FHA Reopening (EN)

I gaze at the pleasant blue sky. Taking a break after a meal to enjoy some tea out on the veranda is a particularly special reward. It is the very ordinary nature that makes such everyday happiness the best. “―――So I've looked it up, and there were, in fact, a Master and a Servant that matched. On the fourth day of the Holy Grail War, the ones to drop out were the Einzberns'―――” “Hey, pay attention! After all the trouble I went to checking on this, you'd better be listening to me!” “Huh? No, what? Tohsaka?” I'm momentarily confused. I look down to find Tohsaka sitting beside me. “It's me, all right... You don't mean to say that you didn't hear a word I just said, do you?” A sarcasm-free, direct-to-the-point question that is very uncharacteristic of Tohsaka. The Tohsaka heir is infuriated to the point of forgetting her own family's "always elegant" motto. “―――Sorry, but I didn't. Actually―――what are you doing here, Tohsaka?” I'm worried that she might have just teleported here or something. I truly don't have any memory of Tohsaka coming out here and sitting down next to me. “......Wait. Are you saying that you didn't even realize that I'd come home?” “O-Of course not, I'm not that out of it. Give me some credit here. I probably just didn't notice that you'd come out here to relax, and didn't realize that you were talking to me until now.” “Sounds like you were pretty out of it to me. ...Oh, forget it. Either you were having some weird dream, or else you're just tired from the torment over these "four days," I'd guess. I'm willing to let this go as you being tired this time.” “Ahh... Again, I'm sorry. I'm a bit scared now myself. And also, umm... It's not like I'm half asleep or anything, so could you stop peering at me like that?” “Ah. Y-Yeah, you're right, I'm a little too close, aren't I?” Tohsaka leaps to her feet. Until a moment ago, she was incredibly close to simply pushing me down. “...Alright, I'll go over it one more time. Let's start by dealing with these "four days" of yours. For now, let's proceed with the assumption that the cause is someone's wish to the Holy Grail. I believe that the clue to understanding who this "someone" is lies in the nature of this four-day boundary.” “At first, I thought that the Grail's power might have a limitation that allows no more than four days to be reproduced, but if that's the case, I don't see why they wouldn't repeat one day forever instead. I don't think their intention was to try and conserve the Grail's power.” “You're right about that. The holder of the Grail―――the summoner would have their wish granted, and that would be it. There's no way they'd go, "I'd better try to save some magical energy for later."” “Right. So there must be some other reason they're saving the four days like this. For some reason, the one contracted to the Grail can only reproduce the first four days of the Holy Grail War. So there you have it. The point here is that what's happening is not a new start or a restart, but a reproduction. Do you know what this means, Emiya-kun?” “...Yeah, more or less. Whoever this is, they've experienced the Holy Grail War, and are now reproducing it.” “Good job. It's a self-evident truth once you realize it. The fact that only four days are being repeated isn't because there isn't enough power from the Holy Grail. This person had experienced just those four days of the Holy Grail War to begin with. Having dropped out on the fourth day, they simply do not know what happened afterwards.” “...So "this person" is a Master who was eliminated on the fourth day? But there wasn't one.” “Not in our Holy Grail War, that is. So, I looked over the records of the previous Holy Grail Wars for Masters who were sent off during the fourth day...” “?? But the previous war has nothing to do with this. It's the fifth one, the one we were involved in, which is being repeated.” “You think so? It might be a little different than that. Speaking figuratively, the "four days" are a blank script, and we are the actors. Since the script is blank, the actors can improvise freely, but there is a set performance time of four days―――” Tohsaka jumps backwards. “Tohsaka...?” “―――The barrier is responding to something. Shirou, come with me. It seems we have an unwelcome guest outside.” “...You're right, it's very soft, but I can hear the alarm going off. Wow, you noticed it before the actual alarm...” She's likely set up a similar barrier around herself as well. Ever since leaving for London, Tohsaka's power has been steadily rising. What an ominous prospect. Right on Tohsaka's heels, I head outside. “――――――” Without turning to face me, Tohsaka gestures behind her back for me to stay on the alert and cover her. I reply with a nod and ready myself for a battle. Facing Tohsaka now is... a woman I've never seen before. In the flesh, that is. “Hello. What business brings you here on such a fine day, Miss Magus from the Association?” “I could ask you much the same question. I believe this is the residence of Mr. Emiya Kiritsugu, which hardly explains what you might be doing here. ...I recall hearing that he had an adopted child, but―――” “Do you want something with Emiya-kun? He shouldn't have any ties to the Association yet. If you have a message for him, I would be happy to hear it as an intermediary and pass it on.” Tohsaka's grinning, but there's a firm rejection written all over her face. In reply, “...I do not wish to fight you right now. I have no choice but to respond when faced with pointless vigilance. However, we are in a public place―――Silence that Magic Crest of yours at once.” The woman casually pushes back. It seems like Tohsaka had activated the crest on her left arm. Having her potential insurance against a surprise attack seen through so quickly makes her grow even more agitated. ...But Tohsaka should have already realized how meaningless it is. The woman standing before of us isn't looking for a fight, nor does it seem like she's planning on a surprise attack. That's because her power as a magus is easily three times the level of Tohsaka's. If this woman made up her mind to fight us, she wouldn't even need a surprise attack to overpower us completely. “...Understood. Would that mean that you have only come here today to observe?” “Correct. I have not come here to fight as a Master. ―――However, I must say that I am unimpressed by your carelessness. To think that you would fail to keep Saber close