Crawl like a Worm (Nasuverse SI)

[JustBukharin]

Chapter 8: Surprise, Doll and Wormette

I took another bite from the delicious plate of Kare-Raisu, my forced smile sounding less forced as of the pleasant sensation my mouth was enjoying. I was nervous, so much nervous that I hardly could afford glancing much around the table. While I would look once in a while at Salter and Gil to see that they behaved in this delicate situation, I decided to leave Chloe and Luvia to deal with the situation without causing any mess.

It was a minor surprise when I saw Illya shifting nervously in her seat, seeing that her red eyes were erratically staring in Kuro's direction before panicking and turning her attention to her legs, a soft sound coming from the tanned Einzbern. A chuckle? It was muffled, but I was fairly sure that the girl kept part of her teasing side even after being around me for so long.

It was a light-heart action from the Pseudo-Servant, which the 'original' template was having a difficult time in understanding and, from her visibly known confusion, she was also mistaking it for something not-so-normal. Being nearby Ruby for that long could get people paranoid of lewd situations and, if I had to be honest, I hoped I wasn't never going to be dealing with the most eccentric of the Kaleidosticks.

But of course it was all up to Zelretch and, seeing how he was renowned for delivering some bad surprises, I was already bracing for when I would receive the quirky Mystic Code. I took another bite and Irisviel decided to break the thin ice that had kept the dinner silent until now.

"So I saw the Castle has been renovated." She mused loud enough to catch everyone's attention. "Last time I checked if it was operational was when Illya was merely one years old."

...And now I couldn't help but imagine baby Illya on the loose. But baby Chloe worked too, especially with how 'mature-ish' she would try to appear.

"It was in a state of decaying when we first entered but it was quickly fixed back to acceptable living levels."

The woman nodded at the limited reply but she wasn't even close to keep quiet now. "But I have to say that I found it very strange to know that Chloe-chan is living in that big fortress with a boy and another girl."

I blinked at the quick jab, one that seemed to surprise Sella and… Leysritt? It was difficult to decipher emotions through that natural capacity to keep stoic every moment of the day. What an impressive homunculus- actually were they still homunculus?

I mean, they do 'serve' the Emiya family, but their appearance is less 'doll-like' compared to the other maids back in the Castle. Could it be that Sella and Leysritt were actually altered the same way Irisviel and Illya were? There was so much to ask, most of it being related to the possibility of integrating whatever process they had used to turn to a more human-like aspect and with a proper lifespan in Kuro's new body.

It had already been decided by the girl that no modifications had been required in case we contacted Touko Aozaki for the operation and- sigh -the Worm issue I needed to deal before returning back 'home'.

"Boy, Irisviel-sama?" Sella mustered the question out of utter confusion at the choice of words by the wife of the Magus Killer. The woman sighed and frowned in my general direction, forcing me to look away nervously. It wasn't that I was scared of her in particular, but that kind of expression was… oddly reminding of some naughty moments back in my childhood. I was a pest and… I could recognize a lecturing gaze.

"Shinji-san is not as old as he appear to be." Iris replied with a quiet tone. "But I wonder when you are going to drop your current illusion."

I blinked, finding this a good statement that I had no clue how to answer. Ko-Gil had been clear in giving an ample time range, saying that it wasn't limited to just a few hours and- oh?

I blinked again, this time my eyes directed right at my surprisingly small right hand. I closed and opened it- and soon I started to slowly lower down a peg or two in my seats, my clothes feeling larger than before and almost falling off of me. My cheeks flared a fiery red as I felt embarrassment at the indirect answer to the woman's query and most of the other occupants of the table reacted to the situation.

While the two Heroes merely glanced my way just to see if it was something horrible happening to me, they both resumed to eat, only Artoria seeming a little bit red in her face at the sight of my body holding very frailly at the clothes I had taken with me.

Luvia and Illya 'eeped', the blonde being the only one that kept looking my direction and… Chloe chuckled as she smiled my way, a little hint of blush on her face as she enjoyed the humiliating situation I was currently facing alone.

Irisviel giggled, shaking her head as if this was all a normal situation- oh wait, that is indeed the case. I wonder how many times Shirou got caught half-naked by the 'incredibly motherly' Einzbern. Maybe more than it had happened to the two maids, both surprisingly blushing at my 'meek' side and… Sella wasn't responding violently at the situation.

The introvert maid was merely staring at me, her face red and her mouth open, twitching as words failed to reach out of her brain. Maybe she wasn't answering because this situation wasn't their usual cup of tea but… why was she nose-bleeding?

And finally my eyes landed on Leysritt. The busty woman looked… enticed? I don't know what adjective would even come close to the intense glance she was throwing at me. Her mouth was slightly open, just enough for me to see some saliva dropping on the table and-

Seriously why Shotas caused this much of a big deal around people? I wasn't even showing any part of my skin that could theoretically cause this much physical interest on me, so why were they this much interested in-

~Dingle~

"I am home."

The voice sounded just like Patrick Poole and we all turned to look at the main door to see it being opened by the one and only Shirou Emiya. "I am sorry I am late, I had to tour around the school a new student that joined the club and-" He stepped by the side, showing someone that-

...She smiled as she bowed politely, a hint of shyness in her posture that showed how much of a timid girl she was.

"M-My name is Matou Sakura. Nice to meet you all-?" 'Sakura' froze the moment she stared up again and noticed something unique. Her violet eyes, so dull and almost empty found place in my own. The embarrassment was gone, only dread and fear skyrocketed at the mere presence of this young girl.

There was no Matou Sakura in the Illya's side of this universe, the girl that was the sister of Rin Tohsaka being adopted by another family and currently living in London as of now. This one was not the kind and tragic figure of the Heaven Feel Route, nor the girl back home that was waiting for someone to save her from Zouken.

I wasn't the only one that noticed that something was wrong with the new individual, Saber paling a little at seeing her 'previous' Master while Gilgamesh had completely stopped smiling, a scowl that his adult form had long mastered in his face as he glared at the young woman.

Chloe was… perplexed. She wasn't angry or threatened by the figure, but she felt quite saddened by her whole person. The reminder of the fact that Archer never bothered saving the Matou girl was enough to make her hesitant at the idea she was now supposed to face her.

Too much attention. They were all putting too much pressure in the Ainsworth's Berserker and, if I have to be honest, I didn't want to be turned in mincemeat by Yandere Sakura with Dark Lancelot tendencies.

A fake smile was forcefully pushed on my face as I tried to make it seem to the others that she was merely surprised by my current wardrobe malfunction. "S-Sorry, I had some issues with my clothes and- Yeah..." The blush on cue was something that was very easy for someone with my current predicament. You just needed to push just a minuscule fraction of prana on your face, right on the spots where the cheeks were and

…She blinked in surprise at the excuse and the child-like tone but she managed to regain her composure. "I-I see. I wasn't e-expecting to see-"

"Shinji-kun, right?" I saw the plum-haired girl flinch at the name, going unnoticed to Shirou as he patted my head. "I think I have some old clothes back in my room, I could lend those to you and-"

"Do go and take them, Shirou-kun." Irisviel interrupted curtly, making the teen blink in surprise and glance at his father. Kiritsugu nodded, literally denying him further explanations as he rushed to his room and leaving just Sakura here to deal with all of us- "So Sakura-chan, are you a friend of my son?"

Oh right, I completely forgot that Iris was keen to pull this kind of actions. Call it something every mom does once in a while to study the opportunity to gain grandbabies in the nearest future, the how and where quite 'useless' in their minds during those interviews.

Poor Sakura had been pursuing 'her' senpai for a long time and I am quite sure she was completely unprepared to face a strong mother like Iri.

She was offered a seat after her attempts of refusing the offer to spend the dinner with the family were completely ignored by the Einzbern woman and she was soon eating an extra plateful of Kare-Raisu with everyone else, sitting between Leysritt and Sella.

The interrogation continued until Shirou returned with the spare clothes he had promised to take. I quickly ventured for the bathroom, swiftly changing my clothes as fast as possible. While I didn't expect to deal with the usual situations that occurred in the room, I preferred to not challenge fate way too much in this regard.

Returning back to my seat I found myself returning to be the center of the attention of some individuals. "Chloe-san told me that you were quite smart for your age, Shinji-san. Is that true that you got home-schooled and then passed some high-school exams to gain the promotion?"

I nodded slowly, staring at the tanned girl with a curious brow. She shrugged and I sighed as I took a sigh, sitting down back to my seat.

"I was mostly helped by my uncle if I have to be honest." Sakura was silent, but the mentioning of the only uncle that she knew of was enough to get her attention on the topic. Now it was time to relay an elaborate lie to the young girl that would then tell it to the Ainsworth. "Kariya-jichan was the one that took care of me after my mom died."

Her presence could mean so many things, so I opted to pick the closest possibility that could justify her presence in this dimension: They somehow know that someone from another universe is in this Fuyuki and was causing their plans to fail. I wouldn't expect Darius to take a big risk and trifle with this dimension's Zelretch.

While their own was surely dead because of the sudden deterioration of Gaia and Alaya, none of their family could be able to deal with someone with the power of the Kaleidoscope, even in limited scale.

So they sent Sakura as a recon, a pawn they could afford to lose to study more the 'pests' meddling with their plans. This was a bad predicament for now but, if I planned this carefully, the plum-haired girl was going to return with just fake news.

The dinner continued for another half an hour, then people started to get a little tired of staying there at this hour. I yawned as I saw Chibi Luvia doing the same, it was time for us to go.

"I suppose we should go." I stated as I looked at the small group, getting a common agreement on this and, thanking the Emiya family for their kind invitation, we proceeded to leave as- "A-Actually."

I stopped on my steps, glancing at Sakura as the girl meekly stared at me. "I-If it's not asking too much, could I join you? M-My house is right between the castle and here."

Blinking cautiously, I felt my throat drying as I knew I had no choice if I wanted to avoid any suspicions from the family. Knowing the Magus Killer, he had already spotted the simple fact that they both shared the same surname. "S-Sure."

I ignored the collective stare of the others, questioning my sanity at this move as they ignored the context that motivated this action. I had to make sure that Sakura didn't cause any issue while here.

"Are you sure, Sakura-san? If you want I could walk you back home and-"

"I-I appreciate, S-Senpai, but I don't wish to ask too much and- S-Shinji-kun has already agreed."

I nodded. "Don't worry, Illya-chan's big brother, we will be safe." Chloe snorted as the little Einzbern blushed furiously at the jab her direction. I admit it was cute teasing her for a while but… yeah, it was fun only once or twice a while.

Bidding some goodbyes, we were on the road back to the Castle as I started to glance silently at the Ainsworth's puppet. How much was alive in her? How much of the true Sakura was there? Was this like how Shirou ended in HF True ending, with his soul inside a different body?

Could it be possible that was how the Dolls worked? I mean, didn't Beatrice remember her memories before her death? There was so much that could be learned from this experience, especially to fill in with some of the plotholes in the timeline.

"Neh Sakura-nee, can I ask you a favor?" I found myself saying absently at the nervous girl. The panic she was feeling was possibly caused by the fact there were two Servants (Four if Archer Chloe and Kaleido Sapphire were counted in) close to her position and Berserkalot isn't good against multiple enemies. Multiple blade? He could face them all day. But fighting more than two was suicidal for the Berserker class.

Thus the girl answered readily at the query. "Y-Yes, Shinji-kun?"

"Can we talk… alone?" I asked with a genuine tone. "I wish to ask just few questions, nothing more and nothing less."

She blinked in surprise, finally looking once more at me as to gauge whatever ruse I was trying to employ here and how much of her cover had been blown by me. She nodded while looking at her feet. "I-I guess if it's just few questions we could do that."

I nodded. "Guys, I know I shouldn't ask this but..." They were already glaring at my foolish attitude but I was set with my plans about her. "I need to have this chat."

It took me few more attempt to get Chloe, Luvia and Salter off my tail with some bitterness on their part, but it was done and I was alone with her.

"Sakura-" THUD

I was on the ground, Arondight firmly piercing the ground just above my right arm as I found my body forced down by the armored glove of the Berserker Card-Servant. Sakura's mouth was twitching in a feral snarl and I felt like a little bunny soon to die to a murderous wolf.

"Why it had to be you?! Why not another Senpai or his sister and-" Her mouth closed shut, her hand clenching her visor in pain as Mad Enchantment was trying to fully reduce her free will. She wasn't supposed to use the Card to interrogate people. Most of the time Berserkers are not made to deal with that kind of operations and the girl was running low on time if she wanted any answer for me.

I would say that I was peachy, but then I would be ignoring the growing back pain and lie about my current mind's situation. If I failed to get her to remove the class card, I was dead with a capital 'D'.

The plum-haired girl seemed to push back the murderous instinct as she pressed her palm again on my chest. "Talk! Why are you here? Why you still want to hurt Senpai?!" She relaxed a moment, going blank. "Why do you want to still hurt me, Oniisan?"

I blinked, having some issue in thinking properly with the hot tears falling on my face and my owns. I was given the worst hand ever by Fate itself, dealing with a situation that was insanely difficult to solve from the inside. "I-" My mouth was dry, I was growing tired the more time passed. Tired to making excuses about what I truly am and… It was hurting more than ever.

"I- I am sorry, I-Imouto." A sob left my mouth, I felt the weight of the world I was trying to 'save' coming crashing down all at once. This endless crusade had taken a massive toll on my sanity, I was supposed to save my own sister and I was failing her by- by dilly-dallying in other dimensions!

She paused, her face lowered and… she sniffed my chest. "You..."

The armored girl sniffed again and her face showed sudden shock. "Y-You have worms?"

Her craze-looking expression was now directed back at my face. "Why do you have t-those?"

I sniffed, my mind too much clouded to actually formulate some lies and… I spoke the truth. Will I come to regret it? Maybe. But I was too tired to truly care in that moment.

"I-I tried to-" My brain picked the images of what had happened one of the first days as Shinji, when I first saw the basement and… Sakura being tortured there. She was unconscious at the time and, trying to just get her out of there only that time, I had jumped into that mess of bugs. I hoped that those would have ignored my presence, lacking Circuits and all but-

The searing pain of all my nerves burning at once was the most terrible of sensations, far worse than anything I had faced back even in my previous life. Zouken had been amused by the dumb attempt, stating that thanks to my foolish bravery 'I revealed to him I had some Circuits worth of cultivating'.

The Crest Worms were properly placed and I was considered a backup heir in case something happened to Sakura. In case Kariya managed to win, the old worm had mirthfully added at his explanation. What a terrible liar.

"Y-You did that- But why- No!" Sakura jumped off as I blinked back in reality, realizing I had indeed blurted out those memories with words. Words that shocked and hurt at the same time the girl as she literally ran away the fastest pace her form could allow. She was quick and… I continued to stare at the black and red blur for a while.

Silence ruled for almost an entire hour, my eyes moving to the sky as I quietly watched the stars and the moon.

I wonder if Brunestud is still up there.

I wonder if Primate Murder is Altrouge's pet or Fou.

I wonder if Julian and Erika can be truly saved.

I wonder when I will be killed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

AN

Shinji is (not) strong.

 

[Tobi]

Why do I picture death and destruction mostly involving using Gaia's attack dog to attack the Ainsworth somehow.

I like to see what happens next.

 

[Crizom]

Is it possibe to access Ryougi Shiki with the card or Ainsworth's resource? She might be able to release the lock on Pandora's Box or destroy it. Actually since it was said the eyes of death can kill even gods so it should be capable.

 

[Ridiculously Average Guy]

Hmm. I want to like this, I do, but the story as is isn't the story as presented.

We start off with a story called Crawl Like a Worm where we're presented with a Shinji insert, worm infested, going halfway around the world to learn magecraft and get away from Zouken and seemingly plot his defeat. He goes straight to Zelretch, fair enough, and then you boot him into Prylla to do a task. Okay, whatever. Overall, this seems like it could be pretty interesting.

Thing is, 8 chapters and 23 thousand words later, he's mostly just having a good slice of life time in Pryllaverse. More than that he very much seems to be settling in rather than being ready to move on in a few weeks.

So... I've just kind of checked out. Looking at likes per post, it seems like so have half the readers.

 

[JustBukharin]

Chapter 9: Night, Resolve and Worm

I had a very strange relationship with my younger sister.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but I always found the love-hate chemistry to be something quite difficult to understand. Before being 'taken away', I had been busy trying to patch one way or another the damage that I had caused, strong enough to strain the relationship to a frail level.

My 'Rebellious' phase had been relatively complex, nothing compared to the usual 'screw the system' or something that went towards the 'Emo' side. I was angry at the world and I think I still am, but after so much time of thinking and contemplating about everything and everyone my capacity to convey my emotions about it had turned… less aggressive.

I was pretty snarky, preferred the loneliness to company and… and I was pretty much a jerk to my own sister in this period. I had sworn to help her around her first years at high school, to be there to work out the issues I had already faced and…

I broke the promises and I was left pretty much devoid of any chance of reconnecting for a long time.

When I was put in Shinji? I knew that someone had decided to dispense some kind of punishment for my ill-behavior and… I found it to be the harshest of the punishment. While little Shinji had yet to 'bully' little Sakura, the Miyuverse version of the plum-haired cinnamon roll was one of the several ones that had suffered for years the abuse of the young Matou. Even worse she was killed, reborn and then brainwashed by the Ainsworth to serve them as a mad attack dog.

I might not be the Doll that once was Shinji Matou, but I still had his name and his face and… this meant I had to take in the burden.

Why not kill her? Why not spare us senseless moral questions about-

How about I do care for this question in particular!? What if I truly want to make sure I can at least save Sakura where I can?

I might not be the 'real' Shinji Matou, but by being forced in that household, to deal with the insanity that Zouken dares to call a 'grand Magus family'. Was I going to stay idle as she suffered even there? No, I couldn't afford that.

It was instinctive, my inner sense of refusing to NOT help someone that is so close to me and yet not. She was family, one way or another, and that meant I had to get up and face the music!

Darius was going to be dangerous, the man would surely be prepared to face a Matou from the other side of the 'mirror' and I dreaded what kind of solution to the issue I represented he would take into account.

He had destroyed Zouken on his own in the Miyuverse and the old worm was nigh-impossible to kill without some holy rite or blessed weapon. This man was not someone to trifle with without being ready to face a Dead Apostle kind of BS.

The walk back to the castle was a silent one and I was glad that Sakura had truly decided to stay away from me until she sorted her own problems. Dealing with a Berserkalot with Yandere tendencies without Servants to help around would have been an unpleasant affair.

Finally I passed the gates, making my way to the main porch as I noticed that there was no light in Kuro's and Luvia's rooms that I could notice by the windows… but I could see light coming from my room?

