Reenacting a legend

by davido747

In a world in which humanity never parted ways with the Gods and became the dominant species, an unexpected variable enters to disrupt its delicate order. After regaining his memories as the nameless hero King of Fakers, Emiya Shirou will have to teach this world why humans cannot be underestimated, and show them all what means to be a real hero.

4. Chapter 3: Birth of a star

We meet again, people! Yeah, it's been a long time, at least for the people that don't follow my other stories, but hey, you got this massive chapter in compensation.

This chapter covers the entire Excalibur arc. I kept things brief since, well, contrary to people's expectations, the Excaliburs are going to have a minor role in this arc. Aside from mentioning how they are a joke compared to Fate's Excalibur, there really is nothing more to tell about them. Perhaps Shirou might reforge them properly in the future using the skills he retained from the time he was merged with Muramasa. This can be quite confusing for people that haven't read my other story "Date a Density" though...

At any rate. I focused instead on other issues that I deemed more interesting and relevant for the story, like continuing Issei's development as a functional character from the last chapter.

On another note, I'm not going to bother answering some reviews complaining about things that were clearly stated in the first AN of this story, since, well, they aren't going to read this one either. Instead, I'll just thank the people that showed their support or offered constructive criticism.

Which by the way, I've read some theories regarding this story that are way more complex than what I have in mind. I'll just say that the reason King of Fakers got here is way more simple than you might think, and it has to do with Fate/Grand Order's second arc. That would put this story chronologically after all my other stories. And about the reason behind Shirou barely remembering the girls of "Date a Density", it's basically servant logic. This copy of him has yet to assimilate those memories from his other servant copies.

And it makes me sad that only one reviewer caught the reference to Adan. I guess the religion named "Shuumatsu no Valkyre" isn't that widespread...

Just as a reminder, prepare your favorite version of the Emiya theme. Believe me, you're going to need it.

Without further ado, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon, the Fate Franchise, or High School DxD.

---

As usual, Emiya Shirou found himself patrolling the quiet streets of Kuoh at night. A rainy one at that. He could have projected an umbrella, but that would blow up his cover as a "harmless student than was going home late".

Not much had changed after the incident of the failed marriage a few days ago, at least not for him. Of course, after seeing him talking to the one said to be the strongest devil alive without even batting an eye, they were cautious around him, but it wasn't that far from the situation prior to the incident.

And well, there was Sona's lecture for storming a private ceremony in the underworld and sending several guards to the hospital, but it didn't escalate.

The changes he expected, something in the line of increasing the safety measures around the two heiresses or watching him... those didn't happen. The reason, he didn't know. He could just guess that, well, they didn't expect a stray magician to make an enemy of two of the current Maous.

Their reputation alone might be able to dissuade most of the people from doing something like that, but expecting that to prevent any attempt on their lives was naive. There is always a bigger fish as they say.

As for the stray devils and other freaks arriving at the city, their numbers were decreasing as of late. He thought that maybe, just maybe, all those freaks realized that coming to this isolated country to throw away their lives wasn't the best way of spending their time.

But he was starting to think that there's another reason behind that.

The night was quiet. Too quiet.

If you walk through a forest and don't hear any sound, that means all the animals are hiding, most likely due to a predator being near. If we extrapolate that patron to Kuoh's supernatural side... that could just mean bad news.

That thought brought a frown to Shirou's face. He didn't know if he was the one attracting the problems, or if it was the heiresses or the town itself, but this was starting to hit an absurd level.

Just as he was about to call it a night and head home to get some sleep, a figure came out of an alley in front of him.

"He... help..."

It was a man wearing the standard outfit of a priest. There were only two options here. Either he was a cosplayer or an actual member of the Holy Church. The second option brought a ton of questions and an incoming headache, but it was most likely the correct one.

"You... pleas help... me..."

The priest approached Shirou with desperation written all over his face. Enough desperation to seek help from a random teenager he met at the entrance of a shady alley.

Not that Shirou could do anything for him. The man collapsed on the ground after spending all of his remaining energy to take a couple of steps. His blood, merging with the thin layer of water over the concrete, started to spread quickly.

The cause of death was obvious. The man had a quite big stab wound on his back, most likely a sword. It missed the heart, but still pierced a lung.

"Hoh? What do we have here?"

Shirou's eyes left the corpse and landed on the perpetrator, who just stepped out of the same alley. He seemed to be another member of the Holy Church, but just seeing that twisted smile he could tell this guy had a screw loose.

"A random student out here this late at night? Suspicious to say the least... The way you haven't freaked out seeing this fella here... are you perhaps one of those suckers working for the shitty devils?"

He ignored the madman and instead looked at the sword he was carrying. Its blade, longer than the average and with a gap near the guard, was soaked in blood, but it wasn't an impediment for his reality marble to reproduce it...

"...!" Shirou's eyes widened as an urge to puke assailed him.

That... thing was an offense for all the swordsmiths on this planet. Its structure was full of flaws, caused by the lackluster methods used to reforge it. It was the result of leaving the fragments of the original sword to a bunch of alchemists that just put them together and gave them shape, with their sole focus on conserving a fraction of the original's power.

It lacked any kind of spirit, but unlike Kanshou and Bakuya, it didn't hold a meaning behind its creation either. It was just... an aberration that shouldn't exist.

But what really shocked Shirou was the true name of the sword.

Excalibur Rapidly.

That... had to be a twisted joke.

If Excalibur was shattered in the past, then that meant this world's Excalibur wasn't the Holy Sword forged in the inner sea of the planet that carried mankind's wishes. It was just another holy sword above the average...

And the fragment in front of him... considering it a noble phantasm would be generous on his part. Its holy aura might be really effective against wicked creatures, but it was an effect that could be replicated with some black keys, and was completely overshadowed by Redeemer and Retriever.

But leaving aside the comparisons with the Sword of Promised Victory, how is this world still brimming with life?

Without the sword that protects the planet, there is nothing to stop the White Titan from turning this planet into a sea devoid of life. And even if that thing didn't arrive on this planet, and the true ancestors were never a thing either, there are other threats in outer space.

Shirou was starting to think that this world might not be even a branch of Proper Human History's main tree...

"Heh, it seems you have an eye for quality!" The madman's voice brought Shirou back to reality. He seemed to have mistaken his surprise by admiration for that thing. "I don't blame you. This Excalibur-chan here is really something. The perfect weapon to exterminate shitty devils!"

How such a weapon ended in the hands of this prick was another question for the seemingly endless pile. The guy was rubbing his face against the flat side of the blade as if it were some kitty.

The golden-eyed boy opened his mouth to speak for the first time. "Would you answer if I asked you the reason why you killed this man?"

To his surprise, the madman actually answered the question. "He was an eyesore for the boss, and it is a good occasion to test this babe. And now..." He pointed the sword at Shirou. "I'll have to kill you, too. I cannot leave alive any idiot associated with those fuckers."

"And what if I told you I'm just a stray magician that isn't affiliated with the devils controlling this town?"

"You are still an unwanted witness, my fellow. And what is even doing a magician in this remoted country? Don't tell me? Are you the one that the boss mentioned? The infamous Slayer? You must be him! There isn't any other explanation! Hehehehe! You'll be the perfect target to test my Excalibur Chopper!"

Shirou let out a sight. This man was just plain nuts. It seemed he would have to kill the first person associated with the Holy Church he came across.

Not that he expected to get along with that sect, but making an enemy out of them right off the bat was an entirely different matter. If they had some sort of equivalent of the executors, or the Burial Agency, things would get complicated.

"Here I come!"

"Trace, on..."

Just as the madman rushed at him, Shirou stuffed his left hand in his jacket and projected Kanshou just in time to deflect the blade coming at his neck.

The sparks flew away, illuminating the street more than the lonely streetlight by their side could. And the maniac smile in the fake priest just grew wider, in contrast to Shirou's cold expression.

The madman continued to swing the thing in his hands as if he were just trying out a new toy. There was skill in his attacks, he didn't just swing it randomly. But it wasn't that far from the attack of a mad dog.

His speed though was something else, at least compared to the average level of an executor. It was the especial quirk that sword managed to retain despite its horrendous forging process, and what gave it that name. It enhanced the user's speed and reflexes.

However, it wasn't something Shirou couldn't deal with. The man wasn't that far from Kiba's speed, and his telegraphed attacks weren't helping. Even if he tried to take advantage of his enhanced speed, and attacked from all angles unlike the Gremory knight, Shirou blocked all of his attacks without a problem.

"Huh?"

The madman's vicious smile quickly turned into a frown. He was sure the devil he fought not that long ago would have been completely destroyed by this point. But the boy in front of him wasn't even sweating.

However, if his guess was right, this level was to be expected from the monster that kept destroying any supernatural creature that entered the city. What was truly baffling him was... why in the world his Excalibur didn't break that flimsy sword!?

One of the Holy Church's trump cards couldn't lose against some random sword, right!?

"Tsk, damn it! Why isn't that sword breaking already!?"

If he couldn't hit the boy, he might as well destroy his weapon and kill him while defenseless. But that plan was proving to be as difficult as breaking his guard.

CRACK!

It took more than 20 clashes, but he finally did it. He finally heard the sound of metal being cracked.

"He! You're mine- huh?"

After observing the black sword in Shirou's hand, he noticed that it was in perfect shape. Not even a single dent could be seen in its beautiful form.

His eyes then darted to the sword he was holding, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"WHAT!? You have to be fucking with me! This sword is the strongest!"

The sword in his hand, said to be one of the strongest holy swords, had now a horrible crack all over its blade, with some fragments already falling to the ground.

"No, that sword is far from the strongest." Shirou spoke as if to crush the man's delusion. "If you think that joke of a sword can match a true masterpiece, then keep dreaming."

"Tsk..." The man took a step back to reassess the situation. Unlike what he let others think most of the time, he wasn't a complete maniac for battle with a huge bloodlust.

With the sword in his hand looking like it was going to fall apart, beating that boy, no, that monster was impossible. He seemed to be able to predict all his attacks without even seeing them for crying out loud!

In this situation, there was only one option available for him.

"Heh, you aren't half bad boy. But, this seems to be my clue to take my leave!"

The man pulled something out from one of his pockets and tried to smash it into the ground. However, Shirou reacted quickly. A rapier-like sword with a red guard appeared in his right hand and he threw it at the fake priest.

It missed him completely though, going through the space between the madman's legs, causing him to laugh.

"Hahaha, not even close! Your aim really sucks! Now the, see ya... ... ... Eh?"

Yet another surprise. As much as he tried, putting all his being into it, his arm just wasn't moving at all. Not just his arm, his entire body as well. He couldn't move an inch. The only exceptions were his mouth and eyes.

"What is this!? What did you do to me!?"

"Who said I missed?"

Shirou approached him casually. With the black key stabbing the man's shadow, projected by the streetlight, he wasn't moving any time soon.

Kanshou faded from his hand as he took the object in the fake priest's hands. It looked like a small metallic ball, but his structural grasp revealed its true nature.

"A flashbang, huh? It seems you really were going to turn your tail and run. Didn't the Holy Church instill into you that bullshit about offering your life to God? I'm pretty sure failure meant being labeled as a heretic if your rank isn't high enough."

At the end of his speech, he threw the flashbang into a nearby trashcan, where it activated just to illuminate its interior.

Those were meant to be jabs to see if he lost his cool and revealed some sensible information in the spur of the moment, but the man just looked at him surprised, and then laughed.

"Hahaha! We are on the same page here, my friend! I deserted from that shitty sect a long time ago, and now I work for a more interesting boss."

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that. So what he ended stumbling upon wasn't an internal dispute, but this guy was actually one of those stray exorcists.

"But I must ask. Why such a monster would be in this town blending with those shitty devils? Why don't you join me and the boss? With you, purging them will be a piece of cake!"

That was pretty much flattery, a desperate attempt of talking his way out of this. But it just let Shirou know that this psycho was just an underling and that the real bigshot was scheming something that could mean anything but good to this city.

"So you work for a terrorist band, the fallen angels a presume. Why should I join and bunch of paranoid murders that go around killing humans because they can become potential threats? From my point of view, any of you isn't any better compared to the others."

The fake priest started to panic as this wasn't going anywhere. "Think about it! If you join the boss to restart the war between the three factions, you purge the other two sides more, leaving just the fallen angel faction!"

"You want to restart a war? I guess that explains what are you doing bringing this thing here of all places..."

Shirou took the Excalibur fragment out of his hands and inspected it. With just a couple of test swings, he just confirmed his thoughts. Even if the Excalibur of this sword hadn't been the last phantasm as the one of his original world, it didn't deserve this offense.

Now, what should he do about it? The part of him that retains Muramasa's swordsmith values from that time they were fused was screaming at him that he should finish the job and destroy it. But his rational part told him that he should just return it, as explaining that he didn't steal it would be less troublesome than explaining why he broke it.

"Stealing this thing would set up the Holy Church, and involving the heiresses would bring the devils to this mess... That kind of scheme can just come from a guy that just seeks war just for the bloodbath... Sorry but, I think I'll pass. Now..."

He raised the sword in his hand to behead the fake priest. He had been a good source of information, but leaving him around wouldn't be worth the trouble. He couldn't let him alert this boss that the "Slayer" was going for him, and not even a psychiatrist could heal him.

The madman however didn't react at that. He was more focused staring dumbfounded at the way he wielded the Excalibur without trouble. What's more, the blade of the Excalibur was emitting a faint light, as if to recognize a legitimate owner.

Shirou paid no mind to it and swung the blade before the fake priest started to beg for his life and alerted the neighbors.

CLANG!

However, Shirou had to react quickly at the sudden burst of killing intent behind him and turned around to block a sword aimed at his neck. His eyes widened for a second upon recognizing the owner of that sword, a deep frown appearing in his face afterward as he pushed the devil with his reinforced strength.

"Should I take this as a sign that you guys have finally considered me a threat, Kiba?"

The blonde knight didn't bat an eye at Shirou's expanding hostility. "This must be fate. You managed to fool us all, Emiya. But the fact that you can wield that sword is evidence enough. You were always an undercover agent of the Church! You wouldn't be able to wield it otherwise!"

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that. Judging by the unbelievable amount of hatred he was able to feel the moment Kiba mentioned the thing in his hand, he could assume it was the reason why he jumped to conclusions so suddenly. But even so...

"Tell me, why shouldn't I be able to wield this joke of a sword?"

Before the devil could answer, the laugh of the madman interrupted their conversation.

"Fufufu! That's what I was asking myself, shitty devil!"

The sight of the madman made Kiba grimace. It seemed he had a story with him. "Freed Sellzen..."

"I'm also glad to see you're still kicking around! Have you finally been able to do it with your boyfriend the dragon boy!?"

His taunts made the devil grit his teeth, a sight to behold coming from the charismatic Prince of Kuoh. If it wasn't for the sword in Shirou's hand having all his attention, he would have silenced him already.

Ignoring the fact that his life was hanging from a thin string, the man kept speaking. "Regular humans need external aid to wield Excalibur-chan. An infusion of holy element, just like the old man did with me. So how in the world is this guy able to use it!? The only thing that comes to mind is that he is a natural, but that seems unlikely, too! Someone that despises the Holy Church like that can't have any holy in them!"

His eyes then landed on the devil. "For you, a lowly devil, to know about this... Don't tell me, you wouldn't happen to be one of the kids used for the old man's experiment!?"

Seeing how Kiba's eyebrows twitched, the madman knew he had hit the spot. "You are! Hahahaha! How pitiful! A kid that lost everything is now seeking revenge as a devil! Guess I should send your regards to the old ma-"

Shirou's fist hitting the stomach of the madman silenced him, making his body fall to the ground like a puppet with its strings severed.

"Enough of the history lesson... I'll make more questions later." His eyes then turned to look at Kiba. "Is that it? Just because you hate this thing you were going to kill me? Tell me, how is that going to amend your problems?"

"You know nothing!" Kiba started to shout with a voice filled with hatred and rage. "You don't know how many lives were sacrificed just to find a way exorcists could wield that sword without trouble! All my friends gave their lives so that I could escape! The only way that I can repay them... is dedicating this life to destroy that thing!"

Throwing any semblance of reason out the window, the devil rushed to attack him.

His swing, aimed solely at the holy sword, was swiftly deflected by Shirou. The sword that seemed to be on the verge of falling apart endured the clash only thanks to Shirou applying reinforcement.

Gritting his teeth the devil kept attacking, an uncharacteristic killing intent coming from him. But as a reminiscence of all the bout between the two, he wasn't able to break Shirou's guard. All the improvement he went through during the training camp seemed to be completely buried by a pile of hatred and regrets.

"You see, I agree with you that this abomination shouldn't exist. But dedicating your entire being to a vengeance regarding this thing? I don't know what happened to you in the past, but I can tell you breaking this thing will accomplish nothing. You should do something more productive with this second opportunity you were given."

Shirou tried to talk things out, but it went through one ear and out the other.

"Shut up!"

The intensity behind Kiba's attacks just grew with every word. It was to be expected. Hearing that his reason to keep living was absurd, even if Shirou's words were true, just upset him more. He swung his sword with a technique not that far from the one of the madman lying unconscious in the street.

Seeing that words weren't going to do it, Shirou changed tactics. Beating some sense to him in a literal way would have to do it then.

"Hnn!"

Pouring some magical energy into the sword, it answered with a burst of light that blew apart Kiba's sword and sent him sliding across the street.

It didn't take him much to stand up again though, as Shirou avoided hitting him directly with the holy light.

"Tsk... Holy Eraser couldn't even endure a single hit..."

"I'll give you one last chance." The magus spoke as lowered he the sword. "If you retreat now, I'll let this pass as just you having a bad day. We go back to our respective homes and pretend that this never happened."

"Even if you truly aren't a member of the Church, I won't let you get away as long as you keep protecting that sword."

After saying that, he called upon his sacred gear. It took him more time than usual, and it drained him even more, but the result was a massive demonic sword.

That thing was powerful, at least compared to the other swords he'd seen Kiba pull out, but it seemed out of place in the hands of a knight that specialized in speed. That sword wouldn't look out of place in Heracles' hands.

Once again, his rage and hatred were blinding him.

Shirou let out another sigh as he prepared the sword in his hands. "Your choice then."

The devil threw himself at Shirou, his speed severely reduced due to that sword's weight, but the magus waited for him patiently.

"HAAAAAAAHHH!"

Kiba put all his being into a single swing with that massive sword wrapped in an ominous aura, aiming to destroy that holy sword once and for all.

The magus, on the other hand, swung the holy sword with one hand. A simple swing that didn't look even threatening, however, its speed and power made Kiba widen his eyes even with his mind clouded.

"Wha-"

The holy light filled the street for a moment, followed by the sound of an explosion and steel falling apart.

The devil stumbled through the wet concrete, with some minor burns on his body and the shatters of his great demonic sword scattering all over the place.

"Kuh!"

He tried to get up, but his body failed him. Even if his wounds didn't endanger his life, they still drained his energy rather quickly due to the exposition to the holy light.

The sounds of steps alarmed him. Kiba turned to see the magus stopping right in front of him, and raising the sword in his hand. But far from what he expected, it wasn't to finish him off but to show him the result of the clash.

"Are you satisfied now?"

What was left in his hand was just the holy sword's hilt. The blade was completely shattered just as it was the demonic sword.

He didn't get an answer from the devil. Once the source of the hatred driving him was out of his sight, he quickly lost consciousness.

"Haahh..." Shirou let out another sigh.

So this was the truth behind the Prince of Kuoh. A boy with massive survivor guilt that was eating him away day by day, hidden by a fake smile.

They were similar in a sense. The devil wasn't as messed up as him, but the objective he focused his efforts to soften his guilt was even more self-destructive.

First Koneko and now Kiba. Rias was doing a poor job dealing with her servants' psychological problems.

Shirou inspected the sword in his hand again. Excalibur Rapidly didn't fall apart due to the clash itself. He forced it to self-destruct after drawing its full potential with that single swing. A skill he borrowed from the time he was fused with the demonic swordsmith.

This was far from a solution, however. If the information he got from the sword was correct, there were other six abominations scattered through the world. It had to be Kiba himself who realized himself that living like an empty shell only driven by vengeance was a mistake, and if he needed support from someone, it had to be the people close to him.

But at least, he managed to make him calm down without resorting to a more extreme method. There were more pressing matters to attend than having to explain why he left Kiba on the verge of death.

He turned to look at the fake priest... and another sight left his mouth.

"That sly bastard really has fast feet..."

It seemed he underestimated the fake priest's resilience. The bastard managed to wake up in time to escape when one of the bursts of light erased the shadow projected by the streetlight.

Great, now this boss of his knows about him. Tracking a human without a strong magical scent in the middle of the rain was nearly impossible.

His golden eyes looked around to assess the situation. An unconscious Kiba he had to deliver, most likely to Issei's house as it was the only location he knew and Rias was living there if Issei hasn't been having hallucinations. A corpse he needed to get rid of, and the fragments of the holy sword that he couldn't leave here in the middle of the street. Oh, and doing the laundry as his uniform couldn't absorb more water.

If his calculations weren't off, he was going to sleep three hours at best.

"Tomorrow is going to be a great day..."

---

"Yawn~"

Just as Shirou predicted, staying awake during school was taking all his willpower. He managed to survive until the first break, but his hands were handling the chopsticks with the same enthusiasm as a walking corpse.

Two options crossed his mind at that moment. Should he go get a coffee or an energy drink, or should he take a quick nap until the bell rings?

The second option was more appealing, even if the possibility of the bell not waking him up at all was quite real. And so, without even stopping to think, his eyes started to close slowly...

"Sensei, you look awful."

Unfortunately, he wasn't alone. Even if much hasn't changed since the incident with Raiser, this was one of the things that actually had changed.

For some reason, Issei and Asia decided to accompany him for lunch with Koneko, effectively forgetting about their other friends. Don't ask him why. He tried to dissuade them, but it was a losing battle.

The bags under his eyes weren't that strange, but seeing how Shirou didn't even bother to say something like: "stop calling me "Sensei", damn it!", the three devils started to worry.

"Weren't you able to sleep last night, Shirou-san?"

"Let's just say... last night patrol got a little bit complicated..." Resigning himself to drink several energy drinks to endure the rest of the day, he decided to humor them.

"What happened? Did you find another powerful stray? Or could it be... do you know something about what happened to Kiba?"

That had been a shock... well, at least more shocking than the sudden visit he had before that.

Since the old school building was under maintenance yesterday, the daily meeting of their club had been held in the Hyoudou residence. His mother then decided that it was a good idea to show them pictures of him as a child, and in the middle of that embarrassing mess, Kiba just stormed out of his house with a really serious expression.

They didn't know what happened to him until a sound in the middle of the night woke him up. His heart skipped a beat after peeking out the window and finding an unconscious Kiba lying in front of his house. His life wasn't in danger, and Asia was able to heal him without trouble, but it was concerning nonetheless.

If Buchou was right, those burns were caused by holy light, and those were really bad news.

"Buchou is worried about who might have left him in that state."

Shirou glanced away. That was one of the things his past self left to him before going to sleep. This was going to be awkward.

"That was me."

"Eh?" The three devils tilted their heads. "It was you as in you left him there... or as in you left him in that state?"

"Both of them actually."

The cold sweat was starting to slide from Issei's face. These happy, peaceful days he got after defeating Raiser seemed to be crumbling away quickly. Yeah, having the need to get the dragon essence of his arm sucked out from time to time so it looked like a regular arm was a reminder that such a thing was no longer possible, but still...

Issei might be dense enough to not realize why Rias moved to his house and insisted to sleep in the same bed with him every night, but he could tell that Shirou had still yet to trust them. The only exception was Issei himself, as both of them got to know each other after those days they spent together.

And it was precisely because of that that Issei hoped Shirou would stop treating them coldly with enough time.

But if Kiba got into a fight with him, that hope might as well be just a dream.

"What happened?" Koneko made the question, as the other two were still having trouble processing that piece of information. And even if he didn't let it show, she was still shaken.

Shirou was sure Kiba came to the school today. Even if he didn't see the Prince of Kuoh, all the gossips about that fake smile of his being nowhere to be seen spread quickly. But it looks like he didn't talk with them at all about the events of last night.

It was a sound decision. If he told them: "Emiya attacked me with an Excalibur, which ended up destroyed in the process", Rias would most likely freak out. Even the misunderstanding was cleared, the fact that there was an Excalibur in the city, shattered on top of that, was still serious trouble.

To think that this world's humans had trouble wielding such trifling swords was really concerning in itself. That explained why they are at the bottom of the food chain. Or perhaps that was the reason the biblical God had the "great" idea of creating the sacred gears.

Now, leaving all that aside, how was he going to break this to them without mentioning the Excalibur so they didn't freak out...

"You see, I was in the middle of one of my usual patrols when I ran into a stray exorcist. You might know him. His name was Freed Sellzen." The collective grimace he got from the devils just confirmed it. "After ruining his sword, I subdued him and proceeded to interrogate him. But then, Kiba attacked me thinking I had switched sides. He didn't seem to be in his right mind, so I was forced to subdue him as well, and the stray exorcist managed to escape in the process."

Even if he had left out the most important detail, that was basically what happened last night.

The frowns in their faces however hinted that they might not buy it entirely. Specially Koneko, who was the one that knew Kiba better.

"Do you think it might be related?" The question Issei made to Asia surprised Shirou however.

"Father Sellzen returning to this city at the same time those sisters paid us a visit... it's too much of a coincidence."

The way Issei gritted his teeth and clenched his fists showed that this visit Asia mentioned wasn't a pleasant memory. In fact, for him to show so much anger it had to be really serious.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well..." Issei decided to tell him their side of the mess. "...we were visited by two members of the Holy Church. One of them turned out to be my childhood friend, so their only reason behind their visit was just checking how I was doing... but then they saw Rias and sensed that Asia and I were devils, and things went south. They didn't start a fight, but they left asking Rias for a meeting to discuss some matters... not before calling Asia a witch and a heretic."

Shirou blinked a couple of times. That was quite the chain of coincidences. Perhaps he wasn't the only magnet for trouble here. He could already figure out the reason why they were here, but that was faster than he expected.

"When is going to take place that meeting?"

"Actually, just after school in our clubroom. Buchou has probably informed Kaichou about it as the sisters wanted them to be there, too. Are you planning to attend as well, Sensei?"

"Quit the "Sensei", damn it!" With the conversation taking this serious turn, all his drowsiness had faded away. "But yes. A matter that concerns this city's safety, then yes, it concerns me as well."

The bell rang not much long after that, and the four returned to their respective classrooms.

---

Even with a couple of energy drinks on him, the wait seemed to go on forever. But the lessons of the day finally came to an end, and he followed Issei and Asia to the old school building. They met with Saji other members of the Student Council on their way, but more importantly, Kiba joined them, too.

His eyes met Shirou's for a fleeting moment, just before the knight looked away.

The magus couldn't sense any anger or hatred directed at him. It seemed that Kiba had reflected on his actions a bit, but he steel was cautious around him, more so than before the training camp.

The others could feel the tense atmosphere between the two swordsmen but decided to not make any comment on that.

"We're here."

The remaining members of both peerages were already in there, in the same formation, they used when they interrogated Shirou. Rias and Sona sitting on the sofa, with their queens behind them, and the two sisters in question were sitting across the table.

The two "kings" looked at Shirou with some surprise as he wordlessly walked to a corner and leaned his back on the wall. Ignoring their looks, the magus stared at the two members of the Church.

To his surprise, they were two girls of an age similar to all the people in the room. The two were beauties in a mundane way. The cheerful one of them, who wore a smile despite being completely outnumbered, had light brown hair tied in twin tails and purple eyes. Judging by her Asian features, she must be Issei's childhood friend.

Her partner on the other hand wore a stoic expression, with some hostility pouring from her brown eyes. That was more in the lines of what Shirou was expecting from an executor, but Kiba glaring holes on their backs might be to blame here. If her blue hair with a shade of green didn't make her stand out like a sore thumb enough, the monstrous weapon she carried around wrapped in a white shroud did. Her partner was more subtle, as she most likely had her weapon hidden in her garments.

The sisters didn't seem to pay attention to him whatsoever and started the conversation upon seeing everyone was in the room.

"I am Shidou Irina from the Protestant church, and this one here is Xenovia Quarta of the Catholic church!"

The one with blue hair clicked her tongue at her partner's introduction. "There is no need to introduce ourselves to these devils."

Her Japanese wasn't as fluent as her partner's, but it was quite acceptable for a stranger. Not that he expected less of an executor.

"But that's the least we can do if we want them to have put some trust in us!"

Her naive words made Xenovia sigh. "Haaah... I guess we should explain the circumstances before getting to what we want from you... Three of the seven fragments of Excalibur were stolen recently, one from each of the Church's branches, and we determined that the culprit has fleed to this country, this city to be more precise."

Both "kings" pinched their noses bridges. The other members made surprised faces, which showed they already knew about the mess that was this world's Excalibur, and Kiba's killing intent just grew further.

"It seems our territory is a magnet for incidents..."

"Do you have any idea of who the culprit is?" Sona went straight to the point.

"They were stolen by the Grigori." The sole mention of the fallen angels made the Gremory peerage grow tense. Their story with them wasn't a pleasant one to hear.

It made Shirou regret not recovering his memories faster. He could have avoided Asia and Issei's meaningless deaths. But that was in the past, and messing with time wasn't a good idea regardless of the world.

"To be precise, it was one of their current leaders, Kokabiel. A fallen angel that has survived from the great war."

"We've been sending exorcists to this city, but they never returned..."

So what he stumbled upon was just one of those cases. Or that madman was really sneaky, or that exorcist was the only one that actually managed to get to the city.

"Now, we request that you devils don't interfere with this matter between the Church and the Grigori."

Rias eyed the girl with blue hair. "Do you really think we might cooperate with the fallen to destroy the Excaliburs or something in the lines?"

"That's what our superiors believe, yes!"

The temperature of the room descended just by the pissed-off faces the two pure-blood devils made at Irina's affirmation.

"We can swear by our families' names that we would do something so blasphemous as forming an alliance with the fallen angels."

Irina ignored the subtle jab in Sona's words, but Xenovia gritted her teeth before speaking again.

"Hearing that is enough. Starting a fight with the sisters of the Maous would have been troublesome. But we won't ask for cooperation either. An alliance between the Church and the devils would just destroy what little balance is left between the three factions."

"So it's just you two against an ancient powerful fallen angel, how reckless from the church. Did they just send you to die?"

Rias' question took them by surprise, but they answered without losing the pace.

"Even if it's just the two of us, we came here with appropriate equipment."

Just as Xenovia said that she unraveled the shroud around her weapon, a massive black greatsword with ax blades as its guard. The shroud must have been acting as a seal, as its holy presence immediately made the devils feel goose-bumps.

Irina on her side raised her right arm, revealing a small band wrapped around her forearm. At the next instant, that band shone and shapeshifted to a katana exuding the same aura as Xenovia's sword.

"So you've brought Excaliburs to fight Excauliburs, huh?" Sona remarked as she adjusted her glasses, not leaving her discomfort to be seen.

"That's correct. Even if we might not be enough to defeat Kokabiel, if we manage to destroy the stolen Excaliburs, then it will be worth it."

"Heh, so your plan is just to throw a kamikaze attack and hope for the best." Shirou's sudden words responding to Irina's declaration surprised everyone. "If no one is going to do it, then I'll say it. You are not going to accomplish anything with those shinny sticks. You'll just throw away your lives for nothing."

The two exorcists looked at the other human in the room, and now Xenovia's hostility had a new focus.

"I've been meaning to ask, but you are human, right? Why are you here, err...?" Irina tried to be diplomatic seeing how her friend was about to lash at the golden-eyed boy.

"I am Emiya Shirou. As for your question, I'm a local magician that ensures this city's safety. In other words, that matter about holy swords and this Kokabiel guy concerns me as well."

