"Oh, don't let it bother you too much." Ayako wasn't actually mad about it, and even if she had been, Sakura was quite good at apologising properly. "I mean, it's not like I'm not used to it."
"Hm?" Sakura stopped in the middle of kissing the brunette's neck, and she pulled back and looked the other girl in the eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I… Well, it's just that…" The brunette hesitated, not sure where to begin. "I… Well, I suppose I have been feeling rather superfluous lately."
"Huh?" Sakura blinked again. "Superfluous? You?"
"Yes, me." Ayako confirmed, feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the topic but soldiering on anyway, as this was something she really needed to say to someone. "Like I… Like I have been getting less and less involved with the rest of you, if you know what I mean. I'm there, but I'm not actually there, you know?"
"Ah!" Sakura did know. It was how she herself had felt for years, back before Zouken had bit it. "You mean, you feel like you could just disappear and nothing would be different?"
"That's exactly it!" Ayako nodded in agreement, giving the plum-haired girl a quick smile for capturing the essence of her feelings so well. "It's like I lack relevance."
"Nonsense." Right after capturing her thoughts and feelings however, Sakura dismissed them outright. "Not true at all."
"Even if you say that-"
"I'm not just saying it. It's the truth. If you disappeared tomorrow, we would all miss you more than I can possibly express right now." Sakura swore, before placing her hands on her sides. "What brought this on anyway? No, wait! I think I can figure this out. You feel like you're not bringing anything useful to the table, don't you?"
"What? No, that has nothing to do with that." Ayako denied it however, and it didn't seem like she was lying. "What bothers me is that Rin is now going to the Clocktower with Shirou, and that you are practicing Magecraft with Illya, and that Shirou and Illya are going to be vigilantes together, and that you and Rin are building up your previous relationship again, all while I am just there, doing nothing in particular and not really getting closer to anyone."
"…"
Sakura's first instinct was to deny what Ayako said again, to assure her that she played a very important part in everyone's lives, but she knew like few others how useless such a denial would be. It was true that Ayako was missing out on all the action, and no amount of empty talking was going to change either that or the way that the brunette felt about it.
She was an active and emphatic person, who did not want to live her life on the sidelines. Sakura could respect that and emphasise with it.
"Alright, then there's only one thing to do." The plum-haired girl decided on a solution on the spot. "We're just going to have to involve you more with our adventurers. From now on, you'll be joining us when we do our Magecraft-related stuff."
"Can I?" Ayako's eyes lit up, showing this was exactly what she'd hoped for. "Even if I don't have those Magic Circuit-thingies?"
"Yes, even then." It was true that the brunette didn't have a lick of talent when it came to Thaumaturgy, lacking even the most rudimentary of Magic Circuits, but the Matou-family, plagued as they'd been by the rapid disappearance of their power and talent over the generations, had devised numerous ways in which even the most hopeless cases could still wield basic Magecraft. "There's the book of the False Attendant, I've got a few Mystic Codes that need no Magecraft to wield, and you can even establish a contract with Senpai, Nee-san, or me, allowing you to channel Magical Energy through us."
"That's possible?" The breadth of her options clearly surprised Ayako, who had anticipated nothing but disappointment when it came to her ever being able to cast spells. "But, why don't Magi use that more often? T-To make their family or friends capable of Magecraft too?"
"Because all those options are very costly. They require lots of Magical Energy, and Magi don't want to share their precious Magecraft Energy, never mind their secrets." Sakura huffed, receiving a noise of acknowledgement from her girlfriend in return. "Even Nee-san would not do such a thing lightly. I on the other hand can spare some Magical Energy if you really want it, and I suppose Senpai produces more than he knows what to do with. I'm sure we can arrange something for you."
"Sakura, you are the best!" Ayako beamed at her, looking as happy as happy could be as the prospect of learning Magic. "I could kiss you right now!"
"Really? Why don't you?"
That question got Sakura a deadpan look from her girlfriend, who, she belatedly realised, was still trussed up and suspended upside down.
"Ah, right."
Sakura snapped her fingers, dissolving the bonds that kept Ayako in place, gently lowering her to the floor.
"Come here!"
Once released, the brunette wasted no time taking Sakura into a searing kiss, grabbing her tight and pushing her back against the nearest wall.
"Mhpf." Sakura made a noise of approval, placing her hands on Ayako's hips and enjoying the feeling of bare skin even as her sight was completely obscured by tresses of brown hair.
"Alright, another question, and please don't think me greedy for asking this." After breaking the kiss, Ayako did not let Sakura go, keeping a tight hold of her as she looked her straight in the eyes. "With those tricks you mentioned, is it possible for me to Summon a Servant?"
"Hm." Sakura had half anticipated that question at this point, but even so, answering it was difficult. The Matou had done plenty of research into allowing mundane people to wield some forms of Magecraft, but that research had never extended into Grail Wars. Why should it, when Grail War were normally meant only for the most talented of Magi? "It might be possible, but I cannot promise anything at this point. Besides, it's not the Summoning that you should be worried about."
"How so?"
"I'm not an expert, but from what Nee-san told me, the Grail takes care of the lion's share of the work. It provides most of the Magical Energy as well as the link between Servant and Master. Apparently, if you don't care about the quality of your Servant, anyone with a decent source of power can Summon one, Magus or not." Sakura recalled, thinking back to the many discussions Shirou and Rin had had about the upcoming Grail War and the possible Masters that could be involved in it. "The bigger issue is the upkeep afterwards, when you have to continue supplying Magical Energy to your Servant constantly."
"Because they disappear if you don't maintain them." Ayako had also paid some attention to those discussions, nodding thoughtfully. "I can't give them Magical Energy myself, but is there something else I could give them to keep them alive?"
"Yes." Despite the fact she'd only been four at the time, Sakura still remembered the Fourth Holy Grail War with startling clarity. She knew all about alternative methods to maintain a Servant if Magical Energy was not sufficiently available. Zouken had delighted in mentioning them all to Kariya. "You could have them eat the hearts of Magi, or drain the souls of the people in the city. Alternatively, you could abduct people with capacity for Magecraft or inhuman heritage to use as batteries-"
"Okay, stop." Ayako cut her off, not needing to hear more to know that maintaining a Servant without Magic Circuits required lots of ruthlessness and cruelty. "So basically, I can't get a Servant of my own?"
"I didn't say that." Sakura's expression brightened a little, and she reached out to squeeze Ayako's shoulder. "You only need to ask for a little help."
"From you? That is very kind, but aren't you planning to Summon a Servant yourself? I cannot ask you to try and supply enough power for two of them."
"Nor am I planning to, but ideally, I won't be the only one giving your Servant Magical Energy. Don't forget we have multiple Magi living here, all of whom are, if you'll forgive the bragging, very powerful. With the Grail taking care of most of the Magical Energy supply, Senpai, Nee-san, and me should be more than capable of sparing enough power between the three of us to maintain your Servant as well."
"Really?!" Ayako's eyes lit up with enthusiasm for a moment, before it dimmed slightly as she realised there was a flaw in the plan. "Would it still be my Servant if you did that though? Wouldn't they be more loyal to you three?"
"Of course it will still be your Servant. You are still the one who'll Summon them, and you will have the Command Seals." Sakura pointed out, tapping the back of the brunette's hand, which for now was bare. "As long as you have those, it doesn't matter where the Magical Energy is coming from. Doubly so if you have an honourable Servant."
"Then I should aim to Summon the most honourable Servant there is." Ayako let out a small sigh of relief, before taking Sakura into another hug. "Thank you, my darling."
"You are most welcome. Really, we should have involved you with this far sooner."
"I'm surprised you went along with it so easily actually. I thought you would have tried to argue with me, because you want to keep me safe."
"A hopeless endeavour. People of the Emiya household don't want to be kept safe." Sakura knew that all too well, and she was honest enough to admit that she was no exception to the rule. "So it's better to work together. Then we'll be the safest we're ever going to be."
"Too right."
For a short while, the two girls embraced each other even more tightly, enjoying each other's company, until Sakura decided to get a little more frisky.
"Sakura." Ayako's voice was both exasperated and amused. "What are you doing?"
"Hm? Nothing." Sakura replied, putting on her most innocent expression.
