Eden's Diary (a Mirai Nikki x Assassin's Creed crossover)

April 21 / 15:00 [classroom]

Homeroom just ended. My classmates asked me to join them in their ball game, but I turned them down.

Yukiteru Amano, 8 years old. One of many ordinary schoolchildren in Sakurami City, with a quirky habit of making entries in a diary on his mobile phone within 10 minute intervals. Shy and withdrawn, he rarely if ever interacted with others around him except when absolutely necessary.

April 21 / 15:45 [home]

Just got home from school, said hi to my parents' photos just before going up the stairs and into my room. I should probably get started on my homework now.

His mobile phone, a gift from his parents working abroad, was one of his most prized possessions. While his family was relatively well-off, Yukiteru had never been raised to be materialistic. To him, even something like this was something to truly cherish. It was partly out of necessity, anyway. While his phone was only an entry-level model, at least he now had a way of communicating with his parents.

And besides that, he'd made a hobby out of using it as a diary as well.

April 21 / 18:00 [home]

Just woke up from my nap, my phone rang. 5 missed calls - 2 from Dad, 3 from Mom.

April 21 / 18:30 [home]

My parents were asked to work abroad for the next 6 years, so they're sending me off to live with my uncle on my mother's side: Piero Auditore, some Italian businessman. Apparently, he's on his way here now. Wonder what he's like.

As he made that entry, Yukiteru remembered his mom was half-Italian, half-Japanese, and that her younger twin brothers - Piero and Lorenzo Auditore - had inherited some huge corporation from their godfather. It wasn't something he'd ever given much thought before, but then again, her name - Rea - wasn't exactly common in Japanese society. It also explained his eye color; after all, blue eyes were rather unusual among Asian children.

April 21 / 18:52 [home]

The doorbell rang just now. I'll get it.

Which he did.

"Good evening, Yuki-kun."

Standing there at their doorstep was a tall, rugged-looking Italian male, wearing a black bonnet and matching rose-tinted shades. Yukiteru's first impression was that he sure didn't look like a businessman, but then, as his mother had stressed repeatedly to him, looks could be deceiving.

"My goodness, you've grown," said Piero, smiling kindly as he patted his nephew on the head.

The next 6 years of Yukiteru Amano's life would be anything but boring.

A/N: For those of you who read Platinum Angel as well, yeah - the events of this fic take place in the same universe, and come first in the chronology.

April 21 / 20:28 [home]

My uncle seems like a pretty cool guy. I'm in the front seat of his car, watching all the pretty lights pass us by.

Barely an hour ago, Yukiteru had been fetched from his family's house by his uncle, Piero Auditore, who even helped him pack his things. As it turned out, though, all he needed to bring - clothes and a small telescope, his other cherished possession aside from the mobile phone his parents had given him - managed to fit in a small knapsack.

"Don't worry," Piero had said, "I'll take care of everything else, Yuki-kun."

Of course, he realized as he stared out the window while waiting for the red light to change, I forgot. Mom came from a rich family, didn't she?

Just as the light turned green, though, his stomach rumbled. "Err, uncle?"

Piero kept his eyes on the road, but his smile told Yukiteru he was listening. "Yeah? Oh, and it's just Piero, Yuki-kun. What's up?"

"Could we get something to eat, Piero? I'm starving."

Piero let out a bark of laughter at his nephew's suggestion, even as he blitzed through the now-empty streets of Sakurami City's business district in his sedan. "We'll be there soon, Yuki-kun. Besides," he added, "I've already asked my girls to knock us up something to eat, so try to hang in there, alright?"

Yukiteru nodded, going back to his cellphone for yet another entry into his diary. "That's a good boy."

April 21 / 20:58 [Auditore residence]

My uncle's place is huge.

Objectively speaking, it wasn't that big, but to an 8 year-old kid like Yukiteru Amano, the Auditore residence was enormous. From the many houses similar to this one he'd seen on TV, the people who lived here were usually the really rich types, which indeed his uncle was. But in that case, he thought as he got out of his uncle's car, why didn't his mother-?

"Your Mom's not overly fond of houses this big," remarked Piero, effectively answering his nephew's unspoken question as they walked, side by side, toward the mansion's large double doors. "Not that I'm surprised, though. She always said –"

"Welcome home, father."

At those words, spoken in unison by two distinctly feminine voices, Piero trailed off. It was then, too, that he finally noticed the two female figures standing on either side of the house's main door.

"It wasn't really necessary to wait out here, but I appreciate it, girls."

Each of them had long, white hair that reached all the way to their waists, aside from complementing their kind, red eyes. The only difference lay between them lay in the inverted color schemes of their French maid uniforms – that, and the frilly headband worn by the one on the left. Aside from that, though, the two were identical in every possible way.

"This is my nephew, Yukiteru Amano," Piero introduced to the two. "Your new little brother."

"You'll be nice to him, won't you, Athena? Minerva?"

April 21 / 21:21 [Auditore residence, my room]

Piero introduced me to his daughters (and my new big sisters, he said), Athena and Minerva. They seem to be nice, although between them, big sister Minerva seems to be quiet all the time. Apparently, they're not human – Piero called them persocoms of the Eden series, whatever that means. It doesn't really matter to me, anyway. All I know is that I suddenly have two very nice and very pretty older sisters who like hugging me a lot.

Looks like I'm going to have fun here for the next 6 years. At least, I hope so.

Sitting at Yukiteru's bedside that night, Athena read the diary entry on his phone.

You're so sweet, Yuki-kun, she thought fondly, patting and then kissing him on the forehead. A moment later, she left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Yukiteru had no idea just how right he'd turn out to be about what he'd said in that entry.

------

Yukiteru's days at the Auditore residence quickly took shape.

April 28, 06:00 [Auditore residence, my room]

Big sister Athena woke me up just 15 minutes ago. She says that from now on, I'll be exercising first thing in the morning, and that they'd be there to guide me through.

Every other day, Athena and Minerva put Yukiteru through what they called the 'Auditore special' – a 4-hour training regimen designed by Piero specifically for his nephew. Apparently, he would be home schooled for the next 6 years, with his mother's approval of course. When he asked his uncle why, he was told that a serial killer was on the loose in Sakurami who was known to operate around what they called the city's school district.

That, and that his favourite target happened to be little boys.

"We don't want anything happening to you, do we, Yuki-kun?" Piero asked, laughing as he ruffled his nephew's hair, in the process killing any argument Yukiteru might have had to their current arrangement.

Not in the least, thank you.

Yukiteru's mornings consisted of rigorous physical activity, from free running to gymnastics to basic hand-to-hand combat training, all under Athena's watchful eye. After a 1-hour lunch break, Minerva would take over, schooling him in both Italian and English, aside from teaching him all the other courses a child his age and grade level could be expected to take up in school.

Except for Sunday, where Yukiteru would be taken out by his sisters – and Piero, whenever he was around – there was little if any deviation from his general routine.

May 05, 15:30 [Auditore residence, study]

Big sister Minerva gave me some strawberry shortcake. She's happy I did well in the exam she prepared for me. Also, she prepared the attic for me, said we'd go up to see the stars tonight.

He was rewarded when he did well. And when he messed up particularly badly, he was punished, though it only happened once in a blue moon. And even then, his sisters didn't inflict physical punishment on him, though they did discipline him by way of excruciatingly difficult tasks and drills that did a number on his mind as well as his body. Yukiteru found this out the hard way when, much to his chagrin, he managed to cross both his sisters in one day.

"Yuki-kun, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

By the end of it, he was too exhausted to think, let alone make an entry in his diary, before sleep claimed him.

Despite that particular incident, however, Yukiteru found it fun for the most part. It helped a lot, too, that Athena and Minerva generally remained kind and considerate even as they put him through his paces. Even their punishment was aimed at making him a better person, though he still quite understandably hesitated to cross them if he could avoid it. Kindhearted and loving though his sisters were, they became absolutely terrifying when they were upset.

Eventually, Yukiteru turned 12.

"Happy birthday, Yuki-kun!"

Yukiteru flushed violently when he saw the picture Piero had taken as he blew out the candles for his birthday cake, wherein Athena and Minerva were kissing him on each cheek – Athena on the left, Minerva on the right.

"Why are you blushing, Yuki-kun?" he asked his nephew, teasingly. "Tell you what – how 'bout you, Athena and Minerva go out on a date? I'll even give you money for it!"

If he was blushing before, it was nothing compared to the look on his face at his uncle's words.

Indeed, Yukiteru's face could have been mistaken for an oversized tomato by now. Athena and Minerva were embarrassed as well, though nowhere near as much as the clearly flustered boy they had come to love and care for as their little brother. In fact, they even appeared to be enjoying themselves somewhat.

After several seconds of silence, Piero burst out laughing.

"Just kidding," he said. "Still, the offer's open if you'd like to take it."

"As for my real birthday present, though, it's up in your room. You'll love it, I promise."

"Care to show him, girls?"

What awaited Yukiteru in his room was nothing like his uncle's previous birthday presents.

Last year, his uncle had given him clothes: a black, hooded jacket with matching cargo pants, as well as a bright red scarf. The year before that, it was an exercise outfit and a pair of running shoes. And before that, Piero had gotten Yukiteru his very own laptop.

But now –

Piero's latest birthday present was what vaguely resembled a futuristic dental chair. There was a small panel on the outside of the left armrest, with all manner of buttons and displays. On it was a small, white envelope which contained a note, folded twice.

Dear Yukiteru,

Happy 12th birthday!

My birthday present to you this year is the Animus. Think of it as one of those virtual reality games kids your age play from time to time, only more useful. I mean, sure, you might find your experiences with the Animus enjoyable, but I'm giving this to you more for its educational value than its recreational value.

Try to get in at least 3 hours or so on the days your sisters aren't training you, alright? No more than that, though – your body might not be able to handle it yet. Also, I've asked Athena and Minerva to monitor your time in the Animus. It's for your own safety, trust me.

Again, happy birthday, Yuki-kun. I hope you eventually grow up to be a fine man. Always remember that you're an Auditore, by blood and by lineage, even if not by name. Your uncle, Piero.

At the last two sentences, Yukiteru Amano couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride.

Thank you, Piero.

I won't let you down. I promise.

------

Well, well. What's this, then?

Elsewhere, a lean, mean-looking man sat at a desk in his office as he stared intently at the screen of his laptop – more specifically, at the dossiers on certain individuals of interest.

Name: Ushio Gasai

Age: 37 years old

Occupation: banker, businessman

Notes: Known to have close ties with John Bacchus, Sakurami City mayor. Handle with care.

Name: Saika Gasai

Age: 34 years old

Occupation: housewife

Notes: Diagnosed with mild to moderate mental and emotional instability. Target is unlikely to be a threat, but caution is still urged.

Name: Yuno Gasai

Age: 12 years old

Occupation: student

Notes: n/a

He honestly didn't know why he was being made to liquidate these individuals; except for the first, none of them had any reason to die, least of all the child who looked so pure and innocent. Regardless, he wasn't one to question orders. In their organization, an order from above had the force and effect of a law, and those who disobeyed were punished in a manner corresponding to their transgression.

He sighed. There was little point dwelling on it.

The man closed each dossier, one by one, before shutting down the computer itself.

Ours is not to question, only to act.

May the Father of Understanding guide us.

Finally, he placed the laptop back in his attaché case, then zipped it up and exited the office.

Forgive me, my friend.

In accordance with his uncle's wishes, Yukiteru put in 3 hours in the Animus on his off-days.

And to say the least, thought 13-year old Yukiteru one fine Sunday, it was an interesting experience, getting to run around Renaissance-era Italy.

Over the course of a year, he'd treated the cities of Florence and Venice like his own personal playgrounds, scaling walls and traversing rooftops as he relived the memories of their ancestor, Ezio Auditore. Among other things, he'd seen Ezio punish his sister's philandering boyfriend and defend her honor, all while rubbing shoulders with historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli.

In fact, to say that he'd 'seen' these moments was still somewhat inaccurate. He hadn't been a witness to those events, so much as he'd actually experienced them himself.

Thanks to the Animus, Yukiteru effectively got to live the life of his illustrious ancestor.

Wait a minute, he thought, remembering one of Ezio's more intimate excursions, one concerning a lady named Cristina Vespucci. Does that mean–?

Oh SHIT.

Yukiteru went scarlet as he put it all together. The Animus given to him by Piero allowed him to experience the life of his ancestor firsthand. Whenever Ezio ran and frolicked around his native Florence, so did he. Thanks to the Animus, Yukiteru brawled with Ezio's rival just as surely as Ezio himself did. And that liaison Ezio had with his girlfriend –

Wait, what?

Yukiteru didn't know whether to be delighted or disgusted at the implications involved. All he knew was that there was no way –

"Figlio di puttana."

Yukiteru knew what he'd just said would have earned him a slap in the face from Athena or Minerva had either been around, but he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, there was no better way to describe that particular experience he had.

------

Elsewhere in Sakurami City…

"Yuno, sweetheart, wake up. We're going out today."

Immediately, Yuno Gasai did what she was told, opening her eyes to see her father smiling down at her. She leapt out of bed and exited her room bringing a change of clothes, going to the bathroom down the hall to take a shower and go about her morning rituals, as it were. Following all that, she went straight to their dining room to make breakfast, only to find that her father had already done so.

At the sight, Yuno felt a rush of affection for her father. She didn't even know he knew how to cook, yet he'd done so, effectively relieving her of one of her morning chores. It used to be something her mother did, but following certain events, that task had since fallen to her.

Barely a year ago, Yuno's mother had been admitted to a mental hospital. Her father came home early from work one night to find his wife screaming at their daughter, who she'd locked in a cage more appropriate for an animal at the zoo. Understandably, he was upset, even going so far as to threaten to divorce her right there. It was only upon Saika Gasai's hysterical pleas for her husband and child not to leave her that he decided not to call the police.

Instead, they brought Yuno's mother to a psychologist, who diagnosed her with a severe case of dependent as well as depressive personality disorder. Not long after, she was committed to an institution, albeit not without Yuno and her father promising to visit her once a week – usually on Sundays, where the three of them would go out together.

