455Here comes the AU parts.
Chapter 2 - Heroes don't come with Expectations!
It was too hot.
Fire, so much fire. Everywhere he looked there was only fire.
His body felt like it was on fire.
Every step felt like his skin was burned on charcoal. Every draw of breath felt like ash went inside his lungs, burning up his insides. His eyes felt dry, and his throat was extremely parched. He can't even hear himself scream for help anymore.
...No, that last one was wrong. It's not the heat getting to him why he can't hear himself.
He listened to the sounds of people trapped under rubble, screaming for help. There were so much, so many people yelling in grief, in desperation, just for them and their loved ones to get out of this hell. They were stuck there in pain, bodies probably felt more on fire than his.
They drowned out his cries in comparison.
He listened to those sounds directed to him as he walked. He'd heard their hope as they saw him. He'd heard them despair as he continued as if he didn't hear them. He'd heard them curse him for not even stopping.
He felt sluggish from the pain, and weighed down by the sins he made by ignoring their cries. There was an urge in the back of his mind, a resigned acceptance that gives a sense of peace to his fear of dying, to just lie down and escape the hell he was currently in.
It... it wasn't the first time he was feeling like this. He remembered the cold nights with his stomach empty, wondering whether he would wake up the next day and live. He… he was street trash. He was undeserving to live. Compared to these people who still had their lives to live, he himself had nothing going on for him for the future.
Why… Why was he still moving again?
...Then, he saw something.
There was a man, searching under the rubble with desperation that he saw in the others. He almost thought he was also like him—one of the lucky ones that managed to not get trapped. Yet strangely, he doesn't seem to call for help like he or the others did.
When the man's eyes saw the boy, it lit up. The man ran to him desperately like he was some kind of lifeline. It was strange; the man looked immaculate compared to him, so shouldn't it be the other way around?
Before the boy could act confused, his body seemed to decide that it was at its limit. His strength was already leaving him, and his eyes felt very heavy. His knees buckled under his weight and he felt himself fall.
Something caught him. He can only assume it was the man.
The fire in his body was gone, only replaced by a biting cold that penetrated him. The darkness in the edges of his vision spread... And the boy knew for certain he was going to die.
Using the last of his strength, he looked up.
He idly noticed that the man was smiling and crying tears of joy. The boy supposed he should be happy as well. He has a chance of being saved by this man. He only had to force himself to stay alive, and maybe, maybe he has another chance in living his life, even if it was nothing. He knew he could do that, but…
...Ah, that's right. He remembered the reason why he still moved.
Shaking, he raised his soot covered hand. Pointing in the direction behind him.
"There's still people there."
With his strength gone, the darkness claimed him.
...
Saitama opened his eyes.
Immediately, he was greeted with a sight of the ceiling of his dark room. Bringing an arm out of his futon, he fumbled for the alarm clock he always put beside him, then looked at the time.
One thirty in the morning. It was way too early to be doing anything.
He set the clock back down and exhaled as he closed his eyes. The images of his dream still vividly remembered as he does so.
His mind goes to the man that he had met that day. He'd never expected to wake up after that fire in a hospital, much less that the man would be waiting for him and ask him if he was alright being adopted. He'd never expected that he also had a manor waiting for him in the rich part of Fuyuki.
Emiya Kiritsugu. A mysterious man that he supposed that he can call as his father. Even if he was away more than Saitama was with him, he still respected him highly regardless.
"Wonder how you're doing, old man? ...Things good there in heaven?" he muttered to the ceiling.
"..."
Silence. Though it's not like he was expecting any sort of reply.
Saitama pushed away the blanket of his futon and forced himself to stand up. He ignored the feeling of wanting to go back to bed and to take a rest. Instead, he did some stretching to limber himself up. Doing just enough to shake off the sleepiness away.
Cracking his neck, he opened the sliding door out to the porch. The clear night sky made enough way for the moon to shine down, showing a beautiful sight of the manor's courtyard. It was breath-taking... though he can't really care right now.
He yawned, then scratched his ass.
What was he going to do again...?
He stopped for a few moments to gather his wits and remember his last few memories from yesterday.
"Ah, yeah... that's right."
Walking to the middle of the courtyard, he put his hands down on the course ground, positioning his body straight like a plank and tightening his core. He lowered himself down, then grunted as he pushed himself back up again.
He did his push-ups.
"One... two... three…"
He needed to do his training. Normally, he'd be doing it after breakfast, but today was the start of another school year—which means that he doesn't have as much time to spend in a day with training like during breaks. He needed to wake up early to do it.
I can't really call myself a hero for a hobby if I can't even beat up the bad guys. That's just being a poor sort of hero. Saitama thought to himself. Wished I had some sort of special power though… it sucks waking up early in the morning for something like this.
Those hero stories make it look so easy to be strong, but it's really not. Most don't receive some unique ability that can beat enemies easily and instead have to work for it to gain any sort of strength. He's nothing really special so he has to train.
It's a bit of a bummer, but reality works that way. Imagine what he could do if he had some ability like flying, though. That would be cool.
He envisioned himself flying up high above the clouds, staring with a clear sight of the moon and a complete view of Fuyuki City below…
"…"
His eyes snapped open as he recovered in time from his arms losing strength in his push-up.
A single bead of sweat dropped down from his forehead. That was close, almost fell asleep that time there...
Alright, it's time to focus on his training. Now, what number was he again? Ten? Fifteen?
...Back to zero, I guess.
"One... two... three…"
Tohsaka Rin opened her eyes.
She looked around blearily, before registering that she was back in her room. Then, she groaned and covered her eyes with her arms, sinking on the sheets of her comfy bed. She just got back from her investigation and the sun was already up. She only had one or two hours of shut eye…
"...Today was the start of school, wasn't it?" she muttered.
Sighing, she forced herself out of the bed and went on to start the day. She sluggishly walked towards the bathroom and washed her face there. The cold water was enough to make her slightly more awake, and she looked at the mirror showing a full view of her sleep-deprived self.
Frankly, she looked horrible. She looks like she's about to fall over anytime, and that is exactly how she feels. It wouldn't do though... as the Tohsaka heir, she should always give a good first impression.
A bit later, the girl stepped out from the bathroom with her uniform and make up on. She looked immaculate, traces of the earlier girl gone without a trace, replaced that the perfect girl that everyone knew of in school. She was ready to go.
Tohsaka went out of her room and walked down the stairs. On her way down, she saw someone in a wheelchair roll to the stairs and stop when she looked at them.
Her mother smiled at her, holding what looked like a tray of toast and omelettes. "Good morning, Rin. I made you breakfast—I was just about to bring it to you."
Tohsaka blinked. "A-Ah… thank you." she walked to her mom and took the tray, staring at the food blankly. "You don't need to do this, you know…it's difficult to cook while in a wheelchair."
Her mother waved a hand. "Don't worry about that. I saw you looking quite tired lately. Besides, isn't it a mother's job to spoil her children?"
"...It is." she smiled softly, before frowning. "But what did I hear about you bringing it to me? Are you planning on standing up again? What if you fall down the stairs!"
"Are you worried about your mother hurting herself?" she teased.
"Yes!"
"Oh, it's fine isn't it? I'm getting flabby from sitting around." her mother giggled, and Tohsaka felt her anger melt away. She didn't want to show it though, so she looked away and huffed. "Now, now. You have your school don't you? You're going to be late at this rate."
"...Fine."
Moments later, the food was finished and she and her mother were at the front door. Tohsaka held her bag and wore her shoes on, then after, she twisted the door knob open.
She looked back to her mother. "I'll be going."
Her mother smiled. "Get back soon. You and Sakura be careful on your way, alright?"
Sakura isn't here, mother. She never was for years.
She smiled back. "We'll be careful."
And so, she went ahead and closed the door behind her, walking towards her school.
…
The walk to her school was an uneventful one. It was a bit far, since she was living in the farther end of the residential district, but it was still enough to reach in about a thirty minute walk. She passed by a few familiar faces from previous classes and she returned their greetings with practiced ease.