"You're squeezing my butt. That's hardly nothing."
"Ah, but what's a little butt-squeezing between friends? Nothing, surely."
"Oh, well, if that's the case…"
Sakura was very well-endowed for a girl her age, with curves that were already impressive and only promised to become even more so. In other words, there was plenty for Ayako to grab and caress, which she took full advantage of.
Of course, the plum-haired girl retaliated, which prompted Ayako to give her some payback again in turn, and so on.
The warm embrace soon turned into a lascivious tryst, with both girls laughing and squealing as they tried to make the other blush the most.
It did not go unnoticed by the rest of the Emiya-household, unsubtle as they were, but the house was big enough for those others to get out of hearing range easily.
Though Caren did make sure to first install a camera to record everything Sakura and Ayako got up to.
It'd make a nice comeback present for Shirou, once he returned from braving the Tomb of Albion.
It was about two hours after leaving the hollow behind that Shirou noticed the caverns and tunnels he'd been passing through had become very empty once more.
For a while, he'd found Phantasmal Beasts around every corner, packed so tightly together it was almost like he was in the subway of Tokyo, but now, they had disappeared again, leaving him all alone.
He had a bad feeling about this.
This was the same thing that had happened just before he'd met Magni and just before he'd come across the hollow, where the presence of the corrupted Nature Spirits had chased away all other forms of life and unlife, and there was little doubt that the cause would be very similar this time.
Soon, he would come across something that was either overwhelmingly powerful or overwhelmingly terrifying, and Shirou honestly had trouble with deciding which he would prefer.
On one hand, he really hoped he wouldn't have to pass through another area filled with rabid Nature Spirits and Fallen Faeries, but on the other, he feared that any alternative would be even worse. The Mythologies of the past were chock full of horrors and nightmares after all.
His pace slowed, and he kept his eyes peeled and Mjolnir at the ready. His hammer, his faithful companion through thick and thin, was his best tool here, and he wanted it close by.
Alas, his wariness did not avail him.
He rounded a corner, still following his nose to find the source of the fresh air, and came face to face with-
Eyes.
Six large, pale eyes, staring at him from a deep, dark hole next to the path.
They effortlessly captured Shirou's gaze, making him freeze on the spot, and he couldn't move, even as they studied him like a wolf might study a sheep, right before the kill.
He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't use Magecraft. Even the very act of breathing became difficult.
That gaze was just too heavy, to the point where normal people might have perished where they stood.
It was very much like his experience with Magni, but unlike the Norse god, the owner of those eyes was decidedly not friendly, much less brotherly.
This being was more than ready to kill him.
Shirou refused to be pinned down indefinitely though, and with titanic effort, he forced himself to start moving again, dragging his body forward and towards the eyes.
His defiance must have come as a surprise, as the eyes reared back, and also split up into three pairs of two. The weight on Shirou's shoulders lessened considerably, and there were a few scratching sounds, as if gigantic feet were dragging over the ground.
Taking heart from the fact he wasn't dead yet, that he seemed to be winning the battle of intimidation, Shirou ploughed on, until he was close enough to start seeing a few details.
The creature had been hidden in darkness at first, but as Shirou approached, he saw it with increasing clarity, until he realised with a no small amount of shock just what was standing before him.
It wasn't another Nature Spirit, rabid or sane, nor was it a Faery, fallen or otherwise. It wasn't a Phantasmal Beast, or Wraith, or even another god.
It was a Divine Beast.
Shirou let out a shaky breath, reaching up to rub his eyes, before he looked again.
He still saw the same.
He saw a creature somewhat similar in nature to Phantasmal Beasts, but so powerful it stood on the same level as the Divine. A being with its own divinity, wielding terrible Authority and power, with even greater inhumanity than the most bestial and alien of gods.
It was unmistakable. There was no doubt about it. This was definitely a Divine Beast.
And not just any Divine Beast either.
It was a three-headed dog the size of a large house, with four mighty paws topped with horrific claws, a long tail, three heads with mouths filled with sharp teeth, skin that resembled armour, and numerous scars that showed it was no stranger to battle.
Of course Shirou recognised it. Anyone with even a sliver of knowledge about mythology would.
This was the mythical guardian of the Greek Underworld.
Kerberos.
"Golden Spires of Asgard." The curse escaped Shirou in a whisper, as he stared down at the gigantic beast, which stared right back at him.
For a moment, the redhead wondered how Kerberos could possibly be here, in the Tomb of Albion below Britain rather than Greece, before realising it made sense, in a demented kind of way.
It was a guard dog by nature, loyally watching over whatever border it could find, and now that the Greek Underworld no longer existed in the World of Man, it had moved on to the boundary between the Human World and the Reverse Side of the World. It still held the gates, even if it was a different gate from before.
There was something endearing about such loyalty and dedication coming from a dog, even though Shirou was not a dog-person, but also something rather sad. After all, it was fulfilling an entirely superfluous duty.
Humans could not cross into the Reverse Side of the World, as they would die long before reaching the boundary, while gods and other mystical beings could not leave, as Gaia would just throw them back right away. Kerberos played no part in any of it. It might as well not be there.
Even sadder was the fact that it probably realised that perfectly well. It was a Divine Beast after all. If its intelligence was any less than a human's, Shirou would buy a hat just to eat it.
Yes, it was enough to generate a tinge of pity.
Though that pity didn't change the fact that he had a very large Divine Beast staring at him right now, practically daring him to take another step forward. He was the first intruder ever, and Kerberos was clearly going to stop him no matter what.
The situation was bad. Very bad. It would not be an exaggeration to say it was even worse than the hollow. Yes, the Nature Spirits had been frightening and revolting in the worst kinds of ways, but they had been avoidable at least. Kerberos very much wasn't, nor was it an opponent Shirou could hope to beat.
He was strong, but a True Divine Beast was definitely stronger.
He might still not care overly much about his own life, but this wasn't just about him. This was also about his friends and family, who would be devastated if he died here, about his promise to return safely, which he wouldn't keep by picking fights with Divine Beasts, and about his mission, upon which the lives of over seven billion people depended.
For their sakes, he could not afford to die, but at the same time, he could not afford to turn back either. He had to make it past Kerberos somehow. The fate of the world was literally at stake here. For humanity, for Fuji-nee and old man Raiga, for Lorelei, Waver, and Grey, for Issei and Shinji, for Illya, Sella, Leysritt, and Caren, and for Rin, Sakura, and Ayako.
He was tempted to go forward, to take the beast on and fight for his life, but he squashed that temptation. There were more ways of getting past a dog, even an intelligent and powerful one.
Shirou stepped forward while making sure not to look Kerberos directly in the eyes. According to Fuji-nee, dogs hated it when you stared them in the eyes, and the last thing he wanted now was to agitate the gatekeeper even more.
The three-headed dog responded with a low grumble, though oddly enough, it didn't sound threatening as much as it did contemplative. The six eyes continued staring at him, but there was no aggression, no sudden attack.
"Am I permitted to pass, Kerberos?" Remembering that Divine Beasts were perfectly capable of understanding human language, Shirou dared to ask the question, being validated in his belief that the dog could understand him when the eyes narrowed in response. "I need to go to the Reverse Side of the World. I am on a mission to save the planet, with the permission of Arcueid Brunestud."
Another grumble came in response, this one even more contemplative.
"Perhaps you would accept an offering as payment?" Shirou suggested. Greek gods loved sacrifices and offerings, and there was no reason to assume their pets were any different. "I have meat."
Three pairs of ears perked up at his suggestion, a surprisingly adorable gesture from a Divine Beast.
Taking it as a sign of interest and approval, Shirou opened the Vault, taking out large quantities of meat from a Greater Jak, which was a Phantasmal Beast that had been renowned and beloved among the Aesir for its delicious taste.
One of Kerberos' heads immediately capitulated upon seeing and smelling the meat, moving forward to take a bite, but the other two held it back. They hadn't been convinced yet.
When Shirou also added several pitchers of strong wine however, a particular favourite among the Greeks, their resolve broke.
"Please enjoy." Shirou levitated the food and drink towards Kerberos, before hurrying down the path when the Divine Beast chomped down on the offering, tearing the meat into bite-sized chunks and slobbering down the wine with the kind of enthusiasm beholden only to dogs.
