Rin was dreaming again. Flaming stars illuminated countless worlds. Among them floated colossal ships. Each one inspired awe just by its appearance. The power hidden in their indestructible hulls could terrify those who dared to go against their masters. Battles raged on the surfaces of many planets. Warriors clad in purple armor fiercely fought numerous enemies. Every movement, every step was honed and precise. It seemed nothing could oppose the noble servants of humanity's host, so natural were the fire-swept heavens for them.
The girl saw her servant. Archer, Fulgrim marched in the front ranks, cutting through hordes of hideous creatures. In another moment, his Firebrand severed the head of a man dressed in ornate and insanely rich clothes. A quiet whisper that passed through the images of memories made it clear who it was. A priest. One of those who poisoned human minds with lies and prejudices. And there were many of them. Rulers who saw subjects as mere toys, madmen who plunged dying worlds into even greater chaos. All of them faced the righteous judgment of the son of the Master of Mankind.
She saw other primarchs. Majestic. Wild. Reserved. They were all different, but each marched toward the future under their father's banner. His face also appeared before Tohsaka. That golden glow once again burned its mark into her soul, granting confidence that the path taken by His faithful servants was true. But one scene from the past brought horror. An entire world burned like a drop of amber amid the dark cosmos. Its inhabitants, who had managed to win pitiful scraps of time before death, trembled. Empty pleas for salvation offered to their idols could not protect them from purification by flame. The name of that procedure would forever be etched in the young girl's memory. Planetary biosphere destruction. Exterminatus. Before Rin felt herself waking, a azure orb appeared before her eyes. A world covered in oceans. A faint whisper revealed the name of the abode of an alien race.
Laeran.
Before her opened eyes appeared an unremarkable ceiling. The wooden beams of the Emiya Estate had become a refuge for the girl more than once. In her usual state, she shuffled to the bathroom. There was plenty of time, so she had enough for a full awakening. And the other inhabitants of the house were now in the dojo. The primarch had decided that eight hours of sleep was excessive for someone who wanted to grow stronger. For that reason, young Shirou was now trying to dodge blows from the giant clad in Power Armour. Training in grappling with a larger opponent wouldn't hurt either.
"You're stepping too far back! One half-step is enough for evasion!" The head of the Phoenix Guard set the rhythm of the student's actions with economical movements.
"How am I supposed to know how you'll strike?! I still value my head!"
"Excuses!"
Vergil saw no difference between training an ordinary human and a war machine called Astartes. So he gave no quarter. To reinforce, he showed he controlled his strength sufficiently to avoid critical damage. But it didn't save from the pain in the skull and neck. And behind what could be called a duel, the servants of this war watched.
Fulgrim and Artoria sat against the wall, silently watching the idealistic youth striving to bring his ideals to life. Credit where it's due—he didn't even think of complaining. Whether under Vergil's blows or his primarch's. The latter watched the action with a slight smile. He remembered conducting legion training when it numbered only two hundred of his sons. Oh, with what zeal they strove for perfection—words couldn't describe it. Some had to be forcibly dragged from the parade ground, or they'd have to be carried to the apothecarium. One must understand how hard it is to exhaust a Space Marine. And the Emperor's Children managed that difficult task.
"I trained you, my lord, so it should be easier with me. Pull yourself together, boy!"
"Don't be modest, Vergil—your skill is no less than mine."
Boom.
Shirou stared in disbelief at how his wooden sword struck the guardsman's armor. Raising his eyes higher, the youth saw Vergil finally react and recognize what he had dared to allow. Unforgivable carelessness—to freeze in combat. And even the primarch's praise was no excuse! Though none of his brothers would condemn him; on the contrary, they'd understand without words. A second later, Emiya regretted reaching the warrior. After all, he needed to redeem himself in the Phoenix's eyes.
"Your sons... revere you greatly... too greatly." The Queen knew well what it was like to be the object of exaggerated adoration.
