"Father, you…" Genji hesitated, sighing inwardly. He had imagined someone might come to break the deadlock, but never in his wildest dreams did he think it would be his own father—turning a deadly life-or-death battle into a third-rate family soap opera with nonsensical lines that made no sense at all.
Damn, what now? My old man's style feels all wrong. Don't tell me he's actually some French clown? Genji thought helplessly.
He had once fantasized that his father would be a stern, resolute old man, bowed by the weight of years yet unbending in will. Reality, however, was Uesugi Yue, the kind of man who could casually spout dirty jokes like some comic relief actor.
"Sorry, my bad this time, just a slip-up! First encounter, no experience. Next time, I promise to let Chimei feel the true warmth of a father's love!" Uesugi Yue thumped his broad chest like a drum as he spoke. He sheathed his blade, then without hesitation slung the unconscious Kazama Ruri over his shoulder.
"Father, that…" Genji almost reminded him that Kazama Ruri wasn't his mild-mannered brother Chimei, but a dangerous oni. Yet recalling how his father had subdued him bare-handed, perhaps a warning wasn't necessary.
"Right, I heard you mention Erii just now, didn't I?" Uesugi Yue suddenly turned, the limp boy on his back swaying with the motion. At that name, a memory flashed in his mind—the silent red-haired girl always at Shirou's side.
"Yes. According to… Herzog's intel, Erii, Chimei, and I were all experimental subjects cultivated from your genes." Genji repeated Tachibana Masamune's words.
"Something like that, huh?"
Uesugi Yue chuckled inwardly. So when he saw Shirou with Erii, he had guessed correctly. At least he hadn't mistaken his daughter. Which meant—he already had both a son and a daughter. Dragon-phoenix twins, perfect fortune!
Wait… then that brat Shirou had been hitting on his daughter!?
"I'm not sure if this intel is accurate. If you want to acknowledge her, it's better I notify the family to arrange a paternity test first."
Genji reached for his phone. It wasn't difficult: a simple order would set the process in motion. His father's blood samples were long stored in a hospital; Erii's were even easier, since she was being kept under the highest security at Genji Heavy Industries—
"What? Erii's gone!?"
The report made Genji's face pale. His blade clattered to the ground. "You're saying—the room was empty, the door forced open… the patrol units all redeployed elsewhere at the time?"
A vein throbbed at his temple, his face darkening. True, sneaking out fit Erii's nature, but the coincidental troop withdrawal and the oni raid—such timing suggested an insider.
Normally, only the patriarch or the Shadow Emperor arranged Erii's watchers. He rarely intervened. That left Tachibana Masamune in charge.
A suspicion formed. "Where's the patriarch? I need to know what's going on with his 'resting' quarters."
"Apologies! The oni horde attacked this sector. We couldn't hold them. By the time we regained ground, the patriarch's room had been burned down. No complete body—just some charred remains."
"Can you run forensic tests?"
"Very difficult. With an intact charred body, yes. But here, there are signs of removal. These scraps may be just leftovers."
"Do what you can. If it's possible, proceed; if not, forget it."
He gave the formal order, but inside he was convinced—Herzog must have colluded with the oni. Using their attack as cover, he staged his own "death" and took Erii with him.
"Genji! Genji!" Uesugi Yue's booming voice snapped him back. "You asked me earlier—how's Erii? She's fine, right?"
Genji sighed. "She disappeared without our knowledge. Two possibilities: she slipped away on her own… or the oni took her."
"Nani!" Uesugi Yue's face twisted. "Genji, the oni's base is still Osaka, right?"
"Yes, why—" Genji stopped mid-sentence, watching as his father gripped his blade, ready to storm Osaka and chop his way through to Erii without hesitation.
Father, please. At least put the boy down first. Hand him over to the family before charging off!
"They dared touch my daughter! I'll cut them all to pieces!"
Fuming, Uesugi Yue turned to leave—only to nearly collide with Angra walking up.
"—!"
"Well, well. The former and current Shadow Emperor of the Yatsushiro clan. Having a cozy family tea party, I see?"
Angra's gaze swept over Uesugi Yue's drawn blade and the boy on his back. "Shame no one prepared tea for me."
"Angra, why are you here?"
"Not for much. The Servants' fight ended, so I came to check on my old friend."
"The fight ended?" Genji perked up. He remembered how the white-haired armored woman (Melusine) had turned the duel into a brutal three-way clash.
"Yes. Don't bother guessing. Your Servant and that oni Servant battered each other into exhaustion—not by each other, but by that flying little girl who thrashed them both." Angra shrugged.
Genji recalled: when he and Watanabe no Tsuna had found the combatants, the deranged oni Servant Ibaraki-dōji had attacked Tsuna on sight, forcing him into battle.
