Fuck you stalincat, my writing's not dyslexic and adhd-ish 😭😭😭
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When I reached the train station, I entertained the thought of using the ten shadows to board a train headed for my destination but that turned out to be wholly unnecessary. I did not need an ID to buy a ticket, just the money from the wannabe delinquent I'd extorted last night. Because such was the system and I'd already decided to not cheat it, I even got a ticket for Li Shuwen.
The heated cabin of the train was a welcome respite from the cold wintery air seeping into my very clothes so early in the morning, and we even managed to avoid the morning rush so there were only a few other people onboard then. A woman with children sat across the aisle, but the country's general sentiment of not being a nuisance for others made it so that even they weren't bothersome.
Well... not that bothersome, they were children after all. I couldn't hold their curiosity against them, not when I found myself sharing it.
A shiver ran down my spine as I suddenly recalled the wayward child I'd encountered on the way here. He was terrifying, utterly terrifying, for a reason I couldn't even begin to place. Some odd black-haired girl had been talking to him, so thankfully he didn't notice my presence.
"I could have taken a spiritual form. There was no need to spend the money, master." Li said calmly, sitting with all the grace of the elderly. He was even reading an issue of the local newspaper. Apparently, the paddy fields outside were not that interesting to him. "And, I'm sure that this is taxing on your reserves as well."
Spiritual form... ah, right, I remembered. A bodiless form where servants needed only the barest of mana to sustain themselves. Since expressing their abilities was wholly reliant on an adequate mana supply, his concern wasn't baseless.
I glanced at him, "You feel it, don't you?"
There was a line between us. Our existences were connected in a way that mine sustained him.
"Hm, that is an impressive amount of Chi. And, it's tainted, dirty. Oh, I mean no offense to you."
The burden on me, the mana he was taking, was negligible.
"Carry on." I listened with interest.
"You are not at peace. Your chi is not at peace either. But its turmoil feels hateful, unlike your own."
That sounded less like mana and more like cursed energy to me.
I sighed.
"The answer should be in my ancestor's diary, but I have no idea how to get to it."
For all I knew, those manuscripts he'd told me to find were dust by now. If he was from a time when gods and beasts walked the planet, then even I could guess that that was probably thousands of years past at the very least.
On top of that, there was no guarantee it wasn't filled to the brim with his stupid brainrot.
My off-handed remark threw the older man off for some reason. He stared at me oddly. "Then, accept my apologies, master. I was sure that it was something you had done to yourself. The proclivities of magi are known. If this is instead something that was done to you by your predecessors, then I simply find my distaste renewed."
I nodded shortly and fell back into silence.
Only a moment passed before it occurred to me that Li was meant to be my partner for this war. He was going to fight for me, possibly die in the process, so I could get a wish that I didn't even know what to do with.
"I'm Enji Zen'in." I started, unsure of what to say, "I'm still a bit confused on the whole war thing and just getting pulled along for now. You seem like a cool dude though. Sorry if I'm not really all there."
"Hm?" A warm smile tugged at his lips, "My given name is Shuwen. A man who devoted his life to the fist and the spear. I taught many remarkable students. Oh, now that you've brought this up, would you like to learn?"
That was an intriguing offer. I did remember watching UFC and boxing, thinking to myself I would pick up a martial art but never really got the time to follow through. Yes, that sounded nice.
However, it did not sound realistic.
"I don't think we'll have the time."
"Kaka! I do not have the passion of my youth but I can still give you some advice. Maybe it will bring peace to your mind."
Hm, he knew. That wasn't much of a surprise though. I was throwing myself into action, and talking and talking, because the moment I stopped, two identities began clashing incessantly with each other, leaving me unable to decide who I even was.
"Surely Bajiquan survives to this day? It has been nary a hundred years."
I spoke before thinking, "What?"
The servants were supposed to be from different time periods, from the era of legend. He'd just said-
"So you'd like to know? Very well, listen, master, as I see no point in hiding-"
He told me he was from China, born in the late 19th century amidst the dying throes of the Qing Dynasty. I foolishly ended up asking what the Qing Dynasty even was, and that pulled me into another history lesson about the last imperial dynasty.
Without even meaning to, I fell asleep.
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"Damn, she thick."
"Why's Amaterasu-sama just a shut-in NEET?"
"I want Mommy. Mommy Milkers."
"That guy has 6-7 children by-... 676767676767..."
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God, I fucking hated my ancestor so much.
The first thing I did after jolting awake was try to jump out of the moving train through the window. Only, my face hit the glass. I reeled back, wincing from the pain, to find Li-... Shuwen, with his hand in a pack of salted peanuts. Oh, there was also a half-empty box of apple juice on his handstand.
"What is-... Nevermind that, I'm sorry for falling asleep." I wiped the drool from my mouth, and ran my hands through my hair.
He only hummed, "It's fine. I would often fall asleep during lessons as well. I bought some for you as well."
The old man reached into his robes and whipped out an assortment of chips, a can of green tea and even protein bars from strange brands.
"Money?"
"There was a noisy passenger. Oh, he won't miss the money, nor did he notice."
Taking the can, I pulled on the tab. "That's... a little unexpected. I didn't take you for that type of person."
"Kaka! He only has his lack of awareness to blame."
"I'm pretty sure he can also blame the one who stole from him." I chuckled.
Shuwen fixed his glasses, "Harsh words for a harmless prank. But, at least you've smiled."
I made no effort to hide my confusion at what he'd pointed out, even going so far as to tilt my head to the side. Despite his ability to pick up on the subtlest of hints, Li Shuwen did not explain his words. He only chuckled again, returning to his peanuts. I could not help but admire his ease with a purposeless world.
Before I could press further, the PA speaker began an announcement.
"We will soon be arriving at Kokura Station. We will soon be arriving at..."
My head shot to the window. Outside, a city rolled in while I was asleep. Tall commercial buildings rose all around us, with smaller businesses all around the rail tracks. I saw signs for grocery stores and restaurants, even hotels, among a lot else. Down below, the streets were crowded with people going about their days and younger people lounging about. The noise was rather grating then, but it only increased as we rolled further into the station.
Unfortunately, we still had to board another train to Oita since I was unable to find a direct route from Tokyo. Shuwen looked like he wanted to explore Kitakyushu a bit more but quietly followed along as I all but fled from the crowds into another hourly train, a much more packed one. We got off at another station about half an hour away from the capital city, since there was no train connected to the coastal city of Fuyuki.
"Is there an issue?" Shuwen caught me eying the prefectural map with a puzzled look, hands behind his back.
"Well, I'm trying to figure out how to get to Fuyuki from here."
The train station this time was an unexpectedly rural one, with only a small town in the distance. Mountains dotted the horizon, past rice paddies and the occasional roads.
"Walking is good for you."
"It is, but I'd rather not walk for nearly a hundred kilometres."
Of course, the best option had always been a direct flight from Tokyo.
"I can try taming Nue..."
I realised instantly that such an open space was unideal for dealing with a Shikigami that was built for speed, flight, and hit-and-run tactics with lightning-charged wings. The biggest issue was that the Divine Dogs were much larger than what I recalled too, nearly as tall as my shoulders... There was no telling what the size of the Nue could be.
Li Shuwen coughed into his palm. "If your pride bears through it, I can carry you."
Hmm... I trusted Assassin somewhat, but I'd much rather have a few Shikigami before actually going to Fuyuki. It did not sit right with me to be so reliant on another for my safety. And yet, there was no telling if the Grail War had already started.
"Doesn't matter. They'll have to wait."
I fished my phone out of my pocket and flipped it open for the date.
"5th January. Hey, can you sense if the other servants have been summoned?" I asked hopefully, though I could not recall any servants having the ability to do that.
Shuwen shook his head from side to side, "Perhaps if I were a Caster servant. As it stands however, this Li Shuwen has no such ability. Eh, the custom is to wait until all the masters are gathered from what I know so you need not mull over this."
I'd really rather not have to resort to summoning Mahoraga again.
Pursing my lips, I scratched the back of my head.
"I'll see if someone will host us here for a week."
Hopefully, that would be enough to tame at least a few of the Shikigami. Ideally, I wanted more time for this... but, I needed to make do. That was a lesson both of my lives had beaten into me quite thoroughly.
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Hope you enjoyed.
The Ramadan debuff finally hit. I'll try to pump out what I can, but we'll return to my usual schedule after the 20th. Apologies for the inconvenience. I'll make up the gap then, because if I keep writing as is, the story's quality is gonna take a hit because of my low energy and genuine lack of brain activity due to the restricted diet.