Chapter 3

A funny thing about school is that you actually learn things while you're there. Shocking, right? Weiss was no stranger to having the metaphorical and literal floor ripped out from under him, but the lessons in the academy were starting to make him question everything he knew about the gods and their past.

The Gods can't procreate in Genkai.

Really? Mr. I-can't-keep-it-in-my-pants Zeus can't have kids? How many demigods did he sire? At least fifteen with mortals, to say nothing of the countless goddesses he took to bed as both man and as an animal.

The Gods can't return to Genkai if they are killed… unless their "spot" in Tenkai's list is altered for thousands of years.

That is slightly less harder to believe, but he does question its legitimacy. He could think of a number of ways for a being to cheat death even without the godly levels of bullshit magic and knowledge that was lost. And if he, a third rate magus, was capable of it then he was sure as shit taking that little kernel of wisdom with a grain of salt.

People die when they are killed- (cough) He meant, The gods are able to bestow their grace upon humans to raise their status and aptitude for fighting monsters.

How many times had he desired to grow stronger than the lot he'd been born with? If he'd been stronger he could have defeated a foe before he'd massacred a village. If he'd been faster he could have caught that person falling out of a burning building. Every failure added up to make him desire more from himself and he did. He trained and trained and trained some more to be faster, to be stronger, and then sometimes it still wasn't good enough. The fact was that he was human and could only push his body to the limits and slightly past what humanity's peak potential was.

A falna was capable of pushing past those perceived limits and into the realms of the god kin. Receiving their blessing was like reforging his body into a vessel of their power that could do so much more than what he could be.

If he shelved his reservations about placing himself into yet another god's clutches, then a falna would grant him his desires but… he wasn't exactly overfilled with trust and optimism that whatever god would accept him into their familia wasn't going to screw him over in the end. He'd have to thoroughly research whatever god he'd eventually choose before proving himself interesting enough to accept. Thankfully not every god in the myths was a horrible individual… just most of them. No, he was not self projecting there at all.

Weiss shut his most recent book and added it to the towering stack of completed textbooks, encyclopedias, and even the occasional common fairy tale novels. The academy had a large library and he intended on reading as much of it as he could before leaving for Orario.

It's been ten years since he'd joined the academy and he turned fifteen only a week ago. His birthday was a quiet affair, with only his mother, Alicia, Aunt Clara, and two classmates who had grown amicable to his presence after he'd agreed to help tutor them before a test and realized that while he looked "cold" he was actually quite a "kind" person once they got to know him.

His birthday present was expected, but nonetheless a welcome one. When an elf in the Northern territories turns fifteen and is attending the Warrior classes they are traditionally given a bow that has been enchanted by either their parents or (if they couldn't) the faculty… for a fee of course. While his mother was a capable mage in her right, enchanting lies outside her forte and as such asked her grandmother for aid.

A decade later Weiss still had trouble gauging the woman and her behavior. One moment she was a harsh taskmaster in their private lessons after the school day was officially over, and then the next it seemed she'd turned over a new leaf and slowly started treating him like a grandson she'd always wanted. It was enough to make him want to pull his hair out if he weren't used to stressful or bizarre situations.

The bow wasn't anything amazing in comparison to many of the arsenal of bows he had in UBW, but it was still a masterfully crafted redwood limb stained a deeper maroon and black with metallic silver accents along the grip, shelf, and string notch, and a string made of a woven monster unicorn tail hairs. It was further strengthened once the enchantments were added to further increase its durability and the snap and penetration power upon releasing the string. He'd requested for the heaviest draw possible and it looked like they certainly tried their best to fulfill his request.

It would never be capable of firing a broken phantasm like Caladbolg, but his normal arrows were more than fine… in fact it actually shoots faster with the enchantments and monster tail taken into account. Truly, the remains of a monster phantasm shouldn't be disregarded in either world.

Weiss returned the books to their proper shelves and departed the library to his room to retrieve his bow with the intent of meeting up with his two… friends?… Classmates who were friendly with him? Whatever they were. The monster population was irregularly spiking again and the three of them were joining up with some of the guards as a sort of field trip/training exercise/internship to see what working as a warrior in the village really meant and to decide if it was something they'd be interested in pursuing after graduation.