"A magician allied with the devils ensuring someone's safety? What a joke. If you truly cared for those lives, you would have exterminated them. Unlike the witch there, I should exterminate you right here without asking."

Xenovia's blunt words didn't get any reaction from the magus other than a frown. It seemed some things don't change no matter where you go.

"Hmph, I see that the members Holy Church still label as heretics anyone that doesn't think the way you guys want, regardless of the circumstances. So much for the teachings of that petty God. And here I was willing to give you a chance to explain things from your point of view. Guess that will be just a waste of time..."

That hit close to home, with Xenovia tightening the grip on her holy sword and almost swinging it at Shirou. It was actually Irina grabbing her from her shoulders that stopped her.

"Look what you've done, Xenovia-san! We've lost our opportunity to turn him to our side!"

Those words actually made everyone else in the room grow tense, and Shirou snorted. As if he were to put his faith in some God he didn't even know. But he kept that to himself. Antagonizing them further would just make things complicated.

"However, regardless of that, I am willing to help you defeat this Kokabiel guy."

Xenovia's eyes twitched at that. "And what can a magician that cannot even recognize two holy swords of the highest caliber possibly do to help us?"

Shirou buffed, barely repressing a laugher at that. If the Church considered those things one of their trump cards, their situation was really horrible.

"If you don't realize those things are useless against any opponent that's not weak to holy light, then you're off to a bad start. Even if those alchemists managed to retain most of its holy aura, their internal structure is so messed up that they won't last more than a few blows against the real deal. Seriously, you'll be better with just a set of black keys."

Shirou didn't notice how the two exorcists looked at him like he had grown a second head at the mention of the black keys. The devils were already baffled hearing him speak about the Excaliburs as if they were just run-of-the-mill swords

Compared to what laid in his Unlimited Blade Works, yes, they were on the same level of the nameless noble phantasms he fired as arrows.

"But aside from that, you'll need a guide. Even if one of you lived here a long time ago, I know very well all the hot spots in this city regarding the supernatural. And what about a place to stay? Do you have that much covered?"

Judging by the way their faces blushed and their bellies started to make noise, he had hit right in the spot. That just confirmed they were sent here to their deaths like all the other exorcists. Why would they bother to arrange a safe house for someone that was going to die?

This version of the Holy Church was starting to seem even worse than the one in his original world, and that was something.

"I live alone, so I have no problems having you two around if it's just for a couple of days."

"I- I- I would never accept the help of someone that is on the side of devils!" Xenovia rejected his offer, but her determination this time was wavering.

"Who said I am on their side? We have just a non-aggression contract. In terms of reputation, I'm a nobody, so you don't have to worry about restarting a war."

"That... makes sense. The superiors never mentioned a magician living here... In that case, it is decided! We'll be in your care, Emiya-kun!"

"Wait, you're jumping to conclusions too fast, Irina!" The blue-haired exorcist objected to her decision. "This can be a trap! And besides, the only reason we're broke is that you got scammed with that fake painting during in-between flights!"

"Hey, it really struck me as the real thing! And I can tell Emiya-kun here is a good person, regardless of his misplaced beliefs."

How this naive girl managed to climb her way up to her current rank in that pit of snakes is another question that was going to be left unanswered. But it played to Shirou's favor, so he didn't utter a word.

"Tch." Xenovia ended up conceding. Dying meaninglessly because they didn't go fight Kokabiel in top condition wasn't in her plans. Her strict eyes landed on the magus. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. The moment you try something, I'll cut you down."

"Hey, hold on a second." The three humans turned to look at Rias. "We never agreed to this arrangement."

Shirou raised an eyebrow at the devils. "Since when do I need to ask you guys permission to bring someone to my house?"

The question was asked in a neutral tone, but it had an edge that sent chills down their spines.

"If someone discovers that you're sheltering two members of the Church, the punishment for breaking the contract you signed isn't going to be small."

Well, Sona was right. The contract didn't allow him to side with Heaven and the Grigori, but not in a way like a geis contract that would have started to punish him already.

He guessed it was time to break that contract when no one was watching.

"No one should catch wind of this... unless you want to rat me out. Do you really want to let these girls die and have to deal with the mess by yourself? Or are you naive enough to think that this Kokabiel guy doesn't have business with you after coming to this city specifically?"

"Well..."

That made the Sitri heiress ponder about it. It would be ideal if they were able to deal with Kokabiel without them having to intervene... but still...

"And why are you so confident that your help is going to change the outcome?" Rias asked the big question. "Raiser is one thing, but you are going against a fallen angel that survived the Great War between the three factions. I doubt even Issei with his Balance Breaker stands a chance against him."

Said devil flinched at his master's blunt words. Not that he would be able to access it again without turning more parts of his body into draconic parts, but hearing that using that cheat power-up wouldn't cut it...

"Ddraig, is that Kokabiel guy so powerful?" He asked the dragon residing in his arm.

[I don't know what to tell you without having him in front of us. Even if I happened to fight him when I was alive, or any other of my wielders did, I don't remember. However, I can say someone that managed to come out alive from a battlefield shared by God and the Four Original Satans is way out of your league, partner. At least for now.]

"I figured as much... But how about Sensei. Does he stand a chance?" Issei asked sincerely.

Unlike the other people in the room, who couldn't fathom the idea of a human going against such a monster, he thought otherwise. After having been on the receiving end of his fighting style for all those days, he firmly believed that his Sensei was someone you could always rely on to turn the tables no matter how dire the situation was.

And that's what he aspired to be, and the reason he kept calling him Sensei.

He had been searching for a way to turn his mental trigger into an actual spell, but hearing this, training his control with the mana burst appealed more to him.

[That's... an interesting question. That cursed sword would surely make a number on any supernatural creature that is not on the level of a dragon. And the way he refers to those holy swords as third rates suggests he has something even more powerful in his arsenal. But as he taught you, a battle is not just a contest of power.]

"I won't know until I try." Shirou's voice brought Issei back to reality. As expected from his sensei, there wasn't an ounce of hesitation in his voice. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."

Shirou was about to turn around, but he stopped when Kiba approached him. Both stared at each other for a second, with the knight's hostility being tangible.

"Do you have something to say, Kiba-san?"

"Why are you so adamant in helping them?"

"Because ensuring the safety of the people in this city comes first than any disagreement I may have with their beliefs."

"And you prefer their side than ours?"

Well, this came in handy if anything. This was his opportunity to shatter any misgiven belief that he was going to trust them so easily.

"That is a no-brainer, Kiba-san. A bunch of supernatural creatures that I've barely known for a month, or two humans that follow the teachings of some God. Personally, I wouldn't pick either. But if I have to choose one of them, of course, I would pick the humans."

The bomb was dropped, getting a lot of widened eyes. Surprisingly, the Red Dragon Emperor looked at him with an expression filled with sorrow instead of surprise.

"Should we take that as a declaration of hostility?" Sona asked with a voice colder than usual.

"It's just a reminder that I'm a neutral party, not your ally."

"We should get going. Emiya. Where is your house?" The hostility in Xenovia's voice had decreased by a large margin.

"Yeah, I'm starving!"

"It is actually at the other side of the city, so you'll have to bear with it for a little."

The magus walked out of the room followed by the two exorcists, and that didn't help to ease the tension in the atmosphere.

Kiba's hand reached to his sword's hilt as he watched their backs, or more specifically, the two now hidden again holy swords. But he didn't continue to unsheath it.

The only reason he was quicking around was that the magus allowed him. If he tried to attack on impulse, things might not end so well...

When he was already resigning himself, Issei noticed someone pulling his sleeve. When he turned to look, his eyes met the ones of the Gremory rook.

Koneko was wearing her usually stoic face, but Issei could see it clearly. Her determination was burning in them.

"I want to help them. Both senpais."

---

"Mmmm! So good! God bless you, Emiya-san!"

"I never thought... mmhh... that I would taste... mmhh... such delicacy from a magician... mmhh... of the far East..."

Shirou could just sweatdrop as the two exorcists the quick dinner he wiped up. He intended to start sharing information right away after coming home, but they almost collapsed after not having eaten for two days.

They didn't even bother to check if he poisoned the food, but perhaps they assumed that if he wanted them dead, he would rather side with the devils to finish them during the meeting.

Or they weren't the best the Church had for this mission, or this world's executor couldn't begin to compare to his world's equivalent. Humans trained to be able to match dead apostles in direct combat. He was sure they could perform well even in those conditions.

Even with his body being just a reflection of the body he had in his previous life, Shirou was sure that he could perform at the same level.

"You two are exaggerating."

"No, don't be so humble, Emiya-san! This is the kind of food I would expect if I were to ascend to heaven! Right, Xenovia-san!?"

A blushing Xenovia nodded reluctantly as she continued to stuff food in her mouth.

Perhaps he should reevaluate the days he could let them stay without affecting his funds if they eat like that.

After a few minutes and second rations, they finally finished eating, with their bellies so full that they had trouble moving with all their blood rushing to their stomachs for digestion.

"I guess tonight's patrol is up to me... Anyway, we should start sharing all the information we have if we're going to do this."

"Oh, right! Although, what we let you and the devils know was pretty much all we have..." Irina gave him an apolegetic smile.

The image she had of a shady magician allied with the devils was quickly turning into the exact opposite.

"The only thing we left out is that we suspect Kokabiel is working with the Genocide Archbishop, Valper Galilei. The mastermind behind the Holy Sword Project." There was a noticeable amount of disgust in Xenovia's voice.

"I see... I heard about that. The massacre that left Kiba as its only survivor." So many meaningless deaths just to wield such abominations... it made his blood boil.

"Oh, so that's why that devil glared so hard at our swords. I can't blame him in that case... even if that investigation helped the Church find more holy sword users like me, it wasn't worth all those lives. It will be a plus if we can bring that monster to justice!"

"Good to know we're in the same wavelength. Now, it's my turn to share my findings. Does the name Freed Sellzen ring a bell?"

Once again, the answer he got was a pair of grimaces. This was starting to turn into a trend.

"He was a talented exorcist that was excommunicated due to his mental illness. He didn't seek to fight devils in the name of God, but to satiate his bloodlust. What does he have to do with this?"

"I stumbled into him last night. He just killed who I presume was one of your colleagues... and was wielding Excalibur Rapidly."

The news caused their eyebrows to hide behind their bangs.

"To think Kokabiel got that mad dog to work for him... And Valper must have used a Light Container on him so he could wield a holy sword... If you're here alive, that means you managed to escape."

"No. Quite the contrary. He was the one who managed to escape before I finished him off."

"How can you prove that?" Xenovia asked doubting his words. Irina was more or less the same. In their minds, a magician going against an Excalibur wielder was inconceivable.

What was wrong with this world? Even fellow humans didn't believe in his chances of defeating someone that was a little bit stronger than the average.

Luckly, he had hard evidence. One mind-blowing at that given their belief of those abominations being remotely powerful.

"Look for yourself."

He dropped in the middle of the table an envelope and unwrapped it so they could inspect its contents. They looked like some metal shards, but the holy aura they exuded was unmistakable.

"N-no way, this is..."

"This is what is left of Excalibur Rapidly after I smashed it into splinters."

With the proof now in front of their eyes, they had no choice but to accept his words regardless of how absurd they were.

While Irina was left completely speechless, Xenovia swallowed loud. She knew her trump card, which gave her the confidence to face Kokabiel, could destroy an Excalibur, but that meant this magician had a spell that could match one of the strongest holy swords in existence.

"First, even the sisters of the Maous were wary around you, and now this... Such a remarkable magician shouldn't be able to stay under the radar. Your name should have appeared in the list of remarkable figures living in this city."

"That's a sign I've been doing my job properly. However, your superiors might've mentioned someone called "the Slayer"."

A surprise after another. "Don't tell me... you're the Slayer?"

Shirou nodded at Irina. "Yes, that would be me. Not that I like that title. It makes it look like I've been killing those things just because I felt like it."

"And why exactly did you do that?" Irina's question was made more out of curiosity than anything else. If he hadn't been purging the evil in the name of God, why would he do so?

"To protect the citizens, of course." Shirou answered as if it was the most obvious thing to do. "The devils, although they claim to own this city, are busy doing their stuff during the night, so someone has to do the dirty work."

"And why don't you stop the devils from tempting the humans?" Xenovia asked with an edge. It didn't add up to her that someone so proficient at killing supernatural creatures, didn't confront the devils.

"For once, I don't want to have to fight two of the strongest devils in existence any time soon. And for another, if someone decides to summon a devil of their own accord, then it's their problem. The thing would be different if they were forced or tricked to form the contract, but I don't have anything to do with how they want to expend their money."

"You are aware that those contracts aren't the only thing they do, right?"

"Yeah, they tried to recruit me too when they found out I was a magician. But after I won a bet, they didn't bring the subject again. But enough about me."

After saying that, Shirou stood up and started to pick up the dishes, something that surprised the exorcists. They were expecting him to ask about them in return.

"You guys can take a bath while I clean the dishes. The bathroom is in the hallway connected to the garden. After that, I'll show you the guest rooms so you can choose one and start unpacking."

The two nodded before standing up. Irina however shot a teasing smile at the local magus.

"If you dare peek on us I'll have to punish you, Emiya-san."

Contrary to the reaction she was expecting, the golden-eyed teenager just raised an eyebrow. "That black spandex you guys wear under the shroud doesn't leave much to the imagination, you know."

The exorcist just pouted after her attempt at getting an embarrassed reaction from him failed. That should have worked with any other boy of his age.

After they took a bath, Irina ended up using one of the rooms near Shirou's, while Xenovia chose a guest room at the other side of the residence which was of a more European style.

The Japanese exorcist almost freaked out when she discovered that just unpacking her things her room had more personal things than Shirou's. There was only a simple desk in front of the window, and a closet that contained several futons.

He said his workshop as a magician was the storage house in the garden, but even after going there with Xenovia while he was taking a bath, there wasn't anything that gave them the sensation of a secret base.

And after they went to get some rest for the next day, Shirou went to patrol the city. Bow at hand, he surveyed every corner of the city with his enhanced eyes. The moment he spotted the mad exorcist or a fallen angel, he was going for the kill.

However, he didn't find a single soul. After the bout they had the last night, it seemed they regrouped to rethink their plans...

---

The next day was Saturday, so they had free rein to plan their course of action for this night.

But, a surprise came in the form of the doorbell ringing not long after the three humans finished their breakfast.

Before he even got to the door, he sensed the wicked presence of one or more devils. They weren't doing a good job with that. And seeing the faces waiting at the other side of the door, it was no wonder.

Issei gave him an apologetic smile, and Koneko was wearing her usually stoic face while dragging a Saji that obviously didn't want to be here. The latter one stopped struggling and stiffened the moment Shirou opened the door

"It's you guys. What brings you here?"

"Well, you see..." Issei scratched the back of his head as he giggled due to the nerves. "We would want to know if we can lend you a hand with the issue of the Excaliburs."

That wasn't out of Shirou's expectations, even if he expected more of a plea so he didn't go to fight the Kokabiel guy. However, he had to confirm something.

"You want to help even if your masters almost went nuts with just me helping them?"

"Yes." Koneko replied with no hesitation.

Seeing her resolution, Shirou couldn't bring himself to reject them. But it was a different matter if the girls accepted their help.

"I see. I don't have any problems with that. However, you'll have to ask the exorcists. Come in. They are in the living."

Both Issei and Koneko's faces lit up, but Saji deflated visibly.

They were guided to the residence's living. It was actually the first time any of them set a foot in the Emiya residence, and they only got the address asking around for a huge traditional mansion.

"Huh?" The two exorcists wearing casual outfits looked surprised at the trio of devils. Xenovia's accusing stare landed on the magus. "What is the meaning of this, Emiya?"

"They say they want to help. The decision is up to you." He said as he took sit beside them.

"I don't want to help! These two just dragged me-" Saji's complaints were silenced when Koneko's elbow sunk into his abdomen.

The two exorcists exchanged looks full of suspicion. "Why would you like to help? Isn't that against your masters' orders?"

