CHAPTER 4.1 - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Kotomine Kirei hadn't slept well in the past couple of days. As the priest in charge of Fuyuki City and the legal guardian of Tohsaka Rin, one of his responsibilities, apart from his religious duties and teaching the young heiress, was to conceal any instances of magical activity from the general public.

He let out a groan.

There had been a series of, clearly moonlit related, murders, numerous reports of shadow beasts prowling the city, and the destruction of an old factory followed by a peculiar red light beam from the sky. It seemed that something significant and insidious was happening in his city. While he was intrigued to see what would unfold next and how far it would go, he didn't relish the task of cleaning up the mess afterwards. His father had made it sound easy, but the reality was far from that.

Calling the church contacts in the police force, preventing the media from publishing articles and reports that came close to uncovering the truth of the moonlit world, and spreading rumors to obscure the reality were just a few of the measures he had to take.

He opened the notebook his father had left him, it was written by every church representatives of Fuyuki before him. It contained instructions for the church representative on how to handle situations like this. He hummed in silence, contemplating how to cover up the incident involving the old factory and the red light beam.

A gas leak? A classic and foolproof explanation. Let's see, an old gas pipe running beneath the abandoned factory, it develops a leak, and then explodes moments later. As for the light beam, chemicals from the abandoned factory mix with the gas, causing it to explode into a beam of light towards the sky.

Yes, that could work.

Of course, there were some inconsistencies, like the beam was actually descending instead of ascending, but he was exhausted and desperately needed sleep. The conspiracy theorists would have a field day with this, but he couldn't worry about that now.

"Is something troubling you, Kirei?" a voice called out to him.

As Kirei turned around, he laid his eyes upon a strikingly handsome young man with blood-red eyes and golden hair. The man wore a simple yet impeccably crafted v-neck shirt and long jeans. Casually seated on one of the church benches, he twirled a glass of wine in his hand.

His mere presence commanded respect, his gaze icy with a faint smirk gracing his face. He was the former Archer-class servant, the first human to enter the Throne of Heroes, and the greatest and oldest king of mankind. He was Gilgamesh of Uruk.

"My king..." Kirei bowed before him. "...yes, it appears that this city is in a state of chaos, and I have been occupied with covering it up."

Gilgamesh took a sip of the wine, his expression slightly contorting at its taste. Even the finest wine of this era barely met the lowest standards set by his discerning palate. Truly, humanity had regressed—it was a pitiful sight.

"Ah, yes, those pests..."

Gilgamesh was not a tolerant king, especially when his garden was infested with lurking pests. Dealing with such nuisances was beneath someone of his stature, and he refused to do so. Instead, he observed how the humans of this era handled the situation.

To say the least, he was very dissapointed.

"Have you found their nest yet, Kirei?" he asked.

To eliminate a pest infestation, one must first locate their nest, something Kirei should have already done if he were more competent.

"Not yet, my king..." Kirei replied.

Gilgamesh clicked his tongue, ceasing the swirling of his wine glass. "And why not? Tell me, Kirei."

If Kirei were a lesser man, he would have broken out in a cold sweat or even knelt before Gilgamesh. The sheer raw charisma emitted by Gilgamesh was enough to overwhelm the minds of the weak. However, that was not the case for Kotomine Kirei, a man of the cloth harboring emptiness within his body and mind. He was incapable of experiencing joy like others; instead, he found a semblance of happiness only in witnessing the misery of others. He viewed himself as irredeemable.

Without losing his calm and composure, Kirei responded to the golden king, "I can't, my king."

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow.

Kirei elaborated, "There are... voices in my head that prevent me from taking direct action. When I disregard those voices, I feel something gnawing at me from within."

Gilgamesh despised being lied to by others. In his mind, it was a sin deserving capital punishment. While his eyes may have lost their all-seeing ability, he could still discern and expose lies as easily as breathing.

As he scrutinized Kirei judgmentally, he concluded that Kirei was not lying.

"Hahahahahaha!" Gilgamesh burst into laughter.

Indeed, sparing this man's life had proven to be an amusing source of entertainment. An empty man plagued by voices in his head? How intriguing.

"You mentioned 'indirectly'," Gilgamesh remarked after he had finished laughing. "That means you have done something, albeit indirectly."

"Yes..." Kirei nodded. "Aside from concealing the situation from the ordinary citizens, I have informed my apprentice and the second owner of this city, the head of the Matou family, as well as the church."

