Chapter 235: The Ghost of the Past

"Ha..."

The man let out a long tired sigh as he took a seat in his office chair. From his metal pack he pulled out a cigar and lit it immediately. He brought the cigar close to his mouth and took a deep drag on the smoke.

'I guess, in all these years, I never showed her the confidence she deserved...'

Waver thought about his adopted daughter. He thought that if he had been more expressive with Sakura, she surely wouldn't have kept such a heavy secret from him, however, who was he to criticize that girl if he does the same? Nothing made sense...

'It's strange when there isn't someone asking me to solve strange and annoying mysteries.'

He looked up at the ceiling as the smoke from the cigar rose. It was then that he thought of something rather funny.

'It's like in those American comics... one crazy person can't help another'.

Waver was conscious about his mental state after the war, but what about Sakura? It was rude to admit it, but she's not well either. Trying to help her with everything she experienced in that family's house was the same as trying to clean desert sand.

Thinking about all this, she realized that it had only been three hours since she'd been home. It wasn't a long time if he thought about it carefully. Sakura right now should be in the library next to Gray.

'That'll distract them a bit...'

In the meantime, he settled back in his chair with his elbows on the table to look at the door seriously.

'You're here. I know you're here. It does you no good to hide if I know you're here, watching silently as if you were a predator. I'm sure you're curious as to how I became aware of your presence, but that matters little at this point."

Waver stubbed out the cigar in the ashtray and waited patiently for that mysterious spirit to respond, but that response never came. This evoked another weary sigh from this man who adjusted his hair because a long lock of his black hair covered one of his eyes.

"You know. It's very rude to leave people talking to themselves. I don't know if you ever got the proper education, though. Not everyone has that luxury. Even for me being educated in this society is more than just a funny coincidence. But that might measure the differences between you and me."

He stood and looked out the window behind his desk.

"Aristotle once said that, outside of society, man is either a beast or a god. Tell me which are you, the beast or the god? You don't have to give me your answer now. I remembered that I have to go to my school for some things. I'll be back in the evening and since you're here, I'm entrusting you with the protection of this house. Although with Gray here I don't think it will be necessary."

Waver approached the door feeling the shivers of the presence behind him.

"I don't know what kind of Servant you are, but if you show up later I can help strengthen you."

So that Sakura wouldn't die in that war, although deep down he planned to forbid Sakura to return to Fuyuki.

For the same reason Toru, who had followed Waver to find out more about Waver's insight, stared at the door silently. It was quite disconcerting for him to feel how an invisible entity hit him the moment that man entered the house.

It was just a very simple and weak barrier, but the execution of that Bounded Field was so perfect that it materialized rather quickly.

'The magic of this world is interesting'

He thought. He finally broke through the walls and made his way to the library to stand next to his Master.

***

"It's still complicated everything about rune magecraft. I haven't had time to study that language."

"Runes... those things were used on objects, right?"

Gray's question was good enough for Sakura. She gladly answered him.

"Pretty much. It depends on the user using the runes. For example, there was a certain Irish hero named Cú Chulainn. He used to use runes in a rather strange way. He used to summon runes as 'entities' which he cast to effect his magecraft. Though he's also known to be very good at fighting with his spear."

"That's... interesting."

"You're right. Besides, you're better at magecraft that's related to death. My father already told you that, didn't he?"

"Yes, but..."

"You're afraid of that magecraft"

"I'm sorry..."

"It's not something you should apologize for. I think being afraid is a normal thing. Even among us Magus, fear is an everyday thing. Don't feel bad."

"I see... thank you..."

For Sakura, being able to study so calmly next to Gray was quite relaxing. Even so, she was still nervous about her participation in the Holy Grail War and Toru's summoning. There was no way she could tell her father or Gray anything.

So she continued to read the book on the table while Gray also read another book with a different subject.

It was a rather quiet, everyday moment, but Sakura noticed something odd in the air.

'It's close.'

A few minutes ago she stopped feeling Toru nearby, but it seemed that this boy came back. She looked behind Gray, where Toru's presence was stronger and narrowed her eyes.

At the same time, Toru looked at the books on the shelf. There were many interesting topics here and there. In fact, despite his cool attitude, he looked at these books with curiosity. His hunger for knowledge had not changed even if he was locked up in that place suffering for ten years.

Maybe that was a way to escape from reality; books as a way to hide from what he really needs to focus on.

'¡¿...?!'

Sakura's eyes widened in shock as she saw Toru materialize behind Gray to grab a book.

Gray became aware of someone's presence behind her, so she was about to look back, but Sakura....

"Ahhhhh, I forgot. What nice weather today, don't you think?"

In an attempt to keep Gray from looking back, Sakura tried to catch her eye, but Gray ignored and looked, however, the moment she laid her eyes on the bookshelf, a book fell to the floor, as if something invisible had held it in its hands.

Sakura could only look at Gray waiting for a reaction, but the gray-haired girl had only stared at the book on the floor.

Gray turned her gaze slowly to Sakura with a worried and fearful expression on her face.

"The book... it fell off by itself, didn't it?"

Sakura didn't know how to explain it, but she didn't seem to see Toru. Still, she knows Gray is afraid of many things and that was a perfect excuse.

"Maybe it was a spirit?"

"No... don't say that..."

Even if Sakura wasn't wrong, Gray wanted to believe that it was just a coincidence and that right now she should run away from the library as fast as she could.

"You're right. Maybe it fell because it was misplaced on the shelf."

"Yeah... it must have been that..."

'Ha~ I was saved...'

She sighed in relief. The bad thing was that Gray was a little scared, so she closed her book and hurried to the door.

"Well... I'll go read in my room."

"Uh, yeah. Don't worry."

The door opened and closed. After that, Sakura stood quietly looking at the place where Toru's presence was still strong.

She looked at the place for a long three seconds, as if she was punishing Toru with her gaze. In the end, she also wanted to speak her mind.

"You shouldn't appear behind people like that. No, what's more, don't ever materialize in the presence of other people again."

Toru materialized and picked up the book. He opened it and his eyes transformed into the Shigan. He quickly turned the pages and finished the book in a quick three seconds. After that, he looked at Sakura, who lay expectantly because she didn't get an answer earlier.

"It's okay."

He said to her with a whisper. After that, he put the book back on the shelf and dematerialized again, leaving Sakura thoughtful again.

"I guess that's good progress."

At least, unlike yesterday, he seemed to respond more readily.

-Later-

The door opened and Waver walked in relaxed. It seemed that Gray and Sakura had already gone to sleep because it was already quite late in the early morning, so there was no problem in going to greet them after leaving unannounced. Waking them up at this hour would only be a nuisance for those girls although they would never dare to say it out loud.

Arriving home, the first thing he did was to leave his coat and scarf on the coat rack, then head for the office in one of the doors off the main hallway.

He grabbed the knob hesitating to open the door, but after a pause decided he was being a coward. So he opened the door as usual and, as he put a step inside the office, he felt a strange disturbance in the mana of the place.

He closed his eyes slowly as he closed the door and, when he opened them again, he said:

"So now you do not conceal your presence."

An invisible being lay watching him in the shadows of this place, making him feel that he was talking to himself, however, saying those words, he calmly walked to his desk and sat down in his elegant chair.

For a few moments he looked around the room to see if this being had not materialized, but denied when he saw that it had not and bent his head to look at one of the drawers of his desk.

Opening the drawer he said:

"Did you think about what I mentioned to you earlier? Because now is a good time to strike up a conversation, so you should show the cordiality of a decent person and respond."

Pulling a bottle of whiskey and two glass tumblers out of the right desk drawer, he looked to the front where the empty chair sat. There he noticed that the Servant approached at the sight of the alcohol, for the latter seemed not to care if the man sensed his presence. And logically, if Waver already knew of his existence, there was no point in trying to hide.

Waver knew this, so he did not reproach him any further. He had a vague recollection of that banquet between three legendary kings, and based on that, he said:

"Hum. A friendly conversation is conducted over a good stiff drink. I learned that from someone in the past, would you like a drink?"

He poured the whiskey into the two glasses and one of those he set on the edge of the desk in front of the chair.

"You'll need to materialize to drink, though. Don't worry, I won't force you."

Although Waver expected the Servant to continue hiding, he was wrong about that.

...

With the light from the headlights on the street coming through the window accompanied by the glow of the moon, a strange fluctuation in the prana of the office echoed to the sound of the wind outside. A male figure was enveloped in a black haze, as flickering particles composed his ghostly body.

It was only for a second. He took a single second to show himself.

...

A worn black cloak. An old, long, red scarf.

Waver's expression was changing as the appearance of the spirit in front of him was revealed.

Covering his face with the hood of his cloak, his silver eyes looked at the man.

He took two soft steps and sat down in the chair.

For one who had rebelled in front of the man, the latter's reaction struck him as curious.

"You look scared."

He said in a bored whisper.

Waver just looked away. He somehow already expected it, but the shock of seeing this Servant again was too much. Besides, there was something strange about him....

'Is he speaking with a Russian accent?'

How both of them are speaking English, Waver expected to hear that funny accent that Japanese people have when pronouncing English, but that was not the case. He didn't really care about that, as he was still shocked that Toru really was here.

"You came back, huh..."

It was as if he had returned to fulfill his promise.

"I'm going to answer your question."

Said the hooded spirit taking the glass between his fingers. He brought the glass to his lips after looking at the liquid for a few seconds and then drank all the whiskey in one gulp.

"Aristotle's philosophical vision, from my point of view, is correct. We know society as a world full of rules that human beings must follow, but outside of that society, what is human? In my case, outside of society... what I am..."

His eyes glittered dangerously.

"A beast, yes. I guess you could say I'm the beast."

Waver sighed taking a drink after hearing the answer. It was that way for him too. Man is the only living being that refuses to be what he is. We are animals in this world and although we have the ability to reason more developed than any other species on the face of the earth, we are still animals with our instincts buried deep in our DNA. We are still repressing the beasts we really are.

Yes... that was a good answer.

"Interesting answer, Asahi Toru."

Hearing his name come out of this man's mouth, Toru thought for a few seconds.

"You too..."

"Hm?"

"You know my name too."

"Yes, I know you. You were summoned in the previous War for the Holy Grail, which had no winner. I was one of the Masters you faced."

"And yet I possess no memory of that."

"No memory...? I see..."

In that case, if Waver summoned Rider again, Rider would surely not have the memories of the past war either.

"It's disappointing."

In that case, the deal between the two of them is useless.

"Are you disappointed that I don't remember anything? It's likely that the person you met is not me. In the end, I don't know and I don't care either. The reason I showed myself to you by disobeying my Master's orders is because you mentioned that I could get stronger. how?"

"Huh... of all the things you can ask and you care about that."

Ironic and sad. The expression on Toru's face was completely different at that moment. Waver no longer recognized this boy.

"In the end it's simple. All it takes is for you to learn magecraft."

"Magecraft... the art of the Magus, right?"

"I wouldn't call it art, but yes. I'm a teacher, so I can teach you a lot about magecraft. If you promise not to say any of this to Sakura, I'll teach you magecraft that suits you."

It was a tempting offer for Toru even though he was currently not interested in anything in this world. Still, a brief escape from his reality will always be good to forget everything that broke his willpower.

"Good. I'll be waiting for you..."

He got up from the chair and quickly disappeared.

As fast as he came, that's how fast he left. Waver leaned his back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's not easy having to face your ghosts from the past..."

The same old coward...

***

He moved to the library to do some reading. Knowing more about the past and the present wouldn't hurt. It was a good decision.

Toru took some books from the shelves and put them on the table, obviously materializing so he could take them and put them down.

As he sat down to read, he saw, through the darkness, that the door opened and the gray-haired girl had peeked out.

From Gray's point of view, there was a bright-eyed ghost staring at her from the darkness.

Uncomfortable she closed the door and fled the scene. Earlier she heard noises coming from the library, but when she went to look, she saw something that would give her nightmares this week.

To be continued...