From what the doctor said, though, her mother had been getting better and better. Soon enough, she'd be able to go home, and then they'd be able to live as a family again.

"Yuno?" Ushio asked suddenly as the two of them sat together in the car, "Something the matter?"

She looked at him, smiling as she shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong."

"C'mon, Papa! We mustn't keep Mama waiting!"

Someday soon, they'd all be together again.

Someday soon.

------

Around the same time, too, Piero and Minerva sat together at the local Starbucks just outside Sakurami Mall, Athena having stayed behind to watch over Yukiteru while keeping house. They'd been there for at least a half hour, waiting for him to show up, but still he was nowhere to be found. It hardly surprised Piero, though. Punctuality had never been one of his brother's traits, not that he was one to talk.

Minerva, too, was getting bored. She'd decided to pass the time by going on international news websites, and when that failed, she logged on to their Order's database to apprise herself of whatever new entries might have been added since the last time she was on. Unsurprisingly, there were none.

If nothing else, thought Minerva, at least what she was doing wasn't completely useless. Unlike how certain other persocoms read garbage such as yuri manga – and even children's picture books, judging from what she saw once while she and Athena were out on an errand – what Minerva was doing was a much more productive way of passing the time.

"Brother!"

That voice made both Piero and Minerva look up at the new arrivals: a man, dressed in a crisp business suit, accompanied by a petite, blue-haired persocom in a white dress. The man heavily resembled Piero, but there were at least as many differences between the two as there were similarities. Where Piero regularly went out dressing like a delinquent, his counterpart clearly did his best to look as presentable as possible. Aside from that, he was clean-shaven, in contrast to the rugged look Piero himself favoured.

"Hi, Lorenzo," Piero greeted his twin as he sat down right across them. "I see you brought Ceres with you, too."

"So, how have you been these days? I heard you've decided to move here to Japan, is that right?"

------

June 8, 2024 [Sakurami Police Department]

Slow day so far. No criminal activity reported.

Detective Keigo Kurusu was quite clearly bored as he sat back in his office, putting his feet up on the desk as he typed up that entry in the diary he kept on his cellphone.

True enough, the day had been rather uneventful so far; the afternoon had come without a single crime having been reported, which was a somewhat uncommon occurrence. Not that that was a bad thing, though. Less criminal activity not only meant lighter work for the police, but was also a sign that they were doing their jobs well.

Hell, I'm not complaining, he thought as he drank deeply from his mug of coffee. God knows I've got enough on my plate as it is.

There was another reason Kurusu wasn't sorry for the unexpected, yet very much welcome lull in his work as detective.

His son had recently been admitted to the hospital for some life-threatening illness, and try as he might, he couldn't help but worry. As a policeman, he'd become used to identifying problems and heading them as early as possible. It was the main reason he'd become a detective in the first place.

Unfortunately, there was literally no way Kurusu could have foreseen his son's illness. Even the doctor said so, giving an explanation using all sorts of technical and medical terms the detective barely even understood. He'd said the illness had been inherited genetically, but how could that have happened, considering neither he nor his wife had ever been diagnosed with it?

Regardless of how it had happened, though, the fact remained that it was now their cross to bear.

The mere fact that the illness was detected this early was a miracle in itself, to say nothing of the anonymous caller who'd tipped him off about it. The only saving grace was that the illness was still in the early stage, and could still be stopped dead in its tracks. The situation wasn't entirely hopeless, said the doctor, but the operation might end up costing a small fortune.

Dwelling on it won't do you any good, you know.

Kurusu sighed to himself.

Finally, after several moments at a loss as to what to do, he pulled out a Bible from his drawer, something he hadn't done for the longest time.

Lord, if it is your will, take this cup of suffering from me.

Yet not my will, but yours, be done.

Kurusu wasn't even entirely convinced God existed, but right now, he wanted to believe. He'd always been a problem solver, but this particular problem wasn't something he could handle.

At least, not by himself.

------

Soon.

John Bacchus, Mayor of Sakurami City, sat in his office, with what looked like a large, golden apple placed on his table, right beside his laptop computer. The laptop itself had no less than twelve Word files open, each of which was a dossier on an individual of interest.

Very soon.

His job as Mayor was demanding, and understandably so, but at least he still had time for this personal project. For it to succeed, he needed the cooperation of at least one of the twelve. All of them had one thing in common, and it had something to do with the oversized apple he had right there.

It's not like they won't be compensated for their services, anyway.

Which was true. Aside from being a priceless artefact no doubt worth tens or even hundreds of millions, the Apple was said to have powers accessible by those with the right lineage. Rumor had it that, in the hands of a worthy individual, it was even capable of altering reality itself. Unfortunately for him, he himself wasn't one of those chosen few - though, luckily, it was well within the resources of the organization he was part of to find out exactly who was.

John Bacchus, Mayor of Sakurami City, wore a satisfied smile on his face at the grand plans he was about to set in motion.

May the Father of Understanding guide us.

The Sunday afternoon they spent at the local Starbucks was an interesting one for the Auditore siblings, to say the least.

Despite the many differences between them, Piero and Lorenzo were still twins, and remained of one mind when it came to certain things. For one thing, they were both important figures in the Order their family had supported since time immemorial. Both of them, too, were very much active in the affairs of the family corporation that had been entrusted to them by their parents.

Their closeness was also mirrored by their surrogate daughters, however much they might have had disagreements on trivial matters. Minerva and Ceres in particular were known to bicker on various, petty things – their respective choice of hobbies, for one thing. This was in stark contrast to Athena and Demeter, the twin of Ceres, who got along quite well. Regardless, all four considered themselves siblings, for all intents and purposes.

Even then, though...

"You did WHAT to Rea's son?!"

Lorenzo Auditore visibly choked and spluttered on his iced coffee at what Piero told him.

"I gave him an Animus for his birthday," Piero repeated matter-of-factly. "He's been going through Ezio's memories thrice a week since. Give Yukiteru some credit, brother, he's taken to it extremely well for his age."

"Piero, have you gone mad?" Lorenzo demanded of his brother in hushed yet unmistakably alarmed tones, whilst staring at him as though he'd just confessed to having a sexual preference for underage girls. "He's just a kid, for chrissakes!"

Even Piero had to admit that his brother's concerns were not entirely unfounded. One of the side effects associated with prolonged usage of the Animus was a condition known as the bleeding effect, during which the user would inherit his ancestor's memories, skills and knowledge. This effectively allowed for the acquisition of a lifetime's worth of skills and knowledge in as little as months.

The benefits of the bleeding effect were best demonstrated by one of their own, the late Desmond Miles, whose inherited skills had allowed him obtain the first victory for their side following the Purge. And while he'd ultimately sacrifice himself to prevent the end of the world, his legacy lived on. Ever since then, the Animus - and, by extension, the bleeding effect - had since become an invaluable asset to their Order. In fact, it formed the core of the training program Assassin trainees would undergo.

"Even our trainees don't get to access the Animus until they're much older, and even then, it's not much less dangerous to them!"

On the other hand, the bleeding effect came hand in hand with its own hazards. Due to having their minds immersed with those of their ancestors for extended periods of time, some subjects would become unable to distinguish the experiences and memories of their ancestors with their own. In the worst case, this would eventually culminate in complete and utter insanity - which, unfortunately enough, had also been the eventual fate of another member of their Order.

"Honestly, you idiot, do you realize what you've done?" Lorenzo went on, unmindful of the way people were starting to stare at him. "Do you want Rea's son - our nephew - to go the way of-"

"Brother!" Piero interrupted sharply, cutting Lorenzo off in the middle of his tirade. "Lorenzo, please, you're making a scene. Do control yourself before you start making accusations, why don't you?" He acknowledged and admired his brother's concern for their nephew, but he felt it necessary to set him straight.

"It's because Yukiteru's a kid that he needs it," he pointed out. "He's an Auditore by blood, which makes him a target by default. He's just lucky it's not also his name, but even then, someone's bound to get wind of his lineage sooner or later."

"I wouldn't put it past them to try having a go at him just to get at us. It wouldn't be the first time they'd done it, anyway," he added, referring to the Templars, their mortal enemies, with whom their Order waged a war as old as time itself. Both the Templars and the Assassins remained very much active in the modern age, but alas, the Templars had always had the advantage when it came to connections and resources. Indeed, they were known to have at least some influence over almost every major player in the world. In fact, some of these - most infamously the corporate giant Abstergo Industries - were wholly owned and controlled by the Templars.

"And besides, do you really think I hadn't considered all that? Why do you think I have the girls oversee his sessions? " He placed a hand on Minerva's shoulder as he said this. "They wouldn't have agreed to it if they didn't think it was safe for Yukiteru, and they're even more protective of him than either of us are – probably even more than his own parents, even."

"Give Yukiteru some credit. I know he's young, but he won't crack that easily."

"How can you be sure of that?" Lorenzo yet persisted, unconvinced, as Piero got to his feet.

"Ezio's life isn't pretty," Piero stated simply. "And it's been a year since he began using the Animus."

Lorenzo said nothing, not that he needed to. On its own, the dubious look on his face made it perfectly clear exactly what his thoughts were.

------

"What do you think you're doing, Yuki-kun?"

Yukiteru had woken up just a while ago, and was about to go for yet another round in the Animus after having his midnight snack - only to be greeted by Athena as he made to exit his room. His adoptive sister was beautiful as ever, but the expression that now adorned her face was one of clear displeasure. He gulped audibly, face pale as he forced himself to make eye contact with her.

"Well, Yuki-kun?" Athena repeated, hands on her hips as she glowered down at him. "You weren't planning on using the Animus behind my back, were you?"

Yukiteru let out another audible gulp at that question that hit a little too close to home. He knew full well the danger of angering either of his sisters, but he hadn't expected Athena to be set off so easily. He could probably still bluff his way out, but-

"And please, Yuki-kun, don't lie to me," she added as her expression softened. "You know I don't like it when you lie, right?"

Yukiteru said nothing. He'd already learned that the hard way, when Athena discovered a certain folder he kept in his laptop. In fact, he could still feel his cheeks tingling at times as though in remembrance of the slap she'd given him that day.

Finally, Athena sighed, breaking the silence.

"…Yukiteru-kun," she began; from the mere fact that she'd used his full given name, Yukiteru knew to pay attention to what his sister had to say. "I think it's time I explained something to you."

To Yukiteru's relief, his big sister didn't sound all that angry. He didn't feel much comforted, though; while there was no anger in Athena's tone, it was instead tinged with worry and concern.

"Truth is, you're still a little too young to be using the Animus," said Athena, in the process confirming what Yukiteru had suspected for quite some time now. For one thing, some of Ezio's memories were harmful to minors – to say the least. Aside from all those trysts with his many female acquaintances, he'd witnessed the execution of his father and brothers right in the town square of his beloved Florence. And of course, the vocation he'd subsequently embarked on wasn't really one most parents would have in mind for their children.

"Minerva and I told Piero as much, too. But he just told us that, since you've been doing so well in our lessons, we ought to believe in you a little bit more. After all, he said, we've been teaching you things that really should be beyond you, yet you've managed to excel anyway. And we weren't wrong, Yuki-kun."

This she said with a smile as she embraced him like she often did. Athena's ire had quite clearly evaporated by now, thought Yukiteru, especially if she reverted to her affectionate nickname for him. As she let go, though, her face took on a more serious expression.

"Too much of a good thing is bad, Yuki-kun. If you spend too much time in the Animus in one go, you might not be able to handle it. If you're not careful, you could lose your mind."

"You wouldn't be you anymore," Athena finished as she pulled Yukiteru into another, even tighter hug. "Do you want that to happen? Minerva and I sure as hell don't."

Yukiteru remained silent as he looked down at his shoes. Athena was particularly good at making him feel guilty and ashamed of himself whenever he did something wrong, but after what he'd found out, he probably didn't even need to be guilt-tripped. He, too, had grown fond of his adoptive sisters, and he didn't want them to be sad. It was the reason he managed to make the most out of their homeschooling in the first place.

"We love you, Yuki-kun," she whispered into his ear. "So please, take care of yourself."

"Because if anything happened to you, I'm not sure either of us can handle it."

May 19 / 19:30 [home]

Big sister Athena caught me trying to have another round in the Animus. She didn't get mad or anything, but she did explain why I shouldn't.

My big sisters really do love me. I feel like crying now. I don't want to make them sad.

------

The next day, at Sakurami Shrine, a pretty, long-haired girl in a kimono sat by herself in a room, writing an entry in the rather thick scroll she'd come to rely on as her diary.

May 20, 10:47, Sakurami Shrine

I've had so many visitors, and it's not even lunch time yet. I'm not complaining, though. I mean, I hardly get to leave this place, but at least I get to hear all kinds of stories from all kinds of people.

Her name was Tsubaki Kasugano, 14 years old. Born with poor eyesight, her parents established the Omekata cult, whose members worshipped her for her ability to see into the future. Of course, this wasn't entirely the truth. She couldn't really look into the future, but the knack she'd picked up for observation and intuition more than made up for it.

Regardless, Tsubaki was happy. Her parents – everyone, really – were always kind to her, and she'd come to enjoy hearing stories from visitors of the outside world she rarely if ever experienced. And 4 years ago, they welcomed another member into their little family: an amnesiac named Shouichi Ogami, who had been living with them ever since.

Just then, too, the door opened as a young, lean-built male with shaggy black hair entered. Tsubaki's expression brightened as she looked up from her diary; it was well-known among the Omekata cult's followers that she and this man had a very close relationship. There were even those among them who referred to him as her bodyguard – or, less reverently, her puppy dog.

"Milady, I'm going out on some errands. Want anything?"

Tsubaki shook her head. "No thanks, Shouichi, I'm fine. Be careful out there, won't you?"

He wasted no time leaving the room.

Tsubaki's reflection was that her relationship with Shouchi was a bizarre one indeed. They weren't exactly lovers, but anyone who saw them together could easily tell that they regarded each other as more than just friends or even siblings. Either way, it was Shouichi who happened to be her most constant companion, even more so than her parents. And for their part, they had come to trust him with their daughter's life – a trust he'd already earned, not long after they first found him.

It's a good life I lead.

Tsubaki Kasugano let out a sigh of contentment.

May it never change.

Blind or not, cult figurehead or not, she was happy with her life. And really, that was all that mattered to her.

And may it never change me.

There was no way she'd ever trade it with anything else in the world.

October 30 / 19:47 [Sakurami Stadium]

My uncle's treating me and my big sisters to a concert. Eden's Embrace, if I'm not mistaken – they're supposed to be this up-and-coming band, and Piero's apparently friends with the lead singer.

Yukiteru took one look at the diary entry he'd just finished, before stowing his cellphone back in his pocket as the queue moved up. In no time at all, it was their turn to be let through the entrance. Piero had gotten them really good seats, too – front row, to be exact. Being friends with rock stars really did have its perks, it seemed.

"Right this way, please," prompted the usher, who led them down to their designated seats.

As usual, he was with his sisters Athena and Minerva, Piero having gone backstage to chat with his friends before the show got started. Saturday wasn't usually his day off, but his uncle had been nice enough to take them to this concert – especially since his friends gave them free tickets for it. Which, taken into perspective, really was generous of them; even general admission tickets to these kinds of events would have been expensive, to say nothing of front row seats.

Soon enough, it was showtime.

One by one the band members came up, to raucous cheers from the many teenage girls in the audience. Looking at their faces, Yukiteru found more than a few pretty ones, too. But there was one girl in particular who caught his attention: a rose-haired girl, with eyes of deep red, seated together with her parents to the far right of their row.

And as their eyes met for a moment, he smiled shyly at her, to which she blushed in turn.

"Nobody knows just why we're here…
Could it be fate, or random circumstance?
At the right place, at the right time,
Two roads intertwine…"

Eventually his sisters noticed where he was looking, and giggled.

"That girl, you've been staring at her. You like her, Yuki-kun?" asked Minerva suddenly, much to his embarrassment.

For his part, Yukiteru frantically shook his head, but it was too late; the flush creeping up his face gave him away. It was like one of those cheesy romance movies, or otherwise those soap operas he knew his sisters liked so much. Nor did it help that it was Minerva who'd asked. Considering that Minerva was usually the more serious twin, he must've been really obvious about his infatuation.

And sure enough, Athena noticed her adoptive little brother's… predicament.

"Stop it, sister, you're making him blush," Athena admonished her even as she herself tried to stifle her giggles. "If he were any redder, he'd be visible from low orbit."

"Still, Yuki-kun, you like her, don't you?" she winked as she elbowed him in the ribs. "Excellent! You can go talk to her later, then!"

Yukiteru paid no attention to either of his sisters as he resolutely kept his eyes on the stage.

Despite his fa̤ade, though, he wanted very much to vanish on the spot right about now. Thanks to all the time he'd spent in the Animus, he was becoming more and more like his ancestor, even and especially in ways he didn't necessarily want. Indeed, it seemed to Yukiteru that the skills and knowledge of an Assassin weren't the only things he'd inherited through the bleeding effect Рand that, much to his horror, Ezio's love of the ladies must have spilled over to him as well.

This'll be one looooooooooooooong night, he thought.

Much later, Yukiteru would find that he was exactly right, although for completely different reasons.

------

"Papa! Mama! It's starting!" squealed Yuno excitedly to her parents, pointing at the stage as the band began to play their first song.

Tonight was a very special night indeed for Yuno Gasai, who was lucky enough to have both her parents with her. Her mother had been discharged from the mental hospital not too long ago, and to say that Yuno had been delighted at their reunion would have been an understatement. And it seemed, too, that her father had agreed with her, as he'd gotten them front row tickets to this concert as a celebration of sorts.

Suddenly, something – or, rather, someone – caught her attention: a boy her age, with dark hair and cobalt blue eyes, seated between two identical-looking women with long, platinum-colored hair. And then he looked at her, giving her a shy smile, before reverting his eyes to the stage.

He's… looking at me…

To Yuno, it was, quite simply, love at first sight. As if it was fate itself that made sure this moment would come to pass, she felt a powerful urge to get to know the boy a little bit more. She made a mental note to come up to him later, to at least ask for his name.

Even the singer seemed to agree with her, if the lyrics of the song she was singing now were anything to go by.

"And if the universe conspired,
To meld our lives, to make us fuel and fire…
Then know wherever you will be,
So too shall I be…"

"Mama, Papa, I need to pee for a bit," said Yuno as she nudged her parents, who simply smiled and nodded.

Yuno wasted no time exiting the stadium to go to the restroom, but not before passing by that boy on her way out. Again their eyes met. Again Yuno smiled at him.

I'd like to be your bride someday.

Little did Yuno know that she would get her wish.

Although perhaps not in the circumstances she would have liked.

------

October 30, 2025 [Sakurami Stadium]

Currently on watch at the concert in Sakurami Stadium, nothing wrong so far.

Kurusu looked around the stadium as he keyed the entry into his cellphone, surveying the area from above as he stood apart from the crowd at the general admission area.

He never really cared for this sort of assignment; indeed, he much preferred to be out there, actively taking on and going after the criminals himself. Alas, orders were orders, and no less than City Mayor John Bacchus himself had tasked Kurusu with ensuring the event went smoothly. And so it was that Keigo Kurusu led a cadre of his subordinates in safeguarding the people here, leaving the more mundane jobs at the station to his second-in-command, an earnest and good-hearted youth named Nishijima.

And true enough, thought Kurusu, it was an important job. Considering the number of people that had turned up at this concert, the potential loss of life should something happen would be nothing short of catastrophic. That he didn't particularly enjoy these kinds of events was no consequence; his oath had ordained him as a guardian of the people of Sakurami, and it was precisely his duty to take on the difficult jobs so that nobody else had to.

And besides, he thought as the song hit the refrain, it wasn't all bad. It was like a trip down memory lane, actually, considering that the songs the band was covering happened to be popular when he was a boy. They were very good, and in fact, some of the songs they were performing sounded better when sung by a female vocalist.

Eden's Embrace, huh…? They're not half bad.

Still, Kurusu half-wished he had a way to know for sure whether something was going to happen at any given time. That he had a way of knowing what crimes were going to be committed in his territory, so he could head them off before they even came to fruition. He wouldn't let any crimes go unpunished on his watch; indeed, if at all possible, he wanted to reduce Sakurami's crime rate to zero.

The events that would occur, however, would lead him to reflect on whether it was all worth it. There was a saying, after all.

Be careful what you wish for.

At least, that was how it went.

------

"Are you enjoying yourself so far, milady?"

At the opposite end of the stadium sat Tsubaki Kasugano and Shouichi Ogami, in one of their rare excursions to the outside world.

"Yes, thank you, Shouichi," she replied, smiling at him as she usually did. "They're a very good band, too."

To Tsubaki, this was a rare treat, and so she savoured every minute of it. Her parents hadn't deigned to come along with them to this event, saying they needed to stay at the shrine and hold down the fort, as it were. Shouichi accompanied her as he always did, though, and that was enough for her. Getting to step outside the shrine would have been enough for her on its own, in fact.

That someone so dear was with Tsubaki now, however, only served to make her happier.

"Remember how we laughed until we cried?
At the most stupid things, like we were so high?
But love was all that we were on…
We belong…"

For his part, Shouichi couldn't help but notice the appropriateness of those lyrics to their current situation. Tsubaki's parents had nothing but the utmost trust in him, and had even confided in him that they were thinking of disbanding the Sacred Eye so as to allow their daughter a chance at a normal life. And while he, Shouichi, would never say it out loud, he couldn't help but agree with their reasoning.

Tsubaki's parents had actually taken Shouichi aside for a bit that time, too. According to them, the main reason they'd started the cult in the first place was to protect and shelter Tsubaki. Given her poor eyesight, living in the outside world would have been difficult for her.

However, when Shouichi came into the picture, everything changed. Indeed, if her parents were to be believed, Tsubaki had never even seen the outside world before he came along. It wasn't lost on him either that she'd come to regard him very fondly, and so he resolved not to let her or her parents down in that regard.

"And though the world would never understand
This unlikely union, and why it still stands…
Someday, we will be set free
Pray and believe…"

Looking at her at that moment, Shouichi made a solemn vow to himself.

He would protect Tsubaki, no matter what happened. The possible return of his memories wouldn't change that, either. And even if circumstances tore him from her side, he'd resolved to continue to protect her as best he could, from the shadows.

After all, it was because of his Lady Tsubaki that he, Shouichi was able to start a new life, after his previous one had been all but lost to him. The way he saw it, this was the best way – perhaps the only way – to repay her.

He would protect Tsubaki.

No matter what happened.

And that, dear Tsubaki, is a promise.

And as the band ended their song to a cacophony of adoring fans, neither Tsubaki Kasugano nor Shouichi Ogami noticed that their hands were clasped tightly together.

------

As everyone else focused their attention on the concert, Piero Auditore thought it the perfect moment to begin his mission.

C'mon, bastardo… where are you?

His target was here somewhere: John Bacchus, Mayor of Sakurami City and known Templar. Along with his Templar allegiance, the Mayor was also known to maintain close ties with Abstergo Industries, and had even worked with them on a few of their projects. In fact, it was said that he was right up there with Warren Vidic on the list of Abstergo's evil geniuses.

Bacchus himself had a pet project that he had been working on recently: the Future Diary Project. Empowered by one of the Apples of Eden, the Future Diaries generally took the forms of cellphones, though the available data told of more unusual variants – such as a scroll and even a children's coloring book – that were known to exist. As the name itself implied, a Future Diary was a diary with the power to tell the future, though it would do so in different ways depending on its owner.

Piero of all people would have known, given that he himself had one. The one he'd stolen, which he'd come to refer to as the Eden's Diary, had two functions that he knew of, both of which were an immense boon in his work as an Assassin. First of these was the Assassin's Diary, which provided detailed information on persons of interest, making it a useful tool for assassinations. Meanwhile the second function, the Random Diary, was a great help in reconnaissance missions in that it detailed the immediate surroundings and events to occur in the immediate future.

The project entailed the release of twelve of these Future Diaries to selected individuals living in Sakurami, and for two purposes. He knew for a fact that the Mayor intended to gather data using these prototypes, which he would then use to create mass-produced Future Diaries. From there, the mass-production models were to be given to Abstergo's personnel. And while he'd yet to determine the other objective behind the Future Diary Project, that alone served as sufficient reason for it to be stopped.

As it was, Abstergo was already a difficult enemy to face. Its access to a vast pool of resources, coupled with a benevolent public face, made it difficult to oppose openly. Not only that, the many agents it had at its disposal were more than a match for even their most experienced members, and were even led by Assassin turncoat Daniel Cross.

As it was, Abstergo and its agents already had them on the defensive. But if the Future Diary Project were to succeed, Piero and his comrades would be forced to contend with enemies who could tell the future, on top of all those other advantages.

Needless to say, John Bacchus getting his way could very well spell doom for the Assassin Order itself.

Piero wasted no time getting to one of the darker corners at the top of the stadium. He set down his briefcase on the catwalk, before opening it and piecing together the contents. He then took aim with the sniper rifle he'd assembled, seeking out his target in the crowd.

Finally, he spotted his prey: a giant of a man, dressed in a crisp, black business suit, flanked by his bodyguards in the front row – well away from his family, fortunately enough.

And it was just as well, thought Piero. Given the risk involved, he didn't want them involved in this particular mission.

It wasn't that they wouldn't have been of help; far from it. Athena and Minerva were capable Assassins themselves, being persocoms of the Eden series. And in fact, they'd even assisted Piero in some of his previous missions, both as mission control and on the field.

Right now, though, he needed them to be there to look after Yukiteru in case he died tonight. Even though the bleeding effect had allowed his nephew to synchronize with their ancestor and assimilate his skills and knowledge, he was still just a child. He still needed the love and care of his adoptive sisters.

And… hell.

Should the worst happen, the last thing he needs is to lose the girls, too.

"This is Piero Auditore," he whispered to himself, finger steady on the trigger as he waited for his chance.

"I'm targeted and firing."

Before he could fire, however, he heard an ominous noise come from his cellphone.

------

Yukiteru Amano.

Yuno Gasai.

Keigo Kurusu.

Tsubaki Kasugano.

Shouichi Ogami.

On that night, their lives, along with those of eight others, would be changed forever.

------

A/N: For those who'd like to listen to the song featured in this chapter, go here. :)

Piero's pulse quickened dramatically as he checked his phone, having set the sniper rifle down on the catwalk. Someone was attempting to contact him, but neither name nor contact number appeared on screen, which had to mean something. Whoever it was clearly didn't want to identify himself, which gave the Assassin cause for concern.

It was either a comrade, or an enemy.

And there was only one way to find out.

"Good evening, Mr. Auditore. I must commend you for coming to a wise decision in laying down that rifle of yours," said the mysterious caller as Piero brought the handset to his ear. "You really are a reasonable man, then?"

The blood froze solid in Piero's veins at those words. "Who is this?" he demanded. "Figlio di puttana! Who are you?"

"You of all people should know, Mr. Auditore," the voice at the other end replied conversationally, as though he and Piero were old friends. "After all, just a moment ago you were about to put a bullet in my brain, weren't you?"

Merda.

"Why don't you check that Future Diary you stole? It'll tell you everything you need to know about me."

Not that he had any need to, thought Piero. It was just his adversary's way of rubbing it in.

Even as a sense of panic took hold of the veteran Assassin, Piero knew perfectly well what he meant. Despite his horror at the downright disastrous turn this mission had taken, he retained enough of his wits to realize just who he was talking to – and to allow the implications of those words to sink in.

"Now, then, I believe I've taken quite enough of your already limited time, so I'll hang up now," his hated enemy continued on in a faux affable tone. "A pleasant evening to you, Mr. Auditore."

"Oh, and don't be so surprised that I know. I'm The Watcher, after all. I know everything."

"Oh, is that so? For your information, Mayor John Bacchus, I was able to get into your office and nick the Eden's Diary under your nose!" Piero retorted. "I wouldn't be so smug if I were you!"

The person on the other end was silent at that. His silence was momentary, though, as he laughed aloud, mockingly, before mounting a comeback of his own.

"Ah, but there's the thing, Mr. Auditore," he sneered, his voice positively dripping with a sense of superiority. "It's true you were able to steal a Future Diary for yourself. But hasn't it occurred to you that I let you do it?"

And with that, John Bacchus, Mayor of Sakurami City, hung up the phone.

Piero simply stood in horrified silence for a moment as the call was ended, before replacing his cellphone in the inside pocket of his jacket. He had to get out of here, now, while he still could; he'd have another chance to eliminate his target as long as he survived, but otherwise-

"Requiescat in pace, bastardo."

Piero Auditore never heard the gunshots that came after those words had been whispered in his ear. And even had the noise not been reduced to a murmur by the silencer, the subsequent explosions and conflagrations that rocked the place would have drowned it out anyway.

------

Yukiteru, Athena and Minerva leapt to their feet as the explosion sent pieces of flaming debris raining down on them, staying closely knit together even as pandemonium erupted all around them. Most of the people around them were currently under a state of mass hysteria as they desperately attempted to get out of the inferno Sakurami Stadium was rapidly becoming; indeed, as it was, they appeared one sudden upheaval short of stampeding all over each other in their mad rush to get out.

Grave though their present predicament admittedly was, though, Yukiteru's attention was focused elsewhere.

Indeed, even the tidal wave of humanity that was now attempting to force its way out the exits was of little consequence to Yukiteru Amano, who now observed the chaos before him using the second sight of sorts that he'd inherited from his ancestor. The panicked, hysterical and terrified masses before him were unmarked in any way, suggesting that they were of little concern to him. This was in contrast to his sisters – and that girl from earlier – all of whom shimmered blue before his eyes, as well as the man in the far back whose silhouette was tinged with an ominous red as he took aim with what appeared to be-

Show him what it means to cross the Assassins.

A second voice had awakened at the back of Yukiteru's mind at the sight. The voice itself seemed to be Yukiteru's own, but the manner in which it spoke was that of a much older and wiser man.

A man who had died more than 500 years ago, to be exact.

The voice the second consciousness – that now inhabited Yukiteru's mind became more insistent as the conflagration around them continued to rage and the fires continued to intensify. One look around at the injured and the dying was enough to tell him that there was little he could do for them. But at the same time, a single glare at the man about to open fire on the girl from earlier – as well as her parents, who were trying to shelter their daughter out of there – told him that there was one thing he could do.

And at that moment, too, Yukiteru saw a flash of light, followed by a vision of sorts.

He was back in Renaissance-era Florence, just as the Bonfire of the Vanities had hit its fever pitch. He held a woman in his arms, and in spite of his inability to recall her name, Yukiteru sensed had been important to him nonetheless. He was taking her to a doctor, but…

"Ezio... Don't you know...? I've always been with you."

"I wish we... could have had... a second chance."

And as she passed away in his arms, Yukiteru felt himself – felt Ezio – set her gently on the ground as he gave her her last rites.

"Requiescat in pace… my love."

And as another flash of brilliant white light took him back to the present, Yukiteru understood what Ezio was trying to tell him through that vision.

He understood what he now had to do.

No matter what happened, he would not allow that scene to play out in front of him all over again. He would succeed where Ezio had failed. And so it was this determination that guided him as to his next course of action.

"Athena… Minerva… My dearest sisters…"

"I love you both, very much."

And with that, he pulled up his hood, before raising his left arm in view of his sisters and then extending his hidden blade.

------

"Father… This was your plan, wasn't it?" whispered Athena as she watched Yukiteru – her beloved little brother – run like a man possessed through the chaos and deftly navigate a path through the flames and the debris.

"Huh? What was that, sister?" asked Minerva in response to her twin's words, just as she picked up a crying toddler from the ground and cradled him in her arms.

"The bleeding effect, Minerva," Athena said simply, her eyes never leaving her little brother as he rapidly closed the distance between him and his quarry. "By reliving Ezio's memories and synchronizing with him, Yuki-kun was supposed to pick up his skills and knowledge as an Assassin."

"Our training regimen was to speed up the process, too. In Father's words, the idea was for Yuki-kun to acquire a level of skill befitting a Master Assassin, even well before he lost his virginity," she finished, blushing despite herself.

"And from what we're seeing here tonight, it must have been successful. But…"

"But?"

"The bleeding effect isn't without its risks, dear sister. In the worst case scenario, Yuki-kun could lose his mind. And even if he doesn't-" she cut herself off as she saw a shadow sneaking up behind her little brother.

"Yuki-kun!" Athena cried out suddenly, in unison with a warning shouted out by the rose-haired girl her little brother appeared to fancy, just as someone made to whip him from behind with the butt of his pistol.

------

Even as his sisters were talking, Yukiteru managed to get within striking range of his target. Eventually he managed to climb up a basketball ring post a few feet from the sniper. And from there, he leapt onto his target and plunged his left hidden blade cleanly through the man's neck, before quietly giving the victim his last rites – exactly as Ezio had always done.

"Requiescat in pace."

He then stood up to face the girl and her parents; now that the immediate threat on their lives had been dealt with, the next thing to worry about was-

"Damn kid!"

He heard the warning that both the girl, and his beloved Athena, had yelled out to him. Even then, though, it was too late for Yukiteru to react in time to dodge the large, heavy blow that struck him hard in the back of the head. He tried to look around the person who had struck him as he fell, but all he saw was the flames that seemed to dance even as they continued to consume his surroundings.

And then his eyes met hers.

"Run…"

It was all Yukiteru Amano could do to whisper this one word as he felt himself slipping away.

And then, sure enough, darkness claimed him.

------

Yuno Gasai just stood there, staring at the man who had ambushed the boy that was her savior, even as he raised the pistol he had smacked her hero upside the head with. Even as her parents fell dead to the ground as the man shot them one after the other, Yuno herself remained rooted to the spot by a mixture of awe, fear, grief and rage.

"It's just you left now, little girl," said the gunman, his crazed tone of voice matched only but the feral grin on his face. "You'll all be in the next world, soon enough-!"

His threat would turn out to be futile, however.

The very next moment, Yuno was watching someone drop down on his back. And as he did so, the new arrival stabbed the would-be child killer in the neck using the exact same weapon, and in the exact same manner, as her hero who currently lay unconscious right in front of her.

"Mess with my family, and I will hurt you."

The deed done, the man got to his feet, eyes fixed on Yuno all the while. And as if on cue, the two women who had accompanied her hero rushed over to his side.

"Hey, little girl. Are you alright?"

All Yuno could manage was a small nod.

"Go, get out of here. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain."

------

"Father!"

At the sound, Piero looked up at his twin daughters, giving them a pained grimace as he clutched his left shoulder. He'd barely managed to patch up those gunshot wounds mere minutes ago, and if the agony gripping him was any indication, that aerial assassination just now must have reopened them.

"Hi, girls. Sorry I'm late, I've had some business to attend to."

"Business? What-?" Athena trailed off, confused; at the sight of the gunshot wounds on Piero's left shoulder, however, the look on her face shifted from confusion to horror. "Father, you've been wounded!"

Piero's only response was a weak laugh, before reaching into his jacket with his left hand to pull out two objects: an object that appeared to be a touchscreen mobile phone, and a sealed envelope. And as he did so, his wounds bled anew; it was clear that even so small and insignificant an action on his part was enough to put him in so much pain.

"Forget me, girls," he told them, faintly but clearly. "Just… go, get Yukiteru out of here."

And as he said this, he showed them what was likely to be the last entry the Eden's Diary would ever record under his ownership.

October 31 / 00:25 [Sakurami Stadium]

I die, together with my family.

-DEAD END-

"As you can see, girls, I won't last much longer," Piero said matter-of-factly, much to his daughters' distress.

When I was a young man, I had liberty, but I did not see it.

As the last words their ancestor had ever written came back to him, even Piero himself couldn't help but feel surprised at his acceptance of his own demise. Like their ancestor, he had never been one to yield to fate, nor had he ever been a believer in destiny. Like Ezio, he too believed that an Assassin took orders from no one.

On the other hand, Piero was also a realist. His death was more or less inevitable now, he thought, even as he clamped down tighter on his wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. And besides, even if he did manage to make it out of here, it was still likely that he'd bleed out in the process.

I had time, but I did not know it.

"Father, come on!" Athena pleaded, tears flowing steadily down her cheeks even as she cradled Yukiteru in her arms like an oversized baby. "We still need you! Please, don't leave us alone!"

And I had love, but I did not feel it.

"Give these to Yukiteru, mia Athena," Piero said, ignoring his daughter's desperate insistence as he gave her both the Eden's Diary and the envelope with a serene smile on his face. "And don't be sad. Even when I'm gone, you won't be alone. You'll have each other."

Many decades would pass before I understood the meaning of all three.

"Now, go!" Piero commanded his twin daughters for the final time, just as even more debris crashed around them.

Finally his daughters obeyed, wasting no time making their way to the nearest safe exit. Even then, though, their grief and pain at having to leave their father behind was all too clear.

Athena looked back at Piero for a moment, tears in her eyes, before carrying Yukiteru out to safety with her.

And now, at the twilight of my life, this understanding has passed into contentment.

And no sooner than she exited, than another explosion sent tremors through the area. Piero no longer bothered to move even as a large section of the railing came down, crushing him where he stood.

Athena. Minerva. Yukiteru.

You have to live.

With that final thought, Piero Auditore died with a smile on his face.

And though he would never know about it, he was wrong about at least one thing, as the Eden's Diary registered one final entry under his ownership.

October 31 / 00:27 [Sakurami Stadium]

I die alone, but without regrets.

-DEAD END-

Over the next few months, Yukiteru and his sisters were forced to cope with the aftermath of the disaster.

Which they did, albeit not entirely without difficulty.

It was definitely hardest in the beginning, though that was hardly surprising given the closeness that had characterized their little family. Yukiteru himself shed no tears, nor did he see the point - after all, not even all the tears in the world could bring Piero back from the dead - but there were more than a few times that he would go down to the dining hall, half-expecting to see his uncle at the head of the table.

And whenever this happened, Yukiteru would remember that Piero was already dead, and that it was just him and his sisters now.

And since neither Athena nor Minerva required food or drink, being persocoms, they merely sat opposite Yukiteru and saw to it that he ate his meals – a task that was easier on some days than others. At times his despondence would show itself in his refusal to eat more than just a few spoonfuls of the food his sisters had prepared for him. And indeed, there were times that the two girls would be forced to feed him as though he were a toddler, much to his embarrassment.

Embarrassed though he was, however, Yukiteru didn't fault his sisters in the slightest. They had always been nurturing towards him, and now that Piero had died, they felt the burden of responsibility more acutely. It was, after all, his final directive for them as a family: that they take care of each other.

Unfotunately, getting Yukiteru to eat regularly was actually the least of their concerns.

As of late, he'd developed a penchant for spending hours on end in the Animus, reliving Ezio's memories over and over again. And even though Athena and Minerva repeatedly expressed their worry and concern as they reminded him of the dangers posed by the bleeding effect, Yukiteru refused to listen. As far as he was concerned, the best way to honor his uncle's memory was to become Ezio.

That way, he thought, he'd never have to suffer the loss of a loved one ever again.

And one night, after having spent a particularly long period of time in the Animus, Yukiteru logged out, only to be greeted with the clearly upset faces of his sisters.

"Yuki-kun, enough already!" pleaded Athena frantically, her red eyes visibly shining with unshed tears. "This isn't the way! If you spend too much time in that thing, you'll end up destroying yourself! You won't be you anymore! You of all people should know that!"

Yukiteru didn't answer as he sat up from the Animus, merely staring down at his sisters' feet. He'd killed that gunman that night, but still, if Yuno – they'd gotten to spend a few moments together in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy – was to be believed, he still hadn't able to prevent the deaths of her parents. And what was worse, his uncle died, too.

"…So much the better, then," Yukiteru muttered despondently, tears welling up in his eyes. "Good riddance to me."

It was true that he'd been able to assimilate the skills of his ancestor surprisingly well. Indeed, as Athena had told him before, he wasn't even supposed to have been using the Animus, let alone been capable of achieving so high a degree of synchrony with his ancestor. But even then, the inescapable truth of his weakness continued to haunt him.

He was still Yukiteru Amano, not Ezio Auditore; therefore, he was weak. The way Yukiteru saw it, if only it were Ezio who had been there that night, Yuno's parents – his uncle – might not have had to die.

"I was weak, therefore I couldn't stop them from dying. But if I became Ezio-"

"Chiuidi il becco, marmocchio!"

At those words, Yukiteru looked up in alarm.

He'd seen his sisters upset in the past, but even then, they rarely lost their composure. Outbursts on their part were practically unheard of. And if he managed to upset his sisters enough to provoke one – in Italian, no less – he must've really done it this time.

And so it was unsurprising that, just as he looked up, Minerva wasted no time smacking him right across the face, hard enough to leave his cheek stinging for several seconds afterwards. What did surprise Yukiteru, however, was that Minerva embraced him immediately afterward.

"Don't you ever say that again!" she said, the tremor in her voice betraying how close she was to tears. "I won't let it go next time!"

Yukiteru said nothing as Minerva let go of him. Athena, seeing that their little brother had calmed down, took her turn to speak:

"Yuki-kun," she began in a gentle voice. "It's true that you're not Ezio. You never will be, not even if you achieve full synchronization with him. Not even if you lose yourself to the bleeding effect."

"You're you, and you always will be," continued Minerva, her red eyes meeting Yukiteru's cobalt ones. "And you know what? We wouldn't have it any other way. You're not weak at all. You're our little brother, and we love you."

"Father would say the same thing, too," this from Athena, who hugged him just as her twin did a moment ago, before going over to his bedside table to pull out a sealed envelope.

"Here, Yuki-kun," she said as she offered it to him. "I think it's time you read this letter."

