Fool's World: The Hermit (ch. 11)

My entire body felt like it was filled with lead. The exhaustion I felt seemed to have seeped deep into my bones, making them ache with even the smallest of movements, while every muscle I had was sore. And any attempt to massage the pain away just made it more pronounced. This must be the effects of mana exhaustion, I realized as I sank deeper into a tub of steaming hot water. Though, if I sank any lower, I think I might actually drown, because I wasn't sure if I would have the strength to keep my head above the water.

I felt it once before, however briefly, back when Touko showed me how to use my magic circuits. I had so little mana that using them once tired me out, but likewise, since I had so little, I was replenished just as fast.

This was an extreme version of that. It felt like as soon as I produced any mana, it went to either Rider or Saber. Saber in particular was a glutton. Though I noticed I also got better returns with her than I did with Rider.

"Shall I pull your head up, Master?" Rider questioned, her voice ringing out in my mind as I involuntarily slipped another inch down, bringing my nose dangerously close to the surface of the water. I seriously just about died without even realizing it.

"I'd appreciate it," I said, before Rider materialized in the bathroom and pulled me up a bit so I didn't drown in the tub like an idiot. I let out a breath of relief -- though I noted I was pruned up. I had wasted a good hour soaking in the tub, trying to get rid of the exhaustion that plagued me. "Thanks. You saved me."

To that, Rider said nothing, but I got the distinct impression that she wasn't impressed with me. Fair. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh as Rider dematerialized. Looking within myself, I formed my Trigger. The mental image needed to activate my circuits.

Getting punched in the face.

In response, my magic circuits flared. All sixteen of them. Each one produced fifteen units of mana. My mana production had skyrocketed over the course of a single night. According to Touko's lessons, I should have more than enough to be considered a fully-fledged mage and support a Servant. Two would be a bit much, but… I was being drained dry. Wasn't the Grail supposed to cover some of the mana cost? It felt like I was shouldering the entire load myself.

I felt water drizzle over my head, before a thick glob of soap was added on top. Rider's fingers lathered it up, threading through my hair. I was a bit surprised, but I was more curious than anything -- why did she suddenly decide to wash my hair? "You were not chosen by the Holy Grail," Rider informed me, as if sensing my thoughts.

"So, a glorified cup is punishing me?" I questioned, finding that having my hair washed by someone else was rather enjoyable. In fact, it felt so that I think I was about to pass out.

"That is the most likely case. The Holy Grail does possess a will of its own, even if its consciousness is not what you would understand. The Holy Grail chooses seven Masters, yet you inserted yourself into this War. Additionally, you took on another Servant, preventing another chosen master from gaining one. I suspect that it is not shielding you as much as it would a proper Master from Saber's mana cost." That did make sense.

"I'm going to turn that Grail into a coffee cup when I'm done with it," I muttered to myself. The Holy Grail was an asshole.

Rider let out a soft chuckle, appearing genuinely amused with my plight. It didn't really suit her image. Rider carried herself with a chilling air, a subtle menace -- I doubt she'd feel bad for a moment if she held my head under the water until the bubbles stopped rising. She was deadly. Yet, surprisingly gentle deep down. Especially where Sakura was concerned. "Your suffering is not in vain. Any other Master would have been forced to release the other Servant, else they would die from mana exhaustion. Yet, you simply create more magic circuits. Your body is incredible -- the more it is strained, the more it produces to meet the demands placed upon it."

As if to prove her correct, I felt the formation of another magic circuit, bringing my total up to seventeen. I felt my bones' deep exhaustion lessen ever so slightly. And, to my faint surprise, Saber didn't immediately drain me of it.

"Hm," I muttered as Rider washed the soap from my hair. "Hey, Rider -- do you know any magic you could teach me?" I asked. My logic was simple. If my body produced more magic circuits the more it was strained, then I simply needed to up the strain. Then I could support Rider and Saber and be more than a glorified mana battery.

"None. My legend ended long before the era of magecraft. You will be better off asking your brother, though I doubt he will be able to help much." She added, a frown audible in her voice. It turned out Kiritsugu was a pretty shitty teacher. Shirou had been cannibalizing his nerves to create magic circuits this entire time, which was apparently incredibly dangerous to the point that it was nothing short of an actual miracle that Shirou wasn't dead.

Rider had showed him how to activate his dormant circuits, and apparently, they had diminished in quality since he hadn't used them for a decade. I wasn’t sure what he was doing now. I was practically dead this morning, and even a few hours after breakfast, I was still dead on my feet. All I knew was that he had access to his circuits in full now.

"Hm," I muttered. I wouldn’t be so quick to discount Shirou as a source of magecraft. Touko was in the wind, and I could only guess when she would show up again. Hopefully when she did show up, it'd be with news on whether the Grail was busted or not. However, if I couldn’t rely on her or Shirou… then maybe I could ask Rin? We had a treaty of some kind -- I did remember shaking her hand and feeling bad for getting blood on it, but I really couldn’t recall what we had agreed upon.

Regardless, it was time to get up. I summoned up my strength and forced myself out of the bath. Rider handed me a towel to dry myself down with and when she saw that I didn’t need any help dressing myself, she dematerialized in golden sparks of light. The trickle of mana I was able to hold onto was enough to get the ball rolling -- I was still on empty, but there was a trickle of gas entering the tank.

Pushing my hair back, I saw that I more or less looked my usual self. Though, I was short a jacket on account of the fact that mine got wrecked during the fight.

I stumbled into the living room to see Sakura there with my jacket -- a sewing kit in her hand as she stitched up my sleeve. She met my gaze for a moment before she looked away.

“I’m sorry, but we didn’t have any black thread,” Sakura informed me, breaking the thread before passing me the jacket, still not looking at me. I don’t think she liked me very much. I had stumbled upon something she would rather keep hidden, and now… I think she was afraid that I would tell the others. So far, I hadn’t given her any reason to trust that I wouldn’t.

But, that was fine. I wasn’t helping her because I wanted gratitude.

“Thanks,” I said, noting that the white thread stood out quite a bit against the black fabric, but the cross stitch didn’t look bad. Not on the sleeve or where I got stabbed in the back. “Is Shirou here?” I asked, and Sakura shook her head.

“He’s next door checking on Miss Fujimura,” she informed me, and I guess I could cross Shirou off the list. Couldn’t exactly walk into a den of Yakuza when they were were after my head.

“In that case, I’m heading out,” I told her, shrugging on the jacket. That caught Sakura’s attention, making her look up at me. “Are you good being here alone?”

Sakura seemed to search for an answer before she looked away, “I can join Senpai,” she said, standing up. I nodded before I escorted her to the door, my hands tucked into my pockets. It was a little wild that I was currently staying at a house that was next door with a Yakuza group that wanted my head. I thought they had been following me, but they were just guarding their home.

Stepping through the gate, I saw a few posted guards. Eight of them set up at the gate of the next manor, and every single one of them looked right at me. One spat on the ground as he looked away, but another met my gaze and offered a nod. Sakura greeted him with a small wave, and I guess they knew each other. But, before she walked away, Sakura looked back to me. “Please be careful. Senpai would be very sad if something happened to you.” she said, giving me a polite bow before she walked away.

I watched her for a moment, but said nothing before I walked off in the opposite direction.

It was nice to confirm that I didn’t have to worry about the Fujimura family. For now, at least. Based on what I saw, that politeness wouldn’t last forever, and I couldn’t expect to stretch that favor I earned by protecting Taiga forever. Meaning that I might need to look for a different place to stay.

We had the hotel that I paid through the week for. However…

“I have an apartment in the city,” I muttered. I had discovered the property back in Mifune. I hadn’t visited it on the account that I figured the Yakuza were watching it. But, at this point, it was probably safer than Shirou’s residence. Not to mention, it could have something of note about me inside. All I had from the manor in Mifune was the journal that was written in code, which I still couldn’t make heads or tails of.

Actually…

I think I know what I’m going to do today.

…

The Tohaska estate was a rather old-looking building made of red brick, with slow encroaching vines that covered a good portion of it, including the metal post fence that blocked off the land. It was a two-story building, but it seemed like it was tall enough to be three stories, with plenty of windows, but all the curtains were all drawn up. There didn’t seem to be anyone home, I noted as I lifted and brought down the metal latch to the gate.

I had absolutely no clue how someone inside was supposed to hear me banging on a latch outside, well over ten feet away from the front door. More shockingly, it actually seemed to work, because a long minute later, the door opened up and Rin appeared on the other side of the door. She was wearing a red long sleeve shirt that was paired with a black mini-skirt and black thigh-high stockings. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a haughty look on her face. She didn’t welcome me inside.

“When we agreed to make a non-aggression pact, that doesn’t mean you can show up at my house like this.” she said with warning, her arms shifting to give me a view of the crescent arcs representing a Command Seal on the back of her hand.

Ah, so it was a non-agression pact? “My bad. I lost a lot of blood yesterday. I thought we had an alliance,” I apologized, offering a small bow of my head. When she thought I wasn’t looking, I saw her face morph through a number of different expressions -- disbelief, annoyance, before settling on thoughtful. Raising my head, I continued. “I had a favor to ask. Would you hear me out?”

Rin looked to the side, pursing her lips in consideration. “I suppose I can hear you out at least, but I make no promises that I'll help you. Non-agression pact or not, we're still enemies," she said.

"Really? That's a shame," I remarked as Rin stepped out of her home. She draped a red coat over her shoulders a second before the door closed. Behind her I caught a glimpse of a man around my height, dark skin with white hair and what appeared to be silver eyes as he dematerialized. A unique-looking fellow.

"Well? What's this favor?" Rin questioned and I presented my journal to her as she neared. She eyed it, opening the gates before taking it from me. She flipped it open and her brow furrowed when she saw it was written in code. "Does this belong to one of the Masters?"

I nodded, "Technically. The Non-aggression pact has a no-take backsies clause, right?" I questioned as I began walking. I was really regretting throwing my bike now. Walking everywhere kinda sucked. Rin quickly walked alongside me, drilling a hole in the side of my head with her questioning look.

"If you have to ask that, I'm tempted to say no," she remarked to me. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but… the Grail War has officially started. All seven Servants have been summoned, and their Masters chosen. Meaning that there are five other Masters that I can team up with if you can't pull your weight." Rin warned, and I expected nothing less from one of the founding families.

I offered her a small smirk, "Four Masters," I corrected, making her eyes widen. For a moment she seemed shocked, and not in a good way.

"You killed a Master?" she ventured, and that wasn't the reaction I expected. Touko… honestly, what were you even teaching me? Was I wrong about Rin too? And Magi in general? So far, the column for things I was right about was rather empty in comparison to the wrong column.

Shaking my head, I soothed her worries. "No. I made a contract with another Servant. Saber. But I only have Rider with me," I told her, and this time she didn't bother hiding her expression. It twisted from anger, to murderous wrath, before she looked disappointed and settled on a pout. Then she kicked me in the leg. "Snooze, you lose," I said with exactly zero remorse.

Rin let out a humph, flicking one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "It's fine. Saber was my first choice, but I'm more than capable of winning the Grail War with Archer. This just means when it comes down to the two of us, you'll actually pose a challenge." she replied, her tone haughty, even as she glared daggers at me. "Is that why you were worried about me breaking the Non-aggression pact? I'm not that petty, you know."

I didn't believe that for one second.

"No. That journal? It's mine," I told her, making her jaw drop. "It's a bit of a long story, but basically I lost all my memories before a couple of weeks ago. So, I have no clue what it says. I'm going to one of my apartments to see if it has any clues, but it could have traps that I forgot about. And since I don't actually know any magecraft, I need your help disabling them."

Rin stopped walking alongside me, openly gaping at me as I kept moving. My address actually wasn't too far away, maybe it was another mansion instead of an apartment? I had multiple mansions? That seemed wasteful. Actually, it was really close. Rin and I were practically neighbors?

"Yoooouuuu…!" Rin growled out, marching next to me. The cool and calm air she carried herself with yesterday wasn't to be found. "You can't even call yourself a magus! Do you even know what the five elements are?! Do you know how to make a Pass?!" she demanded, and it seems I had wounded her pride. My lips twitched up into a smile -- I liked Rin better like this. She was… feisty. In the same way that Nobara was.

"You look great in that outfit," I replied without missing a beat, making Rin choke on a breath she was taking as she prepared to berate me some more. She blushed all the way to her ears, her going jaw slack as she was taken completely off guard. Then she looked away sharply.

"Not that kind of pass, idiot," Rin mumbled, sounding annoyed, but not displeased.

I chuckled as I came to a stop at the end of the street. I looked at my phone and saw that the address lined up. Behind the gate was a rather large building -- another mansion all right. It stood out in comparison to the others, an odd blend of old Japanese styles with the layering of floors, yet it had a sleek modern vibe to it because the walls appeared to be made out of tinted glass.

"This gaudy place is your home? I remember when the neighborhood association threw fits about its construction. You cost me a lot of sleep, you know?" Rin informed me as I eyed the place. No signs of forced entry. Actually, it was the exact opposite. There was a small yard between the gate to the front door, more of a garden really, and it was so neatly trimmed that it was like each blade of grass was cut with a pair of scissors and a ruler.

I said nothing as I spotted the buzzer. I pressed it instead of responding. No response. Pressed again. No response. Right.

As I started to climb over the fence, Rin seemed a bit worried. "You're just going to break in?"

"Can it be considered breaking in if you own the place?" I asked. Rin considered it a moment before she too jumped the fence. I eyed the front door for a moment -- I didn't have a key. So, I lashed out with my foot and caught the door near the lock, and kicked it open. No alarm went off. Rin sputtered for a moment at my entrance, but she followed me in all the same.

We entered an expansive living area -- a massive TV, just like the one at my other place, various luxury appliances, and everything was squeaky clean.

"I'm not sure what you're looking for. I'm not sensing a bounded field here…" Rin spoke up, eyeing me with some suspicion. It was easy to guess why. I was a magus and I never stopped by to introduce myself.

"I probably didn't know how to make one. As far as I know, the only magecraft I could do was a geas," I told her, making her eyes narrow ever so slightly. A geas that I had been rather liberal with. Which was why I was here. I needed to know something about my past actions. About what Mikoto Majima had done with the little magecraft he had.

Rin said nothing to that and just sighed, seeming to accept that. "I am sensing mana here, though." She informed me, watching me carefully. I wasn't sure how much faith she was really giving me, but… she did seem to relax ever so slightly when I met her gaze evenly. She walked away, drawn to the sense of mana, and I followed her. A minute later, I found myself standing in front of a heavy-looking bulkhead door. The kind that looked like it could repel a shot from a tank.

Rin placed a hand on it. "Still no bounded field. Looks like you used mundane means to protect your workshop," she noted ,and that caught my attention. Then I felt like kicking myself. Of course -- just because Mikoto couldn't get into the family workshop didn't mean he wouldn't make his own. "Archer?"

In response, Archer appeared. His back was faced to me, revealing he had on an odd red coat that was less of a proper coat and more like two sleeves held together with a clasp. He held out a hand and light gathered in his palm before it was shaped into a short sword. A black blade comprised of hexagonal patterns with a handle just large enough to fit a single large hand.

Huh.

Archer forced the tip of the blade into the gap of the bulkhead door before swiftly yanking his arm down. When he was done, the sword faded from existence and he opened the bulkhead door. After checking it for traps, he dipped into a bow that felt distinctly mocking, "Master, a fool's workshop awaits," he said in a calm tone, looking at me.

I wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting, but I don't think he got it.

"Thank you, Archer," Rin said, stepping inside. I noticed that she didn't say anything about his 'fool' comment. I followed her in, and…

Instantly, my eyes were drawn to the pentagram drawn on the floor of a rather spacious basement. The same one used to summon a Servant -- wait… no, it was different than the one in Shirou's shed. It was…

The summoning circle was a maze. One almost exactly like the one on the back of my hand. The only difference being was that the rings of the maze had lined up so you could get to the center from the entrance of the maze. And, at the center, I saw a piece of parchment.

Walking forward, I picked it up to see that one side was covered in squiggles. I showed it to Rin, who frowned at it, “It’s Arabic. I can’t read it. Archer?”

Archer peered at the script, his eyes flickering to me, “It’s Ancient Persian, but that’s all I can tell you.” He said, offering a small shug. It didn’t seem genuine to me. I think he was lying… but it wasn’t like I could strongarm a Servant.

So, why did I have a maze of a summoning circle and a piece of paper covered in Persian script? Hopefully, the workshop would have answers, I thought as I tucked the piece of parchment into my pocket.

"This place… you have some good stuff down here, Majima. But most of it is junk," Rin remarked, holding up a necklace and comparing it to another -- the jewels shining brightly within. "It's stuff that a charlatan would try to sell to a child."

I grunted as I looked around the basement -- it was more of a bunker, really. It was a similar style to the bedroom back in Mifune -- a lot of books and a lot of odds and ends just spilling out over the shelves made to house them. I saw books that proclaimed that they were magic in nature -- teaching basic steps of rituals and the like. For all I knew, it was real stuff. But when it was next to a book teaching sleight of hand card tricks…

It looks like Mikoto had bought every book in the world with a Japanese translation and that had the word 'magic' in it.

I wandered over to a desk that had a few books on it. One of which was cracked open. It was old. Ancient. The pages looked so fragile that if the dust on them weighed too much, the entire book would fall apart. It detailed the summoning circle on the ground. But it didn't fully line up. Another book was propped open, also showing a summoning circle. It also didn't line up. Except, in the final product on the floor, I saw similarities from both circles. Mikoto had combined them?

Opening a drawer, I saw a slip of paper. And for the first time, I saw an example of my own handwriting. It was precise. Clinical, even.

"Burn when done!" I muttered aloud, noting the burnt edge of the piece of paper. However, on it was a cipher. For my journal, I was hoping. Looks like I had held off on burning it because I was unsure that I could actually remember the cipher from memory. That was incredibly helpful. Taking out my journal, I started to apply the cipher.

And it spelled out a name.

Shinji Tanaka. Assassinate Kiryu Kazuma.

Underneath it was another name. Akinobu Uematsu. Car bomb 3rd chairman.

It was a list of names and instructions. And my heart sank when I connected the implications. My worst fear realized.

I had suspected the truth. Goro Majima had thrown it in my face but I hadn't really accepted it until I held irrefutable proof of it in my hands. Each name was someone Mikoto had geas'd, along with a set of instructions. Some were open-ended -- like being susceptible to suggestions, while others were set instructions to kill certain people.

It was true. The Yakuza collapsing in on itself was completely my fault. The fault of Mikoto Majima.

All because I forgot. In the back of the book was a phone number and a note.

Call once a week or it is all for nothing.

"What a bad joke," I bit out. These answers… I didn't like them at all. I easily put together the plan Mikoto had made. Kill anyone that got in his way.

He chose those that he brainwashed to be his agents, and if for any reason he fell off the face of the earth -- like the Yakuza deciding that he had outlived his usefulness and killing him? Then the Yakuza would be destroyed as the two major clans in Japan fought each other, and themselves, to the death.

A single action of pure, unmitigated spite. Of a child deciding that if he wasn't allowed to play with a toy, then no one could.

That is who I was.

"Find what you're looking for?" Rin asked, and when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw her standing across the room from me. Archer stood in front of her, his expression flat. Rider had materialized as well, placing herself between me and Archer.

"Unfortunately," I said, stuffing the cipher into the journal. I wanted to burn it, but it could be too useful to justify doing so. "So, is this the part where you betray me?" I asked Rin, straightening up as I made eye contact with her.

"That's my line," Rin responded, her tone even. "You've lured me into your Workshop. Any sane magus would try to kill me now, Non-aggression pact or not."

I cocked an eyebrow, "And if you killed me, that's two Servants knocked out of the war." I pointed out, making Rin's lips thin. "You have a lot more to gain by betraying me than I would you." Both of us were expecting a dagger in the back. I see what Touko meant when she said all Magi were inherently untrustworthy. When you expected betrayal, it was only natural to betray the other guy first.

I searched Rin's eyes for a moment before I sighed. Rider stiffened when I purposely stepped by her, but she didn't stop me either. "I wish you wouldn't risk your life so carelessly, Master," Rider remarked as I gave Archer an open shot at me. Rin looked conflicted behind him, but Archer eyed me up like he was considering which ribs to slip the knife between.

"Rin, I have no interest in being a magus. What I've heard about them makes it sound like you get the raw end of the deal," I told her bluntly.

Rin stepped from behind Archer so that both of our Servants were behind us.

"You can keep your pity," Rin hastily replied. "I've never regretted being a magus. I'm a hedonist at heart, so I wouldn't learn magecraft if I didn't find it enjoyable. But… I can see why you would hold a low opinion of Magi." Rin admitted, crossing her arms. It was obvious why she would see that -- Zouken Matou. A walking and talking corpse, but only because I haven't killed him yet.

That was good to hear, at least. "I'm not going to betray you here. Or ever. Well, not unless you turn out to be a piece of shit like Zouken," I amended, and Rin appeared far from displeased by the added clause. "If it does come down to a fight, then we can decide a place and a time. I… really don't care for that knife in the back stuff."

Hearing that, Rin's lips twitched up into a smile, "You would make for a pretty terrible magus," Rin remarked, looking me in the eyes, though she didn't sound unkind as she said the words. "But I suppose you could say the same thing about me."

With those words, the tension in the room vanished. Archer appeared visibly disappointed with the outcome, but he said nothing as both he and Rider dematerialized, leaving only me and Rin in the room. We stared at each other for another long moment, still sizing the other up and trying to perceive how sincere the other was.

I jerked my head to the stairs, "Want to go get something to eat? My treat." I offered as a thank you. For helping me out and for not stabbing me in the back as soon as it was convenient.

"That's fine with me -- but it's not a date, got that?" Rin informed me, the tension leaving her.

"Really? Oh well," I said, heading to the stairs while Rin processed my words. Her cheeks warmed up until they had a rosy tint. "What are you feeling? I watched a cooking show earlier so I'm feeling ramen."

"Don't sound so disappointed! You could give someone the wrong idea!" Rin protested as she followed me up. I closed the bulkhead door behind us -- the lock was busted, but the door itself was hidden behind a false wall, so mundane people shouldn't be able to get in easily. "And I can't have ramen. Do you have any idea how unhealthy it is for you?"

Was it the wrong idea? I was still piecing together who I was and who I am. One thing I hadn't thought about much was my taste in women. Perhaps Nobara warped my taste a little bit, because… well… while I thought both Sakura and Rider were attractive, they were too… quiet? No, they were too demure. It felt like they would go with pretty much anything you asked of them without ever voicing what they actually wanted.

I liked girls with opinions, who didn't hesitate to share them. I might not have a taste for spicy food, but I did like my women feisty.

"No wrong idea. I'll treat you either way, but I would have preferred a date," I told her as I spotted a set of keys on the counter. Grabbing them, I heard a beep from the garage when I pressed the clicker. My words left no room for misinterpretation. "If you don't want ramen then what do you want?" I asked, glancing at her- ah. Did I make her mad?

Rin looked away sharply like she hadn't been glaring daggers into the side of my head. "Chinese food," she mumbled under her breath. "You… I really don't get you."

Chinese food? In that case… yeah, I knew where we could go. I looked up the address and found that it wasn't that far from where we were. And when we stepped into the garage, I saw that there was another motorbike -- sleek black with gold highlights on the engine. Swinging my leg over, Rin hesitantly got on with me, her hands on my hips. As the garage door opened, I readjusted her hands so she was wrapped around my torso.

"I know a place -- hold on," I told Rin before I took off, the bike accelerating underneath us. I was looking forward to getting a decent meal.

Though I never would have expected to run into some familiar faces when we arrived at the Chinese place that Kirei took me and Nobara to. The door swung open as we stepped inside, and like a magnet, my gaze was instantly drawn to a man sitting at the first table.

Blonde hair. Ruby red eyes with slitted pupils. A handsome face. He was wearing the exact opposite jacket as me -- Stark white with white fur at the collar. He had a black undershirt, but I couldn't see the rest of his outfit because he was seated at the table.

A smile that could be mistaken for kind graced his face as our eyes met. "If it isn't the stray mongrel," he greeted me. "One so arrogant and vain as to think he deserves two Servants in this Grail War." he said, and just like that, I knew that Nobara was right, and that there was a great deal more to him than his overinflated ego.

The chair across from him scraped against the floor as he kicked it out, his smile growing. "Take a seat, mongrel. I insist."