A/N: I have mixed feelings about this chapter. On one hand, I expected it to be longer, but I ended up biting off more than I could chew. That's why I decided to split it into two parts instead.
It would have taken like a month to finish otherwise, and I refuse to go back to those days where it took me like four months to upload just two chapters.
Again, to answer Reviews:
GustavoIVS: As always, I really appreciate your comments. Initially, Kiritsugu seemed like a difficult character to write in these circumstances, but after he finally managed to 'change' his focus a bit thanks to the prologue, it's easier for me to handle him. I'm even going to miss him being the protagonist of the 'first part' of this story, since in a few arcs, Shirou will be the one to take the helm.
maxtime: It won't just be Kiritsugu who realizes it, but we'll get to that... I hope.
Alv, what a coincidence xD
Well, Shirou seems to have been saved from getting into trouble this chapter. But having a kind of E rank, it's obvious that these guys are going to come looking for him xD
Giuseppe: Hmm, I concede again. Structural Analysis sounds better.
One of my purposes in this fic is to explore and take things from the Nasuverse that are rarely used. And that's why we'll almost never see an OC for now, especially when there's something already canon that can fulfill that role.
And about Kiritsugu 'looting' the Workshop he found. Well, he only took a couple of things for his research. But he will get things for Shirou's training, he will.
Possibly.
NERO1002: If you're referring to the other form of Material Transmutation Thaumaturgy, yes. Shirou will learn Alteration very soon, but he'll have to work with what he has first.
And about the second question, nope xD
Mandatory notice: The Fate series, its characters, and any elements of the Nasuverse present in the following do not belong to me. They are property of Type-Moon.
Clue:
'Thoughts.'
"Diálogo."
"Voz sobrenatural."
"Thaumaturge."
Í͕̟͓̈́͑ǹ͛͒co͎͉̍̐n̨̼͔̤̉ͮ͊c҉̘̪̟͉e̖͐b̬̝̪͢í̡ͣ̏̄̚bͤl̗͙͕̘͠ͅͅe̟̝͓̘̘͍̮ͤ̿͒ͯ̽̒̀ ̺͕̇ͪ
"Again?" Shirou managed to ask, his tone showing no hint of disguise for his disappointment, making Kiritsugu sigh. The news that the black-haired man had to leave for some matters in Tokyo had not been a surprise for all the people close to the Emiya family, who had already gotten used to the fact that Kiritsugu had a habit of leaving for at least two or three trips a year.
Shirou had accepted the fact, but it was clear that inside he was not very pleased with it. That, and he had almost scolded him two days earlier at night, when he arrived home almost dead tired and apparently "smelling like the shed when he finished practicing his thaumaturgy," but worse.
That day Kiritsugu had learned two new things besides the progress of his research.
First, that liquid ether clay was something extremely difficult to wash. Second, that Shirou apparently had an open channel that allowed him to detect distortions caused by magical energy and even vestiges of it...
In his nose.
There was no way to know if it was something innate or a product of the thaumaturgy from his biological family, but Kiritsugu's pragmatic mind could already see the numerous uses of his son's altered sense. It was too early to check how effective it was compared to the spell he used (which reminded him that he needed to conduct a test with that someday), so it wasn't as if Shirou had acquired a power worthy of a first-rate magus.
But returning to that discovery.
Shirou had practically interrogated him to the point where Kiritsugu felt forced to reveal part of his activities. This caused the red-haired boy to take a step back in his assault, but he still ended up showing his indignation.
This put Kiritsugu in a difficult situation, as while he had promised to eventually tell Shirou almost everything, he still wanted to keep several things under wraps.
So he had to go for the next best option.
Which brought them there, to the Fuyuki train station.
"I won't be long, Shirou. Don't worry." He said while ruffling the red-haired boy's hair. "Besides, this time I'm much better prepared." He confessed while pointing to the larger suitcase he was carrying.
Shirou glanced at it and frowned, holding back the urge to activate his magic circuits and use his Structural Analysis to see the contents. Which he didn't do because they were in a crowded place, and Kiritsugu hadn't yet taught him how to hide the visibility of those.
Either way, he had a small idea of what was inside those suitcases based on the things Kiritsugu had told him.
"Just take care of yourself, old man. Take care a lot." Shirou replied, showing palpable concern before passing him the carry-on bag he had been carrying.
"Be good, kid." Kiritsugu received the small backpack before placing it on his shoulder. "You, on the other hand, are under the Fujimura. Remember what I told you..."
"Don't use thaumaturgy unless you're sure no one will discover you." Shirou finished before Kiritsugu could continue. "I know, I know. Besides, I don't think I'll have time to practice if I'm going to be glued to Fuji-nee." He pointed to a spot to his right.
Kiritsugu followed his finger and caught sight of the brown-haired girl standing in line at the self-service store within the station. Knowing her, hunger had probably gotten the best of her, forcing her to buy a snack for herself and Shirou.
Thank goodness, because it gave them a moment to talk alone.
"You should also take a break from that." Kiritsugu advised. "Using your circuits too much can hurt you and, besides, it has almost caused you a fever more than once. Take it as a reward for having made such great progress in such a short time."
The look Shirou gave him couldn't be drier.
"Old man, I'm still breaking more pencils than I can reinforce." Shirou complained before narrowing his eyes. "Are you sure this thaumaturgy suits me?"
"Oh, Shirou. I wonder the same thing every day." Kiritsugu thought with a hint of irony. Honestly, another reason he had taken so long to plan how and what to teach his adoptive son was due to the enigmatic wall that stood before him.
A wall that represented the elephant in the room regarding Shirou's potential sorcery: His aligned attributes.
Element and Origin both being Sword. The mark of what the Mage's Association referred to as Incarnations. Such cases were extremely rare, even more than those born with an affinity for the five classical elements, and the information about them that was common knowledge was scarce.
The elements, being the basic substances that shape the world, play an important role in Thaumaturgy.
Well, each of the Elements has certain characteristics that align them with the use of different forms of thaumaturgy. This means that for magi, the Element is an indication of which of these are the schools or magical disciplines in which they can excel.
Although it is important to note that having a single Element is not an impediment to learning from other schools that are foreign to it, since at the end of the day, each of these was connected in one way or another.
Hence the problem.
Sword was an incredibly unique Element that bore no relation to the five classics observed in the West. It was for this reason that Kiritsugu was almost completely certain that Shirou would not be able to execute thaumaturgy aligned under those elements on his own.
And as for which ones he could use decently or even excel at, he had no idea. The only ones who could answer that question would be the expert instructors at the Clock Tower, and Kiritsugu would rather shoot himself in the foot than send Shirou to that nest of vipers.
Material Transmutation was one of the most basic thaumaturgies not only because of the simplicity of its mechanics and the theory surrounding it. It also belongs to the extremely small number of those that were not aligned within any Element.
It was almost a blessing that he had enough knowledge to be able to teach it to Shirou. But apart from this, he had his doubts about how he could do the same with other 'basic' thaumaturgies such as the creation of familiars, the erection of bounded fields, and mental interference... When all of those depended to some extent on small aspects of the common elements.
"I had mentioned to you that my knowledge of thaumaturgy isn't much," Kiritsugu calmly reminded him. "Neither my father nor Natalia taught me much, and I also had no interest in learning beyond what I needed for my work. For now, that's the only thing I can teach you."
"Hmm, I see." Shirou replied. "I suppose it would be too much to ask for a better teacher or to go to that school you mentioned in England?" He asked, somewhat hopeful.
Only to receive a scoff from Kiritsugu.
"Shirou, the things you would go through there, you wouldn't wish upon even the kid you get along with least in your entire school." The dark-haired man reiterated seriously. "And the other option would be too risky. I will have to talk to you a bit more about the nature of magi when I return."
Noticing how the redhead was looking downcast, he sighed. "And taking advantage of the fact that I'm going to Tokyo, where the greatest magical presence in the country is, I might be able to get some material that could help you learn more." In part, it was true since he was going to make the trip and dive headfirst into the part of the city that was within the shadows of the world illuminated by the moon; the least he could do was take advantage of it.
This caught the redhead's attention, and his golden eyes brightened at that prospect, causing Kiritsugu to laugh.
"Really?" He asked, excitement showing on his face.
"That's right. But you have to promise me that you will behave, and that you'll listen to what Raiga or Tomio tell you, okay?" He said, only for Shirou to nod. "Alright, I should leave now. Have fun with Taiga." He smiled as the redhead let out a grimace. A grimace that turned almost desperate when the voice of a certain teenager reached his ears.
"KIRITSUGUUUUUUU!"
"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," Shirou murmured, just as he felt a hand firmly resting on his right shoulder.
"Oh, Taiga-chan. I have to go now." Kiritsugu commented, smiling at the brown-haired girl, who held a plastic bag in her free hand. "I leave Shirou in your care. You know how he is, just make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."
"Hahaha, don't worry Kiritsugu. You can leave him to me." Taiga replied, as she passed her other arm around the redhead's head and hugged him against her. "Shirou-chan will be very safe with me and grandpa. We're going to have a lot of fun." She finished, letting out an animated giggle.
Kiritsugu returned the laugh while closing his eyes, trying to avoid seeing the look of betrayal that Shirou was directing at him from below; it almost seemed like he was pleading telepathically for him to take him with him.
'Sorry Shirou, but no,' Kiritsugu thought as he adjusted the strap of his backpack. 'And if we're lucky, you'll never have to go through this.'
