"Damn!.. Why does all the worst shit always happen to me?!"
Shinji was having a terrible day today. Though it was hard to say when he had good days, today's stood out especially.
To start, he'd tripped on the school stairs several times and nearly bashed his head on those damn steps! As if the school itself wanted to get rid of him! The heir to an ancient mage family! And the fact that he himself was utterly useless in that regard completely escaped his mind.
Luckily, he had a sister. Her very existence was quite convenient. She handled all the housework and asked for nothing in return. Not even the slightest respect! The perfect servant! Her only downside was one minor detail...
She. Took. His. Place!
But that was fixable too. He'd show them what he was worth! His grandfather would be crushed under his foot like the old worm he was... Nothing would stand in his way to becoming a mage! Wasn't that why he'd reread every book in the family library over and over? He was the only one worthy!
He just had to wait! The Holy Grail War would be his triumph! He'd become a Mage! No, the Greatest Mage! And his "sister" would be his stepping stone. Maybe he'd even deign to make her his "toy." Much as he hated to admit it, Sakura was very beautiful even for her age, and he liked imagining she'd belong to him in the future.
Hmm~ It'd even be interesting to see how Emiya would react to that?
The only son of the Matou inwardly reveled, picturing Emiya's face twisted in emotion when he saw who Sakura really belonged to and realized he was powerless to do anything. That goody-two-shoes pushover would be utterly shattered!
After all, those were the rules of the world. An ordinary human could never compare to a mage!
For a moment, Shinji shuddered as the image of the "pit" with insects flashed in his head.
A pit full of worms. He'd peered through his father's fingers, who covered his eyes, but from the man's obvious trembling, the boy could clearly see the girl at the pit's bottom, where...
The teen quickly shook his head and shoved the images aside, continuing down the street and trying not to dwell on the memories.
Yes, it was truly a repulsive day...
Today, when Shinji got home from school, Grandfather "asked" him to leave... He didn't even give a reason! Just sent him packing and told him not to come back late!
He told Sakura to stay, by the way! Sister? Ha! That girl doesn't deserve such treatment! All this family's inheritance should belong to me! She's just a servant, an unwanted girl we took in because the Tohsakas had no use for that nothing.
Damn! And yet they still prefer her over me!..
Thus continued Shinji's black streak. To kill time, he even tried contacting some girls. Luckily, he was the idol of many schoolgirls and never lacked female attention. But all of them, as luck would have it, were busy today! And since Shinji had no other acquaintances he could call friends, he had to go have fun at the last place where he could unwind on such a dragged-out day.
The arcade.
That was probably the only part of the day the teen could call somewhat successful. Shinji even broke several arcade high scores.
I wouldn't say I was happy about it, but a win's a win! Ha-ha...
Yeah... Even in my thoughts, it sounded pathetic...
Anyway, in the end, Shinji followed Grandfather's order, burning through a good chunk of his savings in the process, then headed home in the dark. Everything was fine. At least until he entered the house. Then the guy felt no discrepancies. The same gloomy house. The same cold, repelling atmosphere. Nothing special.
That's what Shinji thought until his gaze caught the door to the "Pit" under the manor flung wide open.
That one fact was strange enough, as the old man would never leave the door open. At least, he never had before. He was a meticulous person, and such an oversight was simply odd for him. Almost impossible, as this was barely the first time Shinji had seen that door open without reason.
But the strangest thing was that from there, from the "Pit," there was no insect scuttling at all. None.
Realizing this, the guy forgot his fear of the "Pit" for a moment in surprise and headed to the door.
Shinji carefully peered through the door, trying to hear something. Silence was still his only answer, so he took an uncertain step onto the stairs, intending a quick glance at the "Pit"'s bottom.
Now the unfamiliar silence was joined by oppressive emptiness, as Shinji's eyes beheld a completely empty dungeon.
No insects. No grandfather. No Sakura. Nothing. Just an empty dungeon, as Shinji remembered it, only without any presence.
"..." The guy held his breath, unable to grasp what he felt about it.
Relief that he didn't have to witness Grandfather's "magic," or nervousness for the same reason.
Gulping loudly, Shinji decided to check if everything was "normal" in the "Pit"—as much as that word applied to a dungeon full of man-eating worms—and cautiously descended the spiral stairs.
Reaching the lower steps, Shinji found nothing. No matter how his gaze roamed the surroundings, he couldn't find anything truly strange beyond the repeatedly noted absence of insect traces. As if someone had conducted a massive extermination and cleaned up all traces of their presence, leaving only a crystal-clean room without signs of its former "residents." And this someone had even gotten rid of the stench smell that would long since have induced vomiting in its "explorer."
It was hard for Shinji to compare the current "Pit" to how he remembered it, as this was the first time he'd seen the place without any insects.
"What a disgrace... And I did warn him." A low male voice suddenly sounded behind Shinji, making him jump and whirl toward the source.
"A-ah! W-who are you?! A stranger? Here?! H-how?!.."
"Oh... Forgive me for entering without knocking." It came confidently in the quiet dungeon, drawing all attention. "My name is Dormo. I wasn't sure you'd open, so I used another entrance."
A gray-haired man in a black suit, white shirt, and gray scarf descended the stairs slowly. His expression was more mocking than serious, and his relaxed gait and the tapping of his black cane with a gold handle on the dungeon steps mocked his sole interlocutor.
"Before you ask the obvious: 'What are you doing here?', I'll answer ahead. Besides such a simple but important reason as plain boredom, I came to confirm the death of this house's old head." The uninvited guest said nonchalantly, as if reporting the weather rather than a man's death.
Naturally, this news crashed like a tidal wave in Shinji's skull, making him briefly forget the stranger's existence.
"What?! Grandfather died?! H-how?! He died?.. Impossible for the old man to die!.. Th-this is simply impossible!.."
Though Shinji didn't know for sure, the old man was definitely over two hundred, if not much more. He was an experienced mage who'd participated in several Holy Grail Wars, and for such a person to die suddenly like this?! The news simply couldn't settle in the teen's mind, who feared his "grandfather" to his bones—though he wouldn't admit even that in his thoughts.
"Very simply. He was killed!" The gray-haired man replied curtly, twirling his cane and drawing the teen's attention again. "Shame I didn't witness his end personally. Despite my warning, your grandfather didn't bother preparing for the 'meeting,' and now he's feeding the worms like his own victims~ Ha-ha..." Dormo looked pleased with his "joke" and, stopping, tilted his face to the ceiling. As if memories had washed over him.
"S-so Grandfather is really dead?.."
At least that's how it was before, because if the stranger's words were true—and the fact no armada of predatory insects hindered him—Zoken couldn't trouble anyone anymore.
I can't believe it! All my life, my father's life, Grandfather was immortal. And now? He's dead, and I... I... Haven't I lost my only chance to become a mage without him? But what about Sakura?! She was supposed to be here!..
I sank so deep into my thoughts that when I voiced my question, I found the "guest" right in my face.
"Shut up! Don't say anything! You can't do anything anyway. So you don't need to know."
"B-but why?! Who are you! Where's Sakura?! Who wanted Grandfather dead?! "
"Why? Dormo. Don't know. Even Sakura herself." The stranger answered curtly until he suddenly roared: "Kid! Stop asking so many questions at once! Or I won't be able to explain properly!" Dormo's face showed enraged fury for a moment, but seconds later he donned the mocking "mask" again, as if awaiting more questions.
"I-I... Who killed Grandfather? "
Why am I even asking? I don't give a damn about the old man, even if he was my only shot at becoming a mage if I win the coming war. Well, at least I don't have to fear ending up at the Pit's bottom anymore. And the Holy Grail War?.. What hopes do I have of winning now, when I have no power?.. And Sakura? This guy says he doesn't know where she is. And what do I care? She can do whatever with her life. She can even live with Emiya forever and never show up again! That'd be even better!
"Kid, quite tall for his age. Red hair, pale yellow, closer to gold, eyes..." Dormo began listing the culprit's features, answering the earlier question. "I can even add that he chopped your grandfather into three-digit number of pieces."
Shinji swallowed, hearing the very specific description of the old man's killer, and facing Dormo's expectant expression, asked the next question:
"Uh-and who are you?.."
"Dormo, damn you!" The man bellowed loudly, his blue eyes flashing angrily. "Brat! Ask me the same question one more time, and I'll be your personal undertaker!"
"S-sorry!"
"He's insane!
"No problem!" Suddenly, as if no outburst had happened, the stranger replied, grinning and waving a hand. "Everyone makes mistakes, young man. Hope I didn't scare you too much?.. Ah, whatever. Time to tell you the real reason I'm here."
Theatrically pausing, the man calling himself Dormo spun sharply toward the teen and, grinning widely, continued:
"...It's you!" His words rang terribly in Shinji's skull. He could only clutch his head to dull the sound until it finally stopped hurting, and Shinji could look up at the gray-haired man again—whose gaze at that moment seemed to pierce the teen's very being.
"Don't ask and don't say anything! I know what you want! I know everything!.."
