Chapter 9: Chapter 9: To Save Someone
Beta read by Opal
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-Midchilda-
"So you'll be monitoring the auction directly? Are you certain anyone is brave enough to actually do so?" Walking through the corridors, Shirou commented on the overall plan.
"It is better this way. Also, are you going to be patrolling with Subaru-chan and Teana-chan?" Nanoha asked, walking in her pink-themed dress while garnering some attention from passing people.
"I believe so, Hayate hasn't given me any specific orders. I've only been told to walk around and make sure to help anyone in case of an emergency." Not a bad order gave him a lot of room to move around and was generally vague. Whether it was on purpose or Hayate had something in mind he couldn't tell. "By the way, Nanoha, have you gotten any word on the possible whereabouts of Lutecia?"
He asked one question that kept bugging him all the while, one that had Nanoha shake her head with a disappointed smile. "Unfortunately no, it's the same as before, any and all records show no traces of these two, and weirdly enough, we couldn't even find any footage of them walking around town or even during the time you were with her. All of the footage disappeared."
"Wait, disappeared? I hope you realize what this sounds like…"
"Trust me, all of us were rather shocked about this discovery. The idea that we have a traitor amongst our ranks is worrisome, and with how many that are working in our department it makes it kinda impossible to single one out as those immediately responsible for managing the archives were found to be innocent. But don't worry, Shirou, this is only a minor setback and with enough time we will find some clues about their whereabouts."
He sighed, "I sure hope so."
Both became silent, having reached the main door leading to the hall. Walking inside they were greeted by the sight of another person waiting for them.
"Where were you two?" Standing on a balcony within a grand amphitheater, Fate turned her head to find Shirou and Nanoha returning from her room, most likely. The brunette was wearing a beautiful dress that complemented her figure, while the redhead hadn't changed.
A smirk emerged on the blonde's face; Fate knew her friend better than anyone else. She knew her previous invitation to the redhead, which was seen as a bold move by many, was merely to ask him to help out with the luggage. Despite her maturity, she learned long ago that Nanoha was not an adept user of words with hidden intentions. The girl was always completely straightforward to a fault, never bothering to use wordplay or cunning strategies. 'Then again, Nanoha has no idea that befriending someone doesn't involve launching a nuke-level attack, face front to her opponent, before somehow getting them to join her side.'
Ironic that she went through a similar fate, speaking from both experience and intuition about her friend's personality.
"You look wonderful, Fate-chan," Nanoha said, complementing her friend, as Shirou got distracted by the numerous people present downstairs. All wearing equally eye-catching suits and dresses, a place he felt very out of place. Walking up to him, both girls rested their hands upon the wooden fence as they surveyed the floor below. Despite the number of guests numbering in the near thousands, or even more, there was not the sound of a chaotic space. Instead, it was a calm and soothing environment that earned the respect of many.
"The auction is about to start soon. It should be a matter of minutes before the host shows up. Are you willing to join us, Shirou? We wouldn't mind having a bodyguard keeping us safe from unknown threats." Fate asked in a playful tone, a question which the boy answered with a head shake.
"As much as I would like to do that, I can't. My task is to help the others set up a perimeter and patrol the building. Though something tells me that the last thing both of you need is someone like me acting as a bodyguard… I'd argue it's the other way around given you also have your devices. I'd rather not be the one going after you, I'm the less dangerous target in all of this."
"Fate-chan is right, Shirou!" Nanoha joined in, an equally playful smile on her face that made him want to sigh. These girls just acted so casually that he nearly forgot this was supposed to be a highly important event. "You know how much effort went into making these dresses? It would be a tragedy to have them be ruined, since you obviously like them."
"E-Eh? I admit it is beautiful but I don't think—"
"Wait, you haven't said anything about my dress, Shirou!" Fate interjected, getting in between the two while crossing her arms. Pointing at her navy blue gown, coupled with the transparent fabric around her shoulders acting as a scarf.
Shirou backed away, putting his hands up in mock defeat, fully knowing these two were just messing with him at this point out of boredom. Not that he was going to let it slide without a comeback of his own! "Both of you look stunning, I'm afraid making any negative comment about either of you will earn a Divine Buster blast to my face which I very much like to avoid thank you very much." A sour face appeared upon the brunette's face as she started to pout. Fate chuckled, loving the expression her friend made, Shirou was not the only one who kept bringing that up as Hayate also did so.
Nanoha hit his chest, "Moh…when are you and Hayate going to stop bringing that up? I was young back then and I don't do that anymore!"
"Vita would say otherwise, remember that time you two sparred last mon—" A hand pressed upon the blonde's mouth as Nanoha forced a smile on her face, a bit of red creeping up her face as Shirou gave her a look that alluded how he expected such a thing.
"You two have been hanging around Hayate for a bit too much lately. Now, you won't stop bringing up my past," she put an emphasis on the last word. "actions, which is completely untrue! I am not some sort of battle maniac brute who can only make friends through a fight. I am a lady, so you should treat me as such, Shirou!"
"And how exactly is one supposed to treat a lady, in your opinion?" Shiro asked, tilting his head sideways as he waited for the girl to give him an answer. She opened her mouth, trying to find an answer but came up with nothing.
"Yo-you know, being polite, giving out frequent compliments on their looks and clothes, hanging out, being a gentleman, buying them gifts, and so on," she listed off one by one while counting on her fingers.
Fate joined Shirou with a similar reaction, unable to hold herself back as she gave an answer, "That sounds more like a relationship between couples I would say."
Nanoha froze, her friend's words taking her by surprise as she hadn't even thought of it like that and was starting to realize that she couldn't even argue against that. Shirou, on the other hand, sighed; these two were really good friends, and it was clear they got along nicely.
Though Fate wasn't done, "But I wouldn't mind also being treated like that as well. What do you say, Shirou?"
"I think you're both trying to give me a headache, congratulations, it's working." He massaged his temples, most likely to get white faster at this rate than what Archer went through. Then again, that bastard mostly reveled watching him in his current situation.
Overall, the general atmosphere felt less suffocating than what he was used to in the Clock Tower. Everyone there had a hidden agenda, a ploy, or some grudge that wasn't even related to him; he always had to have eyes on his back, as they say. Very few people did he feel comfortable around without worrying about such things, Rin being one of them along with Luvia and the teacher from the Modern Magecraft class. Though they didn't talk much, he believed the guy was different from the rest and more earnest with words.
'Ah, I am getting distracted with memories of the past.' It was hard not to do so from time to time. Though Shirou very much enjoyed his time in Midchilda where he got the opportunity to better pursue his dream to become a hero, It was just impossible to completely forget about the past. He didn't worry much, given both Nanoha and Hayate gave him their words to help him out in the future, and just for that, he promised himself to help them in return as well.
"You two have fun; I still have loads to do, and let's hope nothing bad happens. Though I suspect nothing will happen, The Assembly Hall security is as tight as you'd expect. If there is any trouble, there probably is going to be more than enough to deal with it instead of having us intervene, I suppose."
Nanoha smiled, "Shirou, don't start jinxing us like that. You can never be certain about such things, given both Fate-chan and I have dealt with different kinds of absurd situations in the past."
He shrugged, "I know I'm just messing with you." He waved at the girls before leaving the room.
As he was leaving the room, the blonde looked around, searching for a certain friend amongst the crowds but came up empty-handed. With a confused expression, she looked at Nanoha and asked, "I just noticed this, but why hasn't Hayate-chan appeared yet? She should have been here around the same time as you since we left to change together. Don't tell me she got lost?"
Nanoha realized that she was right; it didn't dawn on her that their group was missing one person from the beginning, "I'm sure she'll be here soon; if there was any problem, then she would have called us."
…
Leaving the room, the boy walked through the halls looking left and right for his team members. One aspect he noted was the dense forest that surrounded the building. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the enemy would use it to their advantage. With the cover of the trees helping them blend in with the environment. "But then again, Subaru mentioned the countless sensors around."
As he reached the outside, the boys still hadn't found the others but that did not last long as he spotted a certain redhead, a person he didn't have much of an opportunity to converse with in the past. "Vita-san?"
The Wolkenritter turned around and raised an eyebrow in his presence. "StarS five, I thought you'd be in position with the rest of the team, what the hell are you doing here?"
'For someone her size she sure has an interesting way of talking. And I'm pretty certain that's not my number… or was it? Hah, even I don't remember.' Shirou thought, smiling at the words of the person he was close to associate as a brat but held himself back from doing so.
"You can call me Shirou, it's a bit weird to be called like that. As for your question, I was just patrolling the area after escorting Nanoha to the main hall. Ran into you when searching for Subaru and Teana."
She tilted her head before huffing, "Is that so, if my assumption is correct, they should be on the opposite side of the building, so you wouldn't have found them here regardless. Oh well, it wouldn't hurt to have some support. Signum spoke highly of your skills and I've also seen them."
He took it as a sign that she accepted his company and both traversed around the area. His eyes widening as a triangular red magic diagram forms upon the ground which Vita wasted into stepping on. She waited a few seconds before looking back at him. "Well? Can't you fly?"
These people and their casual way of using such forms of spells. "... I can't." He answered, noticing the woman was watching the pendant with confusion, and guessed what she must have been thinking. "The Device granted to me only serves as a portable computer assistant of sorts and as a standard Barrier Jacket. Unfortunately, they couldn't add much to it due to my situation."
She squinted her eyes before remembering something, "Oh right, Hayate mentioned your case. Guess I can't blame you. Hop on." The construct grew bigger and spacious enough for two people. Shirou froze in place. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Vita asked, her tone getting slightly impatient.
The boy hesitated before answering, "It's nothing, it's just my first time standing on a magic construct like this to fly. I'm just a bit afraid to fall down or something worse."
"Tch, stop being a wuss and get on quickly. It's easier for us to patrol from the skies than walking around for hours, potentially missing something. And don't worry, you won't fall so easily with me around. And even if you did, just activate your Barrier Jacket, you'll survive."
Using his Barrier Jacket as a cushion to fall off great heights… didn't seem that bad of an idea. With a bit of reinforcement it would work even better.
"I hope you realize that this doesn't inspire much confidence." He said drily, not really afraid of heights, but just unused to how these people were used to the idea of flying around on a regular basis. Did Teana and Subaru also have such capabilities? Unlikely, they would have used it against him back then. Given one relied on skates and the other her gun like a grappling hook. "You sure we won't fall?"
A vein bulged on Vita's temple, eyes darkening as she glared at the man. "Get on or else I'm leaving."
Those words pushed the red-headed to the side and walked forward — taking a step upon the construct. It felt similar to pure glass, yet wasn't slippery at all as they went further and further into the sky, where before long, they reached the lower clouds with a clear view of the terrain below. Shirou's knees shook for a bit due to how quickly they got there, not having gotten used to this way of traveling. Seeing his still worried face as they ascended to the skies, Vita thought about something. "Hey, does your world truly not have any flying magic? I saw your fight against the girls and your spells were very complex, to say the least. Something as simple as flying should be quite common."
"Flying? Well, it is a form of magecraft some Magus practice, but very few can actually use it as far as I know. I haven't really met anyone in person but it does exist. I guess it's similar when you compare it to this world's magic, you all use devices as a tool to channel your mana for spells, and in my world people use a broom for example." He wasn't one to have numerous connections in the Clocktower, perhaps there were people around him who indeed could use it but he just never noticed.
"So if I gave you a broom then you'd be able to fly?" She suggested, finding the idea of Shirou flying around sitting on a broom with a witch hat quite amusing. Certain that Hayate would burst out laughing if she ever saw it happen.
"Uh… no, I'm not that good of a Magus — a third-rate in fact." He said while scratching the back of his head. "I really am bad with any other types of magecraft other than what I already know. The best thing I can do with a broom is use it to dust the ground and trust me you'll find the end result to be far better than me flying around!"
Putting the weird realization that the man showed signs of pride for simply cleaning the floor as being better than actually flying, Vita took note of another part of his words.
"A third rate huh? Then I'd rather not meet what you consider first-rate after what you've shown us." For some reason the image of Rin and Luvia flying around in magical girls outfits and causing mayhem to their surroundings by shooting lasers through their gems came to his mind. While funny enough to imagine and even laugh, it was still a dreadful scene. "Changing subjects, I heard from Hayate that you and Nanoha encountered some suspicious individuals a few days ago. Any possibilities that they are here for the items at the auction? We'll have to make sure to capture those criminals before they cause any damage or steal important artifacts."
A frown appeared on his face as soon as she asked him this question. "Not all of them were bad, Vita-san." No matter how he tried to look at it, the idea that Lutecia was willingly associated with a person like that scientist did not sit well with him. He couldn't see her as someone willing to do all of this without being forced to do it somehow. There had to be a reason, and he was determined to find out. "But I'll make sure to not let the one behind this escape."
"Does it have to do with the girl we were told about? I believe her name was Lutecia."
He nodded, "She was accompanied by someone else, I couldn't get his name but I'll recognize him the moment I see him."
"What if she isn't the one you're hoping to be? I understand trying to empathize with your opponent and trying to help them out, I've experienced being on the receiving end with Nanoha in the best. But you better freaking not let it cause any problem or harm to Hayate. Or else I'll take care of that brat myself."
"I know," he replied, having gotten somewhat of a grasp of the kind of person Vita was. Giving him a similar feeling to Signum, someone who took their duties very seriously and prioritized keeping Hayate safe. "But you won't have to go that far. I'll stop it from happening."
The redhead Wolkenritter let out an irritated exhale. "I should have expected such an answer, she was the same as well… I'll help out if I can." She added that last part quietly, continuing to look forward. "Plus something tells me it doesn't matter what I'll say, not like you'll listen to me even if I advise you against such an action."
"Do you have so little faith in me?"
"Well I don't trust you like I do with Hayate or Nanoha." She answered without hesitation. "Not like I see you as a possible enemy, but you are still a new arrival to our world and are unfamiliar with most things here. I don't want you to confuse what's normal in your world here of all places, it will land you and those around you in trouble."
"I appreciate the advice, but trust me when I say that your world is actually more forgiving than mine. I don't mean it in a bad way, just the people here are more united from the looks of it, especially with the Time Space Administrative Bureau's existence and how I've seen people behave here. It's very much different from the Clocktower, I'm less worried about getting backstabbed here on a daily basis." He joked.
Of course, a large portion of his opinion of the Clocktower was influenced by his own experience and Rin's constant warnings. He was certain that for some, that place was more enjoyable and comparable to the TSAB. Unfortunately for him, his father made a lot of enemies with his actions as the Magus Killer and Magi in general never let go of past grudges so easily — even if it meant going after the son who never had anything to do with their affairs.
Especially families related to those who died in the fourth Holy Grail War. Thankfully, not all of them were out for his throat.
"By the way, you never told me about your combat style, Vita-san?"
Wanting to change the topic of conversation, he asked her a familiar quest she asked him a few minutes ago. But as she was about to answer him, both of their devices suddenly rang, glowing in a light tone as he heard a voice speaking to him. "Emergency, please know that we have spotted gadget drones type one land models around thirty no thirty-five of them approaching. Followed by type three land models, multiple readings found, at least a few dozens of them and counting! How did no one before us catch so many of them!?"
Both redheads were shaken out of their conversation by the sudden warning, looking at each other day nodded before surveying their surroundings with more focus. "Drones again after what your team dealt with last mission? Humph, there is no doubt about it, we are dealing with the same group." Vita commented, a statement which he agreed with.