On the back of her mind as she walked though, she thought about the one responsible for beating her targets before her. It was worrying her that there is something powerful out there in her city, and aside from the mystery of locating it, she began to wonder if there was a way to beat this... whatever it was. There are many possible culprits for the attacks, but considering their power... could it be a dead apostle?
She shuddered. How can she beat that? If that was how it was then her city might be in immediate danger. The next thing she might know the whole city might already have been converted into their slaves.
"This whole thing is starting to become a headache…" she muttered.
Well, nothing has been confirmed. She should leave out the assumptions for now.
When she reached Homurahara Academy she saw many students congested around the entrance entering the campus. There were a few loitering though—some few of which were looking around who were probably new students, while there were others that were catching up with their friends.
Tohsaka sees someone at the edge of her vision, making her stop.
That was...
A lone girl walked just a few ways in front of her. A familiar ribbon tied on her hair swaying in the wind.
Her sister–...no, she wouldn't be called that now. Sakura walked to the entrance of the school. Her hair a vibrant color of purple like she saw from before and uniform smoothed out prim and proper. She walked gracefully, albeit a bit reserved, which she completely expected from her shy demeanor.
She ignored the temptation to greet her, to ask her how she's been, to know how she had lived in the Matou for the past years. Instead, she stayed where she was, not bringing attention to herself and just looked at her from the side.
It... it wouldn't do good for them to interact. She was a Matou now, not a Tohsaka. They were rival magus families, and doing that might hurt both of them in the long run... so she can't do any of that.
She watched the girl as she went, her mind in turmoil. Though, any thought of that had stopped as she realized that Sakura approached someone. A boy with black hair it looks like, but she can't see their face because of how far away she is.
Secretly she approached them, before blanching. Isn't that...?
"Good morning, senpai." Sakura greeted.
"Morning." he replied.
The boy was someone with a less than stellar reputation in Homurahara Academy. With his general lack of respectable attitude and perpetually blank face, Emiya Saitama was regarded as a thug that both faculty and students don't like.
She never interacted with him, nor did she go out of her way to. She had to maintain her idol persona and being around such a person would damage her standing. The things she heard about the rumors concerning him were outrageous, and while she could never quite decide whether it was true or not, it sure seems likely.
I mean, why even have a name about a place? What kind of parents did this guy have to get a name like that?
She doesn't understand. Why would Sakura interact with this guy? Should she be worried?
In the end though, she had to ignore it all as the school bell rang. It was time to gather for the opening ceremony. The students all went inside and it was officially the start of the new year.
Giving a discreet stink eye to the unknowing boy, she went inside, determined to act as the school idol Tohsaka Rin just like always.
She's definitely going to keep an eye out for that guy.
Tohsaka Rin's face twitched minutely.
The boy seated beside her continued picking his nose, much to the disgust of the people around him.
Why the hell is he sitting beside me!? I know I'll be keeping an eye on him, but this is too soon! She thought. Also this guy is disgusting! Don't pick your nose in front of others, you brute!
The opening ceremony had started, and they were gathered to sit on chairs as the principal gave his speech right in front of the students. When Tohsaka sat down, other students would usually be self-conscious to sit beside her and there would be some competition in power dynamics that would decide who would be most fit to do so. It would be one of the consequences of being known as the perfect girl.
Imagine her surprise that the one that would sit beside her was the thug that was Emiya Saitama, who had ignored all rules of social etiquette. There were a few whispers directed at them when he did so. It needed all her willpower to keep a straight face and not shout at the boy.
Deep breaths, Rin. Deep breaths. Don't... don't let this guy ruin your reputation.
Tohsaka kept a straight face.
Emiya Saitama blankly looked in front of him as the principal droned on.
"..."
"..."
He flicked his finger.
The... booger... landed right in front of her.
The students all around her talked in hushed conversations.
"..."
Tohsaka twitched in her seat, fists shaking in rage.
I... I will kill this guy. I'll definitely kill this guy.
There was a cough. Tohsaka looked to the side, and she saw that the Student Council's President, Issei Ryuudou, had gone near them to check out the commotion. His presence instantly quieted down the whispers while the president stood there as he frowned at Emiya.
