IBHJ 1006

"An ordinary magus from the Wandering Sea?" Hinako's voice dripped with skepticism as she eyed the screen. "That aura was anything but ordinary. What aren't you telling me, Marisbury?"

Marisbury's voice stayed calm, but with a subtle edge. "Believe what you will, but those are the facts. And Hinako, I need to remind you that digging into your colleagues' backgrounds isn't allowed. I'll let it slide this time, but next time, I'll have no choice but to take disciplinary action."

The screen went blank as Marisbury ended the call.

Hinako's expression clouded, her brow furrowing in frustration.

Gao Changgong spoke up beside her. "It seems we might have jumped to conclusions, Lady Hinako."

She shook her head. "No, Changgong. Divination is what I do best – I couldn't have read the signs wrong. Marisbury's always keeping things close to the chest. Sure, he's the founder of Chaldea and Solomon's Master, but while I respect his position, I don't trust the man himself." She paused, remembering something. "Hey, do you remember the prophecy of Bai Ze when we asked about the entrance to the Kunlun Mirror with the young emperor?"

Gao Changgong frowned, remembering the prophecy. "Beware," he whispered, "when a Black Sun climbs the sky from the west. It will swallow those who look only to the future, blinding them with darkness..." He stopped suddenly. "Wait.."

His eyes widened as he turned to her. "Lady Hinako, are you suggesting there might be a Council spy within Chaldea?"

She nodded grimly. "We've always assumed it was about the China Connection Point, but after Prince Dan's interpretation, I started to have doubts. Daji's actions back then also point to this possibility. That's why I've stuck around in Chaldea since the China incident."

"You think Ayaka Sajyou might be...?"

"I'm not sure, but her aura earlier was too strange, even odder than mine. I wanted to see what the others had to say about it."

She then contacted Romani and Kirschtaria, but they said the same things as Marisbury. However, one thing Kirschtaria said caught her attention.

"Wait, you're saying the Wandering Sea wouldn't care about the Human Order or the Council?"

Kirschtaria nodded slowly. "Based on what we know about those big names, that's the logical conclusion. But here's the weird part - Chaldea's records clearly show that Ayaka Sajyou comes from the Wandering Sea."

"That's strange..." Hinako was concerned about this point but couldn't explain why. She turned to her Servant. "What do you make of this, Changgong?"

Without hesitation, he replied, "Someone has altered Lady Ayaka's background."

"My thoughts exactly," Kirschtaria said. "If Ayaka really came from the Wandering Sea, she'd be exceptional in some way. But she's... ordinary. Even as a Master, she doesn't stand out. Her abilities don't match up with where she's supposed to be from." He gave Hinako a probing gaze. "Unless you're asking me to investigate this while keeping something from me, Hinako."

She pushed up her glasses. "I'm not hiding anything, and your guesses are exactly the same as mine."

Kirschtaria's eyes glinted with a shrewd light. "Is that right? Then let me take another guess. Ayaka has a strange aura about her, and you think she might be spying for the Council. You also suspect my mentor, Marisbury, is being secretly controlled by them. So, not trusting Marisbury, you've turned to me - someone clearly outside Chaldea but with authority - to investigate. And who knows? You might even suspect me, considering handing this task to Lord El-Melloi II or Romani instead."

Hinako's eye twitched, a tell she couldn't quite suppress. She pushed up her glasses, her voice clipped. "That's ridiculous. There's nothing of the sort."

Gao Changgong watched the exchange, sighing internally. You've played right into his hands, Lady Hinako.

"Oh? My mistake then. Seems I let my imagination run wild," Kirschtaria smiled. "Either way, Ayaka's peculiarities don't match up with what we know about her. You'll have to figure out the specifics yourself. The team leader and I still need to deal with this Connection Point, so I'll have to cut our chat short."

Without waiting for a response, he ended the call.

Hinako fell silent for a moment, then turned to Gao Changgong, her eyes narrowed. "Changgong, do you think he really saw through my intentions?"

"Of course not, Lady Hinako," he replied smoothly.

Hinako's expression darkened. "Tell me the truth," she demanded.