"Is that the extent of your indirect actions?" Gilgamesh inquired.

"Yes..."

Gilgamesh laughed. It seemed he couldn't solely blame the priest for this situation. After musing for a while, he remembered another issue aside from the pests.

"Then..." Gilgamesh looked at the priest, "...what about the magical energy spikes throughout the city?"

Kirei shook his head. "I am ashamed to admit that I still have no leads on that, my king. However, I am certain that whatever or whoever caused it is at odds with the... pests."

"I see..." Gilgamesh finished the last sip of his wine before standing up. "Continue doing whatever you are currently doing." He walked toward the door.

"Understood. If I may ask, my king, where are you going?" Kirei inquired.

Without even turning, Gilgamesh replied, "That is none of your business."

"In that case, I pray that you enjoy your walk, my king," Kirei responded. Gilgamesh only scoffed in response.

Gilgamesh felt irritated, yet at the same time, he relished the unfolding entertainment. The pests were one thing, but those energy spikes from days ago—Gilgamesh needed to see and judge them for himself. He gazed upon the city, filled with morons who possessed not a single speck of worth. This weak era stood in stark contrast to what humanity should have become.

He suddenly halted, a scowl adorning his face as he stared into the distance.

Then, a smirk formed on his face. So, that was what had occurred. The spikes, the conflict with the pests—it all started to make sense. It wasn't what he initially anticipated, but he had no complaints.

Let the heroes of old show the humans of this era how it should be done.

...

"I see, he saw me too, huh," murmured a young boy, holding a ball in his hands.

Sha Naqba Imuru, The Omniscient Omnipotent Star.

A passive ability that spread across all corners of the world, akin to the brilliance of the stars. It had the power to see through all of creation, revealing the truth before its user. It unveiled paths and left nothing hidden from its gaze. This continuously active noble phantasm was possessed solely by the one and only King of Uruk. It was a noble phantasm that he had possessed since the moment he was born into the world.

Unfortunately, during his tyrant years, he lost this ability, or rather, he intentionally sealed it himself. In his rage against the gods, he deemed them unworthy of being seen. His hatred toward the divine beings led to a decrease in his divinity and temporarily caused him to lose his innate ability in his eyes. It was only after his journey and return as the wise King of Uruk that he regained Sha Naqba Imuru once again.

A child approached the young boy. "Gil, pass the ball!"

Snapped out of his musings, the young boy responded with a charming smile, "Okay, get ready. Here, catch!" He kicked the ball.

A group of children nearby played with each other.

The young boy couldn't help but contemplate what he had witnessed. Even without his eyes, his future self had managed to see and perceive him. He could only offer a weak smile—what a terrifying man he would become.

...

Hours before, in the early morning and Emiya Shirou was still fast asleep. Feeling warm, he snuggled the pillow closer. Then, he realized something—his face was buried in something soft. It had a cozy feeling, so he snuggled in even more.

"Ah~."

he heard a voice near him. Was it time to wake up? Slowly, he opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of... a buxom figure?

His eyes widened in surprise, and he tried to move away. However, something held his head and pulled him forward, burying his face into this mysterious chest.

"Are you awake, Anchin-sama?" he heard a soft-spoken voice.

He glanced up and saw a girl with long green hair and horns gazing affectionately at him. He noted the unusual horns on her head and the yellow eyes that reminded him of snakes. He attempted to move away again, but the mysterious girl kept him held closely to her chest. His struggle resulted in accidentally smothering his face even more against her chest.

"Mou, Anchin-sama," the girl shyly said. "...if you really wanted to do that, then..."

He alarmingly watched as the girl slowly began to slide her kimono off her shoulders. He wanted to say something, but the girl made a shushing motion with her hand, and for some reason, he couldn't open his mouth now!

W-What was happening here?!

His face grew hotter. Maybe she noticed how red his face had become because she stopped pulling her kimono.

"Oh dear, perhaps this might be too soon for you."

Yes! Yes, it was too soon. He didn't know what she intended to do, but Shirou could only scream in his head. However, the girl pulled him back, and considering her partially disrobed state, he ended up nestled directly against her cleavage.

"...?!"

"I missed you, Anchin-sama," she murmured softly before kissing his forehead. "Please don't leave me again, don't lie to me... again."

