When we returned to the Emiya Residence, I was forced to realise that his living room was most definitely not suited to hosting so many people before the doors ever even opened.
Nobunaga was outside, sizing up the King of Knights standing a ways beside her with the tip of her sword buried in the dirt, both hands on the hilt. She had a telling glint in her eyes. Evidently, someone was about to have their day ruined.
Inside, Sakura and Medusa sat together, calm and collected. On the other end, Rin and Caren were exchanging words in the former's native tongue. Judging by how Rin had her fists clenched, Caren was most definitely not being a polite guest. The Tohsaka looked like she wanted to rip her own hair out.
There was also another, not-so-familiar woman sitting all by herself in front of the TV. Cans of beer from brands I didn't recognise were littered around her, some empty, some unopened and others half-full. I distinctly remembered that mop of short brown hair from the time I went to pick Rin up from school.
Although... hm, she'd been blushing up a storm then.
Actually, why was a teacher from their school even here?
And, wasn't Rin looking a little too peaceful? This was the perfect opportunity to catch her off-guard-... I decided to shut up and sit down for once in my life.
This entire city was going to be my stage soon. I owed it some peace and quiet.
Sucking in a deep breath, I plopped down right there, back against the door. Then, I just closed my eyes. Since they were in a language still unknown to me, the conversations around made for little more than background noise. Oh well, that was just the way I liked it when relaxing.
Not that I could... actually relax when the confrontation with Gilgamesh was so close. No, I was jittery all over with anticipation. My opponent was mankind's oldest hero, propelled to great height by the beliefs of all that came after. He was, the strongest heroic spirit and came with all the cruelty and whimsy of one so powerful.
I opened my eyes to the bustling living room.
If I lost, then he would no doubt unleash the same cruelty he had previously visited upon Illyasviel and Berserker, and make me watch just for the amusement I gave him. He would birth whatever Evil resided within the Greater Grail just to be entertained by the potential chaos of it at all.
That was to say, there was no reason for me to not convince myself that there was greater, altruistic reason for going against him alone. Something like not wanting to risk anyone being hurt in a fight against him, or wanting to stop him from ruining this warm sight before me.
Yes, undeniably, that would be the easiest thing in the world.
A strong wind roared outside, and I felt the paper-thin walls of Shirou's home tremble against my back. Then, a gunshot, and an explosion that made Shirou rush outside to investigate.
"But I can't lie to myself like that." I rested the back of my head against the wall, staring at the ceiling.
I wanted to fight him. That was it. For me, that was all the justification in the world. I wanted to punch his teeth in. I wanted him to punch me right back. He was the strongest, so I wished to face him.
In the end, my greatest motivation was my own whimsy and selfishness. Consequences be damned.
I was the strongest, so I had to overcome him, and everyone needed to see me overcome him, not because that would accomplish something, or because I would gain some great reward from it. No, it'd feel good to do that.
That was all.
Suddenly, I felt someone sit beside me, at a respectable enough distance that I knew immediately that the person was neither Caren nor Nobu. When I turned my head, I found myself pleasantly surprised.
"Sakura?"
"I don't-" She started slowly, careful about every word that left her lips, "-I don't think I've ever seen so many people here."
I smiled, "Lively, isn't it? You need to have your calm broken from time to time or you start clamming up."
Of course, there was nothing wrong with being content when by your lonesome. I had held the same notion for a long while. It was just that... I had come to prefer the company now.
"Yes, lively." She repeated softly, tucking a stray bang of purple behind her ear, "It used to be just senpai and me. Oh and, Miss Fujimura comes for breakfast sometimes."
I assumed Fujimura was the drunk woman Shirou was trying to pry off himself near the refrigerator.
"Just senpai and you, eh~?" I drawled, pursing my lips.
She caught the meaning immediately and blushed furiously, hands pressed together as she lowered her head.
"Oh~?" I clasped my hands together, "I'm right. Wow."
My surprise went down the drain when I recalled how Shirou was willing to throw hands with me despite seeing me utterly demolish Saber just to protect Sakura's feelings. He deserved some after that.
Sakura quieted down for a long moment, then, resolving herself, the demure girl raised her gaze to meet mine once again. Her lips parted, but no words left them for a longer moment still.
Then,
"...Thank you... for helping."
That felt good.
"Anytime." I waved a hand, "And there'll be a lot of times once we're in London, or maybe not. My Professor might not seem all that reliable, but there's no one I trust more, besides maybe Luvia."
"You don't have to-"
"Shirou asked. He asked me the day we met." I cut her off with a sigh, "I don't have reason to say no anymore. Well, don't worry too much~ I'll watch over you guys."
That was what I had decided when I faced Archer.
"You might not believe it yet, but those old geezers at the Clock Tower won't risk me showing up on their doorstep."
...Especially after tomorrow.
Chuckling to myself, I took my aviators in my hands, freeing my eyes from their constraint. The pain was not-so-immediate anymore, but I recognised now the risk of relying on my healing too much.
When I looked up, almost everyone had started staring.
I couldn't blame them. They had the same effect on me too.
"Henry, I know that look." Rin stared at me with a deadpan.
"It's the look of a drug addict a step away from his fix." Caren added, "May the Lord bless you with the patience to overcome this mental flaw."
"Don't-" Rin shook her head, cutting herself off, "No, I know that's useless. Let the servants help you. I doubt they'd mind, and I'm sure it still won't be any easier to defeat him."
Medusa acknowledged those words with a small nod.
"Huh?" I gawked.
"I said-"
"No, I heard you. That's why I said 'Huh?'. Do you think I'm some fraud that needs daddy and mommy to help him adapt for a win?"
She made a strange face. "Wha?"
"Nah, I don't need any help. I'm the strongest."
Everyone stared at me like I was lying. Well, hm, they could think whatever they wanted. They'd see soon enough. Huffing, I rose to my feet.
"You, Archer, convince your Master. You see why his plan is stupid, right?"
Rin called on Nobunaga, the Demon King who had just slid aside the door to step inside with a bruised cheek. She stared at me, then back at Rin.
"I am his partner, as such, I can not deny that the danger in fighting against one so divine is immense. There is a decent chance he will lose, and suffer for it. The Gods are terribly vain and terribly cruel." Nobunaga closed one eye, crossing her arms as I stepped near her.
Rin's eyes shimmered with hope. A shame, she didn't know Nobunaga as well as I did.
"Yet, I would expect nothing less from one I have accepted as my companion for a long while to come." She raised an open hand, keeping the other crossed. "And indeed, for me to ask him to stop, is a betrayal so grave I shan't even think of it."
"Didn't doubt you for a second."
I high-fived her with a cackle, stepping past.
"Of course not, you think of me as I do you, master. But, I suppose, if you do lose, I will clean up the mess, as I've done before."
"Of course," I nodded, "I know you have my back."
Outside, I met Shirou and Saber. For some reason totally and wholly unknown to me, King Arthur's long skirt was marked by burns from the end up. No, I definitely did not know that Nobunaga had set fire to it when she was busy staring at the sunset, looking all cool and awesome, and that that was why I had heard an explosion earlier.
"So, you'll face him, my countryman." Saber inquired plainly.
I snorted. "What do you think?"
"One must go into battle with countermeasures, what if he does something that leaves you at a loss? Do not be so blinded by hubris that you do not see any outcome other than victory."
At that, I couldn't help but laugh.
"I know there's a distinct possibility I'll lose. He has almost every Noble Phantasm there is, and more experience than I could get even if I fought my whole life. I'll still fight him though."
"So you know you would inevitably lose to the King of Heroes. That accomplishes nothing for you, or those you fight for. Like this, you're merely a fool lusting after battle."
The dying tree beside us rustled with the wind, and a crumbling leaf flew to rest upon my shoulder.
Shirou stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face. He clenched his fists, and shifted, like he wanted to say something but could not decide what. At the same time, his eyes glimmered in both admiration and envy. He... understood my selfishness.
"You'll go, even if you have to risk losing everything you love? Knowing that you'd likely lose?"
My hand trembled. I clenched it shut into a fist. Excitement, it had to be.
"Nah," I shook my head, and grinned the biggest grin, "I'd win."
-
And so, it begins. Please comment.
You can find six chapters ahead at patre0n.com/Bleap
There'd be more, but these added, we're like 3 chapters from the end so... yeah.