"Emiya-kun... please refrain from doing that. It's unsightly." he scolded. "If you have to do it you can go do that in the restroom."
"...What's the problem? It's not like a big deal or anything." Emiya replied dispassionately, not even looking at the bespectacled boy. "You never picked your nose once in your life?"
"That's…" the president sighed. "You're causing a commotion."
"Am I?" Emiya had the gall to look shocked at that. He looked around. "Doesn't seem like it."
The boy looked at her. "Hey, am I causing trouble?"
Yes, you disgusting imbecile! How can you not notice that!?
She reigned her fury in. She can't say anything, much less interact with this guy right now. If she did, she'd be pulled into this mess of a conversation. She can't get involved in something like this, especially for the first day.
So instead of answering, she looked forward, smiling. As if she was above it all.
"..."
Emiya furrowed his brows.
"...Oi, you listening? What's with this woman." he muttered. Then, he looked back at Ryuudou. "Well, nobody was saying anything, so…"
The president pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just... just don't do that again." he said, before blinking. "Oh, by the way. Fujimura-sensei requested you to go to the faculty. She never gave the specifics but she said she needed you for something."
"Did she?" he scratched his head. "I guess I should take care of that then."
Emiya stood up. The chair he sat on scraped on the floor and made a screeching noise that echoed in the auditorium, making a few heads turn in their direction. Tohsaka kept smiling like there's nothing wrong.
She heard footsteps. It slowly receded in volume and disappeared completely after a few moments.
...Did he finally leave?
A discreet look behind her confirmed that, yes, that guy did leave. It looks like the others noticed so as well, and all around her the whispers came back in full force. From what she could hear it's the usual disparaging of Emiya's improper behavior, and there were some pitying statements about her being seated beside him.
In her mind, she was a bit relieved. It took a lot of self-control to be next to that guy.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel thankful for Ryuudou. Even if he was a stuck-up Eastern Monk.
Perhaps she can be a bit amiable to him next time.
…
Tohsaka smothered out a yawn as the principal's speech had reached one and a half hours. She had long stopped listening after realizing that the principal was only giving out rules and regulations that she already knew, as well as bragging about the achievements of the school.
Other students are already talking to each other and making noise. The faculty with them seemed just as bored as well. Even her control was slipping with her just sitting here doing nothing.
Her eyes still feel a bit heavy after all the searching last night, and she feels like she's just one hair away from getting knocked out while still on her seat. Which… wouldn't be much of a problem, would it? She just catch some shut eye for a bit. It's not like there's anything wrong for that right? She can see some others doing the same thing.
It was incredibly tempting, but thankfully, she felt something that woke her straight up.
Wha–!
It was as subtle as a car crash. The mana around her immediately became dense and held a certain edge to it. To a finely-attuned magus such as her, it was an equivalent to entering in a bomb zone knowing that your life can end at any moment.
Tohsaka straightened from her seat and looked around, furrowing her brow. What is this…? It feels malevolent. Where did it come from?
It's source seems to be... near the entrance of the school? Yes. Yes it was. Just what was going on here?
She stood up and excused herself, mind awhirl with all the possibilities.
She's going to need to check this out.
As the opening ceremony of Homurahara Academy started, there were a few late students who had—for some reason—neglected to wake up early on the first day of school. The girl who ran desperately was one such student. And when she finally arrived near the school and saw the building in the distance, she felt relieved.
"Haah... haah... Finally…" she panted out.
There was still hope since it was still the opening ceremony; It's not like she missed any classes, so it wouldn't really affect her grades already.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture and began to walk to the school–
"Oooh... What am I seeing here~?"
–But in an alley near the girl, a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder.
"Kya–!"
The girl was immediately pulled in. She went to scream, but a hand forced her mouth shut immediately before she could let out her voice. With terrified eyes the girl looked up to see her captor face to face, and was greeted with a horrible sight.
It was a large man that was entirely naked save for the tight underwear that he wore. He had an extremely muscular physique that would put many body-builders to shame. On his face was a sinister smile that promised many horrible things that would happen to her.
"A highschool girl in uniform! Cute!" the man said joyfully, leering at her clothes.
The girl teared up and shook. She tried to fight back but it was useless – the man's hold was too strong.
The man frowned. "Don't fight back. I promise it'll be fun. Don't worry, I'll be gentle…"
–His other hand that wasn't covering her mouth moved to her clothes...
She trashed under his grip harder.
–The hand began to remove the buttons...
The girl began hyperventilating under the man's hand.
–And the buttons were off.
The man licked his lips.
"Ohohoh, here we–!"
"Gandr!"
"–Gragh!"
The man was blown away as a curse hit him right in the side, involuntarily letting go of the girl in the process. Tohsaka ran to the girl instantly and caught her before she could fall to the ground. She quickly checked her condition.
Fainted. It looked like she passed out from fear and not because she was hurt or anything. Tohsaka sighed in relief.
She set down the girl to the wall behind her, before standing up. A hand brought out her crystals out of her pockets, and glared at the man on the ground with caution.
No... calling it a man would be wrong. This malevolent aura...
"What do you want, wraith?" she spat out.
The wraith pushed itself back up, then began to dust its shoulders looking none the worse for wear. With an impassive face that contrasted differently from its earlier sinister smile, it stared at Tohsaka like she was nothing more than a bug on the sidewalk.
"Wraith? Is that what I am supposed to be called?" it asked, before looking at its own body. "Hm. I guess that would be true. I kinda did possess this body after all."
She furrowed her brows. She suspected it, but now that she has confirmation it complicated things. The wraith was essentially holding an innocent person hostage by inhabiting them, and she'd have to be careful to minimize damage if she had to incapacitate the malevolent ghost.
"As for what I want? It is simple!" the wraith continued. Its hands pulled their underwear taut then let go of it, hitting their skin with a 'thwack!'. Tohsaka cringed at its action. "I want to lose my virginity!"
"...Huh?"
"I suppose an introduction is in order." the wraith stood straight, "You may call me as one, but know this: I am no mere wraith!"
"I am the spirit of desire, the gartery keeper of lust! In this despairing world where young boys cannot even attain the basic need of skinship, I am the personification of their longing, their sadness, and their ire!" the wraith hit its chest with a fist. "I am Sentient Brief! I am a brief who has come to life to exact my crusade to pop cherries!"
"I remember all my life I lived in darkness, with only my wearer as my companion. We went through day by day, and I stayed with him all that time as he never changed me out. I have witnessed his life of hardship, and his incredible desire as he stayed within his dark room—and I was moved!" the wraith cried out passionately.
"As time went on, I observed him, unable to help his woes. After all, I am just some briefs! What am I supposed to do!? I cannot even shed tears for him, even if I wanted to!" then the monster smiled, as if relieved. "Then this morning, it was as if a realization had come to me; A spark of conscious deep within the accumulated stains in my fabric lived, and had come bursting out roaring in flames. Power surged within me as I became one with my wearer! My wish to finally help him comes true!"
It pointed at her. "You, do you not feel the despair of the cherry boys in the world? Do you not hear their cries of help and salvation, as they try to reach the fruit of Eden that they are desperately denied of?" it spread out its arms, smiling gently as it basked in imaginary light. "They are calling for help, and it is only good that we answer."
"So, how about it?" the wraith smiled at her. "Why don't we help them together?"
Tohsaka stared at it.
"...disgusting."
The wraith blinked.
"...Hm?"
Tohsaka Rin was many things. She was a magus heir of the Tohsaka family. She was the daughter of Aoi Tohsaka. She was the perfect student of Homurahara Academy.
Yet, most of them were masks forged by her own self-control.
This time… for the first time in a while... she let herself go.
The girl known as Tohsaka Rin looked at the wraith with abject derision. Her normally beautiful face marred with a contemptuous scowl.
"A wraith from underwear? Don't joke with me. What a pathetic thing to live as, and even then, it's not as pathetic as your reason for living." she tsked. "Don't act like some saint giving the world a favor. It makes me sick just looking at you. Shrivel up and die in a fire."
…
…
The man blurred.
"–!" her eyes widened.
Tohsaka jumped to the side with reinforced legs just in time for a fist to smash on the concrete below her. She landed a few meters away from the wraith, eyes wide from the sudden speed that she didn't expect for something that size.
She looked at it warily, as it removed its fist out of the crater from the ground, debris falling from its hand. The wraith slowly turned to her.
"I've decided. You will die." the wraith stated.
Tohsaka eyed the possessed body's hand. It seemed to have accumulated a bit of damage from the attack. She frowned minutely, but schooled her features into a smirk.
"As if. A mere wraith like you can't do anything to a magus."
I have to finish this quickly…!
"Here, let me show you!" she flooded her jewels with magical energy. The containers would get destroyed and it would take a lot of funds to replace it, but it would be the only way. Light emerged from her hands and into the mystic codes.
She pointed it to the wraith.
"Finn shot!"
A burst of air pressure blew back her hair as the projectiles shot like a bullet. It hit the surprised wraith square in the chest, making it fly into the air despite its possessed body's large mass. Then finally, the jewels cracked from the overload, exploding into pure energy and blowing up clouds of smoke and dust inside the alley.
She smirked as she stared at the smoke. "Haah... haah… t-take that, pervert."
Shaking, Tohsaka brought her hand down. Overloading the gandr curse into a Finn Shot required a large amount of mana considering she's brute forcing the whole process, so the sudden transfer of such a large volume of mana strained her a bit. Her reserves are now completely low for a while, so for now she can only cast a limited number of reinforcement and throw her a couple of gandr spells.
I really should bring more jewels next time. To think that even in school I'll encounter these monsters...
She sighed. It was good that the wraith underestimated her and let its guard down. Now, she only had to wait for her Od to recover and purify the wraith completely–
"Aaah, that hurt."
–What!?
Tohsaka watched with wide eyes as the wraith emerged from the smoke. Aside from a couple of scratches, it looked like it was none worse for wear. It rolled its shoulders forward then turned its head to stare at Tohsaka.
"H-How…" she muttered in shock.
"Is this the power of... what did you call it? A magus? That was weak." the wraith settled into a stance, hunching a bit with its legs spread apart, clenching its fists tightly. "Let me show what real power is like—the power of my lustful determination!"
The wraith's magical signature increased and Tohsaka felt the surrounding pressure grow thicker.
"Guuuoooooooh!"
What!? What's going on!? Is he powering up!?
The ground quaked, and Tohsaka could see that the wraith's possessed body grew larger. Wisps of mana flew out of the body and some of the debris scattered from her spell's earlier explosion began to float in the air.
"This is one-hundred times the strength of my base form! Transform!"
She involuntarily raised her arms up when debris was blown back as the ground cracked and unleashed a wave of power coming from the wraith. When she brought it down, she was greeted with a sight of a grotesquely muscled being that can't be called a human anymore.
The wraith had gone from being six feet tall to almost eight, with her body as big as its biceps and arms. Its head was small compared to the rest of its body, making it look ridiculous. A visible aura surrounded its body, and she could feel the amount of energy wisping out of it. But, the thing that had changed the most was that... it was wearing jockstraps reaching to his shoulders instead of his earlier briefs.
"Briefs MEGA." it intoned, a faint echo to its voice.
She stared at the wraith. "What the f–"
The being blurred, but this time it was so fast that she wasn't able to react. She lost her breath as a fist burrowed on her gut.
The next few seconds she didn't register, since the next thing she knew, she had her back against a wall with some black spots on her vision. She could faintly make out the slightly glowing figure of the wraith as it walked towards her.
She tried to stand, but everything…everything felt numb.
She can't move.
"You should have taken my offer. Faced with my Briefs MEGA form, your meager attacks do not even scratch me—Now here you are, unable to do anything, not even able to save the one you tried to rescue. This is what you get for insulting my noble purpose." she heard the wraith gloat."Hm... what should I do with you? It's a bit of a shame to kill you now..."
D-Damn it... I think I broke a rib or two. I can't heal it with my body unresponsive and magical reserves still need to recover. Am I… am I done for?
"Oh, I know!" the being's face stretched into an inhuman smile. "Maybe I should just make you watch instead!"
Tohsaka grit her teeth.
I... damn it all...! There must be something I can do...!
She looked around, trying to find something to use against the monster. The alley, already completely cracked and broken, was filled with debris and dust. She had some of her gandr jewels inside her pocket but she needs to move to be able to use those...
She watched as the wraith grabbed the body of the unconscious girl near her.
Tohsaka's mind raced.
Something…! There must be something…!
I need to—
"—Hey, what's going on here? I heard a loud noise around...Huh? Hey aren't you that girl?"
The whole alley paused as a new voice suddenly appeared.
"..."
"..."
Tohsaka stared at Emiya Saitama with wide eyes.
...W-What is he doing here!? Why the hell is he here!?
The boy stood there at the mouth of the alley, looking like his usual blank-faced self, though she could see that his eyes were a bit wide as he looked at them with confusion.
The wraith looked to the new addition. "...Who?"
Emiya looked at the wraith, then to the girl in the wraith's hands and then to Tohsaka. He remained silent for a moment, before turning to look at the wraith straight in the eye.
What the hell are you doing!? Run away from here! Can't you see the monster in front of you!?
She tried to shout, to tell him to stop being an idiot. But all she can manage is a faint rasp.
"Hoh?" the wraith placed down the girl on his hands before facing Emiya fully. "You seem different from the lesser males that gazed upon my form... most people run away from fear, yet you stand here like you do not." it hummed. "No… I feel a sort of connection with you. You, you are a virgin are you not? Come with me, and we shall graduate ourselves and experience Nirvana—"
"—The hell are you babbling about? If you have time to talk, then put some clothes on."
"—together…"
The wraith quieted down. Emiya, meanwhile, sighed and looked at it with a soft gaze. "Look, I get it. You feel lonely, right? That's why you're dressed like that." he shook his head. "But you won't be happy that way. I don't really judge people's hobbies, but if you continue, what you'll really only get is being arrested by the police, you know?"
"..."
Tohsaka paled.
D-Did he just…?
The wraith was silent for a few moments, before leaning forward.
"...I will enjoy killing you."
Tohsaka looked at the scene in despair.
I... I can't do anything. I'm powerless.
It's the end.
The being disappeared, moving so fast that she didn't even register it this time. She saw its fist rearing back to punch Emiya, who looked like he didn't even notice his incoming death yet. She watched as a bloodthirsty smile form on the wraith's face as it stared at the boy about to orchestrate his murder.
She clenched her eyes shut, tears threatening to fall.
I'm sorry... Mother, Sakura...
I'm sorry, Emiya...
She heard a deafening bang, and felt the ground quake.
…
…
"Seriously, what's with the people I keep encountering these days... what a bunch of weirdos."
Tohsaka's eyes shot open.
On the narrow wall of the alley was the body of the wraith, the upper half completely buried under the rubble and the lower half hanging limply. Emiya stood there none the worse for wear. His fist outstretched and smoking slightly.
The boy turned away from the wraith, looking at her and the unconscious girl. "You two alright?"
…
…
H-Huh?
Tohsaka brought her hands down after managing to heal most of the damage she got. With how low her mana reserves are she can't heal herself fully, but thankfully all bruises that she still had were hidden inside her clothes so she wouldn't have to answer any uncomfortable questions. She exhaled in relief, feeling the pain on her abdomen turn into a dull sensation under the numbness that she feels.
She touched it lightly, frowning. This was going to hurt tomorrow... she was sure of it.
...But for now, there's a more pressing matter at hand, isn't there?
Mentally readying herself, she took a deep breath then turned to the boy beside her, who was looking decidedly bored as he waited for her to finish.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat, catching the boy's attention. "Thank you for your... help, Emiya-kun. Things have gone out of control and your assistance was very much appreciated."
She was... ambivalent. The person in front of her was very dangerous; the way the monster was defeated, the way they seem to be half-buried under rubble and taken out to what looks like a single punch—she would be a fool to not recognize it. After all, she was investigating the same phenomenon for a whole night yesterday.
