Shiki and Fujino, My Child, Mash Is Born

By the time Shiki returned to the Genji Estate, it was already evening. To her surprise, only Fujino came out to greet her.

Like Shiki, Fujino was fifteen years old, though Shiki was a few months older.

Fujino spoke first. "Hello, Elder Sister. I am Fujino Asagami, the junior sister adopted by Senior Brother Zhang ten years ago. I have lived with Elder Brother since childhood—we ate together, bathed together, and slept together. Oh dear, I seem to have said too much. Come in quickly."

Is this really my little Angel Fujino? My Fujino couldn't possibly be this cruel to her brother.

"So you're Fujino. I've heard Shi Kai mention you many times, and today I finally get to meet you. I'm just a little older than you, so I'll call you Little Sister Fujino."

"It seems life in Tokyo definitely won't be boring with Little Sister Fujino around." After saying that, she rolled her eyes at me.

I was innocent! Who on earth had led my Fujino astray? If I found out, I'd make him pay. The Elder Council members all sneezed at once, discussing how the weather had turned cold and they ought to put on more clothes.

January 1st through January 3rd was Japan's new year. Today was the final day of the new year, so I took Shiki, Fujino, and Aoi to the shrine for new year's prayers. Shiki and Fujino still spared no mercy with their words, but that was all it was. Both of them had accepted Aoi and the baby in her belly.

There were no other visitors at the shrine. It was not because the shrine was small, nor because I had booked the place—it was simply the Genji Clan's private shrine. Douji and Yasutsuna were still enshrined inside.

The battle between Shiki and Fujino grew more intense by the day. Caught between them, I was neither here nor there. From something as small as picking food at the table to something as major as bathing and sleeping, neither of the two would yield. Even the barrier cast by Araya Souren could be easily broken through by them.

Life was hard. They could only coexist peacefully when Aoi was nearby. To avoid them, I could only go on business trips frequently.

Day after day passed. I watched Aoi's belly grow larger, struggled to survive between Shiki and Fujino, flew to the Clock Tower to show my face and check on the lives of the three little ones, then flew to Chaldea to see how Mash was doing.

It looked easy and wonderful, but I spent half my time on airplanes. Japan—Clock Tower—Chaldea—Japan—Clock Tower—Chaldea. It felt as if time itself was looping, and I could not escape it.

In the blink of an eye, Aoi was about to give birth. The entire estate mobilized. The family's dedicated doctors and midwives were ready. Go to the hospital? No, no—they moved the hospital into the house. Though the child was illegitimate, he was still the first child of the current Genji Clan head. He had to be treated seriously.

I said I was not worried, but I was still somewhat flustered inside. Less than an hour later, I heard the child crying and immediately rushed into the room.

The midwife held the child and said, "Both mother and son are safe. It's a healthy little master."

I took the child and looked at his crying face. For the first time, I felt what it meant to be a father. That feeling grounded me. The child looked a lot like me.

Shiki and Fujino wanted to hold him too. I handed the child over to them and went to see Aoi. Looking at her weak state, I said, "You've worked hard."

At that moment, silence spoke louder than words.

I had no talent for naming children, but you had always hoped that the child would live safely and peacefully, so let's call him Gen Heian. If we have another child, we'll call her Happiness. The one after that can be called Joy. Then we'll have peace, happiness, and joy.

Aoi laughed at me. "Do you think I'm a pig? Heian? I just hope he can live safely and peacefully."

Though he was illegitimate and could not be openly announced to the world, everyone within the Genji Clan came to offer their congratulations.

The child had inherited his father's aptitude for magecraft. If the clan head's future children were all girls, or lacked talent, then this child might still be needed. A Caster family was simply that realistic.

After taking care of Aoi during her confinement and accompanying mother and son for two months, I flew to Chaldea. Another child was about to be born. Whether she was Mash or not would be judged by my own eyes.

What did you mean, this was also my child? Don't joke around. She did not have my genes, did not bear the Genji name, and had nothing to do with me. Once she was born, she had to call me Onii-san.

This was my Nth visit to Chaldea this year. During the first few visits, people still came to receive me. Now, unless I got close, I could not even hear a greeting. That was probably the common flaw of people who researched technology—they were completely absorbed in their work.

I arrived at the Personnel Administration Department I had established. Everything was normal. I found Marisbury, who was also observing Mash's growth.

Compared to the process, he cared more about the result. That made him more like a Caster. I had never thought I was much like a Caster, because I cared more about the process than the result.

After greeting him, he continued observing the experimental data. I had little interest in data. Once I had a rough understanding of the situation, I returned to my office. Confirming that it was a girl left me completely satisfied.

Next came a patient wait.

Experiment records:

August 13, 1995: Mash Kyrielight was normal in all respects.

September 26, 1995: Mash Kyrielight was normal in all respects. Expected delivery date: mid-October.

October 3, 1995: Mash Kyrielight showed signs of birth, approximately ten days earlier than expected.

October 4, 1995: Mash Kyrielight was born in good condition. The demi-Servant fusion experiment through genetics was successful. She successfully fused with Heroic Spirit Galahad.

October 5, 1995: Mash Kyrielight's fusion with the Heroic Spirit had not suppressed her cellular aging.

In other words, Mash could die at any time—her bodily functions could cease. Although designer test-tube babies were said to stop living at around thirty years old, Mash's lifespan was even shorter.

The experiment involving fusion with a Servant had made her physical lifespan even shorter. Her estimated survival time was eighteen years.

Knowing all this, I did not panic. As long as things followed the plot, there would always be more solutions than difficulties. Though Mash had been born five years early, everything would be fine as long as Fou arrived.

At the same time, someone said, "Go on, Cath Palug. I'll stay here. You should go and freely touch the truly beautiful things." With that, he threw him down from a building roughly twenty stories high.