Hey there, readers!
After a couple of replies, I decided to continue with this crossover fic, given that a lot of you readers have already subscribed.
I'll somehow balance this with the other crossover fic I'm writing. This might result in Schedule Slips (from one post a week to one post per two weeks, plus real-life stuff), but given this fic's reception, I suppose I'll manage.
Although if any of you are willing to help me out in planning this, I'd appreciate it.
Shirou dismissed the Breidablik with a thought. The divine artifact dissolved into motes of light, returning to whatever space between dimensions it called home when not manifested.
He rose from his futon, moving through his morning routine with mechanical precision. The bath took longer than usual—he needed the hot water to wash away both the sweat from his nightmare and the lingering unease that always followed those memories.
An hour later, dressed in his Homurahara Academy uniform, Shirou made his way toward the kitchen.
The scent of miso and rice greeted him before he rounded the corner.
"Good morning, Senpai!"
Sakura Matou smiled from her position near the counter, already wearing an apron over her own school uniform.
Her purple hair was tied back neatly, and her expression carried that familiar, gentle warmth.
"Morning, Sakura," Shirou replied, moving to wash his hands at the sink. "You're here early again."
"I wanted to help with breakfast before school," she said, her hands already moving to gather ingredients. "What would Senpai like today?"
Shirou considered for a moment. "Tamagoyaki and miso soup sound nice."
"Understood!" Sakura nodded, her smile brightening slightly. "If... if Senpai wants, I can also add omurice to our bento? For lunch?"
"That sounds perfect," Shirou agreed. "I'll help with the prep work."
They fell into an easy rhythm—Sakura handling the eggs for the tamagoyaki while Shirou prepared the dashi stock for the miso soup. The kitchen was filled with the familiar sounds of cooking: the sizzle of egg hitting the pan, the gentle simmer of soup, the soft clink of utensils.
But something felt... off.
The
Breidablik—dormant within whatever space it occupied when dismissed—pulsed faintly in his awareness. Not a warning, exactly. More like... recognition. The same way it had responded when he'd encountered corrupted beings such as
Fallen Heroes in his past life.
Shirou glanced at Sakura, and he noticed that she was focused on rolling the tamagoyaki with practiced precision, her movements gentle and controlled. Nothing seemed outwardly wrong. And yet...
Sakura's hands trembled slightly, just for a moment.
"Um…" She noticed his gaze and looked up, her smile faltering. "Is... is something wrong, Senpai?"
"No," Shirou said, turning back to the soup. He stirred slowly, keeping his tone casual. "Just making sure the miso doesn't boil too hard."
As Sakura resumed her focus on the tamagoyaki, Shirou knew that the lie came too easily.
"I see..." Sakura relaxed slightly, though her shoulders remained tense. "I'll be more careful with the heat."
Shirou let it slide. For now. But he filed the observation away—the trembling hands, the Breidablik's faint response, and the tension she tried to hide beneath that gentle smile.
'Later,' Shirou told himself.
'I'll figure out what's wrong later.'
The breakfast came together without further incident. Tamagoyaki, perfectly rolled and slightly sweet. Miso soup with tofu and wakame. Two bento boxes packed with omurice, the egg wrapping each portion with golden precision.
By the time they settled in the living room with their meal, the clock showed 5:30 AM.
The shoji door slid open with more force than necessary.
"Fooood..."
Taiga Fujimura stumbled into the room, still groggy despite being fully dressed in her usual outfit. Her hair was damp from a recent bath, hanging somewhat limply around her face. "Shirou, I smell breakfast... Please tell me there's breakfast..."
"Good morning, Fuji-nee," Shirou said dryly, already setting out a third portion.
Taiga collapsed at the table with all the grace of a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Morning, Shirou... Coffee... I need coffee..."
Sakura giggled softly, rising to prepare tea. "I'll get it ready, Fujimura-sensei."
"Sakura-chan, you're an angel," Taiga mumbled into her arms. "Unlike this heartless student of mine who makes me wake up at ungodly hours..."
"You're the one who insisted on staying here to 'supervise' me," Shirou pointed out, placing chopsticks beside her bowl. "I didn't ask you to match my schedule."
"Details..." Taiga waved a hand vaguely. "Minor details..."
The three of them ate in comfortable silence for a few moments. Taiga's transformation was almost instantaneous—one sip of coffee, and the groggy teacher became her usual energetic self.
"You know what's great?" Taiga grinned, pointing her chopsticks at Shirou. "Not only is it the last day of the month, but it's also Friday! The weekend is almost here!"
"Saturday's still a half-day," Shirou reminded her, taking a bite of tamagoyaki.
"It's still going to be a wonderful day," Sakura added softly, her smile genuine despite the lingering tension Shirou had noticed earlier.
Taiga's expression shifted then, her usual playfulness fading into something more serious. She set down her chopsticks, fingers drumming against the table.
"Speaking of which…" Taiga revealed. "I've been hearing some concerning rumors lately."
"Fuji-nee?" Shirou looked up. "Can you tell us more about those rumors?"
"There's apparently been a gas leak in the neighboring Shinto district," Taiga said, her voice dropping slightly. "Multiple incidents over the past week. People have been found unconscious... in comas, actually."
Shirou's gaze shifted to Sakura, and then to Taiga, who continued on with her explanation.
"The official story is about faulty gas lines, but..." Taiga continued as she shook her head. "Just be careful, okay? Avoid that area if you two can."
As Taiga finished rambling, Sakura looked genuinely confused, her brow furrowing slightly.
"A gas leak?" Sakura mumbled. "That sounds terrible..."
But Shirou's eyes narrowed, just for a fraction of a second.
Sakura noticed. Her breath caught, almost imperceptibly, and her fingers tightened around her chopsticks. Yet, she said nothing.
"Anyway!" Taiga's cheerful demeanor returned as quickly as it had left. She waved her hand dismissively, grabbing another piece of tamagoyaki. "Those are just rumors I heard around the faculty room. Don't take it too seriously, okay? The city officials are probably handling it."
"If... if Fujimura-sensei says so," Sakura said quietly, her eyes downcast.
"Right," Shirou agreed, forcing his tone to remain casual. "It's best not to think too much about rumors, especially when we need to focus on getting ready for school."
The rest of breakfast passed without incident. The earlier tension dissipated beneath mundane conversation—Taiga complaining about her students, Sakura mentioning a test in her class, Shirou confirming their lunch plans.
When the meal ended, Shirou stood and began gathering dishes.
"Don't worry, Sakura," Shirou assured her. "I'll help with the cleanup."
"Thank you, Senpai," Sakura said, rising as well.
Together, they moved to the kitchen sink. Taiga wandered off to finish getting ready, her voice echoing from somewhere deeper in the house as she sang off-key.
The water ran. Dishes clinked softly. And neither Shirou nor Sakura mentioned the moment that had passed between them.
It was not yet the time, it seemed.
Fate: Emblem Heroes
Chapter 2: A Typical Fuyuki School Day
Taiga had already rushed ahead, her bag bouncing against her hip as she called back something about "preparing lesson materials" before disappearing around the corner.
"Fujimura-sensei really is energetic in the mornings," Sakura said softly, helping Shirou secure the gate lock. The metal clicked into place with a satisfying sound.
"When she's had coffee, anyway," Shirou replied, checking the lock twice out of habit. "Before that, she's basically a zombie."
Sakura's quiet laugh was like wind chimes—gentle and fleeting.
They set off together, their pace leisurely. The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of early spring despite winter's lingering chill. Students in similar uniforms passed them in groups, chattering about weekend plans and upcoming exams.
Shirou's attention drifted to Sakura as they walked.
Her sleeves shifted with each step, the fabric of her uniform rising and falling naturally. And there—just for a moment—he saw it.
A
dark purple bruise, almost black at the edges. It's circular, like... like fingers had gripped her wrist too tightly.
The Breidablik pulsed faintly within him, indicating something was off, in the same vein as earlier during breakfast.
"Sakura," Shirou said, keeping his voice carefully neutral. "Your wrist..."
Sakura froze mid-step, her hand immediately moving to cover the mark.
"It's…" Sakura stammered. "It's nothing, Senpai."
"Hmm…" Shirou muttered, gazing at her bruise before asking Sakura. "Was it
Shinji?"
The question came out sharper than he intended. Shirou knew about Sakura's brother—arrogant, entitled, prone to taking out his frustrations on those weaker than him. If that bastard had...
"No! Nee-san didn't…" Sakura shook her head quickly, her expression almost panicked. "I mean, Shinji didn't…"
Shirou and Sakura briefly stopped walking, and Shirou gazed at Sakura's purple eyes.
"I accidentally stumbled yesterday at home. I caught myself wrong and..." Sakura looked away, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. "Please don't worry about it, Senpai."
The Breidablik's pulse intensified slightly.
The divine artifact was somehow telling Shirou that whatever bruise Sakura had…
It was not just a bruise.
There were faint traces of something else… It was something the divine artifact recognized instinctively.
It was
magic… old magic, mixed with the
dark magic Shirou had sensed earlier via the Breidablik.
While both magic signatures were separate, both were… off in ways that Shirou couldn't yet understand.
Shirou's jaw tightened, but he forced himself to relax. Pushing now would only make Sakura retreat further. He'd learned that much over the months she'd been coming to help at his house.
Also, the masquerade of the Moonlit World was being applied. Thus, Shirou couldn't afford to act rashly.
In the end, Shirou decided to let this slide for now.
"Just... be more careful, okay?" Shirou said, his tone gentler. "Sakura, if you need anything…"
"I'll be fine, Senpai," Sakura interrupted, her smile returning though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you for worrying about me."
As much as Shirou noticed that Sakura was trying to assure him, he knew she was lying.
But Shirou let it go for now… for her sake and for the secrecy of the
Moonlit World.
They continued walking, the conversation shifting to safer topics—homework assignments, lunch menu speculation, and whether the archery club would practice today, given the weather.
When they reached the school grounds, the diverging paths became literal.
"I'll see you after classes, Senpai," Sakura said, bowing slightly.
"Yeah," Shirou replied. "Take care, Sakura."
Sakura headed toward the first-year building, her purple hair catching the morning light as she disappeared into the crowd of students.
Shirou watched her go for a moment longer than necessary.
Then, he turned toward his own building, climbing the stairs to the second-year hallway. Students milled about in clusters, some rushing to finish homework, others gossiping about whatever drama had unfolded yesterday.
He'd barely made it three steps inside when a familiar voice stopped him.
"Emiya."
Shirou turned.
Rin Tohsaka stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall with practiced casualness. Her dark hair was tied back in her signature twin-tails, and her brown eyes studied him with an intensity that made lesser students nervous.
She was eyeing him closely as if she was trying to assess him, akin to solving a particularly irritating puzzle.
"Tohsaka," Shirou acknowledged, keeping his expression neutral. "Is there something I can help you with?"