What she's seeing right in front of her was the dangerous being that defeated powerful targets that she had her sights on and wasn't sure she could beat. The threat which she had deemed warranting investigation despite the fact that it was nothing but an unconfirmed thing.
Emiya Saitama, the slob that was next to her earlier this morning, the one that she thought was nothing but a complete trash to society, was actually a very strong magus. She would be lying if she said that she didn't have many questions floating in her head.
Though the fact that he went his way to help her means that she could at least treat him as a tentative ally for now.
"Yeah, sure thing." the boy accepted easily, unaware of Tohsaka's conflicting feelings. "So I guess you're okay now?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes. The battle with the wraith still has depleted my reserves, but I've got quite a bit of mana left to heal myself." she looked at the wraith that was buried in the wall. "Unfortunately now that I've used it, I'm completely empty. It would take a bit of time for my mana to recover."
"...Huh?"
She reddened in embarrassment. "Well, what am I supposed to do!? The wraith was–!" she looked at Emiya's confused face. She coughed, composing herself. "S-Sorry for that. Anyways, I hope it wouldn't be a bother for you to purify the wraith in my stead."
"...What are you talking about?"
She frowned, before sighing. "I guess I wouldn't fault you for that. You already did me a solid favor by helping me, so it wouldn't be proper for me ask for help again–"
"–No, seriously. What the hell are you talking about?" Emiya furrowed his brows. "Wraith? Mana? You sure you didn't hit your head?"
Tohsaka blinked, then looked back again to Emiya. "What are you…"
She looked closely at his expression.
He looks genuinely confused.
...H-Hold on, could it be…?
Her smile became fixed. "E-Emiya-kun? You... you are a magus, right? Right?"
"I told you I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Emiya slowly enunciated as if she was being slow. He went near her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you're concussed or something. Come on, let's go to the school infirmary. Let's get you checked there."
T-This can't be serious, right? You're telling me, this guy doesn't even know!?
"I'm completely fine! It's you who is not!" she shouted, batting away the hand. She pointed at his chest. "Are you telling me that despite you beating a wraith so powerful that he shrugged off my Finn Shot with just a single punch, you're not even a magus!? Quit lying!"
He looked at her straight in the eyes. She didn't hesitate to return it, breathing heavily.
"..."
"..."
Emiya scratched his head. "Are you… chuuni? Is this what it is?"
Tohsaka opened her mouth, before closing it.
Emiya took one look at her before shrugging. Then, he turned around and approached the unconscious girl propped up against the wall. He lifted her up in a piggyback, adjusting a bit so she doesn't fall, and after doing so he turned around again to look at Tohsaka.
"I'll be going then, got some errands to do. You can get back on your own, right?" he said. Then he walked out of the alley. "See you."
That snapped her out of her funk.
"W-Wait!" she went to go after him, but a glance at the wraith had her staying. She looked back to Emiya and saw that he had turned to a corner and disappeared from her sight. "Damn it!"
That... that guy...!
What had happened just now was a rollercoaster of emotions. She risked her life fighting a powerful spirit, almost getting killed for it and regretting her choices in life in front of death's door, then feeling the hope of someone managing to save her. Now she was sporting many bruises she would surely feel after the numbness would be gone.
She's confused, and she hasn't processed it all yet.
But there was one thing she was certain about.
I swear... I swear that guy owes me some explanations!
She'll keep an eye out, and find out just who the hell is Emiya Saitama.
As you can see, the AU things are starting to show. Those that managed to watch the emotional train wreck that is Fate/Zero would be familiar that Tohsaka's mother actually lived through the ordeal, albeit a little brain damaged via asphyxiation. Also, if I hadn't conveyed it clearly enough through the story, I'll be keeping some elements from One Punch Man as well – mainly the monsters with their ridiculousness.
Edit: Some reviews expressed inaccuracies about the Tohsaka and Sentient Brief fight, like how jewelcraft works and Tohsaka's mana output or whatever Nasu calls it. I won't claim to be an expert in fate mechanics nor would I think I can fully understand it all (that way lies madness) but at least I hope the edits were plausible in-universe. Thanks for pointing the errors out btw.
Thank you for reading.