The moment those words were spoken, Steve felt somewhat out of place.
He gazed at the child named "Ken" before him, watching how the boy's calm appearance was reflected in hollow eyes. Not far away, he could see the mutilated remains of the child's relatives.
Having witnessed such brutal slaughter, expecting a child—who could hardly speak clearly—to pass judgment on a murderer was, in itself, perhaps a hidden secondary trauma. And so, the depths of Steve's eyes, profound as the sea of stars, instantly softened.
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked you that," he said, softening his tone gradually as if afraid to disturb the fragile soul of the boy before him.
"The evil man who hurt your family has been caught by me. He'll never hurt anyone again."
"This isn't a safe place right now... I regret that you have to be here," he continued gently. "Let's leave here first, okay?"
Without waiting for the boy's response, Steve carefully lifted him from the cold floor. The child was light, his body trembling faintly with fear and weakness. He wrapped the thin body with his robe, shielding him from the blood and chill that pervaded the room, cautiously guiding him away from any scenes that might evoke painful memories.
They left the living room and climbed, step by step, up the stairs to the second floor.
"Which room is yours? First, you should take a hot shower and change into clean clothes," Steve asked quietly, listening to Ken's intermittent answers to find his way.
The corridor and rooms on the second floor were a stark contrast to the hellish scene below, maintaining the warm, orderly atmosphere of a normal family home. They found Ken's room, its desk scattered with model kits, comics, and unfinished homework. Steve helped him find clean clothes and, pointing toward the bathroom, tried to sound as relaxed as possible.
"Go on, wash all the bad things away. Leave everything downstairs to me. When you come down, it'll all be over—I promise."
The boy nodded vaguely, moving toward the bathroom like a puppet. Soon, the sound of rushing water could be heard inside. Once he confirmed Ken was temporarily safe, Steve headed back downstairs, his expression returning to its previous calm and composure.
He glanced at Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who was still magically restrained, unconscious and suffocating. First, he used magic to alter the man's memory—so he would forget witnessing Steve's true form—and marked him with a curse that would, within three months, bring about his painful death. Ordinary people would only recognize the curse as some sudden-death syndrome, nothing more.
Turning back, Steve picked up the living room telephone, its cold 90s plastic in his hand.
As a modern person who had experienced both before and after the era of time travel, he knew how to solve problems using the rules of the era.
The battle between magus was not just about magecraft.
Skillfully dialing the police, Steve adopted the calm, slightly enthusiastic tone of an ordinary citizen.
"Hello, I need to call the police. I've found the wanted serial killer from TV—yes, the one who drew strange magic patterns in blood… The address is Shinto ward, X street, Fuyuki City. I'm just a passing citizen—I heard a child crying inside and rushed to help.
"I've subdued the criminal, but the homeowner's family, and one surviving child… quick, please! Me? Oh, no, I don't want to leave my name and end up with pantyhose thrown at me—no, just say Captain America came to help!"
With that, Steve hung up without leaving any chance for questions and smoothly replaced the receiver, without hesitation. After all was settled, his mind stirred, his body grew rapidly transparent, and the world around him turned gray, as if seen through a misty filter. His presence—both breath and body—faded into the spiritual state unique to Servants.
….
Soon the water in the bathroom stopped. Changing into clean blue sportswear, Ken timidly descended the stairs. He saw Steve had "vanished," the monster was still motionless on the ground, and a faint look of panic emerged in his eyes.
"I'm here."
At that moment, Steve's voice echoed in Ken's mind, surprising him—and then calming him.
"The police will be here soon. They'll keep you safe. When they ask you what happened, just answer..." Steve clearly relayed the short script he had prepared: "Just say you heard an uncle calling for help, rushed to the door, and saw him defeat the bad guy. Then the uncle called the police, told you to wait there, and hurried out."
"Remember, you're the only survivor, the only witness—your words matter."
Ken nodded emphatically, a small fist clenched in determination. Amidst overwhelming fear, Steve's words were the only life raft he could cling to.
…
Not ten minutes had passed before the blare of sirens grew near, ripping the silence of the rainy night. Several police cars screeched to a halt outside the house. Red and blue lights cast a ghostly, eerie glow through the living room.
Heavily armed police broke down the door and charged in.
"Police! Don't move!"
Even the most seasoned officers shuddered at the sight within: three tragic corpses, an ominous bloody magic circle drawn on the floor, an unconscious and bloodied young man—and, huddled in a corner, the lone surviving boy, trembling.
"Captain! The magic circle here is identical to the previous cases—it's just as he said!"
The police quickly brought the scene under control. They checked Ryuunosuke Uryuu's vitals, found that he was unconscious but alive, and firmly handcuffed him. Forensics and medical teams soon arrived to investigate the bloody scene.
A senior policewoman removed her coat, gently draping it over Ken's shoulders, then hugged and comforted him, trying to carry him away from this nightmare.
Meanwhile, Steve hovered in spiritual form high above, watching it all unfold. He saw Ryuunosuke Uryuu dragged like a sack of mud into a police vehicle, and his little master strictly protected and removed from the scene. Steve's script was simple, rational, and flawless. The mysterious citizen, reluctant to reveal his name after an act of justice and courage, was the sort of hero whose tale was always praised, no matter the era.
Police concluded in their report: the serial killer Ryuunosuke Uryuu was subdued on the spot by an unknown hero, preventing further atrocities. On the surface, the case was closed.
The police cars, flashing their lights, disappeared into the end of the rainy night, carrying both Steve's master and the man who by rights should have been Caster's Master.
Flying unseen in spiritual form, Steve summarized the current situation with a sigh he could not suppress.
What an ordinary start... I see. Well, as expected – unless it's the final battle with the so-called "King of the Lost Belt" or the final chapter of 1.0 or 2.0, any beginning should be this smooth. For this Holy Grail War, let's continue with the peaceful speedrun strategy I'd planned before arriving.
Afterward, with the ability to remain incarnated a long time, maybe I can try to alter the "FGO" timeline in the future. Maybe replace that old-born Director, or change all those tragic fates…
…
PS: Bonus chapter at 100 PS
Read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode