The Wedge of Heaven / Brothers from Different Parents

Tohsaka Rin was stunned. Ever since her father had died, she had inherited the position of head of the Tohsaka Family. She knew the local magi inside and out. Fujimaru Kyoya was not supposed to be a magus.

Now was not the time to think about that.

"Gandr."

Mana gathered in Tohsaka Rin's hand and shot toward Fujimaru Kyoya. It was a Nordic curse, not offensive Magecraft, but it could disrupt the body's healthy state, making it an effective way to subdue an enemy.

What the hell was that?

Fujimaru Kyoya had no idea what that thing was, but he was deeply shocked that someone could fire a ball of light from their hand. Then... he swatted Tohsaka Rin's Gandr away with one slap.

"I see, Magic Resistance is still there, but it isn't as strong anymore."

Fujimaru Kyoya possessed the talent of "Divine Ancestral Regression" as well, but Lloyd had awakened it years ago, while Fujimaru Kyoya had only had it for a few days.

Fortunately, Tohsaka Rin's attack was not particularly advanced Magecraft and could not hurt Fujimaru Kyoya.

"You..."

A normal person had scattered her Gandr with a single slap. It was beginning to shatter Tohsaka Rin's worldview. Facing an enemy she could not read at all, retreating was clearly the wisest option.

"Hmph~ Trying to run?"

When Fujimaru Kyoya saw Tohsaka Rin trying to flee, there was no way he was letting her slip away.

By now, he completely understood. Tohsaka Rin had said back in school that she planned to study abroad in London after graduating high school. At the time, Fujimaru Kyoya had admired her ambition.

Now it seemed this girl was actually planning to travel from London's Platform 9 3/4 to Hogwarts.

"Hand over your Owl."

Fujimaru Kyoya raised his hand and used a Lightning Whirlwind Chop to block Tohsaka Rin's escape route.

Those with virtue deserved Hogwarts' admission letters.

Fellow Daoist, please stay.

A talented man like Fujimaru Kyoya, who possessed both virtue and ability, would surely be sorted into Gryffindor.

"Hey, you aren't seriously planning to expose Magecraft to ordinary people, are you?"

Tohsaka Rin was no delicate young lady. Over the years, she had not only trained hard in Baji Quan with Marbo Priest, but also used Magecraft to strengthen her body. Yet Fujimaru Kyoya had still caught up to her in an instant.

"The Ministry of Magic's rules? I've heard of them too."

Magic could not be seen by Muggles. Fujimaru Kyoya naturally knew something that trivial, but...

"Coach, I want to learn Magic."

"Magic?"

Tohsaka Rin looked at Fujimaru Kyoya as if he were an idiot. There were only five known Magics left in the world, and they were not something just anyone could teach.

"Can't we talk somewhere less crowded? Then let's go somewhere quieter."

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at the wary Tohsaka Rin and knew that getting her to quietly accompany him somewhere secluded was obviously impossible.

In that case.

Fujimaru Kyoya flashed behind Tohsaka Rin and, with practiced ease, brought a clubbing blow down on the back of her neck.

"I'm going to sneak attack you."

You already sneak attacked me.

That was Tohsaka Rin's last conscious thought.

"Somewhere quiet, where we won't be disturbed?"

Fujimaru Kyoya slung the unconscious Tohsaka Rin over his back and glanced at the love hotel in the distance.

Come on, get in the room with me.

Heaven's Wedge

The school delinquent and the Unreachable Flower appeared together at a love hotel.

It contained elements of coercion, restraint, uniforms... If it were posted on a certain website that could not be named, it would make for a ten-thousand-word essay.

Unfortunately...

"Tohsaka, what if I join Hogwarts and the Sorting Hat refuses to put me in Gryffindor?"

Fujimaru Kyoya's gaze sharpened. He had clearly prepared himself to repeatedly beat up the Sorting Hat until it forcibly changed its answer.

"I told you, it's the Clock Tower, not Hogwarts."

Although Tohsaka Rin was currently on the verge of losing her chastity, Fujimaru Kyoya had still ignited her urge to complain.

