CHAPTER 2.7 - SEE YOU LATER

"I hope we meet again soon, senpai," Sakura said with a hopeful tone.

Shinji rolled his eyes. They were just about to head back home, not go to war. Well, not that he would say that out loud. His sister was practically beaming with smiles now, thanks to a certain red-haired boy.

"Me too,"

Shinji gawked, he had had enough.

He pointed at Shirou and said, "Sakura, this guy will be going to our school later. You can always meet him there."

Then, he turned to Shirou directly. "And you! Learn to take a hint."

"What?" Shirou looked confused.

"Exactly," Shinji retorted.

With their goodbyes exchanged, Shinji and Sakura headed back home. However, as they walked, Sakura's brightened face slowly dimmed.

"Sakura..."

"Yes, nii-san?" she answered in a somewhat monotonous tone.

"We will meet him again," he reassured her.

Sakura opened her mouth in surprise before mustering a small smile. "Yes, thank you, nii-san."

The two of them continued walking in silence.

...

Elizabeth watched as the two kids who had played with her Puppy went back to their home. Normally, it would be absurd to have a servant, a genuine heroic spirit, acting as a babysitter, but she didn't mind.

Her Puppy was cute, and she had enjoyed her time with him so far. As for the other kids, Kitten was adorable. She had been bashful and reserved at first but became more open after spending time with her Puppy. Pig, on the other hand, needed a good slap in the face.

Her voice wasn't that bad!

Currently sitting on a bench, Elizabeth waited for Shirou, who had mentioned needing to go to the toilet. Now that she was alone, it was the perfect time for what she was about to do.

"Hey, you Rats! I know you're here," she called out, addressing no one in particular.

After a brief moment, the shadow beneath the bench rippled, and a lanky figure clad in black from head to toe, wearing a white skull mask, emerged.

"Awfully rude of you to call us like that," the man said in a heavily distorted voice.

Elizabeth scoffed. "You're all dressed in black, hiding in shadows, and there are many of you running around. You are Rats."

If the man was offended by her remark, he didn't show it.

"I don't understand why the Overseer feels the need to have you guard Puppy when I'm here," Elizabeth complained. "But that's not why I called you here..."

"I want one of you to follow those kids," she continued.

"We don't take orders from you, Blood Countess," the man replied.

"I know," Elizabeth hissed. "But we serve the same master." The man in black couldn't refute that.

"My instincts tell me that those two are hiding something, something hideous, especially Kitten. She hid it well, but I can sense faint traces of magical energy from her."

"A magus," the man in black stated simply.

"Most likely," Elizabeth agreed. "For now, just follow them. If you discover anything we should be concerned about, report back to the Overseer."

"Consider it done."