Two months since Shirou's arrival in Orth.

Little had happened since then. Arno sold off their maps, giving Shirou his share of the profit through a bag of silver coins. One of the two adventurer parties apparently returned word that Arno and his maps were reliable from the sample they bought. This caused a rush of teams on the surface to purchase the copies Arno had been making. The map information had been relevant for about a month until it was replaced by newer ones.

Scouting the Abyss was dangerous but it made money. So, for the time being, they were set on funds.

Except, something happened.

Shirou was shopping for ingredients with Ye, who had been slowly teaching him how to read and speak Xian. Small progress had been made, enough that Shirou was now able to identify ingredients and short greetings.

While picking out vegetables, Shirou spotted Arno with a troubled expression followed by Jing. Once they saw him, the pair headed straight for him.

"Shirou, there's a problem." Arno's words registered on his mind, courtesy of Jing's translation spell.

Ye, who had been looking through the fruits, glanced at the exchange. She sent Shirou a questioning look.

"M-Ma'am Ye, this is my friend, Arno. He helped me find a place to stay in the city." He explained. His words were automatically translated, and Ye understood them.

"Oh? Hired a translator too."

"I'm an Abyss scout, we make maps for adventurers." Arno greeted with a bow to show his respect to the aged smith.

"That's a dangerous profession to be in, young man."

"I did it out of desperation."

Arno had less than two years of experience in scouting the Abyss. He'd prefer to work in Orth, but when the situation was dire, he'd pick up his tools and dive back into the Abyss.

"Shirou, remember those maps we made?" Arno turned to him.

"Yes, why?"

"All scouts and mappers who sold information about the sixth layer are being called. Not just us, but anyone who has been to the sixth layer in the past three months."

Ye frowned. "Shirou was a scout?" She wasn't familiar with his past. It was all new information to her.

"Not really." Shirou scratched his head awkwardly. "I was an assistant for Arno."

Arno narrowed his eyes in response, but let the little lie slip.

"Parties are disappearing in the sixth layer at a rapid pace. The first one lost was clocked around one month ago. Ever since then, the number has gone up. They want all scouts to combine information and determine where the accidents are occurring."

"You need my help for this? I'm not exactly knowledgeable in the Abyss like you."

"No, but the adventurers who ascended with us told the guild about you."

It was hard to forget someone who helped save your life.

"What are they saying?"

"Nobody recognizes you. The leading rumor is that you're a solo freelancer who's been sneaking underground for black market jobs."

"Shirou? How many times have you gone down?" Ye frowned.

"It was his first time down there with me last time."

"Nobody was hiring me…Arno offered me a job even when I didn't understand Xian."

"Oh, you poor boy…"

Shirou could feel Arno's burning gaze at the back of his head. Whatever he was hiding, Arno had gone along with it…for now.

"Is it okay if I borrow Shirou? Just until the matter is handled." Arno asked Ye respectfully.

"Of course. I hope the adventurer's guild can get down to the bottom of this." She offered her blessings.

…

Arno led Shirou to a different branch of the adventurer's guild. Well, it was more sensible to call it the admin's guild because they handled most if not all official guilds in Orth. There were a fair number of guilds that specialized in the less-than-savory kind of work, as there will always be those to hire them.

The place was as orderly as expected- which was not much. These people were a band of strangers called together with minimal security in attendance. A few guards wouldn't be able to stop a riot if things got out of hand.

But things were different.

Contrary to what he expected, nobody was making a fuss about the gathering. Recalling that the issue was a big deal, it made sense for everyone to behave. This would have an impact on their reputation since it was a dangerous line of work. If you were found to be responsible for accidents on the field, then you would lose all credibility and nobody would work with you.

Unless they were working illegally in the first place- which was against policy.

Arno, Shirou, and their translator, Jing, stood against one of the walls. It was not their preferred location. The corners had been taken by other parties and they had to settle with what they could. Their efforts to avoid attention were all for naught as Shirou was practically the center of attention.

Adventuring into the Abyss was a business filled with thousands of people. Not everyone was kept track of unless they were well known. Orth was a big place, housing many high-ranked individuals who were drawn to the Abyss. There were a small number of S-ranks, but they were all practically celebrities. Similarly, the best A+ ranked adventure parties and their members were always in the spotlight.

So, news of a kid going through puberty with the skill to impress sixth-layer parties spread wide. Shirou was well aware of the gossip, hearing his name multiple times in the past two months. People were sent to track him down, going as far as shadowing him for an entire week at Jiang's forge.

Shirou did his best to fool them, ignoring their presence and going about his day. Too bad they never really left. Others replaced them on a weekly basis, most likely interested parties scouting him out.

So attending this event all but confirmed that he was willing to show up for Abyss-related affairs.

The hubbub of the crowd gathered was small, amounting to hushed conversations until a man appeared on the balcony overlooking the first floor.

"Thank you for coming everyone. As you are all aware, a large number of parties have started disappearing in the sixth layer with no news. While we work to identify the cause, we have called you all in batches based on who you've returned with."

Shirou's eyes narrowed. The people in the gathering were the same people he ascended with. The same must've been done with the other groups to stay efficient when collecting information.

"We've combined together maps of the sixth layer. We'd like you to recall your descent below. Tell us what happened and if you found anything unusual."

A group of assistants wheeled in a large map on a signboard.

"Please use this map to mark the locations. I would help us a lot."

For the next hour, different parties narrated their trips to guild representatives. Shirou and Arno briefly skimmed over the descent. Prior to the meeting, the two combined their stories and hashed out a cover story for him.

"So, allow me to repeat. You both ran into two shadow monsters around this area?"

"Yes. I fought them off."

"But you avoided most of the others up until this point."

Arno had been the one to avoid those.

"They snuck up on us. Shirou is strong, but he can't handle too many."

"Why didn't you go with a party instead?"

"Scouts don't go with parties."

The assistant's eyes glanced at Shirou.

"…right. Would you pin all points of contact with the monsters?"

Arno picked up a few tacks and thumbed them on a few areas. The guild representative added little tags on them to identify the events.

"After this, we returned to the safe zone and ascended with the others."

"Thank you for your assistance. You may leave if you wish."

Shirou watched a few other parties approach the board and begin marking more areas. It seemed that each group that ascended had a different color of pins. The entire board was covered in it, slowly but surely, an overlay was beginning to form.

There was a large void beginning to form.

It was near the area where he met Arno.

Arno had diverted them away from that specific area. Which meant that those shadow beasts must've been connected to the ongoing investigation.

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

The rest of the investigation went smoothly for the pair. Their reports were compiled and added on the map while others waited for their turns. Slowly but surely, the map was filled with more pinned information.

The gathering lasted until evening before the concerned parties were released.

Shirou, Arno, and Jing stood at the side of the bustling street outside the guild branch. The crowds were smaller now that night was beginning, but were still as vibrant as they were in the day.

"Thank you for your help again today." Shirou smiled while bowing at Jing.

"No, no. It's my job after all. You're paying for a service." The mage waved his hands.

"I'll go ahead now. I have to return to the guild."

Arno and Jing waved goodbye while the young teen walked off.

But the night was early- and there was lots more on Shirou's mind.

Things were happening in the sixth-layer and his cover was at risk. The past two months of tip-toeing around Orth had played to his cards nicely, but all that work would be demolished should people start suspecting him.

To avoid that, Shirou needed to scout the source of the problem. Travelling down to the sixth layer took too long, so his only other option was to use the coordinates for the first anchor point he made.

All the way down in the Abyss.

And for that, he needed a place. Safe, private, and concealed from unwanted guests.

Shirou needed a workshop before he could lay down Zelretch's artifact. He'd need to calculate his position and set it up before opening a channel to his old anchor point.

Good thing he had his preparations already in place.

.

.

.

"That's a lot to digest after two months of nothing."

Jing took another swig from the mug of beer in his hand.

"It's my first time too. They've done well to hide it for so long. I didn't even know until they discussed the emergency. Shirou seemed like your average nobody looking for work until made up that cover story."

"So…the kid came from below. Why, though? What is someone from Nihonn doing all the way here? It's even crazier considering his age and how he survived alone."

"They didn't talk about it. The scout doesn't know either…whatever he was doing, we can only assume he's stronger than your average A-rank. Probably even S-rank since he's alone…"

The two men finished their drinks while digesting the information.

"Keep your eyes on him. We'll continue paying for all the tidbits you can get." The masked stranger grunted. "As for the information today, you will receive a bonus for it. Just hand it in with the usual slip."

Jing accepted the two small crumpled notes handed to him.

"A pleasure doing business with you."

The man departed first. Jing would wait for some time before he left on his own.

It was just for precaution. Anyone could be spying on him- especially when he was essentially selling client info out to others. Jing's work as a translator did not net him much money. The real profit was in the information he could glean from conversations with people of interest. Those that didn't understand Xian had to rely on translators. Merchants and foreigners alike.

And this time, Shirou was his gold mine.

The number of people interested in Shirou were paying him a premium just for information about the boy. The most he had probably ever gotten in the past five years alone. It was simply that hard to find targets of interest.

Stepping out into the late night air after a mug of beer always brought a good mood to him. Things were looking up. He was getting quite a sum of money and a bonus to top it off.

It was a wonderful day.

As he walked off into the night, a pair of glowing eyes followed him.

"You understand what I want you to do, right?"

Though he could not be understood, the man knew what he wanted.

Shirou smiled at the spooked man behind him- the very same Jing had been talking with earlier.

"Well? Lead me to where he's going." Shirou gestured with a nod of his head.

…

Jing knocked on the backdoor of the house.

It was a black market post for capital-related dealings owned by the Black Hole. Bounties, human trafficking, and smuggling were common occurrences and an organization was founded on establishing a neutral third-party to oversee dealings. In a world with no rules, the demand for a secure transaction survived on the trust between two parties. Black Hole was founded to capitalize on the demand for security between contracted parties. At first, the organization sought to profit, then grew to become the pseudo-bank establishment of the Orth black market- solidifying itself as one of the pillars.

Today, Jing was here to pick up his payment.

"What do you want?" A small slit in the door was opened for the guard to watch him.

Jing eyed the back alley he was entering from one last time while he whispered the password. The black market was too big to control, so the only realistic method was for each location to act as isolated access points. Each point had its own management and its own password. The only way to acquire the code was to earn it from other black market clientele.

The rustling of a lock was heard followed by the thick door opening. Jing quickly slipped inside before the grunt bolted the door shut with the thick wooden beam. The guard ignored him as he walked past, his bearing not marking him as a threat.

He wasn't. Jing didn't frequent the black market much. Most of the time spent was only to collect the bribe.

He hurried into the basement where the local Black Hole branch was situated. There were a few tunnels leading to private rooms, no doubt some dealings taking place behind closed doors with Black Hole supervising them. He wasn't heading for those, his priority was the small counter at the end being managed by a man in a uniform. Jing stopped at the counter and handed in the notes- withdrawal receipts for a set amount of funds from another account. He watched as the broker confirmed the payment and signalled to his assistant to withdraw the amount.

"Weird place. Is this supposed to be a bank?"

Jing froze.

Two people stopped right beside him.

"I need some help translating what I need. You wouldn't mind being hired again, right?"

Jing slowly looked left.

Shirou smiled. Beside him- was the intermediary between Jing and the mysterious parties.

The smaller hand snaked around his wrist and gripped it tightly- almost crushing it.

"I'll make it worth your time."

The tightening grip on his wrist to the point of breaking didn't fool Jing.

He didn't have a choice.

…

A few hours later, Shirou arranged the sleeping agent and Jing against the back alley near the bar they met.

The memory wiping spell Rin thought him in the previous life proved itself irreplaceable once again. The two wouldn't remember anything about last night's events once they awoke and simply attribute their lack of memory to drinking themselves drunk in the bar.

As for him? Shirou had achieved what he needed.

He only had to wait a few days.

The following days were quiet, Shirou idly checking on Jing to check if the spell worked properly, even hiring the man for his visit with Arno. It was a small conversation, mostly Shirou asking Arno to update him on the situation with the guild.

During that time, Shirou prepared the execution of the first phase. When the day finally came, he headed out to several meeting locations to collect his supplies.

Several dictionaries, Orth underworld maps, contact information of prominent information dealers, among many others.

…and last but not least, an estate broker along with a translator.

The man raised an eyebrow when Shirou appeared at their arranged rendezvous. Their hired translator immediately casted his spell.

"Are you sure you can inspect the property in place of your master?"

Shirou had changed his disguise several times, tracing clothes to fit the image he needed to present. This time, he was clothed in a butler's suit with his hair dyed grey and slicked back in the likeness of a certain Counter Guardian.

"Absolutely. My master does not wish to reveal himself, and I came in his stead."

"That's all I ask. I hope the places are to your liking." The broker nodded and led Shirou to several undisclosed properties.

Shirou made rounds around the city several times. He had built a comprehensive understanding of hotspots and blindspots in accordance with civilian traffic. What he lacked- was information of the areas the Orth underworld frequented. These were automatically locations to avoid, and Shirou planned to learn about them from the estate broker.

"Outside of security, what value does this place give?" Shirou asked while looking out the window, observing the street and adjacent buildings. He noted the angles and marked the locations they were potentially viewing.

The place had a significantly higher price compared to the other locations, but didn't bring an upgrade in quality compared to others.

Which meant that it was the position which had value.

"Oh? You can tell?"

Shirou hadn't inquired about other locations, nor did he deign to answer the man's question. All this did was reinforce his identity as a capable inspector.

The man excused himself and fixed his stance, intimidated by Shirou's bearing.

"It's the position. It overlooks a secret base held by one of the Orth founding families."

A scouting position, or a staging point should they attack.

Best to avoid this place then.

"I see."

Shirou kept the observations to himself.

The rest of the day was spent exploring more properties until Shirou called it off. The translator and broker slipped away, having been paid prior to the meeting.

To shuffle between several disguises, Shirou had exchanged some of his Nihonnian currency into Xian. Changing the tone of his voice was harder, but still within reasonable demand. Instead, his most limiting factor had been language.

There was a reason why Shirou had bought all those books.

He needed to pull off the local language if he wanted to get anywhere. Having to rely on a third-party translator meant more risk once Shirou continued on with his plans.

Shirou walked all around the artifact as he went over the preparations.

Zelretch's trans-dimensional artifact was a finicky thing. One wrong input and you'd be sent to nowhere. Then again, that was what made it exactly so useful- the ability to transport your coordinates in space-time on a dimensional level. Shirou had used it to find his way back to the human realm, using it to teleport to a previous waypoint would be easier.

To set up the instrument, Shirou had gone lengths to secure himself a house on the outskirts of the city. It took a month of reconnaissance and many more hours of espionage before Shirou narrowed down his options.

In the end, it was still best to avoid the city as much as possible. Too many adventurers on the civilian side and the criminal underworld proved capable with many eyes. In this world where magic drew breath and gods walked, Shirou found himself surrounded by unknowns. His experience and knowledge of the mundane methods were far ahead of his contemporaries, but fell behind in terms of thaumaturgy.

So rather than trying to remain hidden in their midst, it was better to stay further away from their sight.

Lo and behold, a small cottage on the outskirts became his workshop.

Dusty, old, yet firm, it became his staging point.

The formalcraft circle activated, glowing dull blue in the darkness of the night. Shirou didn't useany lamps, resorting to the moonlight piercing through the windows to light up the interior- a way to avoid unnecessary questions should neighbors ask what the new resident was up to.

Shirou was practically doing gymnastics- using his broken understanding of Xian to communicate with them. Luckily, they took his story as a young boy sent out by his father to make his own way in the world. Sure, he was one continent too far, but he used the pride of Orth's citizens to his advantage. They were quite happy when he mentioned that word of Orth reached the shores of Nihonn.

Now that the concealment circle was active, Shirou was free to start on his portal. The process was relatively quicker this time, Shirou connecting both coordinates using the instrument and constructing the bridge between.

One second he was on Orth, the next he was gone.

…

Arriving in the same dark cavern four months ago, Shirou quickly brought up the mental map he kept of the area. While he traced the path he took before, the most recent addition to his armory appeared in his hand- a copy of Hiraishin. The plan was to leave the copies at intervals for Shirou to flash between just in case he needed a quick escape.

The fourteen-year old set off, circuits pumping prana into limbs and pushing him at speeds only A-ranks could achieve. Caverns flashed by until Shirou reached the boundary. From there, he navigated his way around the edges, mentally noting down landmarks to help navigate his way later.

Then, he stumbled across a scouting party.

Shirou hugged the wall and thumbed the mystic code of concealment in his pocket while eavesdropping. Too bad his Xian could use some work. At best he'd just cobble together words he'd pick up and try to understand from there.

"Final check. We have all we need, correct?" A gruff voice sounded.

A chorus of confirmations returned as his party of eight replied. Without clear sight, Shirou couldn't tell the group composition. He didn't dare risk tracing the area around him to catch the people in range and learn about their weapons as the use of magic could possibly be noticed by the people.

"As per the arrangement, we go in first. Your team covers the back." Another voice- this time a female.

Two teams. Makes sense if they wanted to survive the ordeal.

Little conversation continued before both groups trekked forwards slowly, watching angles and sending balls of light down tunnels to glimpse into the darkness.

Shirou waited until they reached the range of his reinforced hearing before following from behind. The progress was slow, taking an hour to cover a quarter kilometer. The group suddenly stopped and raised voices were heard- followed by the sounds of combat. Shirou moved forward to catch the commotion better, cutting down the distance between him and the adventurers.

"More shadows! Coming from the right tunnel!"

More sounds of combat as the number of enemies increased.

"Push them back!"

The mages blasted the area full of area effect spells, fires, lightning, wind buffeting the enemies back. Still, more shadows poured out from the darkness, converging on the scouting parties.

Shirou cursed when the tunnel he was hiding at also exploded with shadows.

There goes my cover.

The blade flashed and the monsters were disposed of. More flooded down his branch, forcing Shirou out into the open. The small traced katana swung every which way as he sliced through wave after wave of enemies. Shirou spun on his heels to stab another shadow coming from his back when it was dealt with- a fireball burning it to a crisp. He looked back to see the parties hollering for him to regroup with them- a sentiment he was keen to follow.

The air was cut as Shirou sliced and diced the enemies around him as he retreated to the group, securing his back as he did so. Both parties perked at the sudden appearance of a strong fourteen-year old holding out on his own- but put aside the distraction and focused on outlasting the wave of shadows.

The hoard slowly thinned before Shirou caught a familiar scent.

A scent he recognized from Fuyuki, one that was confined within his reality marble.

The presence so familiar- Shirou's eyes flashed with memory.

Jeanne watched helplessly as another scouting party was sent in.

Thanks to the Holy Grail's domain expansion, the area within a certain range had become part of its territory. As servants summoned by the grail, they had an innate connection with the domain- allowing them to sense intruders long before they could reach the grail's chamber.

A significant portion of the Greater Grail had entrenched itself within, accumulating Leyline energy to complete its formation. The Lesser Grail- an artifact that would enable the Greater Grail to be accessible by external parties- was also in the works.

Her job, same as her counterpart's, were to stave off intruders before the Grail was ready.

Jeanne had hoped the teams would take the warning and retreat at the first sign of trouble- but those hopes quickly dashed as the group proved to be as weak as the previous one, struggling to face the incoming wave of summoned shadows.

She sighed as the second wave began, spawning from behind. The grail had been considerate enough to grant them a few tools- such as the scrying spell to oversee areas in the domain. Jeanne continued watching, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach as the group wasn't ready to receive the second attack.

Only for her eyes to widen as an unknown appeared in the fray.

How did they miss this?

.

.

.

Jalter had positioned herself close to the intruders while they were preoccupied with the wave.

Little had changed in her role the past month, overseeing the expanding domain, stopping intruders, it was all the same. If anything, her job had become less tedious. The shadows had increased in number as the Grail formed. Much of her task remained in cleaning up the few lucky escapees before they could leave the area.

Bored as she was, Jalter still didn't see the need to step in and kill the unfortunate targets.

Until a new variable appeared.

Eh?

Large swaths of the shadows were suddenly getting cleared. The source- a small boy with a prana signature that the Grail had marked for future considerations- just like every other individual that entered its territory.

Too bad the boy was too early. He could've been a potential master later down the line.

Maybe I might have something to do after all.

Jalter grinned as she hefted the banner she carried.

You've escaped us once. I can't let you escape again.

She headed for the large cavern the intruders were fighting at.

Something clicked within Shirou.

Danger.

Instinct surged, and the sound of hammer striking anvil echoed within Shirou's mind.

The shadows stopped altogether, backing off from the surprised parties.

The sound of steps could be heard once the clamor of battle stopped, drawing the eyes towards the source.

Shirou stared down the dark-armored figure lightly making her way towards them.

Golden-brown eyes met yellow.

Circuits that had been running on low thrummed as Shirou spiked the production of prana to the maximum output. His body reacted before Shirou caught the enemy's movement. Familiar weapons in the shape of Kanshou and Bakuya materialized in his grip to deflect the incoming attack.

Crack.

Shirou continued to stare at the surprised woman as her attack was blocked by him. Kanshou and Bakuya chipped and damaged from stopping the banner in its tracks, the tremor of A-ranked servant strength passing through his bones and nearly shattering them despite the reinforcement Shirou used.

A-ranked strength parameter to a servant was a world beyond A-ranked strength for the normal human- even if it was the Age of the Gods.

He wouldn't last long.

This style was one Shirou was most familiar with. A suicidal dance that only increased his chances of survival by trading defense.

"RUN!" Shirou screamed hoarsely as he forced through with an attack of his own, Kanshou swinging forwards to cut the servant's torso.

It was just a distraction.

The banner swung and Shirou's attack was deflected faster than he could move. The woman spun the banner around her arm, chaining an attack right after her defense.

But Shirou was prepared.

Arms moved forward, body backward, Shirou set his stance into an awkward position to bait the attack into his defense. Kanshou and Bakuya flashed forwards, redirecting another strike to the surprise of the servant once again. An early-timed kick aimed at center mass was stopped when the woman caught the move, gripping the shoe tightly. Shirou stopped funneling reinforcement into the accessory, tearing through it by pulling his foot down. Bare foot touched the cavern floor, just in time for Shirou to position his body before the servant struck with her sword.

This time, Shirou was blown back towards the adventurers.

The exchange all but lasted a single second. To the eyes of the spectators, Shirou had just traded blows with the unnamed beauty in an instant.

It was the sound of his crash snapped the adventurers into movement.

"FORMATION!" The female leader screamed as her party slotted around her to face the new threat. The second party followed suit, shields placed forward to ward against the servant.

There was no escape. She had placed herself between them and the exit.

Shirou- with his advantage of surprise gone- knew that he did not stand a chance after a couple more exchanges. His current body- strengthened accordingly with the people living in the Age of the Gods- combined with his efficient thaumaturgy- still fell short of the ability heroes of legend had.

Retreat was his only option.

He fell back.

She dashed forward.

All hell broke loose.

A scream pierced the cave as the first warrior found himself stabbed through the stomach with the banner, his shield penetrated like butter. He was swung sideways, smashing into his shieldwall and bowling the entire line. His cry was mercifully ended when the sword stabbed through his cranium.

