Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

Here is a comment I can answer without spoilers. DxD is softer than Fate because everything that DxD has of dark the nasuverse has it up to eleven or more, the fate works are mostly tame and yet Fate Grand Order literally begins with a humanity extinction event. For references I recommend watching or reading Fate/Zero.

Fair warning; things get messy there.

4- Limits

…..

First week in Kuoh was a weird experience for Shirou, after the first day shenanigans things mostly normalized even if the first day presented his class with the bombshell it was its special program for the supernatural. It was going to be hard but Shirou wasn't going to back down.

Some did, no one knew but some still changed classes, it was without fanfare but the second day barely started and Shirou already saw five new people while others left. Shinji's group actually grew from three to five members but the purple haired man still glared at Shirou from time to time.

He tried to improve his relationship with the rest of the magicians in his class only to be ignored or outright rejected, Matou's group treated him with animosity while Rin looked at him and said. "Personally I have nothing against you but the fact you got a pact and I don't frustrate me to no end." She closed her book and promptly left to eat her lunch.

Still on the first day he saw the fight in the lunchroom, not a direct flight per say but a race and dispute for people to buy food. It was cheap and apparently it was delicious to the point of being worth it but it tended to disappear from the shelves fast, only those who brought food from home or the fastest students managed to get something to eat.

Setsuna didn't know that and he ended up splitting his lunch with her on the 'first' day while Kiba also offered some of his. The woman ended up calling them both friends. On the next day she declared Shirou her true friend, dropping the 'san' when he presented her with an extra bento he made.

The redhead tried to explain it was no trouble since he used to cook for his sister when she was going to school but once he rejected her paying the value of the school food she decided Shirou was her true friend and left it at that. During that day he managed to find Issei but at first didn't have the opportunity to speak with his friend who was busy apprehending the other Issei for bringing inappropriate magazines to the school which resulted in another shoulding match between the two and Shirou legitimately didn't know what to do there.

After watching the two… debate for a couple of minutes he manage to get the friends off the other Issei to separate them, his friend calmed down for a bit and tried to compose himself but he and the other Issei were too different and the worst part is that since they were on the same class they were fighting almost everyday.

Shirou tried his best to distract his friend asking if he had already talked about joining the student council but his friend blushed and said he was looking into it.

A bit later on the day he had gone to the club with Liz in tow since she didn't want to be left alone at the house. Rias received the maid with a smile saying that she could arrange for their new sensei to be their official supervisor which she accepted on the spot and moved to help setting up his new forge/workshop.

There was a small reform in one of the spaces of the old school, the Gremory Clan had a construction business with also tourism, and all he had to do was set it all up. Friday arrived fast and things went down smoothly enough and they were almost finished.

Since it was the last day before the weekend It was his day of cooking as well and he was going to meet another member of Rias' peerage. Her advice? "Make something that will taste good and she will adore you."

So Shirou got his old good cookbook the night before and made plans to make something nice. "Politics is a complicated matter and when the supernatural is involved you can expect a bigger mess and lots of cans of worms just waiting for someone to open them." Waver proceeded with his lesson bringing Shirou back to the present, his last class for the week.. "There are many factions and pantheons in the world but many have become irrelevant. The reason why is the lack of legitimate power houses to support them. Usually it's easy to tell if one faction is strong by just asking if they have someone acknowledged as powerful amongst them." Someone raises their hand. "Yes?"

It was one of the devils in the class, Hanakai Momo. "Sir, you are saying that only a few factions are relevant but which one are they?"

"A fair question," the man starts to write names on the blackboard, "let's put the most famous exemples here. Japan is a neutral power on the supernatural, it's divided in between many powers even if the Xinto faction under Amaterasu still is considered strong but they have a hands off approach." He wrote the name of the goddess and below her he wrote 'yokai', 'spiritualist' and 'normal humans'. "These are the factions inside the faction. Amaterasu doesn't lead them directly but there is cooperation, support and mutual assistance if needed between them."

Waver writes another faction to the side, 'Clocktower' and below it he wrote 'magus', 'spellcaster', 'sorcerer' and, surprising some, 'devil'.

"Where the split is almost imperceptible on the first exemple the Clocktower is not part of the devils faction. Rather it is its own thing but is officially allied and affiliated with the devils, if one is attacked the other will also respond to an extent." Waver then wrote a name besides 'Clocktower' that read 'Lorelei'. "Considered the strongest magician around, Lorelei Bartolomoi is called the 'Queen of the Clocktower'. Many of the magicians here and even some devils must have heard of her."

Shirou had no idea who she was but from the faces his peers were making it was obvious she was someone he didn't want to mess with. He was about to raise his hand and ask who this person was but another student did it first. "Uh… sensei…. who is she?"

"Who is she? Basically our equivalent of Lucifer!" It was Shinji who bragged. "The second in command of the Clocktower only below Mephisto-sama himself, Lady Bartolomoi is the the Lord of her family and regarded as the absolute pinnacle of magecraft that a human can reach without becoming a sorcerer!"

"Matou-san is correct." Waver nods to the purple haired boy. "Thanks to her ability, talent and bloodline it is safe to say that few in this world can compete with Lorelei. However, noticed something? She is relatively unknown while many here know the actual Lucifer." Writing the name 'Sirzechs' and 'Underworld' at the side and above Lucifer before he continued. "While strong for human standards it is hard to compete with a being that ended a civil war and has the power to literally annihilate anything. But the Clocktower is allied with such a being and that makes it relevant. That and the fact it is the center of learning for magicians of the whole world."

"But what about sorcerers? Shouldn't they also be really powerful?" Hanakai asked.

"Unfortunately for many people the last true sorcerers are an odd bunch." Velvet stopped for a bit, thinking on how to explain his thoughts. "They are more like natural phenomena, powerful but limited. There are only two left alive, codenames the 'Blue' and 'Kaleidoscope' and neither is that much of a fan of the Clocktower itself."

"Why are there only two?" Shirou didn't notice when he asked but he did.

"Because there are many factions and even the weak and forgotten can still break the world if given a chance." It sounded like a warning from how ominous his worlds were. "There are still powers in this world we have no idea how strong they really are. Don't underestimate the unknown, more often than not that it is that which will bring out your ruin. It is the basics of magecraft that the more one thing is undiscovered the more powerful it is"

At that moment the signal for the end of the class and the activities for the day, the students started to pack their stuff to leave.

"Remember to make the next three chapters of the math book. I won't tolerate laziness. Also prepare something to present to your peers in a month's time using any of your skills. What it should be is up to you but it will be graded." With that the teacher left.

Shirou waited for his friends to get ready and the three of them moved out of the classroom with the intention to go to the ORC. "Shirou." Except they were intercepted by Shirou's old friend Issei.

"Issei." Shirou greeted him.

"Ah, Setsuna-san, Yuuto-san." After the greetings were traded Issei turned to Shirou. "I am just checking if you were keeping our promise."

"Promise?" Shirou was confused.

"Yes, that we would act like normal students." Once his friend said that Shirou snapped his fingers. "Knowing you there is a good chance you will be already helping someone with a fridge if I don't check."

"Yes, right… that one." Technically he was keeping the promise, he was in a club hanging out with new friends and not working on anything else at the school at that point… but he was working. "Maybe we should all go to a karaoke one of these days…"

"Unfortunately I am the one breaking our promise now, getting on the student council is being a challenge." Issei's eyes suddenly showed determination. "But I will not quit. Soon, I will have her recognize my efforts."

With that he said his goodbyes and left and while Shirou had no idea who 'her' was he could only wish his friend good luck.

The three started to make way for the club again and managed to find Rias and Akeno on the same path outside. "Normal students? What does that imply?" Setsuna asked curiously.

"What are you referring to, Setsuna-san?" Akeno's curiosity had awakened from the other raven head question.

"Earlier we found Issei, Shirou's friend, and they apparently had a promise to be more normal students." Kiba explained.

"Shirou… What do normal students mean?" Now Rias was the one in the conversation.

Shirou lets out a sigh and tries to explain how he used to help his former school by fixing small appliances and just being pretative while Issei worked as a secretary for the council of the high school grade and planned to run for president before the change.

"Basically both of you are workaholics." Akeno said with her typical small smile.

"I mean… technically?" Shirou was pretty sure he was never called that before.

"Don't worry Shirou, you are still a workaholic." Rias' smile held no malice. "But that is a problem, maybe you should find something to relax."

"But I barely did anything." Shirou defended himself.

"Yes, but you worked to get the forge working the whole week, you studied the book of materials I gave you in a lot of the breaks and if I can guess it right you are still working on your forge at home right?" Not as much but he couldn't deny her. "Tomorrow you should try and do something fun." Rias decided with the same kind of enthusiasm his mother had when she wanted him to 'teenager' stuff.

"Working on the forge is fun." Shirou mumbled and most didn't hear.

"Rias, it is only the first week." Akeno reminded her King. "Let him find his own pace first."

"You still owe me a spar as well." Setsuna took the chance to remind Shirou. "And also a date."

Shirou almost fell on his face. "I already said that wasn't necessary."

"Are you going to make me a liar?" Setsuna asked back.

"Yes Shirou! Are you going to make her a liar?" Rias didn't resist.

"Fufufu, what an awful thing to say to a lady Emiya-kun." Akeno didn't waste the opportunity.

Surrounded by all sides he looks to his only potential ally. Kiba looks right back and shrugs before he kept walking. For the first time in his life Shirou felt betrayed.

"""Well?""" The three girls asked again and Shirou did the only thing he could think about. He caved.

"The spar first… we see about the date later." He really didn't even know what a 'date' implied but he was going to try and put it out as much as he could.

The instigator of the discussion nodded satisfied while the other two girls just smiled. With that settled the small group got back on the move to eat and finish with his workshop, not realizing they were being watched.

At the rooftop of the school stood Rutal, he has been paying extra close attention to Rias over the last week. Or to be more precise he was looking into her interactions with Emiya Shirou.

The new addition to the old school building was a surprise, the heiress wanted him to work close to her, she also was greedly suppressing any leaks of information about him. Rutal heard from one of the magicians who did the test she had him make a demonstration of his skill but once he asked what exactly he had made they all clamped up.

After the fourth one refused to talk he asked why and they said that 'They didn't want to mess with the full might of the Gremory Clan'. Rias had threatened them to block any sort of advancement on the underworld or worse using her family resources and they were right to be afraid.

If it was for the sake of the Gremory her family would support her decision, even Rutal was with his hands tied. The only one that can logically move and get the intel from the magicians is Sona who has almost the same political clout but she won't tell him anything.

So far the devil and human relationship is as of friends and colleagues, that is fine, normal even with a pact on play. 'But she made that pact too fast.' Behind him two figures show up, his Queen still in a business attire and another of his pieces, a slim man dressed in janitor's clothing, he had short hair but it was covered with a hat with a bird on the front, his face was inconspicuous and most would see him on the street and not think twice, perfect for a spy.

Neither said anything until their King gave them permission and Rutal was still deliberating. He had two paths in front of him; pursue the matter of Gremory or let it go. Those were the facts but not the point, even if she managed to find someone of great value the question was: Why did it matter?

'If he is not her lover she is not insulting my House, instead I am insulting hers by looking too much.' He was unimportant in the great scheme of things, just a cousin, weaker than the main family but it was still family. 'And if she is doing something I will find out what.' His decision was made. "Report Brosh."

The man dressed as a janitor nodded and called for some documents with a magic circle. "His name really is Emiya Shirou, estimated age of 16, survivor of a fire that took his memories and supposedly killed his family. Was adopted by the Emiya family right after the event by his mother Emiya Irisviel and his father Emiya Mamoru, also has a sister called sister Emiya Illyasviel. Studied at Homurahara until the school's closure." Brosh closed the file. "He never had any troubles with authoritative figures, nothing suspicious and is considered in general a 'upstanding young man', the only thing that standed out about him was the incident almost a decade old and nothing else from what I could investigate."

"His father's name… is really this one?" Rutal found it suspicious.

"Certainly it is similar to the name of the Magus Killer but master… There is no proof he is the son of said man, I managed to procure a picture of his father and he looks… similar in hair color but the build was totally different." He produced the picture and Rutal took a look.

The Magus Killer can be described as a gruff man, with unkempt appearance, dead eyes, a good build and tall. That was not what he saw in the picture. This person is short, Rutal was sure he was taller even, had a sharp feminine face and a happy smile. "And where is he?"

"Works in the exterior, pops in the country only two or three times a year since he is the CEO and owner of a security company called Blacksheath Guard." Rutal never heard about them but thought they must not be that important.

'Nothing unusual'... "What did you find about the kid's bloodline?"

"I… found nothing." What?

"What do you mean 'I found nothing'?" Rutal stares at his subordinate dead in the eyes, the temperature rising on the rooftop. "Explain!"

"There is no record of who he was before that fire, all we have is the after." Brosh closed his eyes and waited for punishment but just before that the Queen stepped forward.