Shirou noticed the slight quiver in her voice. He saw how desperate she was, how much she was hurting. Suddenly, he hesitated and felt the need to comfort her.

But!

He steeled his will. He needed to address his situation first! He had to find a way to escape. He couldn't utter a word, and looking at the girl's happy smile, he doubted she would let him go anytime soon. What could he do?

Then he heard someone walking towards his room, and suddenly...

Swooooshh.

The sliding door of his room was opened, revealing a smiling Elizabeth.

"Puppy! It's morning, time to get... up?" Elizabeth's once bubbly expression slowly faded as she observed the scene before her.

Her puppy was currently being held closely by this... this... this hussy snake!

"Would you mind giving me and my Anchin some privacy here?"

"...?!"

Elizabeth's mouth opened and closed, then opened again. "Y-Y-You?! Get away from my puppy!" A giant spear materialized in Elizabeth's hand as an intimidating aura surrounded her.

The green-haired girl frowned at Elizabeth before kissing Shirou's forehead once more. She stood up, tidied up her kimono, and materialized a folding fan. With a glare, she confronted the intruder who dared to disrupt her quality time with her Anchin.

"The one who should get away is you!"

Shirou could feel the rising tension and temperature around him. He tried to pull himself up, wanting to stop the impending fight between the two girls. However...

"Prepare yourself!"

"Leave us alone!"

He was too late. Elizabeth and the green-haired girl rushed towards each other. Fortunately, someone swooped in and moved him away from his room, which had turned into a battlefield between these two girls.

...

"Now cut it like this," a red-haired woman, who could easily be described as motherly, showed Shirou how to cut vegetables.

He nodded and tried to imitate her. "Like this, Boudica-nee?"

Boudica, the red-haired woman, smiled and nodded. "Yes, be careful though. Don't let your eyes wander when you're cutting something, or you might get hurt."

"Okay."

"Also, don't forget to flip the omelettes, Master," Boudica reminded him.

Shirou nodded and continued cutting the vegetables laid out before him while keeping an eye on the omelettes. Boudica prepared the stir-fry and other side dishes beside him. After some time, she arranged a tray to bring their breakfast.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Elizabeth and Kiyohime sat on their knees with an irritated Tamamo standing in front of them.

"So," Tamamo forced a smile. "Please tell me, how did you two manage to destroy young master's room?"

"It was this hussy's fault!"

"This minx did it!"

They said simultaneously before glaring at each other.

"You're the one who drew your weapon first!" Kiyohime defended herself.

Elizabeth staggered a bit. It was the truth, but then she retorted, "And you shamelessly rubbed yourself on Puppy!"

"R-Rub? How vulgar! Just so you know, I was only spending quality time with my Anchin!"

"And that quality time involved holding Puppy's face against your chest?!" Elizabeth hissed.

"Just so you know, minx, Anchin-sama loves my chest," Kiyohime replied, looking down at Elizabeth. "Certainly... more than yours."

"....?!" Elizabeth was so agitated she couldn't even form words.

Seeing that the argument was going nowhere, Tamamo decided to step in. "Okay, you two, drop it. No more fighting, especially not inside the house."

Tamamo then looked at Kiyohime. "Kiyohime-san, please refrain from sneaking into young master's bed."

"...no promises," Kiyohime grumbled to herself.

Then Tamamo turned to Elizabeth. "And Elizabeth, please don't use your spear inside the house."

"Hmph," Elizabeth huffed, turning her head away.

Tamamo massaged her forehead, observing the two in front of her. Not long after that, Medea walked into the living room.

"I've finished fixing master's room," Medea announced.

Tamamo nodded. "Thanks, Medea."

Medea then sat down in the living room, slightly amused by Elizabeth and Kiyohime's antics. "You two really don't hold back at all. Young master's room was a mess."

Kiyohime averted her gaze and twirled her hair with her finger, pretending not to hear anything. Meanwhile, Elizabeth muttered, "Not my fault," before pouting.

Shirou and Boudica entered the room, carrying the breakfast they had prepared. Shirou couldn't help but sweatdrop as he observed the situation. It seemed that more of his other servants had started to announce their presence to him one after another. Kiyohime was one of the new servants, followed by Boudica, who had offered to teach him how to cook after hearing about it from Tamamo.

There was also one other person, the one who had saved him. Shirou looked around the room but couldn't find her. Did she leave?

"Are you looking for me, Master?"

