Fate DxD

Chapter 50

Thursday, January 26, 2023.

*Ding Dong*

As classes finished at 3.30pm, I decided to pay a visit to the orphanage where I'd been staying for a few months.

The door opens to reveal the Sister in charge of the place. Seeing me at the entrance, her face lights up and she stretches out her arms towards me, inviting me to a hug that only she knows the secret of.

"Senji, how nice to see you." She said, taking me in her arms. "How are you? I was starting to worry, it's been a while since you'd been around."

"Hello, Sister Catherine, everything's fine, I'm just... busy at the moment." (I can't tell her about the Eighth, she'd worry and try to get involved to protect me, which I can't accept.)

"I don't doubt it, come on in, I'll make you some tea. Seeing the time, I imagine you came straight here after school?"

I nod, following her into the establishment, which I still remember perfectly. We pass between the children, who greet me shyly, and I can see that the number has increased since the last time I was here. Children either abandoned by their parents or dead, and if some institutions won't accept them, Sister Catherine is their ray of hope, just as I was back then.

I still remember, when I arrived here, she knew right away who I was, me and the demon that came with me. And yet she accepted me and did everything she could to give me a taste for life again. Sister Catherine is a fighter, a former martial arts pro, so it wasn't a child with a blank stare and severed emotions that was going to stop her. In my vision, she was that lighthouse in the distance, in the mist, whose light managed to show itself from time to time. I couldn't accept it, I was too scared. But by dint of perseverance on her part and a lot of reluctance on my part, I began to make my way towards that light, until I found it.
Today, it's thanks to her that I've learned to trust people again. Without her, I'd never have followed Kiritsugu, let alone found any meaning in my life. That's why I come to see her almost every month, even though I've only been here a few months, those few months saved me, before the big incident...

"Here's some tea... What is it Senji, tell me what's wrong." She sits down next to me, stroking my hand gently.

(Of course she immediately notices that I'm lost in thought.)

"It's nothing really. It's just that the February tests are fast approaching, so it's a bit stressful, that's all."

"I understand, Kuoh has a reputation for showing no mercy, especially in heroic pursuits. But you've got nothing to worry about with the grades you've got, it's all going to be a piece of cake."

For several minutes, we continue chatting, interrupted by various children demanding her attention. Sister Catherine, along with Fuji-nee, are the only people I can interact with for hours. Normally, with other people, I need a little time alone to recharge my batteries, but their presence does me a lot of good.

"So you see, in the end we came out pretty well, even though the priest tried to intimidate me, I didn't give in. Cutting this orphanage's income in half, who does he think he is?" Sister pours herself a second glass of tea.

"Indeed, especially as I've noticed there are more children than last time."

"Have you noticed... Yes, there are about ten more children than last month. A record I'd never have imagined. And yet we're in Fuyuki, where the Hokage lives, as well as being watched over by All Might and the golden Makai knight... What a tragedy."