Once again, it was surprisingly adorable, and Shirou almost wondered if he should perhaps try to adopt it, just like he had with the Wolpertingers.
It took but a microsecond however for him to realise how ridiculous that idea was, to compare minor Phantasmal Beasts to one of the most famous Divine Beasts in existence, and he dropped it entirely, focussing on getting out of reach as soon as possible.
Though not before leaving some more meat behind. It looked like Kerberos could really use it. He also added a mammoth bone, as well as the femur of a Bilchsneipen, one of the largest creatures in Thor's world.
The grateful sound Kerberos produced immediately afterwards confirmed the presumption that it was quite hungry, though Shirou nearly had a heart attack when one of the three heads suddenly rushed over to him, pushing its nose into his stomach in a show of appreciation, before going to town on the femur.
There was no more trouble after that, and it wasn't long until Shirou was out of reach, having successfully made it past the Guardian.
He almost couldn't believe how easy that had turned out to be. After all that contemplation and apprehension, Kerberos had been bribed as if it was a sleazy soldier guarding the gate of some minor, medieval village. It had barely even put up a token protest before happily accepting the food.
When the great three-headed dog behaved like this, Shirou could almost see why Hades had considered it a good pet, though he wasn't quite sure about its qualities as a guardian anymore.
He should probably just be grateful though. Kerberos had definitely been the most dangerous being he'd encountered so far, strong enough to crush him underfoot, but paradoxically, it had also been the easiest to deal with.
If only all the creatures in the Tomb of Albion were so easy to bribe, this might have been a halfway enjoyable trip.
Alas, when he tried to bribe the Lizardman he came across next, offering food, gold, wine, and steel, it didn't even look at the offerings. It bull-rushed Shirou instead, trying to kill him with everything it had, and the redhead was forced to put the creature down.
When the next few attempts at bribery also failed, Shirou confirmed that Kerberos was a definite exception.
But then, trying to bribe Phantasmal Beasts had probably been a lost cause to begin with. Divine Beasts and Phantasmal Beasts might have slightly similar origins, but other than that, they had very little in common. One was a class of mystical animals, while the other were god-like beings beyond human intelligence. The contrast was like night and day.
That was not to say there weren't any clever Phantasmal Beasts, there definitely were, with the Wolpertingers being among them, but they couldn't compare to Divine Beasts any more than humans could compare to gods.
In any case, he'd managed to make his way past the second major obstacle without dying or being injured, which was a victory. Also, by making his way past Kerberos, he was now officially in the Reverse Side of the World, if only in its most shallow level, closest to the real world.
The scent of fresh air was getting very strong now, strong enough to suggest that Shirou's journey was nearing its end, and the redhead picked up the pace a little more, keenly aware that he likely had one more major obstacle to overcome.
The most basic rules of British and indeed all European Magic dictated that things always came in three. Three was a very important number, central to many mythologies and Mystics as the perfect number even, and with the Reverse Side still seeped in mythology and Mystics, Shirou had little doubt that the number would return in many forms and shapes. Human belief would make it so if nothing else.
He'd made his way past the hollow and past Kerberos. Now he had to tackle the third obstacle.
It was an unnerving prospect, that another great hurdle awaited him, but Shirou's stride didn't even hitch.
He was going to reach his destination and then return home, come hell or high water.
"All I am asking, Marisbury, is that you explain why you are ignoring Olga. She has done nothing to deserve your scorn!" Trisha Fellows, employee of the Animusphere-family and personal attendant of Olga-Marie Animusphere, argued heatedly, standing up to her terrifying boss for the sake of her charge. "As her father, you have responsibilities towards her. You must see that!"
"This is not a matter of deserving. This is a matter of practicality." The ancient lord refuted, his voice decidedly neutral as he leaned his chin on his hand in a deliberate display of boredom. There wasn't any anger in his expression, or regret, or affront, or even coldness. It was just… empty. "I ceased to have responsibilities towards her the moment she ceased to have any use to me. It is why I employed you, to raise her instead."
"Then at least tell her what happened." Recognising that this man was never going to budge, Trisha tried something else. According to Olga, her father had been distant but certainly present in her life for the first few years, but had suddenly left her alone, out of the blue, without any warning whatsoever. "Tell her what she did wrong so she may improve herself."
"It has nothing to do with her." Marisbury's expression remained perfectly still, as he didn't even bother to mime any emotion. Even that was too much effort apparently. "I learned the Grail of Fuyuki has been corrupted. This means Olga-Marie no longer factors into my plans. That is all there is to it."
The blunt admission that Olga hadn't made a single mistake but was simply the victim of circumstances made Trisha want to scream, but she didn't. She wasn't that brave. Marisbury Animusphere might be an utter heel in ways that even most other Magi weren't, but he was a Ruling Lord still.
Anger coiled in her gut, making her ball her fists and grit her teeth, but she suppressed it. She didn't want to die yet, which was certainly a possibility if she kept pushing this automaton in human form sitting before her. In the Moonlit World, one of the first things that one was taught was self-control, and Trisha put hers to good use.
"So you will continue to treat Mary Lil Fargo and Kirschtaria Wodime as your apprentices while ignoring Olga-Marie?" She asked one last time, just to make sure she had it all straight.
"They are useful." Marisbury replied, the corners of his mouth quirking up in the first display of emotion he'd shown all day. "Surprisingly useful."
"Do they know you'll cast them aside the moment they cease to be useful?" Trisha dared to ask, her mouth moving before her brain.
"Of course. That is one of the reasons they are useful." Whether Marisbury meant that as a slight towards Olga wasn't clear, and frankly, Trisha didn't want to know whether he did. "You are useful too, Trisha, to an extent. You have saved me considerable time over the past year, time which I have been able to allocate to suitable purposes. Please continue doing so."
In other words, she should stop whining and wasting his time and get back to taking care of Olga, so he wouldn't have to.
Trisha had no more illusions. This man was never going to change his mind. She wouldn't be able to talk him into remorse or regret. Olga had been thrown by the wayside, and the only way for her to return to Marisbury's good graces was by becoming powerful and useful.
Although even then, he would love her only for her power, not for herself. Which was no way for a daughter to live.
"If I may be excused?" She asked stiffly, deciding it was time to retreat.
"You may."
Trisha left Marisbury's office, storming through the halls of the Animusphere Observatory. The large windows to her left clearly showed the beauty of the outside world, revealing the observatory to be located on the top of a dazzlingly tall mountain, but she paid it no mind.
The view was beautiful, doubly so since it was a completely cloudless day, but Trisha brought a dark cloud of her own, making her unable to enjoy it.
"Trisha!" By the time she arrived at Olga's rooms however, she'd managed to straighten out her expression again. She hadn't told the girl about her intention to talk with Marisbury, so as not to give her false hope, and when she saw the beaming face that awaited her, she was glad she hadn't.
They would need to have a serious talk soon, about how important it was that Olga stopped looking at her worthless father for validation and build a life of her own, but that was something for another day, when Trisha wasn't seething on the inside anymore.
For now, it was enough that Olga seemed happy.
"What has you in such a good mood, my lady?" She asked, remembering Olga hadn't seemed this cheerful when she'd left her in her room about an hour before. "Did you defeat another challenger at online chess?"
Olga was forbidden from leaving the Animusphere Observatory, banned from most of its libraries, and never received any assignments or work or training from anyone but Trisha, so to stave off the inevitable boredom, Trisha had given her a gaming computer, one that Olga used most often to play chess with random strangers over the 'internet'.
"I did, yes." The girl confirmed, before eagerly holding up a letter for Trisha to take. "But I also received this! It's an invitation, Trisha, for me! It's my very first invitation ever!"
"Really?" Trisha's eyebrows went up into her hairline in surprise, shocked that anyone remembered much less cared about Marisbury's disgraced daughter, before she accepted the letter and read it for herself.
It was true. This was an invitation, addressed to Olga-Marie Animusphere, plus a maximum of three attendants of her choice, to board the Rail Zeppelin.
"We're going, right, Trisha?" Olga asked eagerly, and Trisha now also spotted the open suitcase on the girl's bed, as well as the pile of clothing that had been pulled out of her many wardrobes.
