to be going very well so far, considering her father was still a free man, but today was the agents' lucky day. Once Ophelia had the incriminating facts, she was going to hand them straight over to them.
She'd prefer it if she could give them to mister Jonah, the only one of them who'd taken a genuine interest in her rather than just faking it to get to her father, but really, any of them would do.
She shouldn't count her chickens before they'd hatched though. She would have to actually find proof of illegal actions on her father's part first before she could hand anything over.
Entering her father's office was easy enough. She was keyed into every Bounded Field after all, which included not just those on the Workshop but also those on the offices and the living quarters.
She knew it was unusual that she had access to everything, as most Magi were hesitant to allow even their own children entrance to their offices and Workshops, but whereas that used to be a point of pride for her, to be trusted so deeply by her parents, she had long since figured out by now that it was only because they considered her utterly harmless.
Infuriating, and it only cemented her desire for revenge.
Once inside the office, Ophelia looked around. Gladstone didn't like to spend time in here, and it showed, mainly in the complete lack of any personal or interesting items. There was nothing here but documents and files, stored in three separate cabinets, and a single desk with a matching chair.
Ophelia ignored the cabinets, knowing they held only records of bookkeeping and inventory. Instead, she went straight for the hidden compartment in the desk, where her father stored the more sensitive information.
It was quite cleverly hidden, she had to give him that, but that didn't count for much when he had blatantly opened it several times while she'd been in the office too. He hadn't even tried to hide it from her, almost like she was a part of the furniture as well.
Opening the compartment, Ophelia found several files and a number of letters inside. The Bounded Field protecting the compartment was of the same nature as those outside the office, which meant she could simply ignore it and reach inside.
Gladstone might invest massive amounts of time, effort, and money into devising new ways to torture Ophelia, but it seemed he put almost nothing into security.
Infuriating, but it proved convenient in this instance.
Leafing through the file, she soon realised it was an account of everything that had been discussed at the most recent meeting of the Neutral Faction. On its own, that didn't have to be strange, since her father was the chairman of the Faction now and could thus be expected to have an account of the proceedings, but it was strange that he kept this hidden, and that this appeared to be a hastily made copy of the actual report besides.
Almost as if he wanted to hand this over to someone else.
It was just a suspicion on her part, but that suspicion was confirmed when she read the letters.
They were orders, addressed to her father, to gather specific information and drop it off at certain locations in the city. Information that was not supposed to be privy to anyone outside of the Neutral Faction, let alone outside the Clocktower.
The letters were damning, and Ophelia noticed they were all concluded with an order to burn them once Gladstone finished reading them. A very sensible order, which her father evidently hadn't followed.
This was it! This was what she had been looking for! Damning proof, which Gladstone couldn't possibly wriggle his way out of.
Grinning in victory, Ophelia made to gather the letters, before she paused, her grin freezing on her face, as she suddenly realised she might be making a massive mistake.
Handing in these letters and files to the Department of Policies wouldn't just get her parents into trouble, but maybe also herself as well. Selling sensitive information was a crime that could see one's entire family executed, and as much as Ophelia wished she wasn't related to Gladstone, she undeniably was.
If she went through with turning her father in, she might very well be executed herself, or possibly even donated to the vivisection-department, who would undoubtedly take great interest in her Mystic Eye.
She would definitely be taking revenge on her parents, but she would pay a high price for it herself as well.
She wavered, her resolve shaking at the prospect of becoming nothing but a research-specimen once more, but she rallied quickly, trying to talk some courage into herself.
As an informant, she might get some leniency. Lady Barthomeloi seemed to be in a merciful mood lately, so if Ophelia showed how useful and law-abiding she could be, she might allow her to get away with only a custodial sentence or forced labour.
Besides, now that she thought about it, even being donated to the vivisection-department sounded better than being trapped with her family for what could be decades more. At least the Clocktower's vivisectors knew what they were doing, which was more than could be said for her parents.
Ophelia hesitated, thinking deeply about her options. On one hand, she could play it safe, leave, and resign herself to a lifetime of suffering at the hands of two incompetents, while on the other, she could take a risk and be freed from them forever, getting off scot-free if she was lucky, or only suffering for a short while if she wasn't.
It really wasn't that difficult a choice.
She muttered a quick prayer to Thor, for courage and strength, before she grabbed the files and the letters and made a run for it.
This was the dangerous part. If she'd been caught by her parents before she'd taken the letters, she could have claimed to have been searching for some innocent document in the office, or even that she'd been searching for them and gotten a bit lost, and they would have believed her without a second thought. Little Ophelia was a perfectly harmless girl after all.
Now though, with the incriminating evidence in her hands, even Gladstone and Hermione would realise she was up to something, and Ophelia did not want to consider what they'd do to her as punishment.
They already tortured her without mercy when they were in good moods. What they'd do when they were angry…
It didn't bear thinking about.
In the end though, it turned out she'd worried for nothing. Leaving the office was just as easy as entering it, and within minutes at most, she'd found mister Jonah, who was, as almost always, loitering about in the vicinity of her parents' Workshop, looking impressively non-descript.
"Mister Jonah!" She called out to him, noticing how he lifted an eyebrow in surprise at her beaming smile, before she rushed over to him and presented her findings. "I have evidence that my father has sold information to entities outside of the Clocktower."
Mister Jonah's baffled expression almost made the entire thing worth it by itself.
"I love you, Onii-chan!"
Illya literally flew at Shirou for a hug, using her newly-gained power of flight to smash head-first against his chest with enough force that a normal man might have had his ribs caved in.
Shirou easily caught her though, returning the hug with an amused laugh.
"Does it really mean this much to you?" He asked, feeling how Illya squeezed him with every bit of strength she possessed, showing just how happy he'd made her by agreeing to take up the mantle of Rakurai again. "I mean, I don't want to make light of your needs and wants, but why do you care so much about fighting crime?"
