"I have a bad feeling."
Emrys remained silent for a few moments after saying those words.
This feeling was not like a simple passing concern. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but persistent enough that he could not simply ignore it.
Yet nothing around him seemed unusual. He had already confirmed that.
Ulster continued its usual existence. The inhabitants went about their daily activities, construction continued in different parts of the kingdom, and no hostile presence disturbed the calm atmosphere.
No matter how much Emrys tried to find a reason for this uneasiness, nothing came to him.
So he eventually put the feeling aside.
At least, for the moment.
The following hours passed without any notable event. Emrys spoke with several inhabitants, observed the progress of some construction work, and dealt with a few minor problems that did not require Rou's intervention.
That last detail did not seem strange to him.
Rou had long since become accustomed to handling a large part of Ulster's affairs. It was not unusual for Emrys to go several days without needing to speak to him.
And it was precisely for that reason that he noticed nothing.
Not immediately.
It was later, during a completely ordinary conversation, that an inhabitant casually mentioned Rou's name.
"The person in charge should probably speak with Rou before making a decision."
Emrys slightly turned his head.
"Rou..."
The name awakened something in his mind.
A simple question.
When was the last time he had seen him?
He continued listening to the conversation, but his mind had already begun searching for an answer.
Training?
No.
A meeting?
Perhaps.
A discussion concerning the affairs of the kingdom?
He could not remember.
When the conversation ended, Emrys remained there for a few seconds before continuing on his way.
He tried to remember the past few days.
Then the past few weeks.
His expression gradually changed.
"Wait..."
He stopped.
It wasn't only Rou.
He hadn't seen Farel either.
Nor Adrian.
Nor Grey.
Heim.
Nono.
Lonni.
Seven people. And seven people who knew each other very well and who had learned, for some unknown reason, to hide their emotions from Haki.
Emrys frowned.
Until now, their absence had not alarmed him because there could perfectly well have been an individual explanation for it. They had all grown up, become accomplished fighters, and taken on different responsibilities within Ulster.
But all seven at once?
And for so long that he was having trouble remembering the last time he had seen them?
That was no longer normal.
He closed his eyes.
His Observation Haki spread once again. This time, not to search for hostility, but to find those seven.
The presences within Ulster appeared by the thousands, each accompanied by its own emotional fluctuations, magical energy, and aura. Emrys quickly went through them, filtering out unnecessary information in order to find the signatures he was looking for.
Rou.
Nothing.
Farel.
Nothing.
Adrian.
Nothing.
Grey.
Nothing.
Heim.
Nothing.
Nono.
Nothing.
Lonni.
Still nothing.
Emrys slowly opened his eyes.
This time, his bad feeling was no longer just an impression.
He focused more deeply.
His consciousness spread throughout Unlimited Blade Works. There was also a chance that they were still inside UBW, simply outside the range of his perception.
He checked the different areas.
Nothing.
There was no trace of the seven.
They were not simply far away from him.
They were no longer in Ulster, nor in UBW.
"Since when..."
The answer gradually appeared in his mind.
Several weeks.
Emrys remained motionless.
Several weeks.
And during all that time, he had noticed nothing.
When he had realized it earlier, he had simply understood that they had developed remarkable control over their emotional aura.
Now, he understood that this skill probably had a much more important purpose than he had imagined.
Emrys felt a hint of anger rising within him.
"You were preparing something..."
It was not a question.
He simply did not know what.
And he knew who could give him the answer.
Iklia.
Ever since the death of her grandfather five years ago, she had been living with Rou. He was not married yet, nor were they even in a relationship, and everyone was wondering how long they intended to keep dragging things out.
Emrys did not waste any more time.
He immediately headed toward her home.
The journey was quick and of no particular interest.
When he arrived at the house, he entered after announcing his presence.
"Iklia?"
There was no answer.
Emrys slightly frowned and moved forward.
He eventually found her sitting in a dimly lit room.
And as soon as he saw her, his expression hardened.
Something was seriously wrong.
Iklia looked exhausted.
Her face had lost much of its usual liveliness, and her body appeared weakened. But what struck Emrys the most was her gaze.
She seemed completely absent.
As if her mind were somewhere else.
"Iklia."
She slowly raised her head.
Her eyes settled on him.
"...Mr. Emrys."
Her voice was weak.
He approached her.
"What happened?"
Iklia looked away.
"Nothing..."
The word was barely audible.
Emrys remained silent.
He was obviously not convinced.
He had known Iklia for long enough to recognize when she was simply trying to avoid a question.
But this time, it wasn't exactly that.
She did not look like she was trying to lie to him.
She simply seemed unable to speak.
Emrys sat down in front of her.
"You don't look well."
Iklia did not answer.
He waited.
Then he asked the question that had brought him here.
"And Rou?"
The change was immediate.
Iklia's fingers tensed.
Her gaze lowered.
"Rou..."
She stopped.
Emrys felt his concern increase.
"Iklia."
She slowly inhaled.
"He left."
Emrys remained motionless.
"Where did he go?"
Iklia did not answer immediately.
Her lips trembled slightly.
"I..."
She closed her eyes.
"I can't..."
Emrys did not pressure her.
He understood.
It was not that she refused to answer him.
She simply had too much difficulty speaking.
"Take your time."
Several seconds passed.
Iklia finally continued.
"A little while ago, he told me that he needed to talk to me about something."
Emrys listened attentively.
"He told me that he had to go somewhere."
"Where?"
She hesitated.
"...To Stigma's headquarters."
Emrys's expression changed.
He said nothing.
His mind was already connecting several elements.
The seven had disappeared from Ulster.
Iklia was in this state.
And Rou had gone to Stigma's headquarters.
"Why?"
Iklia lowered her head further.
"To get revenge."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Emrys remained perfectly still.
Anger began to replace his concern.
But who are they trying to get revenge on, that idiots ? Didn't he listen to me back then about what?
"Did you know he was going there?"
"No."
She slowly shook her head.
"I only found out when he told me."
"And did you try to stop him?"
"Yes..."
Her voice broke slightly.
"I asked him not to leave."
She took a difficult breath.
"I told him it wasn't a good idea."
Emrys slightly clenched his jaw.
"But he didn't want to listen at all."
Iklia shook her head.
"No."
She remained silent for a moment.
"He had already made up his mind."
Emrys observed her face.
"And the others?"
Iklia did not answer immediately.
Then she slowly nodded.
"They went with him."
The seven.
So this was not simply Rou's decision.
They had all taken part.
They had all kept silent.
And they had all used their mastery over their emotions to prevent Emrys from discovering what they were preparing.
A cold anger rose within him.
But there was still something he did not understand.
Iklia's condition.
"Then why are you in this state?"
Iklia remained silent.
Emrys almost immediately regretted his wording.
He was not trying to blame her for anything.
He wanted to understand.
After several seconds, Iklia finally answered.
"I..."
She stopped.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't think he's coming back."
Emrys froze.
"...What?"
Iklia quickly wiped her eyes.
"Rou..."
She had difficulty continuing.
"When he spoke to me before leaving..."
She swallowed.
"He didn't say he wouldn't come back."
Emrys did not move.
"He didn't tell me he was going to die."
Iklia clenched her hands.
"But his eyes..."
She closed her eyes.
"His eyes were different."
Emrys felt something tighten in his chest.
Iklia continued with difficulty.
"I know Rou."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I know when he's trying to reassure me."
She inhaled.
"He wanted me to believe that everything would be fine."
Her voice trembled.
"But..."
She stopped.
Emrys waited.
"...I felt as if he were saying goodbye to me."
Those few words were enough.
Emrys immediately understood why she was in this state.
Rou had not told her that he was going to die.
But he had left with the expression of a man who knew that possibility existed.
And Iklia had understood it.
She had probably spent all these weeks waiting for him to return while fearing that he never would.
Emrys lowered his eyes slightly.
For twenty years, he had trained Rou and the others.
He had taught them how to fight.
How to survive.
How to analyze their opponents.
How to control their emotions.
And they had used everything he had taught them to hide their departure from him.
The irony could almost have been amusing.
If the situation had not been so serious.
"How long?"
"Several weeks."
Emrys slowly inhaled.
Several weeks.
They had been gone for several weeks.
And he had seen nothing.
He raised his eyes toward Iklia.
"You haven't received any news since they left?"
She shook her head.
"No."
Emrys stood up.
His expression had completely changed.
Panic was beginning to seep through his usual composure.
He knew what Stigma's headquarters represented.
He knew what Rou was looking for there.
And above all, he knew that Rou had not gone alone.
The seven were together.
If they had truly decided to confront Stigma for revenge, then the fact that they had remained absent for so long was not reassuring.
Emrys closed his eyes for a moment.
His Observation Haki briefly spread out.
He searched for their presences one more time.
Still nothing.
He opened his eyes.
"Iklia."
She raised her head.
"I'm going to find them."
Iklia looked at him without answering.
Then, in an almost inaudible voice, she whispered:
"Please, Your Majesty, bring them back..."
Emrys did not answer.
He had no promise to make.
He simply turned around and left the house.
Once outside, he stopped for a few seconds.
His mind was in turmoil.
Those seven idiots.
Seven idiots who had decided to go to Stigma's headquarters for revenge.
Seven idiots who had spent years hiding their true emotional state.
And above all, seven idiots who were sure they would die doing whatever they were doing or were currently doing.
Emrys felt his anger rise violently.
But behind that anger was something much deeper.
Fear.
He did not know what condition they were in.
He did not know what had happened since their departure.
And he refused to imagine what he might discover when he arrived.
"My body is made of blades."
The transition was immediate.
The landscape of Ulster disappeared.
Emrys reappeared in the outside world.
He did not even take the time to look around.
He had to reach the Fairy King's Forest as quickly as possible.
Emrys channeled his magical energy into the lower part of Pridwen.
His soles touched the ground.
Then he jumped.
As his feet left the ground, he altered the elasticity of the air beneath his soles.
The air immediately became a true point of support.
Emrys pushed off again.
Then once more.
He then combined his movements with Blink.
One meter.
Then another.
And another.
This time, he had decided to stop using short-range Blinks. No matter how much mental energy it consumed, he had to arrive as quickly as possible.
Each instantaneous movement chained together with the next impulse.
His speed rapidly increased.
The landscape blurred past him.
Emrys paid no attention to anything in his path.
His mind was entirely focused on a single destination.
Stigma's headquarters.
And the farther he went, the more one thought returned to his mind.
Emrys clenched his teeth.
"Rou..."
A Blink.
"Farel. Adrian. Grey."
Another impulse.
"Heim. Nono. Lonni."
His expression twisted with anger.
"Bunch of dogs."
He accelerated even more.
They had better be alive.
Because Emrys was not merely worried.
He was furious.
Furious that they had decided to do this.
Furious that they had hidden their intentions from him.
Furious that they had left Iklia alone with the fear of never seeing Rou again.
And above all...
Furious that they could have believed he would let them do it.
Another Blink.
The Fairy King's Forest was getting closer.
Emrys continued forward without slowing down.
"If you're not dead yet..."
His gaze hardened.
"...I'm the one who's going to kill you for excess of stupidity."
I don't usually do this, but I'm asking those who haven't yet to leave objective reviews (positive ones, if possible). Not long ago, someone left a 1.5-star review complaining that the Emiya in the fanfiction wasn't the "real" Emiya—despite the fact that I had explicitly stated in the synopsis that the main character wouldn't be Emiya (though the user did eventually delete his review). I'd ask readers to actually use the wonderful rating system Webnovel provides, rather than just slapping on a one-star rating—ignoring all other criteria—simply because a character went blind. (By the way, those of you who give one star across the board when only one or two categories actually deserve it? You disgust me.) I can understand disliking that plot choice, but a one-star rating implies a one-star rating for update stability, too—and that is the one thing I won't accept. You can criticize me for anything else, but not my update stability; that is the one point I will not budge on. I don't care if you leave negative reviews, just make sure they are logical and not driven solely by your disappointment.