And as Yukiteru opened it, he realized that what he was about to read were likely the very last words his uncle had ever written.

Dear Yukiteru, Athena and Minerva,

If you're reading this, I likely didn't survive my last mission.

Yukiteru, I'm leaving you one last gift, and possibly my greatest as well. It's called the Eden's Diary, and it'll help you create a better future – and not just for you or your sisters, either. But even then, take care not to get too attached or dependent on it. I know for a fact just how strong you are, nipote, and a strong man doesn't need to read the future – he makes his own.

I'm sorry for having kept so many things from the three of you, but I saw no other way to keep you safe. I've trained and raised you in the ways of our Order, but even then, there are things I needed to keep to myself. At the very least, though, I hope I haven't left you unable to carry on living without me. Athena, Minerva, I'm counting on you two here. Take care of each other like I never could.

Again, if you're reading this, I probably failed in my mission. I know I probably won't be able to dissuade any of you from going after my killers, either. But if you must do so, do it not out of a desire to avenge my memory, but to finish what I couldn't. It's my last and greatest hope that you carry on our struggle – not only as Assassins, but as the scions of the Auditore family.

And if there's one last thing I have to say to you three, it's this: I love you, and I always will. Even if none of you were my children, I've never thought of any of you as anything but. Don't ever let anyone make you believe different. Forever yours, Piero Auditore.

A silence fell between them as Yukiteru took in the letter's contents.

"Don't you see, Yuki-kun?" asked Athena gently. "He chose to die back there, so we wouldn't have to. And now you're going to repay his sacrifice by running away from what's real and destroying yourself?"

Ever since the day of the tragedy, Yukiteru had gone over the events in his head time and again, wondering what could have been done to avert the losses. For one thing, he figured that had he caught the one who'd pistol whipped him from behind, he would never have been able to gun down Yuno's parents. And in turn, Piero would never have had to dispatch him with an aerial assassination, and his wounds would never have been aggravated.

At the time, Yukiteru decided that he needed to quite literally become his ancestor. He told himself that it was so that the sorrow of that fateful night would never repeat itself again when, in truth, all he was trying to do was run away from reality.

...My God.

What have I done?

Tears came spilling down Yukiteru's cheeks for the first time as all the grief he'd kept at arm's length came crashing down like an avalanche.

And his sisters, seeing that they'd finally gotten him to face reality, embraced him tightly together even as they themselves wept for the tragedy they'd suffered on that fateful night.

------

Yuno Gasai was all alone in what had once been her parents' bedroom, looking at the latest entry in the diary she kept on her cellphone:

March 25 / 22:00 [Gasai residence, my room]

Yukki's crying. He blames himself for not being able to save my parents or his uncle, even if it wasn't his fault. Please, Yukki, don't be sad anymore!

And as she read that entry, Yuno couldn't help but feel like crying, too.

Yukiteru Amano. She'd gotten to know him in the immediate aftermath of the disaster where, after his older sisters had been kind enough to let her stay over at their place for the night, they spent some time bonding together and comforting each other over their shared tragedy. He was all she thought about since then, and God – if he did exist – must have noticed, as the day came that her cellphone suddenly began telling her what he was doing every ten minutes.

More importantly, however, that night they'd spent together allowed Yuno one realization: Yukki didn't meet her expectations at all.

On the contrary, he'd exceeded those expectations so thoroughly they were left in the dirt.

After all, as far as she knew, a lot of girls were known to fancy boys who sang silly love songs and looked like girls, such as that useless, obnoxious and utterly talentless hack of a singer from Canada who was popular when she was around three or four years old. There were those, too, who were simply after money, and who had no qualms about going after men old enough to be their fathers, just as long as they were willing to cater to their whims and caprices.

No, Yuno was much better than all of them.

After all, her beloved Yukki wasn't just some cute face, although he certainly was that. It wasn't just that he was amazingly talented, as his sister – Minerva, her name was – had described him, either. No; to her, her love for Yukki lay in much more than his charm, or his talent.

To Yuno, it was because he'd saved her that night, in more ways than one. Not only had he and his uncle saved her life from that murderer, he'd also given her hope for the future, just when she'd thought it died with her parents.

And just then, too, a strange noise came from her cellphone, interrupting that train of thought:

March 25 / 20:10 [Gasai residence, my room]

Yukki's going to Sakurami High School this year. Maybe we'll be classmates!

To say that Yuno was thrilled at that update would have been a massive understatement.

Indeed, it was at this point that she was convinced that God indeed existed, and that, surely, it was God himself who had bound the two of them with the red string of fate. Ever since that night, Yukiteru Amano – Yukki, as she'd come to refer to him affectionately – was all Yuno ever thought of. And now, they'd get to be together every single day.

For the first time since the death of her parents, Yuno Gasai was able to smile.

Yukki…

And even when Yuno fell asleep that night, it was still he who she dreamt of.

------

April 1 / 07:15 [Sakurami High School]

For the first time in a long time, I'm going to school. It looks like this school year will be fun.

Yukiteru reread that entry on his cellphone as he made his way to his new school.

Just the night before, his big sister Athena gave him a touchscreen cellphone he recognized as having belonged to Piero. Not only did it possess much higher specifications than the phone he'd been using until then, it also possessed the power to tell the future. The Eden's Diary, Piero had called it.

Even Yukiteru, who hadn't even possessed it for a full day, had to marvel at his uncle's last keepsake. Everything he was going to do for the next four hours was written there, just as if he'd written those entries himself, courtesy of its function as the Random Diary. It was like his Eagle Vision, he thought, only on a wider scale.

And even more amazingly, the Eden's Diary was still incomplete in its present form. If the note Piero left for him to find in the phone's files was to be believed, it possessed another function called the Assassin's Diary, although Yukiteru hadn't been able to unlock that one just yet. According to the note, the Assassin's Diary was supposed to provide detailed information on assassination targets and other persons of interest.

As it was, though, the Eden's Diary was already an undeniably useful tool to have, and so Yukiteru cherished the memento from his uncle. If nothing else, thought Yukiteru as he walked up the stairs to his classroom, it allowed him to plan his daily activities, and all but made sure that he'd rarely if ever be caught with his pants down.

After a few more minutes, he looked up at the sign outside one of the classrooms: Class 2-7.

Well, looks like I'm here.

Yukiteru walked through the door...

"Yukki!"

…And as he did so, he had barely two seconds' warning, before a certain rose-haired girl leapt into his arms and greeted him with a kiss full on the lips.

A mysterious youth stood in front Sakurami High, just beyond the gates, his face hidden behind the bright yellow scarf that he wore.

And as he watched the students come and go, chatting to and among themselves, Shouichi Ogami knew that his target was here somewhere: a notorious serial killer who stalked the streets of Sakurami City at night, while maintaining the fa̤ade of a respected high school teacher by day. To Shouichi, he was like a modern-day version of Jack the Ripper, or one of those other whackos. There was certainly something in his killings Рsomething Shouichi dared not dwell on, lest he lose his breakfast Рthat warranted that comparison, anyway.

He'd been especially active lately, too, and in fact, Shouichi had had the 'pleasure' of bearing witness to his handiwork. There was no way he'd forget how he'd found that poor girl practically drowning in her own blood in that alley, lying there broken like a puppet cut from its strings. Needless to say, he needed to be stopped, and soon.

And as fate would have it, it was he, Shouichi, who would get to carry out the deed. Or, more accurately, it was he who would be forced to do so.

That old fart Kusaka, who called himself Lady Tsubaki's right hand – 'called himself', thought Shouichi, because there was absolutely no way in hell that either his Lady or her parents would have trusted anyone more than him, least of all that crooked old bastard – had ordered him to carry out the need, saying that Lady Tsubaki herself would have wanted it. But when Shouichi questioned him further, the response he received sent all kinds of alarm bells ringing in his head.

"Just do as you're told, won't you, Shouichi? If you don't, there's a good chance that Lady Tsubaki just might end up a victim herself – and we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

That effectively cut off any further argument on his part.

And so it was decided that Shouichi would attend Sakurami High under an assumed name, the better to get close enough to his target and dispatch him as requested. He was young enough to be in high school, anyway, which made this the perfect plan. And he felt no qualms about what he had been asked to do, either, given that his target had it coming. In light of the countless innocents he had heartlessly butchered, it was little more than karmic justice that the killer, whoever he was, would be buried in turn.

More importantly, however, Shouichi was Tsubaki's bodyguard. The veiled threat Kusaka had made effectively outed him as an enemy; however, he would have to deal with him later. Tsubaki's safety came first, and he had sworn to protect her at all costs.

I do this for you, milady.

And if that cost was the life of some crazed murderer, then so be it.

He'd carry out this one task for that bastard Kusaka… and when he returned to the shrine, Shouichi solemnly swore to himself that he'd see that bastard hang from the nearest tree.

------

After what seemed like an eternity, Yukiteru finally managed to pull himself away.

"Err…"

Yukiteru looked around, taking in the looks on the faces of his classmates as he did so. Whereas the males appeared to have a strange mix of amusement, envy and awe on their faces, the girls instead wore near-identical expressions of disgust. Either way, it didn't take long for the laughter to break out.

"Yuno. Mia cara." This he said to the girl in front of him amid the laughter, frantically pulling up his hood as he felt his cheeks grow hotter and redder in his embarrassment. "What d'you think you're doing?"

"Me? I'm greeting my boyfriend, of course," Yuno said, blushing as she innocently twiddled her fingers. "What did you think I was doing, Yukki?"

Well, well, Yuki. Barely even 15 and you've got a girlfriend already. Ezio would be proud.

He never got to protest as Yuno held a finger to his lips, while 'his other self' lauded him for his 'achievement'.

The approval filled Yukiteru with shame, to say the least. He wasn't particularly angered by it, given that he'd experienced worse while reliving his ancestor's life; compared to all the crap he'd experienced while reliving Ezio's memories in the Animus, this was nothing. That said, even if he wasn't particularly angered by his classmates' laughter at Yuno's rather enthusiastic greeting, he'd have been lying to say that he didn't find it at least a little bit irritating.

Indeed, what did offend Yukiteru, was that the voice at the back of his head now saw fit to compare him to his lecherous ancestor. He still hadn't forgotten that particular memory, of Ezio sneaking into his girlfriend's house in the dead of night for a few stolen hours. Nor did it help that he, Yukiteru, was very much aware of the implications involved: that it had been him, just as surely as it had been his ancestor, who'd experienced the events of that night.

Needless to say, Yukiteru decided that, however much he idolized Ezio, his colourful love life wasn't one of the things he wanted to emulate.

"Alright guys, pipe down, will you?"

The laughter almost instantly died out as the classroom's front door swung open, allowing a tall, crisply-dressed man with long, red hair to enter. Knowing that the new arrival was going to be their teacher, the entire class, Yukiteru and Yuno included, simply watched as he wrote his name on the chalkboard. That done, the man turned to face them, clearing his throat as he did so.

"My name's Takao Hiyama, and I'm going to be your homeroom teacher," he greeted them with a welcoming smile on his face. "Right, then, how about we do some introductions?"

Almost instinctively, Yukiteru scanned the area, using his second sight to pick out who among his new classmates might turn out to be potential threats. He felt a slight surge of irritation and betrayal as Yuno shone gold before his eyes, marking her as someone who would turn out to be important to him. It was true; they'd gotten rather close on that night, but the parallels to his ancestor made him uncomfortable, to say the least.

It didn't help, either, that the same held true for two other girls he turned his gaze toward: a tomboyish-looking girl with short, reddish-brown hair and a body surprisingly developed for her age, who was chatting with another, long-haired girl in a fairly conservative dress. Likewise, another classmate – a boy this time, one who Yukiteru recognized as having joined in the laughter from earlier – was marked similarly.

But just as he turned to face their teacher-

"Excellent!" Mr. Hiyama said, flashing even, white teeth as he grinned. "You there – yeah, you with the hood – why don't you come up front and do the honors?"

…Why me?

All eyes were on Yukiteru as he made his way to the platform in front of his classmates. He really wasn't lucky this morning, was he? Class hadn't started, and he'd already managed to embarrass himself in front of his classmates thanks to Yuno and her 'greeting'.

Resignedly, he decided to himself that he would play along for now. It wasn't as if he had a choice, anyway.

"Err…"

"Salute a voi, amici. Mi chiamo Yukiteru Amano."

As he said this, though, he was met with questioning looks not only from Mr. Hiyama, but from his classmates as well. The two girls from earlier gaped at him, while Yuno's face shone with admiration. His teacher, meanwhile, cleared his throat.

"Umm… What language was that?" Mr. Hiyama inquired kindly.

"Would you kindly repeat that, please? In Japanese, this time."

Yukiteru slapped his forehead, realizing that he'd just lapsed into Italian again.

For the longest time, he'd been around his sisters and his uncle, who usually spoke to each other in that language. Coupled with his excursions into the life of his ancestor, speaking in Italian had become all but second nature to him. As a result, he found himself lapsing into Italian from time to time, even when he meant spoke Japanese.

It wasn't a particularly troublesome or annoying habit, at least not in the Auditore house where he and his sisters all spoke both languages fluently, but now that he was going to school again…

I'll have to watch out for that, then.

"My name's Yukiteru Amano. I hope we'll all get to be good friends!" he repeated, bowing nervously as he did so.

Polite applause greeted him as, mercifully, Mr. Hiyama allowed Yukiteru to return to his seat immediately afterward. He made his way to his chair, where he resumed his seat with his head bowed. After a moment, however, he looked back up at his teacher, and-

Wait, what?

He blinked, convinced that his eyes were deceiving him.

Try as he might, though, Yukiteru was unable to erase the bright red that bathed Mr. Hiyama's silhouette, nor could he quell his inner voice warning him of the impending danger that was sure to come.

------

Meanwhile, the phone rang at the Auditore house, just as Athena was attending to her chores.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Athena. Are you three coping well? It's been half a year now since that night."

It was Rea Amano, Yukiteru's mother and their aunt.

"Si. Mi dispiace, Zia, but if it's Yuki-kun you're looking for, he's in school at the moment," Athena informed her aunt, even as she continued to sweep the floor in the living room. "Perhaps you could try calling later?"

"Don't be silly, dear, it was you who I meant to call," came Rea's voice in her head; as a persocom, neither Athena nor Minerva had need for phones, given that they had one built-in in their heads. It was convenient, to be sure. For one thing, it made multitasking a breeze, since they could attend to multiple tasks even while carrying on a conversation on the phone.

"I know how much Yuki-kun loves the two of you. And besides, I am your aunt, after all, even if you aren't Piero's biological children."

Athena smiled to herself. Their aunt really was as nice as Piero had described. Rea knew very well that she and Minerva – and Demeter and Ceres, for that matter – weren't human, but that little detail didn't seem to matter to her. "Grazie, Zia. Yuki-kun always did speak so fondly of you, too."

"Si. I know," came Rea's reply; Athena thought she heard her smile, too. "So, how are you and Minerva doing? Human or not, young ladies like you shouldn't be cooping yourself up in that stuffy house all the time!"

"I know that, Zia," Athena smiled as she moved on to dust the furniture. "Minerva's gone to apply at Yuki-kun's school as a guidance counselor, so I'm stuck here doing chores. Oh, and Yuki-kun seems to have a crush on some girl."

Athena giggled to herself as she shared that particular update.

"Her name's Yuno Gasai. She was there that night, too."

"Oh?" Rea perked up, that latest bit of news piquing her curiosity. "I look forward to meeting her next month, then. Oh, yeah, did I mention that I was coming home next month?"

"Tell Yuki-kun I'll see you all real soon. Do take care of yourselves, alright?"

"Zia, wait!" Athena said, but it was too late; Rea had already hung up.

It was too bad, too, thought Athena, considering that she had been about to suggest to her aunt that she be the one to fetch her at the airport. That recent development seemed really sudden, too, but she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Piero had spoken fondly of his sister's impulsive and borderline ditzy behaviour. And for that matter, Yuki-kun himself wasn't beyond such impulsiveness, if his employment of less than productive coping methods immediately following Piero's death was anything to go by.

Well, that ought to put a smile on Yuki-kun's face…

That said, Athena had to admit that she herself was looking forward to seeing her aunt again.

Maybe they could all live together here, as one big, happy family.

All is as I anticipated.

Atop one of the buildings of Sakurami High School stood a robed figure, surveying the world below with a sense of detached interest.

The plan wrought ages ago shall soon be seen to fruition.

A decade had passed since she regained her freedom. During that time, she'd travelled the world, taking in the extent to which it had changed and evolved through the years. And while doing so, she'd also set about sowing the seeds for her grand plan – a plan which would soon pay off, if she had anything to say about it.

After all, thought the enigma as she gazed down at the children scurrying about the school grounds as their classes ended for the day, her long-overdue release from her confinement wasn't for naught. It had happened for a reason – a reason that most would undoubtedly find incomprehensible or even abhorrent, but which would nevertheless be for their own good.

We should have left you as you were, she thought disgustedly to herself.

To say the least, she had little love for humanity. It was hardly surprising, though, given that she'd had the dubious privilege of having witnessed firsthand the foolishness – the barbarism – that humanity as a whole was capable of. Not a day passed during her imprisonment that she didn't watch humans commit all manner of atrocities, making all kinds of excuses as they did so. Such was the case when they had imprisoned her, and remained so even today.

Indeed, time and again she racked her brains as to how the existence of mankind could be anything other than a mistake. And each time she did so, she came up with less and less answers. Not the least bit surprising, but disappointing nonetheless.

But even then, they did exist. And their mere existence meant that somehow, humanity was still worth saving.

And that, she reasoned, is exactly why I am needed.

This world – and humanity – must change its ways no matter what.

The Templars understood this, which was why she had aligned herself with them. Like her, they sought to shepherd the people through life – by force, if necessary. Like her, they sought to change and transform lives, to create a better world no matter the cost. And, most important, they had the means – the influence, the manpower and the resources – to see it through.

She didn't like having to work with them, those petty, misguided children as she saw them. Nevertheless, she would be a fool not to recognize that, for all their flaws and imperfections, the fact remained that their goals and interests were aligned.

And so long as that remained, she and Abstergo – and the greater Templar Order – would remain accomplices, united in their pursuit.

"Ma'am?"

The figure spun around as a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

She said nothing, merely calculating her next move as she sized up the man before her. He was tall, with long, red hair he tied in a ponytail, as well as a well-built figure kept hidden by the crisp business suit he wore. That alone would have made him perfect, but it was his eyes – the eyes of a man with an intimate knowledge of death – that gave him away.

Excellent.

"As a matter of fact, there is," she said after a long silence, smiling cryptically at the man before her. "Would you kindly do me a little favour?"

The figure smiled, her eyes shining an unearthly gold as she merely gazed back.

A few moments later, a scream would be heard coming from the roof.

Templars… I hate you.

Even so, you will help me guide this world to salvation.

------

"Minerva… Auditore?"

The lady looked up from the file she was reading, the better to regard the young woman before her in her office.

"You want to apply at our school, as part of our guidance staff?"

The reason for this was simple, thought Minerva. And besides, it was her idea, even if, given a choice, there wouldn't even be a reason for her to be here to begin with.

Following Piero's death, their aunt Rea – Yukiteru's mother – had rather strongly suggested that he return to regular schooling. She, Minerva, had opposed it, saying that Yuki-kun would be more vulnerable that way. However, what she didn't expect was that, Athena of all people, would oppose her in turn.

"It's for his own good, dear sister," her twin had said. "We can't keep him locked away here forever, now can we?"

Minerva acceded, seeing that she was in the minority; at any rate, she had a funny feeling that their aunt would pull rank had she continued to resist. But even though she yielded to her aunt and sister on the matter of their dear Yuki-kun returning to school, she couldn't but request a concession of her own – all in the name of his protection, of course.

"Yes, Ma'am," Minerva responded to her interviewer – Sakurami High School's principal – smiling politely as she did so. "I'd like to think I possess all the necessary qualifications, too."

"Well, quite." It was the principal's turn to smile. "I'd even say you're overqualified for the job. In fact, I wouldn't mind accepting you right now. But before I do, would you answer just one question for me?"

"Prego."

"Why is it that you, a former HR Development Head at Apex Corp, suddenly decided to apply at this school as a guidance counsellor?"

Minerva smiled; she didn't expect that question, but it was nevertheless a fairly reasonable one.

Before their informal adoption of Yukiteru, she worked at the company Piero and Lorenzo had inherited from their father, and was compensated generously for it. Being a persocom did have its perks, after all, as evidenced by her increased productivity and capability as compared to some of her co-workers.

On the other hand, the salary she would receive working here was a far cry from what she had grown used to, even if it was still relatively respectable as far as work in the academic setting went. Even with the possibility of a few pay raises along the way, Minerva knew better than to expect the same level of pay she had received at her previous work.

But then, money was never her reason for applying here, now was it?

"My own teachers took good care of me and taught me well, so I'm returning the favour."

Which was true, strictly speaking; while most of what she knew had been programmed into her, Minerva still spent some time learning from Lorenzo and Piero, as well as a few other veterans of the Assassin Order. In addition, she herself had once helped Assassin trainees along during their training, in the two years she'd spent at their Italian headquarters.

And of course, Minerva would take care of her dear Yuki-kun, as well as the other children that would be assigned to her care.

"And, to be honest, I think I'd prefer being around children instead of burnt-out adults," she added, the smile never leaving her face. "I'm the type of person who prefers to work with a smile on her face, you know?"

The principal laughed at that.

"I see. Well then, Miss Auditore, you're in. Welcome to Sakurami High."

"Thank you, Ma'am!" Minerva exclaimed, smiling as she bowed slightly, before turning to leave. "You'll not regret this, I swear it!" she added, just as she closed the door behind her.

Finally, that done, the principal took out her cellphone and dialled a number.

"It's done, just like you said."

"Thank you, Madam Principal," said the voice on the other end. "I owe you one."

"It's not a problem. And you'd better believe it, Lorenzo."

The decision to hire her was an easy one, thought the principal. Even without that man putting in a word for her, that young woman's credentials spoke for themselves; more importantly, she was wholly convinced that her heart – or what she had that passed for one, anyway – was in the right place.

And if nothing else, there was something to be said about someone willing to forego a high-paying job in some huge company, all in order to take care of kids who weren't her own.

Especially when the person in question not only couldn't have her own kids, but wasn't even human to begin with.

------

The next day was just another day at school for Yukiteru Amano.

At least, it should have been, had it not been for a certain surprise that came mid-morning.

It was just after their homeroom period had taken place – or at least, it would have, had Mr. Hiyama not been absent. In the absence of their homeroom teacher, the members of class 2-7 spent an hour playing and chatting among themselves, and had in some cases already formed little groups and cliques of their own. And in the meantime, one of their more responsible classmates, a girl named Hinata, stepped up as de facto class president and kept them from getting too rowdy.

For his part, Yukiteru just sat there at his desk, trying and failing to ignore Yuno as he tried, with equal failure, to rest up and get some sleep before their next class.

He knew that his current state of physical and mental exhaustion was his own fault. After all, that he'd spent a little more time poking around in the Animus last night than was good for him. Even then, it wasn't as if he'd had anything better to do. As it was just the second day of the school year, they didn't have any homework yet, and so he chose to spend that time sharpening his skills as an Assassin.

Besides, even if they did have homework, he was sure it wouldn't be a problem. Indeed, thought Yukiteru; even discounting the Assassin training and all the Animus sessions, surely he was still a year or two ahead of his peers. It was all thanks to the tutelage of his loving older sisters-

Wait, what the hell!?

Much later, Yukiteru would reflect on how funny it was that his thoughts had taken that turn. Because was then that the front door of the classroom opened, just as one of the last persons he expected to show up at a teacher in his new school took her place behind the teacher's desk and smiled kindly at them all.

"Good morning, everyone," said the new arrival. "It's nice to meet you all."

"My name's Minerva, and I'll be your guidance counsellor for this school year."

Only when she had finished introducing herself did Minerva turn to Yukiteru, reciprocating the dumbstruck look on her little brother's face with a sheepish smile that was quite unlike her.

------

Meanwhile, in a certain flat in one of Sakurami City's many apartment buildings…

"No, I refuse!"

Takao Hiyama, clad in but an undershirt and basketball shorts, tossed and turned in his bed as he quite literally fought a losing battle with himself.

Unbeknownst to most people, Takao Hiyama lived a double life. While he was a respected and loved high school teacher by day, he'd also gained a reputation as the dreaded Night Stalker of Sakurami City, a serial killer who did his grisly work in the dead of night.

However, even that was only part of the picture.

For instance, what most didn't know was that the Night Stalker wasn't just some mindless murderer. On the contrary, Takao Hiyama was part of the Assassin Order, whose members were sworn to uphold the freedom and integrity of humanity at all costs. And indeed, as the Night Stalker, he only targeted specific people, such as those who served the Templars, either as its agents or its pawns. Other times, he waged war on the petty criminals who prowled the streets of Sakurami City at night.

And even then, the act of killing had fallen out of use on the part of the Assassins. While the Assassin Order as a whole was not unwilling to resort to murder in order to advance their cause, it had since become a last resort option, for consideration only when other, less extreme methods meant to advance their cause had already proven unsuccessful.

And yet, right now -

"They're my students, I can't hurt them!" he protested, thrashing wildly as he attempted to silence the voice that had hounded him relentlessly since the day before. "More importantly, they're innocent! You can't make me do this – I won't let you-"

Oh, but I can, and I will, came the reply, positively dripping with malice and yet poisonously seductive in its allure.

Yukiteru Amano… Yuno Gasai…

You will kill them both.

An evil, unmistakably feminine laugh rang throughout the tiny apartment, drowning out Takao Hiyama's protesting scream as he blacked out and lost consciousness.

That night, at the Auditore house…

"Buona sera."

"Buona sera, Athena," greeted the caller, a man with a voice uncannily resembling that of her foster father. "I trust you're all doing well?"

"Uncle Lorenzo?" she asked aloud, not that she needed to. Though he sounded like Piero himself, he was dead and buried. That being the case, there was only one other person it could have been.

"It's Minerva, Zio. Athena's out running errands, so I'm keeping house until she gets back."

"Capisco. Mi dispiace veramente, Minerva. How was your interview? Did you make it in?"

Minerva had suspected that her uncle had a hand in her surprisingly quick acceptance into Sakurami High School's guidance office, but it was only now that her suspicions had been confirmed. She wasn't resentful of her uncle's assistance, though. On the contrary, he'd done her a big favour, and she was grateful.

"Yes, I did, thank you. What is it you need?"

Lorenzo Auditore chuckled at his niece's words, unsurprised at her forwardness. While she definitely possessed her own unique sense of humour, Minerva was nevertheless more serious-minded than Athena, who by contrast possessed a sunny disposition that failed to hint at the lethality she was capable of. It reminded him of his own foster daughters, actually.

"D'you think you could prepare a spare room or two over there? I'll be over for a few nights."

"Ma certo, Zio. Will you have any company?" Minerva inquired, albeit more as a courtesy than any real curiosity; that her uncle had asked about the possible availability of more than one room had already answered her question. Strictly speaking, they weren't forbidden to have guests over, but caution had been ingrained into her from the very beginning, which was why she had to make sure.

"Demeter and Ceres, perhaps? Or will there be someone else?"

"Well, yes, they'll be coming," replied her uncle, albeit with just a hint of hesitation. "However, I'll have another guest coming with me."

"Capisco. Care to tell me who, Zio?"

Which he did.

"…Capisco."

"Grazie, Minerva. I'll see you all soon, alright?"

"Si, Zio. Ciao."

Ending the call, Minerva wondered briefly what Demeter and Ceres felt about this recent turn of events, of their father's impending marriage.

However much he had loved consorting with members of the opposite sex, Piero had always been cautious at the prospect of making long-term commitments, especially following an incident involving a woman who'd turned out to be an agent of the Templars. Quite understandably, that encounter left an indelible impression on their father, who utterly refused to talk about the incident, even up to the moment of his death. If Demeter and Ceres tolerated the woman their father was seeing, Minerva supposed she had earned at least some benefit of the doubt.

…Sayuri Mikage, eh?

Let's have a look at you, shall we?

Needless to say, Minerva resolved to run background checks of her own, just to be sure.

She had no desire to mistrust the judgment of her uncle, or of her cousins. But more importantly, she had no intention of taking any chances where her family was concerned.

------

As he woke up the next day, having punched out his alarm clock, Yukiteru Amano reflected on the recent developments his life had taken.

Piero…

His uncle's death really did hit him hard, thought Yukiteru; he couldn't have denied it if he tried. After all, it was he who attempted to punish himself with self-inflicted insanity through overexposure to the bleeding effect, which would have been tantamount to or maybe even worse than death. Indeed, now that he saw clearly, he was grateful that his beloved sisters smacked some sense into him before he managed to succeed.

More than half a year had passed now since that tragedy in Sakurami Stadium, and time did have a way of healing wounds. During that time, Yukiteru had been going over the events, no longer to determine where he had gone wrong, but instead to decide on the best way to correct that wrong. However, it was only now that he was able to realize one very important thing.

Whoever was responsible most likely had access to vast amounts of manpower and resources.

That, and he definitely would have had a reason for employing such conspicuous methods.

Cazzo.

I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner.

Granted, thought Yukiteru, it could have been argued that his uncle had been a marked man regardless. Not only was Piero descended from one of the most famous members of the Assassin Order, he had since gone on to become one of the Order's most celebrated and respected mentor figures, as well as a valuable and competent operative in his own right. It wasn't without reason that the Assassins as a whole exercised extreme caution with respect to their security measures, but someone like Piero would definitely have had a big, red bullseye painted on his back wherever he went.

On the other hand, there was something in both the timing and the method of choice that gave Yukiteru pause. For one thing, it would have been easier and more practical to just have someone assassinate him while he was going about his business, or to otherwise make him disappear. Admittedly, it still would have made quite a bit of noise, Piero having been known publicly as a ranking executive of a multinational company, but it would nevertheless have been much easier to sweep under the rug.

Instead, the method they chose was not only impractical, but… messy, to say the least.

They had to have known there was no way they could have kept the tragedy quiet; indeed, from the few times Yukiteru accessed the news in the immediate aftermath, the media made much of the destruction and the loss of life involved. The police would have gotten involved as well, and given that Sakurami had among the lowest crime rates nationwide, it was safe to say that they were very good at their job.

Last but not least, Sakurami Stadium was not only public property, but a project commissioned by no less than Mayor John Bacchus himself. Given the stellar track record the police had when it came to resolving petty crimes, it was but logical that the Mayor would have had them find out whoever it was-

Wait.

But if that's the case, then-

A weird noise coming from his cellphone interrupted that train of thought. And when Yukiteru went to check it…

Pezzo di merda!

For the first time, Yukiteru Amano took an alternate route to his classroom, one that saw him scale walls, climb rooftops and drop down from ledges. It was rather dangerous, too, given that it would have given away his Assassin training to whoever was watching, but he didn't have a choice. It wasn't as if he could waltz through the front gate, either, on account of all the weapons he had concealed all over his person.

Objectively speaking, he was only lightly armed as far as Assassins went, having deigned to equip mere smoke bombs and poison darts in addition to his hidden blades. However, that Yukiteru was carrying weapons at all would have been enough to get him in trouble. Even if he now possessed the skills and experience of a Master Assassin, he was still a kid in high school, and kids in high school generally had no business running around with weapons of murder.

Unfortunately for him, though, the weapons themselves were very much a necessity, given what his Eden's Diary warned him of:

April 3 / 17:36 [Sakurami High School]

I get caught by the serial killer in a hallway and then stabbed in the heart. I'm dead.

-DEAD END-

------

Later, following their homeroom period, Yukiteru sat alone at his desk, Yuno having deigned to absent herself for today.

Unfortunately for him, though, his solitude wouldn't be for very long.

"So, Amano-kun, what's with the get-up?" asked Hinata Hino, his seatmate, the same girl who most of the class already respected as de facto class president. "You look like you're out to assassinate someone."

"Yeah, you look like some kind of ninja," this from the girl in front of Hinata: Mao Nonosaka, who Yukiteru could sense harboured hidden feelings for Hinata even as she called herself her best friend. "Mind telling us what you have in mind? We're your friends, you know."

...Damn, they're good.

Yukiteru wondered if Hinata and Mao had been watching him, or otherwise talking about him, given the disturbing accuracy of their observations. His choice of outfit, a long, hooded coat with lots of hidden pockets, wasn't exactly out of place in this day and age, nor were any of his weapons readily visible on him. His hidden blades, too, were concealed under his long sleeves, and there was a reason people called them 'hidden' in any case.

Luckily, he was saved by none other than his dear Minerva, who poked her head into the classroom. "Yuki-kun, can we talk for a bit? It's important."

Gratefully, Yukiteru stepped outside into the hallway, looking quizzically at his sister as she held a finger to her lips.

------

"Athena told me you came to school today fully decked out in your Assassin gear. Said you even brought some smoke bombs and poison darts with you. What's wrong?"

That Minerva spoke entirely in Italian wasn't lost to Yukiteru. He knew perfectly well how cautious his sister could be when needed, which made speaking in another language a good safeguard against eavesdroppers in an area where very few people spoke languages other than Japanese. He showed her the recent ominous entry in his Eden's Diary before he spoke, following her lead as he did so.

"Someone's after me, big sister," Yukiteru replied grimly in the same language, just as he locked his phone and stowed it back in his pocket. "He'll try and kill me here."

Minerva froze for a bit at that statement, but otherwise betrayed no emotion. Unlike Athena, who readily wore her emotions on her sleeve, she was much more stoic and reserved. Nevertheless, her voice radiated the warmth of an arctic wind when next she spoke.

"Don't worry, Yuki-kun, you won't die. I'll kill him the moment he tries."

Yukiteru was touched, though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. He loved both Athena and Minerva as though they were his actual older sisters, paying no heed to the fact that they weren't even human. And for their part, the two persocoms loved him dearly as well; he knew that what his sister had just said was not a threat, or an attempt at reassurance, but a promise.

Nevertheless, he had other ideas.

"...No, dear sister," Yukiteru said as he shook his head. "I need you to do something else for me."

"...I see. What do you have in mind?"

"I need you to keep everyone else safe," he explained as he closed his eyes and bowed his head, going over various strategies and tactics that just might be of use. "Make up some story, take them to the arcade or buy dinner for them, just get them out of here. I'll catch up with you guys later."

"If it's me he wants, I'll be happy to accommodate him," he added, in a tone that concealed the precarious mix of excitement, fear and anticipation he felt. "I'm not a normal kid in high school, big sister, you of all people should know that."

Minerva visibly hesitated. She knew perfectly well how that first kill had affected her beloved Yukiteru, on top of the already immense trauma brought on by Piero's death. For a time, not a night had passed by in the Auditore house where she didn't watch over him in his sleep, unable to do anything to assuage his nightmares. If possible, she never wanted for him to go through that kind of ordeal again.

At the same time, though, Yukiteru was clearly resolute. Neither uncertainty nor fear were anywhere to be found on his face, which counted for something. And, loathe though Minerva was to admit it, he was right: he wasn't a normal kid in high school. Normal kids in high school didn't normally know about a hundred different ways to kill people, after all.

Needless to say, if anyone could do this, it was him.

"...Alright, then. Good luck, Yuki-kun."

...Nevertheless, he was her beloved little brother, and she couldn't help but remind him of that.

"However, I'd like you to keep just one thing in mind."

Yukiteru looked up at his sister, puzzled.

"Yukiteru Amano, I order you to live!"

And as he accepted that order from his sister, bowing his head slightly with his right fist over his chest, Yukiteru Amano resolved in his heart that he would see it fulfilled at all costs.

------

April 3 / 17:36 [Sakurami High School]

I get caught by the serial killer in a hallway and then stabbed in the heart. I'm dead.

-DEAD END-

A few hours later, after his sister and his classmates had gone and he stood by himself in the hallway, Yukiteru took out his cellphone and had just one more look at his Eden's Diary. And just as he did so, he heard his other self speak familiar words, in an equally familiar voice from which he drew strength and determination.

Fate may command I die before all the answers are discovered. But an Assassin takes orders from no one.

The hour of truth drew ever near, and someone wasn't going to live past that hour.

However, thought Yukiteru as he pulled up his hood, oblivious to the noise that his cellphone emitted yet again, he'd already promised that that someone wouldn't be him.

And of course, a promise was a promise.

April 3 / 17:36 [Gasai residence, my room]

Yukki died.

Yuno Gasai spent that entire day in bed, staring at that diary entry on the cellphone she kept on her bedside table.

She didn't want to absent herself today, but she didn't have a choice. Her sleep the night before was troubled and fitful, plagued by nightmares. It was at dawn that she woke up in a cold sweat, barely even able to get out of bed due to the fever that had chosen to rear its ugly head. In a nutshell, April 3rd wasn't Yuno's day at all.

And now, just when she'd thought the day couldn't get any worse, she saw this.

Yuno knew perfectly well there was no reason for her to worry; after all, if anyone could take care of himself, it was her beloved Yukki. Indeed, he'd saved her life on that night, even if he hadn't been able to spare her parents as well. Their locking eyes in that one moment during the concert might have been love, but the feelings she harboured for him continued to run wild and had since transcended even that.

Yuno closed her eyes as she pictured him in her mind.

His shyness.

His hesitation.

And most of all, his mysterious ability to tap into some kind of inner strength in times of crisis, almost to the point of becoming another person entirely.

Yukki…

I'll protect you…

And as she opened her eyes, Yuno came to her decision.

------

From: [xxxxxx]

To: Yukiteru Amano

Date/Time: 04/03/24 16:17

Subject: [no subject]

Eden's Diary Function B [Assassin's Diary] has been unlocked.

As he sat in his seat in their now-abandoned classroom, staring at that message on his cellphone, Yukiteru Amano couldn't but feel a sense of amusement at the perfect timing of this particular development.

He reflected on his choice to stay behind, to keep the enemy busy while Minerva took his classmates out to an impromptu acquaintance dinner, keeping them safe in the process. To pass the time, he'd chosen to practice with his darts, like he usually did in the morning. After all, those poison darts of his would definitely be useful, but only if they managed to hit their target; to say that one dart could decide his fate wouldn't have been too far off the mark. He of all people would have known better than to engage a serial killer head-on, which was why he saw fit to bring some poison darts and smoke bombs – the only weapons he could hope to sneak into school – as a sort of insurance policy.

And then, all of a sudden, that message appeared on his Eden's Diary.

Even Yukiteru had to marvel at the volume of information that had suddenly been made available to him courtesy of his newly-unlocked Assassin's Diary. It was a lot like the Animus Database he referred to from time to time while reliving Ezio's memories, except that it also worked on targets he had yet to encounter. Needless to say, it was truly a godsend for his Future Diary to have gained another form, right when he needed it most.

Of course, Yukiteru knew perfectly well that his demise very much remained a possibility. It wasn't that he wasn't confident in his skills; on the contrary, thought Yukiteru, it was because he'd completely assimilated Ezio's skills and experience that he decided as he did. He had no doubt that Minerva, possibly even his classmates, would be inclined to help, but the way he saw it, he had the best chance of survival if his own skin was all he had to worry about.

More importantly, thought Yukiteru, he wanted to leave them out of it, innocent as they were likely to get very ugly here before the day was through, and he neither wanted nor needed his classmates getting caught up in this mess. It was, after all, part of their Creed. Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent.

You're late.

Yukiteru stood up slowly as the front door to the empty classroom creaked open, but there was no hint whatsoever of fear or surprise on his face as he looked up to face his would-be vanquisher.

"Takao Hiyama, 28 years old," he regurgitated the information provided to him by his Assassin's Diary, in a voice quite unlike his own. "High school teacher by day, valued member of the Assassin Order by night."

"Masquerades as a serial killer, calling himself the Night Stalker as he dispatches his Templar victims with his machete. Overly cautious. Twitchy. Borderline paranoid. Wears full body armor at all times, even while operating under his cover job."

Yukiteru spoke the words as though they were his own, but to him it felt as if someone else were whispering them in his ear. The voice issuing from his mouth was still recognizable as that of his 14-year old self, but the manner in which he spoke was of a seasoned Mentor. Even Hiyama could sense something amiss as he froze in his tracks, a bead of sweat running down the gas mask he wore to conceal his identity.

"Our tenets are clear," Yukiteru declared, his tone one of deadly calm. "Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent. Hide in plain sight. Never compromise the Brotherhood. You, fratello mio, have broken all three, and now you must pay with your life."

"Requiescat in pace, traditore."

Having pronounced the death sentence, Yukiteru threw something to the floor, engulfing the whole room in thick, black smoke as he did so.

And by the time it cleared, he was nowhere to be found.

------

Hinata Hino was concerned.

The chain of events that had unfolded that day seemed suspect, to say the least. For one thing, it was evident to her that Yukiteru and their guidance counselor had some kind of relationship that went way beyond that between a student and his teacher. She, Hinata, had been spying on them earlier while they were talking in the hallway just outside their classroom, and the fact that they weren't conversing in Japanese wasn't lost on her.

And then, right after their last period, Minerva showed up in their classroom and announced a surprise acquaintance dinner for their whole class. Yukiteru hadn't been around for the announcement either, nor was he here with them in the Italian restaurant Minerva had picked out.

Something's wrong here...

Indeed, thought Hinata as she chowed down her spaghetti; given their obvious closeness, one would think that Minerva would have expressed greater concern with respect to Yukiteru's disappearance. But from the looks of things, it was as if she didn't even care... unless...

Hinata raised her hand.

"Yes?" Minerva asked, an easy smile on her face as she got up from her seat to go over to her student.

"Hinata Hino, was it? Is something the matter?"

"As a matter of fact, Miss Minerva, there is," Hinata replied evenly, her amber eyes locked onto Minerva's ruby-red orbs as she spoke. "How come Amano-kun isn't with us? The only other person who isn't here is Gasai, and she was absent all day."

"Yeah, I was wondering that too, Miss Minerva," added Mao beside her, having finished eating some time ago; there was something in the way her best friend kept glancing at her that caused Hinata's left eyebrow to twitch, and her cheeks to flush faintly pink. "Isn't he coming here? It just isn't the same when there's someone missing, you know."

"I'll have to agree with the girls, too," this from Aru Akise, a young boy with platinum hair and red eyes similar to Minerva's own. "Logically speaking, this acquaintance dinner would be most effective if all of us were here. Wouldn't you say, Miss Minerva?"

Minerva's face was impassive as she listened to each of them speak up. For better or worse, the children that had been put to her care were especially observant and precocious, which made it difficult if not impossible to pull the wool over their eyes. She still couldn't tell them that Yukiteru was in a duel to the death with some lunatic serial killer, but neither would she get away with telling them a boldfaced lie.

Luckily, it only took her a moment to come up with an answer.

"Yuki-kun had a prior engagement to attend to, that's all," she answered her students' queries with a careful smile on her face; it was the truth, after all, even if not the whole truth, and Yukiteru did wish to keep his classmates out of danger if at all possible.

"Try not to worry too much, alright?" she added, the smile never leaving her face as she looked at each of them in turn. "I'm sure he'll be here soon enough."

Even as she said this to her students, though, Minerva sent a message to Athena, informing her of Yukiteru's current situation. Given that her current role was to ensure the safety of these children, Minerva fervently prayed her twin would be able to come to the rescue of their beloved Yuki-kun. Otherwise...

...Hell.

I don't even want to think about it.

------

Yuki-kun...

As she went about her usual chores at home, Athena cursed herself for her current inability to aid their dear little brother.

It wasn't that she didn't want to help out, but she didn't have a choice. With Piero dead, Minerva out and Yukiteru otherwise occupied, she, Athena, was the only one left to stand guard over the Auditore house. Sure, they had security systems installed, but they'd also learned the hard way that those weren't foolproof. The thing was, their home also doubled as a hideaway for some of their Order's most important secrets, which if stolen would be likely to have devastating consequences not only for their family, but for the Assassin Order as a whole.

Just then, though, an idea struck her. She, Athena, might not be able to assist Yukiteru, but she knew someone else who could.

"Hello, Sakurami Police Department. How may I help you?"

"Good afternoon," greeted Athena, even as she went over every corner of their dining room with a vacuum cleaner.

"I'd like to report a sighting of the serial killer in Sakurami High School..."

Athena just hoped Yukiteru managed to hang in there, at least until the police arrived.

------

Unbeknownst to either Yukiteru Amano or Takao Hiyama, a third, black-clad figure prowled the halls of Sakurami High School that moment, his face concealed by an oni mask as well as a yellow scarf.

He sure doesn't waste any time, does he?

He'd only been on the mission for a little over two days, and already Shouichi Ogami received a golden opportunity to strike. For some reason or another, Takao Hiyama saw fit to hunt one of his own students, who he now began to stalk all over the campus. Still more interesting was the fact that the student in question turned out to be more than just an ordinary high school student, if that smoke bomb he set off back there was any indication. However wimpy or otherwise defenseless he may have looked, the kid clearly wasn't what he seemed.

But still...

On the other hand, he was still just a child, going up against a grown man who made a twisted hobby out of committing murder. Whatever skills and weapons he possessed, Shouichi highly doubted that the kid would have been able to turn the tables on Hiyama. On the contrary, if he got too cocky, there was a chance he wouldn't even live long enough to get drunk for the first time, or to lose his virginity.

Guess I ought to lend a hand, huh, milady?

There was no question about it, really, thought Shouichi as he hid in a broom closet just as Hiyama passed by. Lady Tsubaki would definitely have wanted him to assist the boy, and for that matter, Shouichi himself felt he ought to level the playing field a little. Kusaka had ordered him to kill Hiyama, after all; at no point had it been specified that he, Shouichi, was to do so alone.

Besides, thought Shouichi as he removed his mask for a moment, abandoning a child to his fate really isn't my style.

And after a deep breath, he put his mask back on.

The sooner he put this lunatic under, the sooner he'd get to return to the shrine and give that eunuch Kusaka what was coming to him.

Hidden behind the door of an empty classroom, Yukiteru checked his Future Diary for updates.

[E:/Assassin's Diary/Personnel files/Takao Hiyama]

[Update -16:30]

Member of the Assassin Order, charged with liquidating Templars under the guise of a serial killer. Body armor protects him even from assault weaponry and high-grade explosives.

Cazzo.

Reading that update, Yukiteru had a nasty feeling he'd bitten off more than he could chew. If the entry in his Assassin's Diary was to be believed, none of the weapons he had right now would do much good. For obvious reasons, smoke bombs wouldn't be very useful beyond stalling his adversary. Also, Yukiteru questioned the wisdom of attempting to kill the traitor with the hidden blade, given the level of protection he had with that armor of his.

And besides, that machete of his could be a problem.

The only option currently available to the young would-be Assassin was to dispatch Hiyama at range. Unfortunately, he wasn't very well-armed in that regard either; his sisters had refused to upgrade his hidden blade with a hidden gun, and throwing knives were right out of the question as well. All he had right now were his poison darts - which, in this case, would require improbable aiming skills on his part to be of any use. Regardless, thought Yukiteru, he'd find some way to get the job done.

Because if I don't, I'm dead.

No sooner had he thought that than his Assassin instincts impelled him to leap away from the door, just as a blade stabbed through the very spot where his head had been.

And when his enemy kicked the door open, Yukiteru fired off a burst of poison darts at him, before tossing a smoke bomb to cover his escape as he leapt out the window.

------

Having been made a prisoner in his own body, Takao Hiyama was literally helpless to do anything as he watched his erstwhile student leap out of the window.

He was certain that that spirit - that thing - that had tormented him last night was the one pulling his strings right now, but there wasn't very much he could do about it. And ever since then, he'd been forced to watch himself commit all kinds of horrific deeds, all of them involving the murder of innocent people who had nothing to do with the war between the Assassins and the Templars.

In a twisted sense, he was actually glad that his current target was someone who could actually fight back, in addition to being a fellow member of their Order. The dying screams of his last victim - a terrified young woman who he'd butchered in the dead of night - had been etched into his memory, as were his futile attempts to stop himself from doing so. Her pleas for mercy would play ceaselessly in his mind for the remainder of his life, however long that happened to be.

Hiyama had the feeling that at this point, only death could free him from the prison his body had become. But then, considering his current circumstances, death would actually be a blessing; whoever would end up killing him would really be doing him a favor.

Better redemption through death, than to live on forever as someone's slave.

------

"We've arrived."

Stepping out of the car, a young man clad in the uniform of a rookie policeman stared up at the main building of Sakurami High. Two identical, dark-haired women stood flanking him on either side, each waiting silently and patiently for their orders.

"Right, then. Ami, Tsuki, wait for me here. Don't let anyone else get in, this could get messy."

He didn't bother to wait for a reply before going on ahead; he didn't need to. Rookie cop though he was, his current rank had nothing to do with the skills he possessed and everything to do with his relatively recent entry into the police force. And in any case, he mused to himself, there was a very good chance he'd receive some sort of promotion after today.

Not that he needed it, either.

To begin with, it was on someone else's behest that he was even in the police force at all.

Itachi Yukishiro, 24 years old. One of the Assassin Order's most capable operatives, he was a prodigy who excelled at all sorts of things. From combat to reconnaissance to undercover work, there was practically nothing he couldn't handle. All the while, he'd even managed to come up with all sorts of weapons and gadgets for his comrades, most of which had gone on to become widely used by the Order.

It was his many talents that led him to Lorenzo Auditore, who wasted little time taking the rising star under his wing. Where Itachi shared some of his deadlier innovations with his mentor, Lorenzo had reciprocated not only by way of material and monetary rewards, but also by personally training him and allowing him to handle some of the Order's most dangerous and sensitive missions.

Indeed, thought Itachi as he briefly looked back at his two girls, he owed his master a very large debt of gratitude. And when Lorenzo had asked him to infiltrate the Sakurami Police Department, barely a month after the tragedy at Sakurami Stadium, he accepted without thinking.

Itachi's mission, as given to him by his master, was to work his way up the ranks of the police force, dispatching any Templars or otherwise crooked cops he might come across along the way. As both of them knew that the tragedy had been perpetrated by none other than Mayor John Bacchus himself, they also knew that a direct confrontation would be little less than suicidal on their part. If they were to put a bullet in him, they would have to erode his influence among the people.

And so it came to pass that when a call came in, reporting a sighting of the serial killer at Sakurami High, Itachi readily and insistently volunteered himself for the task. He had his own motives as well; he'd become fast friends with some of his fellow policemen, and while he wasn't overlooking their competence and bravery, there was little chance of them prevailing against an experienced Assassin like Takao Hiyama. This was something only he could do; that being the case, it fell to him to see it through.

Besides, I can't really stomach traitors running around scot-free.

------

"Are you alright?"

The voice, new and unfamiliar, was the first thing that greeted Yukiteru as he came to. He'd been knocked unconscious from his rough landing earlier, not that staying there and letting his erstwhile teacher stab him to death was a better option. If nothing else, the rose bush conveniently located under the abandoned classroom helped to minimize any injuries he may have sustained.

That said, it wasn't as if he didn't hurt all over. For one thing, his less than graceful landing cause him to land hard on his backside. And this guy's outfit-

...The hell?

At the very least, thought Yukiteru, he wasn't a Templar. The mere fact that he wasn't dead yet was proof of that.

Hell, if his hunch about the Mayor was correct, it was highly probable that the Templars knew of his heritage as well as his debut in the family business, as it were. In any case, anyone seeking to kill him would definitely have made at least a passing attempt at concealment. And unless a ninja outfit - complete with a flowing yellow scarf - passed for subtlety these days, this guy didn't fit that description in the slightest.

But apart from the newcomer's outfit being ridiculous enough to give him a headache, that still left one important question-

"Don't worry, I'm a friend," said the newcomer, raising his hands defensively as though he'd just read Yukiteru's thoughts. "I don't make a habit out of hurting children, and besides, the one I've been sent to kill happens to be the guy who's after you."

He visibly hesitated, before adding: "Shouichi Ogami, at your service. And you are...?"

[E:/Assassin's Diary/Personnel files/Shouichi Ogami]

[Update -16:45]

Amnesiac, though possessing exceptional combat skills on par with either a Master Assassin or Templar. Currently serves as the enforcer of the Omekata cult as well as its leader's personal bodyguard. No further data available.

Yukiteru relaxed a little after reading the new entry in his Assassin's Diary.

On one hand, he still knew very little about this guy. Even his lack of affiliation with Abstergo or the Templar Order wasn't enough assurance, as he'd learned through Ezio's memories - through his battles against the Cult of Hermes, not to mention Savonarola and his cohorts - that the world wasn't split into good people and Templars. Shouichi Ogami might not have been a Templar, but there remained a very real possibility that he was an enemy nevertheless.

Then again...

"...Yukiteru Amano," he finally replied.

It was true; Yukiteru knew that even his Future Diary was far from foolproof. But then, it was also true that they did have a common enemy at the moment, which meant that Shouichi Ogami could be trusted at least as far as Hiyama was concerned.

------

Having hastily taken her medicines before leaving home, Yuno Gasai rushed to Sakurami High School as though her life depended on it.

Yukki... I'm coming...

It was cold dread and grim determination that kept Yuno's illness at bay, and by the time the school buildings came into view, she barely even felt it at all. Ill though she may have felt all day, it was that last, most ominous entry that had appeared on her Future Diary that spurred Yuno to action. Whatever happened to her, whatever the price she might pay for overtaxing herself at a time like this, there was absolutely no way in hell she would allow that particular prediction to come true.

Wait for me...

That time, during the incident, it had been Yukiteru who had protected her, in the process losing his uncle and his innocence. And now, thought Yuno, it was her turn to protect him, and damned if she was going to be held back by her own body...

"I'm sorry, little girl, but the school is off-limits at this time."

...Much less by these two women.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Yuno said as her eyes darted between the two, ignoring their previous statement and making no effort to disguise her suspicion and hostility. "I've never seen either of you around here, come to think of it."

"There's someone inside who needs me right this minute, so I'd appreciate it if you two were to kindly get out of my way."

Unfortunately, yet unsurprisingly, the twins held their ground. She'd already identified them as potential threats; indeed, Yuno found something in them that reminded her of Yukiteru's sisters, whose kind and gentle countenance did little to hint at just what they were capable of. Nevertheless, she refused to let that possibility intimidate her as she glared at them both, ready to attack in a heartbeat.

"There's a serial killer loose in there at the moment, and we've come to arrest him," said the one on the right. "I'm sorry, but we really can't allow you to pass. It's for your own good, you know."

You must not hesitate.

Yuno's eyes widened at the words. While the voice was one she'd never heard before, it was also one that she found strangely familiar nonetheless. It was as if whoever it was held some sort of connection to her, but as to what that connection was, she had no idea.

He must live.

What Yuno did know, however, was that the voice was making perfect sense to her. Yukiteru was hers; she'd already told him as much, after all, and it really wouldn't do for her to allow him to be murdered by some lunatic. Anyone seeking to prevent her from being by his side at this moment would do so at their own peril.

And they must die.

"Well?" prompted the other twin with just a touch of irritation, recalling Yuno to her surroundings. "If I were you, I'd go home right now, young lady. This is no place for children like you!"

That did it.

Rather than say anything more, Yuno let out an inarticulate scream of rage, right before charging at the dark-haired twins with butcher knife in hand.

------

Yes... Do what you must...

Atop one of the school buildings in the distance, the robed figure watched the rose-haired girl with grim satisfaction.

My child...

Never again will we be denied.