"I'm sure it will be and..." He stopped upon hearing the announcement from one of the speakers, stating that the train was only a few minutes from departing. "Well, time to go. I'll be back in two or three days." He confirmed before turning around and walking toward the train, all while his adoptive son and student watched him from where they stood, bidding him farewell in turn.
"Goodbye, old man!"
"Have a good trip, Kiritsugu. Bring me a souvenir!" exclaimed Taiga, causing the black-haired boy to turn one last time before getting on the train car and waving goodbye. Eventually, he entered and got lost among the passengers.
Taiga took Shirou by the hand to the parking lot of the station, where one of her grandfather's subordinates was waiting with a simple car.
"To the boss's house, Fujimura-sama?" asked the man as he opened the door for Shirou to get in.
"Nah, to the Emiya's." replied Taiga before getting in as well. "Afterwards, we'll go see grandpa, but first we have something to do."
All kinds of alarms began to ring in Shirou's head upon hearing that.
"Hmm, Fuji-nee." he dared to ask. "Why are we going to my house again if I already have my suitcase here? I didn't forget anything."
"Well, you see, my little grasshopper." Taiga replied while holding him by both shoulders. "I like your house's dojo more than mine, fufufufu."
Shirou's eyes widened in realization of where Taiga was going with this. His anxiety seemed to be detected by the brown-haired girl, who merely laughed sardonically while her face took on an expression that could only be described as bloodthirsty, much to Shirou's desperation as he seemed to be seriously considering opening the door and jumping into the street.
"Did you think I didn't hear you say the forbidden word? Fufufufu, very bad Shirou-chan." Taiga continued, almost adopting the look of a famished demon. "I'm going to make sure you remember why you should never call me that."
From the rearview mirror, the driver couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Poor boy.
The journey hadn't been as long as the one he'd taken with Shirou to Misaki, but still, Kiritsugu was tired. The sun was just beginning to set, and the streets were bustling with people as he could see from the window of his hotel, somewhere in Shinjuku.
Everything had gone well so far. With the exception of a small incident where one of the spells in his suitcase had temporarily malfunctioned and almost exposed the hidden weapons inside, Kiritsugu had encountered no other problems since his arrival in the capital.
And the official center that the Mage's Association had in this place, although it wasn't the only magical organization or one with supernatural ties present in Japan.
There were national organizations, like the Onmyou Bureau, which had lost its previous influence with the modernization of the country and had been relegated to little more than a small national committee on supernatural affairs as well as ancient groups of monks and demon exterminators.
And then there were other international ones... Mainly the two that originated from the continent, in China. The Spiral Mansion being the prime example.
The equivalent of the Mage's Association in East Asia was an organization that could very well compete in power against its Western counterpart, as it maintained a significantly larger number of affiliated members than all the combined forces of the Clock Tower and the other two branches like Atlas Institute and the Wandering Sea.
Not to mention the other one, whose name was only known: the Summit Tribunal. A supposedly smaller organization in size than the former, but it remained incredibly hidden somewhere in China.
Japan had always been a country where the influence of that civilization had been very strong; thus, it was inevitable that much of the legacy of knowledge and magical practices from the Land of the Rising Sun came from China. If memory served him right, even the Onmyoudou, which was called the greatest Thaumaturgical System in Japan, could trace its roots back to some schools of thought from China.
The presence of the Spiral Mansion was largely relegated to a significant part of the western coast of the country, while the national and the Association occupied the rest.
But it was Tokyo that housed a considerable portion of all three.
Kiritsugu lacked much information about the layout of the city beyond the fact that the Reiroukan had apparently been named by the Association as the administrators of the land, so he would have to gather the information himself.
The thing was that looking for an informant would take precious time and effort, and it also put him at risk of drawing attention in unknown territory.
Fortunately, he had the contact of someone who could point him in the right direction.
After dialing the number saved in his hotel room phone, he brought it to his ear and waited a few seconds until someone finally answered.
"Hello?" The sardonic tone of Makihisa could be heard on the other end of the line.
"Tohno," Kiritsugu greeted as dryly as possible.
"Ah, it's you. Wow, it's been almost... what? Two months? Since we last spoke." Makihisa replied in a tone that made Kiritsugu imagine him striking the same pose as he had seen during their last meeting in his study.
"I was even starting to suspect that you had canceled our little agreement, hmmm." The hybrid's voice continued, making Kiritsugu almost envision the feral smile that was surely adorning his lips. "After all, we haven't signed that geas contract you mentioned."
Kiritsugu rolled his eyes. Even with the matters he needed to be serious about, it seemed Makihisa Tohno had no intention of changing his demeanor. Well, good for him.
"I managed to track down and locate the Workshop that Saitou Reiroukan used in Fuyuki during the Fourth War." He announced, flatly.
