Shirou's Return from the Fae Kingdom

He was born in Fuyuki, but spent many long years in the other world, "Britain," where his values were also formed.

According to his memories, this island nation called Japan was a peaceful country.

And the existence of public welfare facilities like children's homes indicated that a stable order had already been established here.

Incidentally, while nobles and lords in the Fae Kingdom would sometimes adopt children, it was only to raise them as cannon fodder for war.

"A world without disasters, without war, a peaceful and tranquil Fuyuki City, it's truly wonderful..."

Shirou's emotion didn't last long, and he immediately thought of a practical problem.

"Doesn't that mean there's no place for me to use my skills anymore!?"

Shirou Amamiya had once been obsessed with honing his combat skills.

On the Fae island, nothing was trustworthy.

Parents, children, lovers, friends... anything beautiful, anything precious could betray you, but only strength wouldn't.

Body and spirit, magic and swordsmanship--

The strength Shirou Amamiya possessed was precisely the reason he eventually became the King of Britain.

But that strength, which he once took pride in, seemed to have become something unnecessary in a peaceful Fuyuki.

"What will I live on from now on? Where on earth can I find a job that suits me... Ah, I found one."

Looking at the sign of a Chinese restaurant on the street, Shirou fell into deep thought.

Just as he was considering whether to apply for a chef position--

"Get out! Vampire! Don't play around here!"

A child's shout could be heard.

Shirou was very familiar with this piercing clamor; he had encountered it countless times in Britain—it was bullying.

The Fae of Britain loved bullying the most.

Ganging up on the few, ostracizing outsiders, they bullied the weak and took pleasure in it.

Shirou couldn't understand, and Morgan said this was the nature of the Fae.

Enjoying goodness with innocence, enjoying evil without blemish, the Fae were such pure and flawless beings.

"..."

Turning his head, he saw a few children in the park throwing stones at another child who was squatting on the ground.

Ah, I see, Shirou curled his lips.

Human children were indeed very similar to the Fae.

Speaking of which, did they just say "vampire"?

The word made Shirou frown.

The Fae island also had vampires.

To be precise, they were blood-sucking Fae, occupying the lowest rung of the Fae social ladder.

After all, humans there were equivalent to livestock raised by the Fae, and Fae who drank the blood of livestock would naturally be seen as impure and filthy beings.

In this world, were vampires also targets of discrimination?

"--Thwack."

Shirou raised his arm, and his small palm steadily caught the stone being thrown at the bullied child.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

The child leading the bullying shouted angrily.

"Anyone who doesn't matter, get lost! Do you think you're a hero of justice?"

"A hero of justice? I don't have such lofty aspirations."

The serious reply left the children collectively stunned.

Shirou Amamiya was not a hero of justice; if anything--he was a companion to the Savior.

Although in this world, "Savior" seemed to be a word that could be equated with "justice."

But on the Fae island, the concept of "Savior" was almost synonymous with "evil."

The Savior Ash—that is, Morgan—she was a very meddlesome person.

She would always appear before weak and tormented Fae and help them... through violent means.

And during his journey with her, Shirou had encountered a blood-sucking Fae.

When he met Bavag, she was being bullied by other Fae.

Her appearance, squatting on the ground with her head in her hands while Fae threw stones at her, was exactly the same as the little brats nearby.

The scene before him overlapped with memories of the past, and Shirou instinctively acted.

"Are you going to stick up for him?"

The children walked towards them angrily.

"We've never seen you before, get lost!"

"The house this guy lives in is a haunted house!"

The child leading the bullying put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, his grandpa is a vampire—Ah!"

The stone Shirou threw whizzed past his cheek, and a strong gust of wind swept through the park.

"Hmph..."

The children, who had been lively just moments ago, were stunned into silence.

Passersby, office workers and high school students alike, stopped in their tracks, their expressions filled with disbelief.

"Did I just imagine that...?"

The world record for a baseball pitch is close to 170 km/h, a common piece of knowledge in Japan.

However, the stone thrown by the red-haired youth clearly far surpassed that speed.

It streaked through the park like a meteor, finally disappearing into the distant sky.

If it had hit someone's head, it might have exploded like in a Hollywood movie.

Meanwhile, Shirou, despite having thrown the stone with the force of a cannonball, acted as if nothing had happened.

"----"

The child leading the bullying trembled all over.

In the twilight, the red-haired youth stared directly at him.

His gaze was so cold it felt like it could pierce through a person.

Like a pair of inorganic amber glass, it froze the surrounding air.

How many hells must one witness to possess such eyes?

Even an ignorant ten-year-old boy's knees trembled at this moment, a widening wet stain appearing on his pants.

The fear he felt in this instant would take decades of his life to heal.

"That was just a greeting..."

Shirou bent down to pick up another stone, tossing it repeatedly into the air as he spoke expressionlessly.

"Next time, I won't miss."

"Waaahhhhhh!" "You better remember this!" "I'm telling my mom!!"

The children screamed and scattered like startled birds.

"Geez... Kids these days, born in peaceful times, are so annoying."

Shirou Amamiya didn't have a strong attachment to "justice," and he didn't care about being called a "partner of justice" or anything like that—he just couldn't stand things that bothered him.

He turned back to look at the child crouching on the ground, holding his head.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Waa... waaa..."

The bullied child nodded with a sob, then looked up.

Seeing his face clearly, Shirou couldn't help but frown. This was clearly an ordinary human, not a vampire at all?

"Kid, what's your name?" Shirou asked.

The boy, whose hair resembled purple seaweed, replied with a frightened expression, "Shi... Shinji, my name is Shinji Matou."

Volume 1, Chapter 003: Matou Residence

The boy's name was Shinji Matou.

He was a local of Fuyuki and, like Shirou, was seven years old this year.

Fuyuki City, where they lived, could be divided into two districts based on its urban design.

This area was called Miyama Town, an old residential district.

Across a river lay another district, a rapidly developing new city.

The Matou family mansion was located on a mountain in Miyama Town.

It was said to be quite famous locally, a luxurious Western-style mansion that clashed with the old streets.

Even during the day, it exuded a chilling atmosphere, and the inside was pitch black.

Over time, various unpleasant rumors began to circulate in the neighborhood.

At night, one could hear the sound of insects crawling on the ground around the mansion.

It was said that vampires from foreign countries lived in the mansion.

"So, are you a vampire?"

Shirou stood atop the park's climbing frame, gazing at the sun sinking below the city's horizon, and asked.

"!"

Shinji Matou's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head before lowering his gaze again and speaking with a distinct lack of confidence.

"No... probably not."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so unsure?"

"I don't know..." Shinji Matou muttered quietly.

There must be some complicated family stuff going on, Shirou thought.

"Do vampires really exist in this world?"

"I don't know."

"Do Fae exist?"

"Huh? Fae? No... I don't know."

"Are there any public restrooms nearby?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you know anything?"

"Waaah... I don't know, okay?"

Shinji Matou felt like he was about to cry.

To any passerby, it would look like the red-haired boy was bullying the purple-haired boy.

"Hmph."