Haru didn't belong to any famous kendo school; not yet, at least. His past dojo trips were more about staying fit and trying something new.
That dojo was strict about taking students, valuing quality over numbers. Haru had no special knack for kendo, but he was ahead of most kids his age in maturity, so they never offered him a spot.
Then he grasped the "First Strike" insight. His potential shot up. Now, he outdid many masters in raw understanding, he just needed polishing and practice.
He wanted to grow stronger, but his StarGate limited him to swordsmanship for now.
A breeze rustled leaves in the courtyard, glowing under the lights. Haru focused, thumbed his sword guard, and swung fast.
Swish~~
When the wind stopped, he picked up half a leaf; the other half was torn apart.
"Is this my best?" Haru wondered. "Muramasa's plenty sharp… Is it me?"
Cutting a leaf wasn't tough. But splitting it cleanly in two was hard.
With "First Strike," he should've been able to slice three leaves at once, keeping them intact enough to piece back together. Yet he only managed half…
"I thought I was getting good, but I can't even cut a leaf right... I've got work to do!"
Knowing where he stood, he decided to train under a master. Swordsmanship needed real practice, not solo guessing.
The dojo he had in mind was "Ganryu." It wasn't big in mainstream kendo, but it suited him perfectly.
Its founder? Sasaki Kojiro; a name everyone knew.
In the Fate world, Haru understood, Kojiro wasn't real. The person was a nameless swordsman who took the name. He was a self-taught villager who never left home.
He wanted the ultimate move: Tsubame Gaeshi.
Kojiro called himself a country bumpkin, but he lived at Ryuudou Temple in Fuyuki, where a Ganryu dojo stood. The link piqued Haru's interest.
If he could learn Tsubame Gaeshi, he could travel the world with his sword, dodging only the truly overpowered.
Ding ding ding…
A sound came from the entrance. Haru figured Rias was back from the store with her manga.
He went to say hi, but she dashed upstairs, leaving him with just a glimpse of her shadow.
A flash of bright gold caught his eye. He paused. "Did Rias… pick up a stray cat?"
He didn't mind cats but still… He needed to see what she was hiding. If it was a cat, he'd let it slide.
At her door, he knocked. "Rias, can I come in?"
"…No."
Haru sighed. "It's my house, my room."
"I said no!"
"…" Definitely a cat.
After a moment, he pulled out his key.
"Fine, if it's a cat, keep it…"
He opened the door and stopped cold.
Rias was on the bed with the "cat," her clothes messy and her face red; probably from playing. And the cat… was breathtaking.
Graceful lines, smooth curves, a slim waist; purely physical, it was hard to resist.
Red eyes sparkled with pride and a hint of mischief, free and devilish.
A purebred, noble—no, a royal cat!
His ahoge tingled with alarm. Haru's head buzzed.
He shut the door, rubbed his eyes, and opened it again, nervous.
The "cat" had moved, pulling a sheet over herself, but it only made her curves stand out more.
"…I must be tired."
He closed it again, slapping his face. "Yeah, seeing things… No way Gilgamesh is in my bed!"
The door swung open. Rias pouted. "What are you doing? In or out!"
Haru's eyes flicked inside.
The golden-haired girl was dressed now, leaning by the bed, one hand on her cheek, radiating a queen's presence. Even at his level, she looked down on him.
Her majesty, her command; it was like she'd wiped away what just happened.
"Yo, kid. We meet again."
Gilgamesh greeted him calmly, as if nothing was off.
Haru's mouth twitched. He forced a straight face and asked Rias, "Who… is this?"
Rias looked at her feet, shy but proud. "I… I found her. Can we keep her?"
Haru wanted to cry.
'Keep her? No chance! And don't say 'we'; I'm not that reckless! You're not some invincible hero, are you?'
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, Tokiomi is dead? Who killed him?"
Haru was confused. In the original story, Kirei kills Tokiomi, but the timing felt wrong.
"No clue, but the Tohsaka family and the Church confirmed it," Kariya said over the phone. "Aoi wouldn't lie about this."
"Aoi Tohsaka… how's she holding up?"
"She's shaken, but managing. She'll recover soon; the family needs her. She's got daughters to look after. Sakura… She belongs with the Tohsakas. I'm no good at raising her. After the war, I'll send her back."
"You've changed a lot."
"Yeah… with Zouken gone, the weight's off. I feel freer," Kariya said, a small smile in his voice. "The world looks different now."
"What about Tokiomi?"
"Not much. After that night, he's just another face to me."
Haru smiled faintly. 'Your tone says otherwise…'
"By the way, the Church sent two notices: Tokiomi's and Father Risei's."
"He's dead too…" Haru wasn't shocked; it matched the timeline.
Still, he said, "Funny, a Bajiquan expert killed by a guy with a gun and a magus who hates modern tools. Ironic."
"Huh?" Kariya sounded puzzled. "Risei wasn't shot. He was stabbed through the heart."
"Wait, not by Kayneth?" Haru asked quickly.
"Kayneth… Lancer's Master? His group got wrecked by Saber's last night. His fiancee; Sola, I think was sniped. He couldn't take it and ended himself."
"And Lancer?"
"Lancer faced Saber one-on-one. Saber used one hand to keep it fair and just barely won. Lancer asked them to spare his Master, and Saber's Master agreed. He returned to the Throne satisfied, having protected his lord… But then Saber's Master went back on it and killed Sola. It's strained things with Saber."
"That's how it went… What's your plan? Zouken's gone, Sakura's safe. No need to fight for the Grail now."
"True, I don't need it… but Berserker does. He's got a score to settle with Saber. He helped me with Zouken, so I owe him. Before the war ends, I'll give him his chance."
"…Okay. Let me know if anything shifts."
"Wait, one thing. Why did you help me—"
Haru hung up, took a deep breath, and sorted his thoughts.
First, Tokiomi, Kayneth, Sola, and Risei were dead; on schedule, but the details were off.
Kayneth and Sola's fates were close enough, except Lancer got a better ending.
But Tokiomi and Risei…
Risei was supposed to be shot by Kayneth, not stabbed. That ruled Kenneth out. Who, then?
Who'd go after the overseer?
Tokiomi's death was strange too. Kirei was supposed to stab him, pushed by a certain golden king. But that king was upstairs watching anime, so Kirei was likely clear.
Haru had to face it: the Grail War was slipping into uncharted waters. His edge was fading.
"Who's the killer? One person for both?"
A red shadow crossed his mind…
"If it's him, he could've done it. But why? What's his reason?"
"Hold on; why's he even in this war? As Alaya's enforcer, he shouldn't be here. He shouldn't even exist normally!"
Assassin… why was he summoned? What's his aim?
Rias's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Look, isn't this cute? Should I put it on her?"
She held up cat-ear clips, her eyes shining.
Haru pressed a hand to his forehead. "I've told you a million times: she's not a cat! Dressing her up won't make her one!"
"And… she doesn't get what these are. She thinks it's a gift. See, she's happy now, but when she realizes she's been treated like a pet… she'll lose it!"
"Boom! There goes the house!"
"We might even see Ea…"
By the end, Haru was near tears. "Please, spare her… no, spare me!"
Rias huffed. "You're being weird again… Fine, I'm going upstairs to play with her."
Haru watched her go, thinking back to yesterday.
When Gilgamesh showed up in front of Miki, Haru expected a scolding for Rias. But Gilgamesh just said, "This place is my temporary palace now," and Miki nodded without a peep.
(Maybe the ten-kilo gold brick she tossed out helped… Since when is gold measured in kilos?)
For Haru, the real kicker was; he'd finally lost his own room!
"Is the world against me? I don't even want to be a hero; why me?"
"Hey, kid."
Gilgamesh appeared on the stairs in a red dress, her golden hair tied with a black ribbon.
The cat ears on her head clashed with her regal air…
Even the hero-king was a girl at heart; weak to cute things.
But when she found out the truth…
Too frightening to picture.
"Get ready. We're going hunting."
Haru rubbed his hands, cautious. "Your Majesty's in a good mood today. But it's late…"
"Don't dodge, kid. You know the Grail War is still on." Gilgamesh smiled lightly. "Though if I wanted, I could end it tonight."