by simply because it is daytime...” “Keep Saber close by...?” Tohsaka's voice sounds a touch perplexed. “...I see. Both of us are still alive, which means we haven't met each other... Meaning that this talk is best finished quickly.” I can't make heads or tails of this monologue of hers. The woman's gaze is fixed on Tohsaka. ...Their conversation doesn't match up. All it will take is a mention of the date, Servants, or even the woman calling Tohsaka by name. Neither Tohsaka nor the woman seem to notice the chasm that will make itself known the moment one of them misses a step. A balancing act precarious enough to send shivers down my spine. This is a miracle on the level of walking across a bottomless pit on a tightrope. I look on wordlessly. I don't know how many times now Tohsaka's told me not to interfere should a magus from the Association come. As I survey the woman standing before me, I feel dazed, or more accurately, astonished. The one who wasn't there, who shouldn't have existed at all, the Eighth Master. “...What a strange conversation this is turning out to be. Have you come to hand down some judgment concerning the legacy of Emiya Kiritsugu now, after so much time has passed? He was a freelance magus. I don't recall his ever being affiliated with the Association.” “I have no jurisdiction over the legacy of Mr. Emiya. I am simply interested in him as the victor of the previous Holy Grail War. Are we not the same in this respect? After all, it is in order to obtain the Holy Grail slumbering in this town that you have come to the Emiya residence like this.” “Eh――――――?” Tohsaka's doubt turns into confidence. The misaligned gears have shifted back into place, and this disjointed conversation has finally started to make sense. “......Wait a minute. What's this misunderstanding the Association has about the Grail? The Holy Grail War is over. The ritual was a complete failure, and the cornerstone used for its summoning was destroyed. The fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki was also the last.” A magnificent sense of balance. And yet she's slipped up. Of course. Tightrope walking cannot continue on forever. It's an obvious fact, and yet this woman still came all the way here. Why? “―――Let me confirm something. Did you just say that the fifth Holy Grail War is already over?” ―――I feel a chill. If she were to nod, a fist fight would occur the very next instant. And yet, despite tremendous bloodlust emanating from the woman, Tohsaka goes ahead and nods right in front of her. “That's correct. It is no longer possible to summon a miracle in this city. Due to the illegal actions of the supervisor, Kotomine Kirei, dispatched by the Church to oversee the Fifth Holy Grail War, the ritual was shut down. Not only the Association, but also the Church were forced to remove their influence from this land due to his death.” “Kotomine―――Kirei?” Something falls. Though the woman was ready to use her strength to push away even the fact of the Holy Grail War being over, at the sound of that single name, she lets the mask of steel fall away. “Kotomine... is dead...?” “That's right. He's been dead for half a year now. He was defeated by Emiya Shirou, the victor of the fifth Holy Grail War.” Tohsaka's eyes shift towards me. “Emiya Shirou―――I have... never heard of a Master by that name. No, for a winner of the fifth Holy Grail War to exist already, there's no way―――” There's no way... "There is no way I will recognize one," says the burning hatred in the woman's eyes. Several seconds pass. Tohsaka takes a step to forward, protecting me, “Hey. Something has been bothering me all this time. I wonder if you'd mind me asking about it now. ―――What happened to that arm of yours?” She asks a very odd question. “―――Eh?” Two surprised voices make themselves heard. As though suddenly remembering something, the woman reaches out her right hand to her left arm―――and everything comes falling down. “Ah.” I had no time to call out to her. The woman flees at full speed, running as though she'd just seen a ghost. Although if you'd asked me, I'd say it was Tohsaka and I who were visited by one. “...It seems as though the Mage's Association is short on capable members at the moment, too. I wonder if their rank-and-file management isn't quite up to speed.” Either she has no desire to chase after the woman, or she doesn't dare try. After saying a line that sounds like she read it from a script, Tohsaka turns around to face me. “...Well, it looks like she won't be back any time soon. She wasn't the most mentally stable person I've ever met, but her powers were the real deal. She could have beaten the both of us with one hand tied behind her back, so it's lucky for us that she decided to leave of her own will.” “So, Emiya-kun, do you know her? I've never seen her before.” “No, neither have I.” “Is that so. You sure did get completely disregarded. She's real sharp as a magus, and yet it seems like she completely failed to notice that you are a magus as well, Emiya-kun.” “That's not it. Rather than ignoring me, it seemed more like she never noticed I was there at all.” So she's one of those types who thinks that the vast difference in our level of ability makes me unworthy of her consideration. Suddenly, my training feels very inadequate. “If so, that would be bad. I'm pretty sure she's the enemy you're looking for. If you're planning on doing something about her, you'd better make sure you do it with Saber by your side.” ―――And so... Tohsaka directs a backward glance at me, her brightness of a moment ago vanishing. “I'm not sure what it is you're trying to say. ...But if it turns into a fight, I should make sure Saber is part of it, is that it?” “Right. If she's still too much for you even then, go ask Lancer about it. He should know what we're dealing with when it comes to her.” This encounter. A conversation spanning only a few minutes was enough for Tohsaka to grasp the workings of the whole situation. But that is all. She isn't about to suggest a way out of it. “I'm going back inside. ...I'm not going to get involved any further in this. If you're going to try and resolve it, you'll have to do it on your own.” Saying so coldly over her shoulder, Tohsaka heads back indoors. “...That's my kind of woman...” Those words just slipped out for some reason. This doesn't mean that Tohsaka's abandoning me. Just the opposite. It feels like she's done all she can to give me a chance―――