Ding-dong—!
Ding-dong—!
Matou Sakura arrived at the Emiya residence as usual, gently pressing the doorbell.
But she clearly had no intention of waiting for anyone to open it. Instead, she smoothly pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
She'd repeated this exact routine daily for the past two months.
But ever since that day two months ago, the gentle smile had vanished from Sakura's lips.
Without any warning—no explosions, no accidents—Emiya Shirou had simply disappeared.
Every morning since, she acted as though Emiya was still there, coming by to accompany him to school. And every evening, she visited again, setting out an extra portion of dinner across from her own.
Even though the seat opposite was empty air, Sakura dutifully placed a bowl of rice there.
It was an unsettling sight, and her mental state appeared to be slowly deteriorating.
Neither Fuji-nee nor the police had any clues about Emiya's disappearance. Even Matou Zouken, who'd always closely monitored Shirou, had no answers. After all, it had been Zouken who initially tasked Sakura with observing Shirou—though Sakura's admiration for him had long been genuine.
When Shirou vanished without a trace, Zouken himself had been baffled. Immediately upon hearing the news, he dispatched familiars across every corner of Fuyuki City. They discovered nothing beyond the faint trace of Shirou's presence in a secluded alley.
A full month passed without a single lead, and eventually, Zouken gave up the search.
But today was destined to be different.
Sakura quietly removed her shoes at the entrance, carefully arranging them before stepping inside. She moved into the kitchen, slipping the apron neatly hanging by the door around herself, preparing to cook breakfast.
"Good morning, Senpai."
As she carefully chopped vegetables, she softly addressed the empty table, her tone gentle and affectionate.
"Good morning, Sakura."
The door creaked open behind her, and Emiya entered, yawning deeply and rubbing his stiff neck.
"Senpai, did you stay up late again?"
Sakura glanced up, speaking naturally as she saw Shirou, who wore an exhausted expression.
"Ah, yeah. Thankfully, I managed to get up this morning, though. Sorry for making you do all this every day. Let me handle breakfast today."
After all, Shirou now had plenty of new skills to practice, many of which he still wasn't proficient with. He'd lost track of time training intensely in the familiar warehouse. Thanks to the breathing techniques he'd acquired, however, he still felt surprisingly refreshed despite staying awake so late.
"Wait—!"
It wasn't until Shirou gently took the knife from her hand that Sakura finally realized Emiya Shirou had returned.
This was no mere hallucination. The sensation of his touch was unmistakably real—he was truly alive, standing right in front of her.
In truth, Shirou himself had been shocked to discover upon his return that two whole months had passed. He'd spent all night training, yes, but also desperately wracking his brain over how he would explain his two-month disappearance to Sakura, Fuji-nee, and the school.
If I tell them I traveled back to the Taishō era, would anyone actually believe that?
Even Shirou himself struggled to believe such a claim, let alone anyone else. They'd likely think he'd gone insane from being away so long.
It was like losing your wallet one day, then finding it two months later under your couch. A normal person wouldn't assume it had taken an extended vacation to another world.
Since he couldn't demonstrate his magecraft in front of ordinary people, he was left without a credible explanation. And even if he mentioned his bizarre encounter with that mysterious glowing orb, who would possibly believe him?
Ultimately, Shirou decided to put off the problem for now and just take each day as it came.
Whatever happens, happens.
"Senpai!"
Sakura threw herself into Shirou's arms, hugging him desperately as heavy tears quickly soaked through his shirt.
He could clearly sense just how deeply hurt Sakura had been during his absence.
And then—
Shirou's eyes fell on the bandages wrapped around Sakura's hands and the visible wounds on her face, and rage instantly flared within him.
In Shirou's absence, Shinji's abuse toward Sakura had intensified. Without Shirou around, no one at school had dared to stop him.
Despite arriving each day bruised and battered, Sakura had faithfully continued to come to the Emiya residence, drawing comfort from being there.
Her grip tightened around Shirou even more. Had Shirou's body not grown significantly stronger, she might have crushed the breath from him entirely.
"Sakura, are you feeling better now?"
Shirou gently stroked her violet hair, his voice soft and reassuring.
"Mhm!"
Suddenly realizing how intimate their embrace was, Sakura flushed crimson. She hastily released Shirou, backing away nervously, hands clasped awkwardly behind her.
"I-I'm sorry, Senpai! It's just been so long since I last saw you, I lost control for a moment!"
She hurriedly apologized upon seeing Shirou's thoroughly tear-soaked shirt.
"No, really—it's fine," Shirou reassured her gently, waving it off. But then he pointed directly at the bandages around Sakura's arms.
"These injuries…what happened?"
Although Shirou already strongly suspected the culprit, he knew better than to jump to conclusions. If it turned out someone else was responsible, it would be unfair to blame Shinji prematurely.
"Oh, this… I fell down, it's nothing. It has nothing to do with Nii-san."
Sakura's gaze drifted away as she tried to deflect the question.
Her reaction confirmed Shirou's suspicions—it was definitely Shinji's doing.
He resolved then to find time to pay a visit to the Matou household. Yet, he knew he had little time left.
That mysterious glowing orb had warned him the pitch-black door would reappear soon, though it was still over a week away—enough time, Shirou thought, to rest and recover.
However, upon returning home, Shirou had discovered something alarming:
That door was due to appear not in a week, but the day after tomorrow. Having spent most of yesterday recovering, he now had only today left.
Apparently, the treatment in that dark space had consumed more time than he realized, leaving him with barely any time in Fuyuki City.
His previous recoveries had always been surprisingly quick—mere moments after battle. This time had taken four or five days.
He was certain that damn glowing orb was responsible for this unexpected delay.
Teeth grinding in frustration, Shirou silently cursed the orb for playing him like this.
Since he had so little time remaining in Fuyuki, Shirou knew he must act quickly. He needed to put his own affairs in order, ensure Sakura's safety, and confront Shinji before his imminent departure. Otherwise, once he vanished again, Sakura might face even harsher abuse—something Shirou absolutely refused to allow.