Shirou simply grabbed on to the closest person within his reach and flashed away. He released his contact with the body and flashed back- just in time to see the enemy skewer another one of them.

They simply didn't stand a chance.

I can only save some of them.

Shirou wasn't going to throw his life away this time. He had a promise to keep.

Another person, another flash, another death.

The second time Shirou returned, the woman's yellow eyes locked onto him. She stabbed her banner at him- narrowly missing as the tip reached empty space once Shirou whisked away another adventurer.

"Tsk."

Just as she spun around to defend against a synchronized attack from the archers, Shirou flashed back. He kicked her in the back, throwing off her balance and causing her to stumble. Then, a coordinated spell wave floored her.

Shirou used the opportunity to grab two more and flash away.

Instantly, the ground exploded as the woman surged towards the mages.

They didn't stand a chance as she tore through them, limbs and pieces flying every which way. At this point, the parties were in shambles. Of the original seventeen, seven had been killed in a span of a few seconds, six remained, and the other four dragged away by Shirou.

Shirou flashed in one last time to see three of their number hewed. He picked up two more, disappearing off to safety.

The last man could only watch as the demoness rounded on him.

One moment later, his body had been stabbed through, his guts exploding out behind him.

He joined the dead soon after.

.

.

.

"Go. Warn the guild of the dangers here." Shirou spoke in broken Xian.

The first person he saved- a girl- knelt over another girl who was puking after the bloody fight. The rest of them were in bad condition, haunted by the sudden appearance of a threat far beyond their level.

They were A-ranked parties, a powerful group in their own right.

Completely wiped, their friends dead in an instant.

Shirou knew that they weren't in the best state of mind.

"If you don't start moving, they'll reach us."

He had flashed them to the closest Hiraishin he placed- one left at the staging point of their mission.

Still wrecked from the events, the six survivors hobbled back to their campsite. Shirou escorted them the entire time, taking out monsters in their stead while they tried to recover. Once they were within range of the safe zone, Shirou hid.

When they turned back, he was gone from their sight.

They would arrive at the sixth layer town in shambles. When asked about the job, all they could report were shadows, demons, and a kid who saved them.

Shirou was confident that it wouldn't be traced back to him. As broken as his Xian was, in combination with his Nihonnian accent, he was simply too far from the sixth layer.

Nobody could suspect someone from outside the Abyss, right?

As for him, Shirou just stumbled across his first emergency.

One that he didn't plan for.

"I'm going to have to visit Zelretch…"

After he rested enough. His arms were still shaking from tanking the blows of that woman.

Who was that? Her weapon clearly showed that she was Jeanne d' Arc. Yet different…

Shirou came down to seek answers, only to receive more questions.

"Jalter."

"Not. A. Word."

Jalter stormed past her counterpart angrily. Jeanne held a hand to her chest in worry, not even arguing about her alter's method this time.

She didn't want to hurt Jalter's feelings.

The second Ruler-class servant rounded the corner before she broke character.

Jalter had been humiliated. Not only had she failed, she had also been made fun of.

…

She turned towards the annoying archers, intent on wiping them out for distracting her against the real target.

Only for a yellow flash to reappear behind her.

…

Red crept up Jalter's cheeks as she replayed the events in her mind.

That…that bastard! Pervert! Absolutely shameless scum of the earth!

She will have her revenge.

No one. No one. Ever gets away with humiliating her.

…

A kick smashed into her butt, pushing her forwards and throwing her balance askew.

Jalter's mind blanked at the strike.

Next, she was bombarded by spells from her brief pause- causing her to fall flat on her face.

And she knew Jeanne was watching.

…

Jalter covered up her steaming face as she slid down the wall she was leaning on.

No, death was too good for that kid. She would have to torture him until he died just to break even.

Nobody escapes Jalter, nor do they live to tell the tale.

Author's Note

Hehe, I did Jalter dirty here. Nothing like a good old tease the adorable tsundere. Now, Shirou has caught the attention of the two summoned Rulers protecting the infant Grail. I needed something to start the Holy Grail War arc with a banger!