"I want to be a Magical Girl." Illya gave him the same answer he'd gotten every time before, though this time, it was said in a voice filled with delight. "I can be a Magical Girl!"
"But why do you want to be a Magical Girl?"
Shirou had long wondered about what drove his sister to go to such lengths to pretend to be a character from the television, but he'd never gotten a straight answer out of her before.
He had his suspicions of course, and his Clairvoyance revealed a number of things to him, so he could hazard a very good guess, but he wanted confirmation, and he wanted her to say it out loud. To make sure she understood why she was going to such lengths.
"Because they are free, and powerful, and they fight evil without having to fear it."
It was a single sentence, and it told Shirou everything he needed to know. He'd been completely correct in his suspicions.
Illya had been trapped for almost a decade in the Einzbern-castle, entirely powerless to do anything to change her fate, to fight against her evil family. To use metaphorical terms, she'd been a caged bird, only able to stare up at an unreachable sky.
In contrast, Magical Girls were always flying free, soaring through the air with their immense magical power, not having to fear anything or anyone as they did as they pleased. Evil had no hold over them, no matter how hard it tried.
When seen from that angle, it was no wonder Illya wanted to be like them, to the point where she'd literally gone down on her knees to beg him to teach her. Becoming a Magical Girl meant the world to her, more so than anyone who hadn't lived her life could understand.
It was another very good reason to pick up the mantle of Rakurai again, even if only for a short while. She was entitled to that much at least.
"Alright." He nodded, letting go of his last reservations. "Let's do this."
"Wahoo!" Illya let out a whoop of joy, her eyes lighting up like a starry sky. It was a beautiful sight, and Shirou was almost sorry that he had to dim that light again.
"Once I return from the Clocktower."
"Ah." Illya hadn't expected that, judging by her disturbed expression, but she resigned herself surprisingly quickly. "Of course. I-I waited so long already, I can wait a bit longer."
Shirou was due to leave in only a week after all, so she understood that he had no time to go out at night to fight crime. There were too many preparations to make, both on his side and Rin's, for him to spend much time on something else.
And vigilantism was nothing if not time-consuming.
Illya was driven and focused, someone who chased her dreams without compunction, but she wasn't unreasonable. She was more than capable of waiting a few more weeks.
"You're going to do more than wait." Shirou wasn't about to let Illya waste away her holiday on anime and manga however, and with a flourish, he reached into the Vault to retrieve a stack of papers. "If you want to be a vigilante, you will have to do some homework."
"…Homework?" Though she'd only gone to school for a little less than half-a-year, Illya already knew all about the horror that was homework. The horror that sapped away her valuable time even though she, by all accounts, already knew everything there was to know after the lesson itself. Much like Shirou, she didn't need to pay attention or do homework to get perfect grades. Unlike Shirou however, she hadn't been able to communicate that effectively to the teachers yet. As such, she was still forced to do the dreary work time and again.
The prospect of doing even more clearly didn't appeal to her.
"Yes, homework." Shirou was unshakable however, drawing a clear line in the sand. "As long as this isn't done, we are not going out together."
"O-Okay." Illya wilted on the spot, letting out a soft whine as she gave him a hurt look, like a small animal that had just had its food stolen by a mean human.
Shirou just rolled his eyes though, as she was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"Cheer up. It's not school work. Most of it is a training programme I put together with Sella and Leysritt."
"Huh? Training?" Illya blinked owlishly, as if the very concept was unknown to her. "W-Why? I am already superhumanly strong, b-because I am an Asgardian, r-right?"
"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't improve." Shirou picked up a few of the papers, showing their contents to Illya. "Flying for instance. I know you have been getting better at it, but I want you to be able to fly at least a thousand kilometres in one night, because that's what we will be doing if you are serious about accompanying me."
"R-Right!" Illya perked up, the shine returning to her eyes as she realised this type of homework was actually fun, or at least challenging.
"In addition, you will test your stamina and improve it. Going to another city to fight crime and then returning to Fuyuki within the same night is tiring work. I will not have you drop out of the sky on the way back because you exhausted yourself."
"Understood!"
"Most importantly though, I want you to practise neutralising opponents non-lethally. The kind of criminals we will encounter will overwhelmingly not deserve the death-penalty or maiming. Together with Leysritt, you will work on methods to take them down quickly and without grave injuries, preferably without any kind of injuries at all."
"Yes, sir!"
"Good." Her eagerness and obedience were positive signs that he might actually make this work, but Shirou wasn't done with his instructions yet. He handed her even more files, files of a more bureaucratic nature. "Lastly, I want you to read these excerpts from Japanese law."
"Law?"
"Yes, the law. If we are to be vigilantes who operate as closely to the right side of the law as possible, which is what we strive for at all times, we must know that law inside and out. We must know what is and is not allowed, what the police will and will not reluctantly accept from us, and which evil acts that we see are actually criminal and which are just anti-social."
Cheating on one's partner for instance was extremely anti-social, but wasn't the least bit illegal. Punishing such people might be moral, to a point, but was against the law.
"I see." Illya didn't much like reading long and complicated texts, but since this was actually important, she was going to try her hardest, that was evident just by the look on her face. "I'll memorise it all."
"Memorising isn't as important as understanding it." Shirou corrected her, getting a nod in return.
That was good. If Illya really did all her homework properly, both the training and the reading, she should be ready to accompany him as his sidekick when he returned home. He would still have to guide her for a while, to stop her from making the same mistakes as he did when he just started out, but she would have a good foundation to build upon.
Unfortunately though, the homework would do nothing to solve the biggest problem of all.
Her brutality.
Illya had a certain ruthlessness in her, instilled by the Einzbern and still slumbering beneath the surface. She wasn't cruel, but her attitude towards killing and maiming was much more lax than that of a regular citizen. There was every chance she would kill a criminal, not out of malice, but because it was convenient.
On that front, he still had his work cut out for him. It was something that couldn't be fixed by reading texts or training. He would have to see to it personally.
Once he returned from the Clocktower of course.
"I will start immediately." Illya had taken his instructions to heart, and she snatched the files and documents from his hands, before she rushed off to the dojo, calling out for Leysritt as she went.
Shirou chuckled at the sight, glad that his little sister was so motivated and, dare he say it, happy, before he also left Illya's room, to head to the kitchen.
There, he found Sakura in the process of peeling vegetables for dinner, wearing her bunny apron with her hair tied back in a bun. A sight that made his heart melt instantly.
"Senpai." She greeted him happily, with a loving smile, before she growled cutely in annoyance when he wrapped his arms around her abdomen, pulled her against his chest, and kissed her neck. "Senpai, don't! I am busy."
"I am sorry." He apologised, though he didn't let go. "But I just want to spend some time with my girlfriend before I have to leave again. I will miss you so much."
"Senpai…" Sakura's voice softened, as did her eyes, and she leaned her head back against him, letting out a soft sigh. "I'll miss you too. Very much. Do you really have to go?"
"Yes, but it's only for three weeks this time." He tried to console her, but frankly, he couldn't even console himself.
"That's three weeks too long." She grumbled, to which he could only nod in agreement. "I wish I could come with you, like Nee-san."
"You know that isn't possible."
"I can still wish for it. I don't want to be separated from you again." She countered petulantly, before she sighed once more, though this time in resignation. "Though I suppose it is already an improvement that Nee-san is going with you this time, to keep an eye on you."
Shirou wanted to protest that he didn't need anyone to keep an eye on him, but when he remembered the mess that his previous visit to the Clocktower had become, he quickly shut his mouth, lest he look the fool.
"I'm sure she'll keep me out of trouble." He chose to say instead.
"I doubt even Nee-san can keep you out of trouble." Sakura scoffed at the very idea, mercilessly striking him in the heart. "But at least she can be a shield between you and any troublesome women who will try to seduce you."
"Ah, yes." Shirou would like to believe that there would be no troublesome women awaiting him at the Magus Association, but he was realistic enough to know that Sakura's prediction would likely come true. He was a Sorcerer, some might say prime breeding stock, and he knew too much about Magus-society to think that there wouldn't be plenty of women seeking to bear his children to give their families a powerful heir. An unpleasant prospect by any means. "It would be nice if I could avoid that sort of trouble as much as possible."
"Oh, really?" Sakura's voice gained a sceptical note, taking Shirou aback, as he'd never given any indication he'd welcome such attention. "Even if it is your dearest Lorelei?"
For a fraction of a second, Shirou froze in shock.
"W-What?! No, I don't… She's hardly 'my' Lorelei!" He then spluttered in protest, trying to let go of Sakura, but he found himself unable to, as she tightly grabbed hold of his hands, holding them on her abdomen.
"That's not what I heard, when you talked with her over the magic mirror." She turned her head slightly to give him a very unimpressed stare, one that he didn't deserve at all. "It sounded like you were well on your way to seduce her."
"That is nonsense! She is the Vice-Director of the Clocktower! I don't think she can be seduced by anyone, least of all me."
"You underestimate your own power, Senpai." Sakura pointed out, easing up a bit on her glare. "I don't think you are doing it on purpose, but she does care for you, a lot. Even I can see that."
"She's a friend! From work!"
Merely being friends with the Vice-Director was already amazing enough. Shirou could not imagine he'd somehow managed to get any further than that.
"Just like Nee-san was a friend? Just like Ayako and I were only friends?" Sakura sharply reminded him of the fact that they'd had this conversation twice before already, and that he'd been wrong both times. "You are a clever man, Shirou, but your ability to differentiate between people who want to be your friends and people who are romantically interested in you might as well be non-existent."
"…" Shirou tried to protest, but he could find no words to defend himself with. He had indeed stubbornly insisted for years that Sakura and later Ayako and Rin were not romantically interested in him at all, and he'd been proven utterly wrong. It was almost embarrassing how obtuse he'd been.
"We talked about it, Nee-san, Ayako, and I." Sakura continued. "And we think that, if we can rely at all on your account of her character, that Lorelei will confess to you before your next stay at the Clocktower is over."
"No, I don't believe that." Shirou firmly drew a line there, as there was something utterly wrong with that prediction. "I am underage. She is not."
"You'll be sixteen soon, if you aren't already, which is the age of consent in England." Sakura gently pointed out, giving him a smile that suggested she thought he was being needlessly stubborn. "Besides, such laws aren't taken very seriously in the Moonlit World, nor do they forbid an offer of betrothal for when you are of age."
"Marriage?" Shirou had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping at the ludicrous idea. "Me, marrying Lorelei?"
He couldn't even imagine it.
"You are powerful and wealthy enough to make it advantageous for her." Sakura argued, before shaking her head when he tried to protest. "Enough, Senpai. We have no proof either way. You'll just have to see what happens when you arrive at the Clocktower and meet up with her. I suppose it could still go either way, though I am confident it won't."
"…And you are fine with that?" Shirou asked, narrowing his eyes to give Sakura a probing look.
"That depends." Sakura's reply was vague however.
"On?"
"On whether she's willing to share you with us."
"W-What?"
"She is a queen after all, a woman who is used to getting her own way." Suddenly, Sakura wrenched herself loose from his grip, before she turned around and grabbed his shirt, her expression shockingly war-like and aggressive. "But you can tell her from me, Senpai, that I will not tolerate any attempt on her part to push Nee-san, Ayako and me to the side! She will not get rid of us, no matter how hard she tries!"
"…I will tell her." Shirou honestly didn't think Lorelei would try to get rid of the other girls, even if she, by some ridiculous miracle, decided to pursue him, but there was no harm in relaying the message anyway.
"But if she, on the other hand, is willing to share like the rest of us, I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement." Suddenly, Sakura's scowl turned into a happy smile, and she let go of his shirt to place her hands on his cheeks. "She is a beautiful woman after all, and she did catch those Wolpertingers for me. If she's willing to peacefully join our polyamorous relationship, please try your hardest to seduce her."
"I refuse."
Shirou was absolutely not going to actively pursue Lorelei. It would be one thing if their bond grew naturally, but to go after her when he already had three girlfriends went too far.
"Coward."
Sakura didn't appreciate his loyalty though, giving him a pitying look that made him feel very small and pathetic.
Now why exactly did that turn him on?
Magi were by nature a cowardly people.
That wasn't an insult. It was just a fact.
There were exceptions of course, famous exceptions, but in general, Magi and their relatives were not known for their bravery or valour.
It was only logical. Humans were among the weakest and most fragile creatures in the Moonlit World. They had no Magic Cores, no potent regeneration, barely any Magic Resistance, laughable physical strength, and mostly lacked any sort of Clairvoyance or deeper understanding of the world, which many other creatures possessed as a matter of course.
In light of all that, it was wiser for humans to be cautious in their every action, it was often the only means of survival even, so that was exactly the approach most Magi had adopted. They didn't trust anyone, took as few risks as possible, profited where they could, and generally strived to gain more power than their opponents by any means necessary.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that caution was embedded in their very culture.
Strangely enough though, most Magi still retained a peculiar, illogical appreciation for brave individuals nevertheless, such as lady Barthomeloi and Shirou Fujimaru, while they generally disliked cowards who managed to enrich themselves while taking barely any risks.
Case in point, the Edelfelt.
For all intents and purposes, the Moonlit World should regard them as a success story. A single family of a respectable age, which had clawed its way to the upper ranks by profiting from every war and battle they came across, while always making sure to stay out of danger as much as they could. A family that basically embodied everything Magi claimed to hold in high regard, with its skilled application of blackmail, extortion, theft, and profiteering.
But nothing was less true.
Most Magi hated the Edelfelt, and regarded them as little more than pests which had risen too far above their station. They certainly did not admire them, and even grudging respect, which other more enterprising families did enjoy to some extent, was nowhere to be found.
Even their title, the Most Elegant Hyenas Above Ground, was the epitome of snide sarcasm.
It was only to be expected though. If there was one word that described Magus-society even better than caution, it would be hypocrisy.
Luviagelita Edelfelt was more than aware of that little fact, and she had long since stopped caring about any of it. Worrying about what other people thought of her was a waste of time and energy, and quite dangerous besides.
Risking her neck to improve her reputation sounded like a good way to die after all.
Luvia had always tried to be a proper, cautious Magus. She had remained in the Edelfelt-manor for most of her life, she had never gotten involved in fights she wasn't absolutely sure she could win, and she made sure never to expose herself to any unreasonable danger.
Of course, the Edelfelt-manor wasn't exactly bereft of any danger either, with all the in-fighting and betrayals, but that was par for the course. That didn't count, so to speak.
It wasn't exactly a thrilling way to live her life, but her caution had kept her alive so far, and that counted for a lot.
But now, Luvia was about to break the habit of a lifetime. She was about to take a plunge into the deep, and see where the current would take her.
She was going to the Clocktower herself, to make her official debut as the Edelfelt heiress a year sooner than originally planned. She was going to take a chance, and hope that she'd be able to profit somehow.
Safe to say, not everyone was happy about it.
"Are you sure this is wise, Luvia?" Olaf asked her, nervously rubbing his hands as they walked through the manor's main hall. "I don't think you should go to the Clocktower already."
Olaf was one of her many cousins, and someone whom she generally trusted quite a bit. Not completely of course, that would be insane, but he was more reliable than most. Not because of a good character or anything like that though, but because he was the sort of man who blindly followed after power.
As long as Luvia remained the strongest member of the family, Olaf would obey and support her. That was a certainty.
As such, she would lend her ear to him.
"Why would it not be wise to go to the Clocktower myself?" She prompted him to explain himself, keeping her voice pleasant and her expression open, so as not to unduly scare him. "As heiress of the Edelfelt-family, I am uniquely suited for the more delicate negotiations that the current situation requires. We cannot continue to rely on Sofia and Eduardo for every problem, issue, and snag that comes our way."
Sofia Edelfelt was the only member of the family who had taken up permanent residence in the Clocktower, now a few months back. As such, she had been appointed as the de-facto spokesperson for the Edelfelt in the Magus Association, aided by her fiancé, Eduardo di Stanza.
So far, Sofia had performed surprisingly well in her new function, rapidly scoring a string of successes. To name a few, she'd made good inroads with the Democratic Faction, secured several important trade-contracts with notable families and companies, and most importantly, convinced the new Sorcerer to sign a treaty of non-aggression with the Edelfelt.
It really was remarkable, especially since she wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, to put it mildly, and even Luvia had been impressed by her second cousin's efforts. Even better, Sofia wasn't the ambitious sort, so Luvia didn't have to fear that she'd use her victories in an attempt to claim a higher position in the family.
"Sofia has performed sufficiently well on her own so far." Quite predictably, Olaf used Sofia's competence as one of his arguments to convince Luvia not to leave. "She has established a good rapport with our allies, and I fear you would only undermine her position if you were to needlessly involve yourself in the negotiations. I might even say, and I apologise for any offense I might cause, that it would paint you as nothing but a grasping lady afraid to be overshadowed by her inferiors."
Luvia stilled, impressed despite herself by the argument.
"You make a good point." She admitted reluctantly. "But I do not agree. It is not my intention whatsoever to undermine Sofia or otherwise impede her efforts. On the contrary, I aim to strengthen her position by directly showing my support for her. Rather than having to contact me all the way here in Finland whenever she has to make a decision or a promise, she can approach me directly or even involve me in the negotiations in person. It will be far more effective."