Maybe Chloe had wanted to hear some explanation about the whole situation with Sakura? A strong maybe, but I didn't felt strong enough to face this situation right now. My musing lasted for a while and properly ended the moment my eyes noticed a figure standing by the door.

Gilgamesh was giving off the same friendly attitude that he would usually give, yet this time something was off about his whole appearance. My eyes narrowed as I continued to approach, his smile widening as I was finally close enough for him to speak in a comfortable tone.

"Good to see you still standing, Shinji-kun." The King of Heroes commented mirthfully. "I guess your meeting with the fair lady was… fruitful."

I managed a nod as I reached for the small stairs that led to the entrance. "Nothing overly terrible. It will be an issue to deal tomor-" I blinked as I found my path barred by his stretched arm. His red eyes were giving something similar to… worry?

"Shinji-kun, do you honestly think that you can keep up with this pace for so long?" The blond pulled my tired body closer, his mouth brought to my ear. "We don't want to see you hurt because of how much you care for everything, our Shinji."

W-We? My eyes widened in shock at the curious way of addressing himself. Was he using the Royal 'We' or-

"Come on, Shinji-kun. I feel disappointed you have to notice that… we aren't what they all think we are."

The answer was fleeting my mind in a sickening childish way but I still paled as I realized it had to be way beyond a simple language use. It was his-their way of hinting to something I had not thought about. Something beyond… the way he was brought in here.

The Eight Card, it was made by parts of Gilgamesh and…

And Angra Mainyu.

The fragments from Avenger were meant to have been purged just like in Canon but… the way how Gilgamesh was beaten was completely different. He wasn't purified by the Zwei Form's Quintett Feuer and thus it had remained attached to the Card.

The one I had until now spoke to was… was not just Ko-Gil-!

Just as I turned around to try and rush away from his hold I found myself constricted in place. My body was trembling, my efforts of moving failing as my eyes widened even more as the Amalgamation of the two beings showed its Avenger form.

Black hair and black eyes, several dark marks spread across his chest and body, a sad smile and… and I was staring at my face. He chuckled, sending chills down my spine as his hand went to my cheek.

"No, No, Shinji-kun. You don't need to fear." His smile softened. "I don't wish to harm you. At least not you."

"W-What?"

Another quick chuckle and he finally let go. "I have met several Shinji Matou in my long, prolonged existence and… and none comes this close to truly make me… consider things."

"What do you want, Avenger?" I wasn't in the mood to chit-chat with the Spirit of All Evils just because I was standing out before the rest of Shinji's versions.

"I want many things. But I want also nothing." He said with an amused tone. "And if you are referring about your unique case… I want just one thing."

He spread his arms, showing one of the strangest smiles I could ever see on someone. It was sad, but happy, it was content but also desiring.

"I want your friendship."

…

"I want that you, Shinji Matou, keep us loved as we love you the same. You are our dearest friend and I find you worth of surviving this hideous path ahead of you."

"But why?!" His hands were once more cupping my face as I felt shivering at the cold touch. "W-Why me?"

"Because… I can relate to your plight." He stated seriously. "You could have just given up with the illness hurting you, the unfair odds staked against you and… yet you persevere for the sake of helping those around you. Even that dull puppet, maybe even the lost soul that is being forced to do all this delicious chaos. You shouldn't be caring, for how much the world despises you, but you keep going for the sake of others."

I blinked and I found myself staring at Gilgamesh once again. "You are a good friend, Shinji Matou. And I bet I will see you in the Throne once this is all over."

Now that was a dreadful scenario unfolding in my brain. To be sent to the Throne of Heroes? While it would be a grand honor and all, I hardly think I would manage to deal with Sakura 5, Parvati and… Kama.

While I might be able to help one or two Sakuras along the way, I don't think I could manage to deal with the Sakura 5 themselves, BB being the one I was scared the most of encountering.

"But let us not waste more time to the cold." He gestured to the now open doors. "Please, do come inside and get comfortable. Maybe take a day or two off to rest."

While I wanted to protest those suggestions, I lacked the energy to formulate a proper refusal of such notions. Too tired to reply, I merely nodded as I started to slowly walk towards the stairs and… now I had to deal with Kuro?

Why not, it's not like my brain is threatening to burn out at how much stuff was happening today…

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I was partly right about my early assumption that the tanned Einzbern had decided to wait for my return to my room, but I was surprised when I found myself staring at a stern-looking Chloe standing right in front of the bed and a sleepy Chibi-Luvia having taken a seat on the very bed.

"I want to explain things and… I really need to tell you this-"

"But you are tired." Chloe muttered with some minor annoyance in her tone. Her bright eyes glanced at the younger girl, the Edelfelt ready to collapse in a deep slumber any moments now.

"I-" "Be quiet." She walked toward me and I was once more reminded of the fact that the girl was taller and older than I was. She noticed my staring and I cursed inwardly as I blushed in embarrassment at that.

The Einzbern grinned, a small victory to seal away another day and proclaim a new one. It was odd how her competitiveness about this kind of little things was… aggressive. It wasn't unpleasant nor dangerous, but it was interesting how far she would go to get the emotions she wanted out of me.

It was… an endearing trait.

"Then I suppose we shall all go to sleep and you will answer us tomorrow?"

I nodded, expecting her to take this gesture to leave with poor Luvia to their respective rooms as it would usually end like this and-

She smiled as she walked back to the bed and shifted closer to the little blonde girl, accepting her sleepy arms as they wrapped around her chest. Luvia hummed pleasantly as she snuggled her way on the older girl's chest.

Chloe giggled at the childish action and I frowned at the overall sight. What was I supposed to do about this?

It wasn't anything remotely lewd as they were both wearing comfortable pajamas that hid most of their skins, the cold weather quite restricting for simpler clothing for the night-time. I was actually tempted to 'Awww' at the sight, but I was too much tired to compute complex responses and… shrugged.

"This is just sleeping." A giggle retorted, promising some interesting aftermath for the following morning. I shrugged and decided to gamble my fate with the teasing girl. This suspect intensified the moment I found myself between the quietly snoring Luvia and the cheeky-looking Einzbern.

I might have been mostly tired at this point, but I still managed to let out a single statement that got quite the reaction out from the tanned girl. "Goodnight, Onee-san."

While I knew the honorific would be enough to partly flip Illya's switch, I was quite unaware What would even incite something out of Kuro. The girl didn't reply, a half-thought gasp leaving her mouth as she squeezed me closer.

I could feel her face burning above my hair and I sighed happily at this small win for me.

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Sakura Matou was staring silently at the pale moon and its bright stars. It has been hours since she had come to face with a very confusing being and… her mind was having trouble finding a reason behind her newfound need to investigate this individual.

Shinji Matou was a horrible person, the plum-haired girl didn't need to have someone to tell her that her step-brother was a disgusting monster after so many years of unanswered abuse pending upon that name. The boy, or the puppet left behind, had been the one responsible for her first death.

Tragic, it had been… it had all been so close to culminate with the best ending she would ever dream off. Yet she died and… then she was revived.

It had been her senpai, Shirou having spent time and effort to bring her back to life because he loved her. She had been so happy, so genuinely elated at this situation and… and then things started to take a curiously weird note.

She could remember Angelica and Beatrice, both girls having worked for the scary Ainsworth boy until… they decided to join forces with her Senpai? The reasons eluded her and even questioning it led to some strange headaches.

Maybe she just forgot? Yes, that would make so much sense. Her senpai had been quick to tell her about the Cards. The very Cards that had been used for the Grail War were now gone to another world, another dimension and…

And there had been her senpai. He looked calmer, happier and… glad to met her.

It had been like the sweetest dream for her. To have a second chance with her senpai, away from the terrible things of her original dimension. There were no Matou, no Sakura and… no Ainsworth.

She had almost squealed at her luck, but only showed a bright smile as she contemplated all of this during her Senpai's tour of Homurahara. Infiltrating had been fairly easy, Angelica herself having hypnotized the headmaster to accept one Sakura Matou in Class 1-C quickly and easily.

Sakura's happiness increased when she spotted her Neechan. Rin Tohsaka having died long ago in the original dimension as the family was dragged in a political war within Clocktower. A tragic tale that made her weep for days as the plum-haired girl was denied the chance of meeting once more her former sister.

But now she could and… she was glad she did. While the young Tohsaka had been suspicious of her familiar name, she had all but gone far to help her around. The young girl reminded her of her little sister, she had said quietly.

Sakura was soaring through the heavens as two idyllic days passed so smoothly and quickly… but then her Senpai had invited her to his house. This senpai had a kind family that loved him and wanted to know about her.

A father, a mother and a sister. The Matou was so happy to learn about this, to know that she wasn't the only one enjoying this different reality. Her acceptance, albeit meek, was quick and she spent the following few hours after school trying to get some strategy to get to know more about her lovely interest.

Fast-forward to the dinner and Sakura was finally delivered the first surprise since her stay. There were other guests at the house, 'new friends' Shirou had called them. The host of individuals was almost unrecognizable but… then she noticed him.

Very short, child-like and… sad-looking. This Shinji Matou was fairly young, younger than her and… he knew. The plum-haired girl couldn't understand why, but she was incredibly sure he knew about her situation. Dread and panic were quick to rise but then the opposite of what she had expected happened.


He asked to leave the room to change out from the curiously bigger set of clothes and… and then returned back without giving much but curious looks back. Confusing, frustratingly so.

What kind of Shinji Matou was this one? A fellow dimensional hopper? The theory was chilling but would explain his age and knowledge of her. Paranoia was a terrible thing and she had been fiddling with the Berserker Card under the table before deciding to merely leave the delightful event.

She was happy to know that Irisviel was a good mother for her senpai and was glad when she had offered her an interesting deals about… private photos. Yes, the woman had managed to reach her number two list of favorite people with this move.

Shinji had followed her, 'escorting' he had said and she had gone along with it. Maybe he was just going to take her out? Was he going to kill her… or worse?!

But nothing horrible happened as he merely asked for some time to talk together about… the things only they knew about. A dangerous situation that turned in a juicy one.

Shinji was dangerous, a pawn that was going against her senpai's plans and Sakura had gladly installed the Card right as the group had left their sight, her mouth snarling as she prepared to kill the representation of her sufferings of her anger and- Sniff

Her enchanted nose perceived something different in this Shinji's scent. It wasn't something external, no. She brought her face on his chest, nose sniffing strongly as it tried to find what was hiding under his skin.

It was familiar, it was disgusting and… it was Crest Worms. Several of them.

Not five, not ten. There were twenty worms wriggling within the child's body.

Twenty worms that had a familiar pattern, very similar to the ones she once had within her body… No.

He tried to make it pass as if those worms had only been placed because of his active Circuits and, while this reason worked for at least eight of those, the remaining twelve were badly placed within himself. It was a poor job of surgery, or maybe a failed attempt of the worms to infiltrate a… dangerous host.

What if-? No!

Shinji would never sacrifice himself to bear some of the Worms from her version's body. She refused to accept the idea someone as selfish as her hateful brother could do something this selfless. It was paradoxical, unacceptable and…

He looked so sincere.

He had looked so much genuine and his voice had rang so true that… that Sakura was shaking now.

The bench she had been sitting on had slightly bent because of her strong hold, her fresh Circuits boosting her current physical capacities in this particular situation.

She could have killed him, avoid to let a possible threat to fester and grow under her silent watch. But then her mind found the option difficult to execute, her willpower opposing this without explanation and…

And that unnerved Sakura to no end. It was infuriating how, after so many weeks of being free from that horrible cage, she still submitted to him and his fake ambitions. His words were gibberish, no matter how true they sounded…

But she still found a minor opposition to this trail of thoughts, something within her that found the development interesting and worth of further investigation. She had Berserker with her and, knowing that none of the present Servants could match her power, Sakura decided to go for a long road.

Maybe this decision will come and bite her in the near future… or maybe she will find a definitive answer behind the fact her heart skipped some beats as she imagined his young face. Her face heated up and her breathed went ragged for several moments.

He does look quite adorable~

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AN

Throwing tactical truth MOABs as if I am some COD pro player… which I am not.

Gilgamesh and AM: The Eight Card is composed by both Servants, but in Canon only Gil emerged out from the battle. This time, without the purging effects of the Zwei Form, Angra Mainyu is now joining the cast for some debauchery.

I have planned for five-six more chapters for this Arc and then… we will back to Zero.

Lastly big project announcement: I have restarted my work for a Fan Game for a story of mine, Fate Last Heaven, using Ren'py and new sprites for the characters. The first update is planned to have up to Chapter 2 (+ some details that the story either doesn't show or have been removed from the first draft). Support for my patreon would kick-start things properly (I will write down updates and, no, I will not have the game behind pay-wall).

 

[KadinaruDess]

He does look quite adorable~

Click to shrink...

...That's good, right?

No?

What do you mean the number of participants in the upcoming battle royale of harem candidates have just increased in count?

 

[q0taz]

...That's good, right?

No?

What do you mean the number of participants in the upcoming battle royale of harem candidates has just increased in the count?

Click to shrink...

Well, it's like adding nitroglycerin to a cake.

let see this sakura has Yandere tendencies, so is probably a big chance that this could go bad. Although canon Illya has also yandere tendencies, and this illya is based on her so well.

Of course, the Lancelot card could be influencing her. Making her act more erratically. Maybe maybe is the fatherly instinct of Lancelot activating, and is nothing bad.... yet he is berserker Lancelot. and if Shinji leaves this could affect sakura to the point of yandere all over again.

 

[Tobi]

I'm heavily interested in seeing how this Shinji will interact with all the Sakura faces and confuse them for being a good brother. He should be the only version aside from the Last Encore Shinji that is a decent person.

Also damn did not expect the Avenger thing it's interesting. Avenger and Gill would like a friend.

 

[bigreader]

okay why did he call her Sakurs five?

 

[JustBukharin]

okay why did he call her Sakurs five?

Click to shrink...

He wasn't referring to Sakura Matou, but the six versions of her in the EXTRA timeline.

 

[q0taz]

Wait hold on.... I been thinking and does this crossover, with FGO?, mostly because of Prisma Illya at one point cross with fgo...

 

[JustBukharin]

Wait hold on.... I been thinking and does this crossover, with FGO?, mostly because of Prisma Illya at one point cross with fgo...

Click to shrink...

It's a Nasuverse SI.

 

[q0taz]

He should be the only version aside from the Last Encore Shinji that is a decent person.

Click to shrink...

And Fate extra fox tail

And fate extra ccc

And capsule servant, wait that last one maybe not.... Well he is mostly like Wakama edgy general so no

 

[Noobody77]

Seems like an interesting idea but the grammar is bad, not enough to be unreadable but enough that trying to slog through it sucks all the enjoyment out of it for me. Still I wish the author luck improving their writing in the future.

 

[JustBukharin]

Chapter 10: Morning, Musing and Magic Girls

Illyasviel von Einzbern didn't felt like getting up from her comfy bed that day.

It was quite early in the morning, her curtains were still low enough for only a small sliver of feeble light to pass through and she couldn't hear anyone messing around the kitchen, meaning that Sella was still sleeping for now.

With a sigh, red eyes stared quietly at the ceiling, her mind returning to once more wander about what had happened in the last few months. Becoming a magical girl, facing so many enemies and making new friends along the way and…

And then Shinji Matou happened.

She wasn't by any mean annoyed, nor she felt any particular negative for the young boy as he had so far been helping them with the cards and joining in the 'peace-keeping' group in Fuyuki. She wasn't even mad when the boy had taken the Caster and Saber card away from them, it was odd but… he wasn't planning to conquer the world with those.

It felt more like a parent taking a dangerous object from a child's hands and making better use of it to protect and help. It was kind of infuriating how he showed a maturity she was still exploring… and she was 13!

He mentioned the 'Kaleidoscope' several times to motivate his impressive knowledge over the whole situation but the thing was that… uh…

Ruby said that wasn't possible.

"While Zelretch-baka might be able to know stuff from other dimensions, no one can truly use the Kaleidoscope to find out the full history of even a single dimension."

Being that the Mystic Code was tuned to the Second Magic, it was clear that her knowledge over the subject was factual and truthful, but it left little Illya to approach the matter the best she could.

Asking him directly? Part of her ushered her away from even thinking about that. While Shinji had been friendly around them, his group was very protective of him and the Einzbern was quite sure that questioning him like that would warrant some aggressive reactions from them.

Speaking of the group, her mind shifted to a lone member of it that Illya could consider 'family' to some extent. Chloe von Einzbern, Kuro or… her 'real self' was a topic that left her chest squirming in thought. The mere sight of someone looking just like her, but behaving differently around others and ignoring him the best she could, was a constant reminder that her mama and papa had lied to her.

She had thought that her parents' experience with Magecraft was limited, as their lack of grand surprise as they discovered about Ruby and her contract with her gave the young girl so much confusion and shock that she couldn't even find something to start with in an attempt to elaborate her thoughts about it.

Illya sighed as she found herself drawn back to reality as she spotted a familiar object flying right in front of her sight. Ruby giggled as she slowly descended and- BONK

"Owie! Ruby!"

The magical stick giggled again, this time with a teasing tone. "Ne~ is Illya-chan thinking about her Onii-chan?"

Cheeks burning red, Illya made a monumental effort by shaking her head negatively. "I-I wasn't!"

"Oh? Maybe about Myu?" The mere mentioning of her close friend caused her cheeks turn a darker shade of red. "S-Stop it!-"

"Or is it Shin-ji-kun~?" Her mouth opened automatically, ready to dismiss the umpteenth guess of the stick when she realized it was indeed that.

"I… was?"

"Oh! Is little Illya-chan preparing to wage war against his harem? Is she ready for a legendary conquest?"

"N-Not that way, pervert!" She huffed annoyingly, her embarrassment dissipating after too much teasing. One could say that after living with Ruby for months she long grown accustomed with most of her shenanigans. "I-I was thinking about that question I asked you a week ago."

"The one about him using the Kaleidoscope to accommodate his surreal amount of knowledge over this world?" The stick stopped a moment to breath, taking her owner's nod to continue. "Then you wish to infiltrate his lair, which is actually more of Chloe-chan's love castle?"

"Yes- Wait, 'love castle'?"

"A mature young lady, seeking to breach her interest's cool heart and ensnare him to herself and her lovely friends. I think 'Love Castle' is aptly picked-"

"I-It cannot be that way-"

"And why is that, Illya-chan? Do you know Shinji-kun and Kuro-chan that much to say they would fall in that kind of line?"

"I-" And Illya stopped there. The stick had brought up one thing she had considered marginally but was quite important and essential if she wished to know more about Shinji's secret. She had yet to make steps to approach him, to be called his friend and…

She knew little how to meet him 'casually' when he was in town. The girl groaned, bringing her pillow over her face, drowning a small scream of annoyance.

Why was socializing this difficult now?!

"But I think you might have the chance of talking with him quite soon as your mama got something yesterday."

"Uh?" Red eyes looked over the pillow as the Mystic Code hummed. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember that she was thinking about summertime now that school is coming to a close and how we all should be spending it?"

… "Yeah?" For some reason, Illya felt the need to brace herself as something terrible-

"Well, your mama managed to find an affordable mini-swimming pool yesterday and she wanted to try it out! Shinji-kun and others got invited too!"

…

"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

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Miyu Edelfelt was feeling incredibly nervous.

She had overheard Luvia speaking to Illya's mom, Irisviel-san, about the chance of them spending a day together by the swimming pool the woman had just bought few days ago. The young girl could remember when Luvia forced Rin to built one because she was a maid and… their mutual boss showing her vindictive self when she wanted.

The Tohsaka was angry through the whole day, but managed to get the medium-sized pool working after a day or two of strenuous working. No 'Thank you' or a tip for the hard-work, the older Edelfelt was enjoying the fact her very rival was forced to respect every single whim for her.

She was obviously apart from that kind of relationship, receiving quite the minimum work for her job, the blonde mentioning that she wouldn't 'slave' a little girl for duties normally given to adults. Something that surprisingly enough helped her managing her schedule about school and work while also letting some free time once in a while.

But she was nervous!

In few hours from now, Miyu was going to be at Illya's house and- She didn't know what to do about it. They have been close friends for a long time now and yet she felt that… there was more.

She knew that there was more, something beyond friendship that she couldn't grasp fully. Her heart would beat quicker, faster, as she would see Illya smile and it didn't help that Ruby had been alluding to an amorous relationship that needed to blossom.

The idea felt abstract, but also right. This was… confusing without ending to it.

She sighed, her eyes glancing at the ceiling as she had woken up quite early and it was too much early to wake up Luvia for breakfast. She noticed Sapphire floating around as she got closer and sighed.

"Something on your mind, Miyu-sama?"

A polite tone, the very same the Mystic Code would use in every situation. It was mellowed after some time of being together as the kaleidostick had enough time to grow more accepting of her young master and… she would offer some advice when needed.

"Today is going to be an important day, Sapphire." The girl spoke softly, knowing to not use a loud voice or else waking up the rest of the house at this 'unholy' hour of the morning. "I… I don't know how to face Illya."

"I think Nee-san has already mentioned that you need to be a little less restrained around Illya-sama. Plus you will enjoy some less pressure with Shinji-sama around here too."

Miyu shifted in her bed, eyes closing a little in thought as she contemplated about the other reason she was quite nervous for today.

Shinji Matou was… an unknown element in her world. She could remember her Oniisan mentioning someone with his name going missing for few months and his surname matched up with the kind girl her Oniisan would walk around with before she got kidnapped. Sakura Matou.

She had long tried to understand if this 'Shinji Matou' was dangerous or not, part of the Ainsworth family or someone even worse, but all research yielded little to nothing as the boy was… not in this dimension.

The Matou stopped existing decades ago, the last surviving member having changed his surname because of 'bad memories', thus he wasn't from this very dimension. She had weighed the fact he could have been from another dimension, his statement proving it and little Luvia cementing this theory pushing Miyu to evaluate other details of such individuals.

He knew about her plight, he knew about her Oniisan and he knew about the Ainsworth. The disdain he shown with his voice about the group further assured his trustworthiness, going so far to even keep her little secret she had thought of revealing to the rest of the group now.

With the event of today, a chance for further understanding of his character would be available and… she could maybe get to know him more.

Her curiosity of befriending such individual stemmed by the fact, for some reason, she felt a connection with him. Something, in his eyes, felt familiar to her, the very haunted look she would see in the mirror of her bathroom when she looked at it while thinking of her Oniisan.

Both wanted to save their respective siblings and both came from less than normal situations. If she had to be honest, part of her would have considered this Shinji to be her very counterpart in the dimension he come from.

It was an odd theory but the more he interacted around her, the more Miyu was sure of it as her mind resonated in agreement with his logic. There were some questionable morality here and there, but he seemed to be keen to remind everyone he knew that some of the things he was doing was wrong and that he wasn't doing out of pleasure, but out of duty and safety.

When he took few of the Cards they had for his plans? The young Edelfelt understood that only someone that knows better about the inner workings of the Grail could truly make sure that those were safe to have around. That is why she had been incredibly confused when Zelretch had refused to accept the seven Cards, ordering to keep those in Fuyuki for… reasons.

Sapphire had been quick to explain her how her creator's mind worked and, if she had to be honest, she found the man to be someone to never met, not even once in her life.

Ambitious, eccentric, mysterious and playing around with people, never showing true caring for those around him. He was the epitome of a selfish person, the kind of individual Miyu disliked the most.

Shuffling under her covers, the young girl sighed softly and her eyes slowly closed as sleep had finally come to her. "T-Thank you, Sapphire."

She couldn't see the mystic code from there, but Miyu could imagine her bending a little to nod at her.

"You are welcome, Miyu-sama."

---------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d-----------

"This is a bad idea."

Five words to describe in the best light possible the distress this new development was bringing to my poor brain. Irisviel was starting to show the very thing I had long feared to see her showing with this 'kind' invitation.

Once she knew that there is someone 'cute', 'adorable', 'child-like' and 'mom-less', she would try to approach them, cuddle them and then make them part of her expanding family. It was all done with a good heart, but the planning was atrocious.

Going in a swimming pool, a very 'little' one to booth, with several younger girls in skimpy bikinis that were all going to press with each other and me-

Thank God I wasn't going to enter that blasted pool!

My saving grace was that I wasn't keen to be this close to people with so little clothes on. Why was I like this in general? Well, I have something of a fake illness called obsessive privacy preservation and that did cost me several things in my life.

But now? I was going to employ all the tricks and expedients I had learned from years of practicing such situation to avoid getting 'fan-serviced' by fate.

And while I was plotting all the possible ways to avoid getting stuck in any ecchi scene, the girls and Gilgamesh were already checking on their swimming clothes and my reaction to all those were… mixed.

Chibi Luvia's was so far the cutest as it was the classic school swimming suit children her age would use. It was oddly adorable to see the girl fidget at the staring but, seeing me giving her a thumb up, she seemed to relax and enjoy the praising coming her way.

Turning to Gilgamesh, I was glad that he didn't pick anything overly-exotic as he choose what looked to be a common swimming trunks with yellow and red color as main theme. He seemed to enjoy flexing the muscles he didn't have but giggled when he was being reminded he wasn't his older Archer self.

Artoria was kind of a surprise as I had expected her to pick her Summer's Rider clothes for this occasion and yet… she picked her 'normal' self's Archer swimming suit, the one she got at Stage 3 of her Ascension. The color were different, the grand white replaced by purple and the black by the side replaced by a soft red.

I nodded at her choice and she turned her face away, unable to cover the little blush appearing at the compliment as the Tyrant of Knights was glad to have found a good compromise.

Kuro shocked me the most having decided to wear a decent-sized swim skirt and a bandeau bikini top. Overall an acceptable mix that didn't show any unnecessary skin while also not being oppressively conservative.

She let out a giggle at my compliment and she slowly tip-toed to me, bringing her mouth close to my ear.

"You know, I wouldn't mind seeing what is underneath that shirt." I blinked and paled a little as I was bringing with me an open shirt as… I had to hide several little, unpleasant reminders of my time with the Matou family. "I would love to see you wear the scars bravely."

I sighed. "I would too, Kuro-chan, I would too."

She nodded and backed away as she went to comment amiably the other girls' clothes, understanding that the topic was quite sore on me and I was still thinking what to do when I was going to be told to ditch the shirt.

While I could staunchly opposite this and ask to be left alone, I know the tactic would only end up having them want to see me do that even more.

"Shinji, could you help me with my hair?" The cute voice Chibi Luvia used to ask such request sweetened the whole situation and, with a small smile, helped her hair to fit better in the short comb she wanted to use for today.

Letting long hair hang freely while swimming might be fun but the aftermath was going to be an atrocious mess to deal with. Humming quietly, I felt like today was going to be an easy day.

It was going to be tiring too but… it was a pseudo-beach episode. No bad guys, no terrible encounters and especially… no Ainsworths to deal with for the day.

------------------d-d-d-d-------------------d-d-d-d---------------d-d-d-d----------------d-d-d-----------

"Sel-la, why are you wasting so much time trying on your swim wear?"

Of course Sella had to be convinced to partake in such indecent display of skin. Staring at the long mirror in the bathroom, she posed to see if her current state showed too much of herself. Maybe she should have picked a swimming suit? Bikinis generally showed too much skin and-

The door behind her opened to reveal Leysritt, the bustier of the two maid appearing quite annoyed by the time her fellow Einzbern was wasting to pick a proper clothing for the occasion. She ignored the scandalized shock in the hard-working maid and picked her orange swimming wear.

"I-It was busy-"

"You are wasting too much time." The chill woman reminded and she gave her a long look. "You know that Shinji will not like it if you are this indecisive about things."

The little mentioning of the boy caused her to pause, blush and having her eyes shoot wide open. "What?! I-I am not going there because of Shi- the Matou boy!"

"You almost said his name. For someone that tries to lie around about the reason you accepted 'begrudgingly' Irisviel-san's offer, you sure seem eager to make a good appearance."

"I do that every special occasion- And y-you did accept that too for Shinji-"

"That is one of the reasons, yes." Liz stated shamelessly, ignoring the following shock from Sella. "But I think I like the cool water with the warm weather-"

"You- WHAT?"

"I like… cool water?"

"Before that!"

"Shinji?"

"Why would you be interested in a boy? That is so wrong-"

"What do you mean?" Leysritt tilted her head in confusion. "I just want to eat snacks with him while watching some TV."

… "That is wro- wait, what?"

"I don't see why age would be a problem if I want to spend some afternoon with him. It's not like I lack the same company with Illya and Shirou once in a while."

Sella frowned, her words while genuine lacking one real truth. "You mean that you have no interest in… being in a relationship with him?"

Leysritt sighed at the question, turned to the fellow maid and grasped her shoulders, causing the woman to look at her in confusion. "I want to. But he is young and that would be wrong." She stated calmly. "Differently from you, I am not trying to make a 'fake good' impression now because of that. He is young but… with what we are we got enough time to wait for the 'proper' time to truly try."

It was one of the few times the lazy woman showed interest in someone, but not just a superficial and marginal kind of interest. That was serious interest, one that well-gauged and planned to avoid failure and conquer success.

Thinking about this, Sella felt her shoulders sag a little and was about to let the short-haired Einzbern off when-

"'D-Differently from me?' Are you calling me a pervert, Liz. You?!"

"You are fawning over a little boy. That is what only degenerates do, don't they?"

"GAH! COME HERE!"

But surprisingly enough, the ever-lazy Liz managed to out-speed her 'sister' almost instantly. Rushing to her room, the woman then started to quickly prepare herself for the day as she had indeed laid out a plan for little Shinji.

While indeed she wanted to spend some good afternoon time with snacks and TV, Leysritt had failed to mention that she wanted to make good use of the modified 'Game of Life' tabletop game Irisviel-san had already used on Sella and her.

What good occasion to make use of such delightful game and get some further entertainment out of it?

-------------d-d-dd---------------d-d-dd------------d-d-dd------------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d--------------

AN

Poor Shinji is walking towards a trap and sadly he cannot do much but let it happen. Plus what seems to be the classic OVA episode from the 2herz series is actually something a little more complex. You see, there is something like 'jinxing things up' and Shinji did that.

Lots of women and girls, trying to fit in such a small swimming pool…

Now that is the evolution of ol' cat-fighting.

Also first step in the project of the fan-game: I got the sprite of Shirou almost done, needs only some shadows and refinement and should be good to be applied. Progress Reports are going to be available in my p tr eon page so… cheers!

 

[Tobi]

Ah, the rom-com situations return, a nice fluffy chapter after the last one. Got some insights on various people too.

 

[Teiwaz]

Wait does SI-hinji have Dark-Sakura esce lichtenberg figure scars?

 

[JustBukharin]

Wait does SI-hinji have Dark-Sakura esce lichtenberg figure scars?

Click to shrink...

Not right now. He has some heavy scarring because of some 'punishment' Zouken forced him to suffer with the Worms.

 

[JustBukharin]

Chapter 11: Siblings, Scars and Worm

Chloe von Einzbern hummed quietly as she led the small group of friends towards the Emiya household.

At this hour of the morning most of the city was already either to work or enjoying some early beginning of their own holidays. With a modest beach and a pleasant park all within Fuyuki, very few individuals preferred to go somewhere else during this season and that has been a particular tradition for more than a decade now.

The memories from Justeaze were useful, deadly so, as the tanned girl had some major insight over the happenings of this important place in the last two centuries and about the leylines present within the land.

It was helpful but also dreadful, some memories unpleasant to even think about because of their weight for the current present. That part of her that was influenced by those images looked at Shinji with curiosity, failing to grasp how someone like him came from Zolgen Makiri.

Brief fragments of a snappy Magus, sprouting about superiority and ambitions of ideal world peace. The latter bit was what allied the Einzberns to the Makiri/Matou as the chance of ending all conflict and bringing a unitary push for the Root resonated deep within the prime homunculus.

And yet it was all for nothing.

The mere proof that Justeaze's oldest ally had gone through a radically different path was unquestionable as the scars Shinji was hiding with his shirt carried a familiar energy trace.

Zouken was a monster, the young Matou had repeated this several times when she asked about his past, his answers curt and quick to the end as too painful to phrase around. She would be wrong in saying she understood the plight of the leading figure in this ragtag of misfits, but Kuro knew one little thing many would skip about Shinji.

In that smile, even when genuine, there were still hints of something terrible looming over his mind, a thought of the past that keeps him from fully enjoying the present, denying him a happy future after so much suffering.

Angry and helpless, there was little the young Demi-Servant could do about this issues, only be there and give her support when needed. It sounded little but… it was what she could do at the moment.

Suddenly Kuro stopped in her tracks, eyes blinking once and then twice as she caught sight of a distinct individual standing by the entrance. Her sight, enchanted by the Archer Card, gave her some better look over said figure and she dreaded what she was seeing.

Sakura Matou wasn't Shinji's little sister. While the boy might be convinced and determined to help this look-alike because of the stark resemblance with his younger sister, they both knew that this individual was far too dangerous to not be treated with caution.

She came from Miyu's Dimension, bearing a familiar undertone only those with a Servant Card would and… her body felt odd. The actions and the reactions to certain phenomena were genuine to a real human body, but her Circuits felt different from anyone else.

It was like… she was facing a puppet, not a true organic being. Like a homunculus but… emptier.

The female Matou noticed the approaching group and waved with a small smile, behind her a familiar redhead trying to help with some bags. Kuro decided to ignore the distracted Shirou, her eyes fixed on Sakura as the plum-haired girl gave off multiple emotions at once.

There was surprise, some fear and… genuine happiness?

It was a strange reaction from someone that was supposed to be their future enemy, but it was also even more confusing that this young woman decided to take a gamble in coming here, in enemy territory.

Shinji waved back, a simple smile on his face, and Artoria narrowed her eyes at the seemingly harmless girl. Gilgamesh didn't show any reaction to this development, merely walking closer to the young Matou.

Kuro glanced back and saw Luvia looking right at her, a questioning expression that she replied with a shrug. Without knowing what to do about this situation, the little blonde followed Kid Gil's example.

They finally closed up to the gates that led to the modest house and Shirou stared up from his task of sorting out the two bags. "Oh, Shinji-kun and others."

"Shirou-senpai, Sakura-senpai." The boy replied with a child-like voice, drawing a bigger smile from the carefree Emiya as he continued to try and fail in taking both heavy bags inside.

Meanwhile the plum-haired girl twitched at the way she was addressed, eyes widening as her smile turned uneasy at the turn of events. Yet there was something hiding that Chloe had some trouble in identifying and…

Why was she pleased by this?

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"Good morning, Shinji-kun~!"

I groaned inwardly as I was scooped up by the swift Irisviel, my body instantly pressed on her modesty as I tried to keep my mind from wandering through a very dangerous road. My determination to avoid getting caught in some difficult-to-explain situations further improved by the individual behind the kind mother.

Kiritsugu Emiya was ripped, muscles and all, maybe slightly less than Kirei and he was showing some minor scars here and there in his chest. His glare, which promised utter pain at those who dared to touch inappropriately his wife, was a good deterrent for any poor soul ending up suffering my face.

Seriously why the few interactions with this version of the Emiya family generally ended up with me trying to wriggle away from some murder by paranoid husband?

The hug lasted little as I heard three other individuals approaching. Sella was for some reason hiding behind Leysritt while Illya looked quite normal at first sight.

"Oh, Shinji-kun?" I nodded and the Einzbern approached, glancing briefly towards Kuro and sighing as she got an approving nod from her. It was an odd situation between the two, some friction present here and there but not as much as before.

"I hope this has not been forceful from Mama-"

"I will be honest and say 'kind of'." She sighed at my reply and I still smiled. "Still, thank you for showing some consideration."

A little blush emerged and she smiled herself. "Y-You are welcome, Shinji-kun."

As I was about to continue to address the others, I felt a strong hand squeezing at my shoulder. I didn't need to stare up to recognize the familiar dread coming from the Magus Killer and gulped nervously as he started to speak.

"Shinji-san, a word in private if possible."

Irisviel seemed to be busy bothering Chloe with showing her some other pairs of swimwear for her to use, the maids were helping Shirou and Sakura with the bags while the rest of the group was moving to greet two annoyances approaching.

I might sound harsh about the two apprentices of this universe's Zelretch, but I did have my reason to be this petty around them, especially counting the fact they grew in the best dimension possible that was known.

Nodding slowly, I was quickly ushered in a particularly dark room, an office of sort and placed on the chair in front of Kiritsugu. The man had his stare narrowed on my small frame and he kept quiet for a while.

Then he spoke. "Shinji Matou, I've a request that I wish you could answer without hesitation or doubt."

I blinked at the sudden seriousness he was bringing in that situation, but I nodded nonetheless, waiting for him to ask.

"You have said that you know what happened if we went ahead with the Holy Grail War, how it would have ended up into."

There wasn't any question, only words working as pieces of a puzzle for my mind to form silently and quickly. I sighed. "You want to know if that would have worked-"

"No."

...What?

"Beg your pardon?"

He blinked and nodded. "I spent years thinking if the Grail could have truly achieved my dream of ending war all around the world and all the clues led to an unmistakable 'no'."

He leaned closer and his expression softened. "I… I want to know what I did in that War." There was a simple pause. "I want to know how far I went for that competition."

...Shit.

I might have been ready to deal with the usual pragmatic Kiritsugu as this one did resemble every single one version of his, but this query was unexpected. I mean, I could understand that he would want to know how he behaved in that conflict, but I have completely forgotten about this very Kiritsugu.

He didn't behave like he had as the Magus Killer, those days gone after years spent with a loving family around him. He was genuinely concerned because, within himself, he knew that he would have gone through some actions that he wouldn't condone now.

I sighed gravely and glanced behind at the only door of the room, being greeted by the familiar face that was Maya Hisau's, the assistant of the Emiya wearing a simple gray bikini. At least now I knew that she was alive in this timeline...

"Is this office soundproof?" I turned back to the man, giving me a curious stare. "And can she be trusted to not tell this to anyone else?"

Maya coughed. "I am going to preserve the secrets told there." She gave me the scariest emotionless look I had ever to face, worse compared to the maids back to the Castle. "Even the most sinful of them all."

I slowly nodded at that and started to speak with the worst detail of Kiritsugu's participation in the War.

"If you knew that Irisviel needs to die for the Grail to work, how would you deal with the guilt and remorse at committing such act?"

There was silence, the man's eyes closing in thought before sighing. "I would try to cut the connection."

"And you did, but it was all for naught." I stated clearly, ignoring the confusion rising on his face. "The Master of Assassin killed her, he broke her neck."

More silence but I could hear some shifting behind me. I mean, if Kiritsugu was supposed to be something like Fate's Batman, his way of 'cutting the connection' are pretty quick to understand and imagine.

"His name-"

"He is not going to bring harm in this dimension." My tone showed some confidence as I knew that Kotomine was passive nowadays about this behavior of his. "He has his own family to deal with."

He nodded thankfully. "What about… Illya and Shirou?"

"Acht kept the Boundary Fields up when you tried to approach the Castle, saying that you failed the contract and thus wouldn't be allowed to approach the 'new grail'." He flinched at the way I addressed his daughter but… this had to happen this way. "You found Shirou in Fuyuki, only survivor of the… Fire."

"Fire?" He was clueless of the event, as this dimension never experienced it.

"You ordered your Servant to deploy their Noble Phantasm to destroy the Grail." I explained quickly. "The corruption sparked a fire that destroyed a good part of the city, Shirou was the only survivor of the disaster because you gave him Avalon."

"Excalibur's scabbard?" He glanced on the side and I did notice a safe on the wall. "So I did summon him-"

"Her." I interrupted quickly.

He blinked. "What?"

"King Arthur was a woman." I continued without hesitation. "The young blonde, Artoria, is her 'Alter' version, a corrupted version of the original Saber."

His eyes widened. "A-And she is a Servant-"

"No. She has been… resurrected." I state with some minor doubt. What if the Emiya was going to take the following bit badly as I did resurrect a dead woman from a card.

"How-"

"Heroic Spirits only." I squirmed in my chair as I felt Maya now relatively close where I was. "I can't bring your… surrogate mother back."

He didn't react to the mentioning of Natalia, but I knew that I did come close to a beating from the man. His past was a sore subject and I was playing with fire there.

"Understood." He looked like he had swallowed a lemon but he managed some restrain at the woman being mentioned. "I'm sorry if-"

"Don't apologize, Kiritsugu-san." I muttered quickly. "Everyone would like to have that kind of power to… destroy that fear."

He nodded, a brief smile on his face before he returned his attention back at me. "You know, you shouldn't hide the scars."

I froze on my seat at the words and sighed. "I- I don't want to-"

"Are you proud of why you gained those, of the action that caused those to be dealt to you?"

I flinched, mind bringing me back to the very moment I received them.

I remember letting out some yells as Byakuya, my father, complied with Zouken's orders. It was the first few times when I tried to directly pull Sakura out of the pool of Crest Worms, ignoring the damage as to get her out of that horrible place.

Sakura blinked in surprise, pale and empty orbs of purple watering with some strangely familiar emotion. Tears fell but her mind couldn't compute what was happening within her, a nostalgic sensation that only renewed her sadness somewho.

Her head would bow down during the whole punishment as she didn't dare to look as her older brother paid for his kindness, but then she saw the daring smile on his face and… smiled herself.

"I… I did what was right, yes. But-"

I felt hands pulling my shirt up and removing it from my hold. Maya didn't show much in her face but I could easily spot some mischievous glint in her eyes. "Give it back!"

"Sadly this discussion is over, Shinji-kun." I turned back to Kiritsugu with a snarl and felt paling as I was graced with Killing Intent. "But if I am told that you did commit some lecherous deed with my wife AND my daughter; you better have the grave ready."

I nodded quickly and he smiled. "Good."

Thus I was suddenly thrown out of the office without my shirt and I heard a gasp. Looking up I groaned as I spotted Irisviel staring at my back and… at my scars.

Closing my eyes as my fate was sealed, I accepted the new glomping with some disinterest. I knew that this was merely the prelude for the madness of today's event…

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AN

I think I will update in Sunday. Feeling like I have ignored this fic for a while and.. IT'S TIME TO RETURN ITS STRENGTH!

Also Fate Player Online got 750 Follows, yay!

 

[Tobi]

Why did I feel like all that was a father having a meeting his daughters boyfriend. Ya know one of those arrange marriage things in Japan where you meet both the parents alongside the person you intend to marry and just try to impress them. Forgot the name but meh google will help.

On a side note, Sakura's having an ideal dream.

 

[Haphazard]

This was an excellent thing to wake up to. Shinji Si just got thrown to the wolves though.

 

[MAGNUS1337]

Sakura is a Yandere Onee-san for Shota Shinji confirmed...

 

[bigreader]

I can't believe he wasted that opportunity to ask how Shero still became his son even though there was no fire and tragedy

 

[edukated]

I can't believe he wasted that opportunity to ask how Shero still became his son even though there was no fire and tragedy

Click to shrink...

What and try to believably explain something even the canon authors glossed over? I mean hell it's less how Shirou joined the Emiya family and more like how the hell did he even become "Shirou " in the first place.

 

[JustBukharin]

Chapter 12: Pity, Punishment and Worm

If there was something that I found legitimately worth of utter hate and silent anger, it was pity thrown at me.

The way Irisviel kept me around like a toddler, a murderous-looking toddler that was ready to spit fire and raise hell all around just for the fact I was being manhandled like that.

While many could easily confuse this as a childish tantrum, being actually an adult stuck in that very limiting body the issue was the fact I was being babied too much.

There was no cooing, nor any of that stuff, but I was still being 'comforted' by the lovely mother while the last preparations were made.

Of course the gravity of the situation was way beyond the simple irritation at being hold like that, the scars visible in my body easily sparking the morbid curiosity of the many people around for today's 'event'.

And as much as I wanted to push away the Einzbern from coddling me like that, I soon realized that… my scars were glowing slightly. The bluish prana coming from the scarred circuits couldn't be easily hidden without… a shirt.

Thus the second best thing was… a tall human being. That could have been one of the many reasons why I was suddenly pulled in that annoying embrace, didn't mean that I was going to let this go without some proper 'acting'.

Yet the scars had been partly revealed to the others, their reaction being mostly of shock and gloom, the only worthwhile reactions being Chibi-Luvia's, her older self, Rin, Miyu, Illya and… Sakura.

The two blondes shared the same horrified expression, yet the younger version sported a set of emotions different, more… apt to the current state of our friendship.

Being her pillar, an example to follow to become 'a proper apprentice under Lord Zelretch', Luvia was mortified at the knowledge that I didn't have the best of childhoods. Sure, I might have said that I didn't have a kind home back in Fuyuki, but words fell deaf when tangible evidence was bestowed in such a fashion.

I was unsure by her mere look if she understood the implications regarding the glow of said scars and I strongly hoped she didn't as… then the dread would be twofold than the one showed right now.

The Prillya's apprentices of the Wizard Marshal did recognize the extension of the damage inflicted upon my body, sharing a glance and for once appearing serious regarding a serious situation. There was hardly something that could match this predicament in the series, or at least this early on.

The two girls would surely continue to think about this, hesitate about 'solving' my plight at the price of getting some respect. Hopefully I will end up getting Touko Aozaki to do a professional work rather than trust my life on their hands.

Miyu… How could I describe this...

Miyu's face was blank, none of the struggle that would come at seeing this level of abuse after so much time spent at ease. I could see a glint flickering once or twice during the stare, a sense of kinship, of understanding and… of respectful silence.

It was never expanded in the lore what kind of 'experiments' the girl went before being found by Shirou. It was mentioned that the children of the Sakatsuki clan were subjected to special rituals, but nothing was given for certain.

Same for what Kiritsugu did to her. While I was certain that none of the Magus Killers in the whole Nasuverse was keen to torture children, I bet the Miyuverse's Kiritsugu had to have let go of some morals… for the Greater Good.

A fully functioning Holy Grail? Who would be so stupid to waste that easy opportunity to get their dreams to happen?

And then when she was captured by the Ainsworth family, but knowing Darius, she had to endure some rituals there… to speed up the Grail process.

Maybe what happened during her second 'stay' was because of the limited time Darius was working with and… I could see that being a thing since she hardly seemed too much traumatized.

Turning my attention to the young Einzbern's reaction, I was quick to notice how nervous she looked.

As much as the girl was trying to enjoy a peaceful life, the sudden presence of the dangerous threats coming from Miyu's home-dimension were giving her a new perspective of the Magical Girl's experience and with that she was also growing mentally.

Growing smart and wise enough to understand that the world could be terribly horrible, the world could be unjust and… unfair.

Yet the possibility of having someone having experienced abuse this early on? She would have started to realize this harsh truth with Miyu after reaching her dimension, but now that she was still developing and far from being capable of properly decide how to deal with this kind of situation? I wasn't surprised to see her this much… clueless how to react to this revelation.

Finally… there was Sakura.

The plum-haired girl was paler than before, her face holding strongly at a blank mask trying to slip away at the sudden development.

With the scars, my words regarding my genuine intentions were given some legitimacy. Not enough to make her fully accepting of my presence and… plans, but good enough to possibly avoid some stabby encounters anytime soon.

The terrible thing about the Miyuverse's Matou that I was left confused and terribly unaware of was…

How far did Zouken trained Sakura before croaking a last snarl at the Ainsworths?

Did he follow the same pace as his Fate Stay Night's version did or… did he try to speed up the process in a desperate attempt to get a functional heir before his demise?

The girl tried to avoid my gaze, but my eyes would match with hers more than once, her mask slipping the more I pressured her to give a genuine reaction.

Knowing that poking too hard while everyone was around could… end up in a difficult mess.

Since my status didn't… allow me to enjoy any swimming, Irisviel was 'kind' enough to put me in one of the present chairs and give me a towel to cover up before joining the others and… cause some of the classic antics this perverted universe was known for.

I sighed, deciding to bide my time and maybe get a nap or two done before the end of the swimming session.

Just as I slouched on the chair and prepared to close my eyes, I felt a shadow looming over me for a moment before she settled down on the chair beside mine.

Sakura looked nervous, terribly so that she tried to pull up a fake smile while waving at her 'senpai' while he joined up with the group already inside the swimming pool. Freezing a little, she then glanced at me and I returned the look, a placid and silent expression.

"C-Can you spare some… answers? I… I have some questions."

I blinked, I didn't expect her to… be intrigued this much. Sure, I did expect this situation to happen but… not now of all the times possible.

She was supposed to act normally rather than trying to 'screw her cover'.

But I didn't mind, I wasn't going to lose anything by satisfying her curiosity just for once.

"Sure."

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Chloe sighed tiredly as she tried and failed once more to hear what Shinji and the Doll were talking about.

She cursed EMIYA for having some of the best set of eyes but not good ears to match the quality, her gloomy mood hardly hidden while she took one of the furthest corner from anyone to brood safely about the matter.

While the mixed group seemed to have mostly ignored her strange behavior, she knew that it was a matter of time before someone decided to poke around to see why she wasn't happy.

Irisviel was busying herself with Leysritt and Sella, both maids surprisingly having a matching expression. An annoyed pout, something that could easily be found in the more serious of the two, while the blunter was a strange surprise to see this… expressive.

Returning back to the tanned girl, Kuro was certainly curious but also worried about the topics exchanged between the two. She knew that she could easily jump in action and cleave the dangerous threat just in time if she noticed any attempt against the boy's life.

The churning of her stomach didn't help with her nerves, she was way too tense and nervous to truly enjoy the pleasant water and… seeing Shirou shirtless.

As much as she knew that she was related to him even more than her other version, it didn't certainly mean she couldn't glance at his built and-

B-Back to Shinji! Eyes fixed on the 'toweled' boy, the young Einzbern was hopeful that he wouldn't go as far as getting the Berserker to snap on and him.

She hummed calmly, trying to soothe her worries but hardly getting any relief in that situation. She was itching to attack that Doll, to finally get some well-deserved peace with the looming threats that had yet to present themselves.

The fact that Shinji was visibly delaying what the tanned girl knew was unavoidable left her perplexed, confused and terribly concerned. It was an odd sensation, to be this much tense about… someone's else life.

Odd as positive, odd as fresh. Odd as warming…

Her little moment alone was concluded when her 'mother' finally approached and started to talk just as expected.

"Is something wrong with Shinji-kun?" Was the question of the blissfully-unaware woman.

Chloe wondered darkly if she should tell her that her son ended up bringing a monster rather than the soft-spoken girl that was Sakura Matou. Possibly badly, the Archer-wielding girl mused back, and that would put the boy in danger…

She was in a swimming pool, a place she was quite enjoying but her interest over the situation was screwed by the dangerous place the young Matou has placed himself into.

Thus the girl sighed. "He is a dummy." The curt response caused the woman to giggle.

"He is quite funny about that." Irisviel admitted with a mirthful smile. "He reminds me much of how Kiritsugu behaves nowadays."

A dreadful comparison. Sure, Shinji was planning how to solve 'everything', but he never seemed to endear the idea of 'Hero' as much as the Emiya patriarch was known for-

Wait, she meant 'this' Magus Killer, not the mindless drone prior the marriage.

Kuro sighed, this was certainly a difficult development to digest but… it was like that. The Card had knowledge over the Kiritsugu from another dimension, the one where… the young Matou supposedly came from.

It wasn't a nice light, her 'papa' had killed innocents to assure that the 'most' lived through conflicts, through disasters. She could see the logic in some decisions but… some other instances left her sick, disgusted by how far the Emiya would go for… Justice.

"He is my dummy." The little Einzbern corrected herself much to her 'mother' surprise.

"Is that so? Is someone in love for little Shinji?" There was amusement in the tease but…

Sadly the reality was far more different than the woman hoped it to be.

"I do." The girl admitted placidly, ignoring Irisviel's eyes widening in shock at the news.

"...Sweetie, isn't he a little to young-"

"Aren't you literally just a year or two older than Illya-"

"Human-wise, age is still an important factor in love." The woman interjected the sassy remark from Kuro. "Do you even know what love is-"

"I prefer to keep my love life private." The girl interrupted coldly. "But yes, I do take into account everything about… this situation. It's not a crush and… I am not rushing anything."

"That's good but… why?" The question felt… strange to hear. "Why do you 'love' him?"

There would be hundreds of thousands of words that could fill up the answer but the little Einzbern was aware that she didn't have that much time and… went with the shorter summary.

"He is kind, honest, caring and… he is genuine." Her lips twitched, warmth slowly increasing in her chest, her heartbeat increasing just a little. "I can go for hours but I don't want to. I can say for sure that he is interesting and… we both care to each other."

The woman chuckled. "Yet I've seen you staring at your Oniichan~." Irisviel pointed out much to the girl's discomfort.

"He is good-looking." Kuro admitted quietly. "But beyond your teasing, will you let Shirou tie up with so many… suitors?"

She hit the spot, the mother tensing a little and looking nervous for a moment. "I- I think you know that I can't let that happen-" The woman tried to explain.

"Yet you are putting fuel on the fire some have for him." Chloe pressed on. "While I can understand that he is dense and needs someone to help him around with girls, don't you think that you should tune down the effort… just a little."

Iri blinked. "You think I'm pushing too hard?" She questioned a little curious now.

"Just a little." The tanned girl continued. "I understand that you are trying to help him up, but if you press too much… the situation might escalate to a point where he might have too much to chew."

The woman nodded slowly. "I understand. Then I shouldn't probably try to sell photos of-"

Irisviel stopped mid-speech, her red eyes trailing back to the chairs and… the two females stared at a curious scene.

Shinji was passing to a beet-red Sakura some pictures. From her reaction and the allusions the woman was trying to make before stopping to see this scene, these have to be photos of Shirou in… questionable situations.

Just as Chloe was ready to ask if this theory was true, Irisviel stood up and clapped her hands together.

"Sella and Leysritt, could you take the children inside to play that 'fun game' you wanted to try with Shinji." The matriarch ordered the maids, her smile sickly-sweet. "Meanwhile I wish to speak with the girls and Shirou-kun in private."

It didn't take long for the tanned girl to recognize the strategy the woman was pushing for.

Developed by the mother from the 'Divide et Impera' basis, the 'Divide et Puni', better known as Divide and Punish ruse, was used normally to punish Shirou and Illya when they committed some mess together, not generally of the Ecchi kind.

And while Kuro realized this much, her eyes widened at the impressive speed exercised by the two young women in rushing towards the confused boy and proceeding to pull him inside the house.

Panic surged at the scene and the girl literally jumped off the pool's thin walls and rushed inside, followed by Chibi-Luvia and Gilgamesh.

Artoria wanted to join too but… Irisviel decided to put a stop at her attempt. "Let the children play a little." Her voice was just… like back then.

The Tyrant held back a shiver, the unpleasant memories trying to reach back but she was strong enough to keep a calm posture externally.

She nodded slowly and soon the pool was occupied only by the older girls, Irisviel and Shirou.

Most of them interested in the dense redhead while the poor Salter faced the embarrassing situation that ensued alone. With pride and… blush.

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I'm back, comrades!

This time we got a permanent schedule for both FPO and Crawl like a Worm… and the other stories.

I've been investing much of my time with the daily-updated Magical Trickster DxD (Which I shamelessly plugged in, hehe.) and dealing with some RL issues… but now we are really back.

HUZZAH!

Next Chapter we will get some fun scenes. Sella and Liz were given the powah over the poor Shinji, yet nothing 'that bad' will happen (pinkie-promise!).

BTW a funny detail about the Kuro-Shinji dynamics: Both are the jailbait for each other and can't do anything about that… yet. (No lewding people in this holy fanfic, of course.)

P.S. I know someone will ask anyway, the new schedule is in the FF Bios, I've yet to update the forum ones.