Fate Alternative T

by Rinaru

The air was laden with smoke and ash, the sparkling sound and heat of the flames, the smell of burning flesh. The first thing he saw was that hell, it is the first thing remembers, because all his past life was burned in that accident. Or so he believed... Bright and forgotten flashes began to resurface from those memories... One word echoed loudly: Muramasa.

19. Chapter 16, PADORU PADORUUUU!

Disclaimer: FATE does not belong to me, all its history and characters belong to Type-Moon.

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Chapter 16, PADORU PADORUUUU!

Shirou opened his eyes; he was in his cabin on the train. He didn't remember when he got there, much less when he got to his stateroom.

"Hmn!?" Next to him was a girl, and, generally, this would be Altrouge, but this time, it was not the case because who was sleeping next to him was none other than Gray.

Apparently, she was fast asleep. Shirou used his structural grasp to examine her condition; he could use it on all types of structures, and that did not exclude living beings, but in the case of things other than swords, all he did was perform a regular analysis in which magecraft allowed him to see the things he observed as a map.

He was not an expert in human biology to know Gray's condition in great detail; however, having had to reinforce himself numerous times, the boy had studied the structure of the human body as a way to increase his success rate and thus obtained a greater understanding of it, that is, at least he could know if she was breathing well if there was any internal or external wound on her body and that kind of thing.

Apparently, she seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, probably after using a large amount of her Od, which surprised the boy. Her state was similar to how he ended up after using Neocaliburn or other powerful Heroic Treasures. In order to use the legendary weapons effectively, he would initiate the attack with his Od and then supplement it with mana from the environment, but even with the mana, just initiating the attack with his Od drained him greatly.

In addition to studying the girl's lack of magical energy, as he had learned in his General Fundamentals classes, Shirou could see that the girl had some cuts and bruises, nothing serious, but they were still there. Had she fought against something? He also noticed something else: Avalon was fully operational, and this knowledge somehow made Shirou feel bad because she must have been tired; however, even so, she gave him mana to help him recover.

Shirou knew that when both Add and his ancestor were talking about how he was Gray's scabbard, they were saying it to make fun of him; however, he couldn't help but think that, in fact, he had to protect her, or at least help her in whatever way he could, after all, it was thanks to her being by his side that he was able to survive all the fatal injuries he had received since entering the Clock Tower. That she continued to protect him and that he did nothing to help her frustrated him.

He approached, picked her up, and held her in his arms. To his surprise, she did not wake up, and in her unconscious state, she moved closer to his person.

"From now on, I also want to protect you. No, I have had that wish for a long time, and, from now on, I will protect you. Whether it's your scabbard or not, I don't want to see you hurt."

And, as if the Heroic Treasure within him agreed with that decision, the light of Avalon emerged from deep within. The blue enamel decorations became tangible and enveloped them, then turned into bands of light, creating a secluded space just for them, as if the fairy domain had become present in the current world. And just like that, Gray's wounds healed instantly.

"I see, so this is the correct way to use it. As long as Gray and I are together, I can invoke the fairy domain, the absolute defense that protects King Arthur, or Altria, in this case."

"Shirou?"

The boy looked down and saw how Gray had opened her eyes. She was looking at him bewildered, as if she didn't understand the situation, but there was something, a lack of emotion in the girl's eyes, something strange, something he didn't like; however, this lasted only a few moments, life soon returning to her eyes.

Shirou smiled. He had always been honest with himself, even if he didn't fully understand himself; however, at this moment, he had something clear. He knew about his grandfather's warning that he should not overload himself, but, to him, this desire would not put weight on his shoulders, or at least, he did not see it that way.

As a sword, he wanted to make his ancestor's dream come true. As a blacksmith, he would create the sword that would cut through the dire fate that awaited them and make Altrouge's goal a reality. As a sheath, he wanted to protect the girl he held in his arms. As Emiya Shirou, he wanted everyone he treasured to be happy, or at least be able to help them be happy, and even if he was still debating with himself, that included Manaka. As long as those desires did not contradict each other, he could live with all of them.

"Is something wrong, Shirou? Where are we?" the girl asked.

"No, it's okay. I just sharpened my resolve. As for where we are, we are inside the train."

Gray looked around and realized that she was in the boy's arms. Despite blushing and lowering her gaze, she gathered the courage to maintain her position and look around; they were inside a stateroom.

"Gray…"

"Hmm?"

"I don't know what you and the professor are up to, Gray, but if you both get into trouble or find yourself in danger. Could you tell me?"

"Huh?" The girl looked at him strangely.

"I... I want to help you. I want to protect you, whether it's your scabbard or not, I don't like seeing you hurt, and I know that because of the professor's position, I can't stop you from getting into dangerous matters, but I want to help you when that happens. So, if you get into any trouble, or if you're in any trouble, I want to be there for you, so would you allow me to be by your side?" Shirou lowered his head, waiting for her response. He really didn't know if he had expressed himself correctly, but he hoped she understood.

Gray also lowered her gaze in embarrassment. The situation she was in was already making her nervous, but those words had taken her to a new level; however, perhaps because she had realized what she wanted during this trip, or because they were both alone, or because of the simple fact that their desires were similar, Gray was able to put her feelings into words...

"Me too…"

"Hmm"

Gray smiled weakly, "I want to protect you too... You and the people I treasure. I want to live without regrets and..."

For a moment, she remembered the words her teacher had told her when she asked him if he could take her along with him in case there was a new war for the holy grail...

"Lady, if there were a new war for the holy grail, despite the danger, I would like you, just like I did, to undertake your own journey. I'm sure that, just as it happened with me, it would make you grow up and see the world in a totally different way than how you see it now."

She also remembered Faker's words that, despite having been her enemy, that does not mean that her words have not helped her understand her desires...

Do not fear separation, and instead, be proud of it. It means that your teacher believes that you are ready to walk your own path.

She gathered strength, "I want to go on a journey like my teacher did, that's why… that's why… I want… you to be by my side…" The last thing was said in a voice so low that it was almost a whisper, but he heard her clearly.

Shirou matched his smile with her own and nodded, "It will be my pleasure..."

"What will be a pleasure?" Altrouge asked as she entered the room. Frowning slightly, she asked, "Have I interrupted something?"

They both quickly separated and shook their heads.

"No, nothing. I don't remember much after the confrontation with Einnashe, so did everything go well?" the boy asked.

Although still a little upset, Altrouge nodded, "Yes, the forest returned to normal after Einnashe's defeat. You didn't make it back to the train on your own; you fainted halfway, and I picked you up and brought you back. Since you and Gray were in the same situation, and there is a recovery effect when you are both together, we decided to leave you in the same room."

"I see..." Shirou said.

"Rouge, do you know what happened to Mr. Karabo? He was hurt really badly before I passed out," Gray asked.

"Fortunately, thanks to the medicine that Olga Marie gave you, we were able to save him."

Gray let out the breath she was holding in her lungs, "I understand."

Seeing her smile, the redhead smiled too, and instinctively, Shirou pulled her closer himself, much to the Princess's annoyance.

"You'd better go and have breakfast. The journey was a little longer, but the train will return to London shortly. We are still inside the forest, the branches are still clinging to the train, and it will take a while to remove them; then we will have to make a path through the forest since the Rail is completely surrounded by it. And this way, the train will be able to make its way through the ley lines."

They both nodded.

"Shirou, you first, after you eat breakfast, we have some things to talk about..."

"Huh? But…"

Altrouge stared at him.

"Okay..." the boy said as he left the room.

Gray prepared to leave as well, but not before the Princess said a few words to her…

"Gray…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you've defined your dreams and goals, but there's something you need to know."

"What?" the girl asked interested.

Altrouge smiled, but it was not a friendly smile, although it was not a smile full of complete enmity either, "If you set a goal, like, for example: To have something or someone for yourself, and that is the same goal that another person has, you better expect competition. And I'm not known for not going with everything I've got..."

Having said that, she withdrew, leaving the tomb guardian a little confused, although, deep down, she knew what she was referring to. And, to her own surprise, she did not back down, nor did she feel like running away; she had gained more confidence during this journey. The only thing she could ask for was that her relationship with the girl not be ruined, and, even so, she would continue walking according to her wishes.

"Glory awaits in the distance, and we fight because we aspire for something we do not have," Gray whispered the words she had heard from her teacher, and, nodding to herself, she left the room.

The young gravedigger went in search of the Lord; however, after running into her classmate, Rin, who told her that Waver had been dragged along with Melvin to the outskirts of the Rail because, apparently, the tuner seemed to be very excited to be able to explore the forest now that there was no danger in sight, so Gray decided to accompany them. She got off the train to look for them, and after a few minutes inside the forest, and having no luck in her search, she found something she was not expecting...

Among the trees of the forest, within a wasteland of roses, was a woman. The only word that came to the gravedigger's head was that she was like the roses that surrounded her: beautiful, extremely beautiful, but also very dangerous. She was wearing an extremely revealing outfit, in fact, more than a dress to show off, it seemed as if it were an accessory, and she had the beautiful features of a mature woman, as well as a sensual body of exquisite proportions.

For a few moments, she looked at her and smiled, Gray closed her eyes momentarily in surprise, and when she opened them again, the woman had disappeared.

"S-She, who was she? She looked like the manager..." Gray shook her head, she had to find her teacher. With that said, she continued with her search...

...

...

Several hours later…

The Rail had managed to leave the interior of the Forest of Einnashe, and after removing the branches, the Rail used its mystic eye projector to make a path through the forest and was able to continue with its journey.

At this moment, Shirou was walking on the train with Altrouge, and thanks to her and Gray, he had found out what had happened to Heartless and Faker. The news really alarmed him since thinking that there were heroic spirits, or something similar, out there, without anyone knowing anything, was really worrying. Also, from what Heartless said, he was sure that Waver and Gray would get into more trouble. Fortunately for him, helping them was not specifically bad for his goals since he could come across legendary weapons. Of course, he and Gray knew that they couldn't always be together helping each other since they had different goals, but they would do it as much as they could.

Shirou sighed, "Okay, what's wrong?"

"What are you talking about?" she said.

"You've been in a bad mood since this morning, will you tell me why?"

Altrouge paused for a moment, then smiled, "Yes, I will, but not now."

"When?" asked the curious boy.

"In a week... But let's not focus on that now... we have a lot to do ahead."

Shirou nodded, "Next week is going to be hell."

"Well, what did you expect? You just killed one of the 27."

"Do you think the other apostles will retaliate?"

Altrouge tilted her head, "It may be, but I doubt it because the number of apostles never decreases. There is always a replacement, and, besides, Einnashe had been devouring blood worryingly for the last few centuries, so if it kept doing it, it could have become a problem even for us. You should care more about what the Lords of the Clock Tower think and, even more, what the members of the Burial Agency think."

