A Demon King's Affection

by Xeno95

The world had abandoned her. Humanity had betrayed her. The Gods were laughing from their high seats. She had not been broken. Not yet. As long as her hero stood by her side.

1. Chapter 1

A/N: Before we start. This is a rare crossover between Fate and Rance Series. No, Rance will not appear in any way whatsoever. One main reason being I don't like the character and Shirou would sooner put a sword arrow to the man's head before the guy can ruin more girls' lives. He's not going to appear in this cross-over.

I liked the Rance games. They had three decades worth of build up lore. The gameplay for a lot of them were fun as well. I especially liked Sengoku Rance and Rance X. I also understand that the series is a parody for old RPG games hence why you have a twistedly anti-hero eroge protagonist like Rance. The universe of the Rance world is also interesting in my opinion. A bit all over the place, but interesting. It's kinda hard to focus on the world when you have a goofball like Rance as a protagonist though.

Also, I thought the big whale god was kinda lame. I thought the three creators were much more interesting. Alicesoft should have set them as the Big Bad instead. Just my opinion.

This is a short story between two characters; Emiya Shirou and the Demon King Gele before she became the Demon King. It was only meant to be a thought experiment to see if Shirou could save the poor girl. It ended up being stuck in my head for a while, so I wrote it down. This story isn't meant to be long. I wanted to highlight the character dynamic between the two had they have the chance to meet. This story is on Gele's perspective. Maybe I'll expand it, maybe I won't.

Some terms for those who are not familiar with the Ranceverse:

-Hanny: A Haniwa-like monster that has absolute magic resistance

-Demon King: The ultimate lifeform of Ranceverse. Only topped by specific characters like rank 1 Gods and above.

-Dark Lord: Demon King's creations. Practically invincible at this point of time when the story starts.

-Akame: A specific type of Monster in Ranceverse that looked like a red tube with a single big eye.

-White Destruction Beam: Advanced spell in Ranceverse. Pretty powerful.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this story and the cover for this story.

(Part 1)

When Gele first met the white-haired young man, she was filled with curiosity. The first thing that she noticed was the gleaming streak of red dripping across the sharp edge of a pair of black and white blades. She noted that those swords he held must have been of excellent make. Even a Magic user like her was entranced by their beauty. She would have been captivated for a moment longer had she not noticed the big pile of corpses of toad-like creatures and various wild beasts that surrounded the area where the man is standing.

A warrior of Opiros Empire? No, the man wore a rather tight-fitting black armor that no proud warrior of Opiros would ever choose to wear over their preference of bulky, heavy steel, so that was most likely the wrong answer. He did not seem to be a scholar from South either.

An adventurer perhaps? That would explain why the man's face seemed so unfamiliar. Gele had made it a point to remember any notable individual that lived near her area of residence. Although she made sure to remember the face and name of strong individuals that live in the surrounding towns, the Continent was big and vast and the number of souls that dwell on it was not small. She wouldn't be surprised if a few faces or names escaped her. Judging from the number of corpses and the noting the danger that some of the now deceased beasts used to possess, this man must be quite the skilled warrior.

"Um, excuse me," a voice jolted her out of her thought. Gele noted in embarrassment that she had been staring at the man for a good half a minute and within that time the man's focus had been redirected to herself. She also noted that he had taken a far less intimidating posture when he turned around to face her, which slightly put her mind at ease.

Their eyes met. Eyes tinted with the color of steel met her own pale blue. She didn't think it possible for a person to have eyes of cold steel to have any hint of warmth, but it was there. His facial features reminded her of people from the eastern part of the Continent. His outfit did not match the aesthetic that was favored by the JAPANese however. The JAPANese were also known for being isolated and rarely ever left for the main part of the Continent minus the occasional peddlers. A wanderer then.

Realizing that she had been staring again, with a bit of panic both hands covered her mouth as she apologized profusely, "Ah! My apologies. I didn't mean to stare."

"Uh, that's fine miss," he began. She saw as his now empty hand sheepishly reached for the back of his head. He seemed rather unsure about what to say with the rather awkward encounter.

Wait. Empty?

Without realizing, she had already shortened the distance between the two of them. She peered through the man's back and the pile of corpses on the ground. Nothing.

"Uh, miss? What are you doing?" the voice called her back to reality. She realized that she may have done something rude in front of a stranger.

"Ah!" she flushed in embarrassment as her feet took a few steps back to normalize the distance between the two of them. "Pardon me, but where did your swords go?" she curiously asked.

She had to suppress a smile from showing as the man's features slightly twisted into a frown. Perhaps a less experienced individual would not have noticed the way the man tried to mask his panic with indifference, but not Gele. She was almost certain that her assumption was correct.

Gele was a renowned Magic researcher. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that her name was well-known across the Continent. One single look was all she needed to tell the origins and technique behind a spell. It was something she had gathered over the years of knowledge gathering and experience as a researcher of Magic.

The man she was facing right now possessed a Magic Skill that she bore no knowledge off.

"You don't mean to tell me that you had defeated all of these Monsters with your bare hands, did you, sir warrior?" She inquired with a playful smile.

The man then stared at the pile of corpses he made within the past couple of minutes, then sighed as his body slumped in defeat as if he knew there was no way he could argue himself out of the current scenario. Although, she did not quite understand the need for secrecy. Magic was common knowledge and although not everyone in the Continent was adept at using it, generations worth of knowledge of Magic was available to the public.

Unless of course, the man was researching forbidden knowledge. But judging from the man's disposition and the Magic he showed she doubted it was anything of that nature.

Call it her intuition as an experienced researcher of Magic.

"So, what Magic did you use to create those blades? I have to say I have never heard of any Magic that is capable of creating such elegant, powerful looking swords," she continued. Perhaps it was the curiosity instilled into her as a proud researcher of Magic, but she couldn't help but be persistent when it comes to broadening her knowledge of the arcane.

For some reason, the moment she mentioned the word 'Magic', she felt as if the man's body became less tense and wary. It was as if the man himself realized that perhaps hiding his identity as a Magic user from another Magic user was a fruitless endeavor. Gele thought with amusement that this man would have made for a terrible liar.

Before the man could answer, a sudden tremor came from afar and feathers started to descend from the sky.

"Maybe a more suitable place for discussion is in order," she trailed as her attention directed towards the source of the disturbance. "The smell of blood and dead corpses are attracting more Monsters to this area."

Thankfully, the man nodded and made to follow her as she turned around to return. "Thank you, miss…? He trailed. Come to think, they had not exchanged identities within the past few minutes of encounter. She silently chastised herself for her error.

"Just call me Gele," she answered. "I'm a magical researcher. I live near the border of this forest," she finished. "And you are?"

"Shirou. Emiya Shirou," he responded back. The name had some semblance of similarity of the JAPANese people, although she was not exactly sure if Emiya was a common name within that country.

"Then, sir Shirou. I hope you don't mind indulging me by answering a few questions once we arrive at my venue," she informed, one hand coming up to cover her mouth as she suppressed a giggle. She did not bother to hide her excitement. Uncovering more knowledge of the arcane arts always proved to be an interesting endeavor for her. She had a lot of questions to ask the man. About the mystery surrounding his strange Magic. About why anyone would come this deep into a forest full of man-eaters and dangerous Monsters.

"Of course, miss Gele," the man, Shirou, answered in agreement, albeit a bit reluctant. "But if I may ask, where are we exactly?"

Well, maybe she underestimated the amount of questions she was going to throw at the man just a fair bit.

(Part 2)

Several months passed since Gele first met Shirou. Or to be exact, two months and a half after she fished for answers from the man who showed her Magic of mysterious origins.

Gele silently tapped her fingers as a few parchments of notes lie scattered across her wooden des. Processing her thoughts, she closed her eyes as she twirled her white locks.

The number of things that she learnt from Shirou within the past couple of months was great, but she managed to narrow it down to a few couple important points.

First, Emiya Shirou was an Otherworlder. He claimed to be from an alternate version of JAPAN, which proved that her initial suspicion of him being a person of JAPANese origin was not misplaced.

Second, the Magic he used was called Magecraft which the man adamantly claimed to be vastly different and incomparable to Magic. The swords he used to slay those Monsters back when she first met him was a product of said Magecraft. More on this later.

Third, she accidentally found out that Shirou had Cooking level of 3 which put him on the level of near godhood in terms of cooking prowess. She was particularly astonished by this tidbit. When she invited him to her workshop, the man accidentally touched a magic tool she once invented to measure a person's parameters and basic information. She had to made sure the device was not broken when it showed her this abomination of a test result..

Level 60. Unknown level cap. Magecraft Level 1. Sword Combat Level 2. Archery Level 2. Cooking Level 3

Unl***t*d *la** **rk* Level 3

The last part had set her off because it was not a readable parameter.

Shirou was not the first case of Otherworlder that the Continent had to offer. Gele recalled that there were multiple cases of Otherworlders who found themselves stranded into the Continent within the past couple of centuries. Her library contained centuries worth of knowledge pertained from the books that she had acquired from all over the Continent. However, Shirou's case was particularly exceptional.

Being Level 60 means that the man was amongst the strongest human in the Continent. While she was unsure about his level cap being unknown, she was confident it did not mean that the man's potential was limitless. The legendary warrior emperor Fujiwara Ishimaru, the past emperor of JAPAN, died at level 73. The man himself was a legend feared by all Monsters alike with the exceptions of the Demon King and his lords. Did that mean Shirou was almost as strong as the late emperor himself? Gele shook her head at the passing thought.

Every being that was born in the Continent possessed a level cap. Gele suspected that his unknown level cap was most likely related to his status as an Otherworlder. That didn't make her any less confused of course.

Don't even get her started on the level of ridiculousness that the Magic device information represented. In the first place, having any kind of skill at Level 3 is nigh impossible. The number of individuals blessed enough to possess any sort of skill at Level 3 could be counted with a single hand. The only few recorded cases were the past emperor of JAPAN who had Sword Combat Level 3 and an ancestor of the Tou bloodline who had Magic Level 3. She remembered almost throwing the device out the window when it manifested the absurd data. Shirou didn't only have one Level 3 skill but two! TWO! Not to mention he also possessed two other skills Sword Combat Level 2 and a skill the man claimed to possess instead of Magic, Magecraft Level 1.

Skill levels were blessings from the Gods. A person with a Level 1 skill was talented enough to be professionals. People with Level 2 skills were geniuses in said field with unmatched potential for said craft. Level 3 skills were worthy of being recorded as legendary figures of their craft. Gele was confident if she told anyone of Shirou's skill levels nobody would even take a moment to consider that she was telling the truth. Not that she would tell anyone of course, it was only a hypothetical scenario. She did find it weird however that Shirou himself did not seem to be proud nor happy when she informed him. A normal person would have boasted if not held some degree of pride over the skills they were blessed with.

Gele shook her head as she continued her thought. Magecraft Level 1. Not Magic Level 1 she noted. The Continent did not have any record of Magecraft. Shirou also did not call himself a Magic user, preferring himself to be called a Magus. Gele went through the notes on her desk as she read through the notes she jotted down when she managed to interrogate Shirou over the origins of his Magic that she took the past few weeks.

Projection. Reinforcement. Structural Analysis.

Gele was not familiar with the first and the last of the list when Shirou informed her of his craft, but certain fields of Holy Magic had similarities to 'Reinforcement'. Imbuing certain parts of the body with Mana and increasing the power and durability of the body was not unfamiliar to the researcher. Although she was not particularly adept at Holy Magic herself, she was confident she could execute the spell. She was a Level 34 and a possessor of both Magic Level 1, Divine Magic Level 1, and Magic Science Level 2 after all. Then again, it didn't sound as impressive compared to the inhuman number of skills and levels the Magus possessed, but she digressed.

She was unsure about Projection and Structural Analysis. From what she could tell from the way Shirou described the craft, Projection was using Mana or 'Prana' as he called it to form false copies of objects and appending them to reality. She briefly recalled that there was a niche practice of Magic like that at some point of time, but it was deemed too useless because the created objects only last a couple of minutes at most and has limited durability. Structural Analysis was also a curious one as she never heard of a spell that allows one to peer into the history of objects. Jotting a few more things down on a piece of parchment, Gele let her body sink into the soft cushion of her chair.

Of course, just as he had allowed her to ask questions, so also allowed him to do the same. She was certain that the man had a lot of unanswered questions as a stranger that was brought into an unfamiliar world. She recalled answering a lot of questions, particularly about the Continent and its history. As a matter of fact, they spent a whole day exchanging information. Gele told him about the world System, the current ongoing Death Toll War on the Continent, the Monster World and the Demon King. She told him of the Gods that watched the Continent, the countries that made up humanity, and the cruel world that awaits all of them.

She still had clear memories when she gauged his reactions towards every single detail that she poured out. He seemed confused about the concept of Levels and Skill Levels from the way one of his brows had seemed to curl upwards. He frowned in distaste when she explained about the existence of the Demon King and the Gods. She recalled himself muttering something about 'The Age of Gods' although she was not sure what he meant by it. Another question for another time perhaps. His frown deepened further as she informed him of the Death Toll War between the Monster World and humanity. She remembered his fists clenching as she told him of the countless slaughter that the Death Toll War had brought upon humanity, something that she could sympathize with.

Ultimately, the world they live in is a cruel one bereft of hope and salvation.

Gele sighed as her body slumped forward and her head rested on the hard surface of wood. She had made it a point to ask Shirou more about these crafts when he comes to visit today. The researcher was especially curious about the skill that caused her device to malfunction. Though she also knew that there was no way she could get Shirou to talk about it. She also knew for a fact that Shirou was withholding a couple of important information of his craft from her. Gele however, understood that whatever it is that Shirou was not telling her, was not because of his desire to withhold information from her.

Because Shirou possessed a kind soul. Gele did not think it possible for someone so proficient in combat and hunting Monsters to be so understanding and gentle. It was certainly a far cry from the gruff and boisterous men of the Opiros Empire or the cold and zealous persona held by many from the South.

When Gele first introduced him to the orphanage that she was raised in and was currently in charge of, she recalled how quickly he was able to get along with the kids. Most wouldn't even bother to spare a thought for these poor, abandoned children. She thought that it was likely that he had prior experiences in dealing with orphaned kids from how quickly they attached themselves to him. She thought of the smiles of the children as they laughed in joy as they ate the delicious dishes that the man had prepared for them and felt a hint of warmth spread within her chest. She also had to suppress the heat from coming up to her face as she recalled the way the kids had shouted something about her bringing home a boyfriend of all things. Those little rascals, she thought with slight mirth.

Shirou had also taken to choose to live within the nearby shed where she had stored most of her spare equipment and materials not far from the cabin that she currently resided in. Gele had insisted that the place was too small and unfit for anyone to live in and had suggested that he moved to sleep on her living room's couch, but the man had resisted with equal persistence that it was unfit for any single unmarried woman to live within the same space with a man they had no romantic relations with. Hence, they finally compromised and opted to set aside some space in the shed and put a wooden bed inside, so it was at the very least good enough to sleep in.

The white-haired woman was not sure if she should be offended that Shirou had opposed so vehemently to live in the same cabin with her or be gladdened by the gentlemanly gesture. Gele was sure had it been any other men they would have jumped at the opportunity. Gele had received quite the fair amount of love confessions and proposals after all. To be so readily rejected without a shred of doubt assured her of his character, but also slighted her pride as a woman. She settled for somewhere in the middle and decided to unleash her feminine wrath upon him by making him indulge her more with his world's Magecraft and forcing him to cook breakfast for her every morning. She did make sure to compensate him with proper gold currency after all, so she felt less guilty about what she did. She made sure to pay him even more when she noticed that he not only took care of breakfast, but also housework chores. The man was more in touch with his feminine side more than Gele herself!