Gao Changgong hesitated, then sighed. "...He saw through everything, but to avoid creating tension between you two, he pretended not to notice."

Hinako's face clouded over even more. She turned away, lips pressed into a thin line, clearly sulking.

Gao Changgong felt a headache coming on. Hinako's mood swings were as predictable as they were impossible to navigate - lie to her, and she'd get angry; tell her the truth, and she'd be even more furious.

Still, Ayaka having secret was hardly surprising. After all, Hinako herself had her own secrets.

But what exactly was Ayaka hiding?

Could she be the Council spy that Lady Hinako was so desperately searching for within Chaldea?

Questions swirled in Gao Changgong's mind, each one leading to more uncertainties.

...

Naive, timid, immature...

Kiara Sessyoin felt suffocated when she thought of Demonic Bodhisattva's words.

"Kiara? Is everything okay?"

She turned to see Ayaka approaching, concern written all over her face.

"Still thinking about what Demonic Bodhisattva said?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that—" She waved her hands, trying to dismiss the idea.

Ayaka's lips curved into a knowing smile. She gathered her long skirt and settled next to Kiara. "Come on, Kiara. I can tell when you're not being honest."

"Mm." Kiara's shoulders slumped, her gaze dropping to the ground.

"What did she say to you?"

Kiara was quiet for a moment, then looked up at her. "Ayaka, what does it mean to be mature?"

Ayaka's brow furrowed. "Why do you ask?"

Kiara's voice quavered as she spoke. "My other self said I'm too immature. I always feel like I'm too naive, holding everyone back, always relying on Mr. Shirou. He's never said anything, but... he must think I'm a burden, right?"

She paused, her brow furrowing. "What even is maturity? Is it being brave and fearless like Mr. Shirou? Or is it giving in to your desires like my other self? I just don't understand. The world out there... it's nothing like I imagined."

"He's not brave and fearless," Ayaka said quietly.

Kiara blinked. "What?"

"Fujimaru," Ayaka clarified. "He's just as confused and scared as the rest of us. He's terrified of my sister Manaka, and he's uncertain about his future. There's no such thing as someone who's completely brave and fearless. Even my sister Manaka, connected to the Root as she is, has her fears and doubts about the future."

Kiara's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know all this? I thought you and your sister didn't get along. And isn't she... isn't she dead in the future?"

Ayaka took a deep breath. "It's... just my speculation, but I think she's more confused about the nature of love and desire. Even though she's connected to the Root with some degree of omniscience and omnipotence, she lacks human emotions. She can't truly feel the fulfillment and joy that make people happy. She's a born vessel. If she could just stay that way, it would be fine, but... she's chasing after the fulfillment that people talk about."

She paused, collecting her thoughts. "So when she finds what she believes fulfillment really is, she pursues it relentlessly. It's the only real feeling in the endless chaos for her. But all she gets is death and betrayal, leading to... well, the mess we're in now. That's why, even with all her power and knowledge, she's still confused."

"You sound like you know a lot about your sister," Kiara mumbled.

Ayaka turned to face her. "That's why I said it's just speculation. And you know what? Even that Beast version of you probably isn't completely selfish or consumed by desire. If she was, she's had plenty of chances to kill you. But she always comes up with strange reasons to spare you. Maybe... maybe she's hoping that you, her complete opposite, will someday defeat her for good."

"Really?" Kiara's eyes widened.

Ayaka shrugged slightly. "It's just a possibility." She turned to Kiara, her expression softening. "Now, about what maturity is... To be honest, I'm not sure either. But once, in a dream I can barely remember, someone told me this: maturity is when you no longer ask what maturity is."

"Maturity is when you no longer ask what maturity is..." Kiara repeated softly, letting the words sink in. Then she looked up at Ayaka, a small smile playing on her lips. "You know, that doesn't sound like something you'd say, Ayaka."

"Oh?" Ayaka tilted her head. "Who does it sound like, then?"

Kiara's smile widened. "It sounds like something Mr. Shirou would say."

Ayaka was stunned for a moment. Then she burst into laughter. "You're right! It does sound just like something he would say, doesn't it?"