"Master, his past is irrelevant, we needed to look at his present. Thanks to Brosh's investigation we now know he was there in the Homurahara's Incident." Rutal turned to look at her while she fixed her long hair. "It is possible that Rias-sama had seen him fight the stray or he showed up to help. We won't know until we have the full story."

"Yes, you are right." He turns to look at the direction of the ORC. "But that doesn't help figure out what he did." Rutal started to have fire leave his hands. 'What makes him special?'

"Master if I may offer a suggestion." His Queen spoke again.

"Say your piece Tali." He was losing his patience.

"If we look more cautiously we can find a magician who won't be afraid to… challenge the Gremory Heir threat, if we can have a family not associated with ours offer something..." Yes, if the Phenex Family doesn't have anything to do with the ascension of one of Rias' rejects then there would be no reprisal.

The problem was that he is not important enough to promise something like that and everyone knew it. He could go for threats himself, more direct physical ones, but that could backfire and put the Phenex/Gremory contract at risk.

His uncle, the actual head of Phenex, would skin him alive for risking such prospects. Deals of marriage were common in the underworld but they had to fight to secure Rias' because of her potential, not only as an heir but in powers. If he did anything that compromised that death would be a kindness.

'On the other hand I don't need to do anything as of now do I?' He looked to Brosh. "I want you to investigate all the magicians Rias met the day of selection. And Tali," he turns to his Queen, "by the results I want you to pick a couple of magicians with something to lose."

"To lose sir?" The woman voiced her confusion, her companion also didn't understand the request.

"Yes, something that we can help indirectly, not as a Phenex but as a powerful entity. Whatever Emiya Shirou brings to the table is something Rias is willing to kill just by having it mentioned and I can't go around that. But once she is married to Riser and the contract is sealed we may be able to compensate the magician." 'Or not, if nothing is really worth it we can just forget since it was the promise of a deal, not a deal.' Rutal felt amused by the prospect.

"Master, forgive the question but… why are you so obsessed with this boy?" Tali asked.

"We have monitored Rias for a year now, that was the first time she did something so random and I refuse to let anything to chance." Chance meant possibilities, it meant luck, it meant a battlefield that he can't win against a Gremory and he refused to fail. 'If there is nothing then I can apologize later. Why would I care for a human anyway? But if there is something…'

The problem is that Rias doesn't want the marriage and she may have 'jumped the gun' in getting a pact with someone that can give her an out, he didn't know what that 'out' was but if it existed then he needs to figure it out and fast.

'Worst comes to the worst the rest of the Phenex can deny the knowledge of my actions, I have no means to contact the lord of the Clan anyway.' It was a risk, it may lead to nothing but if there was something he had to figure it out and fast. "Get me someone who will talk, the price doesn't matter since we may not even pay." He didn't bother to whisper the last part.

"Master- that-" Tali was disturbed by her King's decision to actively break the law. He interrupted his Queen.

"The marriage of my cousin is important and if it is nothing no one needs to know, it will be our word against theirs."

""Yes, master."" Both said and left Rutal to contemplate his next moves.

"Rias, I don't know what you are planning but for the future of the Phenex Clan I won't allow you to succeed if you are to harm us. That I swear."

…..

When Toujo Koneko and Leysritt met it was a rare event where two extremely similar people who never had crossed paths acknowledged each other. They didn't care, the small girl and homunculus had arrived almost at the same time, one entering the normal door while the other teleporting. When their eyes met and both heads tilted to the side, many in the audience thought it was cute.

Both had short white hair, one with red eyes and the other yellow, one was already developed, tall and in the prime of adulthood while the other looked no different than a cute child, small to the point of calling her adorable wasn't weird. But once they were side by side the similarities, mannerisms and appearance made those present think they could be related.

That idea got side tracked when Shirou came out of the kitchen with a banquet, and everyone got ready to eat. Since Koneko hadn't eaten Shirou's food at that point Rias got her cell phone ready to take a picture of the reaction while Akeno recorded it on video.

First came the bite, then her mouth accelerated chewing it as much as she could, savoring every little scrap until she swallowed. "Nyaaa!" Shirou almost fell to the ground in surprise by the sound, Kiba looked startled, Setsuna's whole body twitched, and even Rias and Akeno dropped their phones.

All the while the white haired girl kept eating with just her adult counterpart keeping up the pace. "We…" Akeno didn't know what to say.

"We better eat or it will get cold." