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The Chaldea cafeteria had finally quieted down from dinner’s chaos. Ritsuka and company had finally sealed off the latest singularity, and with it came new arrivals. Unfortunately, those new arrivals were part of the GUDAGUDA gang that constantly gave Emiya a tension headache.
Tonight’s dinner was unusually more chaotic due to one of the new servants, a manslayer who couldn’t keep his mouth shut, nor hold his booze very well, challenging Okita to a fight. Boudica had to kick them out of the cafeteria once Okita caved to his drunken offers. As a precaution, she also tossed out Nobunaga as well.
There was also a new Okita, though she was quieter than the original Okita, if that was at all possible. She kept staring at Emiya. It unnerved him. He swore he caught her saying “Big Brother” to him when she picked up her dinner, but for his sake, he pretended to not have heard it.
Emiya massaged his aching temples as Boudica finished clearing the last of the trays. He waved her off as she picked up a couple of the dishes to start cleaning.
“I’ll handle it from here,” he told her.
Boudica shook her head, chuckling slightly. “Please, Emiya. I can clean the dishes tonight.”
“No, no. You had to deal with all the trouble those idiots were causing. Take the rest of the night off. Just turn off the lights when you leave.”
Boudica sighed before surrendering the dishes to him. “Alright, but I’m taking care of breakfast tomorrow morning. Sleep in this time.” She pointed at him sternly before taking her leave.
As Emiya had requested, she flicked off the cafeteria lights before she departed. The buzzing from the fluorescent lights abruptly quieted, easing Emiya’s headache a little. The only light Emiya had to work by was the soft orange lights at the food station that kept the food warm.
The atmosphere gave off a cozy feeling; the warm hue from the warming lights, the soft clicking of dishes as Emiya picked them up to scrape off the remains of food. If he was honest, this was his favorite time of night, where he was left alone to do work, completely unbothered by—
The sound of air decompressing from the door opening interrupted his thoughts. He glanced up, a slight frown twitching on his face to see a man, probably no older than thirty, stepping in. Dressed in an all-white suit, he carefully took his fedora from his head and glanced around the completely dark cafeteria.
“Ah, I’m sorry. Is the cafeteria closed now?” the man asked in a rich, baritone voice.
“Dinner’s no longer being served,” Emiya answered, not taking a break from his cleaning.
“I see,” the man murmured, glancing around the cafeteria. He stood awkwardly at the door, which irked Emiya.
The man in question was the new Rider that arrived from the latest singularity. A man from Japanese history known as Sakamoto Ryouma. Emiya hadn’t seen him at dinner. In fact, he barely saw him around ever since he was summoned. Compared to everyone else in the GUDAGUDA gang, he was an odd duck, mild-mannered and quiet. He didn’t seem to contain a single ounce of bloodlust—despite growing up in the same era as a majority of the group. And even more surprising, he took on a job as unforgiving as a Counter Guardian.
Emiya sighed. “If you want, I can prepare something to drink for you.” He indicated to the small countertop stools beside him.
Ryouma’s face lit up at the offer. “That would be great! Thank you.”
Normally Emiya would chase away any servants looking for a late night snack, but tonight he found himself making an exception for the new Rider.
Ryouma made his way towards the front of the cafeteria and behind him drifted a young woman clad in all black. Her arms hung lazily in front of her as she followed him, occasionally rubbing her eyes as if trying to wake up from a deep sleep.
Emiya watched her warily. He had seen a lot as a Counter Guardian, but he had never seen a spirit haunting a servant.
“Ah, this is Oryou-san, my partner.” Ryouma seemed to sense Emiya’s unease as he took a seat at the counter. “She’s my Noble Phantasm.”
“A sentient Noble Phantasm? That’s a first,” Emiya muttered.
“Is it? I wouldn’t know,” Ryouma chuckled as he began unbuttoning his jacket. He slipped it off and quietly placed it over Oryou-san as she settled across the other seats to nap.
Emiya watched, an eyebrow raised. “Is that comfortable for her?”
“Oryou-san sleeps in all kinds of places, so this isn’t that unusual.” Ryouma replied.
That didn’t answer Emiya’s question, but he didn’t care enough to ask further. “So, what would you like to drink?”
“Black coffee, please.”
“Odd choice for a samurai,” Emiya commented as he began prepping his drink.
“I had it once before, but only once, so I wanted to try it again. I remember it being very bitter, though.” Ryouma carefully took off his gloves and placed them beside his hat. “Ah, I apologize. I haven’t introduced myself. I’m—”
“Sakamoto Ryouma. I know.”
Ryouma chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Ah, I see. And you are…?”
“Emiya.”
“Emiya,” Ryouma echoed, as if trying out the name. “Just Emiya?”
“Just Emiya.”
Ryouma chuckled to himself. “Just like Oryou-san, then.”
Emiya raised an eyebrow as he poured Ryouma’s drink, but he didn’t bother to ask what Ryouma meant by it. He handed the porcelain cup to him. Ryouma took it with both his hands and breathed in its aroma.
“Ah, it smells just how I remember,” he murmured. He took a tentative sip and seemed to melt with the warmth of the drink. “Mm, exactly how I remember.”
Emiya continued cleaning as he watched Ryouma enjoying his coffee. Something about the scrawny man irked him to no end. Ryouma became a Counter Guardian at the time of his death nearly two centuries ago, so he would have been working this gig for longer than Emiya had been. And yet, here he was, sitting there, enjoying a cup of coffee without a care in the world. Had it never hung over him, the weight of what he was doing?
Ryouma paused, dark eyes flicking over to Emiya. “Is there something you want to ask me?”
Emiya stiffened under his gaze. This man was more perceptive than the aloof aura he gave off. Was that all just an act? “You’re a Counter Guardian, right?”
“Yes. I take it you are as well?”
Emiya nodded. “Why did you choose to work for the Counter Force?”
“At the time, it didn’t really feel like a choice. I was trying to save someone else.” Ryouma took another sip from his coffee, eyes focusing on the wall behind Emiya as he recalled the memory. “I made a desperate deal at death’s door, but I got a lot more than I bargained for.”
Emiya blinked. That wasn’t the answer he was expecting. “Were you able to save that person?”
“No. He died.”
Perhaps this wasn’t the best topic to broach upon meeting him for the first time.
“My condolences,” Emiya murmured. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have brought up such a heavy—”
Ryouma waved his hand, as if trying to disperse Emiya’s worries. “No, no. That’s the nature of this role, isn’t it? Tell me, Emiya, why did you choose to be a Counter Guardian?”
“I—” Emiya stopped. It almost felt embarrassing to admit his reason after hearing Ryouma’s. “I wanted to become a hero of justice. To save everyone.”
“Hero of justice?” Ryouma repeated, eyebrows raising.
“I know how stupid it sounds,” Emiya muttered, eyebrow twitching at Ryouma’s reaction.
“I don’t think it sounds stupid at all!” Ryouma quickly interjected. “I think it sounds wonderful!”
“Wha—”
“Becoming a hero of justice…saving everyone…” Ryouma seemed lost in thought as he mulled over Emiya’s statements. He snapped his fingers. “Yes! That’s exactly what I wanted to do!”
Emiya stared at Ryouma, completely flabbergasted. Wasn’t he just talking about how he couldn’t save his friend after becoming a Counter Guardian?
Ryouma seemed to sense Emiya’s bewilderment. He smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Well, kind of. You see, I wanted to create a world where everyone can be happy, even before I became a Counter Guardian.”
Ah. So he was a fool just like he was.
“So you became a Counter Guardian for the sake of that wish?” Emiya asked.
“Inadvertently, yes,” Ryouma admitted as he took another sip from his coffee.
“Do you regret it?”
“Hm?” Ryouma paused his sip.
“Do you regret becoming a Counter Guardian?” Emiya repeated.
Ryouma smiled softly. “Not at all.”
Emiya watched him carefully as Ryouma pulled down the cup from his lips, thoughtfully tapping his index finger against the porcelain.
“Even though I couldn’t save the person I was trying to save, I’m able to continue to pursue that wish of mine due to being a Counter Guardian and continue to save all kinds of people,” Ryouma continued. “And for that, I’m grateful.”
“Even though it’s—”
“A thankless and unforgiving job? That you’ll see humanity’s worst selves always and forever? That you can never selfishly pursue your former human desires? Yes, even then.” He lifted his cup once more to sip.
“Did you ever doubt yourself?”
Ryouma shook his head. “Not once. And if I ever did, she was always there to knock some proper sense into me and remind me why I chose what I did back then.” He nodded his head towards his sleeping companion. “Though really, she makes sure I don’t accidentally wander off a cliff.”
Emiya glanced over to the sleeping woman. Ryouma referred to her as his partner and described her as a sentient Noble Phantasm, always physically manifested. It was the first of its kind Emiya had seen. The woman exuded terrifying levels of magical energy, even while asleep.
“It must be nice,” Emiya commented. “Having someone by your side.”
Ryouma’s gaze wandered over to Oryou as he hummed in agreement. “I’m not sure I’d be able to do it without her.” He reached over, adjusting his jacket he had covered her with. “She’s a lot stronger than I am, both physically and–ah, sorry, did I wake you?”
Oryou dragged herself up from her sleep as she let out a loud yawn. “Ryouma was talking so loudly, Oryou-san barely got any sleep.”
“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Ryouma apologized. Oryou blinked slowly, eyes focusing on Ryouma’s drink.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the cup.
“Coffee. Would you like to try some?” Ryouma gently pushed his drink towards her.
Oryou took the cup in her hands and sniffed the drink before taking a tentative sip. Her face gave way to no emotion as she placed the cup back down on its saucer and pushed it back towards Ryouma. “Tastes gross. Frogs are better.” Her gaze shifted to Emiya. She pointed directly at him.
“You. Red man. Do you have frogs?” Despite being phrased as a question, it felt more like a demand.
“Oryou-san, please don’t point at people. It’s rude,” Ryouma chided gently. “Sorry about that. Oryou-san’s favorite food is frogs.”
“R-right,” Emiya stammered.
“Though, you wouldn’t happen to have any, would you?” The way Ryouma asked the question indicated he was not joking in the slightest with his request. Emiya was beginning to understand why he showed up from a GUDAGUDA singularity.
“We do not,” Emiya said through gritted teeth. Why on earth would he keep frogs in a cafeteria? The idea alone skeeved him out.
Oryou drew her hand back to fold into her chest. She slouched over in her seat and turned away from Emiya with a small “hmpf.”
“Ah, we’ll see if we can find frogs somewhere else,” Ryouma reassured his companion, gently turning her back around. “Be nicer to Emiya. He let us stay despite the cafeteria being closed.”
“Hm, perhaps Oryou-san will give Archer a frog to thank him for giving Ryouma his bitter water,” Oryou mused as she placed her elbows on the countertop and rested her head on her hands.
“No thank you.” Emiya spoke curtly. He had no interest in receiving a frog from this woman.
Oryou-san let out another “hmpf” as Ryouma laughed nervously. Clearly, she was not pleased with him. Her gaze flicked over to Ryouma.
“Ryouma was talking about Oryou-san when Oryou-san woke up. What was Ryouma saying?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Oh, so you heard that?” Ryouma chuckled. “Well, Emiya had been saying how nice it must be to have a partner as a Counter Guardian, and I was just agreeing with him.”
Oryou nodded before turning her attention back to Emiya. “Ryouma is so soft and weak that Oryou-san has to look after him. Otherwise he’d get lonely and cry.”
“I can’t really argue with that,” Ryouma murmured as he sipped more of his coffee.
Despite the casualness of the pair’s conversation, Emiya understood the true implications of their words. The man that sat before Emiya, casually chatting with him and laughing with his companion, would be an entirely different person had he been facing the choice he made alone. With that choice he made on a whim, on the hope of saving someone he couldn’t, he burdened himself to an eternity of pursuing an ideal that he could never achieve.
The life of a Counter Guardian is one of endless goodbyes and tragedies, but with that woman by his side, the one constant in that sea of chaos, the man before him was still able to smile and able to hope for a world where his wish is achieved. Maybe in another world, Emiya could have–
The clinking of a cup being set in its saucer brought Emiya back from his thoughts.
“Thank you for the coffee,” Ryouma murmured, standing up and collecting his clothing. “And I apologize for not making it to dinner. Oryou-san and I are still a little overwhelmed being surrounded by so many people that we had to lock up in our room for a bit.” He laughed sheepishly.
“It’s so loud and annoying,” Oryou droned. “This time of night is better. We should do this more often, Ryouma.”
“We can’t just show up this late and expect them to feed us, Oryou-san,” Ryouma gently reminded her.
“Come whenever you want,” Emiya abruptly stated, picking up Ryouma’s cup. “I’ll probably be here. I can only offer you coffee though. No frogs,” he added.
Ryouma blinked. He smiled softly. “Coffee is perfect.”
Behind him, Oryou looked less convinced. “Hmm, it’s a tough sell, but if it makes Ryouma happy, Oryou-san will oblige.” Oryou turned abruptly and floated towards the exit. “Come on, Ryouma. This is the best time to keep exploring this place.”
“Coming, coming,” Ryouma chuckled, putting back on his hat. He glanced over at Emiya. “I’m not sure why you asked, but…even if you have regrets, Emiya, I’m sure you’ve already come to terms with your choice.”
The Rider was more observant than he let on. It’s true, Emiya held plenty of regrets from becoming a Counter Guardian, even going so far as to attempt to undo the decision he made. But at the end of it all, even if it was immature and naive, he wasn’t wrong for believing in what he was doing and for choosing what he did.
“And even if you haven’t,” Ryouma added. “You can consider us your partners.” Ryouma extended his hand towards the Archer for a handshake.
Emiya hesitated for a moment, before taking Ryouma up on his handshake. To Emiya’s surprise, the white-clad man had a terrifyingly strong grip.
“Let’s strive for our ideal world together,” Ryouma beamed before withdrawing his hand. He tipped his hat as a brief goodbye before jogging slightly to catch up with Oryou.
Emiya could overhear a small snippet of their conversation as they departed.
“What was that? The hand thing?” Oryou asked, almost demandingly.
“Oh, that’s a handshake. It’s a Western custom. You shake hands with someone when you meet them or make a deal with them or make a promise to them.”
He heard Oryou gasp. “Oryou-san wants to shake Ryouma’s hand!”
“C-Careful, you shouldn’t use so much force!”
Their voices faded as they left the confines of the cafeteria, leaving Emiya alone. He glanced over at the dishes before him. He hadn’t made much progress since that Rider and his companion showed up.
Emiya sighed and felt his headache returning. He wouldn’t mind the man stopping by every so often, but he’s not sure he can handle the woman being there every time. Though, they appear to be a packaged deal. Maybe he shouldn’t have offered to feed them after hours. Though if they came during regular hours, then that means they’d probably be eating with the rest of the GUDAGUDA servants and…
Emiya shuddered at the thought of it. He picked up a stack of dishes and began unloading them into the sink. As he scrubbed the excess food off the plates and cups, his mind wandered back to Ryouma’s parting words.
Partners, hm ? Emiya couldn’t remember the last time he relied on a partner. But a nagging feeling told him it would more likely be the other way around. If that man was going to continue foolishly striving for that ideal, someone was going to need to be there when it came crumbling down around him. Well, Emiya supposed Oryou had that part covered.