Fate: Kill

Chapter 38

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f Chelsea was being honest with herself, now that she was here, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. The interior was sprucely decorated unlike the personal space of other Empire nobles that Chelsea had infiltrated, and the lighting from an overhead lamp within the tent was rather dim.
It was because of this dimness that it became fairly easy to track where the light was coming from, and hone in on the person it was illuminating with his chin resting over his hands on a table.
Taking a few breaths, Chelsea gradually returned to her original form. It wouldn't do to play any tricks on the one she needed to request aid from, and keeping her arms in the air in a sign of peace would be a good start. This was especially the case as the gravity of the situation suddenly weighed down on her.
This was him.
The future Emperor.
The figure that Chelsea had seen steadfastly leading a force to combat the Empire while wreathing the army in a radiant light was still too fairy-tale-like for her to believe. In fact, if she hadn't been there watching from the Revolutionary Army's side, she'd never have believed it.
After all, the fairy tales always spoke of happy endings, and there was no happy ending Chelsea could hope to envision in the midst of this civil war.
Then all of a sudden, a ray of light seemed to have pierced the dark and illuminate the vastness of the distant stars.
Shirou's figure which Chelsea and many others had seen represented a hope no one had ever thought of believing again.
A hope for better. For meaningful change.
This was the reason the first Revolutionaries had fought for from the beginning. No matter how much time had passed, and no matter how many deaths were justified, it was inevitable that many felt like they were dying for the sake of dying by this point.
Did their deaths have meaning? Did it lead to anything?
The leaders of the Revolution were always quick to absolve those questions, but it always seemed to be more of a patch job than anything substantial.
Now though?
It was like the answer was before her.
Chelsea felt like she could speak on behalf of her fallen comrades and state that there was meaning to their cause all along. With forces of the Revolutionaries, and Shirou to act as sword, shield, and rightful Emperor, the future that the Revolution leaders had always boasted of could come to pass.
He was right there.
Chelsea found herself on tenterhooks.
Would he help them? Would he even agree in the first place? It wasn't as if someone of his capability needed them.
Just a few more steps, and she'd be within talking distance.
For an Assassin, Chelsea had honestly never felt so nervous. Worse, she was adept at cold-blooded murder, but was now finding diplomacy more difficult.
Chelsea eventually found her words.
"Sorry to intrude," she spoke respectfully, stepping into view with her hands raised up disarmingly. "My name's Chelsea, a former member of another Revolutionary Army's Night Raid branch."
Chelsea watched Shirou perk up, and glance over at her, but he didn't seem taken aback at her entrance. It was almost as if he was used to intrusions? That or he'd noticed her enter from the beginning.
Focus.
Chelsea inwardly shook her head, and kept her gaze trained on her feet, making her unable to see Shirou's reactions. No. It was more like she didn't quite dare. She'd mustered her courage, but if Shirou still denied her here, she'd lose the words she'd already memorized in a bid to convince him to save her allies.
Chelsea wasn't disillusioned, nor shameless. Even she wouldn't put her life or limb on the line for people she didn't know, let alone if she was asked to face Esdeath.
Still, the only one who could do so was before her.
She had to try. The death of her friends, her allies, they weren't meaningless!
"It was rude of me to come unannounced, but we've been requesting a meeting with you with little result…" She spoke cordially, fluently.
She heard the rustling of clothing, but didn't crane her neck up to look. She was too focused on continuing.
"In fact, you can request any form of punishment and I will willingly adhere to it. I only ask that you please hear me out…"
More rustling, but no denials. Chelsea pursed her lips and forged on.
"After your victory against the Empire's vanguard forces, it was safe to assume that a momentary reprieve would have been established, b-but general Esdeath doesn't stick to the general mold."
"S-She's been striking at us, the Revolutionaries, relentlessly. It doesn't matter what conditions are offered, or how many try to surrender to keep their lives. Like a monster, she's too focused on the kill for some single-minded reason no one could make sense of."
A cough, but Chelsea could relate. Shirou was likely asking, 'what reason?'
"She's murdering us, for some bullshit excuse like maiden love!"
"…"
"It's a ruse! One that anyone can see is a fabrication to provoke the Revolution leaders into slipping in their battlefield judgements." Chelsea gnashed her teeth. "Its like she'd just toying with us, and the worst is that she's not someone we can currently face."
Here, Chelsea gave pause, butterflies floating in her stomach.
"I-I know it's a lot to ask for, and you don't have to agree or anything, but we need your help. If its you, then w-with your sword and shield, you can pave the way. A-And my allies and I can be of use for the throne and change, a-and…"
She was mumbling, rambling even, and she knew it.
What Chelsea couldn't see was that Shirou wasn't as unresponsive as she was assuming he'd be from such an outrageous request. Then again, Shirou could be said to have a hand in the situation, so the oddity of his expression could be explained.
However, Shirou was, in fact, considering Chelsea's words.
Remembering what Chouri had said about bringing the Revolutionaries over to his side, Shirou had realized that this situation could pose as an ideal opportunity. Not only could he save lives, but in turn, he could take another step towards the campaign towards the Empire's capital.
Therefore, he spoke with sincerity and cut off Chelsea's rambling.
"I'll see what I can do."
The words halted Chelsea's garbled tirade, her mouth opening and closing stiffly. Finally, she looked up at Shirou to see neither scorn nor contempt, but empathy. It was like he knew the troubles that she was feeling, and the weight of the responsibility on her back…no. It wasn't 'like' he knew; he probably did know.
He too was a leader of a force.
Lives were on the line, and each death had to mean something.
Regardless, he'd agreed as if his opponent wasn't Esdeath, but some random foot soldier.
Chelsea inwardly felt moved.
There had been no hesitation in that answer. Chelsea had always felt herself to be a good judge of character, and observing Shirou's expression in front of her, she just knew without a shadow of a doubt…It was as if the thought of people dying wouldn't allow him to sit still.
This kind of person could actually exist?
'-And you're taking advantage of him. Adding the weight of more responsibility upon his shoulders…'
For a second, her inner voice seemed to rebuke Chelsea. In some way, she was beginning to understand the actions of Leone and the others.
"T-That's all I can ask for. T-Then I'll be taking my leave?" Chelsea meant it as a closing statement, but it inevitably ended up coming out as a question for dismissal instead in Shirou's presence. Even her actions felt stiff perhaps out of guilt or shame- she didn't think too deeply about it as her attention focused on Shirou shaking his head.
"Are you sure?"
"...?" Chelsea didn't quite understand what Shirou was insinuating for a second.
Shirou shook his head again before smiling wryly. "You snuck in. If you walk out now, what do you think will happen?"
Oh. She paused.
She'd be murdered.
A bang echoed outside, followed by a crashing noise from a familiar cloaked individual being thrown roughly against the tent, tearing through the fabric and tumbling in.
Chelsea stared long and hard, swallowing.
That was Susanoo…and if Susanoo was thrown here then-
It wouldn't be long until the guards around Shirou's perimeter would rush in.
Chelsea needed to get out of here with Susanoo now, but she already knew that she was too late.
A helping hand of salvation was the only life-saving straw Chelsea could grab onto.
"You can stay here," Shirou offered, standing up and moving in front of her. As he stopped beside her, she could almost hear him counting down as if he knew just when the others would storm in before he nodded to reassure her. "I don't think they'll try anything with me around to dissuade them."
This charisma; the sense of trust he naturally gave to others, especially to someone who intruded on him…it was, it was moving.
Chelsea blinked, a shudder traveling down her back as she found a lump forming in her throat, making it hard to swallow.
Could such a kind person really exist in this twisted kingdom?
Tentatively, she took him up on his offer when the air suddenly grew suffocating.
"Then I accept your graciousness."
'I'm still too young to die.'
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Sorry for smaller updates as of late. A big project is happening in my current job company and things are getting a bit hectic that I have to work on things outside office hours on my laptop. It shouldn't be like this for much longer though since my employer said it will calm down by the 21 or 23rd of May. Until then, I'll be doing my best to maintain a steady update schedule and write as much as I can per chapter.
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