"I found Merem inside the forest," the boy commented casually.

"Did he see your fight?"

Shirou nodded.

"That could be problematic. But don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't get out of control." Altrouge looked at him with a beautiful smile, "After all, you did it for me, so it's the least I can do."

Shirou smiled, "I'd say it was nothing, but I'd be lying."

They both arrived at a small section of the Pandemonium wagon.

"Is this where it will be held?"

The Princess nodded, "In addition to the purchase and sale of mystic eyes, Rail Zeppelin offers the service of removing and inserting eyes, although the mages can insert a mystic eye on their own if it is about removing one to insert another, only the Rail offers a safe service with 100% probability of success."

"Will we have to pay anything? Any fees?"

"On normal occasions, yes, but within the contract we signed, I established that the service would be provided to us free of charge."

"Are you sure to take off your mystic eyes of charm?"

Altrouge nodded, "Yes, although they are useful to me, compared to the rainbow rank eyes, they are much less useful."

"What will you do with your old eyes?"

She laughed, "Do you remember where we are currently?"

"Oh, it's true."

"AAAAAAAACCCCCHHHHHHH! No! Stop!"

"What was that?" the boy asked worriedly as he looked at the room where the scream came from.

Generally, the manager could remove or insert the mystic eyes anywhere; however, it was more orderly to ask the guests who required the service to line up in front of the same place where she would dedicate herself to providing the service one after another.

"It was probably Mr. Scladio." They both turned and saw Leandra approaching, "It can be said that there must be a certain level of authority and compatibility between a person and the mystic eyes. If that person does not have the authority or compatibility necessary for that eye, terrible things can happen."

"How did it happen with Mr. Karabo?" Shirou asked.

Leandra nodded, "That's right. The eye was more powerful than its user and surpassed his authority. It seems something similar happened with Mr. Scladio."

The door to the room opened, and Mr. Scladio came out accompanied by several men, probably his bodyguards. He was wearing a blindfold and, in his hands, a container with eyes.

"Those are?"

"Those are the mystic eyes he bought. It's a shame. It seems that the degree of compatibility was so bad that they had to be removed."

Shirou gulped.

"Don't worry, I doubt that will happen with us. I... Well, I don't need to explain because nothing bad will happen to me, and, as for you, the ones we chose are not particularly powerful eyes. Besides, they adapt to your magecraft, so there should be no incompatibility," the Princess explained.

It was true; his eyes were probably of golden or inferior rank, he never asked, but from what he had learned, jeweled and rainbow-rank eyes could affect reality in some way, which his eyes could not achieve; however, some other eyes could affect reality, but in a much more common way, such as, for example: creating fire. Obviously, these did not fall within the jeweled or rainbow range. However, what he really feared was the reaction they could have with pure eyes.

"So, they're here," said, to the surprise of Shirou and Altrouge, Rita herself.

"Ohhh... So you really came in the end, didn't you trust us to make it, dear?" asked the Princess.

Rita smiled, shaking her head, "With you and Primate Murder here to take care of it? Of course not, my dear. My biggest worry, if anything, would be that in the middle of the battle, you would damage my beloved Rail, and, fortunately, that didn't happen."

"So why did you come, Rita? You went to the trouble of hiring us to deal with Einnashe to save you the trouble of dealing with the forest yourself, and yet you came. Doesn't that make much sense, does it?" asked the Princess.

"Only if you look at it from that point of view, dear. I didn't come to make sure you fulfilled the contract; I came to find inspiration."

"Inspiration? With Einnashe's death?"

Rita smiled, "Of course, with what else?" Then she turned to the boy, "And I must admit that you gave me quite a show, boy; it's a shame I couldn't see it completely, and even so, it was a beautiful scene that created that attack crossing the night sky from the center of the forest. Maybe I'll even make you my next work of art."

Altrouge narrowed her eyes at the boy and nudged him lightly when she saw his face almost as red as his hair, "E-Excuse me, but my goal and my association with Altrouge are a priority for me, and I have no interest in becoming a work of art." It's not that he wanted to blush or be nervous, but the apostle's clothing was too revealing, and he just didn't know where to look.

"Well, not now, of course. You still need to shine much brighter to be worthy of that honor. But maybe, in the future..." she said with a mischievous smile.

"I thought you were an artist, not an art thief, Rita," the Princess replied with a frown.

"I appreciate art in all its forms, dear. Whether it's mine or not..."

Altrouge smiled, "Oh...? Then let me give you a warning, dear: don't try to rob someone with the power to kill you unless, of course, you want to break your promise to Sumire. Unlike that human magus, rest assured that I will not allow you to run away, and, unlike the others, you are much easier to replace."

The apostle couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, "For you, of all people, to act like this for a mere human only makes my curiosity increase."

Altrouge also smiled dangerously, "Well, be careful. You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat."

Seeing no one else in the room, Rita spoke bluntly, "Okay, enough of this blather. We'll start with you, Altrouge. You're really lucky, you know? Of all the possible rainbow-rank mystic eyes, to think that I would find ones so suitable for you..."

Well, it was lucky that you found it, but I found out that you possessed them thanks to the information from Kaleidoscope, so I guess I'll have to thank you... Altrouge sighed. Although she was not on bad terms with the Jewel Wizard, due to their joint past, her relationship with him was a bit complicated; it was already risky enough to depend on him to be able to stay hidden within the Association, so she did not want to owe him any more favors, "You will not try to break your word, or if?"

"No, not at all. It would be the same or even more problematic to face your faction than Einnashe, and besides, the Geis force me. I really didn't think your boy was capable of doing it; I guess it wasn't by luck that he could hurt you... "

While they were both talking and bothering each other, they entered the room.

Shirou had no choice but to wait outside. Now that he remembered it, when he asked the professor what the rainbow-rank eyes were like, Waver defined them as the ultimate celestial controllers of the human body. "What do she mean by a mystic eye suitable for her?"

Leandra shook her head, "I'm not sure, but some eyes suit some people better than others, probably the rainbow rank one we had is especially useful for the Lady."

…

Shirou had to wait for several minutes until Altrouge finally came out accompanied by Rita.

"All went well?" Shirou looked at the Princess, and, to his surprise, she came out without blindfolds, and her eyes didn't seem to have changed at all.

She nodded, "The mystic eyes remain a single color until activated. Since it was an eye transfer, these must have changed color, but I guess my nature as an ancestor kept them the same color somehow; they will change shade when I activate them, but it would be troublesome to do so here. I still have to get used to them."

Now Rita turned to him, "Now it's your turn."

Shirou... Altrouge spoke through their contract.

I'll be watching, and if she crosses the line, and you don't try to cut her in half when she does, then when we get back to our apartment, we'll play a new game, one a little rougher than the previous ones. Her look denoted her annoyance at her fellow apostle; however, she smiled softly. And don't worry, I'll take care of all the problems that her death may cause...

The boy knew that the next thing he was going to say would get him into a lot of trouble and, in fact, he didn't really need to say it; he practically knew the answer, even if he had his doubts, but there were few occasions where he could return the Princess's teasing. Altrouge...

Yes? She asked.

If I'm reading the mood right, that's jealousy, right?

For a moment, the apostle remained paralyzed, as if she did not understand the situation; this was an expression that he had rarely been able to observe on his companion's face, and later, a reddish tone appeared on her cheeks, to finally dedicate a beautiful smile at the boy. If you had read the mood correctly, you would know that you shouldn't have asked that question, Shirou.

Will we play a new game when we get back? The boy asked, already knowing the answer.

She simply nodded.

The boy couldn't help but smile as he entered the room and momentarily cut his link with the Princess. He had a single thought: It was worth it...

Once inside the room, he sat in the only chair in it, which had several shelves with mystical eyes.

"Don't be so nervous; it's unlikely that something like what happened to that man will happen to you."

"And what happened to him?"

"The mystic eyes went out of control and showed him only one future constantly: his death."

"I-I see. I'm not afraid of losing control of the mystic eyes, but I'm worried about not knowing how they will react with my eyes."

"Your eyes?" After taking the mystic eyes, Rita looked at the boy's eyes and smiled, "Oh... Pure eyes of silver color, you have inherited someone else's karma, haven't you?"

Shirou nodded.

"This will be interesting, karma will alter the mystic eyes, turn them into a hybrid species. Maybe you should be nervous..."

"Huh?"

"Let's begin."

Shirou held his hands to the restraints on the chair to not move; he knew this was going to be extremely painful. Rita's fingers went towards his face and, somehow, they passed through him; he had to hold on tighter to the armrests to prevent himself from moving, and once his eyes were removed, he could only "see" darkness, then, he felt like something new was introduced into his body. If he was honest, he had to admit that it was something he had felt before, the day he met Kiritsugu and received the crest, along with Avalon, and, just like that time, although at first, he felt no pain, then, after a few moments, his eyes began to burn.

"HHMMMMMM!" Shirou bit his lip to keep from screaming as he squirmed in the seat.

"You have to hold on," he heard Rita say, "the karma that you inherited and that transformed your eyes into pure eyes is now imbuing the mystic eyes and is transforming them, altering them, overwriting them. You must hold on until the process is complete."

The pain in his eyes became such that Shirou thought his eyes were on fire and melting; he twisted harder and couldn't help but hit the ground with his feet with extreme force, not caring if he might hurt himself; the burning reached the maximum threshold and the boy felt the impulse to reinforcement himself, free himself from the bonds, and tear out his own eyes, so as not to feel any more pain, but, fortunately for him, little by little, that burning began to diminish. Fortunately, if there was anyone who was an expert in mystic eye transplantation, it was the apostle who was carrying out the process, so it should go well. In the worst-case scenario, he could count on Avalon not to leave him without eyes, or at least, he hoped so. Finally, the pain completely stopped...

"I'll get you some bandages."

"Thank you..." Shirou opened his eyes with great difficulty, and although blurry, he managed to see himself in the mirror. At first, he did not notice any visible change, and his eyes were still silver, but he was sure that something was different. Finally, the apostle gave him some bandages so that he could rest his eyes, "They don't seem to have changed..."

"The simple fact that they stay silver already indicates the mutation, you know?"

"Huh? Why?"

"The eyes were originally violet, so the fact that they remain silver is already indicative of their hybrid nature. I suggest that you do not activate them immediately; give your body and circuits time to get used to it."

He nodded. Then, he followed Rozay-en out of the room.

To his surprise, there were not only Leandra and Altrouge outside but also Olga Marie, although the only way he could confirm it was by her voice.

"Lord?" the boy asked, trying to identify the origin of her voice.

"I see you're done, remember the contract is until we get off the train, so you still have to take care of me until we get to London," the young Lord declared.

Shirou nodded, "Yes, you're right. We'll be there in an hour, right?"

She nodded, "Until then, there are things I want to talk to you about. Einnashe's murder may have only happened a few hours ago, but rest assured that this information has already reached the Clock Tower."

"I understand. The Rail can communicate with the outside, and with two Lords involved, it is to be expected that the information moves quickly."

"Well, there are some things I want to talk to the manager about, so wait for me until I get back, will you?" Altrouge said.

Shirou nodded, understanding that she probably meant dead apostle stuff, so he and Marie stayed talking while Rita and Altrouge retreated to a more private room.

Once they were both away from the rest, Altrouge turned to speak to Rita, "Well?" she asked, "What ability do his eyes have?"

She shook her head, "I couldn't tell you, dear. They obviously possess the qualities of the original eyes, but how karma altered them is something I could only tell you if I had to appraise them. His eyes are now a hybrid species, so he'll have to figure it out for himself. I take it you've already gotten the memo?"

Altrouge nodded, "The old man is quick when it suits him, although I can't deny that things have been hectic in recent months."

"Well, your faction, and especially your bodyguards, have been destroying several of the castles of Ortenrosse. It would be illogical for him to remain idle."

"Hmm, it's his fault, or did he think I'd stay quiet after what he tried at Aylesbury?"

Rita laughed, "Oh yeah, I heard about that. But if things continue like this, a real war could break out, and I guess, as soon as he found out about Einnashe's murder, he took it as an opportunity to bring us all together and avoid bigger problems. I guess you're going, right?"

Altrouge nodded, "I have to, even more so when it's Shirou who murdered Einnashe."

"Yes, that will be problematic for you. Even if Einnashe's existence was problematic for us by its very nature, the prophecy of the roses does not allow him to prepare a successor. On the other hand, Louvre has been ruled out as a possible candidate due to the loss of his children, again, thanks to your boy, all that plus the fact of surviving a battle against you, well, if he continues like this, he will be considered a big problem, even more so than Enhance."

"It's no big deal..." Altrouge dismissed it with a wave of her hand, "The death of Louvre thing is his fault for depending on others, in short, for being so weak. If he was defeated like that, surely he was never worthy of being among the 27. As for me, I don't hold any grudge against Shirou, and I'm not willing to retaliate. And lastly, Einnashe's murder was nothing more than a contract, so, if anyone is angry about that, then they know who to complain to..."

Rita frowned, "I'm beginning to understand why Ortenrosse hates you so much..."

Altrouge smiled, "Hey if you do what you want without thinking about others, don't get mad when others do the same, dear."

Rozay-en sighed, "If it weren't for the beautiful sight of Einnashe's death and the Ghost Liner's defeat, I would almost regret it." Then, she smiled, "Thanks to that view, I feel like creating a new work. So, if you don't stab me in the back during the meeting, I won't either, and I will lend you my support. What do you say?"

Considering how you are, believing your words is like playing Russian roulette. On the other hand, denying your help, even if I don't believe in it, will only lead to more problems. Altrouge smiled fakely, "That's fine with me; I've already obtained what I was interested in. So, see you at the meeting."

Rita nodded and sent the Princess away after a "pleasant" conversation between the two.

"Madam..." Leandra approached Altrouge with two of the containers to preserve mystic eyes, but what was inside these were not eyes. In one, there was a huge fruit, and in the other, a severed hand. The fruit was the same one Shirou had brought with him, "They should be able to be preserved as long as you keep them inside the containers."

The Princess nodded and took the two containers.

"Well, I say goodbye. I hope you enjoyed your stay on the train..."

Altrouge nodded and left with the containers in her hands, "Who knew... it really existed, the Fruit of Einnashe," she said, looking at the fruit intrigued, and then, she turned her head towards the other container. The hand of that magus, if what we have investigated is true, then these are the so-called command spells...

In the severed hand were two command spells still unused; it was Heartless's severed hand.

Command Spells are crystallized mysteries used to perform three commands of absolute obedience to servants. They are marks that show a magus' status as a master, created by the Makiri family for the holy grail system.

The princess smiled. Command Spells were the physical manifestation of the contract between a master and a servant, so, in short, they were not very different from a Geis, only absolutely more powerful. And she, like the Master of Contracts she was, was excited to reveal its mysteries. Humming a tune, she put away both containers before joining Shirou and Olga Marie.

…

With Shirou and Olga Marie…

"The job has been completed successfully, so after we get off the train, we can talk about your payment," the Lord said.

"I understand, but that's not all, is it?"

She shook her head, "Of course not."

"How hectic is the situation?"

"A lot, although less than expected, at least on our part."

This confused the boy, "What do you mean?"

"Well, two Lords nearly died inside the Dead Seventh Apostle. The former Dean of Modern Magecraft reappeared and was discovered to be behind interning the train inside the forest and, worse still, was killed by an unknown enemy. Everything was also discovered about the murders, both current and ten years ago... All this without counting the heroic spirit that he managed to invoke in some unknown way that, fortunately, they are not taking as much into account."

"Really? That's strange, considering the importance of the information on the Ghost Liners."

Marie nodded, "Well, there is no evidence of its existence beyond the witnesses, and even if it was invoked, it has already been dealt with. All this, of course, is only what concerns us while concerning you..."

"What are they saying?"

"Do you know how your father got his degree?"

Shirou nodded, "After shooting down a plane to eliminate a dead apostle, Odd Borzark if I remember correctly."

Marie nodded, "There is talk about the second generation of the Magus Killer, which apparently is already a hereditary title. It is told about how this is more lethal than the first generation and much more dangerous, having fought a battle against the Vampire Princess of the Dead Apostles without dying in the attempt, and now, for having slain the Predator Forest of Einnashe."

Shirou sighed internally, "Kiritsugu isn't going to like this."

"Fortunately, everything was taken by the Association as a conflict between dead apostles, so we are not blamed for anything. But..."

"Yeah?"

"Rest assured that several Lords feel insecure about your presence in the Tower, and Lord Sophia-Ri could try something, but I doubt she will achieve anything."

"By?"

"Right now, you are in a very good position from a certain point of view. You have the protection of several Lords, such as El-Melloi, Valualeta, probably Trambellio as well, and myself. But, even more importantly, rumors say that the Queen was extremely pleased to hear the news of the death of one of 27 bloodsuckers."

"There's a but, right?"

Olga Marie sighed, "Yes. From the point of view of the factions, precisely because of this, tensions have increased."

"Hmm?"

Marie placed her hands on her hips, "What don't you understand!? You are considered part of the Democratic Faction by receiving the patronage of Lord Valualeta, so the fact that the leader of the Aristocrat Faction takes such an interest in you is not a good sign. "

"I don't think the Queen sees me as anything other than a tool," the boy said.

"Let's hope you're right. I don't want to know what will happen if the Queen tries to take you into our faction; the conflict between the factions would be, well... I don't even want to imagine it. If you have to guard against anything right now, it's the whims of the Queen."

"Dear passengers, we will arrive at London station in thirty minutes, so please prepare to deboard the Rail Zeppelin."

"Looks like it's time; I have to go to my stateroom to get my luggage," Marie extended her hand to the boy, "it's enough that you've taken care of me up to this point, and it was a pleasure working with you, Emiya. I'll try to cover your back as part of the payment for our contract, and I hope we work together on future occasions."

"Likewise, Lord Animusphere. Although you can call me Shirou since we will probably work together on more occasions."

"Well, in that case, and in private, you can call me Olga Marie. There shouldn't be any problem if there aren't so many formalities between partners."

With that said, they both said goodbye...

Luckily for him, it didn't take long for Altrouge to arrive, and although it was a little troublesome, she helped him get to the stateroom. Although he could use his reinforced nose and ears to get an idea of where he was, that didn't make it easy to walk without being able to use his eyes. The two of them arrived at their cabin and took their things, and thus, both of them prepared to return to their usual lives, at least for a week or two. It was already December, the holidays would begin shortly, and their trip to Germany was just around the corner.

…

And so, after the train trip, a week passed…

Shirou had tried to go as unnoticed as possible, but it turned out to be a futile effort. Now, as he walked through the halls, while occasionally whispers of animosity were still present, most of the time, people moved as far away from his side as they could; if previously contempt was promulgated above any other emotion, now fear was promulgated.

Shirou also realized several things as time went by. He was now being watched not only by other independent mages but also by members of both the Democratic and Aristocratic Factions and there were probably Neutral Faction mages mixed in among them as well.

He sighed…

Fortunately, both Lord El-Melloi and Gray did not need further care thanks to the use of Avalon, and as for Yvette, she was detained by Legislation for a time, but they released her for collaborating with the case, which was incredible, if we consider her role in the accident. Maybe if the whole thing about being a spy for the Neutral Faction was true...

---

Currently, with Lord El-Melloi…

Waver and Gray were walking through the streets of London.

"Without so much noise, the verification of my recovery would have taken much less time," the Lord complained, "although I still believe that it was not necessary to begin with. I was in perfect condition without the need for further analysis."

Gray smiled, "Well, it was Lady Reines who insisted, and I'm sure the others couldn't wait any longer to see you."

"Still, they could have behaved a little; they bothered other patients, including Mr. Karabo."

Gray looked happy at the mention of the man, "Yes, I'm glad we were able to save him."

Waver nodded, "He helped us a lot."

As they talked, Gray and Lord El-Melloi continued walking through the streets, until they came across a familiar face.

"Congratulations on your complete recovery," Adashino said while drinking tea in front of an establishment, "in the end, the case from ten years ago has not yet been completely solved."

"I see," answered El-Melloi.

"The Holy Church did not seem to have any interest in bringing it to light." Adashino took a sip of tea, "I want to ask you a question."

"Which?"

"You are aware of the hole in your deduction, aren't you?"

The Lord nodded. "The reason for summoning the servant, right?"

Adashino observed him curiously, "The information about the Ghost Liner is valuable, so I understand why he went to such lengths to summon one; however, thanks to the fake holy grail wars, it is not necessary to go to so much trouble to do so, simply by participating in one, he would have achieved his goal. Besides, a jeweled mystic eye is just as rare. Why do you think he went to so much trouble to summon a heroic spirit?"

For a moment, the Lord wondered if he should reveal the things he had discussed with Heartless after they both left the auction; however, in the end, he decided that some things were better kept hidden for now.

"Hmm... It's difficult to infer; however, the fake holy grail wars generally would not allow something like the creation of the Faker Class, and, on the other hand, they are constantly being monitored by both the Association and the Church. There is also the fact that they often end in slaughters before they even begin, due to the number of magi who try to participate, and who are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. Finally, we have to take into account that false wars are no longer as common as they were a few years ago, and for a ritual of that caliber to be carried out, a first-class spiritual land is necessary; decades ago, these were abundant, but over the years, little by little, they have been disappearing, furthermore, after a false war is carried out, the leylines are permanently weakened, which limits the number of times the same one can be used spiritual land to perform the ritual. In short, a fake holy grail war has many drawbacks, and like the rest of the great rituals, they may be destined to disappear..."