Although Harry Potter had released two movies over the past few years and become somewhat popular, why would anyone actually believe Hogwarts existed?

"Put simply, you want to learn Magecraft, right?"

"More or less."

Fujimaru Kyoya naturally would not honestly explain his circumstances. He simply made up a third-rate excuse about his talent awakening. But in the face of Fujimaru Kyoya's utterly unreasonable Magic Resistance, what choice did Tohsaka Rin have besides believing him?

"That's completely unreasonable."

Tohsaka Rin looked at Fujimaru Kyoya resentfully. The Magecraft she had painstakingly practiced for over a decade was completely ineffective against someone. The sense of defeat was impossible to put into words.

She was currently in a love hotel, with no one to answer her calls to heaven or earth. Someone might even mistake it for some kind of special play. If word got out, how could she ever face anyone again?

For the sake of her chastity, Tohsaka Rin made a decision that went against her ancestors.

"It's not impossible for me to take you as a disciple, but from now on, you must respect your master. You can't tie me up and bring me to a love hotel again."

Respect your master?

What a joke. For magi, not kicking their teacher into the grave was already considered respect for their master.

Tohsaka Rin knew full well how treacherous magi could be, but Fujimaru Kyoya did not. This veteran would give this newbie a good conning. At the very least, she had to get revenge for today.

"So you agree?"

"From now on, you are a disciple of the Tohsaka Family. Come with me after school tomorrow to meet my senior disciple, then I'll teach you Magecraft."

After leaving those words behind, Tohsaka Rin immediately fled.

After all, having a teenage girl and a delinquent appear together at a love hotel was already beyond Tohsaka Rin's psychological limit.

Taking on a disciple so rashly was indeed careless, but her senior disciple, Kirei Kotomine, was an experienced and shrewd man. With him helping keep an eye on things, there should not be any major problem.

"She left? Good thing I booked the room by the hour."

Fujimaru Kyoya paid at the front desk and prepared to head home, though for some reason the receptionist's gaze held a trace of pity.

How baffling. He had spent less than half an hour in the room, and they had made so much money in less than half an hour. What was there to be dissatisfied about?

"Detected that you have begun coming into contact with the mysterious side and are starting to understand the truth of this world. You have produced a sufficiently significant impact on this world. The Hero Simulator is beginning a simulation... Please select three innate talents."

That familiar darkness descended upon Fujimaru Kyoya once more. Ten balls of light surrounded him again, and he needed to randomly choose three.

"Benevolent Dark Emperor: A being born alongside an unparalleled king. If the king governs diligently and loves the people, it remains dormant. If the king enacts tyranny, it will awaken."

"Infinite Martial Arts: Martial skill worthy of being called unrivaled in an era, the complete unity of mind, technique, and body. It allows one to display formidable combat ability without being affected by any mental influence."

"First Before First: The ability to perceive an opponent's intentions and act after them yet arrive first. It can also conceal the intention behind one's own attacks, preventing enemies from noticing them in advance. Absolute defense and absolute offense."

That was insanely awesome.

Fujimaru Kyoya was no longer a complete novice when it came to combat, so he understood even better just how valuable "Infinite Martial Arts" and "First Before First" were.

Martial skill described as unrivaled was easy enough to understand, but "First Before First" was even more absurd.

As long as he could sense an opponent's intent to attack, he could prepare his defense in advance. And if he could conceal his own intent to attack, his opponent would be unable to defend. When the difference in strength between both sides was not too great, this would absolutely give Fujimaru Kyoya an overwhelming advantage.

The only one with unclear meaning was the so-called "Benevolent Dark Emperor," which seemed like a blank-slate talent that was completely useless if an emperor ruled benevolently.

But life was never that smooth. The other two talents were already more than enough to compensate for this blank-slate talent.

"Talents confirmed. Beginning scenario import: If I Were Emperor."

[You were born.]

[Your birth was not ordinary. You had no parents and no family. As a creation of the Gods, you were handed over to the Goddess of the Underworld, Ereshkigal, to be raised.]

[You lived in the Underworld with this Goddess. She trained your martial arts, taught you knowledge, and regarded you as her own child.]

[You did not neglect your training in the Underworld. One day, you discovered that you could sense danger in advance and conceal your own thoughts.]

[Talent "First Before First" awakened: Thought Before Action, this was First Before First. Predict the enemy beforehand, act later yet arrive first.]

[Your diligence and talent surpassed those of ordinary people. Even Ereshkigal, a Goddess, could no longer teach you after several years. In terms of pure martial skill, she was no longer your match.]

[Talent "Infinite Martial Arts" awakened: The martial arts you learned fused into your body. No matter what state you were in, it would not affect your ability to use them.]

[You could no longer learn anything in the Underworld. For this reason, Ereshkigal came to find you.]

"Shadow, you are no longer suited to the current Underworld."

Seated upon a throne of skulls, Ereshkigal, the Goddess of the Underworld, wore a solemn expression. Within this Underworld, she possessed overwhelming power, but...

"Ereshkigal, I think I told you before that this act of putting on an imposing air is really quite funny."

Fujimaru Kyoya naturally felt no reverence toward this Goddess, who looked somewhat like his classmate Tohsaka Rin. Especially after learning just how reckless she was, this display of dignity was simply hilarious.

"You bastard..."

Her fists clenched. Ereshkigal's fists had clenched.

She had shortened her name to Ereshkigal merely because it was too long. Though he was her disciple, he never spared his Master any dignity during training. What sin had she committed to raise someone like this?

"Shadow, have you ever considered why you are called Shadow?"

"Didn't you give me that name?"

Fujimaru Kyoya naturally would not obsess over what he was called. A name was merely a designation. Even if his name in one life had been "Dog Bastard," it would not matter.

"You are the Gods' safeguard, the second Heaven's Wedge."

Brothers from Different Fathers and Mothers

Shadow was Fujimaru Kyoya's name in this life.

He had no particular thoughts about his name. After all, he was a creation of the Gods. Since the Gods had given him life, they naturally had the right to name him.

But now, it seemed that name carried another meaning.

"Heaven's Wedge?"

Fujimaru Kyoya repeated the term, but among the knowledge he had learned, there had never been such a phrase, much less any explanation of its meaning.

"As the name implies, an object connecting heaven and earth, binding humans and Gods, is called a Heaven's Wedge."

Ereshkigal looked at Fujimaru Kyoya. Though she had considered it for a long time, she had ultimately decided to tell him the truth.

"The current era is the Age of Gods, in which the Gods gather. But because of a certain event, the Age of Gods has begun to decline."

Divine Era Decline again?

Fujimaru Kyoya frowned. Could it be that the world Shadow inhabited had some temporal connection to the world Lloyd was in?

"The decline of the Age of Gods is inevitable. Although every divine pantheon has its own escape route, the proud Gods cannot accept the sense of loss that comes with losing humanity's worship. Thus, the plan called 'Heaven's Wedge' was born."

The Heaven's Wedge would use Demigods with divine blood to rule humanity, using the Chain of that throne to connect Gods and humans, ensuring that the Age of Gods continued.

The crystallization of that plan, the Gods' perfect creation, was Gilgamesh.

"The stronger someone is, the harder they are to control. The Gods gave him enough power because only power could make him the Heaven's Wedge. Yet because of that very power, the Gods could not control his fate."

"So that is why there is me? A substitute."

Fujimaru Kyoya held no resentment over being reduced to a tool. Living life too clearly was painful; being pleasantly muddled was the secret to happiness.

"That's right."

Although calling her disciple a substitute made Ereshkigal deeply unhappy, it was an indisputable fact. If she lied out of kindness, the boy before her might be unable to accept reality in the future.

"The Gods believed that if Gilgamesh refused to obey, you would replace him and complete the Heaven's Wedge's mission."

"Then they will be disappointed. Whether I become enemies with someone depends on whether that person provokes me. I do not know Gilgamesh, so naturally I will not become his enemy."

Although the Gods had created him, Ereshkigal was the one who had raised him. Unless Ereshkigal personally asked him to, Fujimaru Kyoya would not go looking for a powerful enemy for no reason.