Fate: Emiya the Host

About five hours had passed since Shirou and Olga Marie left.

"Really weird," Fujimaru Ritsuka squatted on the ruins, thinking, "What did Emiya-senpai and the Director talk about? It's already been five hours and they still haven't come back."

"No idea," Mash blinked, seriously thinking, her slender fingers even pinching her own chin.

"Maybe it's something especially important."

"So boring," Fujimaru Ritsuka complained, "There aren't even ants to look at in this world." [T/N: Something Gilgamesh might say]

Back in school, whenever she was bored, to kill time she'd go to the corner and watch ants.

Here, there was nothing but fire, twisted steel and concrete.

And that orange-red sky canopy.

Black smoke coiled upward.

Just looking at it pressed heavily on the heart.

"It'd be weird if there were ants here, wouldn't it?", Mash said, sweating.

"Does this world really not have even the slightest trace of life left?"

Feeling her legs go numb, Fujimaru Ritsuka braced her hands on her knees and stood, gazing at the line where distant mountains met the clouds, sighing softly.

"Mash. Have you ever thought about what'll happen to Emiya-senpai after we solve this Singularity?"

"This…", Mash had honestly never thought about it.

Because Shirou was just too reliable. Though only human, he still chose to shield them from danger.

"If, after solving the Singularity, we have to leave… doesn't that mean Emiya-senpai will be left behind here alone? Wouldn't that be really lonely?"

"Master…"

Suddenly, Fujimaru Ritsuka clenched her fist, "I've decided. I'm going to take Emiya-senpai back to Chaldea."

"Ehh?"

The eggplant-colored kouhai, who'd been so sentimental just a moment ago, was dumbstruck, "Senpai, your train of thought just made a jump way too huge!"

"Mash," Fujimaru Ritsuka used a brainwashing tone, "could you really bear to see Senpai stay here in this world, with no food or water, starving to death by the roadside?"

"Of course… I don't want that," Mash's face showed hesitation.

She felt something was wrong. But where, exactly, was the problem?

"So, you have to help me, Mash."

Fujimaru Ritsuka took her hand, big eyes sparkling seriously, "Let's work together, and with the Director too, to get her to give Senpai Master credentials. Senpai is so strong. Using up two Servant slots isn't a big deal, right?"

"N… not a big deal."

Each sentence sounded flawless to Mash.

"So you agree?", Fujimaru Ritsuka's cute little face leaned in, her happy expression clear as day to Mash.

"To-too close, Senpai," Mash turned her head awkwardly.

"Do you agree, to let Emiya-senpai join Chaldea?", Fujimaru pressed closer step by step.

Just short of grabbing her chin to turn her face back.

"Mm… mm," Mash, with no way out, agreed.

"Yay!", The girl cheered.

"Let's go talk to the Director right now."

"But they haven't…", Mash hesitated.

"No worries, we'll just wait nearby, we won't eavesdrop."

Fujimaru Ritsuka patted her chest like a treasure.

"Really?"

Mash worried, 'What if we accidentally eavesdrop something?'

'In novels, that kind of situation often ends with being silenced.'

'Right, so this is what felt wrong.'

"Really," Impatiently, Fujimaru Ritsuka pulled Mash's hand, "Come on… I think they went to the rooftop, right?"

So the two beautiful girls, hearts uneasy, snuck toward the rooftop.

'Why does it feel like we are about to do something bad?'

The eggplant-colored kouhai squirmed nervously.

Then she finally remembered what was wrong.

Once the Singularity was repaired, the timeline would return to normal.

Which meant, Emiya-senpai would naturally return to his own life with no problem at all.

Fujimaru Ritsuka purely wanted to trick Shirou into Chaldea.

Once she figured it out, Mash's expression turned bitter.

'How am I supposed to respond?'

'Where did that shy Senpai I first met go?'

'Please, give her back!'

Halfway up the stairs, Mash's anxiety peaked.

She had the feeling that going further meant seeing hell, so she tugged on Fujimaru's sleeve and whispered, "Senpai, let's just stop. We can wait down here for the Director and Emiya-senpai. They should be back soon."

Maybe her words worked, because Fujimaru Ritsuka stopped.

Just when Mash thought she could relax, the girl turned, her little face in shadow, strangely serious.

"Mash, you've disappointed me too much!", Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice was filled with anguish.

"D-disappointed?", Mash was caught off guard, "I'm sorry, Senpai. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, the problem's with me."

Fujimaru Ritsuka wiped her tears, "I knew you're a good girl, yet I still dragged you into this. And in your heart, do I really look so awful? Am I the kind of bad child who'd eavesdrop on other people's privacy?"

A soul-piercing question.

Caught in this storm of words, Mash panicked, "No, that's not true, Senpai. You're not a bad child. It's me, it's my fault. Fine, I'll go up with you."

Fujimaru Ritsuka folded her arms and nodded, "That's right. That's the Mash I know."

"I-I'm the Mash you know…", Mash's face went red, drenched in sweat.

What was she supposed to do when her Master's pushiness was too strong for a Servant to resist?

About three minutes later, they reached the top floor. Facing the corridor's window, Fujimaru Ritsuka looked toward Mount Enzo.

"See, Mash, I wasn't lying to you."

She smiled cutely, "No eavesdropping means no eavesdropping. I still have some integrity."

"Yes, Senpai, I'm glad you understand."

Only then did Mash let out a sigh of relief.

She sat on the first step of the stairwell, looking far away, and sighed, "Not even the blue sky can be seen here…"

Fujimaru Ritsuka sat beside her, "We'll see it again… for sure."

The two of them savored the rare peace and quiet.

At that moment…

"Really not working?", Olga Marie asked uncertainly, a trace of fear in her voice.

"Let's try one last time. If it doesn't work, we'll have to give up," Shirou's voice.

Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash fell silent, looked at each other, something subtle flashing in their eyes.

One last try, if it works or not.

It didn't sound like a problem. But… the rooftop.

Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but remember the things she'd read under the covers before.

"S-Senpai…", The eggplant kouhai's face was red.

"Calm down, Mash."

Fujimaru Ritsuka forced a smile. It had to be different from what they were thinking.

"Right, put your clothes on first, otherwise I can't do this."

Shirou meant he had to take off the cloth tied over his eyes to attempt projecting the human body.

The system's upper limit wasn't high, but he could at least guarantee the minimum.

With him handling it, analyzing the human body could be completed quickly. After all, even in this field, he had A-rank skill.

But magic circuits, those were impossible.

Not even the shoddiest version could be managed.

Olga Marie had accepted this too.

At least staying alive was better than anything.

You had to be alive before you could consider anything else.

At the stairwell, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were frozen stiff.

"Mash," Fujimaru Ritsuka said blankly, "pinch me, see if I'm dreaming."

"Oh~", Mash blinked innocently, then acted.

Pain flared in her thigh, making her nearly scream.

In the end, her mouth was covered by Fujimaru Ritsuka.

The latter nodded in confirmation, "Seems this isn't a dream."

Her voice was tiny. Mash wouldn't have heard it if they weren't pressed so close together.

"S-Senpai…"

"Shh—"

Fujimaru Ritsuka put a finger to her lips.

Mash understood.

After several minutes of silent eye contact, at last, they decided. To stop this improper transaction.

'It is too much.'

'This is a critical moment, every second counts.'

'And yet, they are doing bad things on the rooftop.'

'Unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable!'

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