"We… If that is your will, we shall go of course." She replied after a moment, before placing a hand on Olga's shoulder when the girl jumped for joy. "As long as you understand where we're going exactly. Do you even know what you have been invited to?"
"The Rail Zeppelin. An Enchanted Train running through all of Europe on which Mystic Eye auctions are held." Olga recited from memory. "Though shrouded in mystery, it is known that you can buy or sell all kinds of Mystic Eyes there."
"That is correct, which means I must ask whether you intend to buy Mystic Eyes, my lady."
"No, not really." Olga shook her head, retaining her beautiful smile. "But that doesn't mean we can't go to watch, right?"
"My lady, when visiting an auction, it is only proper to participate in the bidding yourself. To do otherwise would be rude." Trisha pointed out. These invitations were only sent to a select group of individuals, and to accept one meant that you were planning to spend money. A lot of money. "You'll need funds for that."
"Ehm." Olga quickly checked a few documents, before looking up at Trisha again. "I have eighty million pounds. Is that enough?"
"That should be sufficient." It wasn't uncommon for mighty Magus families to spend more than that, but taken on the whole, eighty million English pounds was quite a lot even in the Moonlit World. Enough to seriously participate in an auction. "You're a bit early in preparing though, my lady. The departure date is set for next year."
"Eh?"
Judging from the shocked reaction, Olga had missed that part, and Trisha had to suppress a laugh when she scrambled over to her and took the letter back, before her face fell in disappointment.
"At least you have something to look forward to." She told the girl, gently ruffling her hair. "And honestly, there's no reason you can't start thinking about what to take with you. It's always a bad idea to start packing the day before."
"Yes, Trisha." Olga nodded, looking a tad morose that she'd have to wait so long to go on the promised trip.
"And don't worry about your father. I'll make sure he gives permission for you to go." Trisha promised, knowing that it wouldn't be hard. As long as he didn't have to bother with his daughter, the man was happy to approve anything.
Yes, convincing Marisbury would be the easy part. The hard part of the impending trip would be preparing for the dangers on the way.
The Rail Zeppelin was set to depart from London, meaning Trisha and Olga would have to travel there first. It might not seem like a dangerous trip, from Switzerland to England, but the daughter of a Ruling Lord, even a disgraced daughter, was a valuable prize to many ill-intentioned and powerful parties.
Not to mention the train itself. Undoubtedly, it would be stuffed to the brim with unsavoury types, the worst kind of Magi, who would think very little of killing any annoyances they came across.
Anonymity and secrecy would be their strongest allies, but even then, Trisha should start dusting off her self-defence techniques again.
It wouldn't be enough to defeat any serious opponents, but it might just convince them that Trisha and Olga were more trouble than they were worth.
Waver had a bit of a problem.
Not an old one, such as the return of Phantasmal Beasts, or the increasing boldness of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, or his three departments, or even his impending marriage with Marianne. This was a wholly new problem, popping up like a mushroom in autumn.
Invitations.
Invitations to board the Rail Zeppelin, the train that travelled through Europe to buy and sell Mystic Eyes in elaborate auctions.
He had never had any kind of interaction with that place, lacking even the most rudimentary interest in Mystic Eyes aside from basic curiosity, but now, they had sent him a personal invitation all the same, to board that train next year and participate in their latest auction. Quite an honour for someone who had never even contacted them before.
It could be of course that they were inviting him because they wanted to establish a connection with the lord who'd had such a meteoric rise over the past months, and who was friends with a True Magician to boot, but that theory didn't quite fit.
After all, if they'd just wanted to establish a connection, the Rail Zeppelin wouldn't have subtly threatened him.
Enclosed in the letter's envelope was a small knitting needle, one that seemed innocuous, but which Waver immediately recognised as one of the Mystic Codes that were kept in the vault of the Department of Modern Magical Theories.
A quick check confirmed it. This was indeed that Mystic Code, pilfered from the vault without his knowledge and now sent to him as a message.
Whoever was behind this, whether that be the Rail Zeppelin or some other actor, they certainly were clever, as well as fully aware of what motivated him. Waver's interest had been fully piqued, and he knew that, no matter how hard he tried to suppress that interest and curiosity, he would be boarding that train next year.
What made the situation even stranger though was that he wasn't the only one to have received an invitation.
"Ara, you have one as well?" Hishiri Adashino, agent of the Department of Policies and confirmed thorn in Waver's side, lifted a single, immaculate eyebrow at the invitation he held in his hand, before showing her own. "I already suspected something was amiss when I, a humble grunt of Policies without significant resources to my name, received this invitation, but now, I am nearly certain."
"You are a clever snake." Waver paired his favourite insult to her with a compliment, as she'd done well in bringing this to him. "Yes, I have been invited onto the Rail Zeppelin too, as has Grey."
"Oh?" Adashino turned towards the hooded girl, who nodded self-consciously, before showing that she indeed held a similar letter. "Well, since you are even poorer than me, Grey, that makes the whole matter even more suspicious."
"I'd go as far as to say that it is ominous." Waver grunted, throwing his invitation down on his desk. "This is a trap, plain and simple, though I cannot say who is behind it yet."
"We're still going though, aren't we?"
"Of course we are." Waver hadn't been the kind of man to refuse such an open challenge since the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War, not to mention he did have to make sure to plug any holes in the security of the Department of Modern Magical Theories. "I just need to figure out who I shall take with me."
"Miss Bazett, certainly? She is your bodyguard."
"Quite. I don't have to take Grey with me, as she has an invitation of her own, as do you, but that leaves two spots open for me and three for the both of you."
"You're not going to bring your lovely Marianne?" Adashino smiled a meaningful smile, but it fell flat compared to the teasing Waver had already been subjected to by Svin, Flat, Reines, and even lady Montmorency. "That's probably for the best. She would be far more useful on the outside, provided you can establish a line of secure communication with her."
"I can't say I know much about the Rail Zeppelin and its particularities. Is it difficult to communicate with people on the outside after you've gotten on board?"
"Definitely. Most would even say it is impossible, as the Rail Zeppelin blocks all forms of transmission or messaging through Magecraft hailing from the BC-era. The only communication they allow is through one of their own phones, and those are of course strictly monitored."
"That sounds like an interesting challenge, but I see no reason to think I cannot overcome it." Waver hadn't yet met a Bounded Field of Domain that was completely impenetrable, and he didn't expect the Rail Zeppelin to be the exception. "Back to the matter of our companions. I also don't intend to take Svin and Flat with me. They are reliable in a pinch, but not the best people to take into an enclosed space filled with potentially hostile Magi. Besides, if I should need them after all, I can always summon them."
"The Rail Zeppelin is a moving Bounded Field. It cannot be boarded after it has departed." Adashino pointed out. "Once it has left the station, we are on our own."
That train had the ability to travel on the boundary between the real world and the Inner World, thereby being impervious to attacks from both sides. It was a clever design, one that countless Magi had tried and failed to copy.
"Not to worry. I can already see several ways by which I can circumvent that particular defence. Since it is based on movement, I fully expect that we will need nothing but movement ourselves. Well, that, and sufficient inertia and Lorentz force."
"Of course." Adashino gave him an indulgent smile. "I'm sure you'll think of something clever. You always do."
"Your trust in me is heartening. Can I count on your assistance?"
"No." Her smile remained as beautiful as ever, even as she mercilessly shot him down. "Ah, that was perhaps too harsh. I cannot promise you anything, seeing that I am beholden to my superiors, but I can decide on a case by case basis whether Policies will assist you once we are on board. It will depend on the circumstances."
"I'll take what I can get." Waver huffed, not at all bothered by her fully expected response. "This is after all a personal matter. Just me and my ambusher."
"And me, sir!" Grey hurried to assure him, to which he gave her a grateful nod. "I'll make sure no one harms you."
"I see you're as dutiful as ever." Adashino's smile turned a tad more sincere at the endearing display, and she reached out to stroke Grey's cheek, causing the girl to freeze. "It almost makes me want to help you two out as well."
"No, it doesn't." Waver huffed.
"It doesn't." Adashino agreed.
It really was quite extraordinary. Only a year earlier, Waver wouldn't have dreamed of discussing his plans and intentions with a member of Policies, least of all with Hishiri Adashino, a woman who seemed to delight in getting in his way, but now they were merrily joking and discussing the future together.
They certainly had come a long way since their first meeting, when she'd tried to kill him.
"Will you take Shirou Fujimaru with you into the Rail Zeppelin?"
"No." Waver didn't even have to think about that. He certainly wasn't planning on bringing a True Magician into an environment as delicate as the Rail Zeppelin, much less a Demigod. "Someone has prepared a trap for me, and I intend to spring it. It is probably the only way to learn more about the individual or individuals behind all this. If I take Shirou, there is every chance they'll abort their mission and flee before I can learn anything."
"I know I would run away, if my target suddenly brought a Sorcerer along." Adashino's smile turned a tad brittle at the thought of Shirou being her enemy. She'd always been unusually intimidated by him, preferring to avoid him if at all possible. "He is… not here, is he?"
"No, he is not." The temptation to tell her he was standing behind her was immense, but Waver decided against it. No need to rattle the hornet's nest. "I will not take him with me, but if at all possible, I'd like him to be on stand-by, like Svin and Flat. Should it become necessary to apply great force to a problem, I'll call him in."
"Right, yes." That seemed to be a plan that Adashino could live with, as she nodded stiffly. "So you'll only take Grey and Bazett with you?"
"For the moment, that seems the best approach to this particular problem." Waver confirmed, though he didn't fully commit to that plan yet. He might change his mind, and frankly, it didn't feel good to leave the five remaining positions open. "What about you?"
"Me?"
"You received a personal invitation as well, and we agreed its providence is highly suspicious. Do you think it is wise for you to go alone?"
"As you said before, this is a personal matter. Whoever is behind this only targeted us. As such, I cannot use Policies' resources, only my own." Adashino explained, before adopting her most adorable and helpless expression. "And certainly, if I am in trouble, I can count on you to help me out?"
"Tsk." She could indeed, as Waver would never abandon someone in trouble. It wasn't the slightest bit fair, as she almost certainly wouldn't do the same for him, but then, life wasn't fair sometimes. He had learned that particular lesson long ago. "Well, if you really do intend to go alone, be careful. We have no idea who is behind all this."
"Really? The mighty lord El-Melloi II doesn't even have an inkling?" Adashino tittered mockingly, but Waver just shrugged, more than used to being laughed at. "I would have thought you'd have a few of your famous theories by now."
"Oh, I have theories aplenty. Just no way to prove or disprove any of them with only the meagre pieces of evidence I have at my disposal."
It had to be someone capable of breaking into the Department of Modern Magical Theories without setting off any alarms or disturbing the Bounded Fields. This implied either a terrifyingly skilled Magus, or a former high-placed member of said department. That, or someone who paid a lot of money to a skilled Magus-burglar.
There was also a possible link to Mystic Eyes, seeing that the confrontation with this mysterious enemy was apparently to take place on the Rail Zeppelin, but that was not a certainty.
Lastly, this mysterious individual likely had a connection to him, Grey, and Adashino, seeing that they had all received the invitations. That was the factor that could honestly narrow down the field of suspects the most, though at the same time, it might be a diversionary tactic to hide the fact that the true target was only one of them.
There were just too many unknowns and uncertainties, especially since he was likely dealing with opponents who were quite clever themselves.
"I'm sure you'll work it out." Mercurial and capricious as ever, Adashino shifted from mocking laughter to heartfelt confidence in an instant, reaching out to pat his shoulder at that.
What a strange woman.
The Reverse Side of the World truly was a confusing and infuriating place.
The Tomb of Albion had already been quite the maze, though not too hard to navigate if one followed their nose, but the actual Reverse Side, or at least the part where Shirou had found himself in now, was over a thousand times worse.
There were tunnels, caverns, caves, potholes, and clefts going in every possible direction, including up and down. Stairs and paths sloped upwards and downwards seemingly at random, but didn't actually change his altitude. His surroundings shifted between damp tunnel, forest trail, and subway station every few minutes, without any obvious pattern.
Worse, it seemed as if space itself became fluid and undefined. If one was walking through a cavern, and took a left turn four times in a row, walking the same distance between every turn, one would logically expect to end up at the same place one began.
That wasn't so. After taking four left turns, Shirou found himself somewhere else entirely, somewhere he'd never been before.
On top of that, gravity sometimes ceased to have any meaning at all, forcing him to fly, and the floor and ceiling tended to switch places without any warning.
It was more than a little baffling, as his sense of direction completely abandoned him. There was no longer any rhyme or reason to his surroundings, and Shirou once more found himself incredibly grateful for his excellent sense of smell.
Without it, he might have wandered around here forever, like the lesser Phantasmal Beasts he sometimes came across, which were scurrying to and from in futile attempts to get out of the labyrinth. It was a pitiable display, doubly so because they were so confused and scared they didn't even attack him, and Shirou pretended not to notice when they all started following him, hoping he'd lead them to the exit.
As for the redhead himself, he wasn't too worried. The smell of fresh air was now so potent to him that he could have followed it in his sleep, almost like it was his own thread of Ariadne. The labyrinth might try to throw him off with its twisting layout, but it was failing miserably.
Eventually, after an undetermined amount of time, he and his following of Phantasmal Beasts safely made it out of the maze, finding themselves on solid ground once more.
It was as if they were emerging from a hole, or perhaps a very deep cave, smelling the fresh air and seeing the sun again for the first time in years. The Phantasmal Beasts stormed off immediately, yipping and crowing in delight, and even Shirou let out a breath of relief to no longer have to wander around functionally blind.
He wasn't sure where he'd found himself now, but it could hardly be worse than that accursed labyrinth.
At the very least, his current location was a lot prettier. No dour caves, but a massive, snow-covered landscape, stretching out as far as the eye could see, with only a few gentle slopes and patches of vegetation to break the endless white.
At first sight, it seemed as if he'd somehow returned to the surface of the Earth, ending up in Scandinavia, or perhaps Canada, based on the landscape and the amount of snow surrounding him. That impression was strengthened by the beautiful blue sky above him, with what seemed like the sun standing at its zenith.
It was just an illusion though. He wasn't back in his own world. This was just another patch of the Reverse Side, styled after Scandinavia or Canada. The concentration of Magical Energy in the air was high enough to choke on after all, and the laws of physics were noticeably weaker here than they would have been on Earth.
The landscape was also empty. Painfully and unnaturally empty. There were the previously mentioned hills and extremely sporadic patches of vegetation, but other than that, nothing. No Phantasmal Beasts, no gods, no Wraiths, not even any Nature Spirits, fallen or otherwise.
There wasn't even a sense of foreboding here, which he'd felt since the moment he'd entered the Tomb of Albion. There was no sense that he was being watched, and that enemies could appear at every moment.
Just a whole lot of nothing. Nothing at all.
Still, it was leagues better than the labyrinth. Almost anything was leagues better than the labyrinth.
He was still on the right track, as confirmed by his nose, so Shirou moved on quickly, trudging through the crisp and cold snow, so beautiful and pristine it almost made him want to make a snowball and throw it at someone.
In fact, if there had been anyone else here, he would have done it.
At first sight, the snow-covered landscape seemed enormous, stretching on for ages in all directions, but now that he was on the move, it seemed to shrink with every step, as the distant horizon came closer far quicker than he was walking.
Odd, but not unwelcome. That his stamina was nearly infinite now did not mean that walking long distances had become any less tedious.
Eventually, he found a ridge of larger hills in his way, not nearly tall enough to be considered mountains yet certainly bigger than most other hills around, which he climbed, sensing that his goal was on the other side.
Once he was at the top however, he paused, frowning in deep frustration when he saw that he wasn't as alone as he'd initially believed.
There, about a hundred metres away from the foot of the hills, stood a gigantic, humanoid figure, clearly staring right back at Shirou with its ominous red eyes.
It seemed he'd found the third major obstacle in his way. There was little doubt about it.
Part of him wanted to turn back right away, to deny this giant the pleasure of impeding and frustrating him, but he could not.
Because there, a little behind the giant, was a large lake, and from that lake originated the very scent that Shirou had been following all this time.
That was where he needed to go, giant or no giant.