"So, do you think it was worth all the effort he put into summoning the servant?" the Legislation member asked, believing that Heartless had gotten involved in the Rail Zeppelin so he could use Waver as the master to imitate, and not knowing that Heartless had already summoned Faker before even getting on the train.

"Hmm... If I'm honest, I don't think summoning the servant was the real reason he went to so much trouble, and even if he's dead, the case isn't over. Heartless talked about a regression, so maybe he meant a regression to a previous time. Furthermore, he said that I already had all the necessary clues to continue on my own. Even if he has passed away, I doubt we won't hear about him again."

Adashino nodded.

"I also have a question to ask you."

"Forward."

"Why did you leave Trisha's pendant out of your deduction?"

The Legislation member smiled, "You must already have a hypothesis, right?"

Waver sat in the chair on the other side of the table where Adashino was drinking tea, "You said you got on the train for personal reasons, and you didn't bother to hide and revealed your erroneous theory. It was all to provoke someone, wasn't it?"

"You say it was all a plan?"

"I'm wrong?"

"You overestimate me. Although you got the reasons right, and that's why I helped you, right?"

Waver nodded, "Yes, on my own, I wouldn't have been able to capture Heartless."

"You owe me your life," the magus said with a smile.

"You exaggerate!" Waver exclaimed angrily.

"Regarding your question, I was like you and Miss Reines."

"Hmm...?" This surprised the Lord.

"Heartless was... My stepbrother. His real name was Kurou Adashino. Norwich adopted us both."

"I see, in that case, my condolences," he said solemnly.

Adashino nodded and then smiled his typical smile, "But, as you say, the case is not over yet."

Waver also nodded, "That's right. I also have another question."

"Further?"

"Why did you quit during the last offer? If Rin had taken a few more minutes, then I..."

The Legislation member covered her mouth with one of her hands and pretended to be surprised, "Oh? Did you trust Legislation?"

Waver growled loudly, and his feelings of sympathy disappeared in an instant, "You…"

Gray couldn't help but smile at this.

---

On the other hand, with Olga Marie…

She walked through the halls of the Faculty of Modern Magecraft building, observing the different rooms.

"Gray and my brother already got out of their hospital check-up, so they're not on campus right now."

Marie frowned, a little embarrassed. She turned to see Reines flashing a smile.

Reines looked at the flowers Marie had. "Haven't they told you that you seem to choose the worst moments?"

"I didn't come to see them!"

"Well, excuse me. I understand that you gave Gray some medicine to help heal my brother, and although, in the end, it wasn't used on him, you have my thanks."

"We Animusphere cannot afford to owe you anything."

"I see..."

Marie avoided Reines' gaze, "I appreciate what he did for Trisha. Lord El-Melloi conveyed her intentions to me."

"Add the II if you're talking about my brother."

"I still don't understand why everyone is obsessed with a reflection of the past like the Holy Grail War. But if that was what my father wanted, perhaps he could have fulfilled his wish, but in a world and a time that I do not know."

"It's poetic."

Marie turned her gaze.

Reines, for her part, smiled, "I like you. You expect a fair exchange of information, don't you?"

"Hmm?"

"You are a Lord, and my brother will likely bequeath the title to me shortly. So, for a while..." Reines approached the other girl, "I don't think it would be a bad idea to form a bond, taking advantage of the opportunity."

Marie also approached her, "You don't look like your brother."

Reines shrugged, "Well, we're not biological brothers."

Marie smiled, "I guess we can become friends."

"Let's have a good relationship as long as we can use each other," Reines responded.

They both shook hands while smiling since, in the Clock Tower and between mages from different families, this was probably the most transparent type of relationship they could have, except for agreed commitments.

---

The next day, in the El-Melloi classroom…

"Well, this concludes the last class we will have for this year. We will see you the day before Christmas for the promotion event," the Lord stated.

With this said, he finished his classes.

Flat approached, followed closely by Svin, to where Shirou, Caules, and Sieg were.

"Hey, guys!" Flat said.

"Yeah?" Caules asked.

"Do you have anything to do before Christmas?" Svin asked.

"Nothing special; I have a busy day, but other than that, nothing. At least, in my case," Shirou said as he looked at Caules and Sieg.

Caules shook his head, "Neither do we. Why?"

"Last time we were interrupted, but this time we can show the Christmas version of London to Sieg," Flat said cheerfully.

"Sure, I have no problem," said Caules.

Sieg nodded excitedly.

"Today is Monday, Christmas is Friday, and the promotion event is Thursday. I'm busy tomorrow; would it be okay if we explore London on Wednesday?" Shirou asked.

The others nodded.

"Tomorrow, will you go...?" Caules asked.

Shirou nodded.

"Where to?" Svin asked.

"Do you remember the Marbury Workshop?"

Flat and Svin nodded.

"I bought it."

"What? Why would you buy a killer workshop?" the Beast Magecraft user asked.

"Well, Legislation uninstalled the system, so now it's just a normal workshop. Also, the fame it gained as a workshop where murders occurred caused the property to drop in price quite a bit, so it was a bargain to get it."

For a moment, Shirou's eyes lit up, and the other four boys wondered if he was being influenced by Rin or, worse, by Luvia.

Be that as it may, they couldn't finish their conversation, because, suddenly, the door opened, silencing the entire room.

For Waver, this was like deja vu: it was the last day of school, he was finishing putting away his things, and someone entered the classroom at the last minute. At least the magus killer had the decency to knock on the door, but the person who had just entered cared little or nothing about this. Before turning his head, he thought about scolding whoever came in like that; however, his words died in his throat when he saw who entered the room, and God, he had never been so grateful for having thought before speaking...

The Queen herself entered the room, silencing any conversation that was taking place.

It was one of those moments where everyone's minds in the classroom became one and asked themselves the same thing: Why the hell had one of the most powerful and dangerous people in the Clock Tower entered the room?

"Lord Barthomeloi," he spoke as respectfully as possible.

Not caring in the slightest about the title of Lord, Lorelei spoke, "El-Melloi, by this time, your class should have already ended."

Waver made a great effort to avoid breaking into a wry smile when he saw the similarity with the last class he had taught before summer vacation. Nor was he surprised that she did not respect his title as Lord because it was well known that the Barthomeloi believed that even their fellow Lords should submit to them. Maybe another Lord would correct her, but he wasn't suicidal enough to be that Lord.

"Can I assume you're coming for a student?"

The Queen nodded with her arms crossed, "I am pleased that you are as observant as the rest of Tower say, as it will make this go faster," Lorelei turned to the student body and said, "Emiya, come with me, now."

The Queen withdrew without even waiting for the boy's response or the Lord's approval.

Flat approached Shirou and, in a whisper, asked, "Shirou, last time it was your father who came to look for you, by chance, this time..."

But Shirou stopped him, "NO! I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but absolutely no!"

Having said this, and in order not to keep the Queen waiting, Shirou took his things, said goodbye to his classmates and his teacher, and proceeded to follow the Lord. The entire way was surrounded by complete silence until they reached her office...

"You don't seem surprised," she said as she sat behind her desk.

"I didn't think you would come looking for me in person; however, I imagined you would seek to meet with me somehow. After all, you asked me to show you some achievements, and you said that, depending on these, I would receive half of the missing crest. I hope that eliminating the Seventh of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostles is an achievement worthy of your expectations..."

For a moment, the woman frowned, "I was planning to meet you after I heard about Einnashe's murder; however, as you may have noticed, it seems that Trambellio and Meluastea are afraid of what I might do. So, in the end, I got tired of their vain attempts to stop me and decided to go on my own."

"I see, not even they would get in the way if you are the one who decides to look for me, much less if they don't have a clear reason to do so."

She nodded, "That's right. As for your achievements..." At that moment, Lorelei smiled, which showed complacency, but, at the same time, had a certain predatory touch, "I must admit, you surprised me..."

"Have I lived up to your expectations?"

"You have overcome them pleasantly. I can understand why Trambellio is afraid that I will take you into my faction; however, that is ridiculous. Precisely because of the nature of your family, I can use you as I wish without the need for such acts."

"As long as there's a contract involved, it's just as you say."

"Exactly."

"So, regarding allowing me to take back my family crest, what is your verdict?"

For a few instants, she closed her eyes, "Well, you have pleased me. I will return the remaining half of the crest to you."

This surprised the boy, "Shouldn't you consider this with the rest of the Lords?"

With a wave of her hand, the Queen dismissed it, "Not at all. Unless the two factions unite against me, they cannot deny my decisions, and I highly doubt that the Democratic Faction will go against this particular decision." Then, she narrowed her eyes, "You have caught my attention, Emiya. As the second generation of Magus Killer and, now, my enforcer, I hope you will work as well for me as you have worked for Animusphere and Rail Zeppelin."

Second generation and personal enforcer, I guess that's the price for regaining the family crest. The boy thought, "Your enforcer?"

She nodded, "As I said, I plan to use you as much as I please. As you know, due to my responsibility as Deputy Director of the Clock Tower, as well as hunting for apostles, there are times when I cannot fulfill certain jobs. So that, from now on, you will carry my admonitions to certain magi or certain families, and if they are not listened to, you will be responsible for enforcing them, and of course, you will also participate in my hunts when I ask you to. Do you have any objection?"

He shook his head, "Not at all; it's like I said, as long as we have a contract, you can count on my services whenever you want."

"Okay, I'll prepare an exclusivity contract over the next few days. In the meantime, sign this one." The Queen gave him a Geis, a rather powerful one and really damaging if he broke it. Still, the contract was simple: Shirou could not sign any other binding contract until the exclusivity contract was ready, and it also offered a good monetary reward if accepted.

Shirou took the contract and proceeded to sign it, but not before requesting the Queen: "Lord Barthomeloi, in said contract, I need there to be two special clauses."

"Which are?" she asked.

"As a student whom Lord Valualeta has sponsored since I entered the Tower, I believe that my inability to take jobs given exclusively by her would be seen as a lack of gratitude towards my sponsor. So, I would like to be allowed to continue doing jobs given solely by her but be obliged to choose your contracts if I have to decide between the two."

The Queen thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded, "It is acceptable; this will reduce tensions between our factions, and the second clause?"

"As you know, the mercenary world is quite competitive, and a good alliance can guarantee your stability within it. Do you know the Edelfelt family?"

"The most elegant hyenas in the world?" Shirou nodded, "I know the family, although they are not of particular interest to me. They are members of the Democratic Faction and are one of their supporting factions."

"That will make the explanations easier. Although I wish this information did not leave this room, if possible..."

"Speak," she ordered, "I care little or nothing about your relations with another low-born family."

For a moment, Shirou wished he could muster a wry smile and a sigh, but he restrained himself.

"The Edelfelt are a family that came to power in the Age of Rebirth, according to what Luvia informed me, and, like the other nobles, they have a faction of support towards one of the Three Great Factions, and few magi would dare call them a low-born family unless they had their mysteries stolen; however, considering that they are the Barthomeloi, who fervently believe that the other Lords must submit to their will, I don't even know why it surprises me."

Shirou did his best not to let his face show any clues to his thoughts and continued to explain, "Several months ago, I allied with the heiress of the Edelfelt family. This alliance was made through an Auto-Geis contract..."

The Queen narrowed her eyes, "That's quite a risky move..."

Shirou nodded, "That's right, but in the world of mercenaries, no risk, no gain. In this contract, I am obliged to help the heiress of the Edelfelt without the possibility of refusing; furthermore, I am also obliged to inform her about the jobs we are offered before taking them so that we are never on opposite sides of the same job. I ask that the exclusivity contract not go against said clauses since breaking it would be extremely detrimental to me and my lineage."

Lorelei nodded, "Well, just like last time, the day after tomorrow morning, go to the Carillon Observatory, the other half of the Emiya crest will be returned to you then."

"I understand."

"A few last things, Emiya."

"Yes, Lord?"

She handed him some papers, "As I understand it, thanks to Valualeta's sponsorship, you can attend classes at other faculties, right?"

Shirou remembered that most mages were forced to study for four or five years in the Department of General Fundamentals; after this, they were allowed entry into the different faculties. He, as well as some of his classmates in the El-Melloi class, were an exception to the rule because, despite being problematic students in several ways, many were talented, and many students entered only as listeners, or, as is your case, some had some recommendation or something like that. On the other hand, the Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theory could also accept magus who were beginning to learn, even if they had not completed the five years; the only requirement was that you could perform some magecraft on which the faculty could investigate.

"Yes, that's how it is."

"Well, starting from the beginning of the next year, you will also study at the Faculty of Politics. You must learn about the politics within the Tower if you will work as my envoy from now on. Understood?"

Shirou nodded.

"The last thing I want to talk to you about is, in fact, a warning: you should be careful with the Church."

"The Holy Church? I haven't had any problems with them until now..."

"That doesn't matter now. Since you murdered Einnashe, they have been quite agitated and very restless, which is understandable, considering that they have been trying to assassinate the apostle for several centuries. They will likely try to contact you sooner or later, and while I don't mind if you take contracts from other organizations outside of the Mage's Association, you will be prevented from taking any job that negatively affects my family, do you understand?" Shirou nodded, "In that case, you can withdraw."

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Lord Barthomeloi." After a slight bow, the boy left.

As he left the Queen's office, a man intercepted him to give him a quick message, "Lord Valualeta awaits you in her office. Please come as soon as possible."

Shirou sighed internally and nodded. He had to talk to his sponsor anyway, so he saw it as an opportunity.

He left the main facilities of the Clock Tower and headed to the facilities of the Faculty of Creation. After a long journey, he arrived at the office of the Dean of the faculty, who was also the Lord of the Valualeta family.

The redhead knocked on the door...

Toc; Toc.

"You can enter."

He did so and, inside the office, was the experienced magus.

"Have you sent for me, my Lady?"

She nodded, "That's right, Emiya. As I explained to you when you returned from your trip, there are some tensions between the factions right now, remember?"

The boy nodded. Literally, after he got off the Rail, he found a person at the station waiting to escort him to the Dean's office.

"Lord Barthomeloi has already made her move," he said.

"That's right, although I never thought she would decide to act in person. Her hatred towards the dead apostles must really be greater than any other member of her family has had so far to grant you that honor."

"Honor?"

"Of course. For a magus from a family without a vast history, without great recognition, beyond your grandfather's Sealing Designation, or without great political power, such as yours, for the Queen herself to have decided to look for you, it cannot be considered anything other than a great honor." Then, like the Queen, she narrowed her eyes, "But we are not here to talk about that, so tell me, Emiya, what did you and Lord Barthomeloi talk about? As you know, this information is necessary to maintain stability in the Tower and is also proof of your gratitude for my constant support."

The redhead nodded. He really had no reason to hide any information from his patron, as the Queen had moved so that even if this information were known, it would be of no use. The only thing he hid was that he asked that priority be given to the Queen's work and everything regarding the second clause.

"I see, worthy of her," Lord Valualeta complained, "Nevertheless, everything turned out better than expected. She will not try to take you into her faction, which is what we wanted to avoid, and thanks to your intervention, I can continue to have your services. Well done, Emiya."

He nodded.

"Well, that was all I wanted to know; you can leave."

"Excuse me, my Lady, but there is something I need to ask you."

She looked at him strangely, "Speak."

"To achieve my goal, I need the help of a specific magus; however, it has been really difficult for me to track her down. I understand that she is an old student of yours, so I was wondering if you could facilitate our meeting."

"Of whom you speak?"

"Red."

She narrowed her eyes, "Touko? Why do you need to talk to her?"

"In a certain part of the process to create the ultimate sword, I need the physical and tangible help of my ancestor, so..."

"You need a body to put his soul in. Don't you?" Shirou nodded, "I see. Touko's puppets are indeed the best option, and I imagine that you will also need a powerful magus user of Spiritual Possession, although I suppose you will already have that prepared. As for Touko, I haven't seen her since the trouble with Iselma's princesses a few months ago, but I'll see what I can do."

"I would be very grateful," with that, he withdrew.

After walking away from the office, he sighed.

"Are you okay?" Muramasa asked from his belt.

"Yes, it's just that I feel like a pendulum swinging between the Democratic and Aristocratic factions."

"Well, for better or worse, thanks to the Germany trip, you will get away from all this atmosphere a little."

Shirou nodded and then frowned, "Grandfather, could we reinforce my training? Not only as a blacksmith but also as a swordsman because since the Aylesbury ritual, I have barely stayed alive, and if I want to survive everything that is coming, then I need to be stronger."

Muramasa would have nodded if he could, "I agree. I will increase your combat training, although you will not neglect your training as a blacksmith. If you keep working as hard as you usually do, even though you can't cut causality yet, you should soon be able to achieve cuts so fine and sharp that they can reflect space."

"R-Really?"

"It's much easier than cutting causality, but you'd better be prepared to go through hellish training to achieve it, and you'll also need a good sword to facilitate such cuts..."

Shirou nodded. After that, he headed towards her bedroom, and once inside, he observed how Altrouge was waiting for him with a serious look.

"Something happened?" he asked.

She nodded, "A week ago, I got this." Altrouge held up a letter, "It is an invitation to a meeting of apostles."

"Who sent it?" he asked as he set about preparing dinner.

"Old Ortenrosse," she said reluctantly.

"The Lord of the White Wing? He is the King of the Dead Apostles, isn't he?"

She nodded, "Yes, although it is really only in name, between him and I, I have greater influence than him. However, it would be a nuisance to refuse his invitation, and in recent months, the tension between our factions has increased, so, to calm the waters, I am obliged to attend."

"I understand, when is it?"

"In a few weeks, but I will have to leave tomorrow night since I first have to meet with my bodyguards and other subordinates of my faction."

Shirou began to serve the table, "In that case, we won't see each other until I return from Germany."

She nodded, "It's most likely, although I'll try to keep us in touch somehow." Then, she pouted a little, "I wanted to spend the winter holidays here..."

Shirou smiled, "We wouldn't have been able to spend Christmas here even if you could stay."

"Because?" she asked.

"The flight will be right at Christmas."

"On Christmas? Why that day?"

They both began to eat dinner.

"Because precisely that day, no one will think that we will travel."

"I see; you will use the festivities as camouflage."

Shirou nodded.

"Well, I guess nothing can be done. It will be for next year..."

So, they both talked about their plans until it got late. Tomorrow they had to take a train, so they couldn't afford to stay up late.

...

...

The next day…

Shirou and Altrouge had taken the train from London, and after a long walk, they were back at the Marbury Workshop. Kiritsugu had bought it during their stay on the Rail Zeppelin. According to what he had talked to his father, he had asked Pieceman to operate on him, and when Shirou asked his father why, he told him that he needed one last bullet.

Shirou was being watched by the factions and did not want to endanger his father, who was recovering, so they had not seen each other since he got off the train.

Shirou took out the key to the workshop that his father had left him in his apartment to open the door and pass the barriers and delimited fields that the freelancer had placed around the workshop.

"Old man! Where are you!?" the boy asked.

"In the basement!" this one responded.

Shirou and Altrouge headed to where the ritual that turned souls into artificial fairies was previously installed. Kiritsugu had probably modified the place to make it easier to use the crest's Time Manipulation Magecraft and make it a decent forge for Shirou.

The self-employed man looked at his son, and although he was happy to see him safe and sound again, his gaze hardened. Although Shirou had told him about his trip through calls, he had not told him all the details.

"We need to talk."

Shirou nodded, imagining what his father wanted to know, so he told him about his meeting with Valualeta and Barthomeloi.

...

After the explanations, Kiritsugu wondered how the hell his son ended up getting into so much trouble. He knew that if you stared into the abyss for too long, it would stare back at you, and all mages were forced to stare into the abyss known as the World of Magecraft, this probably applied to his daughter as well, but even so, his son seemed to have a natural talent for getting into trouble.

"Is everything ready?" Shirou asked.

The freelancer nodded, "Yes, from our accommodation to much of the equipment we will use has already been sent to where we will arrive in Germany." Kiritsugu took some papers and handed them to Shirou.

"This is…?"

"Notes and simplified explanations of how our crest works, or at least the small part I had. When you get the rest, you should understand them better."

"Thank you," Shirou said as he took and put away the notes.

"Are you staying over today?" the magus killer asked.

Shirou shook his head, "I can't. Although they're no longer watching me all the time, they still have an eye on me. If I disappear for a day, I'll raise suspicions."

Kiritsugu nodded.

The rest of the day was spent organizing the workshop and discussing their plans for the trip to Germany.

So, while they were in charge of fixing the workshop...

Kiritsugu had gone to rest, still not fully recovered from the surgery, and had put a lot of effort into preparing the basement so Shirou could begin experimenting with Time Manipulation Magecraft.

Shirou, on the other hand, was cleaning the workshop and getting familiar with it. After all, the last time he came, he had only spent a few hours inside it before the whole event related to the Wild Hunt broke out. One of the things he could say that he liked about moving from his bedroom to the workshop was the kitchen; the kitchen in his room wasn't bad, but it was nothing compared to the one the workshop had. On the other hand, he had to admit that it would take him a lot more to keep this place organized than his room, but this didn't bother him since it reminded him of his time in Japan and his traditional house, which was also much larger than he could easily handle.

