A Dimensional Journey Begins with the Dragon Clan

"? Will Toosaka do something in school? How is that possible? That's something that won't happen."

That guy is a real magician.

She has always been influenced by the association's advocacy of "not involving irrelevant people", and she is also wearing the sheepskin of an excellent student.

If I meet her at school, she might even say hello and good morning.

"......If that's the case, that's fine. Rin isn't the type to let other people's opinions affect her judgment. And she's hostile to Shirou, so it's always better to be careful."

"Okay, okay. I think this is just groundless worry, but I will be careful."

  ······

The time was after seven in the morning.

Although it's a little later than usual, you can still make it in time without rushing.

Seven forty.

There was plenty of time, so I strolled through the main gate on the way to the teaching building.

“——————“

Suddenly, a very strange feeling of disharmony came over him, and Emiya Shirou stopped.

"...What? It's nothing strange..."

There was no one monitoring him, and the surrounding scenery was no different from usual.

If I have to say something, it's that I don't feel angry at all.

This does not just refer to the students walking towards the teaching building, the trees and the teaching building itself give people the illusion of fading.

"…It's just an illusion. Maybe I'm just overly nervous because I've encountered so many things."

Shirou Emiya closed his eyes and his shoulders creaked.

……call.

Even after taking a deep breath like this, the feeling of disharmony that came from nowhere did not disappear.

I went up to the third floor and walked towards the classroom.

At this time.

Suddenly I met Toosaka.

“Yo.”

After all, we knew each other, so I just greeted him casually.

“————————“

However, Toosaka's entire body froze as if she had seen a ghost.

"Tousaka? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Emiya Shirou wiped his cheek with the sleeve of his uniform.

“————————“

Toosaka remained silent.

He snorted, turned around and went back to his classroom.

“………????”

The reaction just now was what was going on.

He thought that Toosaka was not the type to ignore other people's greetings.

“————————“

When I entered the classroom, I felt that sense of disharmony again.

Someone brought in some snacks. There was a faint sweet fragrance floating in the air.

"…Nothing, just a normal classroom."

She greeted the male classmates while sitting down.

There are still ten minutes until class starts.

I took this opportunity to scan the classroom and noticed a seat without a school bag.

"Shinji, is he absent?"

Come to think of it, I didn’t come to the club activity yesterday.

Don't be fooled by Shinji's appearance, he is a very law-abiding guy who neurotically follows the rules.

Such a person has not appeared in school for two consecutive days, which makes Shirou Emiya a little worried.

It's time for lunch.

On days when I have to make lunch, I usually run to the student union office like this.

The reason was that if he opened his lunch box in the classroom, the boys would pester him and the girls would make fun of him.

"What's wrong, Yicheng? Aren't you going to have lunch?"

"Ah, I've already eaten. I feel like sleeping now. Please wake me up after lunch break."

Yicheng said while lying on the table.

"What's wrong? Did you stay up late? Aren't you supposed to go to bed at 11 o'clock on the mountain?"

"Well... although that's the case, I haven't been sleeping well recently. No matter how long I sleep, I can't get rid of my fatigue. As a result, I have been sleeping whenever I have free time these two days."

"...? What's that? How can I still feel sleepy if I can sleep whenever I have time?"

"Yeah, that should be the case. But no matter how much I sleep, I can't get rid of my fatigue. I have to sleep to reduce my fatigue... I know this is contradictory, but there is nothing I can do about it if I keep feeling sleepy."

"————Yoho. It's still a long way to go before spring, Yicheng."

"Isn't it just a spring sleep? It's really harsh."

Yicheng lay on the table with no intention of remembering anything.

...There's nothing I can do.

It looks like it’s serious, I’ll just stay with him until lunch break is over—

"Hey? Hello, Yicheng, someone is coming."

“… Never mind. Just say the student union is closed.”

"No, I want to say that, but it's Mr. Kuzuki who's here."

“…Ugh, this is bad.”

Yicheng got up slowly and went to open it.

"Ryudo. Regarding what happened in the Kyudo Club this morning——"

At this time, Kuzuki noticed that Shirou Emiya was also in the Student Council office, so he didn't say anything else.

Soichiro Kuzuki is the homeroom teacher of Class A, Grade 2, and the advisor of the student council. He is the strictest teacher in the school and has no affinity at all.

"Huh...? So you didn't even go home?"

"It seems so. I'm afraid it will be a criminal case. You also understand that this matter cannot be said casually."

"————I understand that. But if that's the case, what about Matou? Didn't the first-year student in the archery club say that he had met that guy yesterday?"

"Same for him. Matou Shinji was absent for no reason and seems not to be at home either. His sister Matou Sakura is living in Fujimura's house and doesn't know about this yet."

……

Kazunari and Kuzuki seemed to be discussing an unsettling topic.

From what I heard, a student went missing yesterday, and the last person this student saw was Shinji————

"Excuse me. There is nothing we can do about this. We have to move the school dismissal time earlier again."

After finishing what he wanted to say, Kuzuki left the student union office.

"...Really? Emiya, have you seen Shinji?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't go to the archery gym this morning, and you should know that he didn't come to school."

"Really? If that's the case then..."

Yicheng's face was so serious as if covered by a dark cloud.

————I can’t stand it.

Although it's not a topic that can be asked casually, it seems to be related to the Kyudo Club.

Although I felt sorry for Yicheng, he had to ask in detail even if he had to force himself.

"Issei. You just said that you haven't been home since yesterday. Who are you talking about? Oh, I know that Shinji's whereabouts are unknown."

"Eh...? Yes, Emiya, you are not an outsider, it's better for you to know."

