Anomalies Of A Holy Grail War

Chapter 3 - Part 3 "Concealed"

Ayanokouji POV

"It's simple. I have no interest in it." She replied.

"Don't magi seek the spiral of origin? You can find that sort of thing with the Grail."

I made a case with the logic that the Grail was connected to the Root, an existence that most magi try to reach. It encapsulates the truth, of the present, past, and future. She remained unfazed by the statements I had put out and just puffed smoke in the air.

"I already told you. I'm not interested... Oh, I see. You came here to ask me to participate in the ritual. If that's the case, what sort of bargaining chips do you have in hand?"

After a short pause, she had finally wrapped her head around what I came here to do. It's to be expected of a genius highly-regarded in the Mage's Association.

Meanwhile, the girl to my right looked like she wasn't able to follow the conversation at all.

"Well, I hate to admit it, but I only have one chip in hand. How much money do you need for another vehicle?"

"You just said that you weren't a remarkable magus and that you were just seventeen. Where the hell would you get that kind of money?"

"I won't be the one providing that. It's another magus."

I only had a certain amount that I could bargain with. It sources solely from the fortunes of both Harold and Euthemia.

"I see. Well, I'll think about your offer... Ehm..."

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."

"Oh... My name is Himeno Yuki."

"Look, I really don't have problems with my financial situation and I have plenty of other jobs I could do that aren't more bothersome than that godforsaken ritual.

"But let's switch topics for a bit. What sort of information have you heard of me? Things like rumours or abilities? And what is your overall impression of me?"

Recalling information I had received on my end, I then decided to tell her everything I knew about her. I suspect that some information I hadn't managed to get my hands on would then be used against me here.

"I know you were considered a genius in the Clock Tower, but your sister seemed to have stirred things up. As a result, the title they were supposed to give you went to your sister, and the title they then gave you became something you abhor."

"Looks like you've done a fair bit of research, considering you don't even mention that title."

"Well, I have heard of you killing everyone that referred to you like that. Anyways, they gave you a Sealing Designation for your brilliance with puppets."

That was no small feat. A Sealing Designation in itself means that you possess something 'special' that the association would deem you a subject of study and experimentation. I've heard that mages would go out of their way to hunt you down when you were assigned one.

"You know of the specifics?"

"Not really, but I have heard that it was because you made a puppet body completely identical to your own."

"Anything else."

"No, that's about it." I told the whole truth of the matter.

She closed her eyes as she put out the cigarette stick and threw it on the ashtray that was filled to the brim. Then she leaned in a more relaxed manner upon her chair before opening one eye. The eye turned to a luminous blue that contrasted with the poor lighting conditions of the room.

"Ok, then you didn't know that I was an expert regarding Mystic Eyes and possessed a set of my own. Both of you have it too, don't you?"

What luck... Is this the other power that my eyes possess?

"Eh?" Himeno blurted out. It seemed she was taken aback by her becoming suddenly involved in our discourse. It seemed to be enough of a confirmation for the person in front of us, as she closed her eyes seemingly contented. It looked like my guess was correct.

"I had a hunch those were Mystic Eye Killers. I just had to confirm it by using my own Mystic Eyes against you. Also, I was suspicious when she wore long sleeves and gloves in this heat, so I just started a bluff to probe."

"So? What do you want to do with that information?"

She then puts on her spectacles and replied in a sing-song voice. Her tone of voice was a lot softer.

"Nothing~. I'm just curious which types you two have and how you got managed to get your hands on that costly Mystic Code."

She stood up, fetched a brand new pack of cigarettes and a suitcase from her desk drawer, and then came to the coat rack to pick up her trenchcoat, preparing to leave.

"They were a gift. You said that you are an expert with Mystic Eyes, right? Then what about teaching her to control them? Of course, this is a separate request."

"... I'll think about it, but those abilities do pique my interest... So? Want to join me for lunch?"

She asked as she showcased a car key that she pulled from her pocket. She opened a door that led to the garage. It was crowded with vehicles configured for speed. They were lavishly designed, accentuating that they were built to run on high velocities. She unlocked a car that was spick and span with a vermillion sheen. It had a low ground clearance and stuck close to the ground.

"Hey... Is this really alright?"

Himeno tugged at my jacket and bruited about. Even I wasn't sure of the appropriate action. The car only contained two seats.

"It's fine, it's fine. ~ Just suck it up for a bit."

She beckoned for us to mount. I begrudgingly got in and Himeno sat on the same seat practically leaning on each other. We were packed to the gills.

"Well, don't you look like a cute couple?~"

Aozaki remarked as she started the engine and drove. It gave a thundering noise that we could feel as passengers but the sound soon became more uniform and consistent. It was certainly a different feeling from the few vehicles I had ridden.

"Sorry to disappoint, but this guy somehow has a wife." Himeno replied with a disinterested voice.

"Wife?.. Don't tell me... Is it your Servant? That's amusing." She chuckled at the absurd thought.

"Servant? By the way, what the hell did you guys keep talking about earlier? The Grail and stuff..."

It was natural for her to be confused. Euthemia and I usually tiptoed around her regarding the topic.

"Well, looks like your teacher is still keeping a few secrets. I won't bother with the details, but it's basically a ritual to get a wish-granting device."

She briefly touched upon the subject of concealing something. Well... It's more of the opposite circumstance...

On another note, the person beside me was engrossed in the prospect of a wish-granting device.

"Wait, can a thing like that actually exist?"

"You should ask your teacher that. It's their job after all."

The rest of the drive would be mostly dominated by silence with bits of casual conversations Aozaki brought up.

"We're here. ~"

"Eh? Isn't this an abandoned construction site?" Himeno was rendered quizzical. Both Aozaki and I made our way to the inner part of the structure with her following closely behind.

"Duck." I said to her while I tugged on her arm and put her behind cover. I used Reinforcement on the concrete wall.

I felt an impact upon the concrete with a loud sound simultaneously propagated through the site. It appears that the fish has taken the bait...

A/N: Yes, another Mystic Eyes user. This time it was completely coincidental because I didn't know Touko had them. They weren't really showcased in Kara no Kyoukai. But I planned to incorporate her into the story before I knew of this.