As said before, Sofia was not the ambitious sort, nor was she a backstabber, so Luvia felt no compunction about working together with her rather than against her.
"But you are needed here." Olaf tried another approach. "Juhani and Aatos are plotting against you, and I'm pretty sure they are trying to sway Mikael to their side. We cannot curb their ambitions if you aren't here to lead us."
"You underestimate yourself, Olaf, and you worry needlessly. I told Mikael to appear receptive to their advances, and he is only following my orders. When the time is right, he'll betray them." She assured him, not worried about either Juhani or Aatos. "I also spoke with my great aunt, and she has promised me to maintain the current status-quo in my absence."
"The head of the family is taking sides?!"
Olaf was right to be surprised. The Edelfelt-family was structured in such a way that infighting between members was actively encouraged, in order to keep them ambitious, strong, and ruthless. Every position in the family could be claimed if you had sufficient strength, up to and including the position of heir.
The only position not up for grabs was the head of the family, currently held by Luvia's great-aunt. She ruled from up high, never interfering in the battles for who got to be her heir.
Until now apparently.
"Great-aunt has also seen that this constant bickering between ourselves is only weakening us." Luvia explained, quite proud of herself that she'd made the old woman see sense. "She'll hold the fort while I'm away. No one will be allowed to take the position of heir from me until I return."
"I-I see." Olaf's expression was a mixture of relief, as that meant his own position was also secure, and frustration, as his arguments to keep Luvia at the manor were quickly countered one by one. "B-But what about yourself? You originally planned to go to the Clocktower when you turned seventeen, to ensure you were of sufficient power and skill. If you go now already, you'll miss out on a year of training and research."
"I haven't done any proper training or worthwhile experiments here in months, Olaf." Luvia scoffed. "And I don't see that changing any time soon. I've been too busy putting out fires at every corner and trying to manage the situation at the Clocktower from afar. There's no more use in waiting. I have to go now."
"W-What about the Tohsaka?" Olaf was now throwing random things at the wall, hoping something would stick. "Don't you want to mount a response after they humiliated us?"
"No, not particularly." Luvia had tried to invade Tohsaka's territory, albeit through hired mercenaries, and she'd been rebuffed rather firmly. As far as she was concerned, that was the end of it. "And even if I wanted to, that is another thing more easily arranged from the Clocktower."
"The Gem-market-"
"Can be better observed from inside the Clocktower."
"Helena's reports-"
"Can be easily transferred to me even when I'm in London."
"Your personal security-"
"I can see to that myself, and I'll take Clown and Auguste with me."
Olaf opened and closed his mouth for a while, like a particularly handsome and bearded fish, before he groaned in resignation.
"Fine then."
He still wasn't happy with it, but he was a Magus and an Edelfelt, so he'd learned to roll with the punches that life dealt him.
"Cheer up, Olaf. Think of what I could achieve." Luvia grinned at him, proudly putting a hand against her side. "More allies, better spells, I might even reach the Root while I'm at it, or befriend Shirou Fujimaru."
"It would be nice if you could." Judging from Olaf's tone though, he doubted she could achieve the latter two goals. "But you're not driven enough to reach the Root, and the Sorcerer is already allied to the Barthomeloi. You're not getting between them."
"Oh, ye of little faith." He was being quite impertinent, but that was how Luvia liked him most. "Just you wait, I'll charm that little Sorcerer in an instant."
Olaf gave her a dry look in response, and Luvia giggled in amusement.
She was of course joking. She knew there was little point in trying to take him from the Barthomeloi, and even if Fujimaru was the sort to fall prey to a woman's charms, she'd undoubtedly have very stiff competition from every corner of the Moonlit World.
It wasn't something she should waste any energy on. She had far better things to do.
"If you want a more realistic goal, see if you can't find new suppliers and merchants that sell gems at reasonable prices." Olaf suggested. "Sofia has done good work, but it isn't enough."
"I rather doubt there are any, but I'll keep an eye out." Luvia pursed her lips, her mood deteriorating rapidly at the reminder that the gem-market was still in absolute pieces.
Gems were extremely important in various types of Magecraft, making them a highly sought-after resource in the Moonlit World. Quite rare to begin with, the available supply had begun to really dwindle in recent years, steadily raising the price, and the fall of the Meluastea, the biggest gem-merchants in the world, had made them prohibitively expensive in a matter of hours.
There were very few gems available for sale these days, all of them costing an arm and a leg, which was another reason Luvia hadn't been able to perform any experiments in months.
Finding a new supplier was easier said than done though, especially since the only family that still sold gems at a reasonable price was the Tohsaka. She didn't want to say it out loud, but reestablishing the gem-trade might be the hardest task she'd given herself, up to and including building a better relationship with the new Sorcerer.
But if she didn't, and the Edelfelt couldn't get their hands on new gems…
It almost didn't bear thinking about.
But again, she didn't want to say that out loud. Not inside the Edelfelt-manor, where walls had ears and every sign of weakness was something to be pounced upon.
"Olaf, summon Mikael, Helena, and Anna. Bring them to our meeting room." She ordered her cousin, putting a definite end to their discussion. "I will give you your final instructions before I leave in the morning."
"…Very well." He nodded, fully resigning himself to her upcoming absence, before he left to carry out her command.
Now alone, Luvia headed for the manor's helicopter-platform, to arrange her passage to London. Once that was done, she'd give Clown and Auguste their marching orders, instruct her allies on what to do while she was gone, and then select her outfit for tomorrow in her private chambers.
It would be the first time she'd ever entered the Clocktower, and she had to make an impression those crusty old Magi would never forget again.
Nothing less from the most elegant hyenas above ground.
As the same time that Luviagelita Edelfelt bade goodbye to her closest allies, preparing them for her departure in way not too dissimilar to a captain briefing her soldiers, a similar farewell-conversation was taking place in the Ryuudou-temple, in Fuyuki, though in a much friendlier and more pleasant fashion.