"We want to help Yuuto-senpai overcome his trauma with the Excaliburs. You said you don't mind breaking the holy swords, right?" Koneko stated their intentions without beating around the bush.

"I see..." Their eyes drifted to Shirou, who just shrugged. They were resigned to that option from the start as one of the three stolen Excaliburs was already ruined. "So you want to have him break one of the swords so he can bend off some steam?"

The little girl nodded. Her eyes then landed on the owner of the residence. "That... and well... I don't want Shirou-senpai to die..."

It was Shirou's turn to widen his eyes at her words. He honestly wasn't expecting that show of concern from one of the devils, not even her or Issei.

"Do you have so little faith in me, Koneko? I don't have any intention of dying, you know?"

For some reason, that didn't ease Koneko's concerns in the least.

"Well, we definitely could use more firepower... If you manage to keep your identities hidden, we don't have a problem with you dealing with one of the Excaliburs."

Even Irina looked surprised at Xenovia's words.

"Hey, now you're now the one rushing things, Xenovia-san! Having Emiya-san helping us is one thing as we can just write in the report something like "we got some help from the mysterious Slayer", but even if it's Issei-kun, they are still devils!"

"Even with Emiya's help, I don't think our possibilities have increased that much. He might have destroyed one of the Excaliburs already, but we still don't know much about him and his combat capabilities. Having the Red Dragon Emperor on our side will increase our odds of succeeding even further. And I have to agree with him on something. Even if that's what our superiors decided, I don't have the least intention of dying here."

"You're right but..." Irina fell silent before Xenovia's arguments, and that made the blue-haired exorcist gain some points in Shirou's mind.

It seemed she wasn't like all the other fanatics serving that sect.

"Wait, hold up!" Saji's shout got everyone's attention. "What do you mean Emiya already destroyed an Excalibur!?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that. "Kiba didn't tell you about what happened that night? That is surprising."

"Well, he wasn't that much talkative after you guys left... At any rate." It was one of the few occasions Issei's eyes acquired a serious glint. "Sensei, even if you aren't on the best terms with Kiba-san... you aren't really going to give us a chance?"

"Huh? Sensei?"

"Emiya-san has been training Issei-kun?"

The magus took a moment before answering, ignoring the comments of his fellow humans. There wasn't really a gentle way to put this into words.

"Hyoudou... the fact that I didn't kill you the moment I caught your wicked essence is already me giving you guys a chance. I've already told you, haven't I? I'm used to killing supernatural creatures on sight."

Those words made the blood of the devils run cold. Not just the ominous implications, but his indifferent tone... It was like if he were just talking about some homework he forgot to do.

"Why do you have such aversion to inhuman beings? You didn't even know what we were back then." Koneko was the one that managed to ask.

"Perhaps I have yet to know other devils aside from you guys and the Phenex prick, but believe me, I have dealt with plenty of creatures with a wicked essence similar to yours."

As he spoke, his tone became colder, and his eyes devoid of life.

"Do you know what it feels to arrive at a town where a vampire had established his nest, just to find that all the citizens were turned into living corpses after the life was sucked out of them just to extend its immortality? Having to kill all that people to put them out of their misery because there was nothing I could do to save them... That is just one of many examples. If it wasn't because I didn't find any report of missing people, I would have gone for the kill, even if covering it up was going to be difficult."

By the end of it, Shirou could just look with middle surprise at their horrified faces. Even if he hated to admit it, that was just his bread and butter. Had he used one of his jobs as a Counter-Guardian instead of an experience in his past life, how would they have reacted?

The reincarnated devils, well, they might be too young to have been exposed to the cruel reality, still clinging to their former morals.

But the exorcists? It was their duty to do the dirty job for the Church. Why were they looking at him with those faces? Even Xenovia looked like she just saw a ghost.

Could it be... they've sent a couple of greenhorns for this mission!? Forget about giving those bastards a chance...

Meanwhile, Issei was in a huge dilemma.

Since he had been reincarnated as a devil, he was beginning to believe that maybe the stereotype image of the devils was just a misunderstanding or a thing of the past. And those were his thoughts towards other supernatural species aside from the fallen angels.

How naive he was. Just experiencing his Sensei's fighting style, he should have guessed it already. Humanity is at the bottom of the food chain, and Shirou is one of the few people that stands up and fights those superior beings. The magus had every right to not trust them even if Issei knew they weren't like that.

"I think this is a good time to ask." Noticing Shirou's eyes landing on him, Issei was brought out of his thoughts. "Hyoudou, do you regret becoming a devil?"

In normal circumstances, Issei would have answered without giving it much of a thought. Now, however, he wasn't sure, and Shirou could tell just seeing his expression.

"It is not like I had much of a choice... I was killed and Buchou appeared there to give me a second chance... But I think that... at least the devils I know, they aren't evil..."

Just the way Shirou narrowed his eyes shacked what little determination he had.

"Do you really think it was just like that?"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps Rias and Sona didn't notice the fallen angels when they arrived, but you said one of them pretended to be your girlfriend to lure you into a secluded place, right? I find it hard to believe they didn't catch wind of it after that. At least she should have left some of her scent over you."

The way Koneko stiffened didn't help in the matter. Issei was starting to find it hard to breathe. Just remembering how "Yuma" played with his feelings was already stressing him out, and now the image of the woman he admired was starting to crumble.

"You are saying... Buchou just watched how I died... just to recruit me?"

"I can't tell it for sure if it was an accident or they just let it happen. But remember, unlike your fellow reincarnated devils, Rias is a pureblood devil. She might not be inherently evil, but regardless of how much she tries to imitate humans, she doesn't have the same common sense as us. Or in other words, her common sense is alien for us humans."

"Bu-but... I haven't felt any change... after I was reincarnated..."

"That might be a flaw in the system, or maybe it was intended to be that way. Just like Kiba kept his grudges after being reincarnated, you retained your sense of morals. That was clear to me after I saw your resolution. However, that won't be forever. You'll be forced to live in the devil society in the future, where humans' sense of morality has no place. You'll have to choose, adapt to the environment, or reject it and become a stray. This is something you'll have to talk out with Rias. Preferably after this mess has been dealt with. However, I can make you an offer. Would you like to be human again?"

"Be human... again?"

That question came crashing down like a steamroller for all the present. The absolute confidence in his words made them start to believe that he could pull it off regardless of how absurd it seemed.

"You say you have a method to undo the transformation caused by the evil pieces?" Xenovia spoke in disbelief. "You jest. The Church has already tried all the possible methods. Not even removing the evil pieces from someone that didn't die before reincarnating worked. They either die or become strays."

At those words, Shirou gave them a confident smile. "I can assure you they haven't tested my method. It is quite simple actually. I just need to rewind his body's time to before it was turned into one of a devil."

"Huh... You... You have a sword... that can do that?" Issei asked with a trembling voice as the others were left speechless.

"Not exactly a sword, but yes, I do have a weapon that can pull it off. However, the price for something like that isn't small. I can only rewind around five or six months safely, so it would only work on you, Asia, and maybe you Saji."

Said devil gulped down at the realization. Even if his recruitment wasn't as Issei's and he chose to serve Sona on his own accord, the notion of being a human again was still eye-catching.

"What would happen if you tried to do it in a devil that has been reincarnated for longer?"

"I would have to spend my own lifespan as my magical energy wouldn't be enough." After answering Xenovia's question, he looked again at Issei. "I'll leave the offer until summer. It's your decision. You're free to tell Asia about this, too."

Koneko was next. "I would offer the same for you Koneko, but I assume you've been reincarnated for years. I would like that you keep this a secret. The same goes for you, Xenovia, Shidou-san."

"And what if I say I will tell the superiors about it?"

"I'll block your memories then, if you survive this mission, that is."

"Hmph, fair enough. As a way of thanking your cooperation, we won't expose anything about you. At least for now."

The room plunged into an awkward silence as the conversation died. The devils, even Koneko, had much to think after this, and the same could be said for the two exorcists. Shirou had already said what he had to say, and lightening the mood in such circumstances wasn't in his skill set.

Just who was Emiya Shirou? That was a question that plagued more people's minds as the days passed.

It was after a whole minute of silence that the sound of a clap brought them all to reality.

"I think you should start calling your friend, Issei-kun. You'll have to fill him in before we start planning, right?"

Irina's cheerfulness was right back on track. She never thought that she would end up cheering up devils, but after hearing Shirou's words, she got a different perspective... at least regarding Issei.

---

"I said I agreed to this, but the garments were really necessary?" The Gremory knight could just grimace looking at the priest garments they were forced to wear.

In the dead of the night, he, Issei, Koneko, and Saji wandered the quiet streets of Kuoh Town. After calling Kiba to the Emiya Residence, he unexpectedly accepted to be part of the mission.

He wasn't in the best mood though. Receiving the exorcists' permission to destroy the Excaliburs didn't sit well on him, and besides, he wasn't a fool. He could guess that it was Shirou who actually destroyed Excalibur Rapidly on purpose, but even so, seeing one of those accursed swords falling apart didn't make anything to amend the void in him, filled with just flames of revenge.

It was just because it was Issei who asked him that he accepted. Well, that... and the opportunity to kill that wretched bastard that was behind the "Holy sword project".

And about Saji, after hearing Kiba's story, he was more motivated for the mission.

"This is part of the ploy to conceal our identities... or so they said... I don't think it will be of any use without a mask or something like that..."

This was the only inconsistency Issei could find in the plan, and it was just an annoyance. It was quite simple actually.

They were split into two groups, the devils and the exorcist, to avoid hostilities more than anything. Both of them patroled different parts of the city to lure in the madman Freed, and meanwhile, Shirou acted as the coordinator and long-distance support.

The exorcists and even the rest of the devils aside from Issei had some doubts about Shirou being able to even see from miles away, let alone provide cover fire with a bow. But Issei witnessed it that night when the chimera attack him and Asia.

Shirou's skills with a bow were absurd, even more than his swordsmanship. The ability to snipe an enemy from so far away that they wouldn't notice death was coming for them until it was too late. If anything, Issei was confident that they weren't going to have trouble as long as the enemy was in the open.

And just in case things got ugly for some reason, most likely Freed having reinforcements, he would alert the other group about the fight so they can regroup quickly.

Their legs ended up bringing them to a certain park, a place that brought everything but good memories for Issei.

This was the place where he was killed, and the prospect that they were searching for the madman that almost raped Asia was not a good combination. It took him all of his willpower to stop his legs from trembling.

"Do you think that guy would attack us here in the open?" Saji spoke skeptically as they scanned the place.

"Well, there isn't a single soul around and there are a lot of places to hide. I think this is a good place for an ambush."

"Hnn!" After Kiba finished sharing his observations, Koneko suddenly tensed up, her head shooting above. "Yuuto-senpai, watch out!"

"DIVINE PUNISHMENT!"

A blur fell on them from above a streetlight, swinging two swords at the Gremory knight. And judging by the chills their holy aura sent down their spines, those were definitely Excalibur fragments.

One was a plain-looking European sword while the other was a thin rapier with a piece twirling around its blade kind of like a drill.

Thanks to Koneko's warning, Kiba was able to react quickly and draw his sword to block the attack. However, due to the exposition to the holy aura, the stray exorcist was actually overwhelming the devil in sheer strength.

"Boosted Gear!"

[Boost!]

The struggle between the two swordsmen didn't last long though. Sellzen had to bring one of his swords to block Issei's gauntlet, and even if he pulled it off, the punch sent him flying like a rag doll.

"Tsk." The exorcist clicked his tongue as he landed a few meters away. "I thought this would make a good warm-up before we destroy the "Slayer" bastard, but it seems you're no longer that useless, Iseei-kun~ Perhaps you can entertain me as I get used to these cuties!"

Just like a month ago, the twisted smile on the madman's face gave them goose-bumps. If it wasn't because the idiot just announced his presence in the middle of his surprise attack, they would've been off to a really bad start.

"So you are the creep that caused so much trouble, huh?" Saji spoke as he summoned his sacred gear, a small black gauntlet with a shape resembling a lizard with purple eyes. "If you think you're getting out alive of this one, you're wrong, buddy!"

"And you think I came to fight that monster all by myself, you moronic devil!?"

"Tsk, your ability to get distracted by trifling things is surprising, Freed Sellzen."

As an unidentified voice cut in the conversation, three figures emerged from the shadows surrounding the madman.

The three were clad in trench coats like the ones used by cliche undercover detectives. Oe was a bulky man whose eyes looked at the devils with such intensity that betrayed the annoyance in his fellow's tone. The other was a quite beautiful-looking blonde woman despite her stoic face and her cold blue eyes.

And the one who spoke was an albino man with an average constitution of a 20-year-old man. The way he was looking at the devils wasn't different from the look a person would give to a pile of trash.

"Fallen angels..." Koneko spoke as she caught their scent. Not that their presences put all four tense before they even knew what they were.

"Our target is the "Slayer". We don't have any business with the local devils. At least for now."

"Hoh, but we do have business with you." Kiba spoke with the same amount of poison the albino fallen had in his look. "You are my ticket to get to that bastard Galilei."

"I agree with the shitty devil! Don't be a pushover, man. A little warm-up won't harm you. Or is it that you've shit your pants in presence of the so-called Red Dragon Emperor!?"

The fallen started to exude killing intention at Sellzen's taunt, but the madman didn't even flinch.

"He's right, Kushiel." The bulky fallen spoke with excitement. "It won't take us much to take them out, and it would make things easier for the boss when he decides to start his plan."

"Annoying. But I'll comply if necessary."

With his two fellows agreeing with the madman, the now identified Dumah let out an exasperated sigh.

"Very well. Kill them. You have less than three minutes." The fallen crossed his arms. It was obvious he didn't have the least intention of getting his hands dirty with "minor preys".

"Heh, bring it on!"

[Boost!]

The devils threw away the garments, revealing their usual school uniform beneath them. It was pointless having them on since the enemies were well aware of the identities.

"That's the spirit, kid! I'll keep your skull as a trophy after having slain a dragon!"

The bulky fallen summoned a massive spear made out of light and spread his two pairs of raven wings before rushing at the group of devils. He was targeting Issei specifically, the one he felt could offer a better challenge.

The Red Dragon Emperor prepared to me him with his draconic hand. Even he could feel that those fallen angels weren't third-rate like Raynare and her underlings, so he wasn't taking any chance. In fact, he had been boosting while the fallen angels and the madman chatted, so he already had four boosts on him.

And it was precisely due to his serious reaction that the fallen was completely focused on breaking his guard... and never saw the twisted blade soaring through the night sky...

"Hu-"

He never got to process what killed him. The black key turned into an arrow pierced his forefront cleanly and destroyed his brain. And if that wasn't enough, the strength of the "arrow", combined with the fallen's speed, made his neck bend past its limits, causing a sick snap.

The park plunged into dead silence as the lifeless body fell to the ground. Even the devils, knowing that the archer was on their side, paled visibly.

"Marut!"

The cold mask of the female fallen broke, but she didn't have time to mourn the sudden death of her fellow.

She immediately conjured a pair of light spears in her hands to try and block the incoming projectiles, but it was to no avail. The first one already repelled her spears, shattering them like if they were made out of glass. She actually managed to avoid having her head pierced, but that was it.

"Gah!"

Blood splattered across the park once again as the female fallen flew like a rag doll with several twisted arrows stabbing her chest.

"Puriel!"

The pragmatic leader of the three fallen angels suddenly found himself alone. His blue eyes darted to the madman by his side, but his fate had been the same as his companions. The stray exorcist's bloodied body laid on the ground, the two Excaliburs completely shattered nearby.

Kushiel could only widen his eyes in horrid realization as more of those "arrows" fell upon him like a rain of miniature comets.

When Lord Kokabiel told them to act as a diversion alongside the mad dog, he wasn't expecting... this.

A one-sided massacre.

He wasn't enough old like his Lord to have been able to participate in the great war between the three factions, but even so, he still had centuries of experience. However, he wasn't prepared for this.

Perhaps, the title of the "Slayer" wasn't just people exaggerating things.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

He put all his aura into a barrier. A desperate attempt to cling to life as long as possible. He did never need to win to accomplish his Lord's orders, but staying alive more than a few seconds now seemed so impossible.

The magic arrows battered against the barrier, shattering it several times. But given his massive reserves of aura, Kushiel kept reforming it again and again.

He became just a target, with his life hanging by a thin string.

"Mo- monster..." It was a miracle Saji didn't collapse with his legs trembling so much. His face was so pale that he looked like a ghost.

"Issei-kun... when he said he was going to provide fire cover... I didn't know he was referring to actually slaughtering them... We were just used as a decoy to lure them out..."

"Well, that way anyone gets hurt, right?"

Issei's attempt did little to ease Kiba's frustrations. Again, seeing the Excaliburs beings destroyed like glassworks didn't reduce his hatred in the least.

However, it seemed things weren't going to end just like that.

"Yuuto-senpai!"

Suddenly, Koneko kicked the back of Kiba's leg. The pain brought the knight to his knees, and that actually saved his life as a sword cleaved through the place where his neck had been just an instant before.

As a follow-up, the drill-like blade shot to pierce Kiba's heart, but the devil pulled himself together in time to deflect the attack.

"Freed!? Bu-but you were dead-"

Issei's mouth was left hanging after seeing that the madman's "dead body" was no longer beside the remaining fallen angel, nor were the broken forms of the holy swords. There wasn't even a drop of blood there. It was like... it never happened.

"Do you like it, shitty devils!? This is the combination of these cuties' powers! Excalibur Nightmare and Excalibur Transparency!"

"So it was an illusion, huh? Heh, that just means a haven't lost my opportunity to take revenge!"

"Wait Kiba-"

The blonde devil rushed at the madman without hearing Issei, and just as he expected, the knight's sword passed through Freed's body as if it was made of thin air.

"Looks like behind that pretty face there isn't a single neuron left!"

Kiba's eyes widened as he heard the madman's voice behind him. The devil quickly turner around to block the incoming attack but...

"Huh!?"

"Wrong! Try again!"

The attack Kiba blocked was also an illusion, and the real one attacked from another angle. He didn't have time to block it. He had put everything he had to block the first surprise attack, even ruining his stance in the process.

But fortunately for him, he wasn't alone. The drill-like sword that came to smash his brain was blocked by Koneko's kickboxing loves. Even if she didn't touch the blade directly, she had to pull back the fist immediately with huge pain, but it gave Kiba enough room to get out of the way.

"Yuuto-senpai, you need to stay calm and stop being reckless!"

Her junior's words finally got to the knight, and he pushed back his raging emotions behind a mask of cold rationality.

"Even if those swords are third-rate in terms of quality, their quirks are quite a pain in the neck."

"So the little devil can perceive me, huh? Now that I remember, you had a good sense of smell, right? Hehe! That's something I can fix quickly with Excalibur Transparency, fool!"

The man disappeared from their sight once again, but this time, Koneko widened her eyes in horror.

"His scent... it disappeared!"

And the problems didn't stop there. Several "Freeds" appeared surrounding them, their maniac laughs filling the place.

"Everyone, keep close to each other!"

The attacks came from unexpected angles. There was a possibility that Freed was hidden among all the illusions, but they could neither discard the possibility that he was invisible and all the clones were decoys. And with the madman cleverly switching between the two strategies, they found themselves cornered.

And at the same time, that helped him to avoid being sniped by Shirou. The possibility that he could shoot him while keeping the fallen at bay was still there, so he wasn't taking any chance.

"Damn it! We can't even land a hit, and the moment he hits us we're screwed!"

Issei was firing some beams with the technique he named dragon shot. It was in essence the same beam he used in his last spar with Shirou but on a way smaller scale. But it was to no avail as he could get the real one.

"Tsk! Absorption Line!"

What looked like a metal whip came out from Saji's sacred gear, and he swung it around them, swiping all the clones in front of him. But then again, it bore no fruits as the illusions were replenished shortly after.

"It's useless! I'd say you should just give up, but seeing the desperation and hopelessness in your faces is really delightful!"

"This bastard..."

It was just a matter of time one of them ended up receiving a serious injury and their formation collapsed.

However, time was also on their side.

"It seems you could get a hand, Issei-kun!"

Just as they heard Irina's voice, several metal spikes struck the battlefield around the four devils, whipping out all the illusions.

"Kuh!" The real Freed jumped out of the area of attack, but he wasn't unscathed. It seemed one of the spikes graced his side, leaving a trail of blood.

The exorcist clad in the black spandex landed beside them, with all the metal spikes having retracted and taking the form of a katana. That was Excalibur Mimic's quirk, the capability to take any form visualized by its wielder.

"Irina!? Wait, that means-"

BOOM!

All their heads turned to look in the direction of the explosion. It seemed that Xenovia managed to slip through the fallen's guard the moment Shirou destroyed his barrier and landed a solid blow with her Excalibur Destruction.

The fallen however managed to stand up again after rolling through the hot concrete. He was a mess, but with his six wings in full view, he still stood strong.

"Exorcists working alongside devils... What a twisted joke to witness..."

The fallen summoned a pair of swords made out of light and prepared to meet Xenovia, who was walking out of the crater caused by her attack.

"Irina, we'll take the fallen so Archer can support the devils!" The exorcist ordered her companion, using a code name to refer to Shirou at his request.

"Okay!"

Even if their opponent was an elite, Shirou had made a number on him without revealing a single noble phantasm, so they shouldn't have any problem taking him out.

The situation with the devils didn't change that much even with some occasional "arrows" that prevented Freed from landing fatal blows. The madman was slippery if anything.

"Tsk! Think Issei... there has to be a way... Kiba seems to know the general direction in which that bastard's attack is going to come... Sensei is able to avoid attacks he can't see and even reacts to them before they even get near... I doubt those are just a matter of combat experience... Huh?"

Just at that moment, his cell vibrated in his pocket. He was about to ignore it, but something told him that it was important.

He quickly pulled out the phone and looked at the screen. Of all the things he was expecting, Rias asking where was he at this hour being at the top, the cover of going to watch porn at his friends' house could just get him so far, a message from Shirou was surely not one.

"If the five senses don't work, discard them and use your sixth sense."

That... that didn't help at all! Why did his Sensei always put things in a complicated way so he had to figure it out even in situations like this!?

What was he referring to with "sixth sense" anyway!? That thing even existed outside Buddhist myths!?

[Partner, he must be referring to your mind's eye. In other words, you need to empty your mind.] Ddraig spoke with some disappointment in his tone.

"Oh, that's it?"

Issei immediately did that. There was no time to waste.

After his training with Shirou, emptying his mind was quite easy for him, even when it came to pervert thoughts... at least in the middle of a battle in that case. Getting distracted usually meant a broken bone.

With his mind already emptied, he was finally able to feel something. A really disgusting sensation that irked him to no end. And it was getting stronger quickly!

"There!"

Issei's draconic arm moved swiftly to catch what was approaching him. When he opened his eyes, his heart skipped a beat upon seeing the rapier-like Excalibur just inches away from his heart.

"What the!"

The madman tried to retreat, but Issei didn't let him, holding the Excalibur with all his might.

"Hehe! I've finally found out about your weakness! You let out so much killing intent that even I can sense it with some concentration!"

That was why his Sensei looked like a machine when he fought seriously. If you want to pull off the perfect surprise attack, one must discard all emotions to the point they become something close to a robot so the enemy can't read you.

"Tch! You really are a pain in the ass, Red Dragon Emperor-kun! But are you forgetting I have another sword!?"

The madman immediately swung the other Excalibur fragment to force Issei to disengage... or so he tried. With Saji's Absorption Line wrapped around his wrist, his arm was stuck in mid-swing, leaving him wide open.

"Koneko-chan!"

"Fly."

"Gah!"

The rook's fist smashed Freed's chest, sending him crashing against a bench. They didn't go for the kill as they needed him to spill the beams regarding their hideout, but Koneko was sure the man wasn't going to be able to fight for a time.

"Urgh..." The exorcist spat some blood as he tried to stand up. "You really did it this time... shitty devils... I guess this is my clue to get out of here..."

"We're on the same page for once, Freed Sellzen!" Before they could even react, the fallen angel flew to his side and caught him. "Our duty here is done. We must return to inform Lord Kokabiel about this alliance between the Church, the devils, and the Slayer."

"See ya!"

The two flew away at a great speed, but the exorcists didn't stand idly.

"After them! They are our ticket to their base!"

Xenovia and Irina ran behind them, with Kiba following them closely, and leaving Issei, Saji, and Koneko there dumbfounded.

"Hey, wait a moment! We need a second to catch our breath!"

It was actually just Saji who looked like he was about to faint, but aside from that, they couldn't just leave the two corpses there.

Issei looked at Koneko. "What do we do now?"

"Perhaps you could start by telling me why in the world are you fighting a group of fallen angels in the middle of the night."

The voice behind them made the three devils pale so much that Koneko's hair became the less what thing around. When they turned around, what awaited them was Rias and Sona with really scary faces.

Maybe expecting a fight of such scale to go unnoticed was too naive of them...

They were royally screwed.

---

The wind graced Shirou's auburn hair as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop with his reinforced legs.

Covering four miles with his servant parameters wouldn't take more than a minute, but with a human body, it was taking him more than he thought, a least if he wanted to save magical energy for the real battle. The same reason why he refrained to use a noble phantasm to finish off the fallen and stuck to just black keys.

However, he was able to see where the fallen fled to. It was the abandoned church in the town's outskirts, the place that was used by the fallen angels that killed Issei and Asia as a base.

He should have guessed it. Sometimes, the best place to hide was actually the most obvious one.

"Huh?"

Shirou stopped in his tracks as he reached the park where the fight with the fallen angels and the madman had taken place. The sight that met him made him raise an eyebrow by reflex.

Rias and Sona were slapping Issei and Saji's asses respectively with their hands wrapped in demonic power. It was surprising that their yelps of agony didn't wake up the entire neighborhood.

If this was their policy to punish servants that disobeyed their orders, then he wasn't going to stick his nose in that. However, it still irked him. This wasn't the time for that.

The sound he made by landing beside them put a stop to the show of pain and suffering. Before they got to open their mouth, Shirou spoke as he passed by them.

"I wouldn't be wasting your time like this, Rias, Sona. I recommend you start preparing yourself for the incoming battle. The Kokabiel guy is actually here in this town."

"And where are you going, Shirou-kun?" That was the only thing that Sona bothered to ask.

"To make sure those three don't go dying on me. If I don't return... expect the worse outcome."

Having said that, Shirou didn't waste any more precious seconds and kicked the ground to rush to the abandoned church.

"Wait, Sensei-" Issei tried to go after him, but his butt was in so much pain that he couldn't take a single step. Beside's, his master wasn't going to let him go anyway.

"Issei, we can't just rush at the enemy base. That would be suicidal. The only thing we can do is, just as Shirou-kun said, is to prepare ourselves in case they fail."

Unbeknownst to Rias, those words struck Issei's resolution even further. She not caring about the exorcists was one thing, but the fact that she didn't care if Shirou died at all shook him.

It was as his Sensei said. She didn't feel empathy for humans in the least. She let Shirou go there because she wanted him to save Kiba.

If it wasn't for his help, she might've very well ended up married to Raiser. He helped them, or more exactly, helped Issei since he saw he was still human at heart, but he did so without asking anything in return.

And his master was willing to let him die...

Back with Shirou, he sailed through the trees on the hill leading to the abandoned church.

It took him another minute to reach the building, and he immediately jumped inside it through one of the broken windows.

There wasn't a single soul there, but that could be said about just that floor. The hole in the middle of the room, most likely caused by Excalibur Destruction, and the sounds of battle coming from beneath it were enough to deduce what happened while he wasn't there.

The magus immediately dived into the hole bow in hand. The fall to the basement was brief, but it was enough for him to assess the situation.

The two exorcists and Kiba were widely outnumbered by more than forty fallen angels, and while they kept busy Kiba and Xenovia, a fallen angel with ten wings that gave out a huge aura was literally playing around with Irina. The Japanese exorcist had her body filled with wounds and was in her last legs.

Time to turn things around.

The first "arrow" was notched, an E-rank nameless noble phantasm, and he fired it directly a who he assumed was Kokabiel.

The ancient fallen angel was actually able to perceive the surprise attack at the last moment and jumped away to avoid it. However, the shot fulfilled its purpose, getting him off of Irina, and distracting all the other fallen angels, who were left dumbfounded at the sight of their boss having been forced to retreat.

Those precious seconds they wasted looking at Kokabiel could have actually saved their lives.

Shirou fired "arrow" after "arrow" like a machine gun. It was a literal rain of steel that obliterated all the fallen angels around Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina.

When he landed in front of them, the only thing remaining around them was a pile of corpses, blood, and black feathers. The bow was discarded in favor of his favored twin swords as he turned to glance at Kiba and Xenovia.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

It took them a couple of seconds to react, and then the exorcist gave him a small smile.

"Your timing was a little off, but you made it in time, Archer."

Shirou could see what she was referring to. The Excalibur Mimic in its katana form was now in Kokabiels hands, which made it three Excaliburs in their possession again. But more concerning, there were still more than twenty fallen angels, aside from the six-winged fallen and Kokabiel himself.

And regarding their side, even if Xenovia and Kiba weren't that much injured, Irina was already lying unconscious beside him.

Things weren't looking so good.

The boss stared surprised at Shirou for a second before a smile crept to his face.

He was a man with long black hair, pointed ears, and red eyes. If it wasn't for his raven wings, Shirou wouldn't have thought he was actually a dead apostle. A sight of how his original nature as an angel was completely twisted after all these years of committing sin after sin.

"You must be the so-called "Slayer", right? I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to this meeting. And looking how you disposed of my men like if they were trash, you didn't disappoint."

His bloodlust was expanding by the second, but he seemed to be open to dialog before they proceeded to kill each other. Shirou decided to ask then, even if he could already guess the answer.

"And you must be one of the leaders of the Grigori, Kokabiel. The one that's plotting to restart the war between the three factions. But I must ask, why are you doing this?"

"Isn't that obvious? The war ended due to that fragile cease of fire the three factions put up to delay the inevitable. Unlike the devils or the angels, we, the fallen angels could have continued fighting without trouble. If it wasn't for that bastard Azazel and his obsession with the Sacred Gears, we would have won instead of retreating like cowards! And now, after all these centuries, I'm going to claim the victory that was stollen to us!"

The way he said that with pride was enough to irk Shirou, but he kept his cold mask.

"So you're just a resented warmonger that doesn't give a damn about the consequences, huh?"

"Oh, but having me and my followers destroy those pests plaguing mankind, isn't it the same objective you strive for, Slayer? The offer one of my followers proposed is still standing."

"And my answer is still the same. I will never side with someone that thinks of others as disposable trash." Shirou's hostility raised to match Kokabiel's, but the only reaction he got from the former archangel was a disappointed look.

"A pity. However, as much as I want to test a human that is not an herbivore, livestock just for the benefit of all the other factions, I shall still stick to my schedule."

Saying that he tossed Excalibur Mimic into the hands of an old man who had approached him while the two were talking. The man looked like a harmless priest, but the twisted smile that spread through his face as he put his hands on the holy swords betrayed that image.

"Valper Galilei..." Kiba barely repressed his urge to rush at him and cut his neck, but with Kokabiel in the way, he knew it would be futile.

"Hehehe. With this, we have already four Excaliburs. Just as you said, we should start already the process of fusion. Getting that girl's Excalibur can come later."

That actually made Shirou's eyes widen. Not just the horrible thought of having those abominations fused together through wrong means and not reforging them properly, but what he said before that.

"Four Excaliburs? Don't tell me-"

"Of course, you fool!" The familiar voice of the madman resounded throughout the toom as he approached Kokabiel and Valper. "What do you think was that diversion for!?"

"It wasn't a smooth operation though. The defense mechanisms in your house were quite troublesome. Some of my elites perished in the process."