"That happened last night. Someone contacted the school to say that their daughter, who was participating in the Kyudo Club practice, had not returned home. The school immediately went to ask other students who were participating in the practice, and learned that the last person who spoke to the missing student was Shinji."

“————“

  Talking to Shinji...?

"Wait. Shinji didn't participate in practice yesterday. And I said goodbye to everyone in the archery club at the school gate." "Oh, yes, it seems Emiya was there too. It was after that, when the first-year students who went to get their forgotten things returned to the dojo, Shinji was in front of the dojo. At that time, Shinji was arguing with that guy."

I have a bad feeling.

...At that time, there might be only one person left in the dojo.

"Yicheng, don't fool me about the key points... I want to ask you, who is the student who has been missing since yesterday?"

"...Yes. Ayako Mizutsu, the leader of the archery club. She returned the key to the dojo to the staff room, and then someone saw her in front of the dojo, and then she disappeared."

Yicheng looked as if he found it difficult to speak, and looked away while speaking.

The course is over.

Because of the impact of that incident, the club activities after school were suspended.

The library seemed to be closed, and the students who had finished their classes quickly left the school.

The campus broadcast also keeps reminding students: Students who do not have anything special to do are requested to leave the school.

I was the only one left in Class C of the second year.

The situation is similar in other classrooms. If you don’t hurry up, you won’t be able to find anyone in the teaching building in a while.

“————————“

Think carefully before doing that.

Meizhui did not go home, but if nothing happened, she would definitely not go home.

She is a very capable person and is stronger than most men.

It is not a trivial matter that a person like that would go missing, not to mention that as a friend I really can't let him go.

"…I'm sorry, Saber. I have to go do something."

After silently apologizing to Saber in his heart, Emiya Shirou left the classroom.

First of all, we should go to Class A of the second year. We should go to Meizhui’s class to get some information.

"Eh? ...Um, isn't Ayako staying home to rest because of a cold?"

"Meizhui is resting at home. I think all the members of the Kyudo Club know about this."

"Didn't she say she was absent? She must be possessed. Her record of no lateness and no absence will end now, oh hehehe."

This is the best information we can get about the girls who are preparing to go home.

For Class 2-A, Mizue was simply absent due to illness.

"Excuse me. If Meizhui comes to school tomorrow, please don't tell her that I asked you about this."

He waved goodbye and left the classroom.

If there is anything else, the only thing left is the dojo.

"————Is there no one inside? That's right, all club activities have stopped."

The entrance to the dojo was locked tightly.

It looks like there's no one inside, so there's no point in staying here any longer.

“… Let’s go ask Issei. Maybe he knows something after that.”

Three hours have passed since lunch break.

Maybe the beautiful thing has already been found, and maybe if I ask, I will find out that there is actually nothing wrong.

“——————“

I can't stand it.

I didn’t expect that even the student union would cease operations.

There were almost no people in the teaching building, and it was difficult to find someone to ask for information.

"… Let's go back first. Sister Fuji might know about Mizue's situation."

He grabbed his bag with one hand and headed back to the corridor.

The outside has been dyed dark red.

The sun has begun to set below the horizon, and it will probably be completely dark in another hour.

Go up the stairs to the third floor.

When I was about to go downstairs with my schoolbag, I heard a "click" sound from above.

"?"

Emiya Shirou looked up.

The one there is————

Toosaka stood in the corridor leading to the fourth floor like a god of heaven.

"Hey. Toosaka, you're still here?"

"…………………………"

no answer.

Whether in the morning or now, every time I greet her, her eyes seem to become sharp.

"? What are you doing? If nothing else, I'm leaving."

Here, hold up my schoolbag to show her, let her know that I am going home now.

"--------well."

  ...?

What on earth is going on? Toosaka sighed as if she had been hit.

"I'm surprised. You came to school without even bringing your Servant. Are you normal?"

It was a tone without any emotion.

"What's normal? This is only natural. Saber can't transform into a spirit, so how can we let her come to school with us?"

"Just stay at home. A Master walking around without a Servant is basically telling others: Please kill me... Emiya-san, do you know how stupid you are?"

"Ahh——you're calling me stupid, how could that be possible? It's Toosaka who's talking nonsense. The Master won't start a fight in public. So, wouldn't it be okay to do it during the day, especially at school?"

"…………Oh. Then let me ask you, is this a place that is in plain sight of everyone?"

"ah----?"

What are you talking about? Is it because everyone is watching? Such a thing is obvious at first sight————

"oops------?"

what happened.

Coincidentally, there was no one around.

The corridor on the third floor was empty. The corridors on the fourth and second floors must have been empty as well.

The classroom was silent in the evening.

How could this be? Are there no students or teachers left anywhere except the first floor?

"I think I finally understand... I was surprised to see you come to school this morning as if nothing had happened. I warned you like that, why did you still come here on your own?"

While making these pointed remarks, Toosaka rolled up her left sleeve.

“————?”

Slender and white arms.

There was a snap on the girl's unique arm.

Something phosphorescent, like a tattoo, emerged.

"----Varied……"

That is not a Command Spell.

Could it be that————the magic seal that he didn't have, which was called the proof of being a magus?

"————No need to explain, right? This is the magic crystal that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. The magic engraved inside can be activated as long as my magic power flows through it."

……Yeah.

The so-called Magic Seal can be said to be an auxiliary engine that is different from the magician's own circuit.

No complicated chanting procedures are required.

When it's running, you can make the Magic Car run, the ultimate acceleration device.

Because of this, the Magic Mark will only appear when it is used.

The so-called magic seal is another magic circuit formed by the influx of the master's magic power.

"I asked Archer to go back first. With your level, the "Gand (Curse) Strike" engraved in this seal is more than enough."

The firm words were devoid of emotion. (End of this chapter)