Melbourne Bongcaron: That's the funniest thing I've heard all month.

Chapter 10

With both of his hands wrapped around a wooden handle, Issei brought his sword down on Saber's head. However, the latter quickly raised his own weapon, blocking and countering. He pushed hard, throwing Issei off and moving in for a quick thrust.

Issei shifted his weight, letting gravity do the work to avoid Saber's attack. His opponent's wooden blade just barely missed his chest, Issei briefly smiling with relief. Even though it was just wood, it was still probably going to hurt.

"Boost!" For the third time, his draconic gauntlet shouted. Just like that, he was eight times his regular strength, and with that burst of power he swung at Saber's weapon itself.

With a powerful slash, one too sudden for anyone to properly react to, Issei hit with enough force to press Saber's sword into the sand and cracking part of both weapons in the process.

Saber smiled proudly at Issei before lifting up his leg and kicking. With the enhancements gifted by his sacred gear, Issei took no real damage and felt nothing. However, the kick was still enough to throw him back.

Just as Issei landed, he had to block a charge from Saber. Blocking strike after strike, Issei noticed something. To the boy's surprise, Saber seemed to be having no more difficulty than before. Issei could tell that Saber was holding back, but by just how much was he pulling his proverbial punches? How far above him was this heroic spirit?

"Boost!" Sixteen times stronger, and Issei was finally able to break Saber's charge. In a flash, Issei deflected one of Saber's strikes, leaving his chest wide open, and threw a punch.

He very nearly landed a clean blow, but Saber managed to lift one of his legs. His armor managed to take the brunt of the force, at the cost of his balance. Saber stumbled backwards, trying to regain his footing.

Issei took the chance to activate one of his Boosted Gear's other features. After four multiplications, his sacred gear stopped calling out "boost". That was because sixteen times his strength was the limit of his body. Any more multiplications, and he risked damaging himself instead. was his limit. However he had another option.

"Explosion" the Boosted Gear shouted, rather than the regular "Boost". Instead, the former was capable of releasing all of his accumulated power at once. For a short amount of time, he could surpass his limit.

One last chance to claim victory. He was already this far, it was within grasp. He threw the wooden sword at Saber. He easily knocked away the projectile, just as Issei planned. Having already swung, he wouldn't be able to properly deflect Issei's true attack. With as much strength as he could muster, Issei threw his dragon-clad fist at Saber, aiming for his chest.

But just as his fist was a hair's length away from contact, it touched only air. Just as Issei had before, Saber used his lack of footing to his advantage, letting him narrowly avoid the attack.

Before he could make another move, Issei felt his arm being grabbed and pulled. He was abruptly lifted off of his feet and over Sabers head. Followed by a loud thud, he hit the ground back first, bouncing slightly off the ground after impact. He gasped, resisting the urge to throw up as he lay on the ground dazed.

"I think that's enough." His opponent, Saber, declared. On his word, Asia rushed towards Issei. Her green light enveloped his back and head first, rapidly healing his injuries and potential concussion, before moving on to the rest of his body.

"Thanks again Asia. sorry I keep making you do this." Issei said, smiling at his white mage

"No, it's fine." She responded, looking slightly embarrassed.

Again, for the Nth time that day she healed his body. However, it was something they all had agreed to. At a certain person's insistence, his daily training routine was modified. Rather than training with the Devils, he learned to fight from the resident Heroic Spirits. All the while Caster's magecraft kept their activities secret from the public.

Issei breathed out a sigh, before looking up at Saber, "Really don't hold back do you?" he asked sarcastically.

"I do actually." Saber said smugly. "My strength is at rank A, I had to fight you at somewhere between E to E+."

"Seriously?!" Issei asked in disbelief. "Wait, then what's Caster's strength?"

"Rank E, but with Master supplying me with mana, it's been raised to rank D." The elven girl answered, smiling at Asia warmly. "in other words. I'm stronger than you, especially since I don't need any charge time."

"Don't worry about it Master. Humans aren't supposed to be anywhere near the level of Heroic Spirits." Saber said dismissively. "But with your power, we'll surely get a lot stronger."

"Here's hoping." Issei thought. As the glow from Asia's hands disappeared, Issei turned his eyes to Caster. "But how is she even that strong? Shouldn't mages be weak at melee?" he wondered. Sixteen times his regular strength was still comparable to only a "weak" Heroic spirit, the one not even remotely suited for close combat.

However, he couldn't complain. It was almost certainly for the better that regular humans weren't even remotely as strong as Heroic Spirits. He would've been dead a very long time ago if that were the case. He shuddered to imagine his fate if the many females that scorned him possessed that kind of destructive power.

His train of thought was soon derailed. Somewhere nearby, there was some music playing. "Is that rock music?" He asked himself. "Do you guys hear that too?" Asia, Caster, and Saber nodded their heads, yet none of them seemed intrigued in the least by it.

The only one curious, Issei was soon on his way, leaving the others as he walked. Judging from the direction of the music, it was probably coming from the nearby park, causing him to become even more curious. Who exactly chooses a park of all places to play rock music? It seemed entirely out of place, but also had a certain feel to it that he couldn't contest. The more he walked, the further he went, the more clearly he could hear. From the fiery notes of the guitar to the lyrics that invoked an inferno, Issei could feel his heart pumped faster and more aggressively. Whatever was happening, it excited him beyond his control.

Whatever it was, he would soon find out.

Just as Issei reached the park, the music stopped, and he was met with an unusual sight. Instead of using the park for playing, or whatever they normally did, the children were gathered together. They were all giving the person in front of them a round of applause.

It was a girl with long black hair, tied in a ponytail. She looked about as tall as Asia was, if not a tiny bit shorter, but with a wildly different look. She was wearing a white sailor-shirt and a blue skirt, reminiscent of the school uniform from an old anime he once watched. However, it was also covered in a dark purple cape and a matching witch hat.

"Wait… that's a cosplay." He recognized the outfit, once worn in an old anime.

In her hands was an extremely strange instrument. It vaguely resembled a guitar, but had a skeleton-motif to it, and sharp horn-like protrusions on the body.

"Well, that was the last one." the girl said in a tired yet cheerful tone. The children groaned disappointedly but they quickly dispersed, returning to whatever they were doing earlier.

However, Issei had yet to move. For whatever reason, his body remained still, causing him to stick out and catching her attention. Noticing him still standing there and staring, she put down the guitar and walked towards him with a curious look on her face.

Issei looked concerned, watching her approach while seemingly unable to move. As she came closer and closer, he felt himself becoming warmer and warmer, as if she was a living fire.

"Hey, what's with the long face?" she asked, tilting her head at him. "Came to listen to my solo?"

"Y-yeah, pretty much." he said, chuckling to himself. "You sounded great when I was walking over here, but looks like I'm too late though."

"Thanks! I knew there'd be someone that gets it." She grinned. "But this was kinda a one-time thing, so I won't be doing it again. So instead how about we do something else?"

Issei raised an eyebrow. "Else?"

"Yeah. as compensation for not making it, let's hang out for awhile. You can call it a date if you really want to." She suggested. Though she was clearly joking, Issei looked at her with a straight and sorrowful gaze. Her smile faded as she saw his expression, and she looked away apologetically. "Oh, guess that's not really an option?"

"Sorry, I… 'dating' brings up some bad memories." Issei said. Behind his back and out of view, he clutched his hands together.

She shrugged nonchalauntly. "I get that. I was never good with dating either. So let's just not call it a date then. It'll just be a hangout. Sound good?"

"Uh, sure, I'm not busy with anything right now." he answered.

"Perfect! Then let's go!" The girl exclaimed, rolling up the witch hat and cape before throwing it aside. She gestured for Issei to follow, he did, and they quickly left the park.

"So you watched it too huh?" Issei asked, eyeing her uniform.

"Yep! Totally worth it."

"He hasn't come back yet." Asia remarked. She looked worriedly at the door he left through. It'd been nearly half an hour since he left, and not a word from him came back. "Is he alright Saber?"

"Hm? Yeah, he's fine I think." Saber answered. "Well, it's not like i know for certain; he hasn't said anything and I haven't asked myself, but if he's a tough one. If he needs help, he'll definitely tell us."

Asia frowned, looking away from Saber. "Oh, then i'm glad…"

"Let me guess. You miss him don't you?" He asked. Watching as Asia nearly jumped with surprise, and her face turn bright red with embarrassment, he laughed. "I can tell by the way you look at him. It's kinda obvious; you care a whole lot about him, maybe even like him."

"U-u-uh, well… That's because he saved me, and you're giving me a place to stay until I find somewhere else to live." she said, giving hollow laugh.

"Yeah but that's not the only reason." Saber countered, glancing behind Asia at Caster. "You can see it too right?"

Asia looked behind her, only to see the elven mage nod her head. "Master, you're rather transparent, even if you don't know. It's sweet though. I'm sure he appreciates it…" she suddenly paused, looking away as if afraid to look her master in the eyes. "If he even notices." she whispered sharply.

"It's true. My Master isn't very observant." Saber chuckled, scratching his head. "But he's a good kid. My previous master was-" Saber abruptly stopped, his reminiscing smile turned to a pained grimace. He lowered his head, holding it in his hands.

"Are you okay?" Asia asked, scanning his body with a panicked look.

"Y-yeah… I think." He groaned, unable to lift his head. "I just… I don't know. How does a servant even get a headache? I don't even have the Migraine skill."

"Is it possible, Caster?" Asia asked.

Caster shook her head at the question. "Not that I'm aware of. Perhaps if Saber would tell us his true name, we could determine the source of his migraine."

"Sorry, won't be that easy." Saber retorted. He inhaled sharply and waited a moment before sighing heavily. He raised his head up, looking at the girls with a weak smile. "I haven't even told my own master yet, no way i'm telling another Master or Servant before that."

"Why do you still choose to keep your name a secret from Issei? Is it so he doesn't accidentally tell us?" Asia asked confused.

"No, it's not something like that. To be honest, it's more selfish than that." Saber answered promptly. He scratched his head, looking away sheepishly. "I don't want anyone to know my name, not until I have my True Noble Phantasm."

"You're ashamed, aren't you?" Caster concluded.

"Pretty much." Saber answered, less than proud. "I don't want to be known as the one Heroic Spirit who lost their Noble Phantasm y'know? I'd rather die than be a laughingstock." he remarked. In the corner of his eyes, he could see Asia's face. She looked at him sympathetically, as if she was holding something back. He sighed, lowering his shoulders. "Well, I suppose you already know, don't you?"

"U-huh? No. not at all." Asia said, holding her hands up defensively.

He chuckled. "You don't have to hide it. You're a smart kid, and you figured it out a long time ago. I should be thanking you, for not telling anyone about it. Even though it might give you an advantage against me. I respect that." he said, smiling at the blonde.

Asia nodded hesitantly. She hugged her legs, feeling discontent. "I shouldn't be keeping secrets though. It's not right, right?"

"We all do things that aren't 'right'. Sometimes it's for good reasons and sometimes for bad reasons. I'll surely tell him sooner or later. Hell, it might be sooner, since I might never actually get my hands on my Noble Phantasm. No way an enemy Master's gonna just give it to us." Saber said. He sighed tiredly.

His most trusted and most powerful sword, the key to unlocking his his true strength, was also an extreme distance away. No matter how powerful Issei or he became, it wouldn't matter if an enemy Servant had the right tools for the job. There were plenty of Noble Phantasms capable of penetrating their defenses and wipe them out, and without his own, he couldn't counter them properly. The best case scenario would be to wait until he and Caster were the only ones remaining. With his Magic Resistance being at rank A, even her beams of light would be nothing. However, even setting aside the other circumstances that would make such a fight all the more difficult, the chances of such an eventuality was next to none.

"Well, we'll just figure things out as we go." Saber said, looking up and smiling. "It's more fun that way anyways."

"Saber, what do you think about the Devils?" Asia asked.

Saber blinked at the blonde, looking confused by her question. He hummed quietly to himself. "I don't really know. My whole life I always believed Devils and Demons were evil, the very incarnation of sin. The church here teaches the same thing too. But, that girl and her 'family'. I… it's a weird feeling y'know?"

She nodded, wearing the same troubled expression as he did. "Rias said she would have brought us back if we died. I don't know how, but it must be really difficult or expensive to do that too. I don't think she meant to use us as tools or slaves either. I think she meant it genuinely."

"New territory for both of us. It's pretty exciting though." he remarked. Suddenly, Saber noticed Caster's awkward-looking position. She held her staff in both hands with her eyes closed, as if meditating or praying. Her ears twitched and her grip tightened and loosened at random. Saber tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

Caster stood up, holding her staff as if readying for combat. "A lot of magical energy coming towards us. I don't recognize it as anyone we know either."

"Is it another servant?" He asked, looking alarmed.

"No, I think it's something else. This is demonic and… hot, like fire?"

"Ugh, it's just so stupid y'know?!" the black haired girl asked. Her face was slightly red from alcohol consumption. "He's just an old man, what would he know?"

"My mom and dad are always trying to rush me. It's crazy how much they talk about grandchildren!" Issei replied, just as fired up as she was.

"What's so wrong with wanting to do your own thing anyways?!"

"I know right? They don't get it at all!"

For a moment, the two fell silent. They looked at each other, with a fire behind their eyes. It was the same fire, build out of frustration and irritation. They chose to be what they wished to be, to strive for their own desires and none other. For that, they were scorned and suppressed. They felt anger, but nowhere near the level of "hatred". The girl seemed to recognize this, and smiled.

"Well, that's just life ain't it?" She said, loosely dangling a glass in her hand.

"Yeah, and you can't ever give up." Issei sighed, smiling. As painful as it was at times, it wasn't entirely hopeless. It was those exceptions that supported him, gave him refuge, and showed him an opportunity to escape. "Especially not me. Soon, I'll get my wish, my very own harem." Issei declared.

"Bwahahaha." The girl broke out into laughter. "Seriously? That's pretty ambitious y'know. I remember wanting one as a kid. Then I realized how tough just one was. Sure you can take it?"

"You bet! Just you wait and see-" Suddenly, Issei paused. He could feel a telepathic link being established, and soon heard Saber's voice.

"Master! Can you activate your Boosted Gear?" he said, sounding rushed.

Issei looked down at his arm, but remembered where he was. There was no way he could in front of this girl. "What's going on?"

"We're under attack, a dev-" Before Saber could finish, the link was cut abruptly.

Issei quickly stood up. "S-sorry, I gotta go. Something ca-I mean, I just remembered something I needed to do."

"Hm? Alright. See ya later." she said, lazily waving at him.

He quickly exited the building, looking around him and seeing that he was alone. Without hesitation, he summoned his Boosted Gear. it flashed green, doubling both the mana he could supply Saber with, as well as his speed as he ran. Though he didn't know the situation completely, Saber was clearly in distress, which also meant Caster and Asia were in danger. Fortunately, the connection also informed Issei of their location. They hadn't left the park, and it wasn't too far.

END