Another thing he wanted to start working on was his blacksmithing and magecraft. Unfortunately, he couldn't get to work on these things yet because although Kiritsugu had hired workers from a remodeling company to adapt the basement to the needs of the blacksmith shop, which had cost more than expected, and although in currently the work had already been done, most of the necessary tools were still missing to get to work, on the other hand, it was not sensible to start experimenting with high time manipulation thaumaturgy without still having the complete crest.

In this way, the day passed with Shirou and Altrouge helping to arrange and prepare the workshop, and before leaving, the boy also gave him a letter that someone had left in the mailbox of his apartment; apparently, it was Illya's answer. There wasn't much in this one, just a few short lines, but if the expression on his father's face told him anything, it was that those lines were significant...

"Remember, Kiritsugu, you said you would come back after you finished that task, and remember that you promised me not to cheat anymore. I... I'm still waiting for you."

…

After all this happened, they both returned to the bedroom...

"Will you have dinner before you leave?" Shirou asked.

"Of course, it's one of the things that discourages me the most about having to leave... I won't be able to taste your food anymore."

Shirou smiled at her praise, "Well, let me try something, and I'll start making dinner. Since you like my cooking so much, and we won't be able to spend Christmas together, I'll make sure it's a banquet worth remembering."

Altrouge smiled brightly, "Okay, so what are you going to do?"

"I will test the capabilities of my mystic eyes."

"Haven't you worn them all week?"

"Yes, but in short periods. The capabilities of my structural grasp have increased enormously, the amount and type of information I can analyze and the speed at which I can analyze it have increased greatly; however, I still have not gotten used to using them."

She looked at him worried, "Have they caused any harm?"

The redhead shook his head, "No, it's just like, well, it's like... putting a new, much more powerful part into a computer than the one it previously had. Fortunately, because these are not that powerful, or at least not on their own, they do not make a bottleneck..."

"I didn't know you were learning about computers."

"Caules has been teaching me." With that said, Shirou placed the Black Barrel on the table, then he activated his mystic eyes, and as he did, so his pupils were surrounded by several silver outlines, and, at the same time, the rest of his irises glowed in various shades of purple, "At last I will discover what you really are."

Altrouge frowned, "I thought your structural grasp only worked on swords..."

"No!" Shirou gave a smile, "I can use my analysis with any structure; however, to project at the Tracing level, I am restricted to the concept of sword due to the alignment between my origin and element, and concepts similar to swords, such as, for example, spears, axes, etc. In summary, in terms of making projections with the help of my reality marble, I can only project melee weapons. There are certain exceptions, such as defensive armaments, such as shields or armor, which are not far enough from the concept of a sword that I cannot project them, but they are far enough away that they cost me double or triple as much."

"I understand... So, if you use it with something other than a sword, it would just be a relatively normal analysis?"

"Something like that, for example, when I used it with the Black Barrel for the first time, I understood some things about it. For example, because of my previous experience with conceptual weapons, such as the Bullets of Origin, the Phantom Punishment, and the Vorpal Sword, I inferred that the Black Barrel was also a conceptual weapon; however, I was not able to find out what concept was incorporated into it. I could tell from its basic composition that it must be capable of disintegrating aether, and there was a part of the structure that seemed slightly different from the rest; considering the capabilities of the weapon, I made my best judgment and judged that the dead apostles had modified it to react to the activation of the magical circuits. However, I am unsure that my judgment was correct because it has never demonstrated this ability."

Altrouge raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, "You discovered all that with a simple analysis?"

"Well, by then, I had already spent two years studying with Grandpa and one year studying in the Clock Tower, so if I didn't manage to infer those things, then all the training I did in that time would have been useless. Still, some things were baseless judgments, like the activation in reaction to magic circuits, which is probably false..." Shirou sighed and turned his gaze to the rifle, "I hope that, with my new eyes along with the greater preparation I have now, compared to the first time, I will be able to find out more about the Black Barrel."

"I understand. Well, let's see if you can do a better analysis now."

He used his structural grasp on the rifle and began to learn:

He wasn't going to try to project the rifle because this would be useless since it wasn't a melee weapon or similar, but the seven steps he used when tracing was closely related to his structural grasp, so he followed the same path that he generally used when he used to project something. To begin with, he tried to re-understand the concept of its creation, and, unlike the first time, he was able to judge it...

The boy smiled. It was just as he imagined; thanks to the words of the voice he heard during the battle against the Throne of Einnashe, he was almost sure that the concept was an imposition of natural life, and now he had confirmed it. Well, let's see what else I can learn...

Shirou continued trying to understand the basic structure of it, and here, he began to have problems because even with his new eyes, he could not fully understand the structure of the weapon. If it had been a sword, he probably wouldn't have had problems, but right now, he did, and probably not just because the Black Barrel was a rifle, but for other major reasons. His brain could understand the structure of weapons other than swords; he was not stupid, and if he tried to use his structural grasp on another weapon other than a sword, such as, for example, his father's Thompson Contender, he was able to understand its structure without any problem, and he had used his analysis with other objects he had used to practice before, such as the tubes and heaters from his warehouse in Japan; however, the problem here was not that the weapon was not a sword, but that its internal structure was so incredibly complicated that it far surpassed his understanding; he was not able to understand it beyond the basic things that he already knew.

"Let's see if there's anything else..."

He continued with his analysis and abandoned the attempt to understand its structure. Now, he tried to understand the materials used for its construction, and, fortunately, here he had better luck. He was able to analyze and understand the materials used to construct it, and he was pleasantly surprised to realize that his deductions about ether were correct. The material that the Black Barrel was made of was, in fact, aether, but not the current aether, but the true aether that existed in the Age of Gods that he and Altrouge had previously talked about. Unlike the current aether, it was powerful enough to manifest on its own, so, in short, the Black Barrel was made of True Aether that had been physically manifested.

His analysis stopped here since he could infer to a certain extent what skills were necessary for the manufacture of something like the Black Barrel, but that was something he did not do through his structural grasp but through his judgment as a blacksmith. Other things, like learning its history by using his analysis were impossible for him if the item was not a sword or similar, so this was the most he could take his analysis with his new eyes.

Altrouge watched closely as the blacksmith's apprentice analyzed the rifle, and, to her surprise, it took much less time than expected. When he finally seemed to finish, she asked, "Did you manage to understand it better?"

Shirou turned away from the weapon with a smile that showed multiple emotions, the most prominent being happiness, excitement, and worry, "More than before, at least. Simply put: do not lift the seal of Atlas, lest you destroy the world seven times over."

"Did you discover something important?" she asked without understanding the phrase.

Shirou nodded. "Black Barrel, according to what the voice said when I used it against the Throne of Einnashe, is one of the weapons of the Alchemists of Atlas and according to what Merem said, this was stolen by Louvre in coordination with Tatari." Then, the boy showed an intrigued expression, "By the way, what is Tatari?"

The Princess smiled uncomfortably, "Well... Tatari is..." Altrouge scratched her head nervously thinking of words to describe him, and in the end, she sighed, "Tatari is another of my attempts to save the planet. It's a bit complicated to explain, but, for now, what you need to know is that it occupies a thirteenth place within the 27."

"Was it a failed attempt?"

She cocked her head, "Not exactly, it's still an experiment in progress, but it has a very low chance of being successful." Then, she shook her head, "Anyway, what else did you find out about the gun?"

"Well, considering it comes from Atlas, it must be a weapon that one of the alchemists created to prevent a specific end of the world."

"Atlas? It's one of the three institutes where magecraft is studied... and, now that you mention it, you're right, Louvre tried to invade it a few months before the Aylesbury ritual, and, indeed, the rumors said that he managed to obtain one of those weapons; however, it was supposed to be just a rumor, after all, he never used it for anything..."

"I couldn't. Remember how I said there was something strange about the structure and inferred that it was a modification?"

The Princess nodded.

"Well, I was a little wrong. It wasn't a modification per se; it was a seal, and it only unlocks if the wearer is human. Surely, this condition was placed to prevent the apostles from using it, so they must have sealed it after realizing who was attacking them." Then, he looked thoughtful, "I guess that also explains what happened in the forest..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Being made of the true imaginary fifth factor, the very existence of the Black Barrel disintegrates the aether around it, which caused the domain of the Forest of Einnashe to be disturbed when I used it to shoot it; furthermore, the Black Barrel has a function even more incredible than simply disintegrating the ether."

"Hmm? Which one?"

"In summary, after analyzing the concept of its creation, I understood that the Black Barrel is a conceptual weapon of natural life, capable of imposing the notion of limited life on the body of immortal creatures. As I already said, being composed of the fifth true theoretical element, the bullets fired from the rifle disintegrate all the ether with which it comes into contact. For this reason, the Black Barrel should also ignore any defensive parameters, always causing great direct damage. And, the greater the amount of aether, the more damage the weapon should cause," Shirou took a breath, "I suppose it is impossible to avoid this damage, and even holding it back should be useless unless the body is free of such substances. I imagine its attack power should be proportional to the predestined period of the target's life."

"In short, it's an immortal-killing rifle. I shouldn't have to ask this question, but what do you plan to do with it?"

"I guess I'll give it ba-" But Shirou couldn't finish his sentence.

"Do not even think about it!" the Princess shouted.

"But if they discover me, the entire Atlas Institute will try to kill me! Do you know how many lethal weapons they can use against me?"

She crossed her arms, "Then don't let them discover you. It's a perfect weapon to confront the other monsters that will try to destroy the world; you can't just return it. Also, that institute creates weapons to prevent the end of the world, right?"

Shirou nodded, "Yes, after their first headmaster theoretically predicted the end of the world, the alchemists of Atlas have dedicated themselves to developing methods capable of preventing it. However, because anything capable of preventing the end of the world could also create similar devastation, it was that the alchemists created the rule that everything created in Atlas must be kept and eliminated within the same domains of the organization."

"In short, a huge amount of incredible super weapons that could help us avoid the end of the world are locked away carrying dust." Altrouge approached and placed her hands on his shoulders, "Shirou, listen to me. The world is dying, and powerful beings are on their way to destroy every living thing. The end of the world is upon us, and it has nothing to do with this weapon, so we have two options: return it to continue collecting dust until the end of days, or use it for what it was originally built for."

"If you put it that way, I guess the decision is pretty simple. Although, if we get caught, we'll be in big trouble..."

The Princess smiled, "We will deal with it if it comes to that; we have to take it one step at a time."

Shirou sighed but nodded.

"Well, I'm glad the eyes helped you improve your analysis." Altrouge nodded, "All your work was not in vain."

That said, they both decided to keep the gun and continue with their plans.

...

After they finished dinner, Altrouge gathered her things and prepared to leave...

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" the boy said as he stood at the door of his apartment.

She nodded, "Yes, you would have to accompany me to the outskirts of London only to have to return later." Altrouge took her things and little Fou, whom she placed on her shoulder. "By the way, do you remember what I told you a week ago?"

"About what exactly?"

"That I would tell you why I was angry."

He nodded.

"Well, I've already made up my mind. So you better get ready..."

"About what-…?"

Shirou didn't have time to finish what he was saying because the Princess decided to silence him with a kiss. For a moment, he was in complete shock, more from the suddenness of the kiss than from the kiss itself; after all, it wasn't technically his first kiss. And like his first kiss, this one wasn't passionate or filled with lust; instead, it was much more chaste and somewhat clumsy; however, that didn't stop the boy's heart from beating a thousand miles per hour. As the kiss continued, he lost himself in the sensation of the ancestor's soft lips and her warmth, a little less than that of a human being. The kiss lasted only a few moments, but the adrenaline made it seem like it took forever, and if he was honest with himself, it's not that he minded that time seemed to slow down right now.

After a few minutes, they both separated...

"W-Why?" the boy asked, somewhat embarrassed.

Altrouge licked her lips as she smiled, "Because, at least for my part, I have already decided what I want our relationship to be."

"W-Why so suddenly?" the boy asked confused.

For a moment, the Princess remembered the image of the boy and the gravedigger inside the Rail Zeppelin; however, she kept it to herself, "Well, the end of the world is just around the corner, and besides, it looks like I have some real competition, so I've decided to get moving." Without giving the redhead time to respond, Altrouge took her things and, before leaving, shouted, "Don't die before we meet again, and look forward to the new type of game we will play from now on."

"Wait Alt-!" Shirou stopped when he saw that he was about to use her real name, and when he wanted to call the girl again, she was already gone. In the end, Shirou stood in the doorway, confused.

Wait… She said she had a competition?

For a moment, he questioned several things again; however, he decided to leave these thoughts for later because, in a few days, he would have to travel to fight an entire family of magus and, if he was honest, he already had a lot of things to think about. However, Altrouge had made her intentions clear, and that was not something he could ignore.

Things were simpler when I only had to forge swords...

Shirou tried, again, to reanalyze his relationships, and while he understood them better, that didn't seem to make his current situation any easier. He had mixed feelings, and they were not specifically few…

After a night where he did nothing but stay up late, the next day arrived...

In the morning, Shirou went straight to the Carillon Observatory, where some executors of the Association were waiting for him, carrying the perfectly preserved body of his adoptive grandfather. In addition to the executioners, he identified an acquaintance: Bazett Fraga McRemitz. The two of them had met during the Aylesbury ritual, although he did not know her name at that time. He also met with Melvin Weins, whom he had paid to help him after the crest implantation process.

He had to repay him, in a somewhat strange way from his point of view, by telling him about his battle against Einnashe. Although he modified the story in several parts to hide certain things, such as, for example, the death of the original Einnashe, this was an Altrouge's request, and the story was entertaining enough to pay for the entire ridge-tuning process.

After everything was over, Shirou went to meet his companions to tour the city…

---

That night, with Gray...

The girl walked through the streets carrying a bag of food. In the middle of her path, she met Melvin, who was leaving a hotel...

"Melvin?" Gray watched as he coughed up blood and then motioned for her to come closer; surprised, she nodded.

Thus, they both walked until they reached the side of a large river.

"There's a shareholders meeting at Mom's hotel. It's an ordeal..." Melvin complained.

"You're busy, huh?" Gray said.

"Even magi have a social life," he answered a little tiredly.

"And... Well..." Gray tried to continue the conversation.

"I fine-tune the original magical crest of the El-Melloi, but I also have the job of keeping the Velvets', Waver's," the magus said out of nowhere.

This surprised the girl, "The magic crest? It's hereditary, isn't it?"

With a smile, Melvin replied, "Yes, they are the greatest treasure of a magus family."

"Why do you have it?" the girl asked in dismay.

"Reines forced Waver to bear the debt of the El-Melloi. What he offered as collateral was his crest, and the logical thing is that a tuner like me should keep it."

"Did the Sir offer something so important?"

Melvin smiled, "It's a perfect guarantee for a magus not to betray you. It's like stealing his life's purpose; you could take your companion as another example."

"Huh? Who?"

"Emiya Shirou, the Association has retained his family crest for around thirty years."

"Really? Why did the Association take his crest?"

Melvin nodded, "I understand it was because his grandfather apparently received a Sealing Designation, and that's why they retained the crest all this time, at least until now."

"Did he get it back?"

Melvin nodded, "In the morning, I could see the crest being implanted, and he paid me to fine-tune it."

Gray smiled, "I see..." Then, she looked at him confused, "I've been wondering something for a while: why do you call the teacher by his name?"

"He would feel sad if no one called him that once he stopped being Lord."

"Sad?"

"The Holy Grail War had a great influence on Waver, but the previous 19 years he lived must also be important to him, as will all the years that will come after he is no longer Lord."

"Will the Sir cease to be Lord?"

Melvin leaned against the brick wall that separated them from the enormous river, "You look like you've never thought about it."

"I knew the Sir would leave it eventually, but..."

Melvin smiled, "He's been changing over time, hasn't he?"

Gray nodded.

"And he will continue to do so, I'm sure. He will change as he investigates the mystery of Heartless and, if there really will be a new war for the grail, there too."

Gray nodded once more.

"If he changes, he might leave here," Melvin watched the girl's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

For a moment, Gray grimaced, but then her expression changed, "Even if that happens... to me and his other students, he will still be the teacher." Then, Gray smiled, "And if the Sir resumes his great journey with that King, then I, as his apprentice, will begin my own."

Melvin smiled. "That sounds good to me. And I hope that, like Waver did, you'll tell me about your trip. It was fun talking to you, but I have to go."

Gray nodded, and like this, they both took opposite paths.

---

On the other hand, with the boys...

Shirou, Caules, Flat, Svin, and Sieg walked through the streets of London. The group had been touring the city since early in the afternoon. They had been looking at the Christmas decorations and the new stores and taking the opportunity to try the holiday food.

"You really didn't have to do this, you know...?" Svin said.

"What are you talking about? We had to celebrate, yes or yes, Le chien!" Flat said.

Shirou nodded, "That we decided to pay for everything we've done today is just part of the celebration."

"You only reach Pride Rank once, so we couldn't let the opportunity pass," Caules said.

"Congratulations," Sieg smiled.

Svin sighed before smiling, "Thank you."

Suddenly, it started to snow. The group of boys were in a large square with a gigantic Christmas tree in the middle of the place.

"It's snowing, this year started early," the beast magecraft user spoke.

"You know, Le Chien, in Japan, they say that dogs run across the screen when it snows; is that true, Shirou?"

Shirou gave an awkward smile, "I think there's something wrong with that statement."

Svin nodded, "You must be mixing up sentences."

"How strange. Aren't you going to ask him to stop calling you like a dog?" Caules asked, surprised by Svin's attitude.

Svin crossed his arms, "I was told that, now that I will be a Pride-Rank magus, I must appear calm."

Flat smiled, "How much you have matured!"

With a smile, Svin replied, "And I'm not the only one, right?"

"That's right, the professor has taught us all a lot," said Caules.

"It's Gray!" Flat shouted.

"What!? Where!? Where is she!?" Svin exclaimed, turning hastily to where Flat was pointing.

"It's not there," Sieg said after analyzing the place where the blonde had pointed.

"Where did you leave the calmness of the pride rank mage?" Flat asked.

The rest of the group started laughing, much to the boy's annoyance.

Then, Flat smiled again, "Shirou also turned around pretty quickly..."

And to this, the redhead reacted quickly, "It was just a natural reaction, nothing more."

Flat seemed to want to say something else, but at that moment, Caules spoke, "I hope to one day also reach the Pride Rank or at least the Fes Rank. It would be a problem if I stayed at the Cause Rank forever," Caules said.

Shirou mentally thanked Caules and continued the conversation, "The Fes rank is a special rank. The professor has this rank, right?" Shirou said.

Now it was Flat who smiled awkwardly, "Yes, but don't remind him, it bothers him a lot."

Shirou remembered the ranks within the Clock Tower. The upper rank, called the Grand rank, or Crown, is rare to see even in the entire history of the Tower, and this is the rank of magus as incredible as Aozaki Touko. The Brand rank is awarded only to the best of the best; the former Lord El-Melloi was of this rank, and it's the rank that most Lords achieve. The Pride rank is for mages recognized for having extremely outstanding personal abilities. Mages of the rank of Fes possess unusual abilities that inspire awe outside the realm of ordinary mages, such as Lord El-Melloi II's ability to draw out the potential of his students. An average magus is generally ranked as a Cause, which was his, Caules, and Flat's rank. The most common students are ranked at the Count rank, the lowest rank, and which was the rank that Ayaka would obtain tomorrow; however, Shirou was sure that, now that she was in the El-Melloi class, it was only a matter of time until that he would reach the Cause Rank like everyone else. Those complete amateurs who had just started learning were classified with the Frame Rank.

Svin sighed, "Although the Fes rank is not bad, it only denotes that one has an incredible ability outside the scope of normal magecraft, but as for the magus's own abilities, mages of this rank might have Cause Rank abilities, or even Count. That's why it bothers the professor so much."

Caules nodded, "It's like telling you that you have an incredible ability minimally related to magecraft in some way, but your own abilities as a magus are still nothing special."

"I feel bad for the professor, although I highly doubt that he will ever reach the rank of Pride, so we are the same," the redhead exclaimed.

Sieg looked confused, "But, with the achievements you have obtained, Shirou, shouldn't you be of a higher rank?"

The redhead shook his head, "Ranks are not based on your achievements outside of magecraft but on how good a magus you are. Defeating Einnashe is a worthy achievement for the Queen or, perhaps, for the Church; however, for the Mage's Association is not something worthy of admiration."

Inwardly, the boy thought:

If I revealed my version of Gradation Air, perhaps I could increase my rank. I shouldn't raise Fes since Tracing is not an unusual ability outside the realm of magus; however, although it is an extraordinary personal skill that allows me to turn useless magecraft into something usable, it's almost the only thing I can do, so, it may not be enough to reach Pride Rank, but, since it is a skill exceptional, I think that a Combined Color Rank is more feasible. Also, there is the problem that I would have to do a lot of explaining, and my skill is closely related to my status as a specialist, so it is not something that the Association can take advantage of; furthermore, even other specialists would not be able to use it to the same level that I use it, because they do not have a reality marble.

The boy stifled a sigh.

Come to think of it, gaining so much attention is not good either. I must keep my reality marble hidden if I don't want to have an automatic Sealing Designation. On the other hand... maybe my skills as a blacksmith will allow me to rise to the Fes rank.

Seeing his partner's frown, Flat patted him on the back, "Don't be discouraged! We're on the same page."

Caules snorted, "You could be a Pride whenever you wanted if you just behaved a little more like a magus, even you could even aspire to Brand."

"Boreeeeed!" the boy complained, "I'd rather stay as a Cause in that case."

Svin smiled, "I'm sure Caules will also reach Pride Rank eventually, and Shirou, you might be able to accomplish more now that you've regained your family crest."

"If not, you can always create a legendary super sword that gives you a color title or something," Flat said.

This was what Shirou considered most feasible. The Color Ranks or Titles are separated from the rest of the usual ranks, and, simply put, they are special titles given to great mages or people with exceptional talents. The colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow, which are the primary colors, represent the highest rank title. The combined colors, Orange, Purple, Green, and Black, listed in descending order, are of lesser importance than the first three.

Shirou came out of his reverie, and the group of guys continued talking in front of the tree…

"A lot has happened this year, don't you think?" Caules asked.

Flat nodded with a smile. "We fought and survived against Aozaki Touko, Sieg and Caules saw the Wild Hunt, and Shirou faced two of the Dead Apostle Ancestors. I hope next year is just as exciting!"

Caules smiled, although awkwardly, "I wouldn't mind if it were a little quieter year..."

"I probably won't be able to see you for the new year, so Happy 2003, guys!" Shirou said.

Svin nodded, "Happy 2003."

"May it be an amazing year!" Flat declared.

"But without so many problems, please..." asked Caules.

"Happy New Year..." Sieg whispered.

The rest of the group watched as the young homunculus watched in amazement at the Christmas tree that was adorned by the decorations and the snowfall.

"It's true, for him is..." Shirou whispered.

Caules nodded with a smile, "His first Christmas."

"Well! The night is still young, so let's enjoy it as much as we can," Flat exclaimed.

"But we can't stay up late, remember that tomorrow is my ceremony," Svin complained.

"It's still early, it's still early," Flat tried to convince him.

With that, the group spent some more time exploring the festive streets of London.

---

The next day…

In a square of the Faculty of Theories of Modern Magecraft.

"Lost soul wandering blindly, take a step forward," spoke a woman, a teacher.

Svin, who was wearing a completely white hooded robe and was carrying a piece of cloth covering his eyes, advanced.

"Say what name identifies you in the world of the living," said another teacher.

"My name is Svin Glascheit, and I seek the Root through the wisdom of the beasts."

Waver continued the speech, "Starchild, emerge from the darkness and gain new life in the light." Waver removed his hood, and the blindfold fell from his face, "In the name of El-Melloi, I grant you the Rank of Pride, Svin Glascheit."

Svin and Waver stared at each other briefly, then the teacher closed his eyes and smiled, "Another student who surpasses me."

Svin looked down and smiled sadly, "I know I'm fast," he said while trembling slightly; however, he took a breath and stood straight, "I got here thanks to you. I and all my classmates learned nothing more and nothing less than from you."

This surprised the professor. After this, Svin walked towards where a few other students who had been promoted like him were. However, Svin was the only one to obtain the pride rank in this promotion and, therefore, the center of attention.

After the last students were promoted, among whom was also Ayaka, one of the three teachers announced, "The ritual ends here. Everyone, welcome the new Root seeker with applause!"

All his other companions, who were dressed in black robes, applauded, with Flat applauding the loudest. At the end of the ceremony, Waver and Svin had to use all their strength to restrain themselves from shedding tears. Other relevant people also attended the event, such as Professor Rocco Belfeban from the Invocation Division of the Department of Spiritual Evocation or the firstborn of the Sophia-Ri family, although the latter went reluctantly.

In the distance, through one of the windows, was Lord Valualeta.

"You sent another student to the third rank of the Clock Tower, Lord El-Melloi; you are so skilled it's almost scary."

"What do you think about the boy?" asked Lord Trambellio, who was next to her.

"His skills as a blacksmith have improved over the months, and he has also learned Runes through El-Melloi's instructions. In addition, he has also gained knowledge of Curses, although he does not seem to be able to use them on his own..."

"And…? You don't expect me to believe that with just that and a holy sword, he was able to kill the Seventh of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostles."

"No, he's probably hiding things. Let's give him these months to reveal it on his own, and if he doesn't, then we'll have to force him," Valualeta stated.

The man nodded and proceeded to leave.

…

The celebration took place in the El-Melloi classroom.

"You're awesome Svin!"

"We won't forget you, genius!"

Two of the Svin's classmates said.

"I haven't graduated yet..." the boy said uncomfortably.

"The child prodigy is ready to be a normal person after twenty," Flat said.

"There's nothing good about that!" the boy answered.

Waver, Gray, and Reines watched the conversation while drinking on the other side of the room.

"You won't yell at me today? You must be in a very good mood," said Reines.

"Yes. I finally got a burden off my shoulders," Waver exclaimed.

"You say that, but you're really a little sad, right?" Reines mocked.

"Don't get your hopes up because you ascended to one more Pride. As my tutor...!" Luvia said before being interrupted by Yvette.

"That, that! I have to continue playing spy."

"Besides, you still have to give me the lessons you promised me," Rin said, approaching.

"You!" Luvia complained.

Flat approached Shirou and whispered something in his ear; the redhead nodded, and they both approached the professor.

"Don't worry, teacher. Don't feel sad because the students promote," Flat said.

Shirou nodded, "Yes, even if many leave, Flat and I will stay for a long, long, long time."

Flat nodded.

They synchronized and said simultaneously, "WE ARE IN YOUR CARE!"

Waver gnashed his teeth and shouted, "Shut up and promote yourself too!"

…

After this, the party lasted for several more hours, and when it ended, the Lord retired to his office...

Waver was sitting on a piece of furniture with a glass in his hand.

"Sir, aren't you drinking too much?"

"Lady, I'm not a big drinker, but I can handle this," the professor spoke, clearly affected by alcohol, "Besides, Reines drank ten times more than me at the party."

"Lady Reines bears it too well," Gray moved the cup out of the Lord's reach. Waver tried to retake it, but every time he was within reach, Gray would push it away again, "T-Tomorrow you'll regret it." Ultimately, the Lord gave up, "Everyone had fun at the party..."

"Yes, promoting Pride before reaching twenty is not very common. The same thing happened to him... My predecessor... Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald established the title of prodigy, pushed the rest of the factions aside, and was crowned as Lord. The landscape that the professor saw was the ideal of all magus, and no one could deny it. It was a landscape that I could never share." Waver lit a cigarette and prepared to smoke, "I limit myself to congratulating and saying goodbye to my students..."

"Huh! You... you saved me, Sir! Because you took me out of that village. I'm sure the others are grateful to you for other reasons..." Gray closed her eyes for a moment, "So... So..."

"Svin told me something similar," the professor said with a slight smile.

"Huh?"

"I can't do anything like my predecessor, and I will never be a Lord on his level. I still think that, but after listening to you, maybe I will change my mind..."

Gray nodded, "I'm sure there are things only you can do." Then, she slightly lowered her gaze, "Are you planning to stop being Lord, Sir?"

Waver closed his eyes, "I'm not sure. I still don't know what to do to reach his back, but... Heartless left me with a challenge: to find out how and who he worked with to fake the ritual. Maybe that might make me have to get away from the Tower, but it's not a sure thing..." With that, Waver stood up, "Gray, give me leave, I'm going to get some air."

"Y-Yes! And Sir...! I bought this at the mall with Luvia and Reines! I wanted to give it to you earlier, but..."

Waver smiled and took the gift, "Why done it... the important thing is why something is done, not when it is done."

"Sir..." she said with a smile.

"I'm sorry, Gray, but I don't have enough power on my own, so keep fighting by my side, please."

Gray smiled as small tears fell from her eyes, "Yes... if I can help you..."

"Thank you, I'm counting on you." Waver looked out the window. Maybe we won't meet again, or maybe we'll meet sooner than I think; nothing can be taken for granted until the journey is over, and my journey... continues...

---

On the other hand, the night of the next day, with Shirou…

"That's it," Shirou had taken the things he needed and packed them into his suitcase.

Finally, he looked at the suit he had bought a long time ago together with Flat and Svin. He didn't know why, but he felt like he should use it this time, even though he had bought it to have something to use in more formal situations and not on this mission. Maybe it was because this was going to be the second and last job he would do together with Kiritsugu, since he would probably abandon the life of a freelancer once it was completed, to spend his last months in peace together with his sister.

Whatever the case, he put on his suit, took his weapons, and prepared to leave his apartment. All this happened a few hours before everyone was celebrating Christmas.

Outside the Faculty of Creation facilities, late at night, Kiritsugu was waiting for him in front of a car.

"Ready?" the magus asked.

Shirou nodded.

Thus, they both got into the car. Kiritsugu drove to one of the London airports, and someone his father had hired to return the car was waiting for them there. They got out of the vehicle, Kiritsugu handed over the keys, and they both entered the airport.

Once inside…

"Passengers heading to Germany, please board on line 1."

"Come on," said his father.

Shirou nodded.

With this said, father and son embarked for Germany, towards the old castle of the Einzbern family.

…

…

…

In Germany, inside a large forest on a mountain, a young woman was walking, looking for buds in the trees. She was a teenager with the appearance of a seventeen-year-old girl, and she had beautiful long and snowy hair, thin eyelashes, red eyes, and pale skin. She was wearing a purple sweater and hat, big, tall white boots, and, despite the cold, she was wearing a short skirt of the same color.

"Oh! I found one," she said as she walked over to see one of the sprouts.

"Illya, Mr. Jubstacheit requires your presence," said another woman of very similar appearance.

"Leysritt..." she said, turning to see the other homunculus, "Tell Grandpa I'm on my way."

The maid nodded and left.

She looked at the sky and saw the sun shining over the snowy field. "You'll be coming soon, Kiritsugu..." Then, she smiled a cute smile.

---

Author Notes:

Hello everyone, how have you been? As you have seen, this chapter took a long time, partly due to things external to the translation itself, but also because this is much longer than the previous one. All the chapters will be longer from now on, so it will take me longer to translate them.

By the way, maybe some have realized that they should be celebrating 2004 and not 2003, but there is a reason why the events take place a year earlier, and despite everything, the characters of case files maintain their ages, but that is something that will be explained later.

I also want to thank everyone who has read and liked the fic. Several of you have told me that you have read the Spanish version because you couldn't wait, and translating it must have been a pain.

Guest: Probably.

Without more to say, it is but that you enjoyed the chapter. For those who want to support the translation, you can follow me on P_treon where I upload the translation in parts and the chapters with images. And see you in the next one.