The girl suspected that perhaps the reason why he was so insistent that he lived outside the boundaries of her Magic perception was so that he could sneak out at night. She did not miss the wariness and vigilance that the man showed when he thought that she was not looking. She also made sure not to tell him that the inside of the shed he often resided in was secretly filled with scrying Magical devices so she could tell of the times he sneaked out at night. Shirou did say he was interested bounty hunting and he always did make sure to come back in the morning with no injuries. She had let it slide without mentioning anything. It really wasn't her business to be fair. Also, some variations of Monsters only appear at night, so it wasn't that weird to begin with.

The scrying devices was also for security reasons of course. They did live in a relatively dangerous area. Though she knew Shirou could easily defend himself, having extra security couldn't hurt. It was not as if she was curious as to whatever Shirou was doing inside the shed. It wasn't as if she enjoyed the sight of the man training every morning topless and the sight of him glistening with sweat made her heart thump in excitement. It wasn't as if she wanted to hide the fact that she knew of the countless scars that marked his battle-hardened body and that she felt guilty at the knowledge that she had invaded his privacy. It wasn't as if the scar that was eerily shaped like warped star on his chest around the area where his heart should be almost caused her to run straight to the shed and interrogate him of its origins.

Really.

Perhaps another reason why he refused to live in the same residence as her she noted. Gele thought that men usually prided themselves with the number of scars that they had to carry over during their lifetime as warriors, but Shirou was apparently a special exception. Another fact to add on the pile of mystery that is Emiya Shirou she concluded. Perhaps in the future, the man himself would personally tell her of his story.

Gele was so focused in her inner thoughts, she almost missed the ringing of silverware next to her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A familiar voice rang as a waft of aroma of tea and baked goods entered her nostrils.

That was enough to jolt her back to reality as she jerked her head backwards and straightened her seating posture. "Shirou! When did you come in?!"

The man in question shrugged as he pointed his thumb at the slightly open doorway. "You forgot to close the door, so I didn't feel the need to knock." He then worriedly glanced at the notes scattered on her workspace. "Thinking about something?"

She resisted the urge to pout at the fact that he found her in an act of carelessness and instead tentatively nodded, "Yeah. I'm still trying to figure out this 'Magecraft' thing. We have much to discuss today, sir assistant," she pointed out. Gele was unsure if his cringe was caused by once again being forced to disclose the secrets of his world's craft, or the fact that she deliberately delegated the position of being her workshop's assistant to him without the latter's approval. Not that she cared of course, as one should feel privileged to be the assistant of an accomplished Magic researcher such as her. She was even going to compensate him by paying more!

"I'm not sure if you'd want a third-rate Magus such as myself to be your assistant," he replied without a hint of sarcasm.

Gele never understood why Shirou was very stubborn on undermining himself as a 'third-rate'. Her observations on his skills and capabilities labeled him as anything but. The researcher recalled how he managed to replicate one of her more intricate Magic Item with near perfect efficiency. Although the replicated item itself only lasted a couple of hours, Gele could find hundreds of ways to monopolize such a useful craft. It would certainly reduce the time and costs it would take for her experiments by quite a substantial margin. This was not including the fact that the man himself was one of the strongest warriors of humanity from his level alone, so he would have made for one of the best bodyguard the Continent has to offer. The girl was sure with a hundred percent certainty that within the Continent, only Shirou himself would label himself as a 'third-rate'. If not for the current chaotic state caused by the war, Gele was certain that countries and kingdoms alike would be hard-pressed to invite the man into entering their service.

"You told me the same excuse last time, Shirou," she said with a pout as she slowly picked the cup of tea served in front of her. A wave of warmth hit her as the warm liquid slowly went down her parched throat. "How are the kids?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

"All of them went to sleep not long ago," he replied with a small smile. "They kept on asking me when you'll come visit them again. Maybe you should take some time off?" He trailed as he eyed a particularly larger pile of notes on the edge of the desk.

Gele followed his gaze and immediately recognized what the man was referring to. It was a blueprint schematic for a Magic Item that was requested by the neighboring Opiros Empire in order to help the war efforts to ward off the Monsters and the Demon King. The device itself was not offensive in nature, but in theory one device should be able to form a barrier to ward off at least a dozen worth of Monsters. Deploying it en masse should also in theory help relief some pressure on the frontlines and help increase the survival odds of the people who risk their lives fighting for the sake of humanity. It was still in the prototype-phase however and it still required a bit more time before it was deployable.

"Not yet, Shirou. I'll take some time to visit the kids again tomorrow, but I need to finish this Magic Item as soon as I can. Lives are being lost as we speak," she sighed as she gingerly put down the cup back on its tray.

The steel-eyed Magus seemed to have wanted to say something but decided against it. Gele did not miss the way his expression seemed to waver as if he was conflicted about something. She also did not miss the bitter, yet wistful way he stared at her as if he saw something from long past.

"…Yeah," he finally managed to let out. "It's never wrong to save people in need of help," he finished with a bitter smile.

The girl did not understand why her heart seemed to strain at that last bit. It was as if he was assuring not just her, but also himself. It was as if he had said the exact same thing on multiple occasions in order to keep himself from straying away from his determined path.

His words resonated with the girl. When Gele was naught but an orphaned child from the very same orphanage she frequent, she remembered the kind nun that used to take the role of her surrogate mother. The nun taught her to always be kind to others. The nun taught her to always offer a hand to people in need of help. The nun also taught her to always pray and believe in the salvation of the Gods and Goddesses.

Gele believed in the first two. She rejected the third. Gele refused to put her faith in the Gods. Gods did and do exist in the Continent, but what have they done for the sake of mankind? The world itself was bringing humanity to the brink of extinction. If the Gods created all live on the Continent, did that not mean they also brought about the advent of the Demon King and the Monster race themselves? The same beings who brought upon the destruction of mankind were created by the supreme Gods that mankind themselves worshipped. It would have been ironic if not for the fact that it would not have made for a very good joke.

Perhaps she would have been labeled as a heretic if word comes out that she claimed such a blasphemous thing. However, more than half of her life had been dedicated to the pursue of research and Magic. Gele knew of the truth more so than most humans who lived on the Continent.

Gele was not a cynical person. She wanted to believe in the potential of humanity. She craved for peaceful days and the salvation of mankind more than anyone. That was why she dedicated weeks, months, and years on her research in the hopes that someday, she would be able to pass on her legacy knowing that she managed to save others. For the children in the orphanage who lost their family from the war, and for the brave soldiers who risked their lives fighting the Demon King and his army.

That was why she would continue to do her best. She would continue to pursue the truth of Magic for the betterment of her race. She would continue to smile even now.

"Well, I'm sure 'Big Bro Shirou' would be there for them. Last time I checked they preferred your cooking more than mine even though I cooked for them long before you came!" she complained in jest. She didn't miss him cringing at being called 'Big Bro' either as she smirked in delight.

"Well, maybe if you stopped trying to heat the pan with fire magic and use the stove like a regular person," he countered with a smirk of his own.

"But they said my cooking tasted just fine!" She frowned at the sudden slight at her cooking. Sure, they made some funny faces when they tasted her dish, but surely it was just a proper response from eating something delicious right?

"Gele, you tried to feed them Hanny rice," he deadpanned.

"…So?" She tilted her head, not getting his point.

"Feeding them food meant for Hanny does not give them Anti-Magic properties," he finished as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You don't know that! We're still in experimental phase!" She crossed her arms as she huffed in complaint. Shirou merely did not understand that she took her cooking as seriously as her Magic experiments.

"Have you ever tried your own cooking?" He questioned her with an eyebrow raised.