Suddenly Dormo began speaking in an excited tone. "I'm not sure if you're worth my efforts, but wouldn't it be more interesting to find out for yourself? What do you think?"
Dormo looked at Shinji like a proud father at his son, but that smile sent an icy chill down the teenager's spine, as if he were trapped in cold vise grips with no way to escape. And before the last blood heir of the Matou could say anything, figures of people emanated from the "guest." One, two, three... Their number grew with every second...
"I hope you'll live up to my expectations, but most importantly—your own..." A chorus of voices rang out from all sides.
With a silent scream of horror, Shinzdi tried to stand up and run as far away as possible from the mad magus, but for some reason his body completely refused to obey commands, and soon darkness clouded the teenager's eyes.
And the last thing Shinji saw was the smirk and the bright, lively gaze of the stranger's blue eyes...
...In the Emiya Residence. From Shirou's perspective.
I did it. That was the only thought that wouldn't stop spinning in my head, and only the peaceful silence of the living room accompanied this evening, creating a false impression of normalcy. As if it was just another day like any other.
"Haaah..." Another deep sigh of relief escaped my chest.
I did it.
Zoken is dead, and Sakura received the necessary help. Russell successfully performed the operation and extracted every last worm from her body. According to the Mentor, he had some issues with it, since even with his extensive experience in such matters, it took him about three hours for the surgery due to the constantly resisting magical worms. The Teacher had to work extremely carefully and at the same time flawlessly fast. So as to minimize the damage to Sakura and not let the worms make things worse for her. Fortunately, the projected Avalon works miracles, healing wounds as soon as they appear. All it takes is to plunge the sheath into her body on a conceptual level, just like it works with me.
It's a shame it still won't save the projection from further degradation, but the artifact will fulfill its purpose. And that's all that's needed for now.
"Haaah... I'm more tired than I thought." My voice echoed into the empty house as I looked at my slightly trembling hands.
So much could have gone wrong. Any overlooked trifle, any oversight, even a ridiculous accident, and Sakura could have died. So when it was finally over, I distinctly felt an incredibly heavy burden lift from my shoulders.
Now I couldn't help but think that Russell knew more about Sakura's situation than he told me. Maybe he deliberately withheld some "details," like the constant torment of her body and mind. When that thought surfaced, I clearly felt anger rising inside me. But since Russell was busy with the operation at the time, not a single word escaped my throat, because I wouldn't dare interfere with him even under threat of death.
And now, having cooled down and thought about it, the Mentor was completely right in his decision to shield me from the truth, only telling me that Sakura was in "pain," carefully diverting me from thoughts of a more thorough examination of her condition, taking that responsibility on himself. I don't think I could have endured it if I'd known everything that was happening to Sakura. I just wouldn't have been able to. And that, in turn, could have put her in danger.
But that's all in the past. The main thing now is that Sakura is saved and in my home. I can only make her awakening as pleasant as possible.
After all, she deserves it.
And yet there was still one question bothering me. Where was Shinji? It was strange that he wasn't home at such a late hour. My plan was to secure him while I... Ah, well, never mind, it doesn't matter. Wherever the eldest son of the Matou was wandering, he was hardly in greater danger than at home, where he could have gotten caught in the crossfire. As it was, he didn't witness his grandfather's murder and thus couldn't get hurt himself.
Knowing Sakura, she wouldn't wish harm on Shinji regardless of whether he knew about the horrors happening to her or not. After all, her older brother was completely powerless to do anything in any case due to his lack of magical circuits.
Hmm... If you think about it, maybe that's why he's usually so rude? Deprived of the position and power that should have been his by right from birth... A perfectly viable plot, considering Shinji's nasty personality.
Besides, having a "grandfather" like that, becoming a normal person would be a real achievement.
Lost in thought, I didn't even notice how I prepared myself a late dinner. The "cleanup" at the Matou residence took me several hours on my own. Then I had to literally become bait for the maddened and uncontrollable insects as the only source of prana and life force, turning into a bright beacon attracting them from everywhere. There were serious concerns that if I didn't do it, the hungry insects could spread throughout the district. And if that happened... It could have been a real catastrophe. After all, Zoken's familiars were very different from house spiders, and in large numbers they could easily deal with an ordinary person. Fortunately, Russell was able to study Zoken's familiars in advance so we could anticipate the possible consequences of his murder. And a simple bounded field erected using familiars right after the family head's death only simplified the process, not allowing anything "strange" to leave the Matou territory until the general "Purge" was complete.
I had to get creative to leave no trace of my presence, but I was prepared, and in the Matou dungeon there wasn't the slightest trace of insects or even a scorch mark on the wall from raging flaming blades.
Having finished analyzing what happened, I finally started eating. A simple dish—fried rice on a skillet, where I'd cooked chicken a bit earlier, so it should have taken on a similar flavor. I had no desire for anything more, but this was enough.
I even calmed down a bit... The kitchen really works wonders on my nerves.
After finishing eating and washing the dishes, I headed to my room. I needed to sleep. Even Russell said I shouldn't dive into the Reality Marble today and should let my body and mind rest.
Not a bad idea... Hm, if you think about it, when was the last time I even slept properly?
On the way, I peeked into the room with the sleeping Sakura, where I saw her covered up to her neck with a blanket, and also Mark, who had settled at the foot of the bed. He opened one of his blue eyes to me, as if letting me know that everything would be fine with her, and I calmly continued on my way to sleep.
Despite the day being extremely tense, my mood was incredibly good. I felt lightness and pleasant fatigue, making my desire to sleep grow stronger with each step.
So my last thought before closing my eyes was an obvious one that capped off the day perfectly.
I did it. I saved Her.
And that was all I needed for a good night's sleep...
The next morning. From Sakura's perspective.
"Haaah..." Opening my eyes, I stretched as much as I could, feeling an unusual lightness. A strange sensation mixed with pleasant weakness spread throughout my body as I woke up in my... Bed?..
Why am I sleeping on a futon?.. And isn't this one of the rooms in...
"Ah! Senpai! Grandfather!"
Memories flooded in suddenly, instantly awakening my sleepy mind. Horror gripped my heart, and I immediately tried to get up, but unexpectedly was stopped...
"W-woof..." ...by the stern gaze of a large gray "dog" I'd known for a long time.
"M-Mark-san?.." Hearing my voice, the house guardian and "Grey Warden" calmly rose from his lying position and, giving me a brief glance, headed to the room's exit at an unhurried pace.
At that moment, I could only watch him in surprise, trying to comprehend my situation.
"What happened yesterday?.. I remember losing consciousness. And also how Senpai hugged me, but what happened after?.."
"Sakura! You're awake, did you sleep well?" Suddenly, distracting me from the embarrassing thoughts, Senpai's voice came as he opened the sliding paper doors (Shoji, if I'm not mistaken.—Author's note), holding a tray in his left hand from which light steam rose.
"S-Senpai? You... W-why am I here?.."
A lot of questions arose in my head. My just-awakened mind was confused by what was happening, because...
"I brought you here after..." Senpai sat down next to me and placed the breakfast tray on a small table he'd pulled from the corner of the room, then continued: "After I finished with Zoken."
What? Finished with Zoken?..
"First of all, Sakura, how are you?" Shirou asked, quickly scanning me with an attentive gaze. "Do you feel normal? Any discomfort or, say, pain?"
"N-no, Senpai. I feel great..." I answered automatically, meaning every word.
I even clenched and unclenched my hands several times, feeling an unprecedented lightness that the morning weakness couldn't disrupt.
"Good. That's wonderful." Senpai smiled in relief, meeting my gaze. "Sorry. Though I was sure you were fine, I wanted to make sure."
Fine? Was I injured?..
"Senpai..." I decided to ask my first question again. "Why are we at your house? A-and where?.."
"Zoken is dead." The red-haired teenager suddenly said. "Last night was his last, and neither he nor any of his worms will ever bother anyone again."
...What?
"A-ah?.." That was all that escaped my throat as Senpai said some impossible words. I froze motionless. It even seemed like I no longer needed to breathe, but soon it returned along with Shirou's subsequent words.
"In short, I managed to kill Zoken. Also, we, or rather my Mentor, managed to get rid of... the familiars that Zoken left in your body, so there's really no trace of him left... Sakura? Are you okay?.." His voice was halting, as if he wasn't sure what to say but was trying to explain everything at once. And his golden eyes looked like Senpai was ready to offer all the support he could give.
"Grandfather... is dead?" What is he saying... Grandfather is dead? My body... without worms?..
"Yes... Sorry for dumping it on you so suddenly, but you know I've never been particularly eloquent..." Shirou awkwardly scratched his temple and, smiling, continued: "If you want, I can tell you everything later, but for now you should eat to recover. The operation must have taken a lot out of you."
With that, he gestured toward the food tray with his eyes and got up to head to the room's exit. But as soon as he crossed the threshold, Senpai stopped to look at me and say:
"You're home, Sakura." Then he left, leaving me alone with myself.
...
The girl wasn't sure how long she sat in one place. Time simply ticked along with the wall clock's hands, but Sakura still didn't move, staring into the space ahead with her amethyst eyes.
The girl didn't know what to think. Sakura seemed to have forgotten how, clenching and unclenching her palms over and over, as if trying to grasp reality. As if afraid it would slip through her fingers.
But at some point her gaze changed. Sakura's eyes widened, filling with indescribable emotions as a certain thought was finally allowed to spread through her mind.
I...
Am I...
"Free?.." The girl whispered quietly and uncertainly as her eyes filled with tears...
For the next few minutes, quiet sobs echoed in that room from the girl whose shoulders had finally shed the terrible burden of an imposed fate.
And that day, the girl named Sakura Matou dared to think about her future for the first time in a long while. And though they were still small and uncertain thoughts for now, their value in her eyes was greater than any jewels in the world...
At breakfast that same day...
Breakfast was underway. The three sat at the table as usual while steam rose from the freshly served food along with a scent that awakened everyone's appetites. The atmosphere in the house was perfectly suited for leisurely time with loved ones, but today something was a bit off from the "norm," which didn't escape the keen eye of one eternally hungry "tiger"...
"Shirou-oh! Am I imagining it, or are you two unusually close today? Hmm? What happened between you two?" Fuji-nee said, looking at the pair of teenagers who were even closer than usual this morning, constantly bumping elbows.
"You're just imagining it." Shirou calmly replied before giving the woman a questioning look. "The only strange thing here is that you're still around. As far as I remember, classes weren't canceled. Shouldn't you be preparing for lessons?"
"Every teacher has to prepare for lessons, but today I have a free morning and can afford to relax a bit.~" The woman sang cheerfully before meeting the red-haired teenager's gaze. "And don't dodge. Sakura's in an especially good mood today, and as your guardian, I need to know what you two were up to alone~..."
Fuji-nee's hint couldn't have been more obvious. Her sly smile and sharp gaze darted between the pair of teenagers in an attempt to catch any reaction.
However, it was hard to blame Fuji-nee for being curious. Sakura really was glowing since morning and eating breakfast with even greater pleasure than usual, as if the food had acquired completely new flavors. It seemed her smile wasn't going anywhere for a long time, which put Shirou's mood at a very high level too.
"Fuji-nee... We didn't do anything like what you might have imagined in your head. God, how did you even become a teacher with thoughts like that? Aren't you supposed to be a model of discipline?" Shirou said, rolling his eyes.
The truth was that she became a teacher at Homurahara school mostly thanks to her grandfather Raiga's influence. However, you couldn't accuse the woman of lacking motivation either. She put in considerable effort to become a good teacher and now has an excellent reputation among both students and teachers. She even runs the Kendo club and significantly improved its members' results.
"Hey! I worked hard and earned my position fair and square!" Fuji-nee flared up at my previous words. "And stop being so rude, Shirou, or I'll have to teach you a lesson..."
"Teach me a lesson?" I raised an eyebrow and calmly met the woman's challenging gaze from across the table. "You know, I'm not that little kid anymore you can beat with your damned sword..."
"Oh yeah? Then maybe let me see your skills personally?! Or are you afraid of getting beaten? Hmm?!"
"Fujimura-san, please don't provoke Senpai during meals. Besides, you really do have work waiting. It would be bad if you were late." Sakura intervened, breaking one tiger's battle mood.
"You're right, Sakura..." Fuji-nee sighed, throwing Shirou one last "vicious" glance. "Still, you're in an unusually good mood today. Something happen at home?"
"N-no! Nothing like that! It's just a really good day today." Sakura blushed and sneaked a glance at Shirou, flashing a bright smile.
When Sakura got out of bed and came to the living room, Shirou greeted her and told her everything that happened in detail. About how Zoken was killed and how Russell freed her from the worms. He also revealed the existence of Avalon, where the operation was performed on her by the aforementioned Russell's hands. He even didn't refuse to talk to the girl personally to confirm all the words about ridding her of Zoken.
She listened to everything she was told, and in a surge of the best feelings, threw herself at Shirou in an embrace, sobbing with tears of happiness. Then Shirou had no choice but to let the girl vent her emotions while his hand gently stroked her head.
"Really?.. Then why are you all blushing?.. Come on! Spill~..."
"Fuji-nee/Fujimura-san..." Both teenagers exclaimed simultaneously, only arousing even more suspicion in her along with a foxy smirk...
That's how that early morning passed... And despite all the teasing from one tiger, it was a truly good start to the day.
And it just so happened that both teenagers secretly wished every subsequent day would start the same way.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan