Saber gave a firm, polite nod, pulling Irisviel along as they turned and walked away.
They made their exit from what could easily be called the weirdest meeting they had ever experienced.
It was an encounter with an enemy Servant, someone they would possibly, and likely, be fighting to the death in the upcoming days or maybe even hours.
Yet, it had been a meeting where the supposed enemy simply popped up, said hello, chattered nonstop, laughed, and wandered around completely out in the open.
He didn't have a single care in the world.
He was either entirely clueless, or his confidence and arrogance were so astronomically high that it would inevitably become his downfall.
It was so absurdly weird that they had even been invited out for a meal on their very first meeting, without even exchanging True Names.
Well, nobody in their right mind would reveal their names anyway, but the sheer casualness of the offer was baffling.
After they had put some distance between themselves and the bizarrely enthusiastic Servant, Saber glanced back over her shoulder to check their rear. She was met with yet another ridiculous sight.
The tall, blindfolded Servant was standing exactly where they had left him, furiously waving his hand high in the air, bidding them a cheerful goodbye.
That attitude, that unbothered arrogance Saber had deduced, and that blinding confidence to stand out in the open without a care in the world... it was staggering.
Irisviel stopped walking when she noticed Saber looking back. Even the homunculus was so confused and surprised by the encounter that she hadn't been able to utter a single word since they walked away.
"Is something the matter, Saber?" Irisviel asked.
She noticed that Saber was staring at the distant Servant, but not with the protective, threat assessing glare of a knight anymore.
Now, she was looking at him with a strange expression, almost as if she recognized him, or at least recognized something of him.
Saber shook her head, turning back around to continue their walk, acting as Irisviel's escort through the city once more. "No. It is nothing."
Knowing exactly how her Servant had looked just a moment ago, Irisviel decided to press the issue gently.
"If it is not too personal a question... was he someone you knew in your past or someone like him?"
Saber looked at her, her green eyes blinking in mild surprise. "No. What makes you say that?"
"Oh, nothing," Irisviel smiled faintly. "I mean, he was kind of weird. I am not used to the outside world, and this is my first time in a city like this, so I do not know if that was normal or not. No, actually I don't think it was normal at all. But... I think we should report to Kiritsugu about what happened."
"Yes, we should do that," Saber agreed immediately.
As they walked, Saber kept her thoughts to herself.
She certainly didn't know that white-haired man, but somehow, in some inexplicable way, his infuriatingly playful demeanor and utter disregard for common sense reminded her of someone from her past. Someone incredibly stupid and annoying.
Across the street, Gojo watched them go, his hand still waving in the air. Sadly, neither of them waved back.
He dropped his arm with a heavy, dramatic sigh.
"Man, what a letdown. Servants nowadays don't even have the manners to wave back. Or maybe she was just shy." He looked down at the little girl gripping his hair.
"And people these days just don't appreciate a good pancake, huh? Don't they, kid?"
He reached up, gently taking Sakura off his shoulders and settling her comfortably into his arms. In response to his complaint, Sakura just gave a tiny, subtle nod of her head.
Gojo nodded back, a grin returning to his face as he ruffled her purple hair. "See? I knew you would understand me."
Sakura didn't say anything, but she blinked up at him slowly, her small hands firmly gripping the fabric of his shirt.
"But oh well, kid, it's their loss, to not get to know the great Satoru Gojo," Gojo chuckled, adjusting her weight in his arms. "So, is there anything you wanna do next? Or anywhere you want to go? Anything at all, you know."
Sakura stared at him for a moment before she finally spoke, her voice a quiet, raspy whisper. "No."
Gojo looked at her dull, tired eyes and just smiled softly. "Oh well. I think it's been quite a long time out and about. Let's head back for a bit. You've had a long day for a kid your size."
They headed back to the motel room. Upon entering, Gojo simply dropped the shopping bags containing her new clothes and other necessities onto the floor near the bed.
He set Sakura down on the mattress, leaving her there surrounded by her soft clothes and the pile of stuffed animals they had won.
For the first time in a very long time, Sakura had experienced a completely normal day.
But a single day couldn't change everything; it was still too much for her to say or do anything expressive.
If it was just that simple. Her frail, battered little body had been dragged outside, exposed to the bright sun, the noise, the playing, the eating, and so much more for hours on end.
Now, back on the soft bed in the quiet afternoon, the sheer exhaustion of it all finally caught up to her.
Her heavy eyelids fluttered shut, and she slept.
…
The evening came.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open. The room was dim, the sun having already set outside the thin curtains.
Gojo, who was sitting nearby, noticed her stirring immediately. He stood up from his chair and stretched his long limbs, joints popping, just like he had in the morning.
"I thought we would be having more fun outside," Gojo said, his tone light and breezy, "but when I came back from the bathroom after washing my face, you were already sleeping like a log. So, I just dropped the grand plans I so painstakingly made for you."
Sakura looked down at her lap, her small hands clutching the blanket. "Sorry," she whispered.
Gojo chuckled warmly, waving a hand to dismiss her apology. "Oh, well, not to worry! We can just do all that tomorrow. So, are you hungry for something sweet... or anything at all? I mean, a growing child's body needs a lot of energy to play and all that."
Sakura didn't even have to answer. Her stomach did it for her, letting out a small, audible growl in the quiet room.
"Hmmm I have heard. You don't have to say anything," Gojo chuckles. "I already got my answer from that. Go freshen up, wash your face, and then we can go outside to eat something. I mean... we didn't exactly buy any groceries to make food here. So go on, hurry, hurry!"
Sakura obliged as Gojo gently shooed her toward the bathroom, playfully rushing her again and again to hurry up.
…
Food was at a small, quiet restaurant down the street. It was a stark contrast to the loud, bustling diner from that morning.
This place was a cozy, traditional Japanese eatery, dimly lit by warm paper lanterns and filled with the comforting, savory aroma of simmering dashi and soy sauce.
There were only a few other patrons, their hushed conversations blending into the gentle clinking of porcelain bowls.
They sat at a small wooden table near the back.
Gojo had ordered a large, steaming bowl of kitsune udon for Sakura, while he opted for a mountain of sweet tamagoyaki and a ridiculous side of candied mochi.
Sakura sat quietly, both hands wrapped around her warm ceramic cup of tea.
The heat seeped into her cold palms, a sensation that still felt foreign but incredibly soothing.
When the food arrived, she picked up her fork with her small hand. She took a small bite of the thick, chewy noodles. It was warm, rich, and deeply comforting.
The broth slid down her throat, warming her chest from the inside out, chasing away the lingering chills of the dark basement.
She didn't ear it quickly, but she ate steadily, her hollow eyes fixed on the bowl without any emotion.
Across from her, Gojo ate with his usual carefree enthusiasm, happily munching on his sweets while resting his chin in his hand, watching her eat with a soft, pleased smile.
It wasn't a grand feast, but in the quiet warmth of the little restaurant, it felt like exactly what they needed.
…
After eating and paying the bill, they walked out of the restaurant, strolling back toward their room while gazing at the calm night and feeling the cool, refreshing evening air.
The streets of Fuyuki were much quieter now, bathed in the soft, orange glow of the streetlights.
Sakura was walking on the ground this time. Her small, fragile hand was firmly gripping Gojo's long pinky finger.
In her other arm, she securely hugged the stuffed monkey with the comically long arms, a prize she had grown quite attached to since the arcade.
"You've got quite attached to that monkey, huh," Gojo noted, glancing down at her.
"..." Sakura didn't say anything, just holding it a little tighter.
"You know," Gojo sighed playfully, looking up at the night sky, "when it's just the two of us, it's like I'm the only one talking. You don't even smile... but oh well, we have time. So no worries. Gotta erase those pests too soon."
While Gojo was rambling and Sakura was quietly walking beside him, the tall sorcerer suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
Sakura stopped a moment later, jolted slightly as her hand pulled taut against Gojo's unmoving pinky finger.
She looked up at him in confusion.
Gojo wasn't looking down at her, nor was he looking at the street ahead or behind them.
His head was turned, his blindfolded gaze fixed on somewhere far away, as if he were seeing something completely invisible to the naked eye.
His head was turned slightly toward the east, facing the direction of the ocean and the industrial warehouse district.
The sensation didn't fade. Even after a few seconds, it remained steady.
From undercover, a few hundreds of meters away from their current location, someone was leaving a plain, undeniable indication of their energy.
They were releasing their mana into the air, not even trying to hide it in the slightest.
It was a blatant provocation. An invitation... an invitation aimed at anyone, or more accurately, an invitation aimed directly at another Servant.
Another Servant in that direction was openly flaring his magical energy, essentially screaming into the night sky: I am here. Come and fight me.
A slow, wide, thrilling smile spread across Gojo's face.
"Looks like someone is throwing a party," he murmured, speaking more to himself than to Sakura, "and they seem to be inviting... anyone, willy-nilly."
Without another word, he scooped Sakura up into one of his arms before she could even process the sudden movement.
He could have easily taken her with him to the 'party', but it would have been slightly irresponsible, knowing that multiple other Masters and Servants would likely be gathering there… maybe.
The safest bet was to just go alone for now, he can just take her to the next party and pests extermination soon, so for now it was just to leave her back at the hotel room with some cartoons to watch.
In an absolute instant, space warped. Sakura's view snapped… changed from from the quiet, orange-lit streets to the bright, sterile lighting of their motel room.
Gojo walked over to the bed and set her down gently on the mattress among her plushies. He grabbed the TV remote from the nightstand and tossed it lightly into her lap.
"So, I'm going to a party," Gojo grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets, "and there seems to be an age limit, so you can't come there. So sorry about that. I will take you to the next one."
….
A/N: I'm reading all the comments, so don't hesitate to share what you think. Just to clarify, I'm not going too deep into Fate lore or anything. This is strictly based on the Fate/Zero anime only, since I haven't read the novel.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'm open to them and often include them. For example, someone suggested that Gojo would probably remind her of Merlin, which I thought was interesting.
As for what's next, I have some questions. I already have a rough idea and have discussed it on Discord, but here they are:
-Gojo Purple vs. Saber
-Gojo Purple vs. Iskander
-Gojo Purple vs. Gilles de Rais
-Gojo's Unlimited Void vs. everyone
And Gojo's Domain vs. Lancer. How would that go? As you know, Lancer has to hit something with his spear to negate it. It's not like magic where things simply won't work when it's around. So when Gojo opens his Domain, even someone with Magic Resistance wouldn't be able to dodge it or survive by luck.
You have to understand that within a Domain, the sure-hit effect isn't just one or two attacks that someone can endure. Gojo's Domain forcefully overloads the opponent's brain continuously in a matter of second or micro second as soon as it opens.
I have more to write, but I'm eager to hear your thoughts.
How do you think this would go? Remember, this is anime only.