A sudden chill swept over him.
It spread from his spine, radiating through every nerve in his body.
His magic circuits flared instinctively, only to be shut down a fraction of a second later.
Tsk.
'An undisguised magical bounded field. Is that guy really this reckless?'
"What's wrong, Fujimaru-san?" Shirou Emiya stopped and looked back at Wayland, who had fallen slightly behind.
"It's nothing." Wayland fell back into step with him, his expression carefully neutral.
***
The Blood-Fortress
"Hey, Emiya! You're a rare sight around here."
The girl standing before them had a refreshing, shoulder-length bob of chestnut hair. She was handsome in a way that felt both elegant and straightforward.
"I honestly didn't think you'd ever step foot in the Archery club again."
"Why not?"
"Aha! Emiya, you're just that kind of cold-hearted guy, aren't you?"
Ayako Mitsuzuri laughed, clapping him on the right shoulder with the familiarity of a close friend. "So, when are you finally coming back to us?"
"About that..."
"It's really frustrating, you know. You join the club, show off this incredible innate talent, and then you just... wander off. It's like you're constantly saying you don't even like the bow, and that hitting the bullseye is all thanks to the equipment's own merit."
"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
"You can't deny how distant you've been lately. You left me alone to deal with a certain 'problem child' like Shinji Matou. No matter what, you should at least consider my feelings a little."
"What did Shinji do this time?" Shirou asked, his tone suggesting he already knew the answer.
"The usual. He's been insufferable. Yesterday, he even managed to bully a first-year into quitting."
Ayako sighed, her shoulders slumping. "If this keeps up, the future of the Archery club is looking pretty grim."
"Another member quit?"
Even knowing Shinji Matou's prickly personality, Shirou couldn't help but feel that he was taking things too far. "What was the reason?"
"I heard he was rejected... and apparently, it was quite a brutal rejection by Rin Tohsaka."
"Rin Tohsaka?"
Shirou nodded to himself. If it was Rin Tohsaka, it wouldn't be surprising at all for her to reject someone as popular with the girls as Shinji.
"Yeah. The honors student from Class 2-A. For some reason, she's been coming around our dojo quite often lately."
"I thought Rin didn't participate in any club activities?"
"Who knows?"
Ayako dismissed the topic, her gaze shifting to Wayland. "And who's this? Is he a new member?"
"He's a transfer student in our class, Ritsuka Fujimaru. He wants to join the club, so I thought I'd introduce him to you," Shirou explained.
"Ah, so you're not entirely heartless after all, Emiya."
Ayako smiled, extending a hand toward Wayland. "I'm Ayako Mitsuzuri. Welcome to the club."
"No entrance exam?"
Wayland shook her hand, and after a brief, firm grip, they parted. He was a bit surprised by the lack of formality.
"High school clubs don't really do that here. You mentioned you were from abroad, right? Our club is open to anyone who's interested. Besides, if Emiya is the one recommending you, I'm sure you're more than capable."
She gave him an excited tilt of her head. "Come on, let's go to the dojo and see what you can do!"
She was certainly straightforward.
Wayland followed her into the dojo.
"Do you know how to use one of these?"
Ayako handed him a longbow.
Wayland pulled on a pair of leather gloves, gripped the slender black handle of the bow, and nocked an arrow with practiced, though somewhat deliberate, movements. He slowly drew the string to its limit.
He focused his gaze on the target in the distance.
Since he wasn't using any magecraft, he could only rely on his natural sight.
He released the string. The bow hummed with tension as the arrow tore through the air.
A dull thud followed.
The arrow hit the target, though it was several inches away from the bullseye.
"Is this your first time?"
Ayako had noticed several slight imperfections in his form. "Not bad at all. You didn't miss the target on your first try, and your movements were remarkably steady. It means you've got plenty of strength. Once you work on your aim, I'm sure you'll be an asset to the team."
"So, does that mean I'm in?"
"Of course."
Ayako nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I want you at the dojo by seven for morning practice."
"Understood."
"Alright, then. I've got to get back to supervising the others. See ya!"
After Ayako left, Wayland and Shirou didn't linger. They followed the path from the dojo back toward the main school building.
Before the official start of classes at eight, there was a period set aside for homeroom.
Taiga Fujimura practically flew into the classroom, her expression uncharacteristically hurried. "Listen up, everyone! The school has changed the regulations. As of today, everyone must leave the campus immediately after school ends."
A chorus of groans and complaints immediately erupted from the classroom.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]