Heaving another big sigh at the inevitability of combat, Shirou descended from the hill, heading straight for the giant, figuring they might as well get the fight over with immediately. It did not look like it wanted to talk, and it clearly wasn't about to ignore him either.
It was, as said before, humanoid in shape, with two arms, two legs, one head, and a single torso. It stood as tall as seven men, broad as five, and it had limbs like tree trunks, all muscle and strength. Its skin was a filthy blueish grey, as if it had a severe case of frostbite over its entire body, and its face was disturbingly human-like, if very square, angular, and, dare he say it, ugly.
Most notable however were the pieces of clothing it wore, made from the skin of some beast Shirou did not recognise, and the spear it held in its hand, crudely fashioned from rock yet undoubtedly very effective. Clear indications that the giant was very much sapient and capable of tool use.
Their eyes met again, and Shirou frowned at it, receiving a huff in return, one that immediately lowered the temperature around them so much that the redhead got flashbacks to Vlov Arkhangel.
The comparison wasn't entirely correct however. The Dead Apostle Ancestor had forced his will upon the world through his Idea Blood, using great power to bend reality and remove all heat from his surroundings. The giant on the other hand seemed to work with the world rather than against it, lowering the temperature with the same ease a human would roll a ball down a slope. To the giant, generating cold was as natural as gravity.
In short, this creature was human-like in shape, gigantic, capable of Mystics, attuned to cold like nothing else Shirou had ever seen, and lived in an area that most resembled Scandinavia.
With so many clues, even the densest of heroes could piece together the puzzle.
"Jotun!" Shirou shouted at the Norse giant. "I have no quarrel with you. Step aside."
Even as he spoke the words however, he knew that there was little chance of this confrontation ending peacefully. Jotuns were not known for their peacefulness, reason, and rationality after all.
Also known as Jötunn or Eotenas, they were creatures from Norse Mythology that stood in direct contrast with the Aesir. Representatives of chaos and disorder, they stood close to primal nature, rejecting the order that the gods and humans were trying to create.
That was not to say they were necessarily evil though. The concept of 'Jotun' was as broad as the concept of 'god'. They came in all shapes and sizes, evil and good, big and small, powerful and weak.
Some Jotuns were little more than Trolls, dumb and brutish creatures that communicated in grunts and hit things with their fists or clubs, but Grendel, from the story of Beowulf, was also considered a Jotun, as was Skadi, the goddess of the hunt, and even Surtr, the king of giants.
Many of them were quite clever, and understood the human tongue. Judging from the shift in the bearing of the Jotun before him, it was definitely one of the clever ones.
It didn't respond to his call though, aside from another growl.
The Jotun weren't necessarily hostile to human beings, largely ignoring them as a man would ignore the beetles in the nearby park, but Shirou was no human. Not anymore. He was a nascent god, belonging to the Norse pantheon, making him this Jotun's mortal enemy.
Monohoshi Zao and Sarpanitum were kept at the forefront of Shirou's mind, ready to be Traced and used, and his hold on Mjolnir tightened, as he prepared to throw it at the giant that forbade him passage.
"Last chance." He warned the being. He didn't want to fight it, as it was no danger to anyone down here in the Reverse Side of the World, but he had a mission, and if it insisted on getting in his way, he would throw it aside.
"Speak no more, Thor." The Jotun finally replied, its face remaining impassive even as its voice was filled with anger. That it was speaking in perfect modern English was barely a surprise. "Did you truly believe your attempt at resurrection would go unnoticed? For all your claims about honesty, rectitude and dignity, you cling to life pathetically even as you deny others the same deliverance. Have you no shame, baring your hypocrisy for all to behold?"
"My hypocrisy?" For a moment, Shirou did not understand what it meant, but then the penny dropped. "You… You think I am Thor?"
"Your attempt at deceit is as laughable as it is fruitless. Your identity is clear to all who See." The Jotun remained strangely stiff and rigid as it spoke, barely moving at all where a human would have at least balled their fists. "How you managed to resuscitate your presence on Earth, amidst the countless humans that have made the world their own, is unknown to us, but it shall not be ignored."
"Okay, but I'm not Thor."
"A pathetic and useless lie. Repeating it does not increase its credibility."
"Deny it all you like, but the fact remains that I am not Thor." Shirou was fully aware that he was the Thunder God's successor, linked so closely to him that even Magni regarded him as a brother, but that did not mean that he was truly Thor. He was still Shirou first and foremost, even now. "And even if I was, why would it matter to you?"
"The Allfather spoke of a dignified end. A final battle, followed by the eternal slumber of all that is Mystic."The Jotun further proved its inhumanity by remaining perfectly still even as its anger went through the roof. A human, even the most composed of Magi, would have tensed here, bared their teeth ever so slightly, twitched as the blood in their veins started rushing, or just leaned forward a bit in preparation for a possible fight, but the Jotun remained still like a statue despite its mounting rage. "Lies! His treachery knows no bounds. His forked tongue spoke promises and oaths not worth the air he breathed to say them. He destroyed our hegemony, sacrificing his own in turn to placate us, yet now seeks to reclaim it through dishonest and covert means. I shall not allow it. I know not what you seek, but you shall not pass."
"Please, I need to save the world." Giving up on making the giant see that he wasn't Thor, Shirou tried another way of reasoning with it. Its impassioned speech implied that it cared about justice and fairness, at least to some degree, so perhaps it would agree to put its grudge on hold for the good of the planet. "I'm on a mission on behalf of the Earth itself. Arcueid Brunestud told me to come here, to find a weapon."
Even the worst of Jotuns weren't completely evil. Nothing in Norse Mythology suggested they were after the complete and total destruction of the Earth. With some luck, he wouldn't have to fight this being, at least not today.
"That might be true, and if so, 'tis a noble quest indeed." The Jotun allowed, making Shirou perk up slightly in hope. "But it matters not. Even the grandest of quests do not permit one to disregard the ancient laws, which state the World of Man must remain the World of Man. The goal, however noble, does not always justify the means."
"…You really are a stickler for rules, aren't you?" Shirou asked after a moment, slowly starting to realise what was truly going on inside that massive head.
Mystic creatures were often stagnant and unchanging beings, far more rigid in their beliefs and thought-patterns than humans. As expressions of natural phenomena, they were shackled to their Domains, unable to change their nature in any significant way. Flexibility was anathema to them, making them unbending and uncompromising in their actions and behaviour.
There were of course differences between individuals, as not every Mystic creature or god was as rigid as the next, but taken on the whole, they were inhumanly stubborn.
If this Jotun had decided to dedicate its life to following the rules and enforcing these 'ancient laws' that it had spoken of, no one was ever going to change its mind. It certainly wasn't going to make an exception merely because Shirou was working on a good cause. More accurately, it couldn't make an exception. Its very nature would not allow it.
"You cannot stop me." He nevertheless warned the giant, hoping furiously that its self-preservation instinct would overpower its zeal for following and enforcing the rules.
"I do not doubt the results of my attempt will be less than satisfactory." The Jotun grumbled, its gaze shifting to Mjolnir for a moment. "Nevertheless, I will not step aside. The Ancient Laws are sacred and must be abided by. I enforce them, and I will not abandon my purpose even when it demands the highest price."
Principled and steadfast, the Jotun looked more than ready to give its life. It was a show of dedication, of the sort of commitment that the vast majority of humans could never hope to match, and above all, of incredible bravery.
It was also a big problem.
Had the giant been unambiguously evil, Shirou would have felt no compunction about attacking and killing it, like he'd killed so many other Phantasmal Beasts today.
However, the giant wasn't evil, merely unbending, overly rigid, and prone to jumping to conclusions about Shirou being Thor, none of which were crimes worthy of the death penalty. In fact, the Jotun had all the marks of an old soldier who fought for a cause he believed in, more than willing to lay down his life in the pursuit of victory. A good sort of fellow, the kind that was admired all throughout history, whose sense of morality was splendid and whose honour was beyond question.
Worse, its cause was objectively a good one. Enforcing these Ancient Laws apparently involved protecting humanity against dangerous Mystics, which was something Shirou could absolutely get behind.
All that was to say that he really did not want to kill this Jotun. A Hero of Justice would never do such a horrible thing as to strike down a fellow defender of the peace and upholder of the law, even when they found themselves on opposite sides.