"…" Welp, he got her there she thought as she avoided eye contact. She secretly swore to give those little rascals her new improved recipe of Akame Pudding the next time she come to visit. It'll be so delicious they'll start shooting lasers from their eyes!

"Anyways, Shirou. Do you mind picking up a few things from this list before we start? I'll need your help for my next experiment before I ask you more questions on your world's Magecraft," she told him as she handed the man a small list.

The man sighed as he reached out at her hand and received the note. "Alright. I'll be right back. Make sure not to overdo it," he said as he turned back and proceeded out of her workshop.

Waiting for the clicking sound of the door, Gele gingerly peeked to make sure the man was out of the room as she reached out for the pile of baked cookies on her table. She took a small bite as she shivered in delight. She was suddenly reminded as to why she demanded his service for breakfast every morning.

Cooking Level 3. Right.

(Part 3)

More days passed. Gele recently felt as if time had gone by faster after Shirou had entered her life. Gele felt her body fidget as she stared at the mirror in front of her. In her hands are a piece of white sundress. She stood there still for a couple more seconds, before nodding to herself. It should do just fine. She picked up the nearby straw hat for sun protection as she exited her bedroom.

Today she had a date with Shirou. Well, she liked to call it a date, but it was just a short outing to the nearby town. She had a few things that she had to pick up from the local item store and she needed his help to do the heavy lifting. She was a frail maiden after all!

Footsteps echoed through the empty cabin as she descended the staircase. Down there, the steel-eyed Magus was waiting for her near the cabin's exit.

"Gele. Are you ready to go?" the man asked as soon as he noticed her presence.

"Yup. But before that…don't you have something to say?" she said as she twirled her dress in front of him.

There was a couple of seconds of silence and in the middle of that the man tilted his head a few times in confusion. Gele suddenly felt the urge to kick the taller man in the shins.

Maybe because he saw her expression twisting into a dangerous one, he finally responded. "O-Oh. That dress looks good on you," he complimented as both his hands bobbed up and down implicating for her to calm down.

Good. She'd thought he learnt from the first time he did this.

"Hmph. You're carrying everything today as punishment," she all but demanded as she crossed her arms with a huff.

"Yes, yes your majesty. Shall we go?" he shook his head in defeat as he opened the exit for her. A gentlemanly gesture she appreciated she mused.

"Yup! Let's go!" she all but dragged him outside as she interlocked her arms with one of his. Gele especially liked how firm and reliable his arm felt in her touch she thought as she giggled internally.

The researcher was curious if the man she was currently locked arms with ever had a lover before. Gele had wanted to ask for some time now, but she was first and foremost, a maiden. She didn't have the courage to inquire the man about his private life. Shirou was rather easy on the eyes, and he had a very kind personality too aside from the occasional sarcastic jokes and teasing. She easily noticed the glances that the man would get from the opposite sex even now as they entered the streets leading to the town. That, and if they noticed his culinary skills, she was confident he would have an army of suitors. Not that she'd let them of course. He was after all her precious assistant!

Glances from the opposite sex aside, he was also attracting quite a few looks of annoyance and jealousy from the other men. A testament to her popularity with the male gender she thought. Gele silently apologized to Shirou as he had to take the brunt of their attention. She had her fair share of troubles handling troublesome suitors. A couple too persistent for her liking. Why, had she been less patient she would have already blasted them away with her trademark White Destruction Beam spell! Her locking arms with Shirou was both a sign of her budding feelings and a means to ward off the opposite sex. She secretly mused however if Shirou knew and hence was indulging her or if he was that dense. Shirou may not notice, but times like these were moments that she cherished greatly.

"Say, Shirou. What was your hometown like?" she curiously asked as she attempted to open a conversation. Gele was rather curious, and she had never made it a point to ask him about his birth town before.

"It's called Fuyuki. It was rather quiet and peaceful over there. It didn't have a lot of residents though compared to this town," he mused. By this town he meant Rabori, the town they were in right now. It was the closest town near the area they lived in. Gele recently learned that Shirou originated from an alternate JAPAN, so this 'Fuyuki' must be somewhere over there as well.

"Did you like it there?" she asked, continuing the conversation.

"I did. My birth town had an atmosphere that I was used to. Although I did decide to travel around the world, so it had been some time since I was there," he finished in a somewhat nostalgic tone. "How about your hometown, Gele?"

She blinked as the focus of the conversation was abruptly reversed.

"M-me? Well, the orphanage was my home for a long time. Its rather close to Rabori, but I wouldn't call this town home per say. I prefer living alone." she quipped. She frequented this town, but she was not particularly close to the residents. Until Shirou came, she preferred to live alone. She was content occasionally visiting the orphanage she grew up in. She did not really have many fond memories of this place.

"I see. Your place does have a rather nice touch to it. I used to live alone myself as well. It was my late father's place," he told her. Gele peeked at the Magus' face. He seemed to be reminiscing something.

"Your father? What was he like?" She asked, curious.

"Adoptive father," he corrected.

"You were also an orphan?" She gasped as her other hand reached to cover her mouth.

Shirou only nodded in confirmation as he continued, "There was a big fire. I was the only survivor. My father saved and took me in."

Gele could only stare in shock at how easy it was for him to share such a traumatic experience. The researcher at least was sure that she would not be able to do the same had it happened to her. Perhaps the man perceived her current silence as a sign of discomfort and assured her.

"It's a story long past. Don't think too much on it," he assured her.

A small part of Gele felt happy that she had something in common with the man that had came into her life and made her monotone everyday slightly more joyous. A larger part of her felt guilty for feeling any sort of happiness at the terrible experiences the man had to overcome in the past. She, at the very least, did not believe that a good man like Shirou should suffer such a fate.

The world was already cruel enough as it is.

"Shirou." she murmured his name. She felt his gaze stare on her despite her vision still fixed to the ground. "Do you have a dream?" the girl finally asked in a quiet voice.

Gele did not wait for his response. She continued, "I dream of a world where the kids back at the orphanage can play and laugh without worrying for the days that will come. I wish for a world where all the war, death, and suffering will stop." she stared at the crowd around them before her sight locked onto the pair of grey-steel eyes. "I hope for these peaceful days to continue."

"So Shirou," she began again.

"Will you help me?" she finished, never leaving her gaze.

The bustling of the crowd surrounded the two, but for a moment it seemed as if time had stopped for the two of them. Then, she was met with a smile. The same smile every time he greeted her in the morning. The same smile that always seemed to melt her heart.

"Of course," he replied without a hint of hesitation. "I suppose I am the assistant of the great Magic Scientist Gele herself after all," he remarked, as if amused by the idea.

Gele made sure to jab him with her elbow extra hard when she detected a hint of amusement in this tone. She hummed in satisfaction when heard him slightly grunt at the blow. "A great honor, mind you," she quipped.

Following up the lighthearted moment, Gele continued enthusiastically, "Then Shirou, what about your dream?" she twisted her body so that her body was facing his direction, not minding the fact that their arm was still locked. "You're going to help with mine so it's only fair that I help you with yours."

Maybe because of the way her chest was pushed against his arm, or maybe because he was thinking about how to answer her question, Shirou did not immediately reply to her. She saw as he diverted his gaze from her and fixed his attention to the blue sky instead. It took a moment before he managed to find his words.

"I wanted to become a hero that can save everyone," she heard him murmur.

Gele continued to stare at the man. Had it been anyone else, they would probably have thought that it was a childish dream.

She thought it was a beautiful dream.

Gele understood the wish for salvation. The wish for others to be happy can't be a bad thing, she thought. She believed that anyone with the gall to laugh at his dream most likely did not understand Shirou's character. Gele believed that if anyone on the Continent were to be labeled as a hero, the man beside her would more than qualify as one. He was always so strong; So gallant and kind.

"I think you'll become a good hero, Shirou," she murmured as heat started to form on her face.

Had the Mage paid more attention, she would have realized that Shirou never gave her a response back, nor the way his smile quickly faded from view.

(Part 4)

Time passed by quickly as they arrived at their destination. The Item Shop looked as shabby as always, Gele thought. Hardwood surface, the whiff of stale wood, and the grumpy looking old lady at the counter. The researcher turned to look at Shirou and noticed that the man himself had started to walk around the establishment with interest.

Come to think, was this the first time he had entered this shop in particular? She knew that he had already went to the blacksmith in this town a few times before. The Magus was a few steps away observing what appeared to be a green, comical looking frog like statue holding a staff. Gele tip-toed closer to the white-haired Magus as she reached for the item in front of him.

"This is a Protective God Magic Item," she explained. "It blesses you with stronger defense. This one isn't very strong though."

"Really? How does it work?" he inquired with an eyebrow raised. She recalled he made a similar gesture when she explained the mechanics of this world.

"You just have to bring it with you, and it will automatically apply its effect like a charm would. As for how it works… even I have not figured it out yet. All I know is that items like these are naturally found in Monster dungeons. It's possible to create artificial ones but naturally spawned ones are more effective," she lectured. Gele then pointed towards a bear-like statue some distance away from them. "That golden-bear statue is the same. Except rather than defense power, it enhances your offensive power instead."

"But why do they look so…?"

"Ugly? Stupid? Like it was made by a 3-year-old?" she finished for him. She made sure to control the volume of her voice so the shopkeeper could not hear her. Shirou didn't reply, but she knew he was silently agreeing with her. She stopped questioning these things a couple of years after she first started her job. Whichever God created these things had horrible aesthetic sense.

"Nobody knows," she answered with a shrug. "Anyways, I need to speak with the shop keeper for a bit. Can you wait here, Shirou?" Gele turned away and headed for the counter after receiving a nod of confirmation.

"Excuse me, shopkeeper. I would like to pick up the items I ordered last week," she stated her intent as she pulled out a bag of gold coins she prepared beforehand. The clinking sounds of gold coins seemed to bring the old shopkeeper's attention to her.

"Hm? Ah, you're the young lady who came last week to purchase bulks of Monster and plant materials," the old lady pointed out as she tried to rack her memories. "Came here with your boyfriend?" the old shopkeeper quipped with a teasing smirk.

Gele made sure not to look flustered as she cleared her throat and corrected the lady. "N-no. He's my workshop assistant. He's here to help me carry the materials."

"That strapping young lad over there? If you're not careful some other lady will take him from you, girly. Better stake your claim when you can," the old lady all but claimed, the teasing smile never leaving her bearing.

Gele huffed in annoyance. What did this old lady know? She'll just take her items and go back with Shirou immediately after this.

"By the way, did you hear the good news? It's all the talk in the town lately. Everyone is talking about it," the old bones suddenly said.

"…?" Gele merely tilted her head in confusion. She hadn't visited the town for quite some time and research was busy lately. She was not up to date with the latest news. Come to think, the town did seem more spirited than it used to be. "Did something happen?"

The next line uttered by the old lady shook Gele's entire core.

"Dark Lord Lexington is confirmed dead," the shopkeeper said in a tone that betrayed her age.

"…Huh?" If jaws could drop, hers would already long fallen to the bottom.

Impossible. Simply and utterly impossible. If the existence of the Demon King was said to be unfathomable, then the Dark Lords of his creation are known for their invincibility. It was the main reason why mankind was losing for centuries. Years pass and the territories occupied by humans kept getting smaller and smaller. Humanity simply did not have the means to kill nor even damage the Demon King and his Dark Lords. The war was rigged from the very beginning. That was the conclusion Gele and many researchers had made after many years of research and study.

"D-did the other Dark Lords kill him? Was it the Demon King himself?" Gele had to ask.

The only means to kill a Dark Lord were for another Dark Lord to turn against them, or for the Demon King himself to execute them. There was simply no other way. The 'Invincibility Field' of the Demon King and his Dark Lords were not penetrable through any other means. However, it was very unlikely. The Demon King had been inactive at the recent years. The Dark Lords have no reason to kill each other, and she was sure that the Demon King would never allow for such a conflict to occur amongst their ranks.

The old shopkeeper shook her head in negative. "No. It was an unnamed Hero," the old lady confirmed. "Nobody knew what the person looked like, but rumors had it that the person uses a strange bow," she continued. "The battlefield was actually only a couple of miles away from this town. The Gods must be looking out for us!" the old lady finished, satisfied with sharing the good news.

The impossible really did happen. Dark Lord Lexington, the Brute Oni Dark Lord, the Ravager himself was dead. Killed by a human.

"A-and? Where is this Hero now?" she all but demanded to know as her hands slammed the counter. The gold coins inside her pouch shook from the sudden impact.

"Nobody knows. Nobody clearly saw or knew the person. All we know is that he or she does exist. Perhaps battling against another Dark Lord somewhere else in the Continent, girly," the old lady finished.

Gele felt her shoulders slump in disappointment. She would have loved to meet the person. Perhaps that person could share how they managed to overcome the dreaded 'Invincibility Field' and that information could finally help humanity tip the scales of the war. Nonetheless, the news renewed her hope that mankind could survive and end this war that had plagued them for centuries.

She was shaken out of her thoughts as a different figure entered her field of vision. It was a young boy slightly shorter than her. He brought in a heavy, grey bag tied neatly as to not spill the contents. However, something about the boy seemed off. Gele noticed the dark bags under the boys' eyes, and his face was sporting a heavy scowl.

"Your ordered materials," the boy said with barely hidden grimace. Then the boy simply left through the back door with a heavy slam. Both Gele and the old shopkeeper did not miss the last bit the boy uttered, however. "Hero my ass."

Any good mood she had left her after the boy's last sentence. Gele felt a heavy frown on her visage. She was about to say something before she felt the shopkeeper's elderly hand on shoulder.

"Forgive that boy. He lost his older brother in the recent incident. They were nearby the vicinity when Dark Lord Lexington attacked the area. He was one of the few survivors. Boy had nightmares ever since," the old shopkeeper explained. "He seemed to blame the unnamed Hero for coming late, but that's only because he's still grieving. The boy doesn't know any better."

Anger left her as soon as it came. However, Gele did not agree with the old shopkeeper. It was unfair to blame the person who brought hope to humanity after centuries of despair. To be scorned by the people you save was a cruel fate. They hold the heavy burden of saving the world of men. There was no need to add more by blaming them for something they had no control over.

"The payment is in the pouch. You can keep the change," the researcher said, not waiting for any response from the shopkeeper. Gele took the heavy bag with the intent to leave. As she turned around however, she noticed that Shirou was no longer anywhere in the vicinity.

It took her a moment to realize that he was waiting for her outside the Item Shop. Gele was about to chastise her newly crowned assistant but opted to stop when she noticed something was off about him. He looked tired for some reason.

"Shirou, are you okay?" she asked with no small amount of concern. Did something happen while she was busy chatting with the shopkeeper?

Her calling out to him seemed to have snap him out of his thought as he turned to face her. "Oh. Did you finish your business already?" the Magus said as he gently took the bag out of her hands. "I'll carry this for you. Let's go back," he remarked, turning his back as he did so.

"Shirou," she stopped him at his track. "Did something happen?"

"No. I was just catching some fresh air," he immediately replied. "Now let's go. The kids must be getting hungry," he said as he went ahead of her. Her sight was met by his back, and she was left with no choice but to follow. Gele couldn't help but think that his back looked quite lonely.

(Part 5)

Gele always wondered why Shirou never asked her anything about finding ways to return to his home world. She believed that any normal person ejected from the world of their birth would try to find any means necessary to return to their motherland.

Two full years had passed since they had met. Not even a single mention was made by the steel-eyed warrior. Gele did not have the Magic aptitude to cast spells that can allow herself to traverse between alternate or parallel universes, but she did know of the ones who could. She was confident that the current head of the Tou bloodline was capable of such a feat. The only issue was that nobody knew where the whimsical Magic Level 3 user was. Had Shirou asked, she would have gladly accompanied him to look for the help of said person. Yet he never did.

Gele did not want Shirou to leave her for his original world. However, her desire to keep him with her was weaker compared to her wish for him to be happy.

For the two years they had known each other, Gele noticed that Shirou had not laughed even once. He smiled occasionally at times. He made a passing joke about her failed experiments here and then. He would tease her about her bed hair when she forgot to washup in the morning. But never laughter. Even the occasional chuckle was rare.

Gele had once thought it was because he missed his home world. It would have made perfect sense. The Continent was full of death and violence. Peaceful days were numbered, and she used to believe that it was only a matter of time before the Demon King and his armies manage to ravage the entire world. But if that was the case, would he not have asked her way back when they had first met?

No. Gele believed it was because the man had no more attachments to his original world. No close friends, no family, nor a lover. Perhaps there once was, but not certainly not anymore she concluded.

She felt her chest tighten at the thought. The feeling was exacerbated when she thought of days when he got back home beaten and battered. There was a point of time when he got back with one of his arms barely hanging together as if something had threatened to lop it off. There was a time when she saw him limping as he entered her cabin accompanied with great fever. There was even a time he was so injured he fell asleep for three full days.

She remembered the times he had gotten back bruised and mangled, but with an expression of content as if he achieved something he had sought to do. She remembered other times he had gotten back without injury but with a tremendously haggard look, as if he was crushed by great failure.

All those times, Gele had made it a point to ask Shirou about what happened to him. He always replied to her with a false smile, telling her that it was fine. That it was merely a hunt that went awry. That it was not something for her to worry about.

Perhaps he did not lie. However, Gele knew that he was not telling the truth either.

Gele did not understand his pain. However, she wanted to understand. She wanted to know more about the man that is Emiya Shirou.

Therefore, when she finally decided to take matters personally. She sneaked into his shed when he was not there and secretly put a scrying device on Shirou's usual equipment. She had made sure to cast a spell to mask the device's presence as she knew how good Shirou was at detecting Magical presence. The researcher made sure to keep in mind to apologize to Shirou for once again violating his privacy once he got back home later, but for now she felt that it was a necessary act.

This was the starting point where Gele found her life twisting into a direction she did not expect. It was the starting point of her fall towards despair.

That day, Gele saw hell. She saw bodies lying in an ocean of blood. She saw as Monsters and humans get butchered by a rainstorm of steel and blades. She nearly covered her ears from the miserable screams that promised death and suffering, and she felt herself panting as her breath quickened. Surely, the scene pictured a painting that would not be a far cry from land of the death itself.

Then, she saw Shirou. She saw him, alone on a hill of swords. She saw him produce a giant, black bow out of thin air into one hand. Next came a sword that resembled a drill more than a blade. She saw as the blade on his other hand began to alter its shape into something else. Something broken but filled with power beyond her imagination. Then she saw him point into a direction as he pulled.

And then she saw where his aim was laid.

It was towards a small girl in black robe covered in sealing talismans surrounded by a huge number of limping human bodies. The bodies were lifeless; it was as if their soul left their bodies and was replaced by something else. Something that hated life with a perverted passion. However, that was not what truly caught Gele's attention.

Gele focused on the legendary Soul Binder. The legendary Youkai was trapped by multiple devices that looked eerily familiar. There was a man behind the girl. That man was wearing the standard Opiros Empire soldier's battle equipment. The man seemed to be controlling the legendary creature into doing his bidding.

The device surrounding the creature had the same schematic as the Magical device she had been developing for the past year. The exact same one she had given full rights to the Opiros Empire to help in their endeavor against the Demon King's army.

Her research she spent years working on was being used to hasten the destruction of mankind. By mankind itself.

Her mind turned into a halt as everything turned blinding white, and then nothing. She did not even notice as the connection with the scrying device was lost. She was paralyzed with shock.

Like a puppet who lost its strings, strength left her legs and she fell on the wooden floor with a thud. The device rolled out of her hand as she lost grip over it. All she could do was stare at the wooden ceiling of her cabin.

How much time had passed? She was not sure. It was dark for a moment, then it was bright again. Her body refused to move. Her mind was clouded as if it could not process the reality in front of her. More time passed.

It was not until she felt the warmth of a cloth blanket draped over her did her mind finally snap back towards reality.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay like that," the voice seemed to say. It was a very familiar voice.

Gele gingerly turned her head towards the source.

"Shi…rou…?" she felt her voice trail. She felt how parched her throat was when her voice escaped her. Her brain registered the figure kneeling in front of her. It was Shirou, looking none worse for wear. He looked fine. It was as if the sights she had witnessed was naught but a lie.

But Gele know that what she saw was as real as it could be. The Magical device she dropped was just there, lying on the corner of the table. Even as worn out as she was right now, she could detect spots of red on the man's outfit. His armor was fine, but his pants had some tear marks on a few areas. It was proof that the conflict she saw was real.

She understood that the man in front of her must be exhausted. Nonetheless, she could not stop her body from launching itself towards his chest. Her head was overloaded with emotions. Relief that he was back safe. Sadness at the massacre that he had to do. Anger at herself for being a fool. Guilt caused by her naivety. Despair at the fact that she was a direct cause of his suffering.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" she kept on repeating like a broken record. All she could do was grasp as Shirou's chest as hot tears pooled and poured down her countenance as she sobbed pitifully. "It's all… my fault…"

Gele finally understood the source of Shirou's pain.

'I wanted to become a hero that can save everyone.' A memory resurfaced.

But he couldn't. It was an impossible task. And this time, she was a direct cause of this impossibility. The Soul Binder was an existence that brought about a powerful curse; one infects five. Five becomes twenty. Twenty to eighty. It will exponentially expand until it consumed everyone. The soul inside was not truly dead. However, there was nothing to be done except to kill all the infected. It was the logical choice, but it also contradicted the man's wish.

Gele wanted nothing more than to disappear at this moment. She did not even realize that the devices she spent years developing was being exploited by the people that she meant to save. Humanity had sold out her technology for the Demon army. There was no other way. She had been a fool. She had been betrayed. How many times had they misused the technology she had given them? How many times did she foolishly allow for such a thing?

Shirou never told her anything because he knew it would destroy her. She believed he kept his silence because he WAS that selfless. All her talk about wanting peace had been nothing but pure hypocrisy; her very existence contradicted the very peace she had sought.

It was better for her to d-

"Gele. It's not your fault."

Before she could finish her thought, she felt a rugged, but warm hand caress her disheveled hair. She felt another hand behind her back, pressing her deeper in his embrace.

A part of her thought it was unfair that with only a few words and actions, he managed to dispel the dark thoughts lingering in her head. She couldn't do nothing but press her body towards him harder as she let go more tears that she was unconsciously holding back.

By the time her tears were all but dried up, she felt a handkerchief pressed against her face. She was silently startled when she felt her body raised by a pair of strong hands.

"You need a change of clothes. Go take a bath," he said with finality. She felt her body princess-carried towards her room before letting her down. "I'll wait outside," he declared as he stepped just slightly outside her room, the door still half open.

Had she been in a normal state of mind, she would have complained at being treated like a child. Her current state of mind was anything but. She could only follow his words as she entered her bathroom and slipped out of her dirtied dress and garments and let them fall on the marble floor.

Droplets of warm water covered her entire being. Still, even though it managed to relax the tenseness of her muscles, it did not alleviate her of the extreme guilt that she felt with her entire being. Her only solace was that Shirou was waiting for her outside the door.

"I left your clothes near the bathroom entrance door," she heard his voice resonate behind the door.

