Hey everyone and get ready for this chapter. And this is part two of the Mountain Training Arc, to be honest, I wanted to end this in one chapter, but after working on it, I realized that wasn't possible, so I split it into two chapters. This will be the longest chapter yet. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody, Highschool DxD, Highschool DxD New, Highschool DxD Born, Highschool DxD EX, and Highschool DxD Hero are all owned by Funimation, Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Passione, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release.

"Shirou" Regular speech.

"Shirou" Thoughts.

DRAGON SHOT Attack names.

(Shirou) Words said previously.

"SHIROU!" Shouting speech.

[Ddraig] Dragon talking.

New Understanding And Unbreakable Promises

Perhaps "amazing" wasn't the correct word. Rias realized later

"Odd" didn't quite describe it.

"Disturbing" was starting to seem a little weak at the moment…

Rias, Mika, Kiba, Koneko, Asia, and Akeno had all taken their seats at the dining table, all of them staring in unified shock at the sight they beheld.

There were several loud claps as several trays were set down right in the center of the table, metal covers preserving the contents from foreign contaminants. A hand rested on the handle of one of the lids, as the owner of said hand started to take notice of the strange looks he was getting.

"Okay, I'll ask, what are you guys looking at?" Shirou questioned. His question was met by more awestruck stares. "Seriously, do I have something on why face or, What?"

"…Shirou?" Rias asked absentmindedly. "What are you wearing?"

Naturally, Rias was referring to the bright green bandanna Shirou wore to cover his hair, or perhaps the clear white apron used when cooking that Shirou wore over his front.

"A green bandanna and a white apron." Shirou answered, obviously like he wondered why that was even a question. "Something wrong with your eyes?"

Rias closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed. "Okay, less obvious question: WHY are you wearing a green bandanna and a white apron?"

"So I don't get hair on the food or food on my shirt, still obvious." Shirou answered. "A chef has to have hygiene in their station, y'know."

""Chef"?" Only then did Rias' mind process the undeniable fact in front of her. "You cooked?!" She hadn't meant to sound so horrified. It just came out that way.

Shirou was less than amused. "Yes. I cooked. I felt like doing something to break some of the tension we all got from training." He glanced at Asia for a brief second before turning back to them. She gave a smile that said, it's going well. "And this is something that calms me down, so, I figured I'd make dinner tonight."

Mika gave Rias a sharp elbow jab, darting her eyes between Shirou, the covered dishes, and Rias, followed by a series of vague hand gestures.

Rias could only mouth "What" before Mika face-palmed. She again gestured to Shirou, then to the food, then to Rias, then to Shirou again. Only after about five more iterations of this, did Rias finally figure out what Mika was trying to say.

"Oh!" Rias squeaked before turning to her Pawn. "Um… Thank you, Shirou. This is very thoughtful of you."

Shirou shrugged. "Yeah, well, this is one of the things I don't mind doing."

Rias turned to Mika with a "What now?" expression before Mika replied with a "keep going" series of gestures.

The other members sitting at the dinner table stared dubiously. After a moment, they shifted their gaze to the banquet laid before them, hidden both in sight and scent on the metal saucers covered with lids.

Rias leaned over to her raven-haired friend sitting on her other side. "Akeno, do you know what he put in there?"

"No." Akeno whispered back. "He insisted on an empty kitchen before he started."

"Alright, so who wants to start this meal?" Shirou asked, grasping the handle of the lid firmly. "Mika?"

The little Sister paused. "Under different circumstances, I would insist on going first, but right now, it'll be more fun seeing their reaction for the first time." Her smile looked innocent, but inwardly she was greatly amused. "Why doesn't Akeno try it first~?"

"Oh, who me?" Akeno asked, with a nervous smile. "I don't know. Kiba and Koneko have been doing far more physical activities~ They probably have much larger appetites~"

Shirou was starting to get impatient. "Would SOMEBODY eat something already, this took a while to make; I'd prefer it doesn't get cold."

"…No thanks." Koneko answered in a monotone. "I'm allergic to poisonous sludge."

"FUCK YOU, RUNT!"

Koneko's eye twitched.

"What she means to say is that while we would love to take the first bite." Kiba quickly followed up, attempting to stop a fight from breaking out. "It is the rule of the household that the Master should begin the feast."

"…Yeah, the Chief should do it." Koneko agreed.

"Definitely the Chief~" Akeno added.

"I vote Rias too, if only because I want to." Mika confirmed, doing her best not to burst out laughing.

"Oh, come on, everyone." Rias sighed out, feeling this was only getting worse before it got better. "Shirou took the time to make all this, for all of us, don't you think the least we can do is not assume the worst of it before we even see it…? It is good, right?" She looked to Mika for confirmation.

The indifferent shrug Mika gave was not reassuring.

Given the fact that she had never even seen Shirou near a kitchen before, she didn't really have much to go on here.

However, the inference of such a possibility clearly did not earn her Shirou's favor, judging from his expression.

Rias then decided to turn to her right side and ask the person sitting there. "Asia, have you had Shirou's cooking before?"

Asia didn't expect that question, but her response was a smile and nodded. "I have."

Rias was inwardly relieved, then followed up. "And how was it, did it taste good?"

Asia put her hands together and had a pleased expression. "Yes, it was amazing. After he first brought me to his house, Shirou-san taught me how to cook; after that, he cooked to show me an example. It was the most delicious food I've ever tasted when I tried it." Asia looked happy just by remembering. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the food or because Shirou taught her.

"It's true." Mika added. "Browner Zeff makes food like you wouldn't believe; it's like being in an episode of Food Wars."

"Of course, who do you think I am? I put 110% in everything I do no matter what it is, and cooking is something I enjoy, so it's a given it'd do it here too." Shirou said with his usual Pride. "Now hurry up and eat already; I'll be really pissed if the food gets spoiled." But Rias could tell, he really wanted them to try it.

"Oh!" Rias finally realized what Shirou was trying to do.

On one hand, part of her was a little confused about how the Servant who had, already proclaimed that she and the rest of her Servants were far beneath him was now cooking dinner for everyone. On the other hand, she was also curious about what Shirou, Asia, and Mika were hyping up so badly. Though she knew Asia wouldn't lie to her, there is the chance that she just wasn't a picky eater, having grown up at the Vatican, and to someone else, it wasn't as good as she thought. But as she previously said, it wouldn't be fair to immediately assume the worst. If she really wanted to find out, it was under the metal lid; she would have to take the lid off and see for herself.

"Well, here goes nothing." The redhead muttered to herself before tightly gripping the handle. With another dramatic pause, she ripped it away like a band-aid.

Everyone (Barring Mika and Asia) froze.

They were completely paralyzed by the scent that immediately wafted forth.

The heavenly scent completely overloaded their brains.

"Lamb?" Rias wondered, swallowing the saliva that had gathered in her mouth.

"But we don't even have lamb in the fridge?" Kiba noted in surprise. "Where did you even get this?" He asked, looking at Shirou. "Did you bring it with you before we came?"

Shirou rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid. If I did that, it'd be a day old and gone bad." He responded, noticing Kiba still didn't get it. "Obviously, I got this particular lamb, by buying it like a normal person would."

"…How?" Koneko asked, eyeing the first of many revealed dishes.

"With a credit card."

"I think she means, "How did you buy it when we're on a mountaintop, miles away from civilization"?" Rias clarified.

"I teleported." Shirou answered as if it was obvious. "You guys DO remember we can do that, right? Even with the herbs and ingredients we had in the fridge, I didn't have everything I needed, so I decided to stop by and pick up a few things. All I needed was a map to locate stores, which I pulled up on my cell phone. I had to check at several places cost me some mobile data, but I'm none too worse for wear."

Rias raised a brow. "You teleported to go shopping?"

"Yeah, I don't know why you insisted that we HAD to hike up this mountain for some reason, but I didn't feel like doing it again to go shopping, so I teleported." Shirou informed her, a little annoyed.

"So, lamb huh…?" Rias swallowed again, lamb had always been one of her favorite meals, so to the point that when she was little, she would refuse to eat anything unless lamb was included. It was embarrassing when she thought back on it… And the way it had been prepared, well… It rivaled that of the entire Gremory family kitchen staff put together.

"Do you…Dislike it?" Shirou asked, unable to get a grasp on her reaction.

"No!" Rias said quickly, her high voice surprising even herself. She cleared her throat, calming herself.

Mika picked up a tiny piece of lamb on a fork, holding it to Rias's face. "Why don't you try it?" An amused grin showed on Mika's face. "Come ooon~ it won't bi—" The wind was firmly taken from Mika's sails when Rias leaned over and closed her mouth over the fork, pulling the food inside. "Oh… Well, that's no fun."

Rias' eyes went wide. She paused, not saying a word, as if she was in shock.

Her Servants (excluding, Shirou) waited with bated breath to hear her reaction to the food.

"Chief?"

"How's it taste?"

"…Is it good or bad?"

Asia was also curious to hear what she had to say. Shirou rolled his eyes, thinking they were treating this too much like a big deal.

"It's…" Rias spoke, looking down at the meal in front of her. "I'm so surprised; I don't believe it." The others then looked at each other, then back to her.

Akeno raised a brow. "And, that means…"

"It was the most tantalizingly good lamb I have ever tasted." With how monotone and flat Rias's tone was, it was hard to tell if she was being serious. "I…I can't really explain it. All the flavors and the texture just come together so perfectly. I…I'm not sure if Shirou's even Human?"

The other members of the table turned to Shirou, waiting for a response. It seemed like the kind of thing he would take as an insult.

"Well, of course, I'm not human; I'm a Devil. Remember?"

Again, it was hard to tell whether it was a joke.

"…It can't be that good." Koneko said dismissively, taking a bite for herself.