"This does not have to end in violence." He nearly begged the creature, pleading it to see reason and abandon its senseless pursuit.
"It does." The Jotun refuted, infuriatingly calm even as it prepared itself to die. "Farewell, Thor. I hope you shall be victorious in your endeavour to save the world. As a final request, I ask that you burn my corpse after you have won."
Shirou did not get the chance to protest again. The next moment, the battle had begun.
Belying its immense size, the Jotun moved with surprising speed. Like many other Mystical beings of great power, it had apparently mastered the ability to seemingly move at a normal pace while actually rushing so quickly that a normal human wouldn't even have been able to see it. A clear and probably unintentional violation of the laws of physics.
It slammed the back of its spear into the ground and dragged it forward, before sweeping it up at Shirou, as if he were a golf ball of sorts.
It was a very powerful attack, but Shirou dodged it merely by stepping aside.
The spear came back down, its aim adjusted, but again, the redhead dodged with a mere side-step, before he rushed to the side opposite of the spear, flanking the massive being.
It followed him, turning around, but with all of its bulk, it was unable to prevent Shirou from getting behind it and then attacking it.
The redhead jumped upwards, before punching the Jotun in the back of its right knee. Not with Mjolnir, and not hard enough to actually break anything, but sufficiently hard to make it go down on one knee.
With the giant immobilised, Shirou did the only thing he could in a situation like this. He turned around and ran towards the lake, towards the source of the fresh air, hoping he'd be able to escape.
That short exchange had only strengthened his reluctance to fight the Jotun. Not only was it surprisingly moral and upstanding for a creature of Chaos, but it was also hopeless in combat. It was slow, clumsy, inexperienced, and it lacked any sort of killing instinct. It did not even know how to use its size and weight to its advantage, never mind how to properly use a spear.
To strike it down would be the act of a villain, not a hero.
Shirou heard the creature pursue him, its lumbering footsteps unmistakable and impossible to miss to anyone who wasn't a blind, deaf and comatose lobotomy-patient, but he didn't look back, instead focusing on the lake that produced the scent he was after.
At first, he thought there might be a cave under the water, an entrance that would lead him further on his search, but he didn't see anything of the sort. The water was crystal clear, impossibly blue and translucent, allowing him to see the entire lakebed, and there was nothing that even resembled the merest crack for him to slip through.
Yet the scent of fresh air only increased, as if to actively beckon him further.
Halting at the edge of the water, Shirou dodged to the side again to avoid another clumsy and vertical strike of the Jotun's spear. Once more, the attack held great strength, crushing the rock beneath it, but there was no finesse or skill.
Had Shirou been in the Jotun's position, he would have swept the spear sideways next, to catch his enemy in the middle of his dodge with an attack that would have been far more difficult to avoid than a simple blow.
But it didn't do that. Instead, it lifted the spear all the way above its head and smashed it down again in Shirou's general direction, giving the redhead ample time to get out of the way once more.
The giant then tried to grab him, but that move was even slower than the blows with the spear. Shirou just circled around the creature, getting behind it before it had reached all the way down, and struck it in the back of the right knee again.
It fell, hard.
Struggling to get up, the Juton flailed helplessly, and Shirou could almost stroll over to the Jotun's right hand, which held the spear, stomp on it, and yank the weapon out of its grasp, before throwing it away over the hill.
By now, this felt more like bullying than an actual battle.
"How long must you drag this out?" Apparently, the Jotun agreed, as it threw Shirou a look filled with impatience and insulted anger. "Do you wish to humiliate me, Odinson?"
"No, I don't. I don't want to fight you at all." Shirou bit back. "Stay down, and this can end without bloodshed."
"That is not an option."
"You stubborn oaf!" Never had Shirou expected he would call someone else stubborn, but that word fit the Jotun perfectly. "We can resolve this peacefully! Shouldn't we always strive for that?!"
"Strive for peace?" The Jotun had gotten to its knees at last, and was now in the process of getting to its feet. "Peace is no goal on its own. Peace is merely the absence of battle-worthy causes, when one side is victorious and the other vanquished. Why should there be peace between us when there are matters yet to be settled?"
Yet again, Shirou and the Jotun got stuck on the fundamental differences between their mindsets and psyche.
The redhead was an aspiring Hero of Justice, and a child of the Modern Age at that, where every life had value and conflicts should be settled peacefully and through debate and compromise as much as possible.
The Jotun was an ancient creature however, from a time and place where might made right and lives were cheap. Conflicts were settled primarily through violence, and the strong preyed on the weak until someone even stronger came along. All that mattered was power, and the only ones who mattered were those who could wield it.
The giant was never going to accept a peaceful solution. If Shirou wanted to end this fight, he could either kill it, run away and escape, or, better yet, capture it.
Fortunately, he knew exactly how to capture the giant, courtesy of a book that he'd read in English class.
Shirou launched himself forward like a cannonball, targeting the middle of the Jotun's chest.
The giant, who had just climbed back onto its feet, didn't see him coming until he was practically on top of it. He collided with the massive body with the force of a speeding car, knocking it flat on its back.
Then, Shirou Traced a magically-reinforced steel chain, with a large pin on both ends. One pin he rammed into the ground just below the Jotun's left arm, before he jumped over the arm, pulled the chain taut, and pushed the other pin into the earth as well.
He quickly did the same to the other arm before the giant could get its bearing, followed by both legs, the ankles, the wrists and the neck, as well as no fewer than four chains criss-cross across the torso.
With that, the Jotun had been trapped, like Gulliver in the book Gulliver's Travels. Monstrously strong it might be, but it could not break all those chains from a prone position.
"You'll be staying here for a while." Shirou told his captured opponent, satisfaction bleeding into his voice. "Don't worry though, these chains are Enchanted. Once I am far enough away, they'll dissolve on their own and you can go back to doing whatever it is you do here."
"Thor Odinson, using Magic?" The Jotun looked surprised, finally showing something else than neutrality or detached frustration. "And you would spare my life after I directly challenged you? You… You aren't Thor Odinson!"
"So I have been telling you." Shirou nodded, glad his opponent was finally seeing reason. "I am a human, mostly, who has inherited some of Thor's power. That does not make me an Aesir, much less Thor himself."
"Your claims are fanciful, bizarre, and unsubstantiated by any precedent or logic. No human can inherit a god's might."
"Yes, well, it happened, and now you're just going to have to deal with it." It had always puzzled Shirou how incredibly close-minded Magi and Mystic Creatures could be. Despite living in a literal world of Magic, they were stubborn as stone about what they considered possible or not, often rejecting even the evidence of their own eyes.
The giant shook its head in denial, as predicted, but Shirou paid it no more heed. He didn't owe it an explanation, and he still had to uncover the lake's secrets.
He still couldn't find any sort of tunnel, cleft or crack for him to enter in or around the water, but the scent of fresh air remained as strong as ever. It wasn't the lake itself though, as he initially suspected, but clearly came from somewhere else. Somewhere beyond the lake.
But where?
These kinds of puzzles had never been his forte, and eventually, after a few more minutes of fruitless searching, he decided to just take the plunge.
Literally.
"Be well, Jotun." He bade his goodbye to the giant, nodding once at it, before he waded into the lake.
"And you, not-Odinson." The ancient creature seemed to have made peace with the outcome of the battle, looking on passively as Shirou entered the water. "Be cautious. The things that live in there are capricious and unpredictable."
"I will keep that in mind." Knowing the Jotun's personality, capricious and unpredictable were probably the gravest insults it could give. It was definitely something to take into account, though he wouldn't let it scare him off now.
So far, he'd dealt with mad Nature Spirits, a lonely Kerberos, a mind-boggling labyrinth, and a law-abiding Jotun. Whatever awaited him on the other side of this lake, he could handle it.
The scent of fresh air was still coming from the bottom of the lake, so Shirou took a deep breath, before he dove into the water, barely noticing the cold as he swam to the deepest point of the lakebed, touching the sand to see if it was an illusion hiding a tunnel behind it.
It wasn't. It was a very solid layer, with nothing hidden behind.
Shirou felt a flash of disappointment and frustration when another avenue closed to him, genuinely wondering if he would ever make it to his goal, before he realised that the scent of fresh air was suddenly no longer coming from below.
Rather, it was coming from above.
He turned away from the lakebed and towards the surface of the lake, confirming that, yes, it really was coming from above now.
He swam upwards again, noticing how the water was warming up rather than cooling down the closer he got to the surface, before he emerged, looking around immediately to reorient himself.
The sight took his breath away, striking him silent with its sheer magnificence.
He saw gorgeous, gently sloping fields filled with grass, weeds and clovers, all glowing and sparkling under the light of a spring sun in a cloudless sky.
On top, there were flowers with bright colours, green, red, blue, yellow, orange, purple and pink, together creating a palette more fit for a painting from a great master than a scene from nature.
A gentle wind blew, taking with it the most delicious of smells and making all the grass and flowers dance in the fields.
Bugs were buzzling merrily, matching not a single species that Shirou was familiar with on Earth, hopping from flower to flower as they indulged in the sweet nectar without end.
It couldn't possibly be more different from the wintery landscape from before. Undoubtedly, he'd found himself somewhere else entirely, in the middle of a massive and beautiful field of grass and flowers, with a forest in the distance and with not a single living creature larger than his fingernail in sight.
Even the lake itself had changed. Rather than a translucent and almost sterile body of water, it had become a pond, with waterlilies, some duckweed, and many other plants that gave it a gentle green hue.
The sudden transformation of his surroundings, or perhaps his own teleportation elsewhere, should have alarmed Shirou, but for some reason, he found it hard to get worked up. The scene was just so peaceful that it instilled in him a sense of deep calm.
Until something tapped his shoulder.
"Seven Hells!"
Shirou nearly jumped out of his skin, and he turned around in a flash, lifting Mjolnir to fight for his life.
"Eep!?"
But there was no threat, no great monster meaning to devour him. Only a woman-like creature, with blueish skin and green hair, as well as solid green eyes, which looked at him with a startled and fearful look.
Shirou had never seen her kind before, but it didn't take him long to work out what he was looking at.
A water-Faery.
They were Faeries on the wild side of the spectrum, less human-like in looks and behaviour than their more humanoid cousins, but, paradoxically, also less dangerous than said cousins. They were slightly more animal-like in nature, dangerous if provoked, but if treated gently, surprisingly kind and meek. Certainly not the sort to tear someone apart just to hear them scream, nothing like the Fallen Nature Spirits in the hollow.
It would be a mistake however to think of them as dumb beasts. They might not have the same sort of intelligence as humans, but they had their own form of wisdom in spades. They were even renowned for their vast knowledge of nature and Primal Magics, as well as their boundless curiosity.
So too the water-Faery now standing in front of Shirou. Though she'd flinched back at the sight of Mjolnir, recognising its immense danger, her fear was quickly subsiding now that he didn't actually attack her. A sparkle of curiosity appeared in her eyes, and she approached him again, reaching out to poke him once more.
There was not a hint of aggression or danger about her, merely a happy curiosity that reminded Shirou of the Wolpertingers, but the situation was made a tad more difficult by the fact that the Faery was not just bafflingly gorgeous, but also very much naked, her body perfectly resembling that of a human woman aside from the blue skin.
Quite what a Faery needed a vagina for, let alone nipples, was a mystery to Shirou, but that was how it was. He wasn't unfamiliar with naked female bodies, but this was awkward all the same, as he tried to keep his own eyes on her face.
It became even worse when the Faery got company.
At least a dozen more Faeries like her, subtly different in looks but largely the same, all gorgeous like sin, emerged from the water now that their guest turned out not to be aggressive. They practically swarmed him, reaching out and prodding him with huge smiles and eager looks.
Apparently, they did have one thing in common with the Fallen Nature Spirits in the hollow. They thought he was utterly fascinating.
For a few moments, Shirou tried to gently push them away, but when they kept coming, he jumped into the air and flew to the shore, well out of their reach.
Disappointment gathered over the crowd of Faeries like a grey cloud, but Shirou held firm, not going back even when they gave him the best puppy dog eyes he'd ever seen.
They must have seen he wasn't going to budge, for the Faeries soon disappeared below the lake's surface again, dismissing him from their minds with the capriciousness that their kind was famous for.
The first Faery looked at him for a moment longer though, before raising her hand and waving at him.
"Bye bye!"
"Oh, uh, yes, bye!"
Though caught off guard by the fact she was speaking all of a sudden, Shirou waved back at her, which made her eyes sparkle in joy and delight, before she dived back under the water as well, joining her sisters.
Now once more alone, Shirou looked around, soon establishing that he had reached his destination at last.
This was the source of the fresh air. This was the place Arcueid had told him to visit. The place where he was supposed to find the mysterious weapon.
It was a lot nicer than he'd anticipated. The flowers were beautiful, the bugs provided a nice ambience, the sky was clear and the sun was shining merrily, and the general atmosphere was almost unbelievably peaceful, as if not a drop of blood had ever been spilled here.
Granted, the amount of Magical Energy in the air was so high that any human who came here, from the most ordinary of beggars to the most powerful of Magi, including Lorelei, would instantly explode and combust, but that complete lack of human influence had a certain charm of its own.
Yes, it was beautiful, a dream come true. Like the Garden of Immortality from Greek Mythology, or Mahoroba, the faraway land of bliss and peace from Japanese folklore.
Shirou couldn't say he cared much for the place though.
Although it was beautiful and nice to visit, he could see immediately that he would die from boredom within a day of staying here. This world was already perfect, without a need for improvement, and that meant there was no place for Heroes of Justice like him.
Frankly, he wanted to leave right away, to go back to his own imperfect world, but he had a purpose, which kept him in place and made the rolling fields a bit more bearable.
He looked around, wondering where a weapon of legendary power might be hidden, before he noticed a shadow moving through the trees of the nearby forest.
It was a human shape, but he could see no more details than that. It was too dark a shadow, too well hidden between the trunks and the branches.
Still, it was perfectly visible how it lifted a hand and waved him over.
It was ominous, definitely, and might very well be a trap, but then, it was the best clue he had at the moment.
In the end, he'd much rather do something than remain in place for another hour, so he made for the forest. If this was a trap, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
Though the distance between him and the forest seemed vast, it was surprisingly easy to cross. He only walked for what felt like a few minutes and he was there.
The trees were every bit as beautiful as the rest of the place, as well as stately and imposing, and Shirou rapped his knuckles appreciatively on one of the branches in his way, though he still kept an eye out for surprises. With the way things were going, he wouldn't be at all surprised if the trees suddenly started moving and talking.
Nothing happened upon him entering the forest though, and Shirou made for the centre, being led there by the shadowy form, which popped up every so often to point the way.
Eventually, he made it to a meadow, a clearing in the forest, in which lay another lake, though one much smaller than the one he'd arrived through.
The water was coloured silver, shimmering in the light of the sun, and the amount of Magical Energy radiating from it was enough to make him almost dizzy.
He wasn't even surprised when yet another Faery emerged from it.
This was no simple Water-Faery however, a mere expression of a small natural phenomenon shaped by human beliefs. This was a True Nature Spirit, a pure Faery independent of human civilisations and systems. A being even more powerful than the Dead Apostle Ancestors, potentially close to a minor god.
Still, it had a human form, looking like an impossibly beautiful woman with blue hair, blue eyes, and skin as white as snow. Her eyes were filled with an intelligence both human-like and god-like, setting her apart from the wilder Water-Faeries from before, and she was clad in a beautiful blue-and-white dress, though it was so translucent she might as well have not worn it.
She was far superior to any other Faery he'd encountered before, but Shirou noticed that her power seemed intrinsically linked to her Domain. In here, she was like a god. Somewhere else, she'd be little more than the Water-Faeries he had met before.
Alas, they were in her Domain, where she was close to omnipotent, so Shirou bowed his head, showing the utmost respect for this creature, which was not only god-like, but also likely his host.
"Emiya Shirou." She spoke, showing mastery of the human tongue, which did not surprise him at all, though he was a little shocked that she knew his name. "Welcome to Avalon."
Shirou had only a moment to feel surprised at the name of this place before she emerged from the lake and placed both her hands on his face, lifting it until their eyes met, which also allowed him to see she was smiling warmly at him.
"My name is Vivian. We have much to discuss."