"So you'll be leaving again tomorrow, my friend?" Issei Ryuudou asked Shirou as they raked the last of the fallen leaves from the temple's garden together. Autumn was now truly approaching its end, and the trees were empty, having shed the last of their foliage over the past week.
"Indeed I am. I have to return to London. The… university has summoned me again to deal with a few… issues that cropped up." Shirou replied haltingly, trying to be as truthful as he could while still not mentioning Magecraft or anything related to it. Issei might know he had unusual abilities, but that still was a far cry from knowing about the Moonlit World and the Magus Association.
"Issues?" Issei lifted an eyebrow at the word, pausing his work to study Shirou closely, as if searching for something specific in his expression or demeanour. "Emiya-kun… This is serious, isn't it?"
"…Yes." The return of Mystery and the fall-out of the Great Purge were indeed very serious matters. Shirou wasn't going to deny that. To do so would be lying, and he disliked lying, especially to a close friend. "It's very serious, Issei."
"Hm." Issei made a noise of acknowledgement, but he didn't seem surprised that Shirou was involved in some kind of trouble. "I suspected as much. You've been tense lately, very tense. I don't think I've seen you this worried since that mess with Rakurai."
"Ha! You are completely correct. Was I that easy to read?" Shirou had become a little more skilled at deception while 'studying' at the Clocktower, as much as he disliked it, but it seemed his meagre skills couldn't stand up to Issei's powers of perception.
"You were to me." Issei's reply was entirely casual, and then the monk-in-training fell silent for a moment, resuming his work as he pondered everything Shirou had just told him.
Not wishing to disturb his mate, Shirou joined him, both in his work and in quiet contemplation.
Tomorrow afternoon, Rin and he would be leaving for the Clocktower, so Shirou was going around today, saying his goodbyes to his friends and family.
Most of them took it very well, with many even complimenting him with the fact that the university wanted him back so badly they'd summoned him before the winter-holidays had even started. Old man Raiga for instance had given him a thump on the shoulder, grinning widely, while Neko, the daughter of the owner of the pub he worked at, had joyfully embraced him.
Most of his teachers had taken the chance to congratulate him, and the headmaster of Homurahara had even praised him for managing to secure a place for Rin as well.
She would be leaving with him after all, in the middle of a school week, and they, that being Shirou, Rin, and Taiga, had seen no reason to use a different excuse from Shirou's to explain her absence. Her grades were beyond excellent as well after all, and even though no one knew that he and Rin were in a relationship, she was close enough to Taiga, his big sister, to explain why he had petitioned the university to let her in as well.
Safe to say, the headmaster was chuffed to bits now that two of his students were off to a prestigious English university, and he hadn't hesitated for a moment to give them permission to leave before the holidays officially began, practically pushing them out of the door.
Issei on the other hand wasn't so enthusiastic that his best friend would be travelling to the other side of the world again for a couple of weeks, and he was even less enthusiastic about it now that Shirou had confided in him about the woes that lay ahead.
Shirou was being sparse with the details, as always, but that didn't matter one bit to Issei. His friend was in trouble, and that was all the monk-in-training needed to know.
Frustratingly though, Issei knew there was very little he could do about it. He had no esoteric powers, nor did he have any desire to obtain them, and he had no excuse to hurry off to London himself even if he did have a Buddha's might.
He was powerless, and that was a terrible feeling. He'd have to meditate quite rigorously later to purge himself of this unbalance.
"I won't be so arrogant as to assume that I can help you in any way." He then addressed Shirou again. "Unless your problem is one that requires an exorcism or a few mantras to solve?"
"I'm afraid not." Shirou huffed in amusement, though little of that amusement was reflected in his eyes. "Thank you for offering, Issei, but it would be best if you sat this one out."
"I'll trust your judgement on that. Will you allow me to pray for you though?"
"I would welcome it."
Issei might not be able to do much himself, but perhaps the gods would be willing to watch over his friend and protect him from the worst of what he was about to face.
It wasn't much, but all bits helped in the end.
"I'm giving you no more than four weeks to get your butts back here, understood?" Ayako practically demanded, getting right up in Shirou's face. "Any longer, and we'll come and get you ourselves."
"Four weeks." The redhead agreed obediently, making sure to sear that into his memory. "Twenty-eight days. Ah, but perhaps you should call me first, before you go all the way to London."
Ayako thought about that for a moment, before quickly exchanging a few whispered words with Sakura and Illya. Then she turned back to him.
"We'll call you once. If you don't reply or don't come back home immediately after that, we'll come to you."
"Sounds good." He grinned, before nudging Rin with his elbow.
"Huh? Ah, yes, that's fine." The black-haired was roused from her last-minute preparations, hastily agreeing with Ayako's demand as well. Whether she knew what she'd agreed to was not at all certain, but the brunette was satisfied with it, for now.
"Good luck, Senpai." Sakura stepped up next, not to make a demand, but to wish him the best. "Stay safe out there."
"Of course." He took her into a gentle hug, which she happily reciprocated.
Shirou was about to leave for London again, resulting in another farewell to his family, just like when he'd left the first time around, right before the summer holidays. There were a lot of similarities between then and now, but also some considerable differences.
Positive differences.
For one, his family was bigger now. It wasn't just Sakura, Ayako, and Taiga, but also Illya, Sella, and Leysritt. Even Caren was present in spirit, though not in body, as she was still held up in Tokyo. Shirou spared a quick moment of sympathy for her, knowing that she didn't actually want to be there and was counting the days before she could return home.
For two, they weren't at the airport, but in the living room of the Emiya-estate. Shirou wasn't going to take a plane this time, blessedly, but rather travel by Bifrost. He'd use the ancient technique to instantly teleport between his home and the Clocktower. Something he was very glad about, as he'd discovered the previous time that he hated planes with a passion.
For three, he wasn't going in alone, but he had Rin with him. She too was going to the Clocktower, pursuing her long-held dream, and even though Shirou had several friends there already, he was still glad to have her company.
Not as glad as Rin though. The black-haired girl was positively ecstatic. She'd been restless for days, making all kinds of last-minute preparations, practicing her Magecraft, and just fidgeting without end as her first trip to the headquarters of the Magus Association came ever closer.
Her mood had been splendid indeed, and Shirou, Sakura, and Ayako had been on the receiving end of more kisses and hugs than ever before, as Rin suddenly discovered her clingy side. Not that they were complaining of course.
In fact, the only reason she wasn't pushing him right now to get a move on already was because she was distracted by her mother.
Since her daughter would be going to London for a few weeks, Aoi had come to say goodbye too, and she was now using every mother's God-given right to embarrass her precious child.
"I am so proud of you, Rin." Aoi had to choke back a few sobs, proud tears streaming over her cheeks as she clutched Rin's hands. "To think that my little girl would make it so far, and so quickly too. Wonderful. Simply wonderful."
"M-Mom." Rin blushed at the unabashed praise, but she didn't look entirely displeased with it. "It's just a quick trip to the Clocktower. It's nothing serious."
"Nonsense! You're to be the apprentice of the Vice Director herself." Aoi would have nothing of Rin's humility though, and rightly so. "You are amazing, and you deserve to hear it."
"W-Well, if you put it like that-"
"It seems only yesterday that you were my adorable little girl, whose highest priority in life was taking care of her plush toys, and look at you now. My cute, powerful, little Magus-girl."
"Mom!"
It was a touching moment, and Shirou had to hide a smile as Rin desperately tried to stop her mother from revealing how adorable she'd been as a child. Ayako had no compunction about grinning openly though, and Sakura looked on with a warm smile of her own, rather enjoying how their family actually acted like a family for once.
Meanwhile, Illya was more focused on the homework she'd been given.
"I'll be prepared when you return." She promised Shirou, her expression the very picture of seriousness and dedication. "I promise. You'll find me ready for action, sir."
"Excellent. At ease, private." Since she insisted on acting like a soldier, Shirou played along, giving her a serious look of his own. "In my absence, you are the master of the house, and I expect you to hold the fort. Make our father proud."
"Yes, sir!"
Since they were Kiritsugu's children, if adopted in Shirou's case, the Emiya-estate officially belonged to both of them. In other words, it was Illya's responsibility to watch over it while he was away.
A responsibility she took most seriously indeed.
"Hey, what about me?" Taiga, his honorary big sister, sounded a bit aggrieved as she asked the question, since she was officially their legal guardian until they became adults and had so far done most of the work related to taxes and other administrative matters.
"Naturally, I'm counting on you as well." Shirou smoothly adjusted his earlier statement, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Please keep an eye on the girls for me. They are capable and independent, but it would be a great relief to know you are there should they need you."
"Aw, that goes without saying." Taiga's frown turned upside down in less time than it took to say it, and she placed a hand on his shoulder too. "Go knock 'em dead over there. The home front is safe. I promise you that."
Her behaviour was a stark contrast to her incessant crying and sobbing the last time he went to London, but that was easily explained by the fact that he'd be gone for a much shorter while this time, and that she'd gotten a little more used to it.
"I wish you a most prosperous time, lord Shirou." Sella also stepped forward to say her piece, inclining her head as she handed him his suitcase. "Please allow me to ask, are your preparations complete? Is there any unfinished business that needs seeing to in Fuyuki?"
"Not as far as I'm aware. Nothing that can't wait until I'm back."
Shirou had strengthened the defences around the city and around his house again, taking special care to make sure no mercenaries or assassins could get anywhere near the Emiya-estate or the Tohsaka-manor. His experiments were safely powered down and locked up. He'd prepared Caren's favourite food and snacks for when she returned. He'd even put several Runes around Mount Enzou, the place where the Grail was stored, that would warn him should there be a spike in its power.
Everything in Fuyuki had been taken care of for now. Everything except one matter.
Arcueid's visit.
After he'd accepted Zelretch's suggestion to tell the Moon Princess the truth of who and what he was, a demigod responsible for the return of Mystery, he'd expected she would be standing on his doorstep well before the holiday began. Zelretch had already given her his address after all, and she didn't seem like the type to procrastinate.
As the days passed and she didn't turn up however, he'd started to get a little concerned. Now that he was about to leave with still no sign of her, he was getting outright worried.
He knew there was nothing in the world that could hope to kill her, but she could definitely be hurt with sufficiently esoteric weapons or abilities, such as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Something that was a real possibility, considering it had happened twice already.
He had seriously considered over the past few days to go look for her, and only the complete lack of clues as to where she could be had held him back.
However, if she hadn't turned up by the time he came back from London, he was going to contact Zelretch, to coordinate a search.
Shirou showed none of his worry on his face though, not wanting to ruin the mood, and he went around one more time, saying his final goodbyes.
Then it was time to leave.
"Bye bye, everyone!" Rin waved at them all as she grabbed his arm, their suitcases at their feet. "I'll see you in four weeks."
"Take care, Nee-san." Sakura waved back.
"Keep an eye on Shirou."
"Make the family proud!"
Shirou waved back for a few moments, and then he activated the Bifrost. With a flash of rainbow-coloured light, space warped and twisted around them, and they were whisked away to England.
For their precise destination, Shirou and Rin had considered Heathrow, before discarding it, as it was too far away and they didn't fancy walking so long. They'd then given some thought to lord El-Melloi's office, or perhaps the Clocktower's main hall, but barging in like that without a warning beforehand was too rude.
In the end, they'd settled on the Clocktower's parking garage, and that was where they arrived only a moment after they'd left Fuyuki.
Divine powers really were convenient.
