Fate: Bonds Beyond Humanity

by Apprentice of Life

In a world where all can be real, what does it mean to be human? What is the meaning of humanity? A meeting between a human and a devil will have them discovering the truth while chasing their dreams. My take on the combined worlds of Fate and DxD with characters from other franchises if they can be adapted to it. Harem.

3. Chapter 3

Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

This chapter is going to make or break the story to some of you. Why? Because I will apply characters from other franchises, some will be important, others not, but it will facilitate you entering on the internet and getting the picture in your head of who they are. Their previous story is not really relevant, technically, it will be adapted to how it would be in this world.

I will post their franchises on the bottom of the chapter and give my opinions about the originals, even saying if I recommend them or not. Why not use OC? I will do that too but I also want to write some of the concepts and stories with these characters too, some on the world of fate and others on dxd or each other so instead of going for lots of different stories and end up never doing them justice they will be adapted here. And the fate cast? Good news, some will show up on this very chapter but not all can cover every space even because there are differences in this world and Fate's, same for the rest of the nasuverse because a lot of stuff there is complex(It will show up much later).

About some of the differences in this world... Long story short… The world of fate or nasuverse is dark, really dark when you think about it. You guys have no idea what I had to cut, modify and add to make everything coherent. For instance; vampires, Kreyn on the comments literally wrote enough that I felt the need to explain some stuff… then I promptly killed that to avoid spoilers but to agree with a point he asked, yes the vampires are different, they are a combination of the best of both worlds, true predators of humanity because of a small little detail most people overlook… if vampires can have children with humans, can they do it with other races?

They also sell the leftovers of their victims for money sometimes because Fate is dark when it wants to be. Or maybe it is DxD that is too nice. Questions for later. If it will help in some doubts remember that the supernatural holds the majority of power even if they are the minority.

And the Harem? SPOILERS but it won't be a huge thing. Saying all that without giving spoilers was rough.

Notice that I am avoiding answering many of your questions, letting the story tell itself. I am taking my time here, when a chapter is ready it will be ready but I already have plans for a lot.

Do I need to say I own nothing? I own nothing.

3- Looking for a Club

…..

During the speech for the newcomers there was a meeting between the real powers behind Kuoh Academy, they were the heirs of the devils and representatives of many of the factions that inhabited Japan.

Since there was no great definite power commanding the japanese supernatural side, at least not since the Shinto faction and others chose to isolate themselves, the land was technically up for grabs.

Only for the goddess Amaterasu to step her foot down and proclaim. "All can live here! But no more war shall come to our people!" That was right after World War Two and the tragedies that befell Japan, it was enough that the deity had to clean the house.

Respecting her edict and her power many factions asked for permissions and were granted with the conditions that they would obey the order and not bring out a war. It was enough that bitter enemies accepted the mandate by the simple fact that Japan had quite a number of gods, yokais and other magical inclined societies. Most of the time they are split but if an attack happens on their home there is a good chance that the attacker would face a united front.

The japanese side of the supernatural is not the strongest but in a world where a constant supernatural 'cold war' is happening, if Amateratsu carries out her threat she could cripple any big faction around. A desperate attempt that may not see victory but the other side would only have a pyrrhic one.

But there was another consequence to the declaration of neutrality, the country became open to anyone, a perfect neutral zone where violence was frowned upon. With that came opportunity and the devils took it like a shark smelling blood. Fuyuki, a place with access to a ley line was brought by a king's ransom and it would be used as a power base for the devil race in the Far East.

There was a thing that the devils value besides power and it was the deals they make, once the city was secured they initiated a recruitment drive to try and amplify the pools of candidates for their Evil Piece system. The efforts culminated on the buying and expansion of the Kuoh Academy, making a great school better to find unique candidates with skills or sacred gears to replenish their numbers. It was also a place the devils could use to educate the future generations of their allies. A devil lived a long life and if they could help groom their future business partners all the better.

Once that was done others decided to use the premises, a good school was a good school after all, yokais, spiritualists, nobles and others made deals to be able to use the installations. In total there were 30 people in the meeting room, some worked in the school, others had business in the town. When it came to the students everyone still needed to pass the tests or receive a recommendation from a devil to enter but it was worth it for the installations alone while the council was formed by representatives of the supernatural in Fuyuki.

The leaders of all this were the devils that were in charge of Kuoh, they were the official Second Owners of the city and took care of most of the supernatural activity. There was a shift last year where the owners were members of noble houses from the underworld and were replaced by the heirs of said houses with one exception that was elevated for political reasons.

Besides these devils there were representatives of the youkais, three human magicians designated from the Clocktower and others. All of those were at the meeting to prepare for the year and also receive the report about the 'random' branch of the ley line recently discovered.

Among those there is one extra person, a noble from Kyoto, the center of power for the most powerful factions of Japan. She is a yokai even though she looked human with sharp yellow eyes, purple long hair in a ponytail dressed in an orange shirt and black pants with a white scarf and arm warmers, she fitted more the part of an assassin than of an investigator.

Her clothes aside, she still looked exotic and beautiful, a mature woman that could compete with any actress or model and be found superior, both in appearance and in her acting skills.

Everyone in the room knew she was there to investigate and help with the 'new' branch of the ley line, they just didn't spam out of nowhere and someone made a mistake. Every branch or potential branch was properly registered and localized, they knew every house, every building that had one of the mana veins and yet a huge one was missed, for years.

Suffice to say that besides a team to repair the thing Kyoto also sent her to discover how that mess started. Her name was Shihouin Yoruichi, a noble woman and one of the last nekomatas, a race of cat yokai, around.

"Are we boring you Shihouin-san?" Asked a girl behind a desk with another seven people around her, she was a devil like the other three sitting with her in an elevated desk and the four behind them were their Queens and second in command standing ready for anything. She had black short hair, purple eyes behind a pair of glasses, a short haircut with a serious expression that didn't diminish her beauty, she was petite and was dressed in the uniform of the academy, all of them were.

At her left side is Rias, also in the uniform and keeping her composure to avoid showing her frustration, there is also someone on the right side of the speaker another girl with a long clear blond hair that ran all the way on her back even if she was standing, her figure is already of a mature woman and her eyes are pink. She is taking notes of the meeting and trying to puzzle parts of the report that was delivered to them and took a second to fix her classes and keep working.

The last one was a male with blond hair and orange eyes making no effort to hide that he is bored even playing with the ribbon tie of his uniform. He was like a model straight out of a magazine with orange eyes and his hair pulled back, his posture was really relaxed, he also gave the impression of being a bad boy.

"Of course not Sitri-dono, it is just that we need more time to investigate our side and the ley line." Yoruichi's tone was professional and the spokesperson of the devils, Sona Sitri or Shitore Souna as the alias she took in Japan, just let out a sigh.

"You had a month and so far we heard no news, there is also the fact that one of us almost died on that site." Rias' face almost moved at her friend's comment; she didn't allow it, keeping a hold of her emotions.

"Well, then I better get back to work, don't you agree?" Yoruichi gave a cheeky smile and a small bow before leaving.

"They could have sended anyone else." Commented the professor of the Clocktower, a man with long black hair glasses and dressed in a fine black suit with a red tie. He really wished for a cigarette.

"I agree but also disagree." Said the small bald man, one of those who represented the yokais in Fuyuki, he was also the guardian of one of the new students and even if now he looked like a normal human. That was not his real face and the staff he was holding also had its own disguise. "But Yoruichi-sama is the best at what she does. If there was foul play she is going to find it."

"Be as it may." The blonde haired devil fixes her glasses with a sigh. "We need to finish this meeting and go deal with the new students. Is there anything else or is it just Jaken's new ward and the fact that no one can touch her?" She was 'officially' done with the whole thing.

"Yes, I have made a pact with a magician and would appreciate it if none of you bothered him." That caught the attention of everyone in the room, not that Rias minded.

"You found a good one already?" The male blonde almost shouted. "How? You found no one good enough last year… as far as you said!" It was an accusation.

"And since when do I have to report to you everything Rutal?" Rias pretended to check her nails ignoring the other devil which could only scowl.

"While he said in a rather rude manner Rias… Does this spellcaster have anything to do with the incident of the last term?" Sona fixed her glasses and looked at her friend with the corner of ehr eye.

"Maybe~" Rias was not going to explain anything if she could help.

"The heir of the Gremory found a spellcaster and made a pact… the Gremorys haven't done that since the 'Deals of Solomon'." Jaken whispered in wonder. He was scratching his bald head and trying to imagine who would be such a magician.

"That is irritating," another person at the meeting said, an old woman with sharp eyes, her best years gone and her face annoyed by this recent piece of news, "plenty of our new prospects joined this academy to get a pact with one of the heirs of 72 pillars."

The 72 pillars, or those that were left, were the real power on the Underworld, the richest, the strongest and most powerful. Most of them already had deals and alliances with prominent families of magus with the exception of the ones present to a certain extent.

The truth about Rutal was that he was there just to keep an eye on Rias Gremory. She and the other two were the heiresses of three Pillars with two of them being siblings of two of the new Maous. A pact with him didn't mean the support of his whole clan but it was still valuable.

Because of certain events that happened in the last few years the Sitri Clan was going to lose one of the families they have a contract with and they wanted new allies, Sona herself has not made a pact with the new generation of that family and that was something any magus praises and wishes.

Seekvaira Agares or Hakari Seika also was looking for a pact since the family that her Clan had a pact previously had broken their deal and had to be cut off. Both figuratively and literally.

On the Gremory side, they never had a proper after their first one pact. Not for the lack of trying from the other parts but simply because they never saw the worth. Sure some had deals with individual magicians but as far as a complete pact with all it's privileges this was the first one since Solomon.

"What can I say? I have found someone whose skills I found suitable and made a pact with him." Rias' smile was lovely and Rutal didn't like that.

"Hey, listen here! I hope you haven't found a human lover of all things here! You are still my cousin's fiance!" The reminder just made the redhead annoyed and she refused to look at her fellow devil for the rest of the meeting.

"Either way!" Sona tried to stop things from escalating. "The Gremory House will now have an official pact, I congratulate you on finding a gem Rias." Sona was sincere in her praise.

"Why, thank you Sona." Seekvaira decides to ask the question that everyone else forgot.

"So… what is the name of this prodige." Rias' smile grew if such a thing was possible.

"Emiya Shirou." She said barely louder than a whisper yet the name was carried to the whole room.

If the announcement that the Gremory were going to have a pact didn't bring the silence to the room then the name Emiya did. It was absolute. That was until the room fell into chaos.

"THAT MAN HAD A SON?" Someone couldn't hold back their fear, it spread and soon others also started to shout.

"IMPOSSIBLE! THAT MONSTER NEVER SHOULD HAVE AN OFFSPRING!" Claimed another.

"MY GOD! WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!" The devils didn't like that one. Many others rose to their feet, the panic was spreading and soon it would turn to violence if someone didn't do something..

"SETTLE DOWN!" Sona rarely raised her voice to take charge of a situation, her authority as heiress and spokesperson were usually enough but she needed to stop the chaos. "This may be another Emiya family as far as we know! Besides, do any of you really believe that such a man would have a magician for a son?"

That calmed the room, many already didn't want to believe that the Magus Killer had a son in the first place.

"If there is nothing else…" Sona gave a few minutes to see if anyone would raise any point. "Meeting adjourned."

Soon the room was almost empty beside the devils, no one was going to complain about that since it made sense if they were fishing for information, information that may be negotiated later.

"Emiya?" Sona was looking to her childhood friend, the three ladies still on the table were friends since little with Rutal being the odd man out, he was older than then and was going to leave the human world at the end of school, not interested in college and his peerage also complete.

Besides, everyone knows that he was there to keep an eye on Rias and stop her if she does anything that would insult his family, the Phenex Clan.

"What can I say? It's Japan and coincidences happen."

"Spare us the double talk!" Rutal demands.

"She doesn't need to say anything." The heir of Agares sighs. "They have a pact and if it's standard then 'his secrets are hers, hers secrets are his'." She was nursing a headache because of the turn of events.

"This kid may be the son of one of the most dangerous men alive! The information itself is worth a fortune!" Not only monetary but on influence and prestige alone…

"My brother approves of it." Those words from Rias should take the wind out of anyone's sails. Lucifer himself approved and while he was a fair leader no one wanted to incur his wrath.

"Did he approve of it as Lucifer or as your brother?" But some people don't quit. Rutal is one of them.

"As the Maou." Rias glared at the blonde who ignored her, she has been glaring at him a lot since last year.

"Congratulations Rias." Seekvaira gives her friend a smile and gets up to leave. Her Queen, the only male of the rank in the room, gives a small polite bow and follows his King. He had black slick hair, eyes, and was dressed in the uniform of the school. His steps had a well practiced elegance.

Not wasting any time Rutal also leaves, his queen a lady with long green hair, cyan eyes and well endowed. She was dressed with a short skirt, leggings and looked ready for a business meeting.

Once there were just four of them, Sona sighs. "You are sure he is not the Magus Killer son?"

"Maybe." Rias says with a shrug and Sona knew she was not getting anything more than that.

"Please tell me that you at least protected his public records." The short haired girl was massaging her temples.

"Sona you don't need to worry about his records, they are squeaky clean." With that the Sitri heir takes a deep breath and decides to leave, with her is a woman with straight black hair that extends all the way down to her knees, with split bangs and heterochromic eyes, with a violet left eye and a light brown right eye until she fixed her glasses and both looked a normal brown color.

What Rias 'forgot' to say was that the public records of Emiya Shirou were already altered by someone else and she double checked twice.

With just Rias and Akeno alone they also started to leave, no word was traded among them for the moment. The walls have ears, something expected when the population of the school included a good bit of beings with enhanced senses or magic skills.

In a way, Kuoh was like an embassy and every 'foreign' power was working to elevate themselves and pass new integence for their camps. It would not be weird if there was some seal or bug on the walls or lamps.

"All ended well didn't it, Buchou?" Akeno says with a smile, she probably wanted to tease her more but Rias just took the comment for what it was.

"Indeed. Who would have thought that the Emiya name was so scary?" She spoke out loud for the spies and for herself. When she told her brother the name of the magus and he gave her permission it was with an express order.

'Don't press for it, if he says 'no' let it go.' Was the command but not one born out of fear. Even if the communication between realms is… shoddy at best Rias could still hear the respect in her brother's voice.

People fear the Magus Killer, that is a fact, and Lucifer respects him, also a fact, she couldn't help but ask why once they were in the same place. All her brother did was smile and nod, saying nothing else.

Either way the deal was made and the pact signed, Rias didn't care about the Magus Killer and Shirou's abilities were enough. Once they meet up she can go and work out the details for some rare materials she already negotiated during vacation.

"Akeno, we are going to the clubhouse."

"Ara? Aren't we going to look for Emiya-kun?" The Queen was curious about the decision.

"I will ask Kiba to look for him later, they still need to spar!" And Rias really wants to see this fight. "But for now let him go and find a club of his own." Of course if he wanted he could join hers but he didn't need to as the pact was their bond.

But she wanted him to join hers, for the sake of his research she was going to make the offer and try to convince him but she was also not going to press him, she had time.

Rias was the president of the Occult Research Club, a great cover for her operations, and she could already guess that there would be plenty of magicians going there to try for a pact with her. She will have some fun watching them make fools of themselves until Shirou shows up.

Finding a club in Kuoh can be surprisingly hard, not because of the lack of variety but for the variety itself. So to help the students the first day of school is not for presentations or anything like that, it is about mingling with each other, having some fun and joining a place to do something one can enjoy.

It was a benefit of having a university bound together with the school, it allowed the chance for everyone to have some fun.

…..

"Shirou... I am feeling a bit overwhelmed." Issei couldn't help but say it and Shirou would agree wholeheartedly. This place was supposed to be a school and yet.

"COME HERE! JOIN THE MARINE LIFE APPRECIATION CLUB!" "HAVE PASSION! JOIN THE DANCE CLUB!" "SHOW YOUR MOVES! COME TO THE VOLLEYBALL!"

There were many 'tents' with demonstrations, shows and exhibitions. Most were managed by the girls of the school with some college students joining in to help. "Does this happen every year?" Shirou couldn't help but ask.

"I have no clue." The two of them were walking around and looking at the many exhibitions. "Are you going to join the kendo club again? It may be different here since there are also going to be some college students."

For a second that made Shirou deliberate. 'That would be different'. He would have more experienced people to spar with and that would help him grow more. On the other hand the problem was the limitations of kendo, unlike a real fight where one does everything to win in kendo there is always the same point system… "No, I don't think I will." Shirou reaffirmed his previous decision. "I have nothing to gain from it anymore." He then looks at Issei. "What about you?"

"I still wish to join the student council." Issei says with hard eyes, his mind focused on his single goal.

"Then go, I will be fine." Shirou didn't know if there was a tent for the council or he needed to ask someone or something. The redhead still needs to talk with Liz and ask what she was going here and as a teacher no less, but knowing his mother she must have something to do with it.

"Don't worry about me Shirou, focus on finding something that clicks with you."

'Something that clicks huh?' Kendo did click with him, both with his skills and soul. The problem with it was that he reached the peak in kendo, it had too many limitations to help him grow more.

And he wanted to grow, Shirou didn't enjoy it enough to do it for fun. There is no fun in just winning and he also had to hold back a lot to make it fair, that above all else was what bothered him. For months he couldn't go all out in a fight anymore, his growth surpassing everyone else's.

It was not strange since unlike his peers his soul was of a sword, his affinity was not just to making them but if he practiced and trained with one he would adapt and overcome any hassle thanks to one simple principle. He could understand his weapon better than anyone else.

The size, the shape, the weight, on a sport like kendo where points define a match precision was key, bread and butter. Sure one needs strength and speed but that also came with precision since the system was there to avoid injuries.

In those kinds of matches Shirou was king, or should be if he bothered. Victory didn't have any value for him since he knew he would win if he goes all out even without magic. He learned dodging by sparring with a fighter homunculus and thanks to exercising with reinforcements his muscles were better than normal people's.

The duo walked around checking some of the exhibitions, there were works of art, sports of many kinds and even a play happening. The yard, gyms, everything was being used for clubs today with any intention that the classes would only start tomorrow.

"Even our festivals didn't have that much stuff." Said an impressed Issei. "The organization alone is astounding. Whoever planned this must be really skilled..." They entered the main building and started making the rounds, seeing how many of the classrooms were turned into studios with small statues and paintings. "You always liked cooking but it appears that the cooking club, if there is any, is not inside."

Shirou just nods while going outside again, he was debating on looking for a cooking club or something similar-

"WHY ISN'T THERE A MAID CAFE?" Demanded to know another boy with square glasses, longer than normal hair, he was in the company of a bald guy, his head shaved, both with black eyes and another guy with brown hair and eyes, this one hair is spiky, short and had a lock running behind his looked average and like everyone else they also had the uniform of the academy but the brown haired had it fully open with a red shirt.

When Shirou looked at the brown haired student he was hit with a smell- NO - It was already there and he just noticed it now. How could he haven't felt it before?

Describing the smell was complicated, it has earth and fire, definitively fire but… the impressions he had were unlike anything he ever felt before. There was rage, untamed but tempered by time, there was pride, so much of it that the redhead felt almost as if he was being crushed while at the same time having it just around without influencing the world itself.

He also saw an image, a huge… thing. It was red and had green… eyes. The vision was not vivid enough, the presence was there but blurred or just made of energy but Shirou knew it was there and it was dangerous but also not. If he focused more he could see golden chains around the image, they were…

Shirou snapped out of his vision and couldn't feel the presence anymore. Something was keeping it clouded, it was powerful and potentially the most powerful thing he ever felt.

Yet, all that was muted. It was not this boy before him that was releasing all this power, he wasn't emanating any power AT ALL. The paradox was so bizarre that Shirou could just look at him confused.

"What the three of you are doing." Issei, being the responsible student he was, had gone to confront the three.

"We are rightfully complaining about the lack of variety here." Said the bald one.

"That is right! What kind of festival doesn't have a maid cafe." Glasses lamented.

"This is not a festival day, this is a day for club recruitment. It was made to help the students to familiarize with each other and to find their own club." Issei tried to use logic to calm his fellow students. It failed.

"So what? If they want to attract new prospects they should go all in on it!" The bald one said.

"Why are you so obsessed with a maid cafe?" Issei decided to try another route, he would see the reason why those people want something and offer an alternative solution.

"So we can look at girls in maid clothes." The student said, fixing his glasses.

"Maybe even get some panty shots." His friend sounds excited.

"Are you two insane?" Issei complained.

"Hey!" The brown haired contradiction steps forward to stand with his friends. "What is wrong in admiring the female form?"

Shirou decided this was a good point to say something. "Issei calm down."

"How the heck do you know my name?" The brown haired said.

"Wait, what?" Issei, the one with the glasses now looked indignated. "You are also called Issei?" Once the one with the red shirt gave a nod the black haired Issei felt rage. "What is your surname then? I refuse to call you anything close to my name!"

"Fuck you! You tell ME your surname!" Shirou was shocked by the turn of events, it was the first time he ever saw his friend so frustrated.

"MY name is Ryuudou Issei from the Ryuudou Temple!" Issei introduced himself with pride on his name.

"Well, MY name is Hyuudou Issei, future harem king!" Issei also spoke with pride of his dream.

"Don't be ridiculous! A harem? Who do you think you are?" The black haired Issei sounded appalled.

"Ridiculous? How dare you insult a man's dream?" The brown haired Issei sounded indignation. "How can someone have the same name as me and not understand the greatest things in life?"

"Greatest- Life is not just about women!" To Shirou seeing his friend, who basically lived and grew as a monk, getting this frustrated… was a new experience.

"Tell him what Issei!" The one with the glasses hyped up his friend.

"Yes! Our Issei best Issei!" The other one quickly entered the fray.

With that the black haired Issei turned to the redhead. "Shirou! Back me up!"

'HOW?' In his mind Shirou was getting frustrated. 'This is ridiculous! They are fighting because they have the same name! Why does it matter?'

Then Shirou tried to place himself in their situation, that there was someone like him running around and doing stuff he wouldn't approve of…He can't see that much of a problem, he is him and that person was that person. On the other hand if it was someone exactly like him as well Shirou would have questions… lots of them.

The two Isseis were worlds apart, both in appearance and personality wise. He needs to defuse the situation. "Lunch!" He said suddenly.

"What?" All the other teens asked in chorus.

"Lunch! My treat and no fights. We can settle who is called what later but there is no reason to fight."

"He doesn't understand-" Shirou raised a hand interrupting the red shirt Issei.

"No reason. You are you, he is him. No fighting for your names… we still need a distinction anyway." He looked to the two teens and then shifted his focus to the friends of the 'new' Issei. "I bet you two are as confused as I am."

"Now that you mentioned it…" The bald one said. Shirou nods at that and tries to capitalize on the temporary reprieve.

"Come on, there must be someplace to eat around here. Ah! My name is Emiya Shirou, nice to meet you." He offered his hand to shake and the bald, now he paid attention it was shaved, head accepted.

"I'm Yasuaki Matsuda. Nice to meet you." He repeated the greetings, getting caught in Shirou's rhythm.

"My name is Takuro Motohama, my special skill is the three size scouter." The one with the glasses decided to introduce himself.

"HA! You still can't do that right." Matsuda laughed at his friend.

"I keep telling you that I'm getting all the girls' sizes right! You just don't believe me!" And, just like that, another discussion started. On one side two guys with names too close for comfort come close to blows over it while the other was about a 'scouter' that Shirou didn't want to understand.

The redhead sighed and looked at the brown haired Issei again. If he made some effort that strange smell was there but it was still muted... Shirou didn't have enough knowledge to know what it was.

He looked like a normal teenager if anything else and Shirou didn't feel any great sign of mana on him. There were options to investigate right but that was an invasion of privacy and it was not like it was anything urgent.

It may be that he has some kind of bloodline or talent. Checking the uniform Shirou couldn't find the pin that would mark Issei as someone who knew about the moonlit world. In light of that Shirou would refrain from talking with him about it, instead he was going to ask Rias first.

Looking around, Shirou placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Issei, please control yourself. People are watching." The last part he whispered, it was enough.

"You are right Shirou, thank you." His friend showed his discipline by turning back to the other Issei and… turning around, deciding to not bother. "Let's go Shirou, we still need to find you a club."

"Oi! Is he- Is he ignoring me?" The other Issei was getting frustrated. "You can't ignore me like that!"

"I can and I will!" The black haired continued his march but that hurt the brown haired pride who decided to follow.

"Now listen here!"

What followed next is Shirou looking at the tents trying to find a club while the Isseis and the others discussed. One Issei preaching restraint, control and a model life example while the other arguing the need for one to follow their desires and dreams, to be free and enjoy their lives, while his friends gave more and more ammunition.

Shirou didn't have anything to say, he agreed with both sides to an extent. One has to have restraint on certain things but he also could see the need to follow one's own wishes once in a while.

It is the main reason why he wasn't going to join the kendo club. He was good but it was not necessary anymore and he wanted to do other stuff, he just didn't know what yet; at the moment he was trying the sewing club but it was not for him.

All the while the others kept debating and most of the people just went around them, many girls looking disgusted about some of the themes. Issei, his friend not the new one, may have troubles joining the council of this school if he doesn't let it go.

"Woah." Someone collides with him but Shirou didn't lose his balance, the person, another student with black hair and a forgettable face just says. "Sorry!" And starts to run again. Now that he notices there were a lot of people running, all in the same direction.

"What the hell is happening?" Motohama asked. Their debate was forgotten as they also noticed many of the tents getting empty, people looking at their cellphones and then rushing to somewhere.

"Don't know." Something Shirou knew is that whatever was happening was going to stop his quest of finding a club for himself.

"Let's check it out guys!" Issei, the brown haired one, ran ahead and his friends followed.

"I apologize for my loss of composure Shirou… it was uncalled for." His friend said, bowing his head.

"It's fine, I get it, you were frustrated. Don't beat yourself over it." Shirou gave him a smile and a pat on the back to show his support.

"Should we go check that out? There is no one else around for you to ask about a club."

"Yes, let's." He really hoped Liz wasn't lifting a motorcycle over her head or something.

They walked at a steady pace and heard a crowd cheering. There were many people there, students and teachers alike, watching something in a huge circle. The more they approached the more he recognized the sounds among the cheers, it was the noise of wood swords trading blows… until one met the face of an opponent throwing the helmet he was using in the air for all to see.

"I doubt we can pass all these people." Issei commented and Shirou agreed, looking to his left he saw the company they had before crawling to the floor to get closer.

"Whatever this is, it can't last forever. Maybe we should check-"

"SHIROU!" He heard a voice he was hoping to not hear at least until after today, he really didn't want to have this conversation.

"Tiger." And there was the woman herself, dressed in her usual striped shirt and pants.

"DON'T CALL ME TIGER!" He said softly but the woman must have developed her instincts to hear it. "I'm so happy you are in Kuoh too! Most of the club is also here!

'Oh boy! Not looking forward to that conversation at all!' He thinks resigned. There would be no running and he will have to face the consequences of his decision like a man.

"Issei-san I'm also glad to see you!" Fujimura Taiga, the Tiger of Fuyuki said with a smile.

"I am happy to see you as well Fujimura-sensei." The reply also came with a bow of respect. "Could you please inform us of what is happening here?"

"AH! That is right! Shirou!" She grabs him and starts pulling him with her to the front of the crowd.

"Whoa, whoa,whoa! Wait a minute! Taiga-sensei!" But she ignored his pleas.

"We have no time! The pride of the kendo club is at stake and you are our only hope!" That statement made no sense to him.

Making her way through the crowd Shirou is brought to the front where a fight was happening. With minimal equipment but still enough to avoid much damage there were three members of the kendo club charging at a single woman all armed with proper kendo swords, the shinai. She had her hair in a long ponytail, shorter than Akeno's but still considerable, her hair had two stripes of red, she had sharp features, purple eyes and she was dressed in the male uniform of the academy that did little to hide her form and beauty.

Her eyes were purple and she looked… disappointed and a little bit annoyed. There wasn't a single protection on her body with the exception of the uniform that was neatly in place.

The kendo club members charged but even if they advanced together two hung back and let the more forward one attack first. The girl rolled her eyes and easily blocked the strike, redirecting the shinai aside easily and hitting the first opponent in the head. In an official competition that was enough but the force she used threw her opponent to the ground. Shirou could hear a girl's voice moaning in pain.

Another one charged, they were making a terrible mistake. It was nice they were trying to keep it fair but that was not going to cut against such an opponent. The fact that the girl looked frustrated just meant they were wasting their time. She didn't want fair play, that was defeating all the points of the exercise.

Even if she looked frustrated it didn't take away that her moves had an elegance that he rarely saw in most practitioners of kendo. The moment a foot left the ground he could already see her next pace in the sense it was flawless, Shirou wasn't predicting the future or anything like that, her maneuver was just perfect and had no waste of moves. It was almost as if the fight was already written and he could catch a glimpse of the events. The attacker was going to charge, aiming for the weapon or the shoulder but it would find the sword anyway since the woman was already ready to block, spin and hit the head on a single move. A repetition of her last takedown but her opponents had similar stances and she capitalized on that.

Shirou didn't bother to keep looking, wanting to know. "What is going on?" He asked his sensei who had a serious look on her voice.

"That girl asked for a fight against the members of the karate club. One of the guys accepted with the condition that if he won she would go on a date with him." Shirou nods, he was paying attention but turned back to watch the fight. There was one last club member standing hesitating to attack while the girl just waited, apparently after seeing the other two being easily defeated someone learned something.

Soon one will lose their nerve or patience, Shirou was betting on the one circling the girl while the woman looked disinterested. It was obvious she wanted a challenge but was not getting it.

"She won that fight, then another member of the karate club asked for a match and the next one and the one after that. Soon even the girls tried as well." A hurt pride is a dangerous thing and seeing their senpais being defeated must have felt awful. "She beat the college students then the school ones. It could have ended there but someone from the jiu jitsu club said that if she tried him he would get that date."

And Shirou could already see what happened, every competitive club asked for a shot and she gave it to them. Looking around Shirou could see practices of many martial arts, fighters and even racers. "And the kendo club…"

"Same thing, but the date thing was kinda forgotten, I think. She just called out to anyone to face her." The last one falls to the floor, the woman wins again much to the crowd's applause. "And now we officially lost everyone except you."

"I am not part of the club." Shirou said fast, his excuses ready.

"Shirou, she decimated everyone else."

"Call Katase! She was the best member of our club and won the nationals-"

"And that is her there on the floor." The sensei pointed to the last combatant that had just fallen.

"Is that all?" The woman asked, there were plenty hurt and nursing their wounds. "Is there no one else?"

"Wait! Wait!" Taiga calls attention before anyone makes another attempt.

"Tiger!" The woman must truly be serious since her nickname didn't have any effect..

"We have one last member! The ace of Homurahara's kendo club! Emiya Shirou!" That got some people interested but Shirou really wanted to call bullshit on that. Ace? He refused to fight competitions! Since when he was called an ace?

'I can just turn around and leave. I wanted to drop from kendo anyway.' He really wasn't interested in a fight but the young woman looked upset and he didn't know what she might do to her next victim. The redhead released a sigh, 'One fight, I don't need to win just to fight well enough to calm her down.' He gives someone behind him his bag and steps forward.

He wasn't properly dressed like many others but someone offered him a shinai and a helmet. Shirou accepted the first but refused the latter, making his future opponent raise an eyebrow. "Are you sure that is wise?" Be either confident or arrogant, her tone was well earned.

"You aren't using protection either, it is only fair." Since his opponent wasn't going to fight like a practitioner of kendo, Shirou is going to do the same thing. Sticking to habits was bad when not in a competition. But there was one that Shirou refused to let go in a spar. "Nice to meet you, my name is Emiya Shirou." He says while giving a complementary bow.

There was no hesitation from the woman, she answered in kind. "Higurashi Setsuna." Both bows were respectful and well practiced, both could observe that and if Shirou had any doubt now they were gone for now he knew she had some kind of training.

Paying attention to the woman's uniform he could see a small pin above her left breast, a sunflower pattern that indicated that the person before him was not normal, which explained much. Looking at her eyes he noticed them on his right side as well and they both nodded.

Neither of them was normal and they would have to 'fight' while holding back any big demonstrations of power. Neither knew what the other was. 'Is she a devil?', 'Is he a yokai?' Questions flew in their minds but for the moment neither had means to figure out the answers other than fighting.

Both start to enter their initial positions, Shirou holded his sword in the front, standard of kendo but the woman kept using just one arm while keeping the weapon itself behind her. This posture was more aggressive, Shirou would have the better start but if his opponent was fast enough he wouldn't be able to capitalise on it until it was too late.

Then Shirou changes his position, raising his weapon to his eyes and vertically and getting ready for a stab motion. If it was all about one hit to win then Shirou would also go for speed.

Setsuna reacted by also changing her own position, placing the sword in front of her but still just using one hand. Shirou found it weird but made no comments; instead he just lowered his sword and positioned it to his side.

The whole interaction lasted a few seconds at best and at someone yelling "BEGIN!" The fight began and two charged at each other, the two fighters had the same plan: a swift strike and a fast win. In such a situation the victory goes to the faster one and that was Setsuna.

However Shirou changed his position to a more relaxed and defensive one because the one with purple eyes showed her preference on her stance while the redhead prefered a more defensive approach and once he saw that his opponent was faster then him he managed to reroute his sword to block.

The parry made a loud noise and it was too close for comfort in Shirou's case. On Setsuna's side she wasn't disappointed anymore, his opponent managed to parry, the first one of the whole day. 'He really isn't normal.' Still on the human limits and she didn't feel any magic on his defense but he was fast enough to block her strike.

The thing is that neither of them could go all out, more than they already did anyway. Most of her stunts can be explained by just technique and precision. If they go beyond that they would expose magic and that could be horrible for everyone, especially with the photos and videos being recorded.

Shirou pushed Setsuna back, making a point to show he was exerting force. This fight, this spar was also a 'play', both having to pretend going all out and she also knew he wasn't going all out either, there was not enough sweat and there was no sign of magic of any kind.

But that made her smile, finally she had someone in front of her who could fight back.

What followed next was something that some would call choreographed and in a way it was in the sense that both sides were doing their best to not reveal all they had. But the audience couldn't believe it anyway, for normal people and even the weaker of many species there was a word for what happened next: insanity

Once Shirou managed to push the woman away, both started to trade blows, it was not slow at first and building up, the two swords just clashed again and again at speeds that most people had trouble keeping up. In a sword fight pushing the sword aside and hitting after was the path to victory, the struggle comes when both sides try and fail to push away their opponents weapons.

What followed after a while was a parry and a push. Setsuna tried to get some distance while Shirou pursued, she raised her sword to block another blow, the wood of the swords trembling but not breaking.

Both hold their swords in a vice while pushing each other, they separate again, just for Setsuna to get back faster since Shirou jumped to the side, she realized the dodge fast enough to turn and use her sword to stop his side attack by using both hands for the first time.

But her position was still precarious and Shirou capitalized, the crowd's cheers being ignored by both combatants while Setsuna managed to parry his sword away and a stab to the side of his face.

Shirou moves his head to avoid the attack and tries to retreat in a panic but Setsuna had no intent of allowing that, with him being forced to stop a rain of attacks until he manages to lock her sword again forcing a standstill where both tried and failed to move their opponent.

Suddenly Setsuna moves her left leg forward but it stops in mid motion, Shirou realizes this and takes a chance to push her now that her balance was compromised. While he succeeded she did a backflip, recovering faster than he could pursue and placing both hands on her sword again with a small smile.

Shirou couldn't help himself but smiled a bit as he attacked, it has been so long since he had a challenge. It was not perfect, he could tell by the woman's habits that a sword was not her main weapon and that she wanted to use her legs in the fight, something completely forbidden in a kendo match.

He wouldn't mind, this was not a kendo match after all. On the other hand if she escalates he will too and that could turn ugly, it was better if they had some rules if only for the audience's sake.

The attack was once again blocked and the girl started a haste retreat in a circle to try to destabilize Shirou's offense but his balance was born of constant practice. Liz was a cruel sparring partner, not out of animosity but in their early days she didn't know her own strength in relation to him but that taught him how to run during a fight.

The audience was shocked from what they were witnessing. "Is that really Shirou-san?" Asked Kaori Murayama, a pretty girl with brown hair tied in two braids. To the question her best friend Yui Katase, who had pink hair and was once considered the best of Homurahara's kendo club just nods.

"GET HER SHIROU!" Their teacher, Fujimura Taiga keeps wiping the crowd into a frenzy.

"YOU CAN DO IT! SETSUNA-SAMA!" The new girl on campus already had the makings of a fan club with many cheering for her.

The two fighters didn't care, they were focused entirely on each other. Setsuna moves her leg again and Shirou tries to capitalize on it, only for the young woman to keep her balance and turn his sword to the side. It was a feint and the redhead fell for it.

Reacting quickly Shirou bends his back and attacks from below. Setsuna jumps back again, the crowd making way as she approaches but gets back in position when she charges back to a crouching Shirou who had to block the overhead attack on his knees, one hand on the handle while the other on the 'blade'.

Shirou almost fell into his instincts of using his magic to reinforce his arms to counter the pressure but he holded back and the tip of her shinai almost got to his forehead. For her part Setsuna was making an active effort to not use too much strength, if she used too much she would lose.

This was a matter of pride for her, a competition of skill instead of just power. It didn't matter if the man before her also was holding back something if both were fighting on the same level while still being able to keep up.

There was a silent agreement between each other; the winner will be the most skilled.

The crowd was astounded, more than once they thought the fight was coming to an end only for the opposite to happen. Setsuna already built a reputation during the day by defeating any challenger with minimum effort in many different forms of competition. She could run faster than a sprinter, knew martial arts and was stronger than any other girl of the same build and most men to the point she had won most matches without beating a sweat.

However she was not the only one being watched in admiration. The unknown redhead for many was supposed to be the 'ace' of the kendo club and he was proving it being true as the only one that lasted more than a minute or two against the woman who was one shotting everyone before.

There were some who knew partially what was happening, they had pins that most of the population of Kuoh couldn't see.

But even the citizens of the moonlit world could see that the 'fight', even as an act, was using lots of energy and concentration to not break the basic rules, both from kendo and the preservation of the secrets of the world alike.

Once Shirou pushes himself back up Setsuna had to retreat or risk the reveal, their movements were fast but not superhuman and were few among the spectators that didn't feel some admiration for the two shows of restraint.

The woman knew when she was supposed to lose a competition of strength, the man knew when he shouldn't be able to keep his assault going. The stalemate was not artificial, both were fighting by the rules and following it in both letter and spirit.

Those that liked to compete wanted to join, those that knew exactly what Setsuna was were admired by her control but none knew what Shirou was. They were paying close attention to any moves he made, ready to call foul in case he threw away honor for victory.

He didn't, neither fighter wanted the fight to end with anything other than a fair victory, either by pride or a sense of fair play. Both swords kept hitting each other for a few more minutes, the excitement didn't die down because of the maneuvers that both did to avoid a blow.

Shirou rolled to the side, redirecting an attack with the handle, getting on his feet he faints an overhead strike to only change course and go for a disarm that the woman parries. Setsuna doesn't miss a beat and stabs at Shirou repeatedly, doing her best to get the face or chest of her opponent. Both did every trick they could think of while keeping the swords on their hands and not using anything else on the offensive.

Sooner or later, one of them was going to make a mistake. In a fast and high tense match like that it was just a matter of time, it was inevitable especially when both sides couldn't go all out and always had a metaphorical foot back and avoided anything 'flashy'.

Shirou tried to go for a low strike to the side, it was choreographed, open, obvious and Setsuna jumped on it to hit him on the arm, victory in her sights. Then the redhead relaxes his legs while spinning with his body, sword aiming for her face.

Both weapons collided with their targets and no one knew for certain who managed to hit their opponent first, the sounds of the shinais loud enough to silence the crowd.

Loud cheers followed. "NICE GOING SHIROU!" "GREAT FIGHT!" "SETSUNA-SAMA!"

Shirou didn't get up feeling tired after all the exercise and almost yelped when a hand showed up to help him. "Good fight." Setsuna said with a small smile and wounded chin.

"Right back to you." Shirou takes the hand to get up and it becomes a shake, he notices that she was not looking as ragged as he was. Even if most of the effort was in holding back they still fought constantly for a good couple of minutes. "Looks like you have a fan club now." He tried to joke but she just sighed.

"I hope to God that I don't. That would be a hassle." The way she spoke confirmed she wasn't a devil at least.

"Shirou!" Someone jumped on his back and he recognized the voice.

"Tiger, I'm tired, please get out of my back." He felt her arms starting to hold him by the neck.

"Not until you explain since when you are so good!" The woman demanded.

"Yes! You have some explaining to do! Shirou-san!" There were at least eight people from his old kendo club… he really didn't want this conversation. Katase continued. "Why can you move like that? And so fast? Why have you never done anything like that before?"

"You could have competed for the male nationals, we would have won two trophies." Once everyone present nodded at the affirmation Shirou fought off the hold from their teacher and stepped back to Setsuna's side.

"To be fair we weren't fighting formal kendo for the most part of the whole thing." Or the whole thing in general.

"Still…" Katase looked pissed. "You moved so fast, I barely kept up." There were people still around but most were leaving since the show was already over, of the ones that stayed there was his friend Issei, some members of other clubs who were overhearing the conversation and others who looked to be just admiring the whole thing.

"It's because just fighting kendo is restrictive, there are a lot of rules that would stop me from doing most of what I did here." Not surprisingly it was his teacher who was nodding at his argument.

"If that is the case then join our club!" He didn't know who the girl who screamed was but she was dressed in a kimono that could be either karate, judo or something similar.

"No way! They should join ours!" A guy dressed similarly also joined the conversation.

"Yours? He just complained about how restrictive a sport can be!" Came another girl dressed in shorts and a tank top. "In the MMA club you can fight much more freely!"

Didn't take long for a brawl to essuie, the sports clubs fighting each other for the two best athletes of the school as far as they could see.

Issei fixed his glasses and offered Shirou his bag back. "I suggest that we leave." Shirou nods and turns to Setsuna.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm joining any of those clubs." The fist fights were growing in intensity and to Fujimura's credit she was trying to stop it… only to join in on the brawl.

"You aren't?" At Setsuna's question Shirou nods prompting her to place a hand on her chin. "Then I suppose I won't either. None of these people presented me with a challenge and it would be pointless."

'Ah, the same problem I have.' After thinking that Shirou asked her. "Don't you have anything you enjoy doing?"

"Never had the chance to find that much in my life. I spend most of the time training with my twin sister… Usually we did what she wanted but now I am in another town and we are separated for the first time in my life." Her eyes looked to the horizon, reminiscing old times.

"Why is that?" Issei wondered. "Even I, living in a temple, am allowed to find my own path."

With that Setsuna looked at Issei's uniform, seeing no pin, she answered. "My sister will inherit our family business… as a spare I also was taught a lot."

"That is…" issei had no comment but Setsuna looked at Shirou with a raised eyebrow and then pointed at the pin. He figured she wanted to talk more openly.

"Issei, why don't you go and look for the student council?" Shirou didn't want to be rude.

"Yes, maybe we should find them or another teacher to help deal with that mess." None wanted anyone to get hurt but in the way that was escalating it was bound to happen.

"Good idea." Setsuna interject. "Go to the school and try to find someone there. I am almost sure I know where one of the teachers is." While both Shirou and Issei wanted to say there was already one on the premises, Taiga was already too deep to be trusted on being the voice of reason.

"Then we all should go there." Issei affirmed.

"While that may be for the best they may not be there anymore and we can't waste time. I will have Shirou-san with me for help while you go for the guaranteed route." A small lie all things considered.

Shirou could see that Issei didn't want to leave a friend but it would be for the best in this instance, especially if it would help deal with the brawl. "Go Issei. You want to join the council then you need to show initiative. Staying here and controlling a mob won't do that."

"Alright. But find a club to join! You hear me?" With that he went back to the school and Shirou looked at the mess that was getting even bigger. For what he could see one of the tents around was knocked down and the students there joined.

"Anything we can do about that?" The woman shakes her head.

"I have no skill for hypnosis. You?" His silence was telling. "Then let us go and find someone responsible for this place."

"To be honest I doubt a teacher is going to be able to control this." Setsuna looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We are going to look for one of the devils who rule this place. They will be able to help or at least send someone to deal with it." Then she starts to walk, expecting Shirou to follow.

At the mention of 'devil' some possibilities jumped in Shirou's head and he checked his cellphone, no calls so far, not even a message. He was supposed to meet with Rias but no news so far… is she expecting him to find her.

"How do you know where we can find a," Shirou looks around to check if no one would hear him, "devil?"

"I can smell mana." Now Shirou was interested.

"I can do that too but there is too much around." Setsuna stopped and looked at him, giving him a real analytic look. After a few seconds Shirou couldn't help but ask. "What?"

Turning her head she sighs. "You are human right?" After the nod she says. "I can't smell mana on you, only steel… how does a human end up using smell as their detection sense?"

"It was just a thing I picked up." Shioru didn't remember why he started using his nose to detect mana fluctuations but here he was.

"There are a lot of devil presences in the school," Setsuna is walking again and Shirou follows, "we are going to the one that is most distant and is easier to locate. Either they will be able to resolve the problem or take us to someone who really can."

"Why the most distant one?"

"Because there are too many smells to properly find one in the school." He couldn't disagree with that logic, she may be able to find those 'smells' better than him but a packed place is going to be harder and can be potentially overwhelming.

"Didn't you bring a backpack?" Part of Shirou wanted to be told that too, but at least he had his lunch.

"I was told that for the first day there would be no classes. Didn't see the point." Part of Shirou wanted to be told that too, but at least he had his lunch.

Both of them started to move to the woods, there was a small forest inside the school and Shirou felt nostalgic for a moment.

'Didn't know other schools had those. But this one is bigger.' He decides to say. "I have the number of a devil on my phone. If we don't find anyone willing to help I can call her."

"That would probably be for the best… Why aren't you calling now?" That was a good question.

"She said she would contact me today for a meeting but so far nothing." Shirou checks his new phone again. "She may be busy."

"Is this devil part of Kuoh?" After a nod Setsuna proceeded. "Then it is normal Shirou-san. Today is a busy day for the devils around here."

"Could you elaborate, Higurashi-san?" That made the woman stop.

"Higurashi is actually the surname of my aunt. I am using it for my own reasons, please use my name when possible."

Shirou didn't have any problems with that. "Why is today a busy day Setsuna-san?"

While they made their path to the closest devil Setsuna explained that every year, on the day of 'club hunting' for the students, the mages had their own tradition.

…

Rutal watched with his peerage as mages tried to pass his test, a simple one since he can't afford to be picky.

The four mages, three magus and a spellcaster had to hold a 'small' flame on their hands for a couple of minutes. 60 to be exact.

He is a Phenex, if he can't get a magician of at least that level he would be the laughing stock of the Underworld.

…

"I will repeat it; Your magic is not useful for me." The heir of Agares said with a sigh, she really wanted to pick someone and get this over with. "Next."

Her Queen directs the failure out while the next one comes in. Her method was simple, an interview and demonstration of capabilities. There were steps that she knows that the candidates have been informed about.

As an heir she refuses to find a worthless magician.

"Hello, my name is Ehido Oshim…" Introduction, accomplishments, type of magic and projects for the future.

All of the three are essential to her as far as she knows but during the interview she checks other things, reports from investigators about the family and the methods of the person in front of her. With that information she asks a couple of questions, simple and small ones at first until she 'deducts' some things from the report.

Her goal? Establish trust to have the person to admit some of the most… cruel aspects of their story. But she didn't want them to crack, she wanted them to resist.

Seekvaira was trying to find someone that she could trust, if she is going to be tying herself up with one family she wants their values to be different than the last one. Of course the betrayal could have happened not because of the initial deal but because time and changes of generation.

She still wants a mage that won't need her to hold his hand the whole time. Unfortunately she is the heiress of one of the pillars, a pact with her was enough that almost every candidate was 'spilling the beans' on stuff they shouldn't.

"It is a pity but your magic is not useful for me." Then comes the denial, the begging and then she finally says again. "I will repeat it; Your magic is not useful for me."

The young man is escorted out and a woman enters and the process repeats anew.

…

In an office in the heart of school with many tables for students to use, Sona Sitri was checking the resume of her candidates. Unlike her peers, she was not meeting the candidates just yet. She plans to, eventually, first she is going to weed out the ones that are incompatible, either with her or her philosophy.

The resumes were detailed, she demanded to know every single thing that wasn't a secret for the family of the candidates on it. From previous education, the elements they had access to, no need to put origins but it was optional, any research they are doing or wanted to do and their goals in life. On the last one she wished to skip most of the time considering that all the answers were almost always 'reach the Root', but she was dedicated to her work and there was always the possibility that one person wanted something different.

Her method was more tyresome and there was no way she was going to make contact with anyone today but that was fine, unlike the others she was not going to hurry up. Some of the last year's candidates were still being evaluated but she hasn't found anyone she could trust or that she wanted to focus on building up. Not for a pact at least.

Still, her method may be slow but it allowed a greater pool of candidates, including those that may have preferences for another heir.

Sona is not a fool, she knows that many of the more ambitious candidates would go after her best friend. The Gremory Family hadn't made a pact for so long that there were even rumors that the one who makes a complete pact with them would surely become a sorcerer. That was hilarious to her friend.

Rias said once she raised that tidbit: "My family got lucky, we didn't need to make pacts to get what we wanted. Deals were sufficient."

Just remembering that made Sona wonder what Emiya Shirou had offered that incentivated her to break a millennia old streak. She was sure that his name wouldn't be around these resumes but it will be on the school's reports at a later date.

Her curiosity was irrelevant at the moment, the pile of rejects was growing bigger and bigger but she found some good candidates. Even if they are not worthy of a pact she can make deals and even offer her a place in her peerage.

A knock on the door calls her attention. "Sona!" Entered as one of her bishops, she was still new as a devil but the Sitri Clan knew her through her father who they had business with. With a pretty face, blue-green eyes and silver hair with black roots showing that she will have to dye it again soon, Hanakai Momo entered her office. "There is a new student asking for assistance! A brawl is happening in the middle of the club hunting!"

"A… brawl?" The Queen of Sona's peerage was there helping them. They may not be in charge of the student council yet but the actual president was busy running around giving them space to work. She follows the question with. "How did this happen and the other council members?"

"The thing is escalating." Momo pulls out her phone and shows a video. "There was a spar and the students were fighting to get those students in their club… Toriyama-kaichou is running hagged with that."

Since the actual president of the student council is a normal human, she couldn't just use hypnosis to settle the problem. Taking a deep breath Sona decides to go there herself. "Tsubaki, please make sure that no one that shouldn't see these finds them." She said pointing to the resumes.

"Of course." Tsubaki Shinra gives a small, decided nod.

Trusting her, Queen Sona starts to leave, the actual student council president is competent but he needs a magical touch on this situation. Passing through her peerage who came to join the council on her request she sees a black haired boy with glasses talking with Yura Tsubasa, a girl with blue short hair, blue eyes, tall, an athletic build, was a bit of a tomboy in reality and had the face of a pretty boy, and Kusaka Reya, who had two short braids formed by her long brown hair, brow eyes and a slim figure.

The two of them were trying to calm the boy who was telling them all about the brawl. "Don't worry." Sona approaches him and gives him a smile. "We will settle everything."

With that said she departed and Issei was shocked, his concerns melting away. Even the duo of devils were shocked by the change of posture while the young man just stood there for a second before following Sona.

'What is this feeling on my chest?' There was also a weird sensation on the back of his head but it was ignored. His heart was beating fast, he was short of breath and he couldn't see the rest of the world around him. He just wished to follow that woman.

…

Rias was amused. The number of magicians that came to ask for her to make a pact was considerable, she almost told them then and there that she already had a contract but Akeno, her sweet and cruel Queen, convinced her to let them try to impress her… with a talent show.

"My name is Kito Minomatsu! I am 16 years old and my main branch of research is the manifestation of familiars using earth!" Or in simpler terms, golens. Touching the ground the earth starts to move and small statues made of rock get up, three in total, a little taller than a mailbox or a trash can.

There wasn't a stage to avoid damage by magic, the candidates were all on benches watching each other with Rias and Akeno on the front sitting at a desk with notes for both of them. Kiba, the blonde devil who looked like a charming prince, was acting like the host and security, his sword at the side ready just in case.

The small building was once Kuoh but was then abandoned once the bigger building was ready. The aesthetics of it was more of an european design with two floors. Once Rias took it over as her base she had it reformed to be livable while improving the space and fixing any broken thing.

The end result is a huge house that the devils could use with complete freedom, was comfortable and away from school which allowed for such events.

The candidate bowed to her and his audience, prompting polite applause. The outside of the clubhouse, which was the old school building hidden in the woods, allowed the use of plenty of space and the trees for targets in the exhibition.

Akeno gave the magus a small smile and the young Kito blushed. He took a step to leave the center of the clearing and almost fell forward to the ground, exactly what the long haired woman wanted. Rias could only roll her eyes, her best friend was having too much fun with it.

She looked to the ones still to go and let out a breath of relief, it was almost over, considering they started with some sixties and had just five to go that was a relief. With so many magicians around she hesitated on calling Shirou, Rias wouldn't put past some of them to try and kill him out of spite. Still there were some promising candidates for contracts with Akeno or Kiba around… if they want it, that is.

Most are too prideful to leave with the 'second best thing' but she will love to be proved wrong in that case. "Rias-sama?" Kiba asks for her judgment on the performance of the last attempt to impress her, his smile, patience and everyone else waiting for her evaluation and judgement.

"A decent display of skill," by the change of posture and the stiff shoulders he knows what is going to happen, this was not the first tear down that Rias gives today, "but your golems are on the short size and while the speed of creation would good if you haven't used almost all your mana in their creation." The poor guy was trying to cover his exhaustion but it was clear to all that he was done for the day when it comes to magic.

The redhead devil was trying to be nice, she really was. But if she isn't honest there he won't improve or may even kill himself trying to impress someone else. "Rias-sama is right." Akeno says formanly, her tone full of benevolence. "You still showed promise," she gives reasurances, cheering the mood of the magus, "but I suggest that you practice more. A woman doesn't like those that finish too fast." To just take the carpet out his feet and deflate him completely.

The King of the peerage lets out a sigh as the magus drags himself to join the other spectators, Akeno is a reincarnated devil and yet, sometimes, she acts more like a classical devil than Rias herself. 'I really should look into that… nah, it will be fine.'

"You all should just give up!" Declared an approaching young man with messy blue hair and eyes, his student uniform was messed up and his whole demeanor screamed delinquent but in a 'bad boy' kind of way. His confidence and arrogance spoke of a playboy or a magician of old lineage, possibly both. It certainly explained why he was arriving late.

"You are late, sir." Kiba approaches with a small smile, the contrast between both is visible to all with the Knight of the devils playing his part being polite and understanding.

His counterpart didn't care. "I can assure you I'm right on schedule." Almost like a peacock he stood there full of confidence and looking directly at Rias. "I just wanted to get here when most of the losers had already quit to don't waste time."

Before Kiba could say any comment about the attitude of the magician, someone spoke from the crowd. "Have you lost your head Matou?" A young woman who steps forward walking out of the crowd full of confidence.

Her long wavy black hair was braided into two side-up holded by two black ribbons with the rest left loose, her figure was one entering her womanhood while her aqua eyes showed a fierceness that had other magicians opening the way.

If it wasn't obvious they knew each other it became apparent when the disposition of the blue haired male changed in seeing her. "Tohsaka-san!" Matou was still full of confidence and his smile grew to his acquaintance. "I didn't know you were coming to Kuoh, thought to be fair you may be here for the audition."

"I don't need to tell anything, Matou!" Tohsaka approaches the man and the two start a discussion.

While they were at it Akeno got closer to Rias and whispered. "Both the Matou and Tohsaka families are old blood in Japan, Matous coming from Russia had created roots here while the Tohsaka had a connection with the church at the beginning of the last century."

Rias hums at the intel, 'I heard about the Tohsaka family once. They supposedly had an in with a sorcerer at some point.' Then she decides to say. "And why are you late Matou-san? And if you repeat the excuse you gave before you won't have a chance to impress me!"

Far from being annoyed, the young man just looked more confident. "Please Rias-sama," he turns his full attention to her and gives a small bow, "I would hate for you to lose the chance of having the best magician of Japan on your side."

The comment may be arrogant and there were plenty in the audience who wanted to skin Matou alive at that but they said nothing with one exception. "I didn't know second place meant best!" Tohsaka challenged.

"Ah! But my dear Tohsaka-san, our paths in magic are different!" His confidence was unshaken. "You are a magus, while I am a spellcaster. And you can't be the best where you don't compete."

The tone was suave and the argument was solid, just not enough. "True, that still makes me the best magician." There was a story with those two but the Gremory King wasn't interested.

"While this banter is entertaining, you are interrupting us Matou-san." Rias said decisively, no criticism was made towards Tohsaka since she was waiting until her 'friend' showed up.

"Rias-sama, I can guarantee that I am the best option between all the magicians here present- No! In Fuyuki in general! If you truly are looking for a partner close to your age, look no further!" He raises his hands to the heavens and creates a purple magic circle that lets out a pulse.

For a second nothing happened. "That's it?" Asked one member of the audience but the Matou just smiled.

After a few more seconds there was a noise coming from the woods and everyone turned to look. A swarm of all kinds of insects were making their way, they were organized and marching by type; larvae, crickets, spiders were some of the exemples that came out of the woodwork together with bees, flies and butterflies.

The last ones come and various colors fly around the Matou who were moving to the table where the devils resided. He gives a charming smile and holds one of the most colorful butterflies Rias had ever seen. "For you my lady."

It was a show of power and skill, Rias accepted the butterfly with a smile, there was little reason for her to reject it. 'Did he planted insect familiars or he legitimately controlled the ones in the woods?' She knew that the butterflies are to distract her from the more… grotesque aesthetics of bugs but she didn't mind if it was useful. "Very impressive Matou-san." She gave credit where it was due.

"Please, call me Shinji." He was going for a suave approach and while the display of magic was impressive, depending on how he did it, that is, it was still not something inherently useful for her. "I can say for certain that no magician around here can do better than that."

A small explosion happened startling the blue haired man. Another two happened and then another and another and another. All the bugs that had approached were killed or were being burned and the one responsable was… "Allow me to disagree."

"TOHSAKA! WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Shinji's glares at the girl who was killing his familiars.

"What does it look like?" She moves a hand around shooting fire balls from her fingers. Once they were close enough to the swarm she detonated them, gaining a raised eyebrow from RIas.

'No magic circle and still such control…' The girl was using her small bombs and exterminating the insects. Shinji reacted by summoning more and sending them to attack the challenger.

Not missing a step, Tohsaka fishes something from her pocket and lets it fall on the ground. The green gem shone for a second and a barrier made of wind surrounded her, keeping the renewed swarm from reaching the magus.

Kiba moved to stop the fight but Rias raised her hand and the Knight stopped himself. Some of the other magicians were running away while others made barriers and protections for themselves, Akeno followed the example and made a barrier in front of the desk.

Shinji starts to use water to put out fires and to help his army. Suddenly the water he was summoned turns around and hits him on the face. "Sorry for that, Matou-san." With that last comment the woman throws a red jewel to the air and snaps her fingers.

It blows up and a shower of light falls to earth making the bugs flee or die. Even the one on Rias' hand simply combusted leaving nothing behind. Many of the magicians looked at the events that transpired and they realized that there was no competition to be had there, they were completely upstaged by Shinji and then Tohsaka came around and upstaged him.

Rias couldn't help herself but applaud the events which prompted Tohsaka to take a bow. "An impressive display, you managed to neutralise most of the familiars." Crossing her arms below her impressive bust the King then asks. "And how do you two know each other?" She just couldn't help her curiosity.

The two looked at each other, there was animosity there but at the moment the Tohsaka was smug while Matou was angry. "Our families know each other."

"Know each other? Bha! Hilarious Tohsaka!" Now it was the blue haired student who was smug. "I am her sister's fiance." He was looking at the Tohsaka with a smile of pure arrogance. There was a story there that the devils didn't know about, being human politics more than anything.

And now Rias could see the anger on the magus, it wasn't on her face but on her posture, which grew rigid, and her hands that twitched. A part of her sympathetic with the situation, since Shinji was young it was possibly a contract made indicated that it was a negotiation between Matou and Tohsaka Clans because she doubted that the sister of Tohsaka would be the elder since this one was the one present trying tor a pact.

"What is your name?" Rias asked the woman gently.

"Rin, Tohsaka Rin. 'The best magician in Japan'." Rin made a point to look at Shinji with a cheeky smile but Matou kept control of his emotions.

"Well!" With a small clap Rias got everyone's attention. "It was an-"

"IS EVERYONE ALRIGHT?" A familiar voice came from the woods and two people sprung out of them.

The first one nobody recognized, a woman with black hair, but the second some people did. "What is Homurahara's Brownie doing here?" Asked a confused Shinji, getting a chuckle from Akeno.

"'Brownie'? Have you heard of Buchou?" The fact she called Rias by the title she prefered made her beg for a distraction.

Fortunately for her Shirou tended to express his confusion. "Tohsaka? Matou? You guys are in Kuoh too?"

"Do you know then, Shirou-kun?" Rias' question was not what startled many of the present.

"What?" "They are in first name bases?" "Who the hell is this guy?"

Shirou's temporary companion decides to ask a question of her own. "Any reason why there was so much mana being thrown around here?" The demand came with a certain degree of anger. "If you are fighting or something similar it would be best to place a proper boundary field because there is a literal army of mundanes around."

"Calm down Setsuna-san." He places a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation for all this."

"Oh, it's nothing much! We were just holding a small talent show for magicians and things got out of hand because of these two." Akeno didn't hesitate to point at the two culprits.

"They are magicians too?" Color Shirou surprised, he had no idea.

"We are from respectable family lines!" Shinji said, pointing at himself. "It's you who is the odd one here!"

"While agreeing with him makes me sick," Rin decided to say, "he is right. Care to explain what you are Emiya-kun? Because I find it hard to believe that there was another family line in Homurahara."

Now Shirou hesitated, he still needed to talk with his father about his family situation. Technically speaking he and his sister were the only magicians, his mother could use magic but she didn't do research, Sella also could do basic stuff and Liz was just strong, really strong. And at the moment the state of his father on this was… complicated.

"Shirou-kun is a dear friend of mine." Rias said, getting up from the desk and stepping closer to the magicians and the unknown girl that showed up with her fellow redhead. The duo that was interrogating him got mute. "But I have a better question: Who was the one that tried to call me last term?" The red head devil was taking a good look at the two former Homurahara students.

"Call you?" Shinji questioned, confused while Rin's face could be found in a statue of how still it was. "While I would love to make contact with you previously Rias-sama-"

"Stop." Rias cuts him off. "Gremory."

"Huh?" Shinji didn't understand.

"You have no permission to use my given name. To you it is 'Gremory-sama'. Am I clear?" Everyone was quiet, this was the heiress of Gremory speaking and it didn't matter what Shinji wanted, the answer was obvious.

"Crystal, Gremory-sama." He said with a formal bow. 'She isn't a fool that I can charm my way with. The heiress has claws.' Thought an indignated Matou.

Then Rias turned to Rin. "You were the one who tried to call me." It wasn't a question.

"Gremory-sama, I didn't-" The King wasn't having any of that.

"Don't lie." The order was absolute. "Your next line is going to be: Yes I did and I made a mistake on the method to contact you." Rin stayed silent but Rias just glared at her. "Say it."

Rin couldn't challenge that, the Gremory Clan had too much strength to be challenged openly. "Yes I did and I made a mistake on the method to contact you."

"You thought Matou-san and you were the only magicians on Homurahara." Rias said, stepping away from the other two and getting close to Shirou. "But you didn't know that Shirou was one as well and had no way of knowing he had better detection skills." Once Rias was at Shirou's side she turned to the others. "Because of your actions I met him and we both fought and defeated a stray devil who hid beneath your school."

"There was a stray there?" Shinji was shocked by the news but Rin wasn't surprised and that just confirmed that it was Rin who tried to call for help and botched it.

"Why the roundabout way of contact?" Rias asks and RIn lets out a sigh.

"I… found the stray first and I thought that I could get it as a chance to get some favor…" She was fidgeting a little in place. "I fought the devil and used a lot of my gems and mana for it. I thought to myself, 'if I am going to meet the Heiress of Gremory I better have a plan and show myself useful."

In other words, she wanted to impress. Like every magician she wanted to be chosen and that was a chance. 'But it backfired.' Shirou deduced like many of the listeners.

"My final considerations for both of you!" Both Tohsaka and Matou waited for the verdict. "Your power was good and both of you have skills. HOWEVER!" She made a point of shouting so they couldn't miss hear the intent of the next line. "None of you here are useful… besides Shirou that is!" She made a point to close one of her eyes and gesture to the redhead.

"WHAT?" Shinji was the one who felt most insulted. "HE IS JUST A GLORIFIED JANITOR HE-" Rias points a finger at him and garthers the Power of Destruction, shutting the Matou's mouth.

"He is my contracted magician and you will not insult him in my presence." The revelation was shocking to everyone else there. "I wanted to see if there was anyone better but now I am sure that Shirou was the better choice. Thank you for your participation and you may leave now."

"Gremory-sama?" One of the magicians calls her attention, afraid since Rias was still holding a considerable amount of power on her finger tip. "You said he is your contracted magician already… do you two already have a pact?"

"Yes." She said with no shame of the fact. "I let you all show me your talents to see if there was anyone else here worth the effort. Even if you wanted a pact I could guarantee one with another heir if anyone here proved themselves. None of you did!"

"And he did?" Shinji couldn't help but ask. To his and everyone's shock Rias let the power go and turned to Shirou.

"Could you please make an EM?" Rias was all smiles when asking Shirou that, it was jarring for many but he did as asked.

"Projection?" Rin watched the events happening, she and every single magician there were frustrated by the events but curiosity kept them rooted to see 'why' Shirou was worthy.

"Kiba. Come here for a bit." The Knight approaches and Rias points at his sword. "Can I borrow that?" Kiba gave her his Holy Eraser. "Thank you." She looks around to all present. "I need a volunteer."

"Rias!" Shirou did not like what she was planning.

"Stay calm Shirou-kun. This is just a demonstration and I need someone impartial to show your innovation." Her smile could be called angelic at that moment.

No one steps forward, there is not a magician or sane person on the planet who would risk themselves in a demonstration involving two blades. Shirou didn't blame them and was ready to put an end to the whole thing.

"I will do it."

"Setsuna-san?" Shirou questions but the woman steps forward.

"You came with him." Rin said. "That hardly counts as 'impartial'"

"I lost a spar to him earlier, before a real fight I would like to know some of his abilities." The logic made sense to the devils and magicians but not to Shirou.

"Wati! You didn't lose! You hit me first!." By the rules of their improvised bout that meant she had the point while his would be invalid.

"By a second of difference, your attack would have been lethal." Rias really wanted to hear that story. "What do you need?"

"It's simple really, I'm going to cut you with this sword," she says, raising Holy Eraser, "then I will heal you with this one." Showing the scalpel.

"Are you going to cut a limb?" Setsuna asked.

"No, just a cut big enough for everyone to see." With a nod Setsuna starts to take out the jacket of the uniform.

"Rias, there is no need for that." He didn't like the idea of someone getting hurt for a demonstration.

"Actually we kinda do now." She points to the magicians behind her. "They are probably pissed off with you for getting 'their' pact out of nowhere and to avoid issues it's better to show why I did it in the first place."

The reason why Rias needs to do this is to avoid someone trying to kill Shirou, there wasn't a single doubt in her mind someone would try anyway but if she demonstrates why he was chosen then that will at least get him some respect leaving only the truly malicious to try and harm him. There was also the problem she was letting the information of his research loose but that she can deal with later.

"Can I have the sword?" Setsuna asked, without the jacket she had only the short sleeved buttoned up shirt of the uniform and her figure was even more exposed, her bust was show to be smaller than Rias', many of the males and even some females were staring at her..

"Sure." Once Rias gave Setsuna the swords she felt its weight and was interested in its sharpness. Approaching a random tree she gave a one armed swing which cutted the tree in the side, having it fall easily.

"It is a good sword." Kiba just smiled at the comment.

'The sword may be good but…' He looks at the downed tree. 'Her strength is no joke.'

Raising the blade to her arm, Setsuna presses her limb until blood starts to flow. "Will this suffice?"

"Indeed." Rias approaches and holds the girl's other arm. "You are going to feel a small bite." With that she stabs the arm but feels some resistance, if it doesn't hold for long since Rias just kept pressing and soon enough she had an incision. "Please hold your other arm for all to see."

While doing it Setsuna felt the mana entering her body but didn't fight it since she could tell it was benign. Something curious since the user was a devil, a devil with the Power of Destruction at that.

The wound starts to close without issues. Many of the audience were impressed, even Rias' peerage who she told about Shirou's invention couldn't even comment.

"That- that-" Shinji was fighting to find words, he wanted to say something but didn't know what.

He was not the only one, to a magician that didn't make any sense. Projection was not supposed to do that, it was supposed to do a frail copy, an empty shell of the thing and then break with barely any effort with little to no ability. The only explanation that some could find was a sacred gear but nobody could remember a single one with that appearance and even then sacred gears couldn't leave the hands of their owners that easily unless it was a creation type.

The other hypotheses no one wanted to admit since it would imply that there was a sorcerer with the strongest true magic alive and that was a nightmare for everyone else. The only reason why nobody was jumping to that conclusion was the fact that there was a small trail of mana going into the scalpel to keep it stable.

Once the arm was fully healed Setsuna made a point to move it around, she felt no side effects. "Impressive." She turns to Shirou. "And you made that with magic?"

"No I-"

"Shhhhhhh!" Rias stops him by placing a finger on his lips, she felt amused how his face got red. "No telling Shirou, at least not with so many around." He couldn't disagree with her and then she said to the rest of them. "Some of you are powerful, have decent spells and knowledge but compared to him and this," she raises EM for all to see, "with these, anyone with enough mana can close even a lethal wound. With this, the medicine of my world can grow more. With this I can make a revolution in the Underworld."

She looked around all present, daring anyone to challenge her claim. That healing speed was compared to a high level spell or a sacred gear or even Phoenix Tears. In face of these facts there was no argument.

"So… can anyone do better?" It was a known fact that the devil's healing was slow. It can save people from fatal wounds but slow to the point it takes a whole night to heal someone unless the person using it was specially skilled. That was why Phoenix Tears were praised, even if Shirou's method wasn't perfect it was already fast enough to compete with the Phenex Family speciality. "Now, if any of you aren't going to disagree, I suggest you all leave and try to get a pact with the Heiress of Sitri." 'Considering her personality and the skill set of most of those then it is going to be pretty much impossible.' Rias didn't bother saying the last part, let them try and fail if they want.

One by one the magicians started to leave the premises, there was nothing to be gained from staying since they lacked any means to compete against Shirou at the moment. Some were just frustrated while others looked at both redheads with envy or hatred.

Rias didn't care for their opinions, even if some had decent skill it was not enough to warrant a pact even if Shirou wasn't a factor because it was more of the same when it came to the modern magicians, picking up where their parents left off and going from there doing the same thing. To more than one magician the symptoms were worse since they tried to reach the theoretical 'Root' and tended to ignore any avenue that wasn't expedient to it.

Matou Shinji glared at Shirou, he was furious but he wasn't going to act against him in front of the devils, another thing he planned to do was interrogating Rin about her attempt of contact.

Tohsaka was biting her lip when she thought about it since it was her carelessness that led the devil to Emiya. She had some research to do too because she couldn't believe what Shirou did was projection, it had all the signs of being it but it was still unbelievable.

Once there were just devils, Shirou and Setsuna present Rias moved to introduce herself properly. "I apologize we had to meet like this but a friend of Shirou is my own too. I'm Rias Gremory."

"Higurashi Setsuna, you can call me just Setsuna."

"Then please call me Rias." After everyone presented themselves, Rias offered their guests tea.

…

Inside the Occult Research Club was dark, not to the point Shirou was blind but he had the feeling that they didn't receive many guests. Kiba stayed close to him and helped him navigate until the main office.

There was a certain gothic aesthetic to it, there were three coaches of different colors, a table between the couches, a huge table with some papers in it and a comfortable chair behind with a closed door behind the desk.

Once everyone was seated and Akeno offered to serve some tea, Rias said. "Sorry for not calling earlier but as you can see I was busy."

"Why wasn't there a boundary field around the property?" Setsuna goes directly to the point and Shirou couldn't help but agree with the question.

"From here to the school itself is a good distance and everyone is distracted with the club hunting." Rias explained but Akeno complemented.

"There is also the fact that you can't have too many fields into other fields without destabilizing the whole thing. If Buchou got one on her base the other heirs would want some too."

"Not forgetting how much we already annoy them by having some space just our own." Kiba mused.

'Why is Rias' group getting its own space?' Shirou refrain from asking, instead he said. "Sorry for dropping in like that." Rias shook her head.

"It's fine. I was going to send for you earlier but the number of magicians was bigger than I expected." She shuffles through some drawers from her desk and pulls out a small notebook. "But that doesn't matter right now, here. Take a look at these and tell me what you want to try first."

Opening the book Shirou was legitimately impressed, every page was a kind of rare material with statistics, previous utilities, methods of foraging and suggestions. "You made this?" It was too much work for one person alone.

"We had some help but most of the work was from us and the others." Rias bragged.

"Others?"

"Not every member of our little group is old enough for highschool." Akeno said with a smile.

"While all that is all and good," Setsuna let herself be known, "I think you forgot why we come here, Shirou."

'Why we came here…' He slaps himself in the face before saying. "Rias, there is a brawl happening on campus-"

"It is already solved." Rias said definitively.

"What?" Shirou was confused.

"If there really was a brawl happening, believe me when I say there was something really strict there that already solved the problem."

…

"I can't BELIEVE THIS!" The one known as Shitori Souna stood before over forty people, all bowing their heads in seiza position. "THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DAY TO HELP THE NEW STUDENTS ADJUST! HOW ANY OF YOU DARE TO FIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT!"

That was the moment that the witnesses of the event understood the saying 'it is not about the size of a person in a fight but the size of the fight in the person.'

…

"Trust me, she is probably lecturing everyone there at this point." The certainty in her voice had Shirou resign himself and just sit on the couch again. Akeno gives him more tea and he just accepts it.

"Good to know." Setsuna says motioning for Akeno for a bit more tea.

"But that is not important right now. Did you find a club of your own Shirou?" Rias asked. "If you didn't, you can join us here, since any practice that you make with your weapons is already part of the 'occult' you can use the free time however you want."

"Our club is also a cover for our operations." Kiba offers with a smile. "Since you are contracted to Buchou, it wouldn't be a problem for us to have you here."

"Maybe we could even give you a spot if you want Setsuna-san." Akeno offered.

Shirou stayed quiet for a minute, thinking about it. Under one hand he could work more on his projects, figuring out how to make an independent EM or finding a way to make magic swords with less effort would go faster with the extra time. Even if he didn't know where to start on the damn thing it would still be way faster if he spilled his time.

Yet… "How fast do you need the EMs?" He couldn't help but ask.

Rias hesitated in giving an answer, it was just a few seconds but Akeno noticed. "There is no rush but I would like to progress in your lifetime at least." For Shirou it was still weird speaking of his lifetime as if it was nothing. "I would love it if you could get something in two years if possible, at least some proof the process could be replicable by someone else or that you can make more in a… safer way."

He could already have made more if he was willing to risk his mother's life again but her heart almost stopped because she didn't tell him how much mana she was using.

"I don't get it." Setsuna pointed out. "Can't you make more of that with just your magic?"

"This is a copy of the original." Rias explained to Shirou who looked lost in thought. "It is draining him mana even now and that won't do. We need more of the legitimate articles, viable and permanent."

"Imagine that, a tool that can stop bleeding mid-fight or used for emergencies." Even Kiba has to admit he was impressed, once his King told him how Shirou forged that tool he tried to make a similar sword but he failed.

"So, Setsuna, tell me how you and Shirou met." Akeno sits and gets ready for the story while Shirou is still thinking about the offer.

Every tally that Shirou made on his head said that it would be better to take the offer. The only unsettling thing about the whole thing was Rias' attitude in relation to time but she was a devil, for a being that lived for milenia a few years was nothing.

But Shirou wanted to progress on his research, the development of his blade. He didn't care about the Root or anything like that but he wanted to make stuff that helped people, a more selfish man wouldn't think of streaming lining the process to make it impossible for others to reproduce and make a profit but Shirou didn't care about that either, he wanted to know that the tools he created were saving lives.

There was absolutely no reason for him to deny the offer and use his time effectively but he was dealing. 'Why do I feel like that is a mistake?' A part of him wanted to step back for a bit and work in other stuff, there was also the promise he made to Issei to try and be a normal student. 'There is no rush.' A part of him seemed to say. 'I can make progress in less than two years, I'm sure of it.'

Two years is a long time for a human and Shirou could work on it in the house, while enjoying his time in school, if anything that was a logic his mother would approve of. There was that small part of him that knew if his mother discovered he was working like mad and not resting properly she would throw a fit.

It was not the first time such a thing happened, he became divided on what he wanted to do for others and what his family wanted him to do for himself. The most healthy choice would be to spare some time for normal activities if only to relax. His sister insisted on that, his mother loved to go around with the whole family when she was around and even his father got caught in her hurricane. But now he only had Liz and she would say something on the lines of 'do what you think is best' and just leave it to him.

"So you owe Shirou a date?" Akeno had a teasing air around her but Setsuna didn't care or didn't notice.

"It was the deal that I made at the beginning. By the conditions that I established' the one who beat me gets a date' and that one was Shirou, even though he says I won, I disagree."

"But what if a girl had won?" Akeno was trying to fish for something.

"Then I would go on a date with her." Unfortunately for Akeno, Setsuna had nothing that she could tease, Rias was enjoying her Queen's attempts but decided to ask a question of her own.

"Is that why you are here? To set up a date with Shirou?"

"It is only fair… but a part of me wants a rematch more. With both of us using our real skills." Setsuna was determined to have a real spar with Shirou and that reminded Rias of two things.

The first is that she never saw him fighting for real and the second was that she needed to get him to spar with Kiba one of these days. It will be easier if she could get him- "I will join the club." Her fellow redhead finally says interrupting her thoughts, not that she minded.

"Excellent Shirou!" Rias almost jumped with joy. "We are going to get a forge ready around here, hidden of course, but that won't take long, meanwhile you can use one of the rooms around here as a lab, don't worry, we have plenty- Ah! There is only one place you can't enter but there is a boundary field and lots of warnings there, don't worry about it."

A growl was heard and everyone turned to Setsuna, her face was like stone but everyone could tell the sound came from her stomach. "I believe I shall return to the school grounds. It is lunch time and I am hungry."

It was impressive for all present how she could say it with a straight face, unperturbed by the noise of her stomach. "You don't need to leave Setsuna. We can eat lunch here." The devils left the room for a few minutes and came back with different kinds of foods and drinks. "We always eat here, we have a fully stocked kitchen and we keep the place well maintained."

'Fully stocked kitchen!' Shirou now felt he made the right decision, he didn't need a culinary club, he would have his own kitchen here. "Can I use it?" The excitement was unmistakable on his voice.

"Another day maybe." Akeno smiled while putting some dishes on the table. "Today was my day to cook and I hope we all can enjoy it."

"Akeno is good with japanese dishes," Rias distributes the plates with Kiba leaving Shirou and Setsuna to move and organize the cups of tea, "Kiba here can make some nice british meals."

"And what about you?" The younger raven haired woman asked, already getting her plate ready.

"Oh, I love japanese food too but also dabble in some italian."

Shirou remembered something, so after getting his bag he pulled out one of the bentos he prepared in the morning and decided to place it on the table as well. "It's not much but I hope you guys can taste some food I made today."

"Ara, ara. If you don't mind Emiya-kun." The vice-president of the club says while her and the rest take some bites of the meat and vegetables in it.

While Shirou started eating Akeno's food, the rest of the room was stunned. 'This is way too good!' Rias thinks of enjoying all the mixtures of spices with the food.

'This is delicious!.' Setsuna can't help herself and moves fast enough to get another mouthful.

'This flavor!' Akeno felt herself in a cloud placing a hand on her mouth while her face got red.

'The best thing I ever ate in my life!' Kiba was almost crying from joy.

'Hum~ Himejima-san is a great cook.' Shirou complimented on his mind while trying the rest of the food while the person he was complementing and the rest of the group devoured his bento.

It was fast and it was silent, none wanting to talk or miss the chance of eating if another would eat it. All of them were enjoying the food until the bento was finished. Once they realized it was done they all turned to Shirou, who was enjoying the rest of the food peacefully.

"Yes, you are undoubtedly using the kitchen." Rias decided and everyone except Shirou was nodding in affirmation, even Setsuna was on it.

"Cool." Shirou notices that the bento was empty. "You guys liked it that much, hum?"

"How did you get so good at cooking?" Akeno remembered Iri bragging about her son's skill but the woman hadn't gone in depth about it. "This was the best stuff I ate in my life." Followed by another set of nods.

"I have eaten food from some of the best chefs," Setsuna was admiring the now empty bento box, "yet none of them had ever gotten so close to this." She then looks at RIas. "Can I join? Until I find a club of my own… I still may visit for parties or lunch."

Now there was a part of Rias that wanted to refuse the woman or at the very least demand compensation since Shirou was her magician, fortunately that part was buried under the bliss of good food and that same bliss didn't allow her to refuse more people on the table. "Sure, I can't wait to introduce Koneko to the two of you."

"Koneko?" Shirou asked while Setsuna twitched a bit.

"She is in middle school right now." Kiba explains. "They have no club day like us and their timetables are different."

"How did you get so good at cooking Shirou-kun?" Rias couldn't hide her curiosity.

"Sella helped me learn." Shirou smiled at the memories. "She could be strict in the kitchen and a bit demanding but it was just because she knew I could do better." At the mention of the maid who left he remembered the one who stayed. "Did you guys give Liz a job? As a teacher?"

"Yes we did." Both King and Queen were smiling at the question and he knew why, they were waiting for him to keep asking questions, questions that he was sure he knew the answers to.

"Who is Liz? The new teacher, Leysritt?" Setsuna had seen her at the opening ceremony.

"Yes. That is the one." Akeno chuckles, still waiting for him to ask the question.

"An acquaintance of yours Shirou?" His raven haired colleague asked.

"She is the maid of my house…" Shirou takes a deep breath and decides to get it over with. "Why?"

He didn't need to elaborate more while the smile on Akeno's face grew, Rias had one as well but hers was calm and serene while the Queen's is the one of someone pulling a prank. ""Your mother!"" They say in unison and he just lets out a sigh.

The lunch proceeds peacefully with minor conversations and some discussion of the details on where Shirou was going to work and the idea of having a forge there so the devils could transport the materials in an easy manner, the Emiya house had too much protection for it to be convenient while the club had a magic circle that allowed for supply transportation between the dimensions.

He is going to make another boundary field made around the forge and Rias offers to help which Shirou appreciates, he can do the field by himself but not one overly complex. When asked if the new field was going to perturb the one around the school Kiba explained. "We can make specific barriers, don't worry about it. They are just limited and hard. Better to make for something permanent like this."

What followed was Rias complaining about the paperwork that it would bring. The fact she was complaining was enough for Shirou to realise that making a boundary field in Kuoh was a hassle if anything else.

Once the sun got ready to set it was time for the non devils to go home, they would have normal classes the next day and Rias said that in Kuoh things would be a bit different than other schools, especially for people like them while pointing at her own pin.

Rias watches as Shirou and Setsuna leave, the young woman is welcomed into the club until she finds one of her own but once she sees if she is capable Rias may just invite her to the peerage. "I am happy that everything ended well."

Akeno's voice snapped Rias out of her thoughts. "Kiba, could you please follow them discreetly? I don't want anything to happen."

"Yes, Buchou." Kiba leaves with his typical smile that practically lives plastered on his face. The blonde had no problem keeping an eye on Shirou for the rest of the day just in case a hothead magician tried anything.

The two women wait for Kiba's departure and only once the Knight is gone Akeno goes and gets more tea while Rias sits on her arm chair. "You got lucky." The Queen says easily prompting Rias to give her a small smile.

"That is me, lucky." There was no sarcasm, they both knew that Rias had astronomical luck when it counted.

"You really didn't realize how close you were to him refusing, do you?" Akeno sighs and Rias pouts.

"He didn't refuse." The Queen shook her head.

"But he was close, his mother told me how he always is more considerate for others than himself and he was this close," Akeno holds her fingers just about to touch each other, "to saying no to the offer to join the club and focus on the EM."

"But the EM would help other people."

"They would but the fact is that he doesn't know how to start." Akeno sits on the couch and drinks her own tea before continuing. "From what I heard about this will be his first foray on actively researching by himself and that is a daunting task."

"He is not alone. We will help him." Rias was determined to make Shirou's project work. She needs it to work. Once again Akeno just shook her head.

"He will still go at his own pace, he will try other things and work on other stuff. You have no way of knowing if he will make progress in time." The fact is that Rias is not trusting Shirou with all the facts.

The red haired devil just waved it off. "It will be fine. I only will have troubles once highschool ends and until then I have other options."

"Options that don't give anyone any guarantees and even them can fail." Akeno was insistent, she wasn't staring or anything at Rias but the other girl knew what her Queen was implying.

"Shirou is competent enough, he will succeed." After a short sip of her tea Rias then says. "Even if he doesn't I will have something else prepared."

"Planning to recruit?" The who was implied.

"Setsuna-san is not human and from the story of their fight I can tell that she was the more experienced of the two." Rias smiles. "If she is interested in becoming a devil we can cultivate her potential too."

Akeno lets out a sigh. 'She is trusting her luck too much. Again!' Instead she says. "You are still risking too much. Talk to Shirou."

"I barely know him."

"True. But you need this to work Rias, the time is almost up." Akeno insists but Rias waves it off.

"I still have enough time, everything is going great; I managed to find a rare magician with good ideas, the deals are coming along nicely, this year a lot of new people entered in the school and there is a high chance they will have good abilities." All this excited the King but not the Queen.

'She is taking too much for granted.' Trying to bring her friend back to Earth, she says. "There is also the chance we don't find anyone special in the most recent batch."

"I have a good feeling about this one Akeno." There was absolutely no reason for such a good feeling other than her gut but Rias was positive that good things would happen.

'It's either her good mood or her head finally got too big.' Akeno sighs again, there is no talking with Rias when she is like this. The redhead was riding on a high having managed to secure the full cooperation of her contracted magician for a goal she needed him to work towards… but she is not telling HIM that and it was frustrating to the raven haired woman.

Akeno spent quite a bit of time talking with Irisviel, Iri for friends and family, about her children and the older woman loved to talk about her family.

If she was asked about it, Akeno wouldn't hesitate to tell her friend what she needs to know, at least in her opinion. But she wouldn't ask, not because Rias didn't care about her opinion but because the King was too focused on the superficial things.

In her conversations with Iri, either by phone or the computer once the woman left the country, the white haired woman described her son as single minded and focused when it comes to doing a task doing everything on his power to see it through properly.

If Rias tells Shirou her problem he won't see weakness or a chance to get something out of it, the boy raised by a person like Irisviel wasn't like that. But Rias didn't know that or wasn't worried about it, happy to let Shirou do his own thing, confident that she had time.

As her Queen, Akeno had the duty to support her King, that was a fact but all that Iri told her, the teasing and the concerns, were told in confidence, a deal made between friends of different ages and species. Just telling anyone about their conversations was intrusive and unprofessional.

Iri wouldn't care if she had a good reason, Akeno knows that but there was another little tidbit that stopped her from just telling Rias' stuff. The pureblood devil is prideful, most of them were in their own ways and Rias proved the rule. It could be different if Shirou was a member of the peerage but he wasn't and while the pact ment a long lasting relationship it could still be broken.

But that's besides the point and a very bad reason to the girl that just refused to ask for help. More than once Akeno wanted to hit her head into a wall from the fact that Rias could just ask her brother for advice or other things. Now she has a chance but instead of focusing on it or at least telling her 'partner' of the situation she is counting that Shirou will be able to deliver with no reason to rush.

'To be fair, her luck hasn't failed yet.' Maybe she was overthinking this, maybe she should just relax and trust her friend knew what she was doing. 'Rias has the Luck of the Devil after all.'

What both forgot is that luck is about opportunities and others can get around it with effort.

…..

It was now the first official day of classes and Shirou was excited for a change. He and the others members of the Occult Research Club were going to work on setting his forge/workshop and it can be done in a week, it would be less if they used a official construction crew but Shirou believed in doing it himself so it was going to take some time for him to set a room for himself, outfit it enough to be safe and then ask Rias for the boundary field.

Since he had a building with quite a number of rooms it was just a matter of position and a few changes but the materials were to start to arrive tomorrow and he can't deny that he is excited to get started.

Shirou was by no means a traditional magus but the idea of doing something new or finishing a job was enough to get his blood pumping, the only person happier than him was Liz who was proud of having a job as a gym teacher. The smile she wore the night before at the dinner was full of joy and she insisted on being called 'sensei', he would do it for her because he found her disposition cute.

After a call to his mother he found her working in a Parisian hotel. For a second he thought about asking why getting Liz the job but the maid was so happy he instead just talked with her. Shirou couldn't call his sister, electronics were banned in the Clocktower to avoid an accident and the only contact he could have with her was by letters. She explained on the last one that it was a recent change and also wrote the address he should direct his letters to so they reached her faster.

'First I need to complete the spark sword, then I still need to make sure the needle is safe to use, after that I will focus on EM production completely. The problem is still some healing spell to be placed on it but if I can use the original to-'

"Shirou-san." The redhead sees Setsuna approach him, now carrying a small bag in her hand. "Good morning."

"Good morning Setsuna-san." They move past other students who made way for them with eyes of admiration. "I really feel uncomfortable with that." Shirou said while scratching the back of his head.

"The fight was recorded, there is nothing we can do." The raven haired one didn't care about the stares or the attention. "I still want a rematch." That was what mattered to her about this discussion.

"I will be working with the club for at least a week setting my forge up but after that, sure." He did enjoy the spar and wanted to do it again but went all out.

"Good." Setsuna didn't show it but she also wanted that fight to happen soon, to go all out against him in combat. She was going to work on his forge as well to make sure it gets done as fast as possible.

"What number is your classroom?" They were approaching him already.

"Same as your Emiya-kun." Standing next to the wall was Kiba, he had his usual smile and his uniform was impeccable, there were some girls who were staring at him but that wasn't Shirou's focus.

"How do you know that?"

"Let's just say that the classes were divided following some criteria. If both of you would follow me." They were just a few steps away from the door but once it was open, Shirou recognized some of the faces already present.

Sitting at one desk at the superior corner closest to the window was Tohsaka Rin reading a book, in the middle of the classroom was Matou Shinji talking with a group that he remembered being in the club the day before.

The class had fifty chairs for what they could count, half of them were full and counting himself there were at least ten magicians in this class. 'This cannot be a coincidence.'

"Don't worry." Kiba tries to reassure him. "If they try anything they won't have time to regret it." The blonde gives Shirou a smile and moves to sit on a chair in the middle of the room.

Setsuna places a hand on his shoulder. "They won't do anything in broad daylight." Setsuna moves to sit on one of the chairs at the back and Shirou follows.

Shinji notices him but promptly turns back to his conversation. Rin was still reading her book and now he could see it closer. He was sure it was written in german, the title read 'Circles for the Elements.' It was a grymore or a book of magic, which could even be magic itself. Most japanese couldn't read german but even then she shouldn't be reading that in the open.

Shirou ended up sitting in between Setsuna and Kiba, behind him there was the end of the classroom. In front of him there was a girl with white hair talking with a girl with braids and then she turned and started to chat with the Knight while her friend also tried to get into the conversation. He could smell brimstone coming from them and was almost sure one of them was a devil at least.

Soon the class starts to fill and if Shirou notices that everyone in the class has a pin somewhere in their clothes, he turns to Setsuna and she also looks at him and gives him a nod and then goes to read a book of her own.

'Did everyone know that there were this many magical beings on Fuyuki except me?' Shirou really wanted to be more than devils and magicians in the classroom as well and he can't claim to know everything about the supernatural.

Shirou was nervous, he tried to calm down but he could feel quite a few eyes on him and that was making him twitchy. Now he wished he had taken his time to go to school or that he also had a book or something similar.

All Emiya could do was focus on his swords, placing his bag below his desk he closed his eyes and started to meditate. Once upon a time he tried to picture his forge in his meditation but that always left him out of focus, he got better results when he imagined himself sitting around surrounded by blades, he doesn't know why but it was easy to clear his mind of the surroundings like this.

Isolating himself first on his 'inner world' as he liked to call him is in a dark space, all he could see were his many works around him. The swords were closer and the more distant the weapon was of a blade the farther they were in the darkness but he could still see them with his mind's eye.

This was a place Shirou could relax and feel comfortable in while at the same time working on his projects without needing to use anything other than his knowledge and imagination. In there modifying the swords and testing designs was no trouble to determine what was best for what.

At the moment he was working on the rock breaking… earth moving… maybe he should just name the sword already but he felt that it wasn't complete yet, there was something missing.

"Shirou-san." He snapped back to the real world to see Setsuna looking at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were still for almost half an hour." It was an observation that surprised Shirou.

"Was it really that long?" He asked while looking around and noticed that there were definitivale more people in the room and with them a lot of smells, smells of magic and power.

"You shouldn't let your guard down around here like that." The warning distracted him of his own musings. Setsuna continues. "Even Yuuto-san noticed but refrained from commenting."

"Sorry, I just found myself with nothing to do and started to meditate."

"And that wouldn't be a problem except that we weren't the only ones to notice." Shirou turned to where she was looking and he could see Shinji's group. They looked to just be talking but both noticed their eyes moving in their direction from time to time.

It was weird to feel that much animosity, he barely spoke with Shinji in his old school. For what he could recall, Matou was a bit of an unrule when they were growing up but started to turn into a bit of a womanizer once he started to notice girls.

"Thanks for the heads up." The woman gives him a nod, accepting his thanks.

After a few more minutes the door of the classroom closed once a man walked in, he was tall with long black hair, glasses and a face that spoke of stress and overwork. Dressed in a black suit with a red tie his posture told anyone who could see 'I am a teacher and you are the students'.

Once he reached the teacher's table and placed some books into it he picked up the chalk and started to write on the blackboard. Once he was done he turned to the students. "I suppose the first thing I should do is welcome you all to this class. As some of you have noticed, every one of this class is a citizen of the moonlit world."

That was undeniable. Every single one of them had a pin on their uniform, some looked around and sized each other up. Much like Shirou there were others that showed signs of not knowing that the moonlit world had such a presence in Fuyuki.

"Don't get too comfortable with each other." It may sound like a suggestion but it had more the tone of a warning. "This is the only class of its kind in the school, all the others are mixed with normal folk. To those that don't know why it is simple; here you are surrounded by peers and similars which allow more liberty to discuss, research and develop your own craft of any kind or species. The classroom is surrounded by a boundary field and unless you exert considerable strength there is no way for someone outside for anyone to notice the more… exoteric things that will happen here."

That got many of the students excited and Shirou could see why. Even if there was still a desire to keep many of the aspects of their magic a secret, the opening to dialogue and testing can allow for one to make great strides on their research and would let them be themselves without the risk of exposure.

"Don't think this is a right any of you have. This is a privilege." The deadpan stare the man gave the class sobered them up. "And like any other privilege it can be easily removed without prompt or ceremony. If any of you paid attention to the opening ceremony or the day before you will realise that there were less people here than it should if these were all of us in the school."

That was an understatement if Shirou had heard any, just magicians alone he saw enough to fill the room outside or the Occult Research Club.

"That is because they are splitted and mixed with the other normal classes." The teacher proceeded while walking the class. "They don't have the same privileges as you do, the same advantages. But they can get it. If any of you makes a mistake, you will be demoted from this class, and yes it is a demotion."

The tall man was looking every student in their eyes, some refused to look back, others glared or showed indifference.

"While in this class you will receive special education, besides being your homeroom teacher I also teach math. However, that is not the only thing I will be teaching. Together with the basic curriculum, which will be minimized, we will have lessons on the manipulation of mana and the theory of magecraft." Someone raises her hand. "Yes?"

"Sensei, most of us aren't magicians, we don't need to learn magecraft." The girl had pink hair but the teacher moved back to the blackboard.

"While that is correct there are aspects of magecraft that can help in other types of magic since it was said that the first studied magic was magicraft." When he starts to make a circle on the board, Shirou recognizes it as a summoning one. "This one for instance can be used to call a spirit, summon a devil or communicate with an elemental. Don't underestimate the basics."

Another student raises their hand. "But how are we going to make time for that and normal lessons? Are we going to have extra days?" It was one of Shinji's friends, a guy with really short green grass colored hair.

The man just gave an amused look to the student. "You all inhabit both worlds, the fantastic and the mundane, to adapt to both you must find balance. You will have the same number of days and time as any other student with a bigger workload and I expect a lot of you to fail… Or alternatively you can ask for a transfer now. The door is open." The teacher was gesturing for said door and waiting for anyone to get up and leave. "Of course once you leave the privileges of this class will be lost for you. There are plenty of normal classes in Kuoh and I can guarantee that there are plenty who want your place."

"That … sounds harsh. Don't you think so?" The white haired girl in front of Shirou raised her hand and asked.

"Harsh?" The teacher just shakes his head. "In the moonlit world harshness is the norm. If you want to survive you need to adapt and as a teacher it is my duty to see you all reach the best people you can be. Or to watch you fail here and learn something so you don't do it out there." Fixing his glasses the man sighs. "Unless you are from a rich family you need to be smart with your finances and for that you need to mix yourself with the mundane. Maybe you all won't need that but either way it is going to be a good experience."

The class chatted for a bit, debating the merits of such a system. There were plenty who disagreed but others just accepted it, even if just to not leave this class for a more normal one.

"Sensei." Tohsaka Rin raises her hand. "I already have plenty of study in the fields of formal magecraft. In my case I can use this class however I want, right?"

'That… is a good question.' Shirou thought and the teacher gave her a nod.

"So long as you get good grades, make your projects and don't expose our world you can do anything in this class if it doesn't bother the others." Then the demeanor of the teacher changed completely. "But be warned that if any of you do anything stupid, I will make sure you regret it regardless of your sponsor." Mana surrounded the man in great quantities. "Have I made myself clear?"

No one dared to deny or challenge the man, there were already a couple of nods going around until Shinji opened his mouth. "And who are you to threaten us?"

The teacher chuckled. "Careful with that spine. If we were on the Clocktower and you insured the wrong lord there was a chance you would be dead by the hour." The man then points to the name on the blackboard. "As for who I am. Are you blind? I wrote my name at the beginning. My name is Waver Velvet, this is the ocidental way of saying it and I prefer it."

"You- you are a teacher from the Clocktower?" Rin asked, every magician in the room was shocked by the reveal.

"I was but the pay here is better. Less backstabbing too." Waver Velvet looked to all his new students. "Now, if we haven't any more questions: shall we begin?"

…..

Yoruichi is originally from Bleach, those that know the manga will be happy to know her personality is close to the original. About the manga… I can't recommend it, the author did a great job in the beginning and created great characters but the story… falls apart, HARD. Too much focus on the protagonist and little for everyone else to do. Yoruichi is one of my favorite characters from Bleach and she did get something… the rest got the short end of the stick. A bit happy that the mobile game apparently corrected that but I already play Fate Grand Order and have no time to invest in another.

Setsuna and Jaken are both from the same universe, Inuyasha was one of the manga that I grew up with and this one I can recommend if you like fights and romance, focus on romance and drama really but it gives an excellent exposition on the japanese culture, legends and other stuff. If anyone will start it I recommend they find a guide to avoid fillers, or watch them some are good. Setsuna is a character from the sequel that was launched last year(this is being written in 2021) and while the censorship changed the kind of fights it can have, or is just more tammer, it is also good in my opinion. Their stories here are similar but also extremely different because of the setting.

Some clarification for for magicians since someone sent a PM asking for a more specific structure(also please want something write a comment not PMs), they are the ones who use magic, their classes are magus who doesn't use seals of power and are focused on research in their majority, spellcasters who use seals and can use magics from other races and sorcerers who can use magic close to true miracles called True Magics.

PS; Jaken is disguised in a human form.