16 Planning for the future

"See you later, Nagumo-kun." Yin said as she put her outside shoes on, nodding at Hajime while Daisuke glared at him from around a nearby corner.

It seems he didn't want to ruin his image in front of someone so famous. He acted polite but Yin could see the ill intent behind his halfassed facade. Daisuke Hiyama was just a jealous asshole who let his lust and envy guide him.

"Ah- See you later, Okada-san." Hajime replied, a little taken back by Yin dropping the formalities so soon.

To be fair, they started getting along pretty well. Hajime liked games, anime, novels and manga. Not to the point where you could call him an otaku or anything, he was more a casual enjoyer, like many other Japanese teens. But he did have his guard up while talking to her. She was famous after all, so they lived in different worlds, he thought. But he could see becoming her friend, if his classmates could get off his back anyway.

Yin glanced behind her, seeing Hajime begin to walk home. While a particularly annoyed looking Daisuke followed behind him. As he reached out for Hajime, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him behind a corner with such force Daisuke almost dislocated his arm.

"Oi Nag-Uuoh!" Daisuke groaned as he hit the concrete wall separating the street and the residential area nearby.

Yin's hand clamped over Daisuke's upper face in a vice grip, covering his eyes.

"Listen and listen well, shit stain. I'll only say this once. Leave him the hell alone. I'm saying this for your benefit too. You won't like what happens to you if you keep this up."

"Aaaaauugh! Letgo! Letgo!" Daisuke cried out in pain, trying to pry the iron grip off his face.

Her hand pulled back, jerking Daisuke's head back on the ground. As soon as he glared back up, he saw nobody but a few passerbys walking down the opposite street. He cursed, legs wobbly as he stood up with a headache.

"Nagumo..." Daisuke cursed before holding his head and walking home.

A few minutes later, Yin returned home. She could have gotten back early but walking the streets of Japan was proving to be a novel feeling for her. She felt somewhat nostalgic but she couldn't remember ever going to Japan in her last life, or what she remembered her last life to be.

Disregarding the feeling, Yin stepped into her workshop room.

"Steyr Aug, Kriss Vector, Famas, Ruger Redhawk.. Yeah, I'm going to have to find someone to buy the blueprints from. Japan's strict about guns." Yin mused, looking over her workbenches and spotting something that looked like a gold coin.

"What's this..?" Yin picked it up, observing it until she received a message.

[Alert! Subroutine: Blueprints found. Integrate?]

'Is this a store dor blueprints or something to help in the crafting process?' Yin asked herself while she hit 'Yes'.

[Blueprints subsystem integrated. Acquire blueprints to add to the system's database. With the blueprints and raw materials, the subsystem can assist in crafting, dismantling, forging and smelting.]

"So now I just need the actual hard blueprints. Don't suppose Googling a diagram of it would be enough?" Yin asked, hearing another system notification.

[Insufficient. Disassembling weapons would prove more effective, but not as much as a complete and comprehensive set of blurprints with all materials involved.]

Yin hummed thoughtfully. 'Yeah, it couldn't be that easy. Anyone can just look up a weapon diagram. I need to get in contact with someone. Let's look around the workshop more.'

Yin began to look around the workshop, mostly finding a variety of tools until she stopped at a desk full of papers. Names, some of companies and some of people. On one sheet was the name 'Lockheed Martin'. Yin's eyes lit up as she discovered what it was.

"Insider contacts. I doubt I have the money for jets. Some of these could work though.. 'Fabrique Nationale' is a firearm manufacturer, if I remember correctly?" Yin took a seat and started to think.

'Now that I think about it, the clan could use some of Earth's tech. Wouldn't need to go scavenging for dust or, worse ideas like raiding the SDC mining operations. I have a lot of calls to make..' Yin sighed before picking up her phone.

-The next day-

Yin had tiredly arrived at school. The calls had taken hours, dragging on until well past midnight. But the emails with dozens of blueprints made the tiredness worth it. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say the blueprints could secure the Branwen clan's future. Weapons, wind turbines, solar panels, vehicles. Though it was quite pricey, it would prove to be worth it.

As soon as Yin put her school shoes on, she heard an excitable female voice call to her.

"Natsume-chan!" A rather active Shizuku ran over from the nearby hall as soon as she spotted Yin.

"Good morning, Shizuku. You're.. chipper this morning?" Yin's smile strained as Shizuku smirked deviously.

"Not used to getting up early anymore hm? Nothing some exercise can't fix. Oh and some canned coffee. The club has a minifridge full of drinks. I'm sure they won't mind if you take one. Come on! I'll show you clubroom." Shizuku took Yin's hand, leading her over to the Kendo club.

They managed to pass by a few students who frequently come in early too. It seemed Kaori, Kouki and Ryutaro all like to come in early and chat at their desks. Yin spotted Kaori waving at her with a mirthful smile as she was dragged off by Shizuku. Yin stepped into the clubroom, which resembled a dojo, internally praising the classic Japanese decor.

"Here. Coffee? Tea?" Shizuku opened a small minifridge and asked.

"Anything that's not Prime. Thanks." Yin replied as she was handed a can of coffee.

"I like it. I've never been to any clubroom like this. Heh.. I've never been to a clubroom, now I think about it." Yin said, watching Shizuku proudly smile.

"Sorry you missed out on this stuff. I know you were always busy but I wanted to bring you to do stuff like this. Say, you're not busy after school, right?" Shizuku asked as Yin cracked the can open and chugged the coffee.

"I'm free for a few weeks. Had to make a lot of business calls yesterday.. That's why I'm so tired." Yin informed, hearing Shizuku chortle.

"Showbusiness stuff huh? Well maybe shaking that rust off will take your mind off it. Just come here after class. I have a surprise." Shizuku smirked.

'I bet you anything it's a one on one sparring match. Should I hold back? ....Nah. Feels insulting if I didn't use my skills to their fullest.' Yin hummed before smiling back.

"Looking forward to it~" Shizuku shivered when she heard the 'playful' response from Yin.

As usual, the school day passed. Classes apart from Japanese history had been difficult. Kouki kept praising Kaori for talking with Hajime, Ryutaro kept scoffing at their interaction and Shizuku gave Hajime an apologetic smile. Hajime simply tried to mind his own business, even despite Daisuke antagonizing him.

Yin had let Daisuke do as he pleased to gauge Hajime's reactions. She was pretty disappointed when he just stood there and took it. The bullying wasn't extreme, as Kouki would quickly put an end to that, but it was noticable to those who really looked. It seemed only Yin, Shizuku and a few other bystanders were the ones who noticed.

After school Yin said her goodbyes to Hajime and Kaori before heading to the Kendo club. Shizuku was already there, in her training equipment.

"Welcome to your surprise! What better way to shake off the rust with some live sparring eh?" Shizuku asked, looking particularly pleased with herself.

"Of course.. You were always like this after all." Yin took note of the equipment set aside for her and started putting it on before picking up the wooden sword used for practice.

"Alright! Ready? Hits to the head, neck, shoulders, arms and chest only. We have the equipment dor a reason." Shizuku explained before holding the shinai up.

"Ready." Yin replied, taking a loose stance.

"Hah!" Shizuku immediately went for the attack, which was blocked by Yin, who took half a step forward and hit Shizuku's guard with the same strength Shizuku used to attack her.

"Not bad..! Guess your body remembers.." Shizuku muttered, unaware of Yin's predatory smile.

WHAM! SMACK!

Shizuku pressed on regardless, but Yin was like a wall. No matter where she poked and attacked, she was strong everywhere. Then Yin returned the attacks after receiving more than ten, pushing Shizuku back with controlled strikes. Then, she scored a point, hitting Shizuku's shoulder before stepping back.

"Haah.. W-Woah. Have you been training this whole time..? Here I was, thinking I'd help you shake off rust but damn.." Shizuku caught her breath and readied herself to face her friend again.

WHAM! SMACK! SMACK!

Going all in, Shizuku did her utmost to bypass Yin's guard, but it was no use. Minute movements, the turning of her hips and her precise blocks thwarted all of her attempts. She wasn't impossible to push back, in fact, Shizuku put Yin's strength on par with her own. Which was completely strange to her, given her job as a singer, yes. But more so the fact that between everyone, there are people close to each other in physical strength, but there will always be someone just a bit stronger. But facing her friend was like a mirror match. Shizuku attacked first and Yin adjusted to her strength and technique.

Eventually, Shizuku fell into a trance as she sparred with her friend. She stopped speaking and took in everything Yin was doing. She hadn't even realized she made tiny corrections in her form from watching Yin's. Only after the tenth hit she sustained did she snap out of it.

"Alright, I think that's enough. The sun's going down." Shizuku blinked, snapping out of her trance and looking outside at the setting sun.

"H-How..? It's.. I thought it was only an hour..?" Shizuku removed her protective helmet and gawked, sweat rolling down her face.

Yin removed the helmet and set it aside, smirking at her.

'As expected of an Isekai swordswoman. She was adapting during the fight. Mmh.. I'll teach her, Kaori and Hajime when we arrive. The rest can all fuck off.' While Yin was thinking of the future, Shizuku glanced over at her in fascination.

No sweat could be seen on her. Not an ounce of fatigue whatsoever. And the more Shizuku looked, the more she felt Yin's presence in her mind change. Some kind of prodigy. Shizuku squashed the small jealously rising in her heart and looked at her friend with appreciation.

"Want me to walk you home? I think everyone else has left by now." Yin asked, snapping Shizuku back to reality.

"Oh! Sure.. I'm sure Dad would like to see you again. Said you had martial talent and whatever.." Shizuku coughed, putting the equipment away.

"Did he now? I'm actually interested in picking up a few things. You never know.. You could have your shinai knocked out of your hand against an attacker, right?" Yin asked, helping her lock up the clubroom and leave with her.

"I guess that's especially true for you.. You could have stalkers." Shizuku frowned when she thought about it.

"I'm not worried. But I think if anyone needs to learn stuff like that, it's you, Shirasaki and Nagumo." Yin replied as they walked downstairs and put their outside shoes on.

"Hm? Nagumo? I mean.. I've tried getting Kaori to learn but it's just.. not in her nature, you know?" Shizuku heard a rather disdainful chortle at her words.

"Disregarding Shirasaki.. Nagumo is getting harassed by that Hiyama guy. It's not so bad in class, otherwise Amanogawa, preaching about good morals and justice would step in. Not a fan of him, by the way." Yin said, stepping outside with Shizuku.

"I mean... I know Hiyama's been giving him a hard time. So I encourage Nagumo to stand up for himself. He probably feels trapped, by the glares he gets for talking to Kaori and now you. I think he should fight back if Hiyama ever crosses the line but.. It's precarious. Kouki could interpret that a few ways.." Shizuku sighed, as the problem led right back to her troublesome friend.

"He's a hypocrite. Praising justice and morals while looking down on Nagumo. Saying how 'nice' Shirasaki is, just to be talking to him. Probably doesn't even realize he's doing it." Shizuku stayed silent, pondering Yin's words.

"Reality's gonna hit him, hard."

'I wanna see him keep that virtuous and moral high ground when everything goes to Hell.' Dark thoughts emerged in Yin's mind as she thought of what will happen once they all get transported to the new world.

[AN: So I released the Worm/Fate chaps. Called 'WORM: Fate-ful Encounters' co-authored by Geokit. Sorry for being late]