"..." For a few seconds, he thought he didn't hear anything on the other end of the line, interpreting that as Makihisa trying to process what he'd just heard.
"... That was quick." Finally, the hybrid commented with a slight note of admiration. "Usually, they are among the most hidden and remote places on Earth. Not even I, who control more than half of this land, know exactly where Hachiro Aozaki's Workshop is located."
"It wasn't easy." Kiritsugu admitted while suppressing a sigh. "It took me time to look for possible locations for it, and even more to find the right moment to investigate them without drawing attention from my neighbors."
"Ah, yes." Makihisa seemed to be nodding from the other end. "With the exception of that time I mentioned almost a century and a half ago, the Tohno Clan has rarely had contact with the administrators of that region, the Tohsaka Clan. In fact, I don't know much about them beyond their status as landowners of Fuyuki and its surroundings, and the connection they have with the Catholic Church, something certainly very unusual for a family of magi; I believe I only know of another example in the already fallen Fujimiya Family."
Kiritsugu scoffed. "Their current members are a woman who should really be in a hospital due to her mental state, and a girl who I doubt is older than Shirou. They're not really who I'm worried about." He pointed out.
"Hmm, I see. I had heard a couple of rumors that the Church was also keeping an eye on that city, and if they have something staked there that forces you to act as cautiously as possible..." Makihisa mused for a couple of seconds. "But well, you managed to bypass that. And what did you manage to find?"
"After investigating quite a bit while maintaining a very tight surveillance on the Tohsaka, I took advantage of their sudden trip out of Fuyuki to take action." Kiritsugu continued. "Their workshop was located within a mansion built by an old Master from the Third War, Kaarina Edelfelt."
"Edelfelt," Makihisa seemed to savor that surname. "That name rings a bell, but I can't recall where I heard it."
"A noble magi family from Finland that has been in the fortune soldiers business for several generations. Two sisters from this family participated during the Third War but were defeated." Kiritsugu informed him before adding, "And you probably remember the name because a member of that family was part of that little group you gathered all those years ago."
"... I see." Makihisa concluded in a tone indicating he didn't want to hear anything related to it.
"Anyway." Kiritsugu continued. "Two days ago, I was finally able to investigate the place. As soon as I arrived, my suspicions about whether it truly was what I thought only increased when I detected the remnants of a magical boundary around the property, which was also quite recent. I had no trouble entering because the spells that had been placed there for protection had either lost their power or had simply faded away."
"And then?"
"I didn't find anything supernatural on the first floor, but in one of the rooms on the second floor, I found a dead bird hidden under a rug that I quickly identified as an abandoned familiar, as well as a leather pouch containing magical stones. It was confirmed that the place had been inhabited by at least one magus not too long ago, but still, I couldn't find the magician's workshop or any direct evidence connecting it to Saitou Reiroukan, so..." Kiritsugu sat on the edge of the nearest bed. "A homunculus attacked me."
A gasp was heard from the other end of the line, which the dark-haired man ignored.
"It was a big one, and it was difficult to kill, but in the end, I managed to get rid of it and came out unscathed." He continued, suppressing the urge to scoff; had it gotten its claws (or tentacles) on him, it would have snapped his neck like a chicken. "I managed to track its steps and discovered a secret entrance to a basement. Once I got there, I finally came across the long-sought workshop.
It was quite spacious. A typical laboratory, completely abandoned and filled with various implements that no one bothered to take."
"Underground, how typical." Makihisa commented with what Kiritsugu believed to be sarcasm. "And I suppose it was there that you identified the site as Saitou's lair, otherwise you wouldn't be calling me."
"I found two things that cleared up all my doubts on the matter." Kiritsugu replied. "In the middle of the place, engraved in the ground, there was a massive magic circle. The kind that can only be used to summon something extremely powerful, and a notebook where the name of a girl, Misaya Reiroukan, was written.
I vaguely remembered that you had mentioned the man had a daughter.
The same one I suspect also had been in that place..."
"Misaya-chan?" Makihisa's voice sounded confused for a couple of seconds. "That man truly adored her. The young lady was the apple of his eye, it almost worried me at times. The last I heard of her, except for that call I told you about, is that her mother sent her to the same boarding school where I sent my daughter months ago.
I don't know if she was with him during that time, but it surprises me that he would have been able to take her with him."
"I see." Kiritsugu hadn't requested that piece of information, but he made sure to memorize it. "I've investigated everything I could about the workshop, but I couldn't find any trace of the thing you want. I used one of my methods that I rarely employ to find out how many magi had been in the basement, and I was able to tell that there were four.
Two were similar, but one was lesser in power than the other, hence my suspicion of Reiroukan's daughter being there.
The third was a Servant, Caster."
"And the fourth?" Makihisa asked, suddenly interested.
"I don't know. But its magical energy signature was almost identical to the one used in a spell that suppressed those guarding the entrance to the house. Therefore, there's no doubt that it was responsible for stealing what you mentioned." As he said this, Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. "However, there's something that doesn't add up."
"Hmm?"
"To locate the place, I based it on a list of sites that met certain optimal characteristics that a magus would consider for establishing a workshop, all within a certain distance from where Saitou Reiroukan's body was found." The investigator remarked. "And unless his killer had the intent to carry him a kilometer and a half from the Edelfelt Mansion to a trash bin, I have my doubts that it was the same person."
"As I was informed, Saitou Reiroukan was murdered, and whatever was in his possession during those days was never recovered." Makihisa stated sternly. "I don't know all the details about it and..." Suddenly, he fell silent.
"Is something wrong?" Kiritsugu asked, puzzled.
"... Did you mention that Misaya-chan was probably involved during the War?" The mogul inquired, to which Kiritsugu nodded out of habit before realizing what the mixed-blood seemed about to propose.
"Are you seriously suggesting interrogating a child?" He asked, exasperated. "That's low, even for you."
"I assure you I have no intention of laying a finger on her." Makihisa seemed to protest. "But you can't deny it's a pretty obvious option to find out more about this."
Kiritsugu sighed. "I'd prefer to leave that as a last resort. Something I could investigate right now would be the nature of her father's death, but the Fuyuki files didn't say much since the body was apparently transported quickly to Tokyo once it was identified. I was hoping you could help me find out where they took it."
"Hmm, it's supposed to be your job to investigate." Makihisa remarked with a hint of sarcasm. "That, and I told you I preferred to keep as far away as possible to avoid provoking our hidden friend into acting aggressively, but..."
"Ah?" Kiritsugu pressed.
"I admit, it's not something I think you can figure out on your own without wasting too much time." The mixed-blood added reluctantly. "Get ready to come to Tokyo one of these days as soon as I get it."
"I'm actually already here." Kiritsugu confessed. "I'm in Shinjuku. I intended to investigate that right away."
"... Wow." Makihisa commented, before quickly adding, "I apologize to disappoint you, but if I want to be discreet, obtaining that information is going to take days. What do you plan to do during that time?"
"I'm going to take another route at the same time. The fact that whoever threatened you knew you were connected to these objects indicates they had knowledge of your family's affairs." Kiritsugu asserted with a hint of suspicion in his voice. "That's why I'm going to find out everything I can about the Reiroukan Clan in Tokyo: their activities, their associates, and also their possible rivals."
"... That's certainly extreme." Makihisa remarked. "But how do you plan to do it? Tokyo is an immense labyrinth, and you risk sticking your nose in a dangerous place."
"That's exactly one of the main reasons for my call." Kiritsugu replied. "You see, I need to know of an informant I can reach out to."
"..." Makihisa didn't respond immediately, taking a couple of minutes to answer.
"I hope you've brought a lot of money because there's one who knows the underworld like the back of his hand." He revealed, before adding with something that the raven-haired man identified with disgust. "But let me warn you right away, he's a rat of the worst kind."
Nightclubs, Kiritsugu decided, were definitely not his favorite place.
The life of a bounty hunter in a moonlit world was seldom long. While dangers lurked for mages holed up in their lairs, completely engrossed in honing their arts and pursuing their family's research, the risks they faced paled in comparison to what mercenaries had to contend with.
Only assassins and enforcers could claim to share the same fate, serving as the first line of defense against the horrors they faced under orders or to earn their daily bread.
There were many and varied ways to die. Thaumaturgy, Conceptual Weapons, Mystic Codes, Scriptures, Dead Apostles, Phantasmal Species, Spirits, Heretical Mages, Demons, Elementals, Familiars, Puppets, Psychics, and other dangers both mundane and so horrific they were beyond mention.
Those who managed to survive without losing their sanity often sought ways to drown their sorrows and fears. Narcotics and various drugs that helped slightly amplify their abilities were among the preferred choices.
Others like him had opted for tobacco, finding
"An awamori." Kiritsugu ordered, before pulling a couple of bills from his wallet and placing them on the bar.
"Right away." The bartender nodded before turning to one of the shelves behind him and opening a small refrigerator from which he pulled out a bottle. With great skill, he opened it without any trouble and poured a portion into a glass placed in front of Kiritsugu, right next to the money, which he began to collect before frowning at the amount.
But before he could ask the dark-haired man about it, Kiritsugu preempted him.
"It's a little extra. You can keep it," Kiritsugu remarked before taking a sip of his drink. "I'm looking for someone."
The bartender understood immediately and tucked the money into his pocket before casting a discreet glance around, ensuring there was no one eavesdropping. "Who?"
"I was told you could find him around here." Kiritsugu continued, appreciating that the man seemed reasonable. "Nezumi-san."
Upon hearing that name, the bartender's face twisted slightly as if he had been mentioned something unpleasant, but he nodded. "Oh, yeah. Whoever told you about that guy did their homework because he's right over there." He pointed with his eyes to a corner, and Kiritsugu discreetly turned to find a unique scene of a table occupied by a group of young people.
"One of them?" Kiritsugu asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If you need privacy, there's a storage room to the right of the kitchen. I can tell the rat that you want to talk to him." The bartender suggested, prompting Kiritsugu to nod after contemplating it a bit.
He finished his drink before standing up from the bar stool and walking toward where the man was pointing. He caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye as the bartender ordered a waitress to head to that table. The young woman, whose most striking feature was her pale green hair, hurried over.
Kiritsugu finally reached the place, a sort of room filled with boxes and bottles, illuminated by a single bulb dangling from a frayed wire in the ceiling.
He didn't have to wait long, as after a couple of minutes, a strong smell of tobacco wafted into his nose, signaling that someone was approaching.
"Ughh, at least this saves me from having to listen to that idiot Katsuo." He heard a gravelly voice before someone entered through the door.
The first thing he noticed was the hair. A mane that looked like a dead bush, dyed blonde judging by the brightness of it, too bright to be natural. Then came the necklace and bracelets, which were little more than painted plastic or fool's gold that would have looked better with a different outfit, and finally the shirt and vest that looked like they had seen better days.
It was a teenager, at least a year or two older than Taiga, but whose mannerisms and outfit made him look somewhat older. He looked like a small-time thug, a drifter with delusions of grandeur.
"Alright, old man. I don't have much time, so let's get down to business." The young man informed while disposing of the cigarette butt he had been holding. "Who the hell are you and what do you need me for?"
"Are you really Nezumi-san?" Kiritsugu asked with some disbelief. "You look a little too young to be a recommended informant."
"Oh, go screw yourself." The so-called informant shot back crudely. "Aren't you a bit too old to be coming to places like this, geezer? I've built up my reputation, you know." And then he squinted slightly before adding.
"And don't you dare try to pull that trick you did with that goofball Kuma at the entrance." He warned while showing how a sort of character flickered darkly on the palm of his right hand. "Because unlike these guys, I can bite back."
"Got it." Kiritsugu replied, confirming that this was indeed the person Makihisa had told him about. "Call me Ken. I need a couple of things, and someone very reliable said you could help me get them."
"Alright, alright. This is starting off better." The young magus calmed down and lowered his hand before giving a mocking bow. "Sagara Hyouma, at your service. I have no idea who the hell passed on the gossip, but I assure you there's no one better at what I do in this little place."
"I understand." Kiritsugu continued, still maintaining clear skepticism inside. Makihisa hadn't elaborated much on the individual's profile, but he had claimed that despite being practically trash, he did a good job thanks to a certain legacy.
I am a consultant for a certain family that intends to move to this city, but they are unaware of how things are here. It is my job to gather all the information I can about the hidden side of Tokyo and present it to my employers.
Hyouma chuckled quietly upon hearing that. "Your employers must have deep pockets or be incredibly ambitious to want to dive into this maze. It's not unusual for families to come and settle here at least once a year, but they rarely last long." He remarked while crossing his arms. "I don't usually ask many questions, but I have two at the moment. What do the distinguished gentlemen want to know, and how much cash do you have?"
Kiritsugu didn't think much about it; he came prepared for something like this. From one of the pockets of his coat, he pulled out a thick wad of bills and tossed it to Sagara, who caught it clumsily before glancing at it.
"Oh, crap. These are American greens!" He exclaimed, visibly pleased as he sniffed at them. "Good job, old man." He commented, tucking them into his pocket. "Now, ask the good Sagara whatever you need."
"My employers only have a superficial understanding of Tokyo's affairs. They're a family that just managed to affiliate with the Spiral Mansion but consider settling here to be promising, somewhat out of sight from the rest." Kiritsugu continued, maintaining an extremely stoic expression. "How viable would it be for a family of four foreign generations to thrive here?"
"Hmmm." Hyouma took a thoughtful stance before replying. "The Spiral Mansion, you say? Those dirty cat-eaters aren't well-liked by many here. They'd be better off staying somewhere like the Oki Islands where they have control, because if our glorious Onmyou Bureau is already in a perpetual feud with the Western Association, both maintain a love-hate relationship with the Chinese."
"Is the Mage Association the strongest supernatural faction in Tokyo?" Kiritsugu asked, allowing himself to show a bit of surprise at that revelation.
"Duh, who else? I assure you, it's not the weirdos from the Christians." Hyouma scoffed while taking out another cigarette from his pocket. "Though it's not because the bigwigs from the giant clock have their noses deep into things here, no." He lit the cigarette and prepared to smoke leisurely, indifferent to the smoke starting to spread throughout the room. "It's because they gave too much authority to the administrators of the whole place."
"The Reiroukan Clan." Kiritsugu said, nodding slightly. "I've only heard the name and that bit of information."
"The magnificent dogs in flesh and bone." Hyouma removed the cigarette from his mouth and spat on the floor, with undisguised disgust. "A bunch of arrogant and opportunistic louts that, in my humble opinion and that of half the magic community, should pack their bags and head back to their precious Europe." He huffed, keeping his anger under control.
"I suppose there's a significant story behind that."
"Oh, you have no idea." Sagara continued before returning to his cigarette. "You paid good cash, so I suppose I can give you a quick version of the gossip. Many years ago, the vast majority of the magic families living in this country practiced purely local things or from China, but there were always those who showed interest in the stuff that European explorers and traders brought.
Supposedly, the Reiroukan were among them. Those families weren't well-regarded by either the more traditionalists or the Shogunate itself, which relegated them to the bottom of the barrel." He let out a fake chuckle, which he quickly extinguished just as he discarded the new butt.
"But everything changed when the Americans came to demand that the shogunate open up to trade. With them came, as if it were an international conga line, the European weasels, and naturally the Association as well, wanting to maintain a greater presence in the isolated territory."
Kiritsugu, who had never really been the most well-versed in the history of the moonlit world, was unaware of many details of that historical event, but he couldn't deny that he was quite surprised.
"And I suppose the Reiroukan Clan of that time allied with the Association." It wasn't a question.
"Yep, that's right." Hyouma confirmed with some sarcasm. "They caused the Association's henchmen who were sent to exterminate several of the most powerful families in the region, and seized what was left of them. As a reward for their services, a Lord from the Tower designated them as the new administrators of Tokyo and its surroundings."
"That must not have ended well."
Officially, the Reiroukan peacefully united the remaining mage families and managed to get the traditionalists to stop treating those who had adopted Western teachings like trash. In reality, they began charging a tax for practicing thaumaturgy in their territory and reserved access to the Ley Lines for themselves. Hyouma ignored the comment before he sighed. "They have been tyrants ever since for the families living here."
"I don't understand." Kiritsugu asked genuinely. "Even with access to the earth's energy cut off, how is it possible that the families haven't rebelled? Unless the Reiroukan Clan is very numerous, I don't see how they couldn't overwhelm them unless the Mage Association itself intervened on their behalf, something it very rarely does in this part of the world."
Hyouma snorted mockingly. "The Reiroukan are the strongest here in terms of magic power. They are a seven-generation family and have proven more than once that they don't have that title as a mere ornament." He ran a hand through his bangs before continuing. "Before the Great War began, about sixty years ago, there was a tremendous fight in the capital against the German scum and the Imperial Army itself.
It was the Reiroukan who led the defense of the city against both. Of course, they didn't do it out of charity; they also took the opportunity to show they were still in control here. That, and they're not stupid."
"Hmm?"
"They're not a very large Clan, and it's true that if all the other remaining mage families around here miraculously decided to unite and go against them, they could theoretically defeat them. But the Reiroukan are not alone." Hyouma admitted, crossing his arms. "About two other families are allied with them. A little reminder of the times when the three were practically the losers in the neighborhood, or at least that's what everyone thinks because they are treated like their dogs."
"I see. They use the other two as their lackeys, I imagine." Kiritsugu commented, getting an idea of how this regime worked. "And I suppose these receive certain benefits in exchange for their loyalty."
"Yeah, each one is tasked with supervising certain areas of the city and the families living in them. They're not a bunch of idiots like their leaders, but they still wag their tails when ordered. They're a bunch of cowards, if you ask me." Hyouma leaned back against the nearby wall. "They're called Sajyou and Isemi. And along with the Reiroukan, they form the sacred trinity of magical authorities in Tokyo; it's with them that the family you work for will have to deal if they decide to come live here."
Both names sounded somewhat familiar to Kiritsugu, but he couldn't recall where from. He memorized them to investigate later; for now, he would continue seeing what else he could extract from the nosy one.
"What other families are in Tokyo?" He asked.
"Hmm, currently there are about nine, counting the top three." Hyouma said, somewhat thoughtfully. "The Sagara, which is mine, has been here since the Taishou Era. There are others like the Sakagami, the Jinga, and the Kuruoka that are still active and seem to have resigned themselves to living under the yoke of the Reiroukan. Then there are those who have left a long time ago and apparently prospered like the Tokitou, those who have vanished and no one knows what happened to them like the Myourenji, and those who have left the mage life behind like the Fujimiya and Shisigou.
They're not really the closest-knit, but they know each other and don't usually like changes. There was tension when the administrator died about two years ago."
"Saitou Reiroukan. I was told he died in some kind of mage duel somewhere in Kyushu." Kiritsugu commented, raising an eyebrow. "Personally, I suspect that's why my employers are interested in settling here, with the loss of the head of the site and anticipating a possible power vacuum."
A loud laugh came from Hyouma in response.
"HA HA HA HA HA, good luck with that. Like I said, they don't like changes here. Old Saitou kicked the bucket, and believe me, I didn't shed a tear when I heard he bit the dust, but the influence of his family remains just as strong." The blonde shook his head. "Damn, my mother worked for a time as a maid at their main villa, and she told me that the daughter is worse than her father. My respect goes out to the poor souls who try to mess with her when she grows up.
The other two families remain with them and don't plan to let go for fear of being replaced, and the Association doesn't seem interested in revoking their title of administrators and representatives on the ground."
Kiritsugu sighed with a bit of humor. "I will make sure to communicate the good news to my employers. Now, I have a couple more questions that aren't quite related to them. In fact, they are somewhat personal."
"Ah? Sure, I'm in a good mood because of all the money. What are you looking for?" Hyouma asked, curiosity practically written all over his face.
Kiritsugu adopted a much more serious expression before continuing. "My profession requires certain implements that I would prefer to avoid acquiring directly from my employers or from places where I'm sure I will have to frequent often." Subtly, he placed his right hand on his waist, giving it a small pat.
Hyouma followed that gesture with his gaze, initially confused but quickly seemed to understand what the dark-haired man was referring to judging by how he nodded.
"Ah, I see." He commented while seemingly biting his lower lip thoughtfully. "Well, I don't know what specific items you're looking for, but I can confirm that the best black market in the world is right here, and everyone turns a blind eye to it." He informed with his peculiar chuckle. "I go three times a week to get materials, and I always find them without problems. From magical beast remains to old books, it's almost a treasure trove for any magus."
"Excellent." Kiritsugu commented before asking, "How can I get in?"
"Not so fast, Rambo." Hyouma stopped him. "For outsiders, there's a nice entrance fee that will cost you unless you come recommended. Plus, the place is a damn labyrinth that sometimes seems like a death trap even for regular clients."
"So what do you suggest?" Kiritsugu didn't even need to pretend to be annoyed; he could see a mile away what the young man was going to suggest.
"Come with me tomorrow, for a modest fee I not only will guide you through the place but you'll be able to roam freely without the goons at the entrance deciding to practice boxing with your bones." Hyouma grinned widely, exposing a row of yellowed teeth from tobacco. "What do you say, buddy?"
Makihisa was right. Not only was he a rat of the worst kind, he even looked like one now that he was paying attention.
In the back wall, there was a large television displaying a sumo wrestling competition.
And on the couch in front of the TV, with a cigar in one hand and a bottle of sake in the other, Raiga Fujimura shouted with excitement over the spectacle of two men pushing against each other. "Come on! He's weak on his left! Lower your weight on him!" Moments later, one of the giants lost his balance from a well-placed shove and fell out of the ring, prompting the elderly man to jump to his feet and cheer. "Yata! Now that's what I call fighting spirit!" he exclaimed before taking a long swig of his drink.
While some might have been taken aback seeing the local oyabun acting like a rowdy sports fan you'd find in any stadium (particularly among other Japanese), the sight was strangely familiar to Shirou. He was already accustomed to the sports fever and had long been exposed to the distinct tastes of Taiga's grandfather.
The passion he had for sumo tournaments was well-known. And while Shirou wasn't exactly a fan of the sport, he was slightly entertained watching the two wrestlers trying to take each other down.
His good humor was so evident that he didn't even complain when Taiga (who was sitting next to him) leaned against him and dozed off. Truth be told, sumo wasn't something that really captured his interest.
It seemed to run in the family, as his parents also didn't share the enthusiasm, which is why they had chosen to go to the movies instead of staying to watch the tournament on screen.
"Ha, they don't make them like they used to." Raiga's raspy voice distracted him, making him blink as he watched the old man shake his head. "Even I could probably knock one out with a punch."
Shirou glanced at Raiga's figure and then back at the rikishi posed on the screen, and he shrugged. In his mind, he automatically pictured a scene of Raiga throwing a punch, only to have it intercepted by the wrestler's massive belly, as if it were made of rubber.
"Ah, Shirou-kun. Wake Taiga when you want to move from there." Raiga finally spoke directly to him. "Tell her to pack her things because tomorrow we're taking a little trip to the country. Hunting season has just begun."
The redhead simply raised an eyebrow in response.
Well, at least that sounded better than more kendo lessons with Taiga.