"I know, I know. Fortunately, such... zeal is mainly characteristic of Phoenix Guard members." And yet a smile continued to play on his lips. Fulgrim was glad to have such loyal people. "I didn't think it would be like this now too..." Rather thinking aloud, the man whispered.
"Fulgrim... if you want to talk it out, I'll listen." Artoria once again noticed how the past weighed on Archer. Though now he wasn't reflecting as intensely as before. Whatever happened last night had done him good, but hadn't rid him of regrets. By the way, the girl suspected the reason for the changes was lying on the primarch's shoulder, quietly snoring.
"...Then answer a question... Mordred and Lancelot. Could you forgive them?" "Could it be he...?" With this question, the primarch finally revealed what tormented him.
"I don't need to forgive them." Fulgrim raised an eyebrow in confusion, so Artoria continued. "I was a bad king, and the blame lies solely on me." For the first few seconds, the man just blinked in surprise, and then...
"Ha-ha-ha!" He laughed sincerely. "You were a bad king? You, who reunited the fragmented provinces and repelled the Saxon expansion? In that case, Terra's history has no good kings."
After the primarch's words, the girl just silently looked at him. Those words... they echoed with pleasant warmth in her heart. Now she understood... how much she had wanted to hear something like that, but...
"It doesn't matter. I failed my people, couldn't become the one to give them a peaceful life."
"In that case, you partly understand what I feel. Reasons don't matter—only the outcomes do." Fulgrim smiled encouragingly at Artoria. "But know, my opinion remains the same." A faint, barely noticeable smile illuminated the girl's face, making it even more beautiful.
"Thank you, Fulgrim... Then know that no matter what you did in the past, I'm sure no one blames you for it. I wouldn't." The response was only a crooked smile. "If you saw what I did to my sons, you wouldn't think so," the primarch thought. And yet, support from someone with similar regrets was very pleasing. Only one who understands can offer true support.
And before, the primarch would have considered such behavior unforgivable weakness. "Weakness is the enemy of perfection," he would have said. Yeah, that pursuit of the ideal somewhat resembled obsession. Though there were reasons for it, no need to overdo it. Weakness is the eternal companion of all living beings. It takes different forms, from physical impotence to stupidity and pride. Every life must be an eternal struggle with one's vices. For only by casting flaws into the furnace of aspiration can true perfection be attained. It's a pity that understanding this required passing through an abyss of darkness and returning, carrying despair in the heart. As the primarch had told Shirou when setting him straight, pain is like waves eroding rocks. It is relentless and inescapable, but without it, the spirit cannot be tempered.
This morning, Fulgrim prepared breakfast, since the estate's owner needed to pull himself together, and that required some time. Actually a lot, but who would allow him that? The friendly and extremely motley company gathered at the table. Everyone behaved differently. Rin struggled with lingering sleepiness, quite successfully, to her credit. Shirou winced from the pile of bruises and emerging black-and-blue marks. Artoria... well, it was clear what she was up to. The primarch kept his word. And the most unusual one at the table, Vergil Anusoran, proud servant of the Phoenix and the Master of Mankind, was trying to contain his impatience. Now he would experience what no legionary of the Emperor's Children had ever had. He. Would. Taste. Food. Prepared. By. His. Lord. All with capital letters.
"Please." Finally, the plates of food were on the table. Shirou tried to help, but seeing Fulgrim holding five portions with two hands, he calmed down. And he also tried not to look at the bowl of milk on the primarch's head. Vergil outright turned away, not daring to behold such a sight.
"Damn..." young Emiya confirmed his thoughts for the second time. When Fulgrim had treated him to his cooking before, the youth had different feelings, but now... "He cooks better than me." This hurt his self-esteem badly. Even Sakura, a very diligent and talented girl, hadn't surpassed Shirou yet. And speaking of her, quiet footsteps were heard in the corridor. Someone very light was heading to the living room. The Astartes dematerialized without orders. Along with his plate. And those who could hear understood he had gone to one of the empty rooms to continue his meal. Just don't eat the dishes.
"Senpai..." And again, the youth's constant house guest was bewildered.
"S-Sakura, you see, we're here..."
The young girl, even younger than Shirou, gazed at the four people with a frozen smile—two of whom were unfamiliar. The only thing that saved the youth from brutal retribution was the presence of a man among them. If he were only in the company of girls, the reaction would have been different. The lavender eyes of the Matou family member fixed on the only black-haired person in the room. No wonder it was Japan. Rin, noticing the gaze, looked at Sakura herself.
"You see, Sakura, sudden repairs started in my house. And Emiya happened to learn about it and immediately offered to stay with him for a while." Now the younger one understood. Shirou's behavior didn't surprise her a bit. It was Shirou, after all. But the two strangers remained unexplained. Rin noticed her kohai's gaze shift to the servants and hurried to explain. "This is my... uncle; he just arrived for a visit." "Damn Fulgrim, now I'm forced to play along with your lies!" Someday Rin would get revenge. At least, she hoped so.
"Pleased to meet you, Sakura. You've probably heard of me. Starting today, I'll be teaching ethics. Fulgrim La Fenice—you can just call me Teacher Fulgrim." The primarch was a master at winning people over with a friendly smile. And it didn't bypass the girl.
"Oh... Yes, I've heard of you. Pleased to meet you. I'm Sakura Matou. Please take care of me, Teacher Fulgrim." This meek young lady bowed. "And this is..." She indicated Artoria with her gaze.
"Arty Saber. She's an old acquaintance, as well as Kiritsugu Emiya. It so happened that she needed to settle some past matters, but since he's no longer with us, it became impossible. She'll stay here for a while—after all, the flight is very exhausting. And she's always wanted to see the land of the rising sun."
"I see. Pleased to meet you, Saber." This modest tone revealed the girl's character. She clearly preferred to get along with people. Only Artoria's mouth was occupied.
"She feels the same, Sakura. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Sit down—there's still a portion in the kitchen."
And Shirou breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Though his relationship with Fulgrim now boiled down to preventive beatings, for managing to calm Fujimura and Sakura, he deserved praise. The latter was fine, but the former... Though he wouldn't forget that setup, and it didn't matter that the primarch had dispelled the misunderstanding himself. He hadn't said Emiya had intentionally fallen on Tohsaka. Speaking of Fuji... Shirou quickly stood, went to the kitchen, and looked over Fulgrim's shoulder as he portioned breakfast for Sakura. "We're doomed." There was no more left. If there's nothing to feed the Tiger, she'll eat them. Their nerve cells, to be precise.
"Senpai." Sakura spoke as everyone walked to school. But Shirou didn't hear. "Senpai!" Finally she got through to him.
"Huh, what is it, Sakura?!" Despite speaking very loudly, it wasn't from surprise or the like. No. He seemed to have gone deaf in one ear. Taiga was very displeased. Very.
"Are you okay?"
"What are you saying?! I can barely hear you!"
"I said, are you okay?!"
"What?!" Apparently both ears had taken a hit.
And a few steps behind, the others quietly chuckled. Even Artoria couldn't fully hold back, her shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter now and then. And Fulgrim and Rin kept "coughing" nonstop. The pair yelling at each other nonstop looked so comical. Even Vergil, in spirit form, was amused. Only Rin, between laughs, couldn't shake off a suspicion. Fulgrim knew Fujimura came in the mornings, and about Sakura too. Yesterday that info had slipped in conversation. So why only six portions? But her musings were interrupted by the sight ahead.
Now, on Monday, class time had finally arrived. Schoolchildren were heading to school as befitted their age. And those who had been at Fulgrim's greeting a few days ago waited impatiently. Only the elective would be after main classes. So the Phoenix could spend those hours as he wished. He had nothing to do at school per se, but no one would forbid him from being there. He just needed to drop by the principal's office and talk about an assistant. Artoria should also have the opportunity to attend school. It wouldn't be hard—the old man had been so impressed by the primarch's speech that he issued him a year's salary in advance. Unknown if he'd gone senile or was just determined to "Create those people who will lead society into the future, bearing the light of morality and knowledge." Fulgrim hadn't tried too hard to convince him, but apparently hit the finest strings of that not-so-young man's soul. Probably, raising the new generation was the meaning of his life, so he got fired up. Better forget that primarchs' influence on human minds sometimes resembles Hypnosis.
Every path has an end, so the road to the academy ended. Masters and servants entered the school grounds. And again, the summoned heroes caused a stir. Their appearance and the impression they made on those around turned Fulgrim and Artoria into the center of attention. Fortunately, Rin had prepared in advance; she wouldn't let her servant get on her nerves again. And he, by the way, was resolutely achieving that. He had slightly changed his image, braiding his long hair into a ponytail reaching his elbows. And he donned elegant glasses with thin frames. And beside him walked his "twin." Artoria, in a voluntary-compulsory manner, had undergone appearance correction. The primarch had let her hair down and braided it into the same ponytail. And glasses too, somehow procured. The image was complemented by clothes brought by Tohsaka. A beautiful white Blouse and an elegant in its simplicity blue Skirt, snugly hugging her slim waist.
The first half of the day passed quickly. And now the group gathered on the roof to have lunch. The primarch had taken care of food for this time. And also foreseen that a hungry Tiger might get to the supplies, so he hid them early in the morning. Yesterday he had confirmed Taiga's appetite knew no bounds.
"The barrier is gone." Rin spoke up as soon as everyone finished eating. After all, no one wanted to be distracted from tasty food.
"Did they kill the Servant?" Fulgrim didn't expect that. No word from Tacitus, and he would have noticed a battle of two mighty heroes. The surveillance camera network was already under the Techmarine's control, and a simple vox-transmitter had been handed over for communication with the primarch. As Archer had calculated, the guardsman adapted to this era's conditions.
"How would I know? But whatever, it's good news—nothing threatens the students anymore."
And so the discussion went. There was too little info to draw any conclusions. Then the remaining classes dragged on. No incidents, just ordinary school life. And finally, the hour everyone had awaited arrived. In the classroom allocated for the elective, many students gathered. Rin's entire class, as those who had personally heard the primarch's speech, and plenty of others. The whole school knew a certain teacher had appeared who would "make them perfect." All seats were taken, and the rest stood along the back wall. Even from the corridor, many pairs of eyes peeked in. And among the youth lurked Teacher Kuzuki, deciding to oversee order.
At the board stood a tall, platinum-haired man. With a friendly smile, he surveyed the packed classroom. The primarch was pleased by the young people's zeal. Even Rin was among those present, though she had to. The image of the diligent student she created required attendance at this class. Though she had no extracurriculars, this elective was practically mandatory. The principal had hinted subtly, passing word through the teachers. Anyway, it was unnecessary. Everyone wanted to know what her "beloved uncle" would teach. "A schoolgirl's wet dream," Rin thought, looking at her servant. They'd forgotten to remind her she was a schoolgirl too.
"Well, I suppose we can begin. I welcome everyone who honored me by attending my lesson." The Phoenix spoke in a calm tone. "But first, allow me to introduce my assistant. Teacher Arty." He indicated Artoria standing beside him. Her stoic demeanor immediately set a serious tone. So even those who came just for company would listen more attentively.
"This is the first lesson, so we'll start with the basics. Namely, what is accepted by all peoples of the earth. Can anyone say what that is?"
"Etiquette?" one student said.
"Each ethnicity has its own, so wrong answer."
"Marriage rituals?" A certain girl said it, though she knew she was wrong. Seems she was the same one who had yelled she wanted an uncle like Rin's.
"Wrong again."
"The habit of wiping asses... Ow!" One of the few who came just to kill time and have fun decided to joke. Artoria informed him that his humor directly related to what he joked about—by throwing chalk right at his forehead.
"Such an attitude toward the lesson is unacceptable. It's unworthy of a man." The warrior queen said, radiating majesty. After all, a queen.
"Ah, yes... sorry, Teacher Arty." The guy spoke in some strangely entranced voice. And his cheeks flushed slightly. Looks like Artoria had a fan.
"The correct answer is mutual aid. Every person, from birth, hears everywhere that they must help their neighbor, yet few take this truism seriously."
"To make it easier for you to understand what I want to convey, let's take an example. Imagine you're coming home late at night and hear a group of people in an alley trying to commit improprieties against some girl. What would your actions be? Emiya?" Fulgrim indicated the youth with his gaze. He was also present; for some reason, it seemed imprudent to skip the event. Perhaps Vergil's unseen presence contributed—he might consider it neglect of his primarch.
"Me? Well, of course I'd run to help." No one was surprised by the answer. Shirou always helped anyone in need.
"Wrong. Ryudo?" From the very unexpected grade, Ryudo Issei hesitated but answered.
"I'd call the Police Force." A logical answer for a stickler for rules and order.
"Wrong too. Matou?" Of the two people with that surname present, Fulgrim indicated Shinji with his gaze. He had come only to see the upstart the whole school was buzzing about. His mood today was much worse than usual, for unknown reasons.
"I'd just walk by. Why should I stick my nose in someone else's business." The speaker's dismissive tone caused unpleasant feelings in everyone. After all, such a position isn't approved by society—and fully deservedly so.
"Is that so..." The primarch slowly walked toward the youth. He got nervous. "In that case, you wouldn't expect help in your time of need?" The man spoke, staring intently at him. And the purple eyes no longer held the warmth that illuminated those around.
"Y-yeah, as if I need help—I can handle anything myself, unlike you weaklings." The primarch nodded with a cold smile, then with a barely perceptible motion grabbed Shinji's arm and twisted it behind his back. Next, his face slammed into the wooden desk surface. "What are you doing?! Ow, my arm! My arm!" With each word, the bones cracked louder, and the joint threatened to dislocate. With a Servant's strength, it was easy to rip off the limb. "Damn, why are you all frozen?! Get this psycho off me!"
"You said you could handle everything yourself. I'm waiting." The icy voice made Shinji forget the pain for a moment and plunge into a pit of fear. All his senses screamed he was about to be killed. However, just before Kuzuki, who was watching, wanted to intervene, Fulgrim released the youth. Silently, he returned to the teacher's desk and continued the lesson. But now he spoke with absolute seriousness.
"Emiya's answer was wrong because mindless help to others can end tragically, for him and the victim alike." The primarch swept his gaze over the shocked crowd. Though no one liked Matou, this couldn't but stun them. "You don't belong to yourselves. Everyone has people who will feel pain from your death, and even if not, that's no reason not to value yourself. There's always hope for the future, so you can't forget what your life is worth.
"Ryudo's answer was wrong because delay could lead to the worst outcome. You have no moral right to hope for outside help when you must provide it yourself. And immediately.
"Matou's answer is wrong in itself—no need to elaborate.
"So how should one act, you ask. The answer lies between the first two. Your goal is to save the needy without getting hurt yourself. Use your strengths, what you're good at. Be it strength, wits, or cunning. But never think of running away. By abandoning a person, you leave behind what allows you to call yourselves human. Virtue is not just a word—it's the path every one should tread, thorny though it be." One student who had recovered raised her hand. It was Ayako Mitsuzuri, a girl with a strong gaze and lively mind.
"Teacher Fulgrim, I understand what you're saying, but it sounds like plain idealism."
"You're right—it is. However, ideals are what make each of us human. Those who cast them off become mere intelligent beasts. But anticipating your question about their attainability, I'll answer right away. No, ideals are unattainable—it's a utopia one can strive for eternally, forever seeing it only from afar. Nevertheless, don't give up, for hands aren't given to reach them. They only provide the road. But the path you must walk brings results not only at the end. It will give you much, and may take as much. No matter the fruits of your labors, they are valuable only because you didn't stray from the path to truth. The path to perfection. It is too great to traverse to the end, but that's what makes it beautiful. For it has no limit."
***
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