"G-Gladstone?! W-Where are we going?!" Hermione Pharmsolone panted as they ran through the Clocktower's minor hallways, black spots dancing before her eyes as she was forced to exert herself for the first time in years.
"Parking garage." Gladstone was every bit out of breath as his wife, so his answer was short and to the point.
"W-Why?"
"I'll tell you later. Keep up, Ophelia."
"…" Ophelia had no breath to respond with. She too hadn't exercised in years, or ever really, and she still felt the results of the latest batch of experiments her parents had performed on her.
The Pharmsolone-family, consisting of Gladstone, Hermione, and Ophelia, were currently on the run from the authorities, but they weren't very good at it.
It had been a few days since Ophelia had turned against her parents, a few days since she'd delivered proof of her father's crimes to the Department of Policies, and it seemed the Enforcers were finally on the move to arrest them all.
They must have done something wrong though, for her father had learned of his upcoming arrest well before they had actually arrived, giving him enough time to collect his most valuable possessions and make a run for it.
Hermione was of course confused, but not as much as she should be. She didn't know what was going on, that was clear enough, but her demeanour suggested that she had already known her husband had done something illegal. She had just willingly closed her eyes, and now she was scrambling to catch up.
Ophelia on the other hand knew perfectly well what was going on, but unlike her parents, she wasn't intending to escape. On the contrary, she was searching for ways to delay, to allow the Enforcers to catch up before they left the Clocktower.
Ever since her father had rushed into her room to pull her along, she'd formulated and discarded several plans, before she ultimately decided to sabotage the car when they arrived in the garage. That at least was within her capabilities, though she prayed it wouldn't be necessary.
"Who did you trade with?" Hermione was doing a great job delaying by herself though, wasting valuable breath on demanding answers from her husband. "Those resources, who did you obtain them from?"
"…"
"Answer me, Gladstone, or I stop running!"
"The Dead Apostle Ancestors." He bit out, and both Hermione and Ophelia gasped in shock, neither having realised he was dealing with those ancient monsters. "Now stop gabbing and run, woman!"
"How could you be such a fool?!"
"Shut up!"
It was a full-blown argument, and Ophelia made sure to stay very quiet, allowing them to waste even more breath and time, glancing behind her every minute to see if the Enforcers were catching up yet.
Unfortunately, they safely made it to the parking garage a minute later, where they headed straight for their car.
She fidgeted, ready to throw herself at the engine and wreck it, gathering every bit of courage she possessed, before-
A flash.
An enormous flash of rainbow-coloured light suddenly appeared in their way, in the middle of the garage, and from that flash emerged…
"There we are. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Sure beats flying for twenty hours."
Two people, both a bit younger than Ophelia, were suddenly standing there. One of them was a black-haired, Asian girl, someone she didn't recognise at all, but the other one…
"Fujimaru!" Her father screamed in terror, and Ophelia's heart leapt in both fright and excitement when she realised her prayers had been answered in the most overwhelming way possible.
The new Sorcerer was here.
"That is my name." The young man confirmed, not missing a beat as he faced Gladstone. "And you look like you're on the run-"
"WAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"
For a moment, Ophelia hoped that this was the end of it, that her parents were going to surrender, but then her father let out a wordless yell of desperation, and he threw himself at the Sorcerer.
Fujimaru didn't even bother to use a spell in response. He just knocked him out with a punch.
"Gladstone!" Hermione screamed as well, looking almost mad with fright, before Fujimaru walked over, slowly and blindingly fast at the same time, and knocked her out too.
Lastly, he turned to her, and Ophelia was almost surprised when he didn't punch her as well, instead giving her a probing look.
She was about to speak, perhaps to thank him, perhaps to plead for her life, but before she could, the door of the garage opened again.
"-You sure this is wise, lord Goredolf? You have had quite the shock."
"It is exactly because I've had such a shock that I need to drive for a while to clear my mind, Tulle. After all that nonsense with Phantasmal Beasts, I want a moment to myself, with only you and my iron chariot to accompany me."
The newcomers were a fat Magus and his Homunculus maid, conversing animatedly as they came into the parking garage.
When they saw the scene in front of them however, they fell quiet, and while the maid took a moment to process what she saw, the Magus immediately drew himself up to his full length.
"What is this?!" He demanded, before he saw the unconscious bodies of Gladstone and Hermione, with Fujimaru standing over them, and drew his own conclusions, pointing straight at the Sorcerer. "Hooligan!"
"W-What?"
"Brazenly attacking the elderly in the middle of London?! Don't think you'll get away with it on Gof's watch!" The fat Magus, Gof, thundered, before he stormed at the Sorcerer, his arms being rapidly enveloped by a silver sheen that Ophelia recognised as an Alchemical substance. "Take this! Gof Punch of Justice!"
His fist slammed against Fujimaru's chin, with enough force that it would have turned Ophelia's head into a pulp, but the Sorcerer simply took it, looking confused at most.
"W-Wait! This is not what you think-!"
"Oh, you're a tough one, aren't you?! It doesn't matter! Gof Punch of Righteousness! Gof Punch of Order! Gof Punch of Overwhelming Violence!"
The fat Magus continued attacking the Sorcerer, who looked entirely overwhelmed by the sudden violence. Meanwhile, the Homunculus-maid was shaking her head in dismay, and the girl who'd accompanied the Sorcerer came over to Ophelia, a wide and amused smile on her face.
"Is it always this lively at the Clocktower?" She asked, as sincere as sincere could be.
"Pfft!" Ophelia couldn't help it. She laughed. The situation was just too ridiculous not to.
Fortunately, the black-haired girl agreed, also letting out a pleasant laugh, and before long, they were laughing together, even if Ophelia's laugh was a bit too shrill.
"H-Hey! Help me out with this brute!" The Sorcerer pleaded, tightly holding Gof's arms, though the Magus had now started kicking at his shins.
They just laughed harder though, and eventually, even the Homunculus maid joined in.