What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter to "The Heroic Hunter".

This is the start of the newest arc. The Blood Apostle arc.

Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, the Fate series, High School DxD, or any material related. All rights go to their respective owners.

Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!

Chapter 7: A Bloody Reunion

It was a clear night in the city of Tokyo.

It was the bustling capital, mixing the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers and anime shops to cherry trees and temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding forests. The Imperial Palace sits amid sprawling public gardens. The city is famed for its vibrant food scene, and its Shibuya and Harajuku districts are the heart of its trendy teen fashion scene.

A young man slowly woke up as he sat up on his bed, exposing his toned body. His brain processed that, from the brief scanning of the area, he was in his hotel room. And an expensive one at that. After all, all of his accommodations had been paid for by his employers. He looked out towards the window that oversaw the city, the lights glittering like it was a reflection of the night sky. Scenes such as this always made him feel at peace.

He then felt a pair of arms slowly snaking around his form and soft skin pressed against his back, and their head resting on his shoulder.

"Master, you must take your rest." A mature voice said softly.

The young man looked over his shoulder with a soft smile, "Sorry, Lancer. I can't really sleep."

"Problem?" The mature voice asked.

"It's not so much of a problem. I'm just nervous." He said. "I'm reuniting with a friend I haven't seen in at least a year."

"Someone I should know?" Lancer inquired.

"A friend of mine when we were in the Clock Tower. We got along well until I had my assignment. And during that assignment, I summoned you."

"And you never complained, but you were so adorable stuttering over your words." Lancer said coyly.

"Well, how could I not? Especially since I summoned the most beautiful woman who became King of Britannia." He said, before shifting his body towards the one who was leaning on him. If her long blonde hair wasn't cascading down, it would have been tied in a bun, but her side bangs dropping past her shoulders, and the fringe of her hair parting in two were like threads of gold. Her golden crown accentuated more of her beauty and her emerald eyes are full of life. She also had a very curvaceous figure, the kind that would make men and possibly women fall to their knees when radiating such a form of sexuality.

"My eyes are up here, Master." Lancer said with a teasing smile.

"Can't I not appreciate your beauty?" He chuckled. "Besides, I can see why Merlin would fancy you, especially since she-"

"If you continue that line of thought, I will be most displeased."

"Hmhmhm, alright, fair point." He chuckled, before kissing her forehead. "I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind."

"And just like that, you will treat me to a five-star meal at the most expensive restaurant in the city."

"Anything for you, my King." He winked as he leaned in to kiss her on the lips, which she gladly returned. Before long, they laid on the bed with her on top as he never got tired of the view. "Still, I… never really thought it'd be like this," he said softly. "Ever since you came into my life, I've never felt happier."

"You were rather depressing to be around at times." Lancer pointed out.

"But I've gotten better, and for the better. You showed me that there's more to life than just… getting by. You taught me so many things and I took it to heart and earnestly. And… eventually, because of that, I was able to prove my worth to you, and earn your love."

Lancer rolled her eyes in amusement, "Must you be so dramatic?"

"Am I not speaking the truth though?" He asked back.

"You are. But it is still a mystery as to how you were able to summon me." Lancer pointed out.

"And I hope it stays that way." He smiled, caressing her cheek, before frowning slightly. "I don't… want to lose all of this. I don't want to lose you."

"I care about you as well… but you know that my body is not flesh and blood. I will one day return to the Throne."

"I know but… until then, while we still can, for as long as we can." Kurogasa said, looking deep into her eyes. "I… want to be with you."

"Well, since you're so determined…" Lancer smiled. "We still have some time before we have to actually leave."

"I love the way you think." He smiled back, before the two kissed once more and the whole night was filled with nothing but love.

"Goddammit! Who touched my limited edition RX-78-2 Gundam model!" Aaron shouted angrily from within his bedroom.

"Not me!" Musashi called out.

"Nor I." Atalanta said.

Aaron stuck his head out, "Fran…" He said slowly. "Did you touch my model?"

Fran looked down, almost ashamed, "Wanted… to play…"

Aaron couldn't help but sigh. He can't get mad at her. Not when she's this adorable when looking sad! "Okay, Fran. I'm not mad, but models aren't meant to be played with. If you wanted to have fun, you could have told me."