She froze the moment the lamb meat touched her tongue. Her pupils seemed to become tiny dots, and her mouth became a flat line.

Asia leaned forward, looking at Koneko expectantly. "Well? How does it taste?"

Inwardly Koneko felt the taste overwhelm her. It was like nothing she had ever tasted before. The flavor danced on her tongue, showing her pleasure she never knew that set her taste buds into heavenly bliss, her mind set adrift like she was swimming in a pool of ranch and tender juices that was the very definition of perfectly made lamb. The way that the texture of the meat exploded with wonderful taste as she bit into it was the impossibly ideal mix of crunchy at the skin and yet soft at the center.

No ordinary man could have made this, it could only be the work of a culinary God.

For about eight and a half minutes, Koneko was silent, only staring blankly forward at the wall opposite to her, her pupils dilated. It was as though she was waiting for some imaginary drum roll, anticipating the end.

"…It was alright." Koneko said, her features returning to normal.

Kiba shrugged. "Well, that's good enough for me." He lifted up the lid of another of the pans. "Oh! There are Eastern dishes here too!"

"Of course." Shirou said as he nodded his head. "It's common knowledge to prepare a diverse course in the case of more than one patron." He smirked. "Eat up, before it gets cold."

"You heard the man! Eat up!" Mika cheered. "Grab whatever looks good before someone else gets it."

And not a single one of them hesitated further. Koneko wordlessly started gathering food from each dish for herself, scarfing it down like some wild animal. Mika likewise eats in her normal wild, reckless manner, afraid for when the banquet would eventually run dry. Kiba, Asia, and Akeno were eating more reservedly, but showed great delight in the meal they took part in.

Rias only removed the focus from her own meal when Mika, seated beside her, nudged Rias with her elbow. The Crimson-haired Devil glanced at Mika, who gestured to Shirou with sharp glances.

"Pretty good, isn't it, Rias?" Mika asked, just a bit more loudly than necessary.

"Of course." The Red-haired Devil heiress wholeheartedly agreed, catching on. She turned to the Silver-haired chef. "Shirou, how did you get this good?"

"It's not—" Shirou glanced at Asia, waiting for some response. Asia gave a pleased nod, gesturing for Shirou to continue. "Well-I mean…I have my Pride, even as a chef, so I work as hard as I can to make it good." Shirou shrugged. "It's not too complicated. I just had a lot of time, necessity, and opportunity to improve my skill."

"That's not true~" Mika chimed in, with a mischievous smile. "Big Bro went to a cooking class three years ago to learn how to cook, and when he was there, he kept going until he was the best in the class. After five months, he entered the advanced class, became the best there, and then even became a better chef than the teacher."

"STOP telling people that!" Shirou shot her a dirty look.

"But it's what happened~" Mika said, still smiling.

The others were a little surprised, not that he would do that; that sounded like something he'd do; they were surprised by how little time it took.

Shirou scowled. "I…I just didn't feel satisfied until I was the best alright."

"Well, it really shows." Rias praised, smiling brightly. "We should have you cook for us more often~"

"R-Really?" Shirou asked, catching his brief satisfaction and excitement and quickly putting them away before answering. "Well, I guess I could do that, but…I don't know, it would feel kind of weird. I mean, I don't usually cook for more than a few people. And I'd appreciate it if you would ask first."

"Sorry…?" Rias answered bemused. She glanced at Mika for instruction. The younger sister made a sort of "go on" expression with her hand. Then a complicated gesture that Rias interpreted to mean a reiteration of "Just go along with it." "Well, if I asked if you would like to cook for us more often, would you say yes?"

Shirou glanced at her, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I do enjoy cooking, and it couldn't hurt." Shirou laughed a bit. "Besides, I also cook meals for the people who summon me in exchange for pacts."

Rias then stopped and turned to him. "Wait, that's how you succeeded in all your summons, by cooking for them?" Rias asked, shocked by this revelation.

Shirou shrugged. "Yeah, when I couldn't give them what they wanted, I made something for them to make up for it. After finishing, they said, "I'll make a pact if you can cook for me again," and that's how it went."

"That's it?"

Shirou raised a brow. "Yeah, what'd you think I did?"

None of them wanted to answer. Truth is, they all had different theories as to how he kept getting so many pacts. Though all of them weren't anything pleasant. And while none of them expected he was just cooking for them. After trying this food, they knew this made much more sense they whatever they came up with.

Rias decided to put away that topic, and inside focus back on her previous conversation with her rebellious Pawn. "If you could, we'd very much appreciate it."

"I second that." Akeno agreed. "I wouldn't mind another taste~" Her suggestive tone did not go without notice.

Shirou chose not to respond to that but winced shortly afterward. He placed a hand on his chest and another on his mouth. He coughed twice, but nobody took much notice of it.

"With your skills, it wouldn't be abnormal if we paid you." Kiba said pleasantly.

"I don't need you to do that. After all, I never have to worry about money thanks to the Gremory family." Shirou said. "Besides, I said I didn't mind doing it, and it's fun for me, so personally, it wouldn't really feel like I'm doing enough I need to be paid for. And if I ever do need extra cash, I can just make more by doing contracts. That's what I've doing anyways."

"An oddly honest person." Rias noted, feeling increasingly confused about Shirou's character and how little she knew about him. "But I do feel bad about doing nothing…Perhaps we can find an alternative source of payment." Rias suggested, still wanting to pay him back for this. "I understand you don't want much from us, but surely there is something I could do for you if you want, that is." Rias picked up a cup of tea that had been set out for her and took a nice, long sip.

"You could always let him bathe with you."

Rias did a spit take at Mika's suggestion.

Shirou, on the other hand, winced again, his hand tightening over his heart as he coughed and sputtered in pain. However, there was clearly something else there, too, judging from the out-of-character pained expression on Shirou's face and the red-tinted saliva that he hacked out from his mouth and into his hand.

Rias's eyes widened. "Did you just cough up blood?"

"No." Shirou answered quickly, his eyes darting to his golden-haired nun accomplice.

Rias cautiously extended a hand to Shirou. "Are you…Alright?" She tried to follow Shirou's gaze but didn't seem to put the pieces together.

"I'm fine, Rias." Shirou answered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I've just…um…I just had something in my throat." Again, he glanced at Asia, darting his eyes back and forth between her and Rias, desperately trying to help the blonde-former nun understand the message he was giving her. "Isn't that right, ASIA?"

Any distraction would have been appreciated.

"Oh!" Asia realized. in a split-second panic, Asia made a decision on how to proceed- "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Asia suddenly got up from her seat, laughing as loudly as she could and startling everybody. "Oh, maybe we should all go take a bath now!"

Shirou face-palmed while Rias stared in curiosity at her Servant.

"Is there something I should know?" The Crimson-haired Devil asked. "You two are acting pretty suspicious."

"Yeah, maybe she is." Shirou muttered while trying to think of a believable response. "I was just wondering, how training was going for all of you. Yeah, that's it."

Rias narrowed her eyes. "The fact that you seem to care only makes me more suspicio-OW!" Rias winced as Mika pinched her on the arm, shaking her head fervently. "I mean, you're a lot more curious about what we're doing than normal. You usually don't care about what we're doing, let alone how it's going."

"That's because normally, it's not my business." Shirou clarified his reasoning. "But this time, it's important 'cause we got the game coming up."

Rias rubbed the bruise that Mika had pinched into her arm. "But still…"

Shirou coughed into his fist again. This time a noticeable amount of blood was oozing from the corner of his mouth. It was a lot less hard to miss before Shirou wiped his mouth.

"Okay, Shirou, now I'm a little concerned." Rias said. They had often disagreed on most manners in contrast to the abnormally peaceful dinner, but bleeding from the mouth just wasn't normal.

"Look, just, never mind, okay!" Shirou was now desperate to change the subject. "Let's just… Do what Asia said and hit the baths; that's the best thing to do after dinner." He suggested.

"I dunno." Mika decided, stretching her arms tiredly. "I've been doing fine without a bath the past few days. I see no reason why that would change now."

"Oh my Lord, that's what that smell was…!" Rias may have had a response somewhere in her mind, but the moment Mika finished speaking, she could not help but shudder and gag at what horrid filth could have been coating the young girl beneath her clothes.

"Mika." Shirou said sharply. "That's disgusting. You really need to start taking better care of yourself, including hygiene."

"Ugggghhhhhh!" Mika groaned. "But that's so booooriiiing! Plus, I'd have a lot less time for Anime and Manga if I wasted precious minutes bathing myself."

Shirou looked her in the eyes, not budging on this. "Mika Tsukiharu, you are taking a bath right this instant."

"But I don't wannaaaaaaaaa!" Mika whined, rocking back and forth in her chair. "Baths suck!"

"We wouldn't be having this argument if you just bathed back home when I told you." Shirou reminded her.

"But I had some much Anime to watch back then." Mika defended herself.

"This isn't a request. You are getting into that bath." Shirou ordered.

"No!"

"Mikaaa!"

"No!"

"Would you just—"

"Nuh-uh!"

Shirou sighed. "Look, you can't just keep skipping baths! It's not good for you. Come ooon, you'll be bathing with Rias, Asia, and the others, you know? Get to know them better?"

"Well, we are overdue for a bath episode, and there will be Ecchi scenes."

"Mika!"

"Ugh, but I don't wanna bathe with them! They (Except for Asia) suuuuuuck!" Rias and the others tried to pretend Mika hadn't just insulted them. Mika leaned over in her seat and wrapped her arms around Shirou's waist, nuzzling her head against Shirou's upper stomach/middle torso. "Really, it's sexist to presume I would get along with them just because we're girls bathing together." She smirked mischievously. "I would actually much rather bathe with you, Big Bro~ You're the only person I feel comfortable with seeing my Naked body."