"Agent Subaru and Teana have begun moving, they have covered the southern region." They continued getting briefed on everyone's position. "Commander Hayate, Nanoha and Fate are in the middle of the auction and are in position in case something happens. Evacuation teams are in place as well."
"We won't have to worry about them for now," Shirou said, his Reinforced eyes focusing on the ground below. His enhanced vision sporting several shadows moving between the tree shades, using the latter as cover to get closer to the building.
Woosh!
Red light shone behind him, he didn't need to look behind to find out what was happening and preferred to keep his gaze away for the intense transformation scene. The bright burst of light surrounding would easily irritate his eyes at such a close range, not exactly the best transformation for a stealth mission if they ever had to deal with one. As the light died, Shriou's eyes immediately fell on a rather peculiar device different to the staff weapon Nanoha used. A giant double headed Warhammer easily as tall as Vita herself with a small spike at the top. "Graf Eisen, get ready!"
[Rüdiger!]
The Device spoke with a deep voice, nearly making him fall off the platform as that was clearly German. First English and now German… he wondered who must have possessed a Japanese one or even a French one going by the pattern it was following.
"Found them!" Shirou exclaimed, spotting a multitude of floating apparatus in the distance. All of them flying from within the shade provided by the forest, a natural camouflage that whoever was controlling them used it as a way to infiltrate the building without getting found out most likely. Perhaps that was how they only spotted them later on. 'Those models look the same as before, I don't see the same model that managed to block everyone's magic attacks. But I can't be too sure.'
"Ah, Signum has already started without us." Vita noted, pointing in the trees below where a certain pink haired Knight breezed through a handful of drones with ease. A fiery aura surrounding her blade as it glided through the air with a near perfect technique showcased by she not only managed to cut through multiple shots without batting an eye.
"Well we can't let her do all the work, let's go Graf Eisen!"
With a simple command, multiple round steel orbs formed around her. Shirou watched as the hammer swung and hit all of the orbs with great strength. "Break them all to pieces!"
No different to multiple cannon balls being fired, the projectiles struck the ground with enough force to cause a cloud of dust to fill the area. Each one of them having successfully reached their target and even taking out those around them. Vita on the other hand smirked, glad to see her accuracy remained as precise as ever. "Hm?"
As she was about to send another volley, her attention was caught by a sudden large shadow, a black bow twice her size standing imposingly. The string pulled backwards with a bone chilling creak as she could see the boy's muscle bulge with a weird looking arrow.
Swish!
Right before her eyes, he released the string and the arrow was let loose. Rather than targeting a single drone, to her disbelief Vita witnessed in a straight lined trajectory the arrow six drones. "I'm impressed, your accuracy is something else. No wonder you kept bullying Subaru during your duel."
He sighed, "When you say it like that it makes me sound like the bad guy." Other than making sure these drones wouldn't encroach any further upon the territory, his eyes kept sweeping through the field erratically. Pushing himself to search for someone rather than another drone though making sure to destroy any that Signum and Vita missed.
The chances that they were here with so much security around was low, but he wasn't willing to give up hope so easily. There was no other way he managed to find than hoping to come across them once again. "—!?"
For a brief moment, perhaps a trick or light or even him being too paranoid. But he saw a black blurry figure in the far distance, further away from the drones and with too many trees blocking his vision he couldn't be certain. 'But I have to take the risk!'
"Vita-san!" He called to the woman next to him, the latter focused on her task and shooting more orbs in the distance with an angered yell. She turned her attention to him, wondering what he wanted to say.
"What is it?"
He had an idea, the figure was most likely trying to escape after deploying the drones for all he knew. His reinforced legs could only run at a certain speed which he didn't believe was fast enough to catch up. But Vita's earlier comment about his Barrier Jacket gave him an idea that gave him an optimal solution!
"How far can you hit something around my weight?"
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"...What the hell?"
{Break}
-Forest-
This wasn't a good idea, no, far from it… this whole operation was nothing but a ticking time bomb where the slightest misstep led to not himself but even Lutecia in grave danger of being captured by the enemy forces. This further worsened by the fact the other side had seen their faces and knew exactly who to find, for all he knew, Regius Gais already suspected their presence and would get personally involved in this matter.
"That Jail Scaglietti is planning something else, the auction should be the last of his concern."
Regardless, Lutecia wanted to help that man despite his interjection. She trusted him and he couldn't say anything to dissuade the young lady, but at the very least he swore to keep her safe until this entire operation was done.
"The bugs have been released, I'll be teleporting more in a few seconds." Lutecia's voice spoke calmly from the comms, the girl worked hard to make this operation a success and he refused to let her down. Multiple summoning magic circles appeared around him as more and more drones emerged from them, though these ones were much more responsive to their surroundings and possessing a certain level of intelligence per say from Lutecia's powers.
"Good work, don't get any closer and stay out of bounds. We don't want the enemy to spot you first instead of me." Zest advised, having taken the role of bait in case someone were to spot them. Especially that boy from before, Shirou Emiya… he was bad news from the beginning.
"Galue is inside the building, we can retrieve what the doctor wants at any moment."
A piece of good news, the faster they get done with this, the sooner they leave this area. A screen expanded from a device on his wrist, showing different scenes all around the area using the cameras within the drones. Getting a perfect view of every opponent they were facing. From here, he found two members of the riot force using a gauntlet and pistol device to take down the number of drones, though the added addition of Lutecia's bugs made it harder for them to land a hit anymore.
On another screen he found the knight Wolkenritter, wielding a blade and managed to cut through multiple drones despite the bugs trying their best to evade the attacks. But she was too swift and experienced for such a tactic to have any effect. This coupled with the bombardment coming from the other Wolkenritter in the sky reduced the number of their drones drastically.
Thankfully, these weren't the only models brought into the battlefield. "Have it get behind the pile of metal, use it as another form of camouflage to sneak attack her." Following his words, the next moment, a larger machine with metal appendages struck the woman in her blind spot. "Good, how much longer till the item is secured?"
"Almost," she answered, "I can't rush it or else they'll be found by the sensors. You need to be careful as well, Zest. My insects are sensing a lot of mages near the building, you'll be overwhelmed if they all come to your location at the same time. I can summon Garyu to aid you."
"No, save your energy in case of an emergency, I'm more than capable of handling myself. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He ended the communication between them, knowing that the longer he tried to convince her the more worried she would get. His secondary objective, other to act as bait, was to keep Shirou Emiya as far away as possible from the girl. Having gotten Intel that he not only requested the TSAB agents to find any and all information on her rather than himself.
"Where is he?" He scoured through hundreds of footage, logically he should have been stationed alongside the same ground as during the previous mission. Yet neither was he with them or anywhere else around the forest and this worried him. "Did he decide to attend the auction instead? But it was mentioned that Nanoha Takamichi, Fate Testarossa and Hayate Yagami have taken upon that role. It makes no sense for him to join in as well."
Another idea came that perhaps he was stationed to protect the items they were after. But if that were the case then Lutecia would have mentioned it to him by now. "If all proceeds as planned, then I won't need to confront anyone and can't hold my position. But just in case, I should grab he—!?"
A thunderous explosion sounded from the sky, catching his attention. A bad feeling fell upon Zest as he quickly searched for the source of the noise, the drones tracing it to one of the mages in the sky, one adorned in a red Barrier Jacket holding onto a large hammer as a great amount of smoke came off the end of it.
"Huh?"
The sound came from her yet there seemed to be no explosion or even attack of any sorts that affected the drones on the ground. Rather, she wasn't even looking at the ground in the first place. A large smirk on her face as she faced his general direction.
"What is…" Something was amiss, Zest tore his attention away from the screen and gazed at the sky above. His eyes widening as a small dot appeared above, growing larger and larger till it showed the shape of a person wearing a Barrier Jacket. "What!?"
Plummeting straight for his direction, a white blade cutting through the air with a slight ringing sound. Disbelief filled brown eyes starting right back at angered golden brown. 'That sound from before, did he let himself get hit to be thrown this far!?'
Unable to wrap his head around the ridiculousness of this entire scene, Zest twirled his spear in a defensive stance before bringing his hands up, channeling his Mana and casting a trip-pointed magic circle before him.
"Panzerschild!"
With a shout, the construct came to life, covering his entire body just in time for the blade to descend and strike the surface with an equally tremendous force. "Argh!" The surprise attack went well beyond anything Zest expected from this person, his focus fully on these strange blades which somehow managed to dig deep enough into the shield that it nearly cut through it!
A screech no different to a razor scraping against glass stung his ears. The sparks from the clash flew everywhere as his knee shook before stabling themselves.
"Where. Is. She…" Shirou asked, pushing more onto the Bakuya and trying to cut through.
'I knew he was going to be in major trouble, but this is just ridiculous!' Zest though, once again cursing Jail in his mind. "That is none of your business."
Having gathered his wits, he moved the shield around to put his opponent straight in the line of fire from the drones. Dozens of energy shots fired simultaneously in a barrage, thankfully the integrity of his shield still remained whole enough to withstand it. Hoping that with his opponent focused on him, he would miss the drones and get hit. The blade struck within his shield helped to keep him from moving.
"That should have taken care of him." His front vision filled with smoke, he waited as the shooting stopped and it started to clear. To his surprise, the sword was left behind, Shirou no longer on the other side.
"—!"
His sharp instincts screamed at him, a cold chill descending upon him forcing him to instantly cancel out the spell and turn around just in time for his spear's shaft to black a slash from a black blade. The redhead had abandoned the white blade and opted for another weapon from the looks of it. 'He's fast, a close combat fighter similar to a Knight and doesn't seem to know any long range spell attacks. I should be able to handle him.'
"Tell me where she is." As the confrontation escalated, Shirou asked once again with a frown.
"I told you, that is none of your business!" Zest found himself facing in a close quarters combat where his enemy's strength shockingly matched his. "If you want to find her, then you'll have to go through my dead body." The battle unfolding in the forest was not just about completing the mission; it was now a clash of skills, tactics, and the desire to protect their respective objectives.
"It is my business when you people are obviously using her!" Shirou, relentless and focused, pressed on with his assault, his black blade cutting through the air with precision to which Zest met with equal amounts of skill. Though the spear wasn't the ideal weapon in such a scenario, the man was not hesitant to use the drones in the surrounding to create some distance between them. Still, he adapted quickly, utilizing his magic construct to shield against the relentless slashes.
The forest became a stage for a dance of blades and magical constructs, each move calculated, each decision crucial. As Zest and Shirou continued their intense confrontation, it was becoming clear which side was getting overwhelmed.
That sword of his… Zest couldn't make heads and tails of what it might be. Able to cut through simple constructs if he wasn't doing his best to keep them stable. Far too sharp that it made little sense when it didn't even look like it was part of an intelligent device. Lutecia was still working diligently on securing the item they sought, he needed to buy as much time as possible!
"She's safer with us, at least then she won't be sent to her death!"
"You call this being safe!? And such a thing won't ever come to pass if she doesn't want to get involved! You are involved with those behind the train attack, making you an enemy of the TSAB, how does that equate to keeping her safe!?" The forest echoed with the clash of blades and the hum of magical constructs. Zest's mind raced, contemplating the unfolding chaos. He continued to scan the screens displaying the ongoing battles across the area — making sure that he wasn't going to get ambushed by a second arrival. "Don't think you can escape this time!"
Gritting his teeth at Zest's continuous retreat, Shirou swung around and threw Kanshou forward, the blade Noble Phantasm twirling in the air and destroying the surrounding drones. Cleaving through the larger models, similar to the one he fought on the train, with ease. His first instinct was to call forth multiple nameless blades and hurl them in multiple waves, a barrage of steel to eliminate every drone before him. But he also knew there were many eyes upon him, and if not pushed to a corner he saw no reason to go that far and possibly even accidentally kill his opponent.
At worst he could rely on multiple black keys, they always helped him out in similar precarious situations in the past.
"Got you!" Seeing his opponent finally defenseless without any weapons, Zest took this opportunity to close in the distance between them on his own. Rushing forward with his spear glinting with killing intent, going for a single powerful thrust.
Yet not a trace of panic showed on Shirou's face as he drew closer, uncertainty flashing before Zest's mind. But he pushed it to the side and pushed on — a decision he quickly grew to regret as he found Shirou muttering two words under his breath.
Clang!
Right before his eyes, in a flash of blue light, the dual blades once again reappeared within his grasp. Both Noble Phantasm blocked his thrust with the flat side of the Kanshou taking the hit and Bakuya acting as a support creating an x-shaped stance with the weapons. Shirou slid backwards but his knees held firm without buckling under the pressure of the attack.
"H-How…" In his shock, he glanced to the side of the area when he was initially attacked, the white blade his opponent abandoned still lying on the ground! So this entire time… they were copies? Constructs made of Mana? No, that didn't make sense! He dealt with weapons who used this type of magic and never did the weapons show this level of toughness and sharpness — most breaking with a couple of strong hits.
The dual blades pushed his spear upwards with an inhuman amount of strength that surpassed his, and soon after, Shirou was upon him holding Bakuya over his head. The cold, sharp metal cutting through the layer of his clothes and skin filling his mind. The pain lasted only a fraction of a second before his adrenaline kicked in.
"Hurgh!" He held in his groans, sending a powerful kick which dodged before Kanshou swiftly pierced his defense, leading to a thin vertical bloody line in his midsection. Unfortunately for him, as he tried to push his body to move, Shirou using the pummel of Bakuya delivered a strike to the back of his neck.
"Argh!"
Zest's vision darkened for a second, everything turning hazy as he started to lose strength in his leg and soon enough, collapsed onto the ground. His ears picked up the footsteps of Shirou who approached him, the latter slightly out of breath but nothing drastic. It almost made him chuckle, even at this level he wasn't enough to keep up with his opponent. Perhaps if Agito was here…
He closed his eyes waiting for the final blow.
"I'm not going to kill you, that never was my goal." Shirou spoke, still holding a prominent frown on his face as he watched his defeated opponent. "My question hasn't changed, I don't know what you are planning but whatever it is doesn't matter to me. You're using a naive young child for your own plans, taking advantage of her trust — especially the one I spoke to before."
Zest scoffed, "You're the one who is naive, boy. You're working for an evil man who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice people like you just to save his skin. It's the very reason why Lutecia and I are in this scenario, your side has betrayed us and you're asking to come back? They'll kill her, just like they did with her mother."
"...her mother?"
Step
Step
Step
"Zest!"
The defeated man had his face hardened as he heard a familiar voice coming from the woods. Hasty steps revealing the purple haired girl rushing to his side.
"Lutecia! What are you doing here!?" He shouted with frustration, wanting to get back up and run away with her but having little strength to do so and the wounds on his body making it impossible to do so.
"I can't leave you." She answered glaring back at Shirou as multiple summoning circles formed around her bringing forth hundreds of tiny insect-like metallic creatures. "Get away from him, Shirou."
No answer came from him, rather he took a step forward, making Lutecia flinch as the insects started to swarm him.
"Huh?"
Unlike what she expected, the man did not fight back against them. Letting his weapons fall to the ground as they pierced the earth. The red Barrier Jacket disappeared as he stood without any protection before her. The various cuts and scrapes ridling his skin from the insect attacks.
"Stop!" She ordered them, unnerved and taken aback by his actions. Her previously monotone voice was slightly shaken as well.
"Why are you doing this, Lutecia?" He asked calmly, showing no change to his facial expression. "You're working for bad people, they are using you."
"The doctor is not like that." She retorted. "I trust him, he will help me with my goal and I'm willing to help him."
"And what is your goal?"
She shook her head, refusing to answer it.
"I… I won't pretend like I'm familiar with your past and this man's. But I heard from him that something tragic happened to him and your mother. Am I correct in assuming that your goal involves her somehow?" Her body freezing up was all the answer he needed. "I don't know what he promised you nor how he's going to accomplish it. I don't know how far you're willing to go to help him but one thing I can say with certainty is that this person cannot be trusted."
"You don't know him."
"No, no I don't, but speaking to him a single time is all that I need to get a picture. You have to trust me, Lutecia, such people always promise you everything but will throw you away as soon as they're done with you. From what I gathered, even this man doesn't trust him." He pointed at Zest, the latter not having said a thing from the beginning.
"You don't know that!" Once again, she spoke back, this time with more anger evident in her tone. "How can you say that without knowing anything? He's the only one who can deliver on his promise when no one could, without him… within him I'll never be able to see my mother again…"
Putting the pieces together, Shirou started to get some ideas on this promise of his. Zest mentioned how she was dead and now Lutecia was talking about meeting her again through Jail's help? Did that man have a way to bring back the dead? He doubted it. This entire promise reminded him of the Grail, a wish granting device said to accomplish nearly anything one could ask for. Yet to achieve that one needed to go through a literal bloodbath. And now this Jail, promising the girl a similar wish of bringing back the death but for that to happen she needed to work for him. This attack was probably one of many, how much more was he going to have the girl do before honoring said promise? Granted, if he ever was planning on doing so in the first place.
Most likely a lie, one invented to gain her trust.
"Why should he be the only one who can help you, Lutecia?" Shirou spoke more firmly with his words. "Tell me, everything you're doing right now. Would your mother have been happy to see her little girl go through such a life? Would she not want you to be happy? If Jail had the means to revive her, then wouldn't he have done so already? There has to be another way, don't believe this is the only path you have to take just because that man said so. If he can do it then so can others, and I'll help you along the way."
"..."
"I know you don't like doing this, it's written all over your face. If Jail was a good person then why would he have pushed you to do so?"
Her hands clenched, the girls struggling with some thoughts visibly. "You can't help me."
"You don't know that." Shirou said, throwing her own words back. "Remember the time we spent at the arcade? I recall you had fun that day, though you didn't show it I could feel it. If you don't trust the Time Space Administrative Bureau… then trust me."
"Shirou…"
"I'll take the burden of this wish you have, whether it be the TSAB, Jail himself or any other individual in this galaxy, I'll make sure to find them and make her come back if there truly was a way." He got on one knee, putting his hand forward with a smile on his face. "I promise I'll go to any length to make it a reality, all the while without putting you or Zest in danger. If TSAB one day truly becomes the enemy, then I'll turn my blades against them if I have to."
Lutecia refused to meet his gaze. "You are saying stupid things again, Shirou."
The redhead chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I do have a habit, I know a friend who would regularly try to tear her own hair off because of my actions. I'm not willing to see you cry or suffer through all of this, you don't deserve such a life."
She was still very young, reminding him of Caro and Erio. All of them were far too young to be involved in such things in his opinion, he still believed this despite what Hayate mentioned to him. He knew that if he failed today, then the likelihood of meeting Lutecia once again was slim at best. The chances that Jail would let him approach her after what happened today were non-existent.
Zest on the other hand perhaps agreed with him to some degree. The man was still very much conscious and hadn't mentioned a single thing so far, not even trying to put down his words. From their previous conversation, he knew he also distrusted Jail.
"What if I accept and join you, then they have me and Zest get taken?"
"I won't let that happen, like I told you, I'll put my life on the line if I have to."
He was indebted to Nanoha and Hayate, not the TSAB, he still held reservations about the organization as a whole, knowing that despite there being characters like his friends working for them, there would also be unsavory people within their ranks. He wasn't so blind to not recognize that fact and thus never dismissed Zest's claim of something within the organization being responsible for Lutecia's situation.
"What if they don't listen and try to use force?"
His face hardened, "Then I will reciprocate with force as well."
The fact he was an outsider, a being from another world, he still decided to keep a secret for now. He wouldn't accomplish anything bringing that up with her to gain her trust, he doubted he would gain anything in the first place.
"You'll even face your friends."
"I won't need to." He said, getting a confused look from Lutecia. "Because I know they'll be by my side when the time comes. That's the kind of people they are, they're not the type to turn a blind eye to injustice and that's why I trust them."
The girl, no matter how much she thought about it, looked at the boy before her — she just failed to wrap her head around his entire drive. "Why… Why are you willing to go so far for me? What do you even want from me?"
"Nothing," he gave an immediate answer, not wanting her to get the wrong idea or that he shared the same kind of mindset as Jail. "Is it wrong wanting to save someone?"
He heard a sniff, seeing the girl's shoulders start to tremble. All of this must have been a lot to handle for her, having forced herself through so many challenges without breaking down must have been a lot for her.
"Hey, I have an idea. Tomorrow I don't have any duties to attend, why don't we go with the promise I made to have dinner or lunch together? I already cook for two gluttons in the apartment building, so having more is not a problem. I can show you around the kitchen if you'd like, teach you some skills and little hacks I learned when I was your age." The girl unconsciously nodded her head, the gentle tone soothing her chaotic mind as it struggled to come to a conclusion.
"We can go shopping together, I'm pretty sure you'll need new clothes and other things to get settled. I haven't used my money yet, so what better opportunity than this, right? We can stop by the arcade, play some games, visit the park and Subaru can teach you how to skate. She's been trying to do so with me a lot lately, but I don't believe I'm good enough to skate, but I'm willing to try if you're there with me. We can go through the learning steps together."
No matter how much she tried, Lutecia found herself incapable of pushing back images her mind made up of such scenarios. Imagining herself, Zest, Shirou and her mother all having dinner together. Getting to spend more time with him, playing games and laughing at the funny faces he made whenever he lost. She'd seen Zest read books on rare occasions, it would be nice to see him indulge in his hobbies a lot more than having to constantly worry about her safety.
He deserved that kind of life as well…
It sounded too good to be true.
But still… what if… what if he truly was capable of doing so?
But she also promised the doctor to help him and turning her back to him felt bad as well. He had done a lot for her, and she wanted to repay that favor one day.
"If you truly think I'm not capable and are willing to go through whatever Jail has planned — then you'll have to go through me." Shirou said, making her heart skip a beat at the meaning behind his words. He showed no signs of summoning his Barrier Jacket nor those weird weapons, letting all of his guard down and making it easy for her to attack him by summoning Garyu. "I'm going to be stubborn here and not let you go back to that life as long as I can stand, forgive me for that, Lutecia. But you don't have to go that far, trust me and let me take on your burden."
Without her even realizing, Lutecia took a step forward, her eyes focused on his outstretched hand. Hesitantly, she extended her own, a part of her yearning for the lifestyle Shirou described along with her wish to see her mother again.
'Lutecia-sama!' A voice shouted in her head, shocking the girl as she struggled to not show any surprise on the outside. 'Glad to see you're safe~! I'd expect nothing less from you! Though it seems we arrived a tad bit too late given Zest's injuries, but nothing you can't heal with Asclepius!'
'Quatro?' One of the numbers that served Jail for many of his missions. A bespectacled woman who was always energetic and playful with everyone around. Yet last she checked, the woman was still in the laboratory conducting some research with the doctor. 'What are you doing here?'
She heard a hum on the other side.
'We were tasked to act as reinforcement in case something too drastic occurred and to keep you safe. You did a good job, Lutecia-sama, we have Shirou Emiya on our sight and without any Barrier Jacket on himself it should be a breeze to eliminate him. Jump as far away as you can! Don't worry, Zest is far enough to not be hit.'
E-Eliminate?
She hadn't agreed to that with the doctor! They were only supposed to retrieve the item and return to base!
'Wait, Quatro. Quatro!' No answer came from the other side, her heart racing as a terrible sensation spread over her being. Her outstretched arm went past Shirou's hand and onto his chest before pushing him away and taking his place.
"Eh?"
Whether it was a spur of the moment or likely her own subconscious, she didn't feel any regret in that moment. Just tired, exhausted and saddened that she wasn't going to be able to spend some time with him as promised.
'Lutecia-sama!?'
Quatro's words were the last thing she heard before her whole world turned white.
.
.
.
"Eh?"
Strange, Shirou was initially very happy when Lutecia showed signs agreeing with his words. Granted, he knew the path to accomplish her wish wasn't going to be an easy one, but he was willing to make it a reality no matter what. If there was a chance, no matter how minute it was… as long as it existed then nothing was going to stop him.
Yet her hands moved past his own, resting upon his chest before pushing him away with force. Speechless and stunned, it caught him by surprise. Had she truly decided to stay with Jail in the end? Had he failed?
His answer was soon answered seeing the expression on her face, to witness traces of fear? Goosebumps formed on his skin as his ears picked up a high pitched noise, at the corner of his eyes he spotted a green dot. No, not a dot, but a beam of energy similar to the one shot by the drones. But this one, far more powerful and fast, aimed straight for when he stood not a second ago.
Without his Barrier Jacket or any form of protection, that would have killed him in a single hit or at best mortally wounded him. But even he doubted that last part, given how the beam had carved through multiple rows of trees with little to no resistance.
"—!"
The whole world around him came to a snail paced standstill.
She… she tried to save him. Taking his place without thinking and willing to throw away her life? He couldn't understand, why was she going that far when he hadn't done anything to earn that?
For a brief moment, memories of the past flashed before his eyes. A small girl, destructive and filled with bloodlust who called him brother when they first met. Showing a smile on the outside but filled with hatred towards him, a reason he came to learn much later in the future. Helpless he laid on the ground as in her final moment she was brutally tortured by the Golden King. Her sight taken and heart crushed, mocked and made fun of by that bastard till the end. How powerless he felt at that time, how little he could have done if Rin hadn't stopped him.
He hated himself for not having held the power to change the outcome. A regret that grew substantially after he learned about Kiritsugu's history with the Einzbern and the possible connection to his father.
And now this feeling of helplessness came back, further amplified by the fact he was getting saved again when he didn't do anything to deserve it.
And that… made him feel a sensation of fury.
Not again.
Never again.
No matter what…
He was going to save her.
His feet dug through the ground, breaking the soil as he let Magical Energy flood his circuits to their limits.
"I am the bone of my sword!"
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