A New Identity!

A deliberate arson attack broke out at the Grand Hotel where Kayneth was staying one night.

The arsonist had pressed the alarm in advance, giving everyone in the hotel enough time to evacuate.

"There's a fire downstairs."

After taking a call from a hotel employee and learning what had happened, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri looked toward Kayneth, who was seated on the sofa watching a news report about the mysterious gas leak explosion in Fuyuki City's Bay Harbor District a few days earlier.

"A deliberate arson attack, clearing the building in advance... It must be Saber's Master, attacking in order to heal the injury on his Servant's left hand.

There is no need to pay it any mind. I have laid twenty-four magecraft spells across this floor and summoned dozens of Demons to guard it. Let the attacker come if he dares. We shall see whether he can breach the Magecraft Workshop fortress built by Kayneth El-Melloi.

Lancer, go downstairs and prepare to meet the enemy. I will not permit your failure this time!"

The blond man with slicked-back hair spoke with complete confidence. Beside him, the Servant with a tear mole bowed. "I shall not disappoint my Master."

"Mr. Kayneth El-Melloi."

In the plaza some distance from the hotel, employees were taking roll of the guests, worried that someone might still be inside the burning building.

"I am."

It was not until the employee called out a third time that a man responded. Seeing that he looked like a local, the employee's expression turned rather strange. He looked at the man as though wondering, You seriously have that name?, his gaze filled with suspicion.

"My wife, Sola, has already reached safety. There is no need to worry."

Emiya Kiritsugu said it without expression.

"Understood."

Thinking that this was probably some man who had changed his name after marrying a foreign rich woman, the hotel employee crossed out the names Kayneth El-Melloi and Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri.

Emiya Kiritsugu took the opportunity to glance at the list in his hand. Seeing that nearly all the evacuees had already been crossed off, he moved away from the crowd, pulled a flip phone from his pocket, and called his assistant, Hisau Maiya.

After confirming from her that Kayneth, on the hotel's top floor, had made no attempt to flee, the Mage Killer pressed the detonator.

There was no such thing as facing secret arts head-on. Blowing up the entire building and using the force of its free fall to kill the enemy—that was the truly safe tactic.

Even a Clock Tower Lord could not possibly survive a fall from a height of one hundred and fifty meters.

Having raised a flag, Mr. Mage Killer drove away without looking back.

As for the other attacker who should have been present, he was currently at the Zenjou Family Villa in the Fuyuki Outskirts next to Fuyuki City, delivering his teacher's Younger Daughter to her mother.

"Teacher's Wife, I have brought Miss Sakura here. My mission is complete. Please inform Teacher."

"Thank you. I will tell Tokiomi."

The woman nodded and embraced her younger daughter as the girl ran into her arms.

"Mother, I missed you so much."

Although her father made Young Sakura feel safe, only her mother's embrace was truly gentle.

"Sakura, Mother missed you too."

Aoi Zenjou looked lovingly at her younger daughter. Holding the girl close, she buried her face in Sakura's hair.

"Me too, me too..."

Rin Tohsaka hopped up and down at the side, wanting to be close to the younger sister from whom she had been separated for half a month.

"Older Sister~"

Once Young Sakura was released, she threw herself at Young Rin and hugged her older sister tightly.

The reunion of mother and daughter, the embrace between sisters—it seemed harmonious enough. Yet Kirei Kotomine knew that his teacher hoped his wife would persuade this girl, who had fled back from the Matou Family, to be strong and brave in facing her fate of becoming the Matou Family's adopted child.

Compared to harsh lectures, his teacher, who usually gave off the impression of a rigid Magician, possessed such tenderness toward his daughter. It was truly surprising.

"Then I shall not disturb you further, Teacher's Wife. Please help Miss Sakura recover as soon as possible. When that time comes, I will visit again."

This trivial mission had been assigned to him by Teacher Tokiomi Tohsaka, leaving him unable to properly keep watch over the movements of the other Masters and Heroic Spirits—especially that man named Emiya Kiritsugu. Suppressing the strange dissatisfaction in his heart, Kirei Kotomine left the Zenjou Family Villa after saying this.

"Grandfather, Broly wants to study."

While Young Sakura was being sent to the Zenjou Family and was about to receive her mother's encouragement, Broly, freshly bathed, was brought before Fujimura Raiga by Fujimura Taiga. The young girl voiced the boy's request to receive an education for him.

"Please, Fujimura Grandfather."

Following what Fujimura Taiga had taught him in the bathroom, Broly made a fairly convincing gesture of asking the old man for help.

"Study? Indeed, children should receive an education."

Fujimura Raiga nodded. In his younger days, being fierce and ruthless in the Yakuza had been enough, but as times changed, the old man had come to see that those in the underworld needed sufficient education in the future.

"Then, Grandfather—"

Before Fujimura Taiga could finish, Fujimura Raiga interrupted her.

"However, is this child really ready to receive an education?

He is visibly young. If he enrolls now, he will probably be sent to kindergarten.

But what can he learn in kindergarten? It is nothing more than a place for playing around and meeting other children.

Rather than send him to kindergarten, it would be better to keep him at the Fujimura Residence.

Let him be influenced by the Fujimura Family's atmosphere from a young age and grow into a proper, upright child."

That was what the old man said.

"Grandfather, could you please stop leading this child astray? There is no future in the Yakuza."

Fujimura Taiga slammed both hands onto the table and roared at her grandfather.

"What do you mean, no future? Is it not because every last one of you descendants refuses to inherit the family business?"

Fujimura Raiga also slapped the table and roared back. Sparks seemed to fly between his gaze and his granddaughter's, like an aged tiger confronting one of its own cubs.

In the end, seeing that his granddaughter would not yield on this matter, the elderly Fujimura Raiga took a step back, though he proposed several conditions.

"If he truly wants to learn, then send him directly to primary school. Since you do not want this child to enter the Yakuza in the future yet still want to rely on the family's financial support, then this child must show talent and value in his studies. I need you to guarantee that his grades will remain above the excellent standard. No problem?"

"No problem."

Fujimura Taiga patted her chest and agreed. This child Broly was quite intelligent, and she chose to trust the boy's ability to learn.

"But what if there is a problem and you decide to go back on your word?"

Fujimura Raiga suddenly asked.

"Impossible."

Fujimura Taiga firmly rejected the possibility, but faced with her grandfather's questioning gaze that plainly said, You have gone back on your word before, her voice weakened. "Then what do you suggest, Grandfather?"

"It is not difficult. At that time, Grandfather will retire directly, and all you need to do is inherit the family business and become the new Spokesperson of the Fujimura Group."

Fujimura Raiga smiled amiably, finally revealing his dagger.

"Only if you agree to this condition will the Fujimura Family help fund this child."

"Grandfather, you are so underhanded."

"There is nothing else to be done. Your father did not want to inherit the family business, and you look like you do not want to inherit it either. So? Will you agree? If not, then we will keep this child here and raise him."

Fujimura Taiga turned back and looked into Broly's clear eyes. She decided that she could not allow this child to be led astray by the Fujimura Family's Yakuza ways. Slapping the table once more, she replied, "Fine, Grandfather. I agree to the condition."

"Bring me the phone. I will call the Principal of Branch 1 Elementary School in the Fuyuki Outskirts and arrange for a child to attend their school."

Getting an undocumented child into school was troublesome for ordinary people, but for the Fujimura Group, the local power entrenched in Fuyuki City, it was merely a phone call.

However, their Yakuza identity could easily cause misunderstandings, so the local primary school would certainly not accept him readily. But as long as they chose a school in a town near Fuyuki City and kept a low profile, enrolling him would not be a problem.

"Master, do you truly believe Young Lady will honor the agreement?"

After Fujimura Taiga left with Broly, Scarface asked.

"It is the first time I have seen her care so deeply about someone else."

"Young Lady is kindhearted. Perhaps she simply finds that child pitiful and feels sorry for him."

"Then as long as she continues to feel sorry for that child, she will honor the agreement and inherit the family business."

"But what if that child truly does have good learning ability?"

Scarface pressed, meaning whether they should tamper with things and interfere with a child's studies.

"If he does, then it will be the perfect preparation for cleaning up the Fujimura Group's image."

"Huh?"

"My granddaughter was right about one thing just now. There is no future in the Yakuza."

"Master, you do not think highly of the Yakuza business either?"

"It is not a matter of thinking highly of it or not. It is simply how the times are changing."

Fujimura Raiga sighed. He had lived through the Yakuza's most prosperous era, and now he could feel how far it had declined.

"Then what if that child is not good at studying?"

Scarface asked again.

"The world may be abandoning us, but where there is light, there are shadows. The Fujimura Group will continue to exist in those shadows. Even if it becomes far weaker than before, it will not easily disappear. I believe in my granddaughter's abilities.

As for that child, whether he becomes a good child or a bad child, as long as he has ability, he can become Taiga's support, just like you."

"Master is wise. I will help foster that child's loyalty to the Fujimura Family and to Young Lady."

Broly had no idea what Fujimura Raiga thought of him or what plans he had made. He only knew that, as another day passed and his time in this world shortened once more, he had gained the identity of a Primary School Student transferring into Branch 1 Elementary School in the Fuyuki Outskirts.

"Broly, study well at school. If there is anything you do not understand, ask the Teacher more."

That was what Fujimura Taiga told Broly when they parted the next morning.

The young girl herself was wearing a middle school uniform.

It was Monday, a school day.

Scarface drove Broly to Branch 1 Elementary School in the Fuyuki Outskirts. Along the way, he kept drilling into him how well Young Lady had treated him, how he should be grateful to Young Lady in the future, and how he should work hard to repay Young Lady for nurturing him.

At first, Broly nodded in agreement. After all, one should repay even a meal's kindness with a spring's worth of gratitude. But gradually, he began to yawn. Scarface repeated the same words over and over, like hypnosis, making him unbearably sleepy.

"This must be the child here to enroll. Teacher Kimura, give him a test and see which grade suits him."

After seeing the child Scarface had brought, the Principal of Branch 1 Elementary School in the Fuyuki Outskirts instructed the Teacher he had summoned beforehand to test Broly's academic level.

Before the test, no one knew. After the test, it turned out he was a completely illiterate child. As expected, Broly was assigned to First Grade.

Yet before half a day had passed, the Teachers conducting class could no longer endure it.

"Principal, this child asks too many questions. I said one plus one equals two, and he actually asked why one plus one equals two. How am I supposed to answer that?"

"Principal, it is the same on my side. This child is quite smart, even smarter than the other children, but he asks far too many questions. For an entire class period, he was asking questions while I answered them. It would be one thing if his questions were meaningful, but some of them are completely meaningless. They are just a child's stubborn nitpicking."

In one morning, over the course of four classes, four Teachers came to complain. It was not that they lacked the patience to teach children, but Broly, this terrifying question-asking machine, had seriously disrupted their teaching of the other children.

"It is understandable for children to be curious. Did you not tell him not to ask meaningless questions?"

"We did, but it was useless. The child said his Older Sister had instructed him before he came here that whenever he did not understand something, he should ask the Teacher more.

And the child stubbornly clings to that principle. Whenever he does not understand something, he asks. Even when we made him stand as punishment, he continued asking as though he could not understand the concept of punishment at all."

"Even more frightening, I tried making him stop by caning his palm. The child obediently held out his hand, but no matter how I struck his palm with the cane, he remained expressionless and continued asking questions. I have taught children for so long, but I have never seen such a peculiar child."

There was something the Teacher did not say. Whenever that child asking all those questions looked at her, she felt afraid.

It was not that the child showed any resentment toward her. Rather, he was too calm—so calm that she could not tell what he was thinking, and that unknown beneath his calm frightened her.

It sounded mysterious, but that was exactly how it felt. After only one class, these First Grade Teachers already found Broly, the transfer student, extremely difficult to handle.