At first, Rias expected Shirou to say no or get angry, but the older Brother simply scowled.

"So that's what this is about?" His expression seemed oddly serious.

Mika looked up at him, her eyes glinting less mischievously than they were before. Maybe even a little afraid. "Yes…" What made the conversation stranger was how Shirou's expression softened further. "I mean, there are two baths… Can't we just this time? Please? I really don't want to get Naked with the others."

"So, it really was because of that…" Shirou thought to himself.

Glancing between Mika and the girls, Shirou couldn't help but sympathize.

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Geez… You're really starting to get too old to be bathing with your older Brother." He buried his face into the palm of his left hand. "Just finish eating; I'll make sure the water is at the right temperature. Heat is good for your joints on chilly nights like this." Shirou took off his apron and folded it up in front of everyone. "It's been nice-not-really-chatting with everyone, but I think I'll be getting Mika's bath ready."

Shirou turned to leave-

"Wait." Kiba said, stopping him. "If you and Mika are bathing together, then what am I supposed to do for a bath? There are only two baths, and the ladies lay claim to one of them."

"Well, that's just the thing I wanted to talk to you guys about." Shirou said, staring at the rest blankly. "I have no intention of letting any of you be within proximity of my Naked Sister, so we'll be taking our baths separately."

"But that still doesn't answer my question." Kiba responded.

Shirou sighed. "Look just… Just wait till we're done, then you can use it yourself, alright?" Shirou made a compromise. "We won't take that long away, so don't worry about it."

Having said that, Shirou walked off, Mika still clinging to his waist as she was dragged along with him.

The others all watched them leave, still feeling as though there were questions that weren't yet answered.

"…Well, that was unexpected." Akeno said what they were all thinking.

"Aaaah~" Rias couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped her mouth. "It feels like all the stress is melting away~"

"There is nothing better than an outdoor bath," Akeno agreed.

After the events of the past several days, this felt like the first time she had actually relaxed in a long time. Shirou certainly didn't help things. Between his unpredictable behavior and then his strange behavior, she wasn't quite sure what to do later. But Shirou wasn't there, it was just her, Asia, Akeno, and Koneko. The GOOD Devil Servants.

"I'm surprised dinner went as well as it did." Rias admitted.

"Shirou is a difficult person to pinpoint," Akeno agreed again. "Sometimes he's nice, other times he's rude. I guess it makes things more interesting that way."

"Interesting"?" Rias wondered. "I wouldn't really agree on that. It makes him harder to understand; regardless of how much time passes, I can never guess what he's thinking. He is both unique and unpredictable; that's not a good combo."

"Still, it was nice of him to make dinner for us."

"Maybe, but still…" Rias sighed.

"Did you dislike it?"

"It was delicious, but I don't want to assume anything yet, because I'm pretty sure I'd just be wrong again."

"Maybe Shirou-san was genuinely trying to make himself closer to everyone." Asia suggested meekly. "Maybe he wants to try and be a nicer person."

Rias and Akeno considered this thought for a few seconds, but neither one of them looked convinced, not taking notice of the former nun's saddened expression.

Rias turned to Asia, giving her response to that suggestion. "That would be the ideal thought, but personally, I doubt it." Rias then placed a gentle hand on Asia's shoulder. "Asia, I know you think the world of Shirou for saving your life, but still, you should know. Shirou isn't the kind of person who would just do kindness for kindness' sake; I'm guessing there was a different reason; whatever it was, I don't know."

"That's not true!" Asia cried out. "He saved me!"

"I'm not denying that, but the circumstances were different back then."

"That's not true." Asia denied, becoming more upset. "Rias—" It was noted that Asia didn't address her as "Chief". "—I know Shirou-san is someone you have trouble understanding, but he really is a good person. If you just got to know him more and tried being nicer to him, I think you could actually get along."

"Asia, I don't doubt he's a good person," Rias admitted. "But, that's still only one side of him."

"But still, Shirou-san wants to win as badly as we do. He also has something really important riding on this game, you know that just like I do."

"Mika." Rias recalled. That girl—A strange one, and that was an understatement, but Rias knew she was precious to Shirou. And similar to her brother, she was also someone impossible to understand. She wasn't sure what to make of the younger sister or her relationship with her brother. "They do seem close, don't they?"

"Shirou-san won't say it, but Mika-san means the world to him…" Asia looked down sadly. "…If we lose, and if Shirou-san loses Mika-san, then I don't know what will happen to him… I know Shirou-san knows this, and he's trying hard to work with you, so couldn't you show him that you want the same? Pleeeaaaassse, Rias?"

"But he's the one who said he didn't need our help."

"Only with training, but not in the Rating Game." Asia argued back.

Rias realized she had a point there, while Shirou insisted on training by himself, he never really said he would fight in the Rating Game alone.

"Shirou was really nice to all of you tonight, remember?" Asia pointed out. "Surely that counts for something with you."

"…I consider that to be a one-time thing." Koneko noted. "…I still think he's kind of a jerk."

"You too, Koneko?" Asia asked, a betrayed expression on her face.

Akeno looked over to him. "Ara, Are you sure you don't feel that way just because he called you runt?" She asked teasingly.

Koneko's eyes twitched. "…What of it?"

"To be fair, you called his cooking poisonous sludge, before even looking at it." Akeno pointed out.

"That was pretty mean of you, Koneko." Asia agreed.

Koneko submerged the bottom half of her face in the water and avoided eye contact.

"Back to what we were talking about before." Asia said, looking at Rias. "I know Shirou-san will fight with us in the game. If you just talk to him, you would know that."

Rias was thinking of a response, which was hard when the puppy dog look in Asia's eyes was becoming increasingly unbearable.

She inhaled deeply, remembering she did promise Mika she'd try to believe in Shirou.

"I don't know… I think you should give it a shot, Chief." Akeno said, earning a perplexed look from both Rias and Koneko. "Shirou is disobedient, but he has a strong will and a great amount of both power and potential, both his feats and that little scuffle against Raiser back at the clubroom prove that. And as you said before, under the right circumstances, he could be the key to winning the whole Rating Game if you two could cooperate. Even if you don't share the same reasons for wanting to win, you both still want to win in general, so what's the harm?"

Rias considered their arguments carefully. Even if she agreed to Asia's request, there was no guarantee that she and Shirou could even reach an agreement, to begin with. Mika had advised her to believe that Shirou could handle training on his own, so if she brought up the subject of wanting to have him train with the others, she was worried he'd take that as her still doubting him.

However, if things did go well, and he did agree, Shirou would be an even greater help in battle, and personally dealing with him was much more preferable then dealing with Raiser. There were still nine days before the Rating Game. Ample time for them to be able to reach some kind of understanding.

Between this train of thought and Asia's pressuring puppy-dog stare, Rias could not help but let out a defeated sigh.

"Very well." She said as Asia stared with newfound hope as Rias decided to continue with her statement. "I will talk to Shirou. Whatever the outcome is will depend on where things go from there."

"Oh, thank you, Chief-san!" Asia cheered. "You won't regret it!"

"I hope your right…"

"…I put my vote on the whole conversation going south." Koneko muttered under her breath, earning a stern gaze from the club's Vice-President.

"I hope everything is going alright with Mika-san." Asia said, almost praying. "She can be rather difficult with baths." Asia had lived with the Tsukiharus long enough to learn that well. A soap bar can be surprisingly painful when thrown at one's eye, and Mika had a mean pitch for a girl who never leaves her room.

Rias opened her ears to listen. "Well, I don't hear any screaming, so I don't think he's having issues."

"I can't help but wonder what exactly they're doing over there." Akeno said. "It's so quiet." She smirked. "Maybe something a little taboo~" However. Akeno determined she might have gone a bit too far from the shock-pale expression on Asia's face. "I-I was just kidding Asia. I don't think Shirou's like that."

"…As far as we know." Koneko pointed out. "Have any of us ever seen how they act together when we're not around?"

The four women took a good, long pause, letting that thought sink in.

"You would think those idiots could talk more quietly." Shirou complained he sighed. "At least they're quiet now…"

"I'm more upset you decided to wear swim trunks to the outdoor bath." Mika complained. "I was hoping for some Nude CGs to save in my brain."

Behind her, combing his shampoo-lathered hands through Mika's hair, Shirou scowled. "First of all: I wear these when I bathe all the time; it's a preference of mine. Secondly: Why do you have to make everything awkward and uncomfortable?"

"Come on, Broreo-"

"That one doesn't work."

"I'm running out of material! Give me a break!" Mika cried. "Besides, would you rather have me make perverted jokes or spend this time with nothing to focus on but my Naked body?"

Shirou turned his face away but said nothing. "I don't get why you couldn't just let Rias and the others take care of you. This looks totally wrong from an outsider's perspective. I'm here with my completely Naked underaged Sister."

"And it's awesome." Mika sighed wistfully, a lewd and pleased smile on her face.

Shirou gave her a soft rap on her head with his knuckles. "I really can't believe how easy-going you're being about this. Do you even know the situation you're in?"

"Ummmm… I'm going to be in an awesome fight, with cool and flashy power in it~?" Mika wondered.

Shirou was not amused. "Be serious, if we lose, you'll end up under Raiser's control. Do you not understand that?"

"Well, I was the one who made the bet, so yes, I do." Mika answered. "Relax. We have this in the bag, Brottousai-OW!" Shirou pulled at two of Mika's hairs.

"I mean it! Don't you realize what Raiser will do to you the moment he has you at his mercy?"

"Please~" Mika waved it off. "I'll cut off his balls if he tries to do anything to me. I've watched a lot of snuff and horror genre hentai. I know the best ways the hurt him if he tries something."

.

.

.

"I've never more proud of or more terrified by anything you've said up to this point." Shirou said, his expression dead-serious. "But seriously, this is the first fight you've ever been in, don't you realize how much that worries me, I can never stand the idea of exposing you to danger."

Play OST One Piece - Battle Scars

"Would you stop being such a worrywart?" Mika asked, sighing. "As a member of this Peerage this was always going to happen someday, it's just sooner than we thought. But I'm still ready for this, just have some faith."

"I do have faith." Shirou said, without a trace of doubt. "No one believes in you more than me, you're a better strategist than anyone and in a fight, you're way stronger than any of those Porn-Stars." Shirou then gritted his teeth. "But still in a fight, there's no telling what might happen, I just want you to stay safe."

"I know you do, and I know you worry. But how do you think I fell?" Mika asked, upset. "I feel that way all the time. For years you've always been out there fighting anybody who'll come. I always hated that I couldn't do anything but hope you would come back safe. I want to be here fighting with you, that's why I became a Devil in the first place." Mika's gaze then turned hard as steel. "Besides, I still worry about you now, I hardly missed that little spectacle at dinner."

"You saw that…" Shirou asked turning away. The tables have turned in a 180-degree fashion.

Mika turned completely, jabbing her sharp finger into Shirou's chest. "You're not nearly as slick as you think you are, Shirou." Shirou averted his gaze from his Sister's bare chest. Mika frowned. "You know, you can't look away forever. Your neck will eventually get stiff like that."

"I'm fine… I just ate too many tomatoes and now I cough red saliva."

"You head into the forest in the afternoon and come back late in the evening, and you think I don't know what you're up to." Mika smiled, raising a soft hand to her Brother's cheek. "Come on Bro, even you know I'm smarter than that."

"It's no big deal." Shirou scoffed. "It's just some lightweight work. Get the blood pumping and stuff."

"Shirou, we both know you never do anything "lightweight"." Mika sighed. "You're going to burn yourself out at this rate."

"You sound exactly like Asia."

"Maybe that means we have a point."

"As you can see, I'm fine." Shirou said, gesturing to his uninjured body. "Not a scratch on me."

"On the outside." Mika agreed. "But I can see Asia's work clear as day. It's extensive and frequent. The exhaustion is clear on your face and I can see rigidity in your muscles. You're not giving your body enough time to rest Shirou, and at this rate, it's going to burn out."

"I'll rest once the battle is over."

"Keep working like you are now and you won't survive until then." Mika gazed into her brother's eyes. "Shirou, we're in this together whether you like it or not. I'm going to fight, and I need you to have my back on this."

"Of course, I do." Shirou swore.

"You do know what I'm talking about Shirou, we need them."

Shirou let out another sigh, expecting this. "I was wondering when you would bring this up."

"That's because you know it's the truth." Mika added, she shook her head, for once letting a faint exhaustion show on her face. "This is a battle you can't win alone. Even if we use my strategy, none of it will matter unless we're in this together. You're the only one who can beat Raiser, despite what Rias says, I know she knows that too. The fact is, we need their help, and they need our help too."

"I know that already." Shirou responded. "I've already talked about this before, at this point, I'll try whatever I can if it means we can win the game.

"That's good, because I know we can win as long as we have you." Mika said softly. She leaned forward wrapping her arms around Shirou and resting her head on his chest. "I know you can beat him, and I know you can beat anyone. I'll always believe in you, and I believe we'll be able to fulfill our dream…"

Shirou's gaze softened. He snaked his arms around his Sister's waist, cradling her in his chest.

"I know…" He said, in a soft whisper. However, his eyes were directed, not at her. But at her back. "I promise I'll make it happen."

Mika flinched when his fingers accidentally brushed against a crease in her pale skin as if experiencing pain. Shirou adjusted his arms, avoiding not just that mark, but the numerous other ones that littered her back. She had numerous jagged marks on her back that scared deep into her, they all looked years old, but not properly treated, and what's worse, they looked like the product of torture, as if someone actively tried to cause her lasting pain.

But as bad as the state her body was in, it was nothing compared to that of Shirou's body. Shirou right now wasn't wearing his usual bandages, so what was hidden under them and what was on his body was finally revealed. The grim truth was that his entire body was littered with scars, unlike Mika. He only had a small margin of unmarked flesh. Numerous jagged marks on his back like Mika, but numerous others that littered his body. Crescent-shaped ones, X's, crosses, and countless other shapes formed by the scarred flesh on his physical form. Thin lines, far more faded, also on his thighs and upper arms.

Near his heart, there was only one scar.

Plenty of others were on his chest, but this one was only two centimeters above his heart.

For what felt like the longest time, Shirou held his beloved Sister in his arms tightly, his head lower melancholy. A sad smile making its way to his face.

"I'm sorry…" Shirou muttered. "I know you don't like having to see these, are they hard to look at."

"Um." Mika shook her head. "No, I don't mind them, and I don't mind you seeing mine." She gestured to her scars. "I'll bear any pain, for your sake."

"Yeah, it's the same for me." Shirou tightened his grip. "No matter what, I'll bear any pain, for your sake."

The two siblings remained locked in their embrace, unaware that they were being watched…

Music Off

"…Well?"

"Come on, you two." Akeno complained. "We can't see up there! What's going on?"

The idea's beauty was its simplicity.

Have Koneko the Rook and Akeno the Queen lift Rias and Asia on their shoulders.

It had been suggested jokingly at first, but after several minutes of the two talking too quietly from them to hear, the four girls could not help but feel curious. Individually, they had viewed how one sibling or the other acted around other people, but they had never been able to truly observe the relationship mechanics between the two siblings.

Rias was strong, but just like Asia, she was unused to physical labor, nor did she have any form of enhancement.

Thus, having Akeno and Koneko lift her and Asia up to peer over the boundary separating the two baths seemed like the best idea.

The two girls spent five minutes without saying a single word, and the girls at the bottom were beginning to feel ever-so curious and far more impatient.

"Come on, Chief." Akeno pleaded. "Spill, what are they doing over there?"

"Let us down." Rias's voice was abnormally faint. Granted, they were peeping, and stealth was preferable, but something about her tone wasn't right. "Please… Just let us down, Akeno."

"…Asia-sempai?" Koneko looked up at the blonded-haired Devil, noticing a complete lack of response overall.

Akeno and Koneko exchanged looks, wondering what could have rendered Rias so silent and still.

Begrudgingly they gently set down their comrades on the ground, allowing them to regain footing.

"A-Are you two alright?"

Asia's eyes were beginning to turn red and hot, salty tears flowed from her eyes. Her expression was one of shock, disbelief, and of course, sorrow.

Rias, on the other hand, just seemed at a loss for words. Every few minutes, she would open her mouth and raise her head, trying to say something, but no words came out and she would immediately let her head fall into her open hand. Her expression was hard to read, however.

"We weren't here." Rias decided. "As far as Shirou or Mika are concerned, none of us was in this bath, and we didn't see or hear anything that transpired on the other side of that wall. Tonight never happened, are we clear?"

Rias was shaken, a fact in itself Akeno found herself having difficulty believing. "What did you guys see over there?" Akeno asked, causing Asia to stare, still tear-stricken, and Rias to stare, her expression warping back and forth between extreme guilt and extreme shock.

"Something I get the feeling we weren't supposed to…" Rias sauntered past her friends, making for her towel in its cubby by the entrance to the bath. "Tell Shirou I want to have a word with him in private when you have the chance." Rias wrapped her body in her towel and walked back indoors.

"How do I convince him?" Akeno asked, but Rias was already gone.

And then silence descended. Koneko had gone over, and tried to console Asia, something made very difficult by how little she knew of the source of the girls' worries…

Whatever the case, she had some convincing to do.

"So glad you could make it, Shirou."

"Yeah, well, I was curious as to what this was about." Shirou responded. He shoved his hands in his pocket, staring at the Crimson-haired girl in her negligee. "Akeno said you wanted to talk and to wait until everyone else was asleep…Which was pretty weird, mind you, but whatever, so what'd you want to talk about?" Shirou then looked at her raising a brow. "And why are you wearing a negligee?"

Rias crossed her arms behind her back. "I just wanted to talk." She gestured to the living room door. "Walk with me outside for a moment."

Shirou titled his head a bit to the side. "…Are you gonna strip again?"

She smiled a bit. "Don't be so hung up on that; I don't do that for no reason."

Shirou looked at her with half-lidded eyes. "The amount of times I've seen you Naked for less than normal reasons, makes me a little unconvinced."

"We're just going to go to the gazebo next door." Rias assured him. "I was hoping you would be open to getting some fresh air."

"If that were it, you wouldn't have waited until everyone else was asleep."

"Okay fine, I just wanted to go somewhere private, so we could talk. No strings attached. Just talk. You can leave whenever you want."

Shirou raised a brow but looked a little amused. "Calm down, Rias, I just wanted to be sure, but I still want to know what you want to talk about. Alright, let's go."

"I'm glad you feel that way, come with me." Rias walked ahead.

With that matter taken care of, Rias proceeded to lead Shirou outside. Away from any prying ears.

Compared to most outdoor structures he had previously encountered, he couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship used to create the doomed structure supported by at least a dozen stone pillars.

Rias walked up to the edge of the pavilion, resting her hands on the stone fence separating her from the wilderness. A soft wind planted a gentle kiss on Rias' face, her hair danced slowly in the breeze.

"It's really nice out here…" Rias commented, noticing the complete silence emanating from Shirou. "Nights like these are among my favorite, you know? I look out at that starry sky and feel the wind against my skin, and I can't help but feel relaxed."

"I suppose I can agree on that, starry nights are something I like too, for different reasons." Shirou agreed, then turned to Rias. "But aside from that, did you really call me out here to talk about something private? Or did you just want to exchange small-talk?"

"Can't it be both?"

Shirou thought for a moment. "Well, I guess that would be I nice change of pace. You're usually so serious."

Rias would have taken that as an insult on a different occasion, but now it just amused her. "Alright, then I'll get straight to the matter at hand: The Rating Game."

"Yeah, what about it?" Shirou asked as he moved forward, taking a spot right next to Rias and gazing out at mother nature.

"We only have nine days left now." Rias said. "And we're still nowhere near ready."

"Well, of course, you're not." Shirou said like it was obvious. "It's only been a day; what'd you expect?"

"That's not what I meant." Rias said, turning to face him. "Asia's not getting the training she needs because she's always going off with you doing… You know what."

"You know what"?" Shirou raised a brow. "What do you think we do together?" Rias didn't answer his question and just looked away with a blush.

"I-I mean, she's not receiving the education she needs because she's always off with you." Rias clarified. "You've gotten a lot of the basics down at least, but Asia's still young and inexperienced in combat."

"She's not suited for fighting anyway." Shirou retorted to that statement. "She better off just healing, and besides, you'd be crazy for even thinking of having her fight anybody."

"Wouldn't the same thing apply to Mika." Rias argued, immediately realizing what she said and regretting it.

Shirou took a deep breath, laying his arms on the stone railing and resting his head on top of it. It was hard to tell what was going on in his head at the moment.

"Some of you might think that, but she's more ready than you think." Shirou defended. "Now then, hurry up and tell me what you want to say."

"I need you, Shirou."

Play OST One Piece - A Dark Past A Path To The Sun Combination

"…" Shirou looked up and turned his head to Rias. "Rias… What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said." Rias said. "I need you by our side if we're going to have any hope of winning."

Shirou blinked. "Oh, that's what all the fuss is about?" He asked as if he expected something else. "Well, there wasn't really I need to wait this long. I already intended on fighting with you guys."

"Look, I know you have your Pride, and we don't…" It was Rias's turn to stare blankly. "…What?"

Shirou stood up straight, rubbing the back of his neck, a tired expression on his face. "I'm not against it, for the sake of winning the game, and besides, Mika and Asia have been telling me I need to get more used to working with you guys anyway."

"Asia"?" Rias wondered. "She tried to convince you to work with us?"

"Yeah." Shirou confirmed, not noticing Rias's surprise. "She told me I should break the ice since everyone was on edge. That's why I made dinner."

"Clever girl." Rias thought to herself, praising the former nun for her part in all this. However, out loud, she said. "I see. To be honest, I'm relieved you agreed so willingly."

"Don't know why you would be?" Shirou responded. "It's almost like you think I hate you guys or something."

Rias frowned. "Well, you did look down on us."

"Personally, I don't think I said anything that wasn't true, and don't act as if you've never looked down on me before." Shirou retorted with narrowed eyes. Rias knew what he was referring to, and decided not to go further on the subject. "Besides, regardless of how the match goes, I have to beat Raiser. If it means you can handle some of his Harem, then it's worth working with you. No matter what, I have to win."

On some level, Rias felt somewhat insulted by Shirou's continued disrespect and dismissal of her Servants' power, but at the same time, she couldn't help but smile. "You really care about her that much, huh…?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Shirou dismissed her odd behavior. "Bottom line is, I'll be the one to take out Raiser."

"I'd like to believe you." Rias' smile then vanished. "But there are a lot of things to worry about in the upcoming game, you know?" She sighed. "A long time ago, the mystical beast, Phoenix, was looked upon by humans as a bird that governs life. It was so looked upon that it left its legend in many countries in the human world, where it's told that the tears of the Phoenix can heal any wounds, and the blood that flows within its body can give eternal youth to those that drink it. But another clan was also different from the mystical beast Phoenix. They are the Devils that had the rank of Marquis and were counted as one of the 72 pillars. The Phoenix from the Devils' side. The humans named the Devils' Phoenix Phenex to distinguish it from the mystical beast Phoenix. However, the mystical beast Phoenix has the same ability as Raiser's clan. In other words, immortality. That's the opponent we must fight against.

Shirou scoffed. "Immortal and unbeatable are two different things." Shirou then wondered. "Besides, I thought all Devils were immortal anyway?"

Rias shook her head. "We are known for incredibly long life spans, but Devils are far from immortal, Shirou. Only the Phenex family seems to be exempt from this and, what's more, they are capable of regenerating any wound made on their bodies. Physically speaking, they are just about invincible."

"You know, I remember at some point, you said Akeno was invincible." Shirou reminded her. "And I'll say the same thing I said then, no one in this world is invincible. There's always a way to win, you just need to find it."

"Unfortunately, there aren't many ways to accomplish that." Rias said. "Eight wins and two losses. This is the record that Raiser has at the official "Rating Game". He fought ten times and won eight matches. He lost two of the matches on purpose as kindness to one of the households he is close to. In reality, he won all of his matches. He already became a candidate to obtain a title in the official game."

Shirou scoffed. "That just means he's a sell-out, nothing more."

"You're missing the point. Raiser has never actually lost a match."

"Yeah, well, neither have I!"

"You've never played a Rating Game before."

"And he's never fought outside of one." Shirou argued. "I fought my whole life, and I've never once fallen from the first day I raised my fists. And believe me, when I say, my legendary winning streak won't be broken by some Bird-man who thinks with his balls instead of his brains." Shirou declared without a doubt. "So stop worrying; you've got the Red Dragon Emperor on your side and the best-damned strategist in the world."

Rias stared. "We're talking about Mika, right?"

"Of course, I'm talking about Mika?" Shirou grumbled in annoyance. "Even since we were kids, I've always known no one could hold a candle to her when it comes to strategy."

"You know about her talent?"

Shirou nodded.

"Well, for what it's worth, she's rather diligent. I'm not sure what she's planning, but she seems to be putting a lot of thought into it."

"If she's that invested, then be sure to expect something either flashy and/or stupid."

"You don't think it will work?"

"No, it'll work for sure; it'll just be flashy and/or stupid." Shirou's gaze drifted towards the night sky, but Rias detected a faint sense of admiration from Shirou's expression. "She's weird, but she's also really good at putting things together. If there's anyone who can pull a victory out of a hat, it's her."

"You have a lot of faith in her."

"Of course I do. You gotta believe in your family. Otherwise, no one will." Shirou said. "Besides, I got a lot riding on this."

Rias didn't push the matter. "Yes, I suppose you do…"

However, the ensuing silence was cut short when Shirou asked a question.

"That actually reminds me." He said, receiving a curious look from Rias. "There's something I've been wondering for a while now."

"What is it?"

"Why are you so opposed to this? I could understand if it was just Raiser, but you seem opposed to getting married in general." Shirou scratched his head. "Wouldn't it be something that could benefit you socially and financially in the long run, so why not take advantage of it? Don't you nobles go for stuff like that?"

Rias sighed, leaving Shirou with the impression that he had upset her. "Shirou, do you ever feel like people don't see you for you?"

It was then that Shirou took his turn to look bemused. "That's a pretty existential question, Rias." Shirou said, this timing looking like he was trying to find the right words to say. "I dunno. I think deep, I might've felt that way, but really everyone feels like that at some point." However, he didn't answer "No".

"The proposal made was not to me. It was made to the heiress of the House of Gremory. Because of my title, I'm not even recognized as "Rias". The House of Gremory will always come before me, and I've learned to adjust to it and make decisions accordingly."

"I don't know. Life without freedom seems like a raw deal to me." Shirou retorted. "Besides, why do you stay if you hate it so much?"

"I Don't hate it." Rias responded." In fact, I feel proud of it. However, this is also something that is a burden to me. Everyone looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. I can't have them look at me simply as Rias. That's why I'm enjoying my life in the human world. They don't know about the Gremory or the Devil household. Everyone looks at me as who I am. I really like that feeling. I never felt something like this in the Devils' society, and I never will from now on as well. The only time I can enjoy my life as myself is when I'm in the human world. That's why moving to Kuoh felt perfect to me." Rias smiled but had a trace of sadness. "It was just me, my classmates, my Peerage…"

"But deep down, it was just a different place, but a similar problem."

Rias was bemused at what Shirou had just said. "What?"

"Don't pretend it's not true." Shirou looked at her seriously. "In truth, you wanted someone to see you as just "Rias". But even in Kuoh, though you're not a noble, instead you're an idol, and everyone only looks at you from afar, either admiring you or undressing you with their eyes. And in the end, everyone still just looks at you as "Rias Gremory", the same thing you wanted to get away from." Shirou then looked her in the eyes. "And deep down, even your Peerage is like that."

"What? That's not true—" Rias denied.

"Then answer this." Shirou interrupted. "Why do they never call you by your name?" Shirou's question stopped Rias in her tracks. "I don't know what the circumstances were for them to join you, but you can't deny. Even though you see them as family, they see you as a Master. And even though you've gotten closer to them than anyone else, subconsciously, they put up a wall between themselves and you, and regardless of what happens, you'll always be a Master first and a friend second to them. The very fact that they all said they would "live for your sake" made me sure of that, because friends don't do that. Servants do."

Rias was at a loss for words, she didn't know what to say. After what felt like hours of silence, Rias gazed off into the starry night sky. "…You're right, I know that. I do love them like family, and I'm more than grateful for their loyalty. But I know, first and foremost, they still don't see me as just Rias, nor does anyone else at school." She then had some sorrow in her voice. "I know it sounds crazy, that a Devil wants to live like a normal human, but that's how I feel. I wonder if anyone will treat me like that?"

"And what about me?" Shirou asked. "Have I ever done that?" His nonchalant words earned a surprised look from Rias. "Remember from the first moment I became a Devil? I've never once called you Master or Chief or any of that crap. I call you Rias, 'cause to me, that's who you are. And besides, I don't think wanting that is weird at all. On some level, everyone wants to be normal. A happy life where you're treated as another average person rather than something otherworldly. I imagine it'd be a nice feeling…" He paused when he noticed Rias' eyes glued to him, expectancy emanating from Rias' expression. He quickly changed the subject. "So, you don't want to marry Raiser because you want to be seen as you yourself?"

"Yes, that's correct." Rias said, confirming. "I want to be with someone who will love me as Rias without the fact that I'm a Gremory. That's the small dream I have. Unfortunately, Raiser only looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. And he loves me as Rias from the Gremory. That's why I hate it. But still, the pride of being a Gremory is very important. My feelings may be complicated, but I want to cherish this small dream I have."

"You're fighting this hard, just to be with someone you love?"

"That's right."

Shirou paused, processing all this new information he had learned. Then he had a small smile. "I see then. All this time, I've been wondering what reason you had, but I never thought it would be that simple."

Rias closed her eyes and smiled as well. "I know it sounds silly, but I want the freedom to find my true love. I want someone who will love me for me, not for my position, and I'm willing to fight to make it happen if I have to."

"Well, if I'm being totally honest." Shirou then turned to face her. "I actually don't mind lending my support, for a reason like that."

"Y-You wouldn't?" Rias asked, a hint of hope sneaking into her voice. This was a real sign of positive regard that Shirou hardly ever showed towards Rias.

"That's right." Shirou confirmed. "I think I finally understand you now, you're not just some Princess; you're a teenage girl who just wants the basic things anyone should have a right to have. If that's the case, then this time, I'll help out. After all, lending my strength for the sake of those who need my help is what I do."

Rias couldn't cover the smile that made its way to her face. "So, you'll start training with the others starting tomorrow?"

"Haha, of course not." Shirou immediately answered. "Look, I already decided I would train way my own way. And personally, I still believe I can get the maximum results if I keep doing the training I've already started." Shirou lapped over the railing and landed in a crouch on the grassy ground. He looked back at Rias. "But don't worry, I'll let you guys keep Asia so you can teach her how to protect herself. Now, I gotta go.

Rias leaned on her arms on the railing as she looked down on Shirou. "Where are you going?"

Shirou turned and started walking away. "I'm gonna do some late-night training."

Shirou started walking before pausing and turning back to face Rias with a more sincere expression this time. "Oh and, just so you know, my feelings for you are completely unaffected by your status. I only see you as a classmate and a working acquaintance on the job. So don't ever worry about me using you… Okay, Danchou?"

After saying his piece, Shirou disappeared from sight into the brush.

Music Off

He completely missed the expression of joy and satisfaction on Rias' face, all welling up in her simple smile and red cheeks.

"I don't believe it." Rias could not help but feel elated at having made a great step forward in having something close to both loyalty and friendship from her Pawn. "I never thought he would say a thing like that."

"Neither did I."

The new voice made Rias jump. She immediately scanned her surroundings, but there was nobody else for yards around. "To be honest, I never thought he would open up to you that much."

"Who…?"

"Up here." Rias looked up and saw a silhouette standing atop the gazebo. He then jumped down and joined her, standing in front of her. The figure was Ren in his Youkai form.

Rias had her guard up when she saw him and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you? What's a Youkai doing here?"

Ren shrugged. "I'll answer your first question, my name is Ren Todo. Maybe you've heard of me."

Rias then stopped, and her eyes widened. "Wait, you're Ren? You're Shirou's closest friend?"

Ren nodded. "Correct, that'll make things easier."

"But then, why is a Youkai friend with Shirou?"

"Don't act like I need a reason. He's my friend." Ren then sighed. "But if you need something, then just know that I'm half-human."

"Why didn't I know about you?" Rias asked.

"Because I didn't let you." Ren smirked. "As a Youkai, concealing my presence is my specialty. I knew about you Devils the whole time, but you never knew about me."

"Do they know?" Rias did not specify, but they both knew well enough who Rias meant.

"They do, the day after Shirou joined your club." Ren answered.

Rias was surprised by that. "What? How?"

"It was the day after you had Kiba bring him to you. He told me he would explain. After telling me an abridged version, I told him I know about Devils and everything else about you guys. And then he told me the truth about what happened to him." Ren explained. "Mika knows because I didn't mind him telling her, but that's it. Even Asia doesn't know."

Rias raised a brow, confused. "You just told him the truth?"

"Of course I did." Ren nodded. "Because I know I could trust him not to tell anyone?"

"That's a little odd, most people wouldn't be so sure based on something like that." Rias retorted.

Ren narrowed his eyes. "You obviously don't know what it means to be Shirou's friend. Shirou is someone who doesn't trust most people, but the rare few he does trust, are the ones he can call a friend. He trust's them unconditionally, and we feel the same way. That's why when he says he won't tell anyone, I knew he wouldn't, and I was right."

Rias was a little surprised by Ren's words, but then again, she had never met a friend of Shirou's besides Asia. And that was a special case, but this person was someone who had been his friend for more than a year. She couldn't imagine what they'd been through to have such a close bond, then remembered she still had a question.

"Then let me ask you something? What are you doing here?" Rias asked.

"You should know, I'm helping Shirou with his training." Ren answered.

Rias was surprised once again. "You are; how?"

"I'm his sparring partner. By day he trains with me, and by night he trains on his own."

Rias then realized something. "Wait…Then, this past month?"

Ren nodded. "That's right. I've been training with him this whole time, you guys couldn't feel it because we were in my barrier."

Rias was confused by all this. "I don't understand. Why do all this, whose side are you on?"

Ren scoffed. "Don't you get it? I'm not on any side. I don't care about the Trinity Factions, or the Youkai Faction either. The only side I'm on is Shirou's."

"Then why did you hide from us?" Rias asked. "What reason was there, if you weren't on any side?"

"Because honestly, in the beginning, I didn't trust you." Ren narrowed his eyes. "And I couldn't forgive you for what you did to Shirou."

Rias was now confused. "What I did… What are you talking about?"

Ren glared at her. "You let him die."

What Ren said made Rias's heart skip a beat. There was a deafening silence in the air.

"W-What?"

"You think I didn't know?" Ren asked with narrowed eyes. "Back when those Fallen Angels were around and spent a month monitoring him, you were also watching him, you were waiting in the shadows, waiting until it was over and he was on the brink of death. After that happened, you would show up and turn him into your Servant, and you'd do it in a way where he didn't even have a choice in the matter."

Rias bit her lip when hearing all this. It was true what Ren was saying, she had already sent Koneko to spy on Shirou so she would know when the Fallen Angels would make their move, and when he fought Raynare, Rias had her familiar watch from a close distance so she could show up when it was over. She wanted to wait until he died or was almost dead so she could turn him into a Devil, and so he couldn't refuse.

And now, when she looks back on it, all she can feel is shame in herself. It was a cruel thing to do.

Rias then spoke with her head down. "Then why didn't you tell Shirou?"

"I did." Ren's answer shocked Rias. "And you know what he told me?"

Shirou and Ren were on the Kuoh Academy roof of the New School building, and Ren had just informed Shirou of the truth.

"I see, so that's what happened." Shirou spoke.

"Yeah." Ren nodded. "I wanted you to know."

"Thanks for telling me, Ren."

Ren noticed Shirou's lack of reaction. "You don't seem upset."

Shirou sighed. "Truthfully, I'm not surprised. Rias is from a noble family, so she's probably been Silver-Spooned her whole life. I'm guessing to her, she doesn't see what she did as bad, because it benefits her."

"But, you can't just be okay with it."

"I'm not." Shirou responded, turning to him. "But the fact is, she promised me… She promised that if anything happened to me, she'd take care of Mika." Shirou informed Ren. "As long as that promise exists, I'll deal with this."

"And, you trust her to keep that promise?" Ren asked.

"More like, I trust she won't break it as long as it's the only reason I stay." Shirou clarified.

Ren sighed. "I guess that's true."

"Besides." Shirou continued. "I get the feeling, despite this, she's not a bad person. I can tell, after all, if she was, then I doubt those other three would be so loyal to her. I'm not sure about what it is yet, but I think she's hiding who she really is, and deep down, she wants something from all this."

"Is that a hunch?" Ren asked.

"It is."

Ren thought for a moment. "You're usually right when it comes to people. So I guess I'll believe it.

"That's how it went."

Rias listened to his telling of past events. Shocked again by all that she heard. She couldn't believe that all this time, Shirou had known what had happened, and yet, he didn't harbor hatred towards her. She felt relief from that fact, and yet she thought that if he knew, he would have nothing but resentment for her. She wouldn't blame him if he did. But this was completely against everything she was expecting. Was her promise to protect Mika really that important to him. But more than that, she was surprised by what he said about her. About how he believed she wasn't a bad person despite what he was told. She didn't know why, but that made her feel some warmth in her heart for some reason.

"Why did you tell me all this?" Ren asked Ren.

"Because, after everything that happened since then, and after what I heard, I knew he was right." Ren's features softened. "You aren't a bad person, and there was a side of you that you were hiding. And since he was okay with it, I decided I would be too. I don't have a problem with you anymore, and I'm willing to forget about what you did since Shirou does too. That's why I didn't mind revealing myself to you."

"I see." Rias then had a sad smile on her face. "I'm grateful that he didn't hate me for what happened. I didn't think he would say that."

"It's only hard to understand for you guys 'cause you don't know a damn thing about him." Ren retorted.

Rias' eyes widened.

(It's only hard to understand for you guys 'cause you don't know a damn thing about him.)

Rias recalled that Mika had said the exact same thing to her. This time however it frustrated her. Before Shirou left, he said, he understood who she was. She felt upset over the fact that she still couldn't say the same.

"You're right I don't." Rias said in a heavy tone. "But I want to understand! Even just a little." She declared.

Ren could see that she was serious. "Then come with me. I'll show you."

Ren then walked into the forest and gestured for Rias to follow him.

Rias was wary about this but chose to follow.

CRUNCH

"Ow!"

Rias winced as another broken twig stabbed into her foot. She leaned against a tree, holding up her foot to pull to splinter out.

"Isn't there a better route?"

Ren let out an irritated sigh. "I already told you "no"." Ren had been leading Rias through the forest for about an hour by this point. He was beginning to regret coming along with her. Especially after they kept stopping because she kept stepping in something. He turned to face her. "I told you to get shoes before we left."

"I didn't want to miss whatever it is you're showing me!"

"All right, whatever." Ren hoped over a large tree root Rias could only surmount one leg at a time. "We're almost there."

"Where IS "there"?"

"You'll see in a moment." Ren sighed. "Has anyone ever told you how impatient you are?"

"…Maybe."

The silence between them was interrupted by a sharp tremor in the ground.

"We've made it to where Shirou is." Ren said, with a serious expression.

Moments later, they could see it.

Devils never had much trouble seeing in the darkness, but even they were able to see the contrast between darkness and light.

Meaning that Rias still found herself painfully blinded by the bright light shining through the foliage. This is, of course, followed by yet another tremor, one more powerful than the last one.

Rias stared warily, looking at Ren with an expectant look. The Wolf-Youkai vaguely gestured for Rias to observe for herself, and while Rias wasn't sure what to expect, she was too curious not to look.

She stepped forward, careful to make as little noise as possible as she stealthily made her way to the forest boundaries between her and her destination. She pushed aside some branches, the light beginning to die down.

"I'm almost there…"

The voice that spoke was neither hers nor Ren. However, Rias knew the owner.

In the clearing Rias observed, standing alone right in the middle, was Shirou Tsukiharu.

He was sweaty, dirty, and exhausted.

"Shirou? What are you-Mmph!" A hand clapped over Rias' mouth before she was dragged back into the brush.

"Be quiet!" Ren hissed, holding Rias back. "We can't let him see you."

Rias got out of Ren's hold. "Why? Why can't I just ask him what he's doing out here?"

"Because he's this far out because he wants to keep what he's doing a secret." Ren explained. "No one, but Asia and I know about this."

"But… What is he doing?"

"What else would he do?"

Rather than answer, Rias went to take another look in order to understand what Ren meant.

Shirou just stood there, alone in the clear, his eyes closed.

Play OST Fairy Tail - Third Generation Dragon Slayer

"Let's start again." He raised his left arm, shrouded in the armor of the Boosted Gear.

[BOOST!]

"Again, more power." The Silver-haired Pawn muttered to himself. "As much power as I can take…"

[BOOST!]

"I… Don't get it." Rias said, turning back to Ren. "What's he doing out here?"

"Just watch." Ren advised. "You'll understand soon."

"Understand what?"

[BOOST!]

Shirou clutched his chest, wincing. "Damnit… Just need to hold out a bit more."

Rias frowned from the sidelines. "He's… Injured?" Shirou was dirty and bruised, of course, but nothing that would have caused him that amount of pain. He had once charged head-first into a base filled with enemies and escaped with the ability to walk home, while barely breaking a sweat. It would be unbelievable for him to be this winded only after using his Sacred Gear so few times. "I don't—"

"Just watch."

[BOOST!]

"Again…" Shirou panted, clutching his side. "I need to… I need to increase my limit…"

"His limit"?" Rias turned to Ren. "Is he…?"

"Training, yes." Ren agreed. "By day, he spars with me, to make himself strong and increase his stats, and by night he does this, to push the limits of his Sacred Gear." Ren then turned back to Shirou. "Keep watching, he's almost there."

[BOOST!]

Shirou raised his hand to his mouth, coughing a bit, it seemed small, but he was in great pain. Even Rias could see some spews of blood between his fingertips.

"Is he having trouble learning how to use his Sacred Gear?" Rias asked.

"No." Ren denied. "He just hasn't had enough time to rest."

[BOOST!]

Despite his exhaustion, Shirou stood up straight, eyes beaming with determination as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Just one more…Then I'll be ready."

[BOOST!]

[EXPLOSION!]

The sudden burst of power could be physically felt for yards around, by every person, plant, and animal. Rias raised her arms in front of her to shield herself from the dirt and debris flying at her, but she couldn't hide her shock.

"This power I'm sensing from Shirou… This shouldn't be possible. It's higher than MINE?"

Shirou fell to one knee, slamming his open palmed hand into the dirt. A magic circle appeared in the soil around his palm. Several other similar circles appeared around the clearing. The ground around those circles trembled violently, and from those illuminated spots rose large masses of rock and dirt, both the size and shape of a human adult. These boulders, crafted by magic, appeared to resemble rock-made punching dummies. Shirou seemed satisfied by this.

Though Rias' magical talent far exceeds his, she was amazed that he could pull off a feat like this.

Shirou raised his right hand, extending his fingers towards the earthen targets he had just crafted. "I've already mastered control. Let's see about power!" Electricity crackled between his fingers.

Something about Shirou's pose seemed awfully familiar to Rias…

RESOUND THUNDER!

There was an ear-splitting BOOM followed by another blinding light that lit up the night.

From Shirou's fingertips, a large bolt of thunder that was many times bigger and faster than Akeno's struck the ground fiercely. It carved through the earth into a molten dagger, leaving traces of smoke and flames as it traced across the ground, weaving in-between several targets.

GOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The earth exploded outwards from where the lightning struck. It was as if a giant hand had reached out and violently ripped away a chunk of the earth.

In the area where eight targets had once stood, there was now only several meters in diameter smoking crater.

"Not done yet!" Shirou charged forward at the unmoving dummies, though with his blinding speed, he was there in less than a second. Shirou had three in front of his and brought up his fists, and once again showing great speed, he punched all three faster than the eye could see, shattering them as easily as if they were made on dry sand. All that remained was rubble.

However, he does not miss a beat, stops one leg, and uses his left leg as a pivot. Shirou swung his other leg around with incredible speed and aimed for the dummy that was behind him. The dummy may as well have been made of butter with how easily Shirou's heel cleaved it in half.

Shirou flipped over his fallen targets as if dodging imaginary attacks, dodge-zigzagging across the ground at rapid speed before coming to a sudden stop. His left hand opened and outstretched the remaining five dummies.

"Let's end this!" A small sphere of magic welled up in the palm of his hand. However, it expanded and grew as time went on to the point where it was twice the size of his fist, and it looked sight it was a bomb ready to detonate.

DRAGON BLAST!

Rias instinctively covered her ears as another loud explosion ripped the night-time silence to shreds, causing nature itself to shake with an ungodly rage as a beam the size of two double-decker buses stacked on top of each other shot from Shirou's hand into the vast forest in front of him, sparing no plant life that dared to get in its way.

Music Off

When the blast faded, Rias could only stare in shock.

From where he stood, there was a large cone, spanning for at least hundreds of meters in front of him, and off in the distance, where a large mountain once stood, now there was pure destruction, having taken to the brunt of Shirou's attack, the mountain was eviscerated, leaving nothing but a pillar of smoke and the shattered remains of the base.

Shirou stood, clutching his side and panting while looking satisfied. "That's good… Just a little more, and I'll be ready."

One of the secret bystanders watched in satisfaction while the other watched in shock.

"But… How?" Rias wondered. "Shirou hasn't taken part in any of the training we developed. He shouldn't know how to use magic." Rias turned to Ren. "How did he learn how to use magic?"

"Don't be so shocked, he's known how to use magic for ages." Ren confessed. "He told me he first learned how to use the Thunder spell after you guy fought some Stray Devil." Rias's eyes widened after hearing that. This would mean that Shirou could use magic, only days after becoming a Devil. "His growth rate is incredible, though. He used that same spell to kill those Fallen Angels. And since then, he's learned a few other elements too."

Rias didn't know what to say. "That… That can't be."

Shirou stumbled, his breathing becoming even deeper. "J-Just a little more… for the night…" He was shaking, but with effort, he managed to at least raise his left arm again. "Just a bit more—"

[BOOST!]

"Aaauuuggghhh!" Shirou hugged his sides with his arms, his eyes becoming wide and bloodshot as vicious pain shot through his entire body. It felt as if every blood vessel in his body simultaneously ruptured with the pain of a thousand needles piercing his insides.

He collapsed to the ground, prone to his side.

"Shirou!" Rias sprinted to his side.

"Damnit." Ren hissed with worry as he followed her.

Rias rushed to her Pawn's side, ignoring the jagged rocks that dug into her feet. She knelt by his side, unconcerned by the dirt that would stain her negligee. She lifted Shirou in her arms, cradling him so as not to exacerbate his injuries…

Or, whatever caused him pain.

Rias had debated whether or not she should open up his shirt and check for wounds…but she felt she had already violated his privacy enough when she had peeked the first two times, the first when she healed his injuries following his first encounter with Raynare during his revival, and the second being only hours earlier…

Rias tried examining his clothing more thoroughly as a substitute, but could not detect any abnormal tear or injury. He was in pain, unconscious, but she could not figure out what had caused him to collapse in such a way.

"He overused his powers." Ren pointed out. "Don't forget, he already did his training for tonight. The fact that he was able to unleash that much power despite having used his Sacred Gear several times today is already amazing.

Rias looked at her Pawn's face, dirtied by the results of his own labors. "If he was already exhausted, why did he attempt training again?"

"Because the weight on his shoulder just got heavier." Ren said, crossing his arms. "He was already carrying the burden of his Sister's fate in this match, and now another burden was placed upon him."

"Another burden? What are you—" Rias paused. "Oh…" She looked down at Shirou's face. "…This is my fault, isn't it?"

Play OST Nabari No Ou - Yureru Kokoro

"I doubt he sees it that way." Ren answered, only adding to Rias's confusion. "He's always been this way. He craves power, and when he sees someone in need of his help, while he has the strength to help them, he can't ignore them. But because he craves power, he wants to always make sure he's stronger than any enemy, because he swore to himself a long time ago that he would never be defeated. That's why he'll train to gain even greater strength when an important fight like this comes up, even if it means pushing himself to the breaking point."

(You're not giving your body enough time to rest, Shirou, and at this rate, it's going to burn out.)

Mika's voice resounded in Rias's head, but she tried to push them out for the time being. "He does this often?"

"Not often, but still too often." Ren answered seriously. "For the time he's been training here, he was able to minimize the damage. He always had someone at night to stop him from going too far."

"Someone stopped him?" Rias wondered. "Well, why aren't they out here tonigh-Oh, God, it was Asia, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Ren looked down at his best friend. And Rias had told Shirou to stop keeping Asia to himself during their precious training time. "…Shirou knew that this training wasn't something he should take lightly. That's why he felt having a healer with him, was the best choice."

"…I get more and more confused the more I learn about Shirou." Rias sighed. "I don't get what you're saying."

"Then let me spell it out for you." Ren responded. "Shirou is a person who trusts others very little. The number of people he actually does trust is a number small enough to count with just the fingers in one hand. He can get along with others fine, but actually being open with them is where he draws the line. And in truth, that's why he wanted to train alone, and more than that, he never wants to be someone who has to rely on others. Even if they rely on him, he refuses for it to be the other way around, because to him, that's a weakness, and he can't accept that."

Rias looked from Ren to Shirou. She rested his head against her chest, the weight of the life in her arms suddenly feeling a great deal heavier. The rugged, almost beast-like face that she could never understand became soft and vulnerable, perhaps even a little sad.

"It sounds really lonely…"

"That's the price you pay in exchange for power." Ren pointed out. "Shirou is the one that stands at the top of the pecking order, but everyone around him was always hiding their true intention, wanting to knock him down. Enemy delinquents, all those shallow people back at school, especially the girls who fawn over him because he's appealing to them, because his reputation both frightens and excites them, that's why he got so good at reading other people's intentions with his instincts, so he wouldn't trust the wrong person. With so many liars and people just wanting to use him, you could imagine he wouldn't feel like giving out trust so easily."

(On some level, everyone wants to be normal. A happy life where you're treated as another average person rather than something otherworldly. I imagine it'd be a nice feeling…)

(So don't ever worry about me using you…Okay, Danchou?)

"I know that…" Rias bit her lower lip. "I saw it, and I didn't even realize it."

The scars on his body… Even if they weren't visible, the image had been imprinted in her psyche.

Back when she first saw Shirou's bandages, she was curious as to what could have been under them, and why he was so determined to hide it.

But now hearing all this, and seeing those scars…

She had not a single clue. The sight she observed at the outdoor bath on his body was terrifying and implied a lot of gruesome things. She could not even begin to contemplate what had caused those scars, whether it was Shirou or, something else…

The arrogant, distant Shirou had certainly not been a lie, but Rias knew the vulnerable, innocent boy in her arms was no illusion. Neither were the burdens he bore on his shoulders…

"Foolish, no one expected him to go this far."

"Maybe." Ren responded. "But, I was surprised by how he acted when talking to you. I guess your words touched him. That's why he didn't mind if you relied upon him for this match."

"But he shouldn't be carrying all this on his own," Rias argued. "I want him to rely on me!"

Ren just stared. "And why would he do that, when you yourself aren't reliable?"

Rias was surprised by that. "What? Of course, I am."

"Then tell me, why don't you train?" Ren asked Rias paused. "High-Class Devils like you and Raiser are always like this. You always think, "I'm from this family or whatever, and I have great power. Why train when I'm already strong enough to beat anybody?" Isn't that right? He's here training like hell for this fight, and you haven't trained at all. Why would he rely on someone like that?"

Rias couldn't retort. She knew deep down he was right. She had Pride in the power that came from being a member of the House of Gremory, but that Pride had made her arrogant. At some point, she had just believed as a Gremory who was born talented at the use of magic, she felt there was never a need to train because she never needed much effort to beat others. But in truth, that was only because she had never been in a real fight, and while the most important battle of her life was coming up and her entire Peerage, especially her Pawn, was training their hardest to be ready. She, the King, hadn't lifted a finger. That thought filled her with shame.

Rias looked at Ren, then to Shirou's sleeping face. It was at that moment she made a decision.

"Well, that's about to change right now."

Music Off

Shirou woke up with a start, feeling as though all of his ribs were about to split apart the moment he sat up simultaneously.

"Augh! Damnit!" Shirou clutched his sides, taking notice of his change of clothes. He had changed from his training clothes to his casual attire, and he didn't know how.

He was positive he was in the same room he had been spending the nights in since arriving at this mountain training camp, but he had no recollection of returning the previous night. Even just thinking about it gave him a headache…

He hunched over, clutching his heart; every beat felt like a knife stabbing his heart from the inside.

"I guess…I guess I overdid it…" He figured. "…But that doesn't explain how I got back."

There was a clatter of metal, as something hit the ground, drawing Shirou's attention.

Asia stood there, clothed in her tracksuit, her mouth open in shock. "You're awake!"

"So are you." Shirou pointed out.

Asia immediately rushed to Shirou, pushing him back into his bed. "You shouldn't be up! You shouldn't even be awake!" Shirou was about to object, but then Asia turned to face him, her expression that of an adorable pout, but still very clearly upset. "You went and did something reckless again, didn't you?"

"It wasn't reckless." Shirou said dismissively. "I just didn't feel like playing it safe."

Asia placed her hands on her hips, clearly intent on scolding her friend. "You had two ruptured organs when I brought you back last night."

Shirou scratched his head. "You brought me back last night?" He tried to imagine the small and pathetically weak blond carrying him back all the way from the middle of the forest to this room…

He just didn't see it happening.

"Are you sure someone else wasn't out there?"

"Don't change the subject." Asia said quickly, again pushing Shirou back into his bed. "You are going to spend the rest of the day in bed, Shirou-san. I don't want to hear any "ifs," "and" or "buts" about it. You had me worried sick!"

"My bad." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "…Are you sure it was just you? I could've sworn I heard some voices before I—"

"N-Nope! Just me!" Asia interrupted, panicking. She was sweating bullets. "I brought you home the previous night after you collapsed from training. That's the absolute truth." She pulled the covers over Shirou. "Now, I don't want to hear any argument. You are going to spend the rest of the day in bed, and that's final! From hereon, I going to be with you at all times until we're done training!"

"But what about Rias? Didn't she give you crap about training with them or something?"

"I'm worried about you right now; just rest."

Shirou wasn't in the mood to argue in the first place. Aside from his confusion regarding the previous night's events, his insides hurt. He was stubborn, but even he knew that pushing himself after a night like that would do more harm than good.

Not to mention he'd never hear the end of it from Mika OR Asia.

"But still…" Shirou peered out the open door, seeing nothing but an empty hallway. "Why do I feel like… I wasn't alone last night?"

Asia fluffed his pillows, laying his head back softly. "Now just lay here and relax; I'll go get you some breakfast." On that note, Asia left.

And so, Shirou was left alone to his thoughts.

And the oddest sense of security, for the first time in years…

"Are you sure this is okay?" Asia asked, certain she was a decent distance away from the earshot of Shirou.

The Crimson-haired girl leaning against the wall nodded. "It's better this way, he doesn't need to know I was there."

"Yes, but I feel guilty." Asia said.

"For lying to him?"

"Well, yes." Asia confirmed, uneasy. "But also for taking the credit for your kindness."

Rias stood on her feet, turning to leave. "As long as he's recovered, and will be well enough to fight in the Rating Game, I'm satisfied."

"Aren't you going to check on him?" Asia asked.

Rias shook her head. "No, I have my own training to attend to." A soft smile found its way to her face, surprising Asia.

She was not the type to normally train herself. But seeing Shirou in such a state motivated her to increase her own amount of effort in this venture.

"I need to become stronger if I ever want my adorable Pawn to be able to rely on me. It's only fair after all."

And that's the chapter. And so, first of all, I decided to make Shirou a master Chef because all the other versions of Shirou were, and I decided I like that trait, so I put it in here. And personally, it reminded me of Food Wars.

As for the bathing scene, you've finally seen what's under Shirou's bandages. And he has scars everywhere around his body, yes he was tortured at some point, and that's why he has scars. Mika was too, but not as much as her Brother. The details will be explained at a later time.

And as you now know, Shirou knows Rias let him die. I know why she did it, and I decided that Ren would be the one to inform him, though since Shirou didn't care for his humanity as long as he could protect what he cared about and as long as he had power since Rias showed she wasn't a bad person he let it slide. And after Ren was convinced of that, he decided to let her in on his secret too.

But, even though Shirou understands Rias now and sees her plight, he still doesn't put his trust in her. He still sees her as just an acquaintance. And Rias now sees him as someone she cherishes and wants to protect, so that's how it'll be for a while.

And now, finally, this training Arc is over. The next chapter will be the start of the Rating Games.

And in case you didn't know, Danchou is the most informal way of saying, Boss

Anyways thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed if you want more, then leave a review if you liked this story click the follow/favorite, and as always, have an awesome day.