*CRASH*

"Motherfucker! That better not be another lamp, Raynare!" Aaron shouted in annoyance.

"FUCK YOU!" Raynare shouted back.

Aaron sighed irritably at this. He knew it would be difficult to change Raynare's ways by having her be a maid, but he didn't think it would be this difficult.

"Ugh, wait here, Fran. I gotta deal with the maid… again." Aaron said in resignation as he marched into the living room and found Raynare, dressed in a sexy maid uniform that showcased her smooth legs and her ample bust, as she tried to clean up a broken lamp… with her hands. "We have a broom and dustpan, woman! How did you even break it? Did you knock it over with your fat ass?!"

"Shut up! This is hard, okay?!" Raynare snapped at him.

"You've been working here for three weeks! You break more than you clean! I have to pay for it, dammit!"

"And that reward you got from your job wasn't enough?!"

"It was all spent on your living expenses! I have five mouths to feed now! You know how much groceries cost?! I lost a third of that damn paycheck in three fucking weeks!"

"Grrrrrrrrrrr…"

*RING, RING, RING, RING!*

"Ugh, really?" Aaron groaned, hearing his cell phone. "This isn't over." He scowled at her before picking up his phone. "Hello?"

…

"Well, well, Lord El-Melloi II. Wasn't expecting a call from you?"

…

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

…

"One of those bloodsucking leeches, huh? Fine, I'll deal with it."

…

"The fuck you mean someone else is looking for them?"

…

"Ugh, not her…"

…

"She tried to rip my face off."

…

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

…

"Double my pay? I'm listening…"

…

"Fine, I can work with her. But the moment she tries anything against me, I'm putting a bullet in her skull."

…

"Good. Glad to hear it. Tell Gray that I said, hi." After that, Aaron hung up. "Well, this week might be fun after all."

"What?"

"You lucked out. My next job will have my next paycheck doubled, along with a bonus." Aaron said.

"A bonus?"

"Yep, I'm meeting an old friend and an acquaintance." Aaron said with a smirk. "That being said, that job starts now. So I'll get going. Try not to wreck the whole house while I'm gone, okay?"

"Hmph…" Raynare scoffed, looking away.

Aaron sighed, "Okay look, how about this? If and when I get my job done and get my money, I'll take you out on a date. It's the least I could do to make your life a bit easier."

"It's not like I want you to be nice to me?!" Raynare said with an embarrassed blush. "B-But I won't ignore such an offer."

"You're such a tsun."

"S-Shut up…!"

In the Hyoudou Residence…

Miyuki slowly opened her eyes as it was the start of a new day. She was in her room, but there was someone lying next to her on the bed. And it was none other than Asia… in her birthday suit. Miyuki looked down and noticed she too was without clothes.

'That's right…' Miyuki thought to herself. Ever since Asia had been reborn as a Devil, thanks to Rias reviving her with a Bishop piece, she had been rather protective and often clingy towards the former nun. Even during school, when she was transferred over to Kuoh as a student, she would get defensive over her, especially when it came to the Perverted Duo. It was because of what happened back then, when Raynare practically raped her to get her Sacred Gear and hadn't gotten over it until last week. When Asia felt comfortable, she allowed Miyuki to be in this… relationship with her.

Frankly, Miyuki had to explain to her parents and her cousin as to why Asia would be staying in the house. Throw in a quick sob story, a small lie, and she had her family eating out of the palm of her hand. So now, Asia was an unofficial member of the Hyoudou family.

'This sucks… Invoking Rule 43 just left a bad taste in my mouth… that fucking bitch Raynare…' Miyuki sighed inwardly. 'I don't know why Aaron let her live anyway…'

A knock on her bedroom door drew her attention, "Miyuki, time to get up. Oba-san made breakfast."

"Ha~i…" Miyuki groaned.

A cute moan from Asia caught Miyuki's attention as she too woke up. "Good morning, Miyuki."

"Morning, Asia-chan. Come on, we gotta get up. Kaa-san made breakfast." Miyuki told the nun/reincarnated Devil.

"Hai." Asia nodded as she sat up, revealing the developing but nice body she had. "By the way, Miyuki."

"Hm?"

Asia blushed shyly while looking at her. "You were… amazing last night."

"Oh, uh… thanks." Miyuki blushed as well. "Though, I didn't think you were a submissive type…"

"M-Miyuki!"

"Sorry, sorry. I've been hanging around Aaron too much." Miyuki admitted with a sheepish chuckle. "Um… anyways, we should get dressed."

"Of course." Asia shuffled out of the warm comforts of Miyuki's bed and recovered her undergarments as well as her school uniform.

"Master… Master, it's sunrise."

"Mmmmm… five more minutes, Lancer…"

"If you don't wake up, no more play time." Lancer warned him.

"You just had to play that card." He sighed before opening his eyes and lying next to him on the bed was Lancer, fully nude like last night, and with a serene smile on her face.

"Good morning." She said with a coy smile. "Had a nice dream?"

"It was a reality last night." He teased back.

"You were so much easier to tease back then." Lancer pouted.

"Sorry, I did say I've gotten better for the better." He chuckled. "But just to humor you, yes. I did. I dreamt of you and me, living quietly in the countryside… while raising our kids." He added with a slight blush.

"Thinking of children now, huh?" Lancer snickered. "I have to say, aren't you a little young to be thinking that far ahead?"

"I mean… you could say that is my sincere wish for the Grail."

"If there truly is a Holy Grail War, there is the risk of us surely dying."

"Yeah, but… we can worry about that when the time comes, but until then, I can keep dreaming."

"That you can, but right now, we need to get up. We still have a job and a reunion ahead of us."

"Right. And treat you to a five-star breakfast." He chuckled.

"I honestly forgot about that. So glad you remembered."

"I have to start practicing being a good husband to my future wife at some point, right?" He smiled, kissing her cheek.

"That you do. Now take a bath. You smell awful." Lancer patted her Master's cheek.

"I thought you liked my scent last night." He snickered, earning a light pillow smack to the face from Lancer. "Ite…"

"F-Fool." Lancer blushed.

Meanwhile at Kuoh Academy, or more specifically, the Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory had been pondering over her childhood friend's reaction after the rescue of her newest Bishop.

"Human lands don't belong to anyone but humans. And don't forget, at the end of a day, I'm a mercenary."

Those words rang in her mind all day. Aaron made it quite clear and adamant that Kuoh didn't belong to anyone but humans. She wondered what could have changed the normally sweet and rambunctious boy she met as a child into the hunter he is today?

"Rias," She heard the voice of her friend, Akeno. "I should inform you that the deadline for that is coming up."

The crimson-haired girl grimaced, "I know that, Akeno."

"Is something wrong?" Akeno asked.

Rias sighed lightly, "I'm sorry Akeno… I feel… inadequate as of late."

"You don't mean that, Buchou." Akeno assured her King.

"But I do. So far, my newest Pawn has been hurt more times than I can follow. Not only that, my childhood friend is a mercenary and a Hunter who has a strong distrust of the supernatural." Rias retorted. "I'm starting to think that maybe… I should just give up while I can."

"Rias, you can't belittle yourself like this." Akeno chastised her King. "After all, you still haven't told Aaron your true feelings."

The Gremory heiress blushed while glaring at her Queen, "What are you talking about? I don't have feelings for Aaron!" She denied.

"You're lying to yourself, Buchou."

"Akeno, you-"

"It's written all over your face." Akeno said. "Besides, the reason you're even doing this is because-"

The temperature in the room suddenly went a little bit cooler when Rias stared at her Queen. "Don't… even… go there."

"Am I not speaking the truth, though?" Akeno asked.

"Yes, but I will not drag him into my problems." Rias stated. "My business is relegated to my family. Humans don't have to know, especially one I've known since childhood…"

"But you still care about him." Akeno pointed out.

"He and I are different."

"Maybe so, but isn't that all the more reason for him to know?" Rias remained silent as Akeno approached her King, going around the desk and kneeling on one knee, holding the redhead's hands. "Rias… you don't have to do everything alone when it comes to personal problems. Myself and the rest of the Peerage are here for you. Are we also not family?" She asked sincerely.

The heiress closed her eyes and sighed, "You're right, Akeno. You're absolutely right. I care about each and every one of you guys. You're my family. But Aaron… What could I say to him?"

"How about the truth?"

"The truth…"

"Yes… granted, he may not react the way you want him to, but I'm sure he will definitely do what is right for you and him."

Rias giggled softly, "You make it sound like I'm expecting him to confess."

"Maybe I am." Akeno teased.

"Don't think you can fool me. You like him too." Rias shot back with a teasing smirk of her own.

"Ara, found me out already?" Akeno giggled, as she now slowly leaned up towards Rias's face, being dangerously close. "You already know that I like you too."

"Curse you and your bisexuality."

"Like you have any right to judge me, Buchou~." The Queen snickered. "But don't think I'll lose to you for getting Aaron-kun's affections."

"I guess the feeling's mutual." Rias smiled.

"Yes it is." Akeno smiled back, before pressing her lips against Rias's, to which the redhead gladly returned. "We have some time to kill…" She whispered huskily. "Shall we… go somewhere more private?"

"Alright. You are such a restless vixen, Akeno." Rias said with a sultry smirk.

"I aim to please~." Akeno purred.

It was late into the evening of Kuoh as Aaron, dressed in his hunter clothes consisting of dark padded clothing such as a long-sleeved black turtleneck, dark grey pants, black boots, black gloves, and a black trenchcoat, waited outside of Kuoh Academy's main gate, waiting for his partners to arrive to assist him with his next job.

"Where the hell are they?" He pondered, checking his cell phone and took note of the time being close to midnight.

"Are you sure they're coming Master?" Musashi asked, as she appeared next to him, alongside Fran and Atalanta.

"If they don't, I'm gonna be mad as hell. But I have never known either of them to be running late…" He paused, then sighed, "Except for one."

"Who exactly are these people, Master?" Atalanta questioned.

"One of them is a mage from the Clock Tower. The other is… an acquaintance." Aaron answered with a grimace.

"What kind of acquaintance?" Musashi pondered.

"Let's just say, she's a blood-sucking leech." He said with a haunted look in his eyes.

"Oh, that's not nice to say to an old friend, little Jaeger."

Aaron face-faulted at the sound of that irritating voice. "Goddammit! How many times have I told you that I'm not little!" He shouted at the speaker in comical anger.

The speaker is revealed to be a beautiful woman with short blonde hair down to her neck, and bright red eyes. Her outfit consists of a long sleeve white shirt, long purple skirt, and black boots. However, the Servants behind Aaron immediately sensed the danger she posed.

"Master, stay back, she's-" Atalanta readied her bow for a fight along with Musashi and Fran but the hunter held up a hand, stopping them.

"I know what she is and who she is. A pain in my ass with the mindset of a little girl." Aaron stated.

The blonde woman pouted, "So mean! You're so mean to me, little Jaeger!"

"Probably because the first time we met, you tried to rip my face off, Princess!" The teen angrily shouted.

"Princess?!" Musashi, Fran, and Atalanta cried out.

"She's really not one!" Aaron snapped comically.

"Well…" The blonde trailed off.

"You're not a damn princess!"

"Don't be so dramatic. It's not my fault you look like a Dead Apostle."

"Still don't excuse you for nearly killing me, Arcueid!"

"You're still alive, aren't you?"

"And you wonder why Shiki left you for that Exorcist chick." Aaron said and didn't even flinch when the blonde woman was right in front of him with her nails aimed dangerously close to his throat. "Struck a nerve?"

"Never… mention that… again…" Arcueid snarled, but then realized that Saber had her katana near her throat and Archer had her arrow pointed at her skull.

"Easy, you two. Back off." Aaron ordered.

"But, Master-" Musashi tried to speak but a firm glare from the teen quickly had her follow the order.

"She was never going to kill me. Never would have had the chance either." Aaron gestured with his eyes down, which the girls all followed to see he had Grail aimed right at Arcueid's heart.

The woman smirked, "Still fast on the draw, I see."

Aaron returned the smirk. "I have to be, especially in this line of work."

"All the more reason that we work together to get this mission done." A third voice said, as they all seemed to hear the sound of… hoofs trotting?

"Is that who I think it is?" Arcueid asked.

"You mean the Samurai of Justice? Yep." Aaron replied as he, his Servants, and Arcueid looked towards the source of the trotting hoofs. Coming towards them was a horse but on top of the horse was a woman with long blonde hair tied in a bun, and her side bangs dropping past her shoulders, and the fringe of her hair parting in two were like threads of gold. Her golden crown accentuated more of her beauty and her emerald eyes are full of life. She also had a very curvaceous figure, the kind that would make men and possibly women fall to their knees when radiating such a form of sexuality though her blue revealing outfit and her cape did nothing to hide it.

However, another got off the horse and slowly walked ahead of the woman on the horse. He was a young man that's the same age as Aaron, with medium-length brown hair, with a fringe that's fanned out and has blue eyes. His attire was the Mystic Code of the Magi Association consisting of a white dress shirt with a blue tie, while having a red sleeveless cardigan vest over it while wearing black dress pants and shoes and a loose black jacket.

"Been a while, Aaron." The brunette male smiled.

"So it has, Kurogasa." Aaron nodded. His gaze landed on the woman, "And this is…?"

"Greetings. I am Servant Lancer - Artoria Pendragon." The mature blonde woman introduced herself. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"…I'm sorry, what?" Aaron looked at the woman, bewildered. "Repeat your name for me, please?"

"I am Artoria Pendragon." The woman raised her delicate eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh no. Nothing's wrong… only that I just learned King Arthur is a freaking woman! A sexy, bodacious woman!"

"Hey, easy." Kurogasa glowered with a glare. "She also happens to be my girlfriend too, so watch it."

"How is she even a Lancer?! Shouldn't she be a Saber because of, you know, Excalibur!?" Aaron exclaimed. "Wait… did you just say she's your girlfriend?!"

"I didn't stutter…" Kurogasa pouted, crossing his arms.

"Jesus, I knew you liked older women but damn, dude." The crimson-eyed teen hummed in respect. "So how were you able to fool your kingdom without anyone seeing… you know."

"It was a practice that I had to learn when I was young, it involved-" Artoria was cut off when Aaron looked at Kurogasa with a dry expression.

"Breastplate?"

"Breastplate."

"Figures…"

"In any case," Kurogasa cleared his throat. "To answer your other question, Excalibur isn't the only one associated with her legend."

"Can't be Caliburn. Which means the only other option would have to be the one thing that only King Arthur could wield." Aaron remarked.

"You would be right on that assumption." Artoria said as a beam of light appeared briefly in her hands before shapeshifting into an oversized cone-shaped long white spear. "The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World - Rhongomyniad."

"A Divine Construct from the Reverse Side of the World. Lost during the Battle of Camlann."

"Yes."

"Er-hem!" Musashi cleared her throat intentionally. Aaron turned around and saw his Servant standing there, as if annoyed that they were being ignored. "Mind introducing them to us, Master?"

"Oh, right." Aaron chuckled sheepishly before he gestured to the other young man. "This is Kurogasa Kururugi. A mage from the Clock Tower. His family specializes in Lance Magic."

He then looked at Kurogasa to gesture to his Servants. "And these are my Servants, Musashi, Frankenstein, and Atalanta. Saber, Berserker, and Archer respectively."

Kurogasa nodded, before bowing to them, "It's nice to meet you three. Hope we can get along."

"And this pain in the ass is Arcueid Brunestud. True Ancestor and a verbal masochist." Aaron gestured to the blonde woman beside him.

"Uh… right." Kurogasa said, waving weakly at her. "Nice to meet you. I think."

"Charmed." Arcueid replied with a friendly smile.

"Well, now that introductions are over and done with. Let's get started on the job." Aaron stated.

The small group, having left the school grounds, stopped in front of a quiet street with an eerie mist.

"This is the place." Aaron said.

"Master, what exactly are we doing here?" Atalanta questioned.

"Lord El-Melloi II informed me that a Dead Apostle has entered Kuoh. Possibly an Ancestor too."

"I've read the report myself." Kurogasa said. "While they're few and far in between, they're still difficult to deal with."

"Hence why I was called up to deal with them." Arcueid added. "I do hunt True Ancestors and Dead Apostles, after all."

"Plus, the report detailed that this Dead Apostle arrived three days ago. That's enough time for them to set up a hideout and collect some thralls." Aaron remarked. "So we'll probably be dealing with Ghouls, most likely."

"Ugh, I hate ghouls. So annoying." Arcueid pouted.

"Eh, they're just like zombies. Bash their skulls enough times, you get used to it." Aaron said as he checked Grail then his other sidearm which he brought with him on a hidden holster in his coat. "Besides, what I'm hoping for is to kill the source of the ghouls. Kill the Dead Apostle and the ghouls will be cannon fodder."

"Shall I go out scouting the perimeter?" Atalanta asked.

"Do it." Aaron nodded.

"At once, Master." Atalanta replied before she took off to the rooftops, leaving the group behind.

"How long will it take her?" Arcueid asked, feeling bored.

"Not long. She is one of history's greatest hunters." Aaron replied.

"Her name is Atalanta, right? One of the members of Jason's Argonauts?" Kurogasa pondered.

"That's right." The hunter replied. "Lacking in the tits department but she's got a great ass."

"And a cat girl." Kurogasa deadpanned. "Yeah, definitely your kind of girl." He then looked at Musashi and Frankenstein before muttering, "So, you trying to go for a harem?"

Aaron did a spit take. "Say what!?" He exclaimed.

"I mean you have three Female Servants at your command." Kurogasa pointed out, as he was genuinely curious.

"It's not like I chose for female Servants! Using Grail gives me a random selection! And I don't wanna hear you talk about harems when you have what's basically a MILF for a Servant!"

"Beg pardon?" Artoria frowned.

"It's okay, Lancer." Kurogasa assured. "Look, I'm not here to judge you or anything Aaron. It has been two years since we've seen each other, and things change during that time."

"No shit. And besides, you've known me enough to know that despite being human, no supernatural woman in the world has ever resisted this." Aaron gestured to his face. "It's hard being me sometimes, okay?"

"Alright, it's your life." Kurogasa shrugged.

"You have no idea what my life is like right now." The crimson-eyed teen stated.

"Master, I have located a group of those 'ghouls' you mentioned." He heard the mental voice of his Archer-class Servant speak to him.

Aaron frowned, "Targets sighted. Time to go hunting."

Kurogasa nodded, before turning to his Servant. "Lancer."

"Yes, Master." Artoria nodded back, before trotting her horse forward, ahead of the group, taking point.

"Saber, Berserker, follow her and assist Archer. A small group of ghouls means the nest is nearby." Aaron ordered his Servants.

"Understood, Master!" Musashi said with an eager grin while Fran hummed in agreement as both Heroic Spirits followed after the Lancer.

Meanwhile, Kurogasa reached into his pocket and pulled out a small rod. But then he shook it and the rod extended, turning it into a staff, which Aaron noticed was a collapsible staff. The next thing that happened was Magic Circuits lighting up on his arm before the staff changed form into a naginata and then the Magic Circuits extended to the weapon, before giving it a brief twirl.

"Fancy," Arceuid commented.

"It's my Lancecraft." Kurogasa said. "It combines Reinforcement with Projection. It only works if I wield an object with the length of a lance, like my staff. By focusing my magic circuits into it, I can 'reform' the object into a lance of my choice then reinforce it. Though it can only form normal lances. I can't recreate famous ones like Gae Bolg and Rhongomyniad."

"Oh, that sounds… useful?" The True Ancestor said, a little unsure.

"He can hold his own in a fight. As for me, I prefer guns over melee weapons." Aaron said as he took out his sidearm, an M1911 Colt semi-action pistol. Ejecting the ammo magazine, he examines the bullets. "These cost me a pretty penny. Hollow point bullets blessed with holy water and crafted with blessed silver. Perfect for dealing with undead bloodsuckers."

"I guess that's pretty useful too." Arceuid stated.

"Master, they come." Atalanta said in Aaron's mind.

"Good." He said, slapping the magazine back into the weapon. "Thin the herd."

"As you wish." The Chaste Huntress replied before he felt his magic reserves drain from the use of his Servants fighting the ghouls.

"The girls are starting the party without us. Let's crash it." Aaron told his companions.

"Fine by me." Arcueid smirked wickedly as she flexed her fingers, her nails gleaming with anticipation to crave flesh. The two of them then dashed off.

"Hey, wait for me!" Kurogasa cried out, running after them.

"Haaaa… haaaa… haaaa… haaaa…" Rias was panting, her bountiful chest rose up and down as she laid on the bed, her body sweating profusely and her head tilted away, her eyes almost soulless. Akeno looked down at her, as her body was also sweating profusely but she had a satisfied look on her face, licking her lips. The two of them had been 'having fun' like no tomorrow and Akeno, being the dominant one, certainly enjoyed Rias being submissive to her.

"Ufufufu, I can already see Aaron-kun's face when he sees you like this, Buchou." Akeno teased with a mirthful giggle. "Truly my finest work…"

"A… keno…" Rias managed to utter.

"Go and take your rest, Buchou." Akeno said, as she crawled off the bed and was about to walk, when she felt her wrist being held. "Hm?"

"No…" Rias muttered, as Akeno turned around to look at the redhead. "Please stay… don't leave me…" She pleaded softly.

"I will never leave you, Buchou. I'm your Queen. Besides, even if we continue these activities… your heart already belongs to another."

"Don't… leave… me…" Rias pleaded again.

Akeno stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before smiling motherly. She laid next to the redhead, placing her head on her chest, before wrapping her arms around her head, stroking her hair slowly and Rias wrapped her arms around Akeno. "There, there… I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"How touching." An unfamiliar voice spoke. Both Devil girls jumped in alarm when they heard the speaker. However, when they looked around, they found… nothing.

"Who's there?!" Rias demanded, using the sheet to cover her nude form.

"Do not be alarmed. I didn't mean to interrupt your business." The voice stated. "I merely wished to… convey my greetings with the owner of this city."

"Who are you?" Akeno demanded.

"No one you would know. But I did hear something from your mouths that weren't moans of pleasure. A name. Aaron, I believe?"

"And what's he to you?" Rias asked.

"Let's just say we're… old friends. Met through his family, if you can believe it." The voice remarked.

"What do you want with him?"

"Oh nothing… yet. But do tell him I stopped by. He'll know. In fact, I'll leave you my card." The voice stated. In a flash of searing blue light, a marking appeared on the wall in front of the bed the girls were using. One that strangely filled them with dread.

A symbol of a snake swallowing its own tail.

A humanoid creature, pale in flesh, covered in blood and bite marks was slowly walking towards someone with a heavy groan that sounded as if it were in pain. The steps it made were slow but quiet. Glowing red eyes locked onto fresh prey as the creature opened its mouth to reveal its razor sharp teeth-

*KA-BLAM!*

...only for the barrel of a gun to enter its mouth then a bullet was fired upward, leaving a nice, splattered hole through its brain.

"Stupid ghouls. Any decent hunter can hear them a mile away." Aaron spat as he glowered at the ghoul's corpse.

"Hyaaaaah!"

*SLASH!*

Kurogasa swung his reinforced naginata as the blade cut through several necks of a group of ghouls he was dealing with, like a hot knife cutting through butter. The blood splattered across the ground as the decapitated bodies fell almost simultaneously.

"I've dealt with worse ghouls than these guys." Kurogasa frowned in disappointment.

Arcueid hardly had any trouble killing her ghouls. A few slices with her nails and they were torn to ribbons. A few streaks of blood splattered onto her clothes as well as her face.

She looked at the blood in disgust, "Great, now I have to take a bath after this."

"You're the one that decided to go on a frenzy, so that's your fault." Aaron pointed out.

"But I can't help it!" Arcueid whined with a pout.

Aaron rolled his eyes, "Oh my God, act your age, woman." He said. "You're, what, over nine centuries old?"

"It's rude to mention a lady's age."

"I don't see a lady. Just a childish old hag."

"Master, focus on the ghouls! Worry about bickering later!" Musashi reminded him as the female swordsman hacked and slashed more ghouls with her twin katana.

"Fine, fine. I got ya." Aaron replied as he quickly brought up his pistol and fired back into the crowd of ghouls. A few died from precision firing to the head. "Archer, how many more ghouls are still in the area?"

"I count fifty. All that would be left is the Dead Apostle after."

"Fifty left, huh? Was kinda expecting at least a hundred or two." Aaron remarked after putting another bullet in a ghoul's skull. "How many can you take out from your position?"

"All of them if you would allow me to use my Noble Phantasm."

"Can't risk it. Your Noble Phantasm could destroy this whole area. Take down as many as you can. Any that survive can be left to the others."

"Understood, Master."

"Hyah!" Artoria stabbed her holy spear against a Ghoul's head and another then the next. She then reared her horse to have them stomp on another before urging her steed to charge through another group, sending them flying.

Fran roared as she swung her mace like a rabid beast, crushing the skull of a ghoul before she grabbed another from behind her then threw it into its brethren.

"Everyone, all together! We will finish this with one last attack!" Artoria said.

"Sounds good to me!" Musashi said after cutting off a ghoul's head.

"Artoria, can you round them up?" Kurogasa asked in Artoria's mind.

"Yes Master. Consider it done." Artoria said as she urged her steed to corral the remaining ghouls into one spot.

"What are you doing?" Atalanta questioned from her perch as she sniped a few ghouls with her bow. A few moments later, Artoria managed to corral the remaining ghouls into one spot as they were surrounded by the Servants. "Now I see. It makes things easier for me."

"Everyone, now!" Artoria called out and had her steed charge at the corralled ghouls, her lance poised to strike as light gathered from the tip.

"With pleasure!" Musashi smirked as she took off in a burst of speed, cutting down ten of the ghouls.

Fran roared as her mace became charged with electricity that she used to blast at the ghouls.

Atalanta said nothing except with her actions, priming five arrows at once that she then fired at her enemy.

"Don't forget us!"

The Servants looked to see a naginata flying through the air, spearing one of them before Kurogasa ran straight then jumped up, flipping forward, and dived down for a kick. "Hyaaaaaaaaaaah!" He shouted, his kicking foot pressing the naginata deeper into the ghoul he speared and stabbing a couple more with it.

Arcueid lunged in and slashed her claws, carving several of the ghouls to pieces.

Aaron came in with his pistol as well as Grail wielded in both hands, firing a barrage of bullets at the ghouls and scoring several headshots that slew the undead creatures.

"Take this!" Artoria shouted as she lunged her spear forward and the light at the tip of her spear burned away the flesh of the ghouls that were in her way, evaporating them into nothingness.

One surviving ghoul was trying to crawl away only for Aaron's boot to stop it by stomping on its back. Aiming his pistol at the ghoul's head, he fired a bullet that left a hole in its head.

"And that's the last one." Aaron remarked, ejecting the spent magazine then slapping a new one in. "That seemed easier than I thought."

"Yeah… too easy." Kurogasa frowned, pulling the naginata off of the ghoul he killed and swiped it in the air to get rid of the excess blood that was on the blade. "This is usually a set up for something bigger."

"Frankly, we made a lot of noise too. So that begs the question…" Aaron said with a frown.

"…where's the Dead Apostle that made these ghouls?" Arcueid finished.

None gave an answer yet the Servants remained on guard for any sign of danger. Aaron decided to be a bit bold and checked the corpses of the ghouls.

"Master, what are you doing?" Atalanta questioned.

"Ghouls usually have a marking left by their Dead Apostle parent. It will usually appear in the area of where they were bitten. Search the bodies for anything that looks like a tattoo or a brand." Aaron told them. The group nodded as they searched each and every corpse that had a bite mark. But so far none of them had any sort of tattoo or brand… that is until…

"Aaron? I found it." Kurogasa said, with a frown. "You're not gonna like this though…"

The crimson-eyed teen raised his head from the current corpse he was checking on then approached Kurogasa. "What is it?"

"You better see it for yourself." Kurogasa said.

Aaron looked down at the ghoul corpse and examined it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary save for the bite wounds and…

Crimson eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, "It can't be…" Aaron said with growing dread.

"What is it?" Arcueid asked as she approached the hunter who was trembling with an emotion she could not describe.

"I know who made these ghouls…" Aaron growled, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

"Who?" The True Ancestor inquired.

"The one I've been hunting all these years. The one I swore to kill…" Aaron grabbed the corpse and presented it to Arcueid, revealing the marking… of a snake biting its own tail.

"…Ouroboros!"

A/N: And that's the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Look at that, we brought in the True Ancestor waifu herself, Arcueid Brunestud! And yes, she is not with Shiki which is a very touchy subject for her and if I mention it, she'll find me and rip my throat out.

In any case, this arc is completely original and is possibly gonna be the darkest yet. Maybe. We'll see how it goes.

Review and comment on this chapter. Love it, hate it, but just know you read it.

Peace out, everyone!