Kiba and Xenovia looked surprised at Shirou. There wasn't any ward around the house or anything like the magicians usually used to defend their workshop.

And that was the thing. Anyone expected mundane traps in the lair of a mage. He had set a simple mechanism that would fire several black keys the moment someone forced the door open. However, the trap wasn't prepared to deal with a small army, just any possible phantasmal that managed to track him.

Disposing of the corpses in his house was now added to the increasing list of things to do regarding the "Moon-lit world". And replacing the black keys with more deadly weapons while he was at that.

"You shouldn't have let devils enter your house, Slayer. Tracking their scent was child's play for my men."

"Oh, and not just that. I have to thank you too, shitty devils. This thing was quite awesome. See? As good as new."

Freed threw a small vial to Kiba's hand, and the sight of it caused the devil to widen his eyes with surprise. "A Phoenix Tear!? How did you get your hands on something like that!?"

"Just like the black market of the mundane world, getting something like that is possible with the correct contacts and the right amount of money. And speaking of oddities." Valper's eyes landed on Shirou, a murky gleam on them. "A human that can wield a holy sword without holy element is a rare specimen I would like to work on, Lord Kokabiel. Maybe we could obtain a more efficient method to produce a holy sword user without these things. I'm starting to run out of them after using three on Freed."

Valper brought out a small blue vial with a weird diamond shape. Even if he couldn't see the contents, Shirou was able to sense it... and it just pissed him off even more.

"Could you please take him alive after we kill the heiresses?"

"I'll consider it." The boredom on the fallen's tone was a sign that he wasn't going to waste any effort to accomplish that request.

"Hmph."

Shirou couldn't bite back the snort as he stared at the mad scientist wearing the skin of a priest. What he'd done was already unforgivable, but now that Shirou had put the pieces together, now he knew that what he had achieved with his research wasn't that far from some magi researches.

Valper Galilei was now on the list of "kill without asking".

"You got it all wrong. Humans don't need holy element to wield those things. If that were the case, there wouldn't be any natural wielders. That's something only supernatural creatures produce."

The surprise in both fake priests' faces was quite the sight. Behind him, Xenovia and Kiba let out surprised voices too. Kokabiel's face however showed interest in his words.

"What are you saying!? I've been researching about holy swords all my life! Are you expecting me to believe your nonsense!"

"That might be true, but as someone that was raised by the sect called "the Holy Church", of course, your point of view would be distorted by their lies. That thing in your hands isn't holy element. That's just crystallized lifeforce. The only thing you achieved with your investigation is a way to suck people's souls and transfer the energy obtained to humans that doesn't have enough energy to fuel the swords naturally. Heh, and the Church decided to keep using that method. What a joke."

In just a moment, every defense Galilei could put up was completely demolished. Even if he has been researching about them together, he would never be able to learn more about them than the Unlimited Blade Works after reproducing them.

And the fact that he was trapped in the lies of the organization that deemed magic as heresy when they basically used the same just with other names didn't help.

An amused smile crept to Kokabiel's face. "So you were able to see through the lies spread by that fool Michael. Interesting. Now then, we'll be putting up the show in the headquarters of the devils, that is, Kuoh Academy. The whole city will be at stake. Come to challenge me there, Slayer. If you survive, of course."

The leader of the fallen angels then used some magic to levitate what looked like a weird throne, and he, Valper, and Freed mounted it before it flew out the room.

His subordinates didn't follow him though. Their boss' orders were clear even if he didn't voice them, and their increasing hatred towards the human that slaughtered their fellows wouldn't allow anything else. That much was obvious for Shirou.

"Xenovia, Kiba, tgo after him. And take Irina with you. Asia might be able to heal her. I'll take care of this."

The blonde devil didn't need to be told twice. He immediately rushed out of the room using his knight speed and ran after the trio carrying the four holy swords.

Xenovia however hesitated a little. They couldn't leave Irina without medical treatment for too long... but leaving Shirou against all those middle-class fallen angels and a high-class one...

"Good luck..." She finally made her choice and prioritized her partner's safety.

"Now then..." Shirou eyed the fallen angels.

They were eager to attack him, but they weren't fool enough to just throw themselves at him recklessly. Even if he was just a human, their instincts told them that he wasn't an enemy to make light of.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of a lowly human?" Shirou taunted them. Just rushing at them wouldn't do either. His strong point had always been the defense, so it would be better to wait for them to come, preferably without any formation or tactic.

"Don't mess with us, bastard!"

And it worked. Even if the six-winged fallen didn't fall for it, some of the fallen finally snapped and rushed at him ignoring attention to their instincts.

"Wait-" Their superior's warning was too late.

"Trace, on."

They rushed to their deaths. Having discarded his bow, they didn't expect a ranged attack. But who said he needed a bow to fire swords?

"Wha-"

"No wa-"

The surprised screams turned into screams filled with pain and agony as the swords fired from behind him destroyed their spears of light and sunk into their flesh.

And then, the magus kicked the ground and jumped through the falling corpses. Taking advantage of the commotion, he cut down two more fallen angels before the rest of them came down on him.

And even so, to their horror, the "lowly human" held his ground in the middle of the battlefield. He deflected all their attacks with ease as he danced through them, and fired more swords to deflect the spears thrown at him.

Admittedly, their group didn't have cohesion at all. Despite all of them being middle-class fallen angels of four wings, they were just a bunch of fanatics that followed Kokabiel because they too shared his lust for conflict, even if they never lived that war. Their attacks weren't coordinated, more often than not getting in the way of each other, and Shirou exploited all those errors to take them down quickly.

The only one who seemed to know what he was doing was Kushiel, and he didn't seem to be cut out for the job of a commander.

After some minutes, he found himself alone fighting the magus above a pile made of the corpses of his fellow brethren. And to his surprise, even without anyone getting in his way, the human was able to keep with this swordplay just fine... if it could be called swordplay.

After exchanging blows with the six-winged fallen angel, Shirou could tell that he was swinging around the light blades without technique. Calling him a swordsman would be an offense for every man and woman that dedicated their lives to the path of the sword.

The only reason the fallen was able to keep up with him was his speed and strength were far superior to Shirou. That and Shirou wanting to save his energy for Kokabiel.

"Damn human!" In the end, Kushiel couldn't reign over his accumulated frustration. "You have the nerve to berate our Lord when you massacred our fellow without even batting an eye!"

"Heh, a fallen angel that came here seeking a bloodbath wants to give me lessons about morals?"

Shirou's sarcastic remark just pissed the fallen more, causing him to swing his right sword recklessly. The magus easily battered it aside, and it left him open for a kick.

It didn't do much to the fallen, but it created a distance between the two. Shirou then threw his twin swords to the side, surprising Kushiel.

The two blades drew an arc in the air, coming for his neck from both sides. However, he managed to deflect the two blades by the skin of his teeth, one of them actually cutting his shoulder.

The fallen angel didn't think twice and rushed to his unarmed opponent. He must have been too confident on that attack actually finishing him off, and now he was going to pay that mistake-

"Trace, on."

A newly projected pair blocked his attack, and Kushiel's instincts told him that the fight was already decided.

"Gah!"

He spatted blood as the pair of Kansho and Bakuya previously throw returned to Shirou, attracted by the pair in his hands, and pierced his back. The shock produced by the sudden pain and the blood filling his lungs left him unable to defend himself, and the magus finished him off with a cross-slash.

The fallen's lifeless body dell to the ground and joined all his comrades. Shirou turned around without sparing him a second glance.

The magus never got to know the fallen's name, nor the reason for his patriotism, but he didn't care. They came here asking for a fight, so they should have been prepared to lose their lives.

His attention instead was focused on the figure that had been watching from the entrance for a least the last five minutes, but he could tell that he had been hiding since even before the fight started. He couldn't feel hostility from him, but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

He was a teenager not that older than Shirou, with silver hair and hazel eyes. His outfit made him look like a biker gang, and actually... it resembled the favorite casual outfit of a certain Golden King.

But aside from that last part, what made Shirou keep his guard up was his presence. It was similar to Issei's but at the same time completely different. And that could just mean one thing...

He just run with the other wielder of the power of the last pure-blood dragon, or at least this world's counterpart that seems to have suffered a different fate.

"You came to join the party, too?"

The silver-haired young man showed the magus a smile. "Finding someone like you at this age is nearly impossible. A human that gives the feeling of a predator instead of prey. If I'm being honest, I'm dying to challenge you, but I'm even more interested in how you fare against Kokabiel. For someone like him to challenge a human as an equal... That is going to be a show I can't miss."

"Hmph. So the white dragon came here just to watch from the sidelines?"

That actually surprised him a little, but it just fueled the fire in his eyes. "I was actually dispatched by Azazel to deal with Kokabiel, but I'll interfere just if you fail to defeat him. So show me what the mighty Slayer is capable of."

Shirou's eyebrow trembled for a moment. Shirou was starting to hate that title. Perhaps he should have been the one to spread a title of his own and go with his true name instead. He doubted anyone in this bizarre world would recognize him.

"Thanks for your cooperation I guess..."

Shirou passed by him and ran out of the ruined Church. There wasn't anything to say, and he couldn't afford to waste more time.

There was a city to save.

---

"Haaah... haaah... haaah... Damn it... we really aren't going to make it..."

Issei barely managed to get out those words between ragged breaths. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to stop even with the energy of twenty boosts circulating through them.

The Red Dragon Emperor slowly managed to stand up, his brown eyes ever fixed in the foe in front of them. With, Kiba, Koneko, and Xenovia defeated, he was the last close-quarters fighter standing, and the last line of defense between that bastard and Buchou.

How did they end up in such a dire situation?

Not that long after Sensei left them in the park, the enemy boss himself showed up to challenge them to a battle in the school.

They immediately reunited all the members of both peerages and went to fight him. It was decided that Sona and her peerage would be the ones in charge to maintain a barrier around the school to keep the fight in secret to the mundane world, and Rias' peerage would buy time until Sirzetch or a member of his peerage came to defeat Kokabiel.

Xenovia and Kiba arrived at the beginning of the battle, too. Even if Asia had to spend a few minutes healing Irina, having their strength on their side too was reassuring.

The battle didn't go as smoothly as they thought. Even if they managed to defeat the shitty priest wielding the four Excaliburs fused as one and all the minions Kokabiel sent in their way, things got really ugly when he himself entered the battlefield.

Anything worked on him. Akeno and Rias' magic attacks were easily repelled, even after being greatly augmented by Issei's Boosted Gear Gift, the other half of his sacred gear power that allowed him to transfer his accumulated power to his allies.

Kiba's newly acquired Balance Breaker in the form of a holy demonic sword, obtained after coming to terms with his feelings a finding a new resolution, barely graced him.

Not even Xenovia's trump card, Durandal, was able to defeat him. It was a sword said to be on par with the original Excalibur, and if he had to tell, even stronger than his Sensei's Camael Muramasa.

A weird name now that he thought about it, given that that sword was everything but holy, but he was digressing.

While Xenovia's Durandal was really powerful, it was obvious that she had barely any control over it. It was more like a rampant monster, wasting power aimlessly. On the other hand, his Sensei wielded the katana expertly, drawing all its potential in every swing, making it more deadly in comparison.

And that was the key to this ordeal.

They were all greenhorns compared to their opponent. This was a losing battle from the beginning, and they weren't going to make it alive until the Maou's reinforcements arrived.

But he wasn't expecting them to arrive at all. Instead, the condition for victory Issei had in mind was completely different...

[Partner, at this rate, we are going to need to resort to the Balance Breaker.]

"That's... Just one minute... I'm sure... he'll get here at any time... Ddraig..."

[It's your decision. But I don't think you're going to last even that...] Even the Red Dragon was starting to sound worried.

"Guh!" A voice by his side made him deviate his eyes.

It was Xenovia, who had managed to get up, too. She was a mess just like the others and was using Durandal as a crane to keep her balance.

"Xenovia..."

"I can't just... let you do the work... Hyoudou Issei. It would bring shame to the Church... And well... I can't let Emiya's sacrifice go to waste..."

They said his Sensei sacrificed himself so the three could escape from the enemy base, but Issei didn't buy it in the least. He knew some fallen angels weren't enough to defeat Shirou, but he sure was taking his time.

Admittedly, it has been only around ten minutes after the fight started, but still...

"Hoh? So you're still refusing to go down, huh? Very well, I'll entertain you." Kokabiel spoke to them with a bored expression.

All his battle lust faded quickly in the middle of the fight after seeing they couldn't hold a candle to him. The only signs that he was in the middle of a fight were the bruise in his check caused by Kiba's sword and the burns in his hands caused by Rias' attack.

It actually seemed that he was waiting for something to happen...

"But I must ask, the devils trying to exterminate me is understandable, but why do you, the envoys of the Church, fight after your Lord died long ago?"

Those casual words caused the entire battlefield to plunge into a dead silence, with everyone, even the devils, widening their eyes in shock.

"No... No way... You have to be kidding?"

Xenovia tried to refuse what she just heard, her legs starting to shake wildly. All her will to fight was fading quickly, as she deep down knew that Kokabiel could be lying just by the way he spoke.

Kokabiel noticed it, and then, he started to laugh his ass off.

"Hehe... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's right! How could I forget!? That's other of the greatest lies Michael fabricated!" For some reason, a wry smile showed on his face as he spoke. "That bastard thinks that humanity is so fragile that the death of God would cause it to crumble apart, and so, he dedicated every resource to keep it as a secret. Only the highest rank among every faction is aware of it. He thinks that posing as God and pretending that it never happened is going to accomplish something..."

For a moment, Kokabiel stopped looking like a monster that only sought the lust of battle, and that just destroyed any doubt Xenovia had about the veracity of his words.

"Then... Everything I've done... all the life I dedicated to the Lord... it was meaningless..." Xenovia dropped to her knees, Durandal falling to her side. There was no life left in her eyes.

"Asia!? Wait, hold on, Asia!" And as expected, Asia fainted by the shock of that revelation.

Issei wanted to rush at her, but with Xenovia in that state, he couldn't leave the front. He clenched his draconic fist with rage but repressed his emotions just like Sensei told him.

If the enemy wanted to talk with them, then so be it. It played in their favor.

"Pathetic. That much being enough to break you is proof of how wrong Michael is. His lies are just hindering humanity. This just confirms that I must restart the war to end this farce once and for all. To think that only that snake was able to deduce it, and even he was about to break after discovering that not only his investigations were lies. Perhaps I should put you out of your misery, too..."

His red eyes then settled o Issei, making him raise his guard. "I was just playing with you to kill time until the Lucifer or the Leviathan arrived, but this is disappointing. Is it that they don't care in the least for their sisters? You, Red Dragon Emperor. I see you're the only one that has yet to lose hope. Do you have so much faith in those monsters you call your leaders?"

"Heh... Actually, not in the least..." Those words left his companions without breath, but it was the truth.

As powerful as Buchou's brother seemed when they met if he had to choose, of course, he would choose...

"I have faith in... no... I know Sensei will get here in no time... I know Emiya-sensei will kick your ass!"

Those words made Kokabiel show a small smile. "Oh, it seems that man actually beat some sense into you..."

The fallen angel raised his arm and accumulated a huge amount of aura on it until he created a spear of light of the size of a car.

Issei's blood ran cold. Kokabiel had already used an attack like that to intimidate them at the beginning of the battle, so he didn't need to make calculations to know that thing could easily blow up a building of considerable size. The crater that had been the school's gym was proof of it.

"Let's see how that man takes the sight of his disciple's slaughtered body!"

"Crap-"

Kokabiel threw the spear unceremoniously, and Issei knew that there was little he could do about it.

He couldn't dodge. Doing so would mean Buchou and everyone else would receive the attack. Even if his trust in his master had deteriorated, he didn't want her dead.

He could try to deflect it with a dragon shot, but he didn't have the time to fully charge it, and even if he managed to pull it off, he doubted it would make any difference.

He wasn't dying without trying though!

"Dragon-"

He created the ball of energy in front of him and pulled his fist with all the strength he could muster...

He wasn't going to make it. The spear was already a couple of meters in front of him.

"Rho Aias!"

But someone beat him to it. A familiar flower-shaped shield manifested in front of him, taking the spear head-on.

"Gah!"

The force of the impact caused Issei to fall on his but, and Xenovia was forced to return to the real world as the debris and smoke caused by the explosion passed by them.

Once the explosion died down, everyone, even Kokabiel stared surprised at the shield, which had resisted the attack with just a crack on the first layer to attest to it. As expected the shield that blocked Hector's spear.

"I barely made it in time, huh?"

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar golden-eyed boy with his clothes soaked in blood walking to them from the side as he dismissed the shield.

While everyone was still having problems processing it after thinking of him dead, a bright smile made its way to Issei's face.

"You really took your time, Sensei!"

Issei tried to walk up to him, but his legs failed him, and almost tripped if it wasn't for Shirou holding him.

"You guys did well holding him off until now. Now you can leave him to me."

"Wait, you really are going to fight him, Shirou-kun!?" The two of them turned to look at a Rias that looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"Someone has to fight him. I'll definitely buy some time." Shirou let her take Issei as he walked to face Kokabiel. "You can do whatever you want with this time. Try to run away with your families, or hurry your brother so he gets his ass here already. However..."

Shirou stopped to walk when he was ten meters away from Kokabiel. His hand landed in his black and white jacket and he took it off with a single pull. At the same time, his clothes shone before being replaced by a combat gear.

It consisted of a light black armor that didn't cover his arms, and a red mantle that hung from his waists, covered his left arm, and was tied around his head like a bandana.

Shirou then turned to look at them sideways while showing a confident smile.

"Do you guys mind if I defeat him?"

The sight left them completely speechless. Issei could tell it. With that outfit, his Sensei gave off an impressive aura. It was like if a puzzle with a missing part was finally completed.

That strong back which gave the sensation that you could definitely rely on him... Those eyes burning with resolution... It was like...

A hero.

His positivity got to even Rias, who showed a smile. "The Gremory house isn't made of cowards. We are definitely not running away. I'll see what I can do to make Nii-san get here faster."

Shirou nodded at her and turned to look at Kokabiel. The enemy was waiting patiently, despite the eagerness in his face.

"So you finally came, Slayer. You've failed to disappoint me yet again. But before we start killing each other, I'm interested in hearing what you think about the death of God."

Contrary to what happened to Xenovia and Asia, the only reaction the fallen angel got from him was a raised eyebrow.

"So the biblical God is dead... What of it? People die every day. A God dying isn't that strange either."

His answer left even Kokabiel dumbfounded. He didn't mourn it, nor did he celebrate it. It was absolute indifference.

"So you say mankind shouldn't care about the demise of the God that has been guiding them since primordial times?"

"Of course. Has anything changed after his death? The answer is no. In fact, he was the one hindering mankind, refusing to accept that we don't need his help to keep moving forward. That is the truth the supernatural creatures refuse to accept. The flawed system of sacred gears is obvious proof. It has made more harm than good. The fact that Excalibur turned to be a joke instead of the Strongest Holy Sword that carried mankind's light as it was meant to be is another proof!"

The intensity of Shirou's voice was growing with every word. He closed his right fist and to a step forward.

"Your stubbornness of not wanting to let go of humanity is what didn't let it become the apex predator that was destined to be! It is what made them lose the will to keep moving forward! If anyone hasn't stood to put an end to this farce until now, then I'll be the first one to do it! I won't let you mess with humanity for your own selfish wishes anymore! No matter if they are devils, vampires, angels, or even the Gods! I, Emiya Shirou, will exterminate anyone that endangers humanity's hopes and dreams!"

His speech was met by Kokabiels laugh. It wasn't one to mock him. It was more like... relief? As if he finally met someone he had been waiting for for decades or even centuries.

"So it is finally here, huh? I've finally met a human that is not a mindless ship to be used by the supernatural, but the predator they are meant to be... Then, let me ask. Why do you fight, Emiya Shirou?"

The way the fallen didn't act like a mindless monster craving for blood surprised Shirou, but he humored him though.

"I fight to save everyone, of course. I'm going to be a hero that can prevent that tragedy to happen again!"

"A hero, eh? I can see you're cut for it. But, do you realize that dream is just an unreachable fantasy?"

"That might be true, but it is still a beautiful dream everyone thinks of, even if they don't try to accomplish it. And I know it is not wrong to chase after it. This is the path I've chosen, and I'll keep on believing in it until the end."

"I see... I guess we cannot get along then..."

"Yes. Even if our goals might have something in common, as long as you're willing to sacrifice innocent lives, I'll never join your side."

"Then come at me, Emiya Shirou, and show me the true worth of what humanity can become!"

The two then fell in silence. Kokabiel manifested a pair of light swords in his hands, and Shirou projected Kanshou and Bakuya. There was nothing more to say. The fight was imminent.

His golden eyes scanned the enemy in front of him. There was no opening in his stance. Unlike the other fallen angels he had fought, Kokabiel seemed to have skill with the sword. How much he had, Shirou couldn't know since the swords in his hands were just constructs of energy so there was no history to reproduce.

The only way to obtain that information was to fight him head-on.

Kokabiel seemed content to let him take the initiative, the smile on his face offering a quiet invitation.

Shirou took a step forward then. Predicting how the enemy was going to react to his attack and how to avoid the consequent retaliation, the red knight threw away everything and kicked the ground.

The distance was crossed in a heartbeat, Kanshou already coming down for the fallen's neck.

As expected, the enemy pushed aside the Yang-sword with ease, but Shirou continued to attack with the Ying-sword in his other hand.

It was to no avail. The Fallen warded off his attacks like nothing and lunged his right light sword to pierce his throat. An attack of massive speed that made all his previous attacks against the devils seem like a joke...

CLANG!

But the twin swords blocked it in time without much problem. It didn't come as a surprise for any of them, and the smile on Kokabiel's face just grew wider as he continued to attack without holding back anything.

Shirou was forced into defense, the first attack being the only one allowed to him. But he continued to avoid the raging attacks of the fallen by the skin of his teeth. Like a ship sailing through a stormy sea. Reading ten steps ahead, ensuring five seconds more of survival with each attack parried. Shirou's fighting style was put to test for the first time in this world.

The enemy clearly had a strength and speed equal to a superior dead apostle or even a true ancestor. His eyes were barely able to see his attacks, and he was forced to rely solely on his accumulated combat experience, refined into his superior Mind's Eye.

"No way... He's actually holding his ground against that monster..."

Meanwhile, even if he was just surviving, the image of a human fighting on equal ground with such an ancient being left dumbfounded the devils and Xenovia.

"It should be impossible... Even if his skill does compensate for his lack of power... he should have been blown away by Kokabiel's attacks... Those attacks repelled even Durandal..."

"It's weird... His magical power is constantly fluctuating... like if it were really unstable, but at the same time seems calculated..."

"That's... the mana burst..."

Issei's choked voice made the two Onee-sans put their looks away from the impossible sight. His face was really pale, but it wasn't due to the surprise. He was the only one that had decided to put his face on the hero instead of the Maou, so it had to be something else.

"Mana burst? Oh, right, the technique he passed to you... That is definitely powerful, but how can it turn the scales in this battle?"

[You're underestimating that technique, Rias Gremory. The fact that my partner is still learning how to use it properly doesn't make it weak at all. In fact, it is an appropriate technique for a dragon-kind.]

It was actually Ddraig who answered her question since his host was too much distracted seeing his Sensei going all-out for the first time.

"The Welsh Dragon? Can you please elaborate?"

[That technique can turn even the weakest of the weapons into a lethal attack, and in turn, it requires a great amount of energy to use it. However, that human circumvented that problem by using it in calculated short bursts instead of keeping it active all the time. But, the amount of skill and practice he has to be able to time it correctly and use the exact amount of power to counter the enemy's attacks without wasting energy, all that while predicting attacks that he can barely see... He is truly something else...]

As if the fight wasn't already mind-blowing, the dragon casually dropped that bomb on them.

Forget about Raiser. Now Issei's observations that Shirou would have mopped the floor with him were more than confirmed. The fact that his skills reached that level put him in a far superior league.

And that was the reason Issei was so shocked. When Shirou showed him the mana burst, he just thought that he used it as a trump card in some situations. But the level of mastery he had of that technique bordered the absurd to be able to use in that way.

Forget about decades. How many centuries would take him to reach that level? That thought was making Issei feel completely hopeless, but at the same time, it fueled his determination.

That wasn't a technique born from talent, but one honed through countless years of training and combat against beings far superiors to him.

And that was precisely why Shirou was able to match Kokabiel. Because fighting such monsters was his specialty.

"Haa... Haa... Haa..."

As the battle continued, Shirou could feel how his human body was reaching its limit. Fighting at the level of a servant and spamming the mana burst was making his circuits overheat.

But, he was finally getting a grasp on Kokabiel's fighting capabilities. His speed and strength were easily able to overwhelm the majority of his opponents, and his incredible reflexes honed through countless battles made his defense nearly impenetrable.

However, there was a flaw in his fighting style. Just as his fellow angels, he wasn't a swordsman either. He didn't follow the path of the sword for enlightenment or because it was his strong point, but just because it complement his true strength. And that was, overwhelming his opponents from the distance with his spears of light.

Why should a being of his power hone his skills with the sword when he could just blast away most of his opponents with his range attacks? More so when the majority of his opponents in the war fought like him or threw spells like the devils.

That was the path to victory Shirou was able to see. Kokabiel's lack of experience fighting opponents who hold a candle to him in close-quarters. That was the difference between Kokabiel and a true swordsman like King Arthur or Miyamoto Musashi.

That and...

CRACK!

"Huh?"

Kokabiel looked surprised at how his right light sword fell apart after clashing against Kanshou.

That was his other weakness. Even if his constructs were really powerful compared to other fallen angels, at the end of the day, they were just a mass of energy given form. They lacked the conceptual weight that had noble phantasms like Kanshou and Bakuya, nor did they have an exceptional forging process or battle experience.

These two weaknesses would be meaningless in almost every battle, but against Shirou, they were going to be the cause of his defeat.

With a quick spin, the red knight held Kanshou in reverse grip and immediately lunged it at Kokabiels exposed side. He clearly wasn't accustomed to having his swords shattered, so he didn't make it in time-

CLANG!

But he didn't need to. Kokabiel's wings had bent in impossible angles and trapped the blade just inches away from piercing his flesh. And by the sound, Shirou could tell does wings were as hard as steel.

"Good try. You almost got me there. But let's see if you can find another opening in my defense!"

Kokabiel swung down his other light sword, but the red knight didn't make any attempt to retreat. Instead...

"Trace, Overedge!"

"Wha-"

Kokabiel had barely a second to react after he sensed how the red knight overloaded the Yin-sword with magical energy. The blade literally burst, growing twice its original size and acquiring a more aggressive appearance with steel splints on the back of the blade.

Kokabiel managed to put his body out of the way of the blade, but the same couldn't be said about the wings that had been holding it. Some of the wings were actually torn apart by the explosion, leaving a bloody mess between the two.

But the red knight didn't stop there.

"Haaaaahhhh!"

He jumped at Kokabiel, both his hands holding Bakuya for an overhead swing.

It was such a telegraphed attack that it sent alarms to Kokabiel. However, due to his wings having been repelled by the explosion, he had lost his balance, so blocking was his only option.

And his suspicions were spot on. The sword in Shirou's hands changed in the middle of the swing. Bakuya faded away before being replaced almost instantly by a katana that sent chills down his spine.

Throwing out the window any notion of grace, Kokabiel kicked the grown with all his might to get as much distance as possible. It was only his god-like reflexes that saved his life.

The katana cleaved through his remaining sword like a hot knife cutting butter, and sliced his luxurious suite, leaving a superficial cut in his chest.

The way the blade cut through his flesh as nothing left him a horrible feeling. Something told him that the sword would have cleaved through not just his flesh had he not avoided the attack.

"Kuh!"

Kokabiel used the wings that were still operational to regain his balance. His red eyes saw how the red knight rushed at him, not wanting to let him get a hold of himself.

And he had to admit it. The red knight outperformed him in close combat. That's why he needed to stop playing around and use his true battle style if he wanted to emerge victoriously.

"Let's see how you fare against THIS!"

Kokabiel expanded his power, creating a huge amount of spears of light around him, and all of them were fired with a flick of his hand.

The red knight's golden eyes widened as he saw all the projectiles coming at him, but he kept his cool. This wasn't anything new for him. After considering all his options, he chose the best one to counter the attack.

The katana in his hand was replaced by another one, this one with a more fancy design. Its guard had the form of a star, and the handle resembled... a key?

"Michael, Rataibu!"

Shirou summoned the angel's true name as he swung the katana in front of him. The blade cleaved through the fabric of space, creating a hole in front of him that engulfed all the spears.

"Huh!?"

Kokabiel had little time to be surprised about the true name of that katana or its power. The moment the first spears entered the hole, several smaller holes appeared around him, forming an inescapable dome.

He had just a fraction of a second to react. Even with his reflexes, the only thing he managed to do was create a barrier around him just before all his attacks were returned to him from every possible angle. Around hundred spears, each of them to destroy a small building, came down at him at the same time.

"Kuh... aaaaaAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

It took everything he had to keep up the barrier as everything around him turned into a cacophony of explosions. Every second felt like an eternity, but he managed to resist until the last of the attacks.

A swing of his arm cleared all the smoke raised by the explosions. Even if his body was screaming at him that he needed to catch his breath, he couldn't let the red knight keep the initiative-

"Retriever!"

But he was late. All the time he had been busy blocking his own attacks was more than enough to prepare the cursed sword, and it was already coming at him at match speed fired from the black bow.

However, it shouldn't be a problem. He still had the barrier around him, and even if the wicked aura around the sword was giving him goose-bumps, he couldn't feel that much power on it.

"Wh-"

Those thoughts were immediately crushed the moment the sword pierced through his barrier as if it were just a curtain of smoke.

Even if the news about the Red Dragon Emperor beating the crap out of the Phenex heir spread like wildfire, nobody actually knew the name of the sword Issei used during the fight, nor did they know how it actually worked.

And so, Kokabiel could just stare dumbfounded at the "arrow" that created a hole in his barrier by devouring the magical power used to sustain it.

Putting everything he had, the fallen angel twisted his body as quickly as he could. He managed to get his heart out of the trajectory, but the "arrow" still graced his shoulder and blew away three of his wings.

He could just clench his teeth as the curse of the sword started to rot the flesh around his wound, noting that it wouldn't take long for him to lose the mobility of that arm. As a fallen angel that no longer was allowed to use holy light, purifying the curse was beyond his abilities.

The explosion behind him that carved a massive hole in the school building went completely ignored in favor of focusing solely on his opponent. This time, the red comet that came at him didn't take him by surprise, so he was able to avoid it jumping to the side.

The red comet halted by his side, the flames enveloping it dispersing to reveal the red knight wielding a long, flame-shaped, crimson sword. Kokabiel immediately summoned another pair of light swords to meet him, but it became apparent that he was no longer the one with the advantage.

Not only his injuries were more serious than the ones he managed to inflict on the red knight at the beginning of the fight. Shirou's movements... they were completely different. They were no longer a clear stream of precise and practiced movements, but a chaotic festival of fancy pirouettes.

Such weird swordplay should be full of flaws and wasted movements... but that was just a first glance. Even if it looked like he was fighting another person, that sword style still retained the basic core of Shirou's fighting style.

Every movement was deceivingly calculated, with no wasted energy. The pirouettes were just a decoy to confuse the opponent, making them think that they would be able to see through them easily, just to be crushed without being able to pierce through the defense of his Mind's Eye.

Being on the receiving end of the technique of the Bride Saber, Kokabiel found himself being quickly overwhelmed. His instincts were already warning him of his imminent defeat.

Having been pushed into a corner, there was only one option left for Kokabiel.

"Guh... ENOUGH OF THIS!"

He concentred his remaining power and unleashed it in the form of a shockwave, repelling the red knight several meters from him.

"Haa... haa... haa..."

The fight came to a pause as both combatants stopped to catch their breath. Kokabiel was the worse of the two with just four of his wings intact, his left arm at the verge of falling limp, and several burns throughout his body.

Shirou however wasn't that far behind. Even if he hadn't received a wound that serious, all his muscles were on fire, and he was letting out steam with each breath due to his overheated circuits.

The two of them were on their last legs.

"To force me into this state..." Kokabiel spoke between ragged breaths. "You are an even more terrifying killing machine... than that Durandal user a met during World War II... The title of "Slayer" doesn't do justice to your skills... How can it be? You're not older than those greenhorns, but what I see in front of me is a true warrior... seasoned through countless battlefields..."

Shirou just shrugged at his question. "Everyone has his secrets... But I must say... after having crossed swords with you... I can tell... that warmonger personality of yours... it was just a mask, right? A lie that became real after being repeated so many times..."

Hearing his words, Kokabiel let out a choked giggle. "Heh, so you managed to see through even that... Yes... that was the only thing I came up with to make others join my cause... as absurd as it may seem, it was easier for them to follow a blood-thirsty megalomaniac than someone that asked them to willingly cause the twilight of our pantheon because he believed they were a hindrance to humanity... And if it weren't because I heard of a human that rejected the system of this world from that mad dog... I would have become just that..."

"I see... so it is true that your real goal was always put an end to the overextended Age of Gods... so the Age of Man can finally prosper as it should... But even so... I cannot approve such method... a war to end all wars... all the lives that would be lost wouldn't be worth it..."

"So you are not going to try to change my mind?"

"It is too late for that, and you know it. The only thing I can do for you... is putting you out of your misery..."

"Heh, I figured as much... However, I'm not going to die without putting up some fight..."

The fallen angel used his remaining wings to take some distance. When he was already more than twenty meters above the ground, near the boundary of the barrier surrounding Kuoh Academy, he stopped and raised his hands. All his remaining energy started to accumulate into a gigantic light spear, his final attack.

"Try to stop me, Emiya Shirou! If you don't block this attack, both heiresses will perish, and even if I die in the process, their siblings with massive sister complex will initiate the war I crave!"

The morale that had been raised after Shirou managed to corner Kokabiel suddenly plummeted.

This was it. That was the equivalent of a nuke. Only something on the level of a Maou or an Archangel could stop it. And it has been only five minutes, so the odds of reinforcement arriving were near to zero.

"Damn it..." Issei clenched his fist with anger and impotence. Even after getting his as handed by his Sensei, that bastard was going to get away with it.

"I guess I should answer in kind then... Trace, on." But Shirou's calm words made him turn to look at him surprised.

The crimson sword was nowhere to be seen, and in turn, a European sword was in his hands. Its blade was longer than the average, with a classical golden cross-guard slightly curved with almost any decoration.

But even if it looked really simple, the amount of power he could feel from the sword made his hair stand on end. It made even Durandal look like a cute kitty trying to be intimidating in comparison.

"Ddraig... wh-what is that sword?"

[I don't know partner... But I can tell that sword is easily the strongest one I've seen even with my fragmented memories... No wonder he treated the Excaliburs like toys...]

The sword wrapped itself in golden light as Shirou poured all his remaining magical energy into it. It wasn't holy light, but its intensity was so great that it was starting to melt the concrete around the red knight.

"Heh..." The smile on Kokabiel's face grew wider seeing Shirou accept his last challenge. "Very well then... Recieve this attack of mine, for this will be my parting gift, EMIYA SHIROU!"

Kokabiel lunged the gigantic mass of energy in the form of a spear unceremoniously. It descended upon the ground like a falling star announcing the end of times.

The red knight readied his sword for a vertical swing, his eyes full of determination never leaving the falling star.

"Sword of selection, it's time to purge the unworthy..." Shirou took a step forward and finally swung the sword. "MERODACH!"

With its true name released, the Original Sin fired its mighty beam of light that burns everything it touches against the falling star.

The clash between the two attacks shook the ground, blew away all the crystals in the vicinity, and tore apart the barrier around the school like nothing. Anyone could see the result of the clash, as the light would have burned their eyes like if they were staring at the sun.

But... even if it felt like an eternity... the result of the clash was decided from the beginning. There wasn't even a second of struggle.

The falling star's light that was just bright due to its size, was instantly severed by the light of selection. Kokabiel didn't have any time to react as he was engulfed by the beam.

"Ah..."

The last image he was able to see before his body was burned away was those golden eyes staring back at him.

That unwavering gaze... that firm conviction to seek his ever distant dream despite having seen for himself the cruelty of the world... That heroic image... holding the original model of all swords of selection...

In the end, Kokabiel passed away with a smile, knowing that the future of humanity now shone with life.

The beam of light continued to ascend, illuminating the night sky and splitting the clouds like a gigantic sword. Covering that was going to be a real pain in the neck, but that didn't mean it wasn't a breathtaking sight.

As the light faded away, the battlefield plunged into the mother of awkward silences.

"Wow..." That was the only thing that some of them could say.

All the eyes gradually fell back to the back of the red knight. He was standing firm there, with his red cloak waving with the wind. If the combat gear already gave the feeling of a hero, the sword in his hand reinforced that image as a real legend.

However, the way he wasn't dropping his guard sent them alarms. It was unquestionable that Kokabiel had been completely incinerated, so that could mean just one thing...

"That was truly a fight worthy being recorded in history."

An unfamiliar voice came from the sky. There, they saw a figure clad in white armor with blue gems and wings. Its draconic design so similar to Issei's Boosted Gear Scale Mail gave away his true identity almost instantly.

"That's... the Vanishing Dragon..."

Even without knowing him, Issei's entire body got tense in front of his natural enemy. His instincts screaming at him to destroy that man's existence almost overwhelmed his sense of caution despite the immense power the White Dragon was irradiating, comparable to even Kokabiel.

However, the White Dragon barely spared him a glance of acknowledging as he descended in front of Shirou. His interest seemed solely focused on the red knight.

"So you finally decided to join the fight... or did you come to fight your natural enemy?"

The man inside the armor snorted at Shirou's words. "As impressive as it is to see you standing just by sheer willpower, defeating you in that state would be meaningless. So you can rest assured, Slayer- no, Emiya Shirou. I came to retrieve Kokabiel's body, but you didn't leave a single atom, so I'll have to settle with just Freed as Valper is dead, too."

The White Dragon walked to where the fake priest's unconscious form besides the shattered fragments of the Excaliburs and picked him up like a bag of potatoes. He was about to take off, but a voice stopped him.

[Are you going to ignore me, White?] It was Ddraig, but contrary to his words, there was just a little of annoyance in his tone.

[Oh, so you are actually awake, Red.] Another deep voice came from the gems of the White Dragon Emperor in response to Ddraig's. It didn't take a genius to deduce that was Albion.

[Well, as you can see, the situation we found ourselves in this generation is quite peculiar.]

[Yeah. Even I cannot see the point in fighting as we are now.]

[Perhaps we should just enjoy ourselves until the day we finally have our fated battle, Albion.]

[That isn't a bad idea actually. We'll meet again, Ddraig.]

"Train and get stronger, my fated rival. If not, the day we fight will be disappointing."

Leaving those words behind, Albion's host ignited his armor and flew away, leaving another heavy silence. But this time, a loud sound interrupted it, like something hitting the ground.

"Eh? Sensei!?"

Without any possible threat in the vicinity, Shirou finally collapsed from exhaustion, his swords fading away in light specks.

Issei was the first one to rush to his side, ignoring completely the pain throughout his body. However, someone beat him to it.

"Eh?"

The image of Xenovia accomodating Shirou's head in her lap and staring at him with an indecipherable look was quite shocking. Those two didn't start with the right as Shirou outright rejected the teachings of the Church.

But for some reason... the blue-haired girl no longer looked like a living corpse. Her eyes were no longer that empty, as a slight glint of hope...

A certain ex-nun rushed past him and immediately started to examine him. The explosion produced by Kokabiel's spear clashing against Rho Aias managed to wake her up, so she had witnessed the battle.

"He's just exhausted... All his injuries... have somehow disappeared..."

It was as she said. Even if the cuts in his clothes and the blood were still there, it was like he had never received any injury in the first place. Another mystery to add to the long list.

"I'll carry him home." Xenovia declared as she gently placed the auburn-haired boy on her back after being healed by Asia.

"Are you sure you don't want some help?" Rias asked her with a sincere tone. "You have to carry your partner, too."

The exorcist stared back at her. There was no longer that extreme prejudice in her look, but her pride still didn't allow her to accept their help.

However, that was no longer necessary.

"No... I can already walk..."

They turned to look at an Irina that was walking to them with some trouble, but she was fine overall. If Shirou didn't have arrived then, she would have been far worse.

Her eyes however seemed conflicted, her usual cheerfulness nowhere to be seen. The reason was obvious. It seemed she was awake when Kokabiel revealed the truth behind the Church's lies.

"We'll leave you the clean-up. We too have a report to write... and perhaps even more than that..."

Rias nodded at them. "We'll send you the shards of the holy swords."

"And you better start explaining what in the world happened here while we are at it." A Sona with her hair completely messed spoke as she approached them.

From her point of view, she just saw Shirou entering the barrier to join the fight, and just some minutes later, all hell broke loose, with that massive beam of light as the icing of the cake. Seeing how part of the main building was completely destroyed by the impact of the broken phantasm was starting to sour her mood, even if the city was somehow saved.

---

The reinforcements of the Maou arrived at the place not that long after to begin the damage control. Coming up with a cover for the beam was the hardest task as expected.

However, even if it seemed that this was just another skirmish between the three factions, it was far from it.

An unpredictable variable had shown up. A human that proved to be a predator after defeating an ancient being in a straight confrontation has appeared in a world where mankind was relegated to be at the bottom of the food chain.

A literal abnormality. Something that shouldn't have existed in this world forever stuck in the Age of Gods. Not to mention all the impossible weapons in his possession that could easily shatter the balance of the world.

The days were Emiya Shirou could just hide his identity behind the mask of the "Slayer" were coming to an end.

But that was a thing that thing for him to think about in the future. Right now, he had other things to worry about. For instance, the blue-haired exorcist at his door pleading to him.

"...so please, would you consider taking under your wing this lost lamb?"

It has been just a couple of days after the battle with Kokabiel, but more importantly, it has been less than half-day since he woke up from his slumber.

Shirou was still coming to terms that he just declared war on this entire world in the spur of the moment. It had been an accumulation of things that finally blew up.

Everyone making light of mankind, the biblical God royally screwing up in his attempts of babysitting humanity, Excalibur not being the Holy Sword that was meant to be in consequence...

He couldn't just stand idly anymore. Even if this was going to be a huge pain to deal with, this was his decision. He was going to show this world the true potential of humanity, and hopefully, it will renew its will to keep moving forward.

In other words, he was going to protect the hopes and dreams of this world's humanity.

It helped him that lessons were suspended for a weak. Repairing the hole in the main building in one night is one thing, but rebuilding an entire gym took some days even with magical means.

However, having Xenovia show up to ask him for guidance regarding her decisions in life now that she has lost her purpose in life after discovering God was dead was too much to process.

"Wat?" That was the intelligent answer he was able to formulate. His face must have been a sight to behold.

Since the rooms those two had used were now empty, he had assumed that they had returned to Italy. But it seemed that it was more about asking him formally if they could stay here.

"The way you rejected the Gods and instead put your faith in humanity... the way you stood heroically in front of Kokabiel holding to your beliefs... Please, Emiya- no, Emiya-sensei! Teach me how to follow that path! If you are worried about the money, you don't have to worry, I'll surely find a part-time job! Or if you want me to compensate you in o-other ways a won't mind-"

"Wait, hold up a second!" Shirou stopped her before his migraine got worse. "I'll pretend I've never heard that last thing... If I've got it correct, you just got kicked out of the Church after finding out the truth, and now you want to find a new purpose in life, right?"

After getting a nod from her, confirming that he wasn't just hearing things and she just wanted to bid him farewell, he caressed his temple.

"Letting you stay here isn't that big of a deal. The financial issues are something we can think about later. However, that kind of psychological help you need is beyond me. I just did what I thought was the right thing to do. There's nothing more to it."

Her yellow eyes widened as she raised her head. "That's fine with me! If I can observe you're way of life, I think I might be able to find the answer I need."

Shirou's eyebrow trembled for an instant. The words she used would have creeped out anyone else for sure. Chalking it up to her closed upbringing, his golden eyes then drifted to the other girl in front of his door.

"And what about you, Shidou-san? Do you want to stay here as well?"

The only answer he got was a nearly imperceptible nod. The girl in front of him might as well be a different person that just shared her appearance with Shidou Irina. Instead of a lovely, cheerful girl, she looked more like a walking corpse that came to collect blood for a dead apostle.

Xenovia tried to offer him an apologetic smile, but it came out as one full of sorrow instead. To think that their roles as a team would have been swapped in this way...

It was to be expected. Xenovia's faith in the Biblical God was rather lax compared to Irina's. Shirou couldn't even imagine how it felt to be told that your only reason to live was long gone before you were even born.

But, the fact that a part of her still wanted to reach out for help meant that she wasn't a lost cause. She still could be saved.

"Haa... Come in then... I'll see if I can get you transferred to Kuoh Academy..."

Even Irina raised an eyebrow at that. "Eh? You want us to go to your school? But isn't it full of devils?"

"I don't want to have the police asking me why I have a pair of school deserters in my house. Besides, if you get used to their presence, it's not that bad. However, if they try to lure you into one of their peerages, give me a call and I'll make sure the idea never crosses their minds again."

"O-oh, right..." At that moment, the face Shirou made was really scary.

And so, Shirou's life got even weirder than it was already.

---

And this is all for now! Yes, this arc, as I said in the previous chapter, was going to be the figurative springboard to throw Shirou into the spotlight.

And no, there's no Excalibur. Even if this Shirou has better reserves of magical energy than the others, projecting a divine construct is still out of question. And revealing the Unlimited Blade Works in the first boss is even more out of question. But instead, we have Merodach, a sword that on its own is already mind-blowing in the world of DxD since the concept of original models doesn't exist here.

Not to mention the other weapons he used during the fight. Michael Muramasa is just another enigma, and if you haven't deduced it yet, the other katana he used was the Myojingiri Muramasa, so Kokabiel almost got his karma severed for a one-shot kill. I have to say, the standards to call a smith extraordinary in both worlds are quite different.

And before someone gets confused, Shirou's wounds weren't healed by Avalon. That's not available for this Shirou as he never got it fused within neither this life nor his previous one. But, he does have a weapon that offers the same kind of regeneration, and you have already seen it in this story. Camael's healing flames are going to do Avalon's function, at least in the healing aspect, and after it was reproduced by his Unlimited Blade Works, its healing effects manifest when he summons blades from his inner world to sew wounds, no longer needing to have the actual angel sealed in his body.

And on the same note, the method he has to rewind time is Zafkiel, and the method to erase memories, or more accurately locking them, is Michael. And Gabriel would let him implant small suggestions.

Date a Live's angels are quite versatile when you think about it.

Now speaking of Kokabiel, I'll admit without shame that I've got inspiration from other stories like the famous "A Demon Lord's hero", but at the same time, I decided to keep most of his original character. His case in this story was the same as Zouken, someone that ended up forgetting his noble cause after so much time using morally bankrupt methods. Why the slight change? Well, with that, his objective is actually close to Shirou's, making the fight not just two guys beating the shit out of each other because one is the good guy and the other the bad guy.

If you think about it, Shirou's speech isn't that far from the one that is spread by the Hero Faction. The obvious difference is that Shirou isn't a neonazi. That will make that confrontation spicier.

Now if this chapter made Shirou step into the spotlight, the next chapter is going to be his first major confrontation with the big shots. Don't expect a peaceful negotiation.

As always, I would like to hear what you think about the chapter and I hope I entertained you. As for what I commented in my last update, for now, I'll end this cycle of updates, and then I'll decide if I focus on finishing "Date a Density".

With this, I say goodbye for now. Hasta la vista!