"W-Whoa!" Shirou nearly dropped the tray he was carrying. He turned around and there she was—a woman with dark skin and long purple hair tied in a ponytail. She introduced herself as one of many, Hassan of Hundred Faces, and told him to call her Asako for convenience's sake.

Truthfully, Shirou didn't understand what she meant by "one of many," but he nodded anyway.

"Uh, yeah, would you like to join us for breakfast?" Shirou asked Asako.

"...yes, thanks for the invitation, Master."

"Also, thanks for saving me back there."

Asako smiled slightly. "You're welcome, Master." Being thanked felt like a foreign feeling to her.

"Okay, everyone, breakfast is ready," Boudica called out as she finished setting the food on the table. "Come and take a seat."

Not long after, Shirou found himself sandwiched between Kiyohime and Elizabeth. Despite their close proximity, the two managed to avoid each other's gaze. Shirou couldn't help but laugh a little. Across the table, Tamamo pouted while narrowing her eyes at both Kiyohime and Elizabeth.

He glanced at the other servants around the table. Asako ate in silence, Boudica smiled at him when she noticed his gaze, and Medea seemed to be holding back a laugh. He tried to focus on the meal, but the tension between Kiyohime and Elizabeth was palpable.

He decided to ignore it and asked, "Where are the other servants? Like Cu, Mordred, and Scathach-shisou?"

Tamamo replied, "Cu and Scathach have some work from the Overseer. Scathach also left a message for you. She said she will come back later to start your training."

Shirou hummed. "What about Mordred?"

"Most likely, she's still patrolling the city," Tamamo guessed, shrugging.

"Ah, the young Briton knight, right?" Boudica chimed in. "I saw her in Miyama town last night. I wanted to talk with her as a fellow Briton, but it seemed she had something on her mind."

"Speaking of other servants, you will soon meet some when we start our training, boy," Medea added.

"Hmm, really?"

"Yes, in fact, they are already in this house."

Now Shirou was confused. "Uhh, where are they then?" he asked, tilting his head.

Asako joined the conversation. "They are in the shed..." then she continued eating her portion of food in silence.

Medea giggled as she looked at Shirou's confusion. "Ufufufu, let's go meet them together after we finish our breakfast."

After they finished eating, Shirou, Medea, and Kiyohime headed to the shed. Elizabeth initially complained, stating that she was supposed to guard her Puppy and not some green-haired hussy. After some bickering that almost resulted in another fight, they decided to settle it with a game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who would accompany Shirou for the day.

Kiyohime won, leaving Elizabeth fuming and heading out by herself to who knows where.

As the group entered the shed, Shirou imagined a group of servants sitting in the cramped space. However, what he saw was different. There was a staircase on the floor of the shed leading down. Medea silently gestured for Shirou to follow her, and he did so with Kiyohime clinging to his side. As they descended, Shirou finally had a proper view of what lay beneath.

There was a sleek-looking hall, and they followed it to a large metallic sliding door. As it opened, a spacious room was revealed, filled with complex machinery and computers. In the center of the room was a giant hologram depicting a map of Fuyuki. From the looks of it, there were other doors leading to various other rooms. This particular room seemed to serve as the central hub.

Many people—or to be specific, servants—were present. Some waved their hands at him, and he shyly waved back. A.....robot? passed by him, nodding while emitting a small amount of steam.

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion occurred in one corner of the room. Shirou watched as a caped man looked annoyed and glared at... a lion man?

"Goddamnit Edison, I told you it wouldn't work!" the caped man spat.

The lion man growled. "It would if you let me tune it myself and stop bothering me. Your idea will drain our energy capacity in days! We can't use that for the long term."

"Then we'll find a way to generate more energy."

"As if we could get that easily, you numbnuts!"

"Say that again, you king of frauds!" The caped man's hand crackled with electricity.

"Oho, it seems today we're settling the score for good! Fine, ring the gong!"

Shirou grew worried watching the two argue, but a woman with a picturesque face called out to him. Her left hand was covered in a gauntlet, she held a massive staff, and a mechanical bird perched on her right shoulder.

"Don't worry about those two. That's how they usually interact with each other," she said nonchalantly.

She then continued, "Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you, Master. I am servant Leonardo Da Vinci. From now on, you can just call me Da Vinci-chan!"

She spread her arms as if showing something. "And welcome to the HQ base of Heroes Order!" She coughed a little. "...name pending, hehe."