Weiss had absolutely no intention of doing so and his family knew that, but that didn't mean it wasn't a great way to knock the rust off his skills and see how he fared against some of the "scourges of humanity."

—O—

Was there a possibility of having an F-Rank luck stat? This was seriously not even funny. The eight of them, five guards and three students, had set off in the evening after a hearty dinner and were introduced to the duties they performed in patrolling the perimeter of their territory or beyond depending on what type of mission was assigned. Three patrols were sent out in clockwise and counterclockwise circles at varying distances to ensure if there were any monster gatherings getting close they could scout them and either take them out or prepare a larger force to decrease the odds of casualties.

So the eight of them weren't expecting to find a considerable force as the middle group without having received a warning from the third and furthest scouting party. New life or not, the former Guardian couldn't escape life shitting on him.

"Oh gods," someone breathed, slapping a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from retching.

They found the third scouting party alright. The group of four men and one woman was torn to pieces and splattered or had been thrown and stuck into tree limbs, and the culprit was currently chowing down on their remains with relishing squelches as it gnawed on severed and torn limbs.

Pitch black keratin armor plates, soft red markings on its fleshy bits, and a large stinger that glinted with a shine like metal and dripping green venomous ooze. A creature capable of evolving to its surroundings and is seen as the most adaptable monster in both the dungeon and surface alike. It was called the-

"Black Scorpion," the party leader grunted, anxiously fiddling with his bow before taking a look at the three students and grimacing further. "You three, I have a job for you."

Weiss knew where this was going. From the man's standpoint it made perfect sense. Eight "normal" people wouldn't stand a chance against such a fearsome beast. Their arrows would do little more than irritate it and their magic would only do a little more.

Sending the three students to call for aid was both the most practical decision and the one that would let the youngest survive. He understood his reasons. That didn't mean he agreed with them.

"Call for reinforcements and for the rest to stand alert should we fail. Evacuations may be-"

"That won't be necessary," Weiss cut in, his voice as sharp and cold as a knife in the arctic. "It won't reach the perimeter."

"Kid, magic or not, we aren't equipped to kill this thing," the man said gruffly, caution and worry heard and appreciated, but disregarded entirely.

"I need you all to retreat by at least 200 meters. I will take care of the rest," Weiss said briskly, ignoring the hiss of, "wait," as he flooded his limbs with magic and jumped from tree to tree to another vantage point to ensure the scorpion wouldn't go charging in the wrong direction.

A sword was traced, altered, and reinforced within two seconds as it was knocked and aimed perfectly for one of the monster's gleaming black beady eyes. He'd enjoy it better if it was red.

Swiooshk!

The Black Scorpion roared at the unexpected agony of one of its optical nerves being pierced and turned frantically to find the perpetrator only to find another arrow piercing its second of eight eyes. It charged in a berserk rage and slammed the tree he'd been on only a moment earlier.

Weiss created another three arrows and sent them into the red fleshy bits between its chinks of natural armor and swung around to load another arrows to his bow, but this time he'd added a surprise into the arrow and loosened it at the base of its stinger. The explosion and howling screech of pain was music to his ears… the cracked but still very much there armor was a quick damper to any possible good mood.

Weiss remained impassive outside a narrowing of his eyes. This called for a greater weapon. He shouldered his bow to trace two more swords. One a brilliant white like liquid moonlight contained in glass and the other a black void with blood red tortoise-like veins. They were exquisite in their craftsmanship and design, but most importantly they were very effective at killing monsters.

The bright white sword, Bakuya, was tossed like a buzzsaw to clash against its stinger as Weiss leapt onto the agitated monster's back carapace and delivered a short series of harsh slashes which all managed to shred through its armor, but the stinger didn't remain unbalanced long and Weiss hurled himself to the side and stabbed Kanshou into its side to prevent himself from falling off its towering four meter height.

Bakuya came spinning back around and a quick projection of another Kanshou redirected the gleaming blade to impact against its snapping face with a loud clash.

Weiss jumped down and severed a leg at the joint with his last blade before pumping a quick burst of magic into its core, lengthening and changing the pristine edges into a wing of black feathers. He thrust the new longsword into the softer underbelly until the handle met flesh which earned a new shriek before it turned with surprising agility and slammed its right claw into his chest. Weiss moved with the blow to turn his tumble into an impromptu sumersault and had his bow at the ready. As the scorpion prepared to charge forth he quietly murmured, "Break."

The traced overedge sword exploded like a frag grenade, sending shrapnel flying through its insides. A monstrous cry echoed through the forest for miles and Weiss sent his latest sword through the bridge of its open mouth. A fireball shot out of all its eyes for good measure and only then did Weiss feel comfortable to sling back his bow and encroach on the dead arachnid.

"Now where am I going to find your stone? I don't really feel like scrounging through your corpse," Weiss said, placing his palm to the creature's cooked head and closing his eyes to concentrate. A structure of the organism was transmitted into his mind with a quick application of structural grasp and he smiled when he found it a foot down from its head. Decapitating it made the process of tearing into the section much easier and the scorpion turned to dust except for its stinger and its gleaming purple magic stone the size of an orange.

He grunted in appreciation of its size. It was worth quite a bit if he sold it, but he had a few ideas to test out. Could he harvest the magic within it to make a weapon? He heard of this world's "magic swords" which were limited in the number of times they could be used, but applying his own world's knowledge could theoretically bridge or blend the two together to create something unique and hopefully not hindered by such problems. It had been a while since he forged a weapon. He was actually looking forward to creating a weapon of his own. With all the materials in this world, as the saying goes, 'the opportunities are endless.'

"That was incredibly foolish, boy… but well done," the party's leader said behind him. Weiss was highly impressed with his stealth. He almost snuck up on him and that wasn't easy to do. Especially considering it was through pure talent instead of a magic skill like Presence Concealment.

F-Rank luck? He meant "Z."

The ground rumbled and five black shelled heads burst out of the earth sending dirt flying.

"Well… shit," the man said, rubbing his head in resignation mixed with annoyance. "I don't suppose you have a few more tricks up your sleeve?"

Weiss handed him his bow without a word as he turned to face the rest of them.

"I have a few. Get going. I can't be worrying about catching you in the crossfire."

"If that's your way of saying goodbye you can shove it. I am no coward." A smirk graced Weiss's face before a cold and detached mask fell into place.

"Get a firing line in the trees from the right… and try not to shoot me."

"If we survive this I'm slipping you a bottle of my best wine."

"If we survive this I want a whole cask." He laughed before clapping Weiss on the back hard enough to send him staggering forward before running back to instruct the others on his 'plan' instead of an excuse.

Five targets with keratin hides equivalent to D-C-Rank armor. He couldn't engage them all at once at close range, that would be suicidal. While he hit hard and his weapons could penetrate through their hides, it didn't mean that he was durable enough to survive even a single squeeze of their claws, to say nothing of the venom in their stingers.

A familiar nameless bow appeared in his hands accompanied by a blue flash of lightning alongside a sword that produced a sickening feeling of bloodlust. Hrunting, the sword of Beowulf. If he timed it correctly, he might be able to take two out at once. He held the hilt between his teeth as he sent a fast fury of explosive arrows at the five monsters to keep their attention away from the other's much less, but still irritating salvo from the right.

"Come on!" he shouted, "follow me you stupid excuses for insects!"

Evidently they had enough presence of mind to understand he was mocking them, but not enough to comprehend it for what it was… bait.

The five charged, jostling each other for the chance to be the one to end his life and claim a bite of fresh meat. He appreciated them making his life a little easier by grouping up. Hrunting was knocked and aimed for the second to the right scorpion in the line. Maybe he might get lucky and kill three?

"I am the bone of my sword."

The first line of his aria came forth, infusing his body with more strength and bringing his reality marble closer to the surface. He was ready.

Hrunting cracked and red light spilled from the cracks like sunshine being obscured through a film of blood as he channeled the most amount of magic yet since being reincarnated. A gleam of sweat erupted from his back as his circuits blazed and his breath became superheated. The black blade was segmented and bursting at the seams as it awaited a command.

"Hound of the Red Plains: Hrunting!"

The moment the sword was fired it transformed into a beam of red. Outpacing speeds of Mach 10, it was almost as if the moment he finished speaking the Black Scorpion was dead and two of its buddies at either of its sides were thrown onto their back with their legs missing and blood spraying like a fountain.

But there was no time for rest. Uncaring of his feat, the other two tried to flank him from his left and Weiss blocked a snapping claw with his bow and was sent flying backwards, using his time in the air to send a few arrows towards its face, uncaring if it landed and more as a distraction. The second scorpion blitzed much faster than its size suggested it should move. Weiss barely dodged the stinger that punctured straight through the boulder behind him and Kanshou appeared in his off hand to sever part of its tail, dropping to the ground a moment later as it spun around with a shriek to whip him with its back limb.

Weiss felt the force of a truck slam into his chest as he caught the limb in a tight hug but thankfully received no broken bones. Nonetheless the air was driven from his lungs and his vision turned black for a moment before growling in annoyance to make the monster regret offering its limb into his reach. The black sword penetrated into its spine and the tail jerked twice before going limp. Paralyzed.

A scream from his right alerted him to the missing scorpion and felt his spirit drop to see one of the guards was impaled upon a stinger and another about to fall off the tree into its mouth. Kanshou was withdrawn and turned streamlined before obliterating its back left leg. However it surprised him by ignoring its wound in favor of eating the second guard.

Shit.

A longsword was traced and fired into its back, finally gaining its attention when it detonated and left a hole in its armor large enough for an elephant to nestle against. His golden eyes narrowed. That should have taken it out. Was the monster stronger than the others?

A black claw was aimed for his side and Weiss jumped against a tree to clear the limb to find his other target had recuperated enough to move even with its useless tail. He smirked. Well then, aren't you a tenacious one.

Twin swords were raised in a reverse grip as he adjusted his stance, awaiting the charge while keeping his attention open for the other monster.

"Look out!" one of the guards screamed before a wet gurgle cut him off. Weiss frowned, but was unable to look away. What happened? Was there another monster in the area?

Bakuya was shifted so he could use it as a mirror to look behind him. Nothing except the forest was visible. The animals had long since fled to escape the dangerous predators and the night had fully entered its darkest stage. Shadows were all he could see even with his exceptional eyesight. He sighed as the Black Scorpion charged mindlessly forward. For one of the most adaptable monsters in the world, it really wasn't very bright.

He met its charge, ducking and weaving the fast moving claws like Herakles fists that parted the air and sent his hair flying back with every miss. He timed it perfectly to sever one claw on his back swing and slash its front and main pair of eyes before retreating another pounding claw that cratered the ground where he'd been standing. It was as mindless and frenzied as a Berserker class servant, but thankfully lacking in its strength. He was in a nice and squishy mortal body after all. His durability couldn't stand up to its razor sharp limbs.

A slight burn across his chest showed him he hadn't escaped the last exchange without damage. Was it his ribs? No, he couldn't think about that now.

A red spear that once stabbed his alternate self through the heart appeared and with a needless flourish to set his stance into one used by Ireland's Child of Light, he was off. He sped faster and faster to try and match the demigod's agility but still fell behind. Still, the spear flashed like a scarlet rain against the monster's armor, puncturing shallow wounds through its carapace and creating a pool of red beneath the enraged beast.

Every attack it put up was dodged or masterfully deflected without a drop of his speed, using some of its own attacks against it to further his next attack through the use of centripetal force, blinding eyes and carving scars across its face. The second tried to help in a pincer attack, but an appropriately timed leap sent him above a stinger to pierce the first monster's brain.

And then there was one.

The last and clearly strongest of them all. It was standing a good half meter taller than the others and even its eyes seemed more focused. Maybe it was older? Did monsters grow smarter as they aged?

Weiss knew he could drag out the fight without using much more mana, but the guards and his fellow students might still be in danger. Where were they? No more arrows had been sent to assist him in quite awhile. When had they stopped?

A sickening feeling at his core like oil running through his veins made him change tactics. It was probably overkill, but it could mean the difference between life and death. Weiss had no intention of continuing on with his failed ideals, but this- he could save those within his reach. That he could do.

Cursed energy sprang forth from the spear tip as the intricate vines intertwining the haft writhed in anticipation. He widened his stance and lowered his center of gravity like Cu Chulainn and his teacher had as he invoked the mighty weapon's true name.

"Gaé Bolg!"

It happened in an instant. The scorpion tried to dodge to the side, fearing its own death for the first time since it had arrived. The spear missed its mark- until it didn't. Fate and causality reversed so that "the spear was thrust and pierced the heart" had changed to "the heart was pierced so the spear must have been thrust."

The scorpion shrieked one last time to irritate his sensitive eardrums before collapsing on its side before turning to dust. His spear had struck the magic stone on the same blow it seems. Oh well. He allowed the noble phantasm to fade as he took a steadying breath. Two named noble phantasms was a bit of a workout, especially for not having used them in so long and within the confines of a "normal" body.

His arms ached from the strain of the intense draw despite reinforcing his muscles, bones, and ligaments and his ribs were pulsing something fierce. He let out a sharp gasp as his hand cradled one particular rib that was surely fractured without needing to structurally grasp his body. However-

"Run-" a near silent and wet, strained whisper echoed in his ears.

A glimmer of shadows fluttered at his spine and Weiss dodged the object parting through the air by the skin of his teeth. If his ears hadn't been reinforced he would have missed it!

"You're better than I thought you'd be, you disgusting brat," A man said airily from the tree behind him, like he couldn't be bothered to feel a shred of annoyance at his surprise attack failing. "I thought for sure my little pets would kill you without having to reveal myself. Oh well."

"You called those monsters here?" Weiss asked calmly, despite clenching his jaw and preparing the blueprint to another traced set of the Married Blades in his mind.

"Indeed," he said, his cultured voice standing out. Weiss turned to see an average height man obscured by a black cloak and warm brown hiking boots. Everything else was hidden beneath his cloak. But the quality of his boots and his cloak was what stuck out to him. They were well made and expensive. A good couple hundred thousand valis at least.

"I have to say I'm a bit surprised. You have created a number of swords and spells that should be far beyond even an elf… without the Grace of a god. I admit I am quite intrigued as to how you've managed that… but oh well. Something tells me you're the boring type who doesn't like to speak in a fight."

He's not wrong. Unless conversation can mislead my opponent or otherwise gain me an advantage I feel no need to speak with an enemy.

So Weiss decided to let his actions speak for him and traced his swords into once empty palms. The cloaked man gave off an air of amusement as he raised a single knife from the folds of his cloak.

It was a curved blade, a butcher's knife, with the design of feathers embedded into either side. Wet crimson was already coating its edge.

The wet gasps from earlier. He slit someone's trachea and at least one artery which filled his victim's lungs with blood. Even if he was somehow able to stuff a potion he had on hand down his throat in time, the liquid in his lungs was already too late… assuming the potion could even go down his throat in the first place with there being a hole in it… to say nothing of the two injured monsters and this guy in my way… Sorry. I won't be able to reach you in time.

The only betrayal of his emotions was a further tightening of his jaw and hands around the handles of his swords. He couldn't let him gain any further advantages than he had already. While he wasn't running on fumes in his supply of mana, he was most certainly feeling the aches and bruises he'd acquired from battling the other monsters.

A gauntlet battle was never fun, especially when his human opponent outperformed him in terms of stats without adding the wounds he'd accumulated fighting the berserker scorpions into the mix.

I swear if I ever meet the god or goddess of luck and fate I'm going to cave in their throats with my bare hands. This was just one after another these days.

"Come at me scoundrel," Weiss said, trying to emulate Saber's words and Charisma to provoke a response. The man only laughed before conceding to his demand.

"Make sure to give me a good fight before you die, yes?" Weiss had no time to respond even if he'd wanted.

Fast!

The assassin appeared in his face within a second and twin swords sprang into existence as he ducked beneath the slash aimed for his neck. Clang! Bakuya met the man's next swipe before Kanshou slipped through the gap and nearly slipped under his ribs before the assassin withdrew, throwing a dozen knives from his sleeves and belt which was easily deflected. A single glance at one of them told him they were all poisoned.

Great. Just what I needed.

The two met in the center once more. Then again. And again. And again. Twenty exchanges were evenly matched not because Weiss was stronger or faster, but because he was more experienced. False openings were skillfully placed to look like an accident or fatigue was dragging him down- which it was to be fair- but his other sword was always there to counter, deflect, or attack the assassin where the exchange remained in the silverhead's favor or a stalemate.

"You are good," the assassin breathed. "I'm really having fun, you know? But it's unfortunate that all good things have to end."

Their location had shifted throughout the battle, edging closer and closer to a ravine that separated their isolated forest to the beginnings of Dragon Valley. Unexplored Territory probably filled with high level monsters.

It felt like it was happening in slow motion, but Weiss couldn't do anything to stop it. His body was too slow to react as the other man retrieved another dagger from his back, a Magic Dagger. Danger flared his senses and Weiss brought Kanshou and Bakuya into a cross guard in front of himself but it made no difference despite the excellent resistance to magic it gave him.

"Of all the beasts that roam the skies, purge the unworthy! Ballalark!"

The assassin activated his only magic skill as he unleashed a mental command for the Magic Dagger to go to work. A bolt of bluish white lightning exploded from the knife and Weiss placed his swords to meet the bolt- only for the lightning to pass right through them as if they didn't exist.

Weiss coughed as blood filled his lungs and he saw a hole slightly larger than the size of a golf ball in his right lung. He had dodged as much as he could in the infinitesimal second, but not enough to miss it completely. Weiss stumbled backwards as his knees became weak and his vision grew spotty.

"Wow, you sure are one tough cookie. I thought for sure your entire torso would be gone. Thank goodness I wore you out beforehand. I mean, after ten years of hearing my master rave about you I was honestly kind of interested in someone who could keep him so out of sorts."

The assassin never let his demeanor change beyond that of two acquaintances meeting unexpectedly in a coffee shop, and yet his words were so damning.

"You… were the one who sent those monsters after my family… ten years ago," Weiss gasped through the pain as he finally fell to his knees clutching his open chest.

"Right on the money… Oh wait! I almost forgot. I was supposed to get something for that old fossil. Hey, have you ever seen a black and red sword with golden veins?"

Weiss said nothing. The man smirked anyway.

"So it is here. Damn. I guess I owe that bastard five grand. Oh well. My master will be pleased and reward me for retrieving his key… and I bet he'll really enjoy planting your head on his wall… right next to the others in your line."

Again Weiss said nothing. He only glared at the man from the ground as a pool of blood steadily grew further.

"Defiant until the end, huh? Respect, kid, I like your guts. Don't be too angry. It's nothing personal. But we all do things for those we love and can grant us our desires. I'll see you in hell."

The assassin's arm flashed down to pierce his chest, but Weiss was already moving… backwards and off the cliff face. The man blinked in bemusement and looked over the edge to see a large splash in the rapids below as a shadow slipped down stream in the current. The man scratched his head in frustration.

"That… could have gone better. The little shit's making my life so much harder. If I go back to the base and report he's dead and he somehow survived… The boss will kill me. Fucking hell. Now I have to chase after your corpse."

The cloaked man found a path down the edge that was easier to descend a half mile down stream and found a bloodsoaked shirt impaled through a sharp rock shaped like a pointed spear.

"Well if he was still alive… he most certainly isn't now… I'll get that damned key and report he was washed away. Nothing to do but wait. I really hope this doesn't bite me in the ass."

The assassin tightened his cloak around himself and started casually walking back towards the village with a jaunty whistle like he was taking a stroll through the woods.

How utterly bizarre.

Weiss grunted from the side as he peeled himself out of his makeshift hideout. He'd slipped between the overhang of the bottom of the cliff and a pool of mud, submerging most of his body in the freezing depths to avoid detection, limiting his breathing and heart rate as much as he could before finally relaxing once the assassin had left.

With one hand in front of the other he crawled out of the suctioned mud and began to stumble after the man. He wouldn't let the man get what he'd come for. He was-

He blacked out.

—O—

When he awoke he realized he'd fallen flat on his face and was lucky to miss any rocks as his blood loss had taken its toll. Amazingly the mud had slowly dried when introduced to his body heat while he slept, but he was still missing several vital pints of the precious red ichor and he was slow to move, fearing he'd lose more and be unable to ever wake up again if he dropped again.

He felt his magic had recovered somewhat and projected a cloth to use as a bandage. He vitally needed a healing potion. Weiss stumbled along and noticed daybreak had arrived as light was making its way at the edge of the horizon.

Brighter days and all that. Right, not for me.

His luck was just about on par with the tragic Greek heroes in myths. He was always doomed to get the short straw. Now he just needed to ensure this wasn't the end for him so he could continue his crusade.

Talking nonsense. Am I delirious?

Perhaps he was. His head was so foggy and slow. His mouth tasted of nothing but the dirt he swallowed as he hid and collapsed.

One foot in front of the other. Come on. One more. One more.

The chant became all he could cling on to. Worry of whether the assassin would find him would only get in the way. Hesitation meant death. He stumbled, he crawled, and he dragged himself forward when his legs gave up on him. Then he stood up once more and continued on once more.

I won't be beaten by a guy who treats lives so carelessly as you!

Were those his words? No. They were only in his head because of the exchange Shirou and he had made within his reality marble. Resonance of Souls it was called.

Their fighting had allowed Shirou to absorb many of the techniques and skills he possessed, but it hadn't been one sided. He'd remembered memories long since burned away in his head and of those he had not experienced. He remembered the people who had meant so much to him that he had selfishly pushed away in pursuit of his goal. He remembered why he had followed through with his ideals until the end. It wasn't just because of Kiritsugu. It was because the ideal was beautiful. Tear inspiringly beautiful.

Weiss felt those words aimed at a certain pain in the ass lancer applied to the assassin gunning for him. The man felt no remorse for taking lives and enjoyed the thrill of battle probably more than he'd like to admit. He was… more than a monster. He revels in causing death. And he likes to pretend he doesn't.

Weiss found himself at the edge of the village and stuck to the shadows to see a large crowd had gathered in the village square from the top of a hill. Nearly everyone was there from the farmers to the guards, the poorest citizens to the Forestlights and merchants. They were all standing next to each other with no regard as they faced a guard… One of the ones who'd been with him last night! He was sporting several injuries and his limbs were in a sling as a man supported him from behind as he gave a report.

He was too far away to hear, but his eyes did not fail him. He read the man's lips and caught a few words that sent shivers down his spine.

"Three promising young lives cut short alongside eight of our guardians."

So his fellow students had died; only two guards had managed to escape with their injuries after falling unconscious like he had. But…

An opportunity had arisen. He didn't know if the surviving guards were in on it given their own suspicious survival from the assassin, and he certainly didn't trust many of the villagers now that his father's words had proven true. But the world now believed he was dead… which meant no one would go looking for him.

A sick and dastardly plan came to mind. He'd become a ghost and let the world believe the last of his line had died out. No more danger would befall his mother. Alicia had left a few years ago to fulfill her dream as an adventurer in Orario after she'd graduated and he was no stranger to hiding out in cities. Given the sheer population in the city, he knew Alicia would never be able to find him so long as he stayed out of her usual habitual routines. She would be safe and could grow without the shadow of him laying over her.

It was perfect if he wanted to fool his enemies… but it would also cause those he cared for distress. They would mourn and be pained by his loss. He didn't want to burden their shoulders further. Not long after his father's funeral he had believed the best way to protect his mother would be to leave… up until his Aunt Clara had stopped him at the edge of town as she came out of the shadows in wait.

She knew he would try to leave to save his mother and warned him he might very well be the only thing keeping her sanity together. If she lost him so soon after his father she might believe there was no reason to still be alive in a world without them. That was why he'd stayed in addition to the knowledge and resources he had at their disposal. If he left even for only a while, would the woman who gave birth to him, the woman he had grown to care for that he'd never had in any of his previous alternative lives, would she still be there waiting for him?

Weiss Forestlight? Shirou Emiya? Counter Guardian? Who was he? No, more importantly than that… what did he want. What did he desire?

He debated the topic as he made his way back into his house and started packing a travelling back. Half of it had already been filled previously that he'd kept just in case something were to happen and he needed a quick getaway, so he was still debating even as he finished depositing his family's journals, grimoire, and Gram as well as a few fresh and dried rations.

Leave? Stay? Could he afford to do either of them? Did he even have a choice? If he stayed the enemies would just send more monsters after him. Maybe next time there will be too many. Maybe next time he won't be able to dodge the fatal blow.

That assassin's magic still pissed him off. He'd seen it. The moment it touched Bakuya, the sword hadn't been torn through, it was ignored entirely like they hadn't existed. A skill that let their magic bypass physical objects. How irksome. If he ever met the man again, he'd have to resort to dodging in close combat. Perhaps he'd simply lead with Caladbolg and deal with the leftovers if he somehow managed to survive it.

The sinking feeling returned to his chest. He couldn't stay even if he wanted to. They would never stop hunting him and his family will continually be in the crossfire.

He snatched a piece of paper and a pen and made one of the perhaps most stupid decision he's made since reincarnating (Rin would never let him get away with saying "in his life"). He wrote a letter saying he was alive and searching for an answer to the question his father had asked of him the night he died. Then he asked her not to tell anyone else- even family- that he was alive.

Vague enough that even if an enemy were to get their hands on it, all they'd learn was that he was alive. Not where he was, what he was doing, or even where to start looking, just simple confirmation. If the enemies in the shadows were so eager to hunt him down that they'd search the entire continent, then where else should he go but right under their noses in the most populated and sparkling city in the world? And if he can get a god to invite them into their familia, then all the better to boost his fighting capabilities.

He left the letter between her pillowcase before changing into a fresh set of clothes and armor he'd forged for himself. It was liberally styled after his attire as a servant with the exception of changing his black pants for tan ones and his red mantle for a white cloak and hood. If his hair color was such a distinctive feature, he'd rather leave the least amount of himself able to be identified as possible when he's on the road.

There was only one piece missing. A black sheer face mask was wrapped around his jaws and nose. His presence left not even a whisper, with only a letter to tell of his survival. He hoped his mother would find it soon.

The guard he'd leant his bow to find the weapon mysteriously missing in the infirmary before he could return it to Neve. A woman should always receive her husband's and children's things when they pass in his opinion. To see it's vanished…

The boy wasn't what they insulted him with; he'd placed his life on the line so they could escape or warn the rest of the village of the danger awaiting them only a couple miles away. He was just like his father, more so because he had single handedly slain what would have taken thirty men to do. To find his weapon missing was just… needlessly cruel. There wasn't a body to return to the spirits and now the only piece left of the warrior was stolen. It didn't sit right with the man at all.

"To Weiss Forestlight," echoed long into the night as people toasted the fallen and drowned their woes beneath tankards of ale and tall glasses of wine. Just one more child who's life had been cut short.

Gods I need a drink.

—O—

The Loki familia had been enjoying a hearty meal after their most recent expedition. They had incurred no losses and had cleared up to the fifty-sixth floor. Between their massive gains in funds they also had a few newbie adventurers who had joined their ranks with a couple that had stood out more than most.

Everyone in the familia could admit that when Alicia Forestlight entered the room with a warm smile and a respectful word they felt their spirits soar the slightest bit higher on a bad day. They had never seen the girl without a smile or flush of embarrassment when praise was directed her way, so the hall that had only seconds ago been filled with cheer came to a screeching halt as a wail of gut wrenching agony quietly spilled from her lips, tears staining a letter from her mother tightly clenched in her fist. They hadn't known the girl was capable of making such a sound.

The girl's mentor, a green haired High Elf by the name of Riveria, came to sweep her up in her arms and led her out the room. Speculation ran wild until Riveria returned almost an hour later with a grimace.

Her cousin- a brother really in Alicia's words- was dead. Their sympathy went out to the girl, but they were adventurers. Death was commonplace and while mourned it was an uncomfortable truth that they were more than aware of. Whether you are in the deepest depths of the dungeon or living in a palace besides a paradise beach, death claims us all and they simply had to make sure they lived their lives to the fullest.

Still, it was unfortunate, both Riveria and Finn, the Captain of the Loki familia, thought. They had wanted to meet the supposed magical sword prodigy. If his speculated abilities were true, it would have been quite the boon to have in the dungeon should one of their weapons have been shattered or lost whilst they were battling a horde or a Monster Rex.

Other than promising to look out for their newbie elf, the familia pushed the matter aside because life moves on and the world cruelly would not stop turning even for the lives lost of those closest to them.

—O—