When she finished her bath and dressed herself, she felt her hand pulled towards the small chair beside her bed.

"Sit down here a bit," she heard as she felt both hands gently guiding her on the seat.

Gele did not understand what Shirou was trying to do.

"A girl should take care of their hair properly," he said with a gentle tone. When Gele found the courage to lift her head, she was looking at a mirror. Shirou was behind her, gently brushing her hair with a comb. She could not read the emotions behind those steel-colored eyes.

Although unsure of his intent, the girl could not help but feel a bit of warmth at his gentle handling of her mane of white hair.

"You know, I had a little sister once," he began, never stopping the motions of his hand. "Her name is Miyu. I used to do this for her a lot when we were together. You reminded me of her."

"You had a sister…?" she managed to mutter out at the unknown information. She was surprised she was still capable of speech despite her emotional turmoil.

"Yeah. She was only 5 years younger than me. She was also a crybaby like you," he said in a teasing tone.

Gele didn't realize as one of her elbows jerked backwards and hit what she thought was a rib. She heard a small grunt of pain.

"Erk. Well, I guess it's good that you can still get annoyed at small stuff like that," he quipped at the sudden violent act. His hands kept moving.

"Miyu and I were adopted by our father, Emiya Kiritsugu. Still, the circumstances of our adoptions were different," he continued his story. "I still remembered the fire; the way it consumed everything. I remembered ignoring the screams and plea for help as a child as I stroll through the sea of flames. I even remembered finally collapsing and waiting for my end to come."

She should be horrified at how easily he told her of such a traumatic event. All Gele could do however was clench both her hands as she continued to listen.

"I still remembered the day my father pulled me out of the rubbles of ash and bodies. When I think back of that moment, I can still clearly see the look of relief on his face when he found me," the man continued on. "I thought, I wished I could be happy like that. That was one of the reasons why I decided to inherit my father's dream. The man wanted to become a hero of justice; he wanted to save everyone." Gele saw him close his eyes.

"Before I met Miyu, I thought that it was a beautiful dream. Even now I still do," the man admitted. "But it is an impossible dream all the same."

"My father did not adopt Miyu out of the kindness of his heart. He did it because Miyu was a key to save the lives of many."

She felt the hands combing her hair stopped moving for a moment, before it resumed. "The salvation of many is always at the expense of others. In order to save ten, you sacrifice one. To save a hundred, you sacrifice ten. To save a thousand, you sacrifice a hundred. That is the crux of my father's ideals."

"Miyu was a Child of God. She was fated to be sacrificed for the sake of many. My father passed away a few years after adopting her and left his wish to me."

"But I couldn't do it," he admitted with no small amount of self-derision. "She was just a child. She didn't know anything. What kind of brother would sacrifice his own sister? His father's will be damned. I came to cherish Miyu more than anything."

The man didn't stop. "In the end, I had to join a war to stop Miyu from being taken away from me. I managed to succeed to a certain degree. I won the war, but not without paying a horrible price."

"I lost my best friend. I even lost the girl that loved me with all her heart," he trailed. "And although I managed to send Miyu to safety, ultimately I am clueless of her fate."

"I chose my sister's life over others. Now that I've lost her, I am left with nothing but my father's dream. Even when I was thrown into this world, I continue to chase that hopeless dream. It's all I have left."

Gele didn't even notice Shirou had long stopped brushing her hair. All she could do was to stare at the mirror with widened eyes and horrified expression.

"I am the worst of the worst when it comes to hypocrisy. A Faker with no dream of his own. I couldn't even save my sister properly."

"YOU'RE WRONG!"

She could not remember what she did exactly, but her body already twisted and pushed the man down towards the soft mattress. The act was so sudden they landed with her on top of him. She thought her tears was already dried up, but once again she wept.

"You're a hero, Shirou! No matter what other people say!" she all but shouted as she felt her hands hold onto his arms firmly. Her grip was so strong she could feel her fists turning white from the pressure. She didn't look him in the eye. All she could was bury her face on the crevice between his head and shoulder.

Gele already knew. She did when she saw that bow. That drill like sword that did not look like a sword yet brimming with power. That hill of bodies and swords. Shirou was the culprit of Dark Lord Lexington's demise. He was humanity's sole chance at victory against the Demon King. The unnamed hero and bow user of the rumors. He was Emiya Shirou, her beloved assistant. The Otherworlder Magus that she met years ago in that forest filled with Monsters and beasts.

So what if he couldn't save his sister? So what if he had failed more than once? Did the lives he managed to save in the process not mean anything? Gele could not accept the way he belittled his self and his actions because it would demean the years they had spent together. The little joys in the workshop as she forced him to help her with her experiments. The laughter of the children back in the orphanage as they indulged in his cooking.

She had already lost count of the number of times she had been saved from near death situations by Monsters and humans alike.

How many lives did he save when he spent days away from their home, returning with a broken and battered body? How many times was he approached by the embrace of death?

"You came back home missing half a limb! There were even times you fell into a small coma for three straight days! I couldn't remember how many times I had to cast healing spells on your body just to make sure you stayed alive. How much more do you have to suffer? Why does it have to be you?!" her fists had already let go of his arms and resorted to hitting his chests. There was no strength in her blows. "You tried your best!"

His next response muffled her breath.

"I could say the same to you, Gele."

When she lifted her head to stare, she immediately met his steel gaze. "You spent years, decades, dedicating your research for the betterment of mankind. I saw how you spent many days of sleepless nights as you worked, uncaring for the wellbeing of your own body. I saw you tear your notes in frustration as you looked for alternative solutions because you wouldn't settle for a flawed result when it can risk people's lives. I had to deliver you your meals because there were times you spent days never leaving your workshop. I saw how hard you worked for the past two years, Gele. You dedicated your everything to help save this world. You tried your best," he finished.

Gele understood what Shirou was trying to tell her. He was trying to say that her dream meant something. That not even the betrayal of her life's dream could detract from the efforts that she had put to achieve it. That she had value even if her life's work was nothing but a lie. Shirou had probably already realized that she knew everything.

She felt a hand on the side of her face. It was a warm and gentle touch.

"When I came to this world, I was content living the rest of my days trying to achieve an impossible dream." Gele felt his thumb wiping away her trail of tears. "That was, until I met you."

"I may have failed to save Miyu. I also failed to save Sakura. But this time, I won't fail."

"Gele. I will save you. Even if I must once again abandon my father's ideals," he said with a smile. That same smile she saw two years ago when they were walking down the streets of Rabora.

Gele didn't know when she first fell for Emiya Shirou. Perhaps it was when they were walking those streets together. Perhaps it was when he brought smiles to her fellow orphaned children. Perhaps it was when she realized how selfless he was. Perhaps it was love at first sight.

All she knew was that she was madly in love. She wondered if it was even possible for a human to fall in love so hard. She could only imagine how many hearts the man had broke in his lifetime.

"You're a fool," was all she managed to utter out. She could feel her lips twisting with both affection and self-derision.

"Wouldn't be the first time someone had said that to me," he replied.

There were no more words exchanged after that. All she could feel was the flush of red that on her fair skin. The pants of her breath as she reached for his face. He did not resist when she reached for his lips. She was afraid that he would reject her touch; she was afraid that if he did, she would no longer be the same. Perhaps knowing that, he did nothing except reciprocate back. When their clothes touch the floor, and Gele was embraced by his warmth and comfort, she felt that maybe everything was going to be okay. She wondered if she was allowed to experience such happiness. She wholeheartedly believed that if Shirou was with her, she could accept all the cruelty that the world has to offer.

Alas it was not meant to be. This barbaric world was just that cruel.

(Part 6)

Shirou never broke his promise. The world should have known that it was her that hastened the destruction of mankind by allowing her inventions to fall at the hands of Monsters. And yet, nothing ever came for her nor the orphanage under her name. No harm befell her or the children. Gele was confident that it was because of Shirou's deeds that she was able to live freely to this day.

But the day finally came when humanity's betrayal simply became too much.

"Emiya Shirou. For the murder of the head researcher of the Empire, and the intentional maiming of several others notable figures, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging," a gruff, unpleasant voice sounded.

"TRAITOR!"

"MURDERER!"

"GO TO HELL YOU MONSTER!"

Screams and shouts of profanities was hurled towards the lone figure surrounded by several men in bulky armor. His body was bruised, and his face was marred by cuts from the sharp rocks thrown by the audience.

He didn't look sad. There was no anger in his steel eyes. Gele knew that he was looking at her. He looked happy even. Satisfied. As if he accomplished a great feat. It was as if not even the hurls of insults and assault by the angry mob could take that satisfaction away from him.

Humanity had betrayed her again. No, not her. They had betrayed Shirou. He was being betrayed by the people he saved. These people were blinded by their hate and prejudice that they did not notice they were going to kill their only savior.

"KILL HIM!" "HANG HIM NOW YOU IDIOTS!" "RETRIBUTION FOR THE GODS!"

The chants became louder. Gele felt something inside of her break. She continued to stare.

When they kicked the sole support under the lone figure, and she heard the sickening sound of rope tightening against flesh, another part of her broke. When she saw how there was a bit of struggle as his body was raised above ground, when she saw how his body went limp as the last bit of life escaped his body, she felt as if there was nothing left in her.

So when she raised her hand and a blinding flash of white consumed everything around her, she felt nothing. She ignored the screams of panic and the death cries of these things that took her beloved hero away from her. When she saw how fingers and screams were pointed at her, she simply directed her right hand at their direction and fired another spell. A moment of silence.

Gele slowly strode towards the pedestal. Towards her hero.

She didn't care for the scrambling of limbs as they tried to get away from her. She didn't care for the shouts of commands from afar. She ignored arrows that had managed to pierce her defenseless back. She ignored the burning pain of missing flesh as Magic more powerful than hers swiftly cut her left arm and bisected the limb entirely. She merely continued forward.

When she reached her destination, she muttered a few arcane words. The rope was cut, and the body fell to her embrace. She kneeled and gently positioned his head on her lap with her remaining arm. He looked to be at peace, she thought.

Gele did not feel any pain. If Shirou was with her, she would be fine. The world may have betrayed them, but they could still find solace within each other. Even as she saw bodies surrounded them, even as she saw pointed steel and arcane magic circles looming threateningly, she could feel peace.

They were going to be together again.

"Marvelous."

Even as her vision was gradually fading, she could still witness the dark that devoured those things like a hunter would a prey. She saw as the area around her stood still, surrounded by unnatural darkness. Within that darkness, a pale man draped with an ominous blood-red cape stood.

More shouts resounded. The pale man snapped a finger, and showers of red exploded.

"Simply marvelous."

The pale man pointed at her with his sharp nail.

"You. You make the perfect candidate." The pale man said, his blood-red eyes curled up in glee. Another snap of finger and resting in front of her was a wine glass. It was filled with something red. Something wrong.

"Drink."

Gele reached out at the glass with her remaining hand. She listlessly stared at its swirling content. A dark red tar that was unnatural. Unworldly. Corrupted. Tainted.

"Drink, and the two of you can be together again."

The girl did not know if the man was lying. However, she didn't care. If it meant she could be together again with the man on her lap, if it meant she could be with her hero again, Gele would do anything. No price was too great.

Therefore, she drank. It tasted like its odorless smell; it tasted like nothing.

The moment she finished the whole thing however, pain unlike anything she ever felt assaulted her. Yet the girl never let go of the still body underneath her chest.

She felt tendrils of darkness creep within her. Tainting her. Corrupting the essence of her being. Turning her into something else. Something not of this world.

"You cannot escape fate." A voice rang.

Memories assault her. Memories not her own. She saw visions of her. It was her, but at the same time not. She saw the girl surrounded by men. Men with vulgar eyes. Men with perverted intent, carrying blunt weapons that promised violence. She saw them assault her other self, beating the life out of the girl's defenseless, naked body. She saw them rip out her limbs one by one, the rings of their demented laughter echoing in her head. She witnessed them violating her body with their own dirty figures. She heard of twisted giggles of female figures, laughing at her broken, disfigured self.

The girl clutched her head. She didn't want to see. She wanted it to stop. No more. She wanted it to end.

"Kill tHeM aLL." A twisted voice rang from her depths. It beckoned for her to obey. It eerily sounded like her own voice.

"tHeY beTrAyEd yOU."

The world abandoned her.

"tHey kiLLEd hIM."

Humanity abandoned him.

"tHeRe iS nO sAlVatiOn."

There was no salvation for them. There was no salvation for this world. Therefore, Gele had no need for this world. If this world would reject her, then she would also reject the world. Humanity could rot and she would personally destroy them. All of them.

But…

The demented laughter ceased. She heard the whistle of sharp steel against the wind. She saw a familiar shade of white and black as it hurled and cut through the shadows of the men and women who sullied her. The pair of elegant swords that she saw on that fateful day pierced the ground in front of her. She bore witness to its reflection. She saw of his back as he walked to her other self. She witnessed golden light as she bore view of a beautiful scabbard of cerulean blue and gold. She saw the man kneeled as the scabbard turned into motes of light and entered the girl.

"Gele. I will save you," a distant memory resurfaced. The man in the reflection of the blade had picked up her broken self and proceeded into the golden light.

A simple promise from a broken man. But that broken man was also her hero. They were both a broken existence. But perhaps together, they could become something more.

When Gele opened her eyes, the pale man was gone. She was not missing any limbs, and her previous injuries disappeared as if it was never there in the first place. She raised both hands and noticed the tendrils of darkness that enveloped her pair of appendages. She then reached for the body still on her lap as she lovingly caressed his cold visage.

"Even in death you managed to save me," the girl muttered. Gentle drops of tears hit and slid down the man's peaceful features.

Even as she sensed six powerful figures approaching, she kept still. They did not matter. Her fingers softly brushed his similarly white mane.

Would Shirou hate her tainted self? Would he reject her now corrupted body? Or would he accept her despite everything?

The girl smiled softly. She already knew the answer.

The six powerful figures arrived. They kneeled beneath the broken pedestal.

"Dark Lord Kesselring. The ruler of the night is yours to command." A gentlemanly figure.

"Dark Lord Camilla. The Queen of Dragons pledges her loyalty." A beautiful figure with draconic wings.

"Dark Lord Pi-R. My technology will bring ruin to your enemies, my liege." A young boy with silver hair.

"Dark Lord Galtia. Give me an order and I'll consume everything in your path." A green-haired man with tribal tattoos.

"Dark Lord Kayblis. By your order." A hulking figure with horns.

"…Dark Lord Meglass." A silent insectoid warrior.

"We pledge our undying loyalty to the newly crowned Demon King," their voices synced in reverence.

Gele had not spared them a single look once. She did not need to look to see. Her perception was not limited by sight. She ignored their curious gazes. Right now, only a single thing mattered to the girl.

She hoped that the man would forgive her for her selfishness. She longed for the continuation of those peaceful days. Whatever stood against them, she was sure that they would pull through. This time. Together. It would be her turn to save him.

She bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. She reached down and pressed her soft lips to his cold one as she pushed the blood down his unfeeling throat.

This day would perhaps be remembered as a historic moment. Mankind would fear and recall this moment as the day a new Demon King was crowned. The advent of Demon King Gele and her Dark Lord of steel and blades. They would shake the very foundations of the Continent. They would challenge the Gods themselves.

But for the girl known as Gele, this was simply the moment she got her hero back.

A pair of steel-colored eyes met hers. "…Gele?"

She merely smiled back. "Welcome back, Shirou."

They were reunited once again.