Uesugi Yue, uninterested, waved it off. His only concern was his daughter. "Enough, Angra, if you've nothing else, move aside! My dear daughter needs her great father's aid!"
"What does this Erii of yours look like?"
"My daughter? Beautiful and cute, of course! And with very rare red hair!"
"…I think I know where she is. Definitely not with the oni." Angra remembered seeing Shirou carrying Erii outside a hospital.
"Where!?" Father and son fixed him with desperate eyes.
"Tokyo University Hospital."
——
At some point, a drizzle had begun. Thunder rumbled beyond thick clouds, and the night wind whipped slanting rain across the hospital entrance, pooling into shallow puddles. Red heels splashed through, scattering neon reflections into ripples.
Su Enxi arrived in a Chanel suit, flanked by Joude Mai in tactical gear and Rei in pure white. Invisible Anastasia followed in spirit form.
They entered the emergency ward, asked for directions, and headed toward Shirou and Erii's room, wet footprints trailing behind.
"Shirou-dono, long time no see!"
Shirou looked up from where he had been speaking softly to Erii while texting Nono, who was still fleeing Genji Heavy Industries.
Behind Su Enxi, Joude Mai trudged in with bags of gifts, looking like a sore loser forced into porter duty. Rei entered last, balancing a silver tray with sake, milk, soft-boiled eggs, and tofu stew, placing it neatly on the bedside table with the grace of a noble maid.
Shirou caught the faint scent of shampoo. Their damp hair betrayed that they had just come from water.
"You went to a hot spring before this?"
"Actually, it was raining," Su Enxi laughed, flicking out a jeweled comb. "Doesn't have to be a hot spring, wet hair can come from rain too."
"Then what's with this hot spring food?"
Indeed, the tray held typical hot spring dishes—eggs half-boiled in sulfurous water, tofu simmered in hot spring broth. Light, easy to digest, perfect after a bath… or as a hospital gift.
"Brought from the Blackstone estate, remember? There's a hot spring in the back garden," Su Enxi winked.
"Hot… spring?" Erii's eyes lit up. "Is it fun, like bathing?" The girl who loved bath time with rubber ducks had found a new interest.
"Think of it as relaxation. But… takes longer than a bath." Shirou scratched his head. Honestly, he'd never tried one himself. To him, baths felt like a waste of time compared to a shower.
"Shirou… go to a hot spring with me!" Erii grabbed his arm, her face blushing pink. Su Enxi and Joude Mai's gossip radar flared instantly.
"Where did you pick up this young lady, Shirou? Don't tell me she's related to Nono?" Joude Mai smirked.
"Hey, don't make it sound shady. Shirou-dono acts only with righteousness. He didn't 'pick her up,' he rescued an innocent girl from an abusive family!" Su Enxi shot back.
"Rescue or not, it's still hero saving beauty."
Rei, unfazed, peeled the egg and slid the bowl toward Erii with professional care.
"Stop bickering," Shirou muttered, goosebumps rising. "This is Erii… a young lady, yes, but more than that, she's important. I want you, as allies with Servants, to help protect her during the Holy Grail War."
"She's important?" Su Enxi raised an eyebrow. To her, Erii seemed ordinary aside from her beauty.
Shirou nodded. "It concerns the matter of 'God.'"
His phone buzzed. Nono was almost at the hospital, saying they could discuss everything once she arrived. Shirou replied: our allies are here, let's sort it all together.
The trio were clearly curious, but Shirou said, "Wait. When she arrives, I'll explain."
At that very moment, a thunderous voice bellowed outside: "Daughter! Your father is here to see you!"
Another voice followed quickly, scolding: "Father, the doctors said no shouting at night in hospitals!"
"That damned doctor! Saying you and I don't look like her brother, but Shirou does? Outrageous!" Uesugi Yue's grumble rang out.
Su Enxi tilted her head. "Those are the people you're waiting for?"
Shirou's face froze. Absolutely not!
Erii leapt from bed, instinctively seeking escape, knowing if her brother caught her, her runaway adventure was over.
Too late.
The door burst open under brute force—locks meaningless against the former Shadow Emperor. Uesugi Yue stormed in, Genji at his heels. They froze upon seeing Shirou and Erii about to bolt.
The room fell silent.
Su Enxi and Joude Mai stifled laughter, shoulders shaking.
Rei calmly sliced the egg in half, yolk trembling, pouring sake with maid-like precision.
Shirou stood stiff, pinned by father and son's stares. His gut sank. With Nono arriving soon, plus this father-son pair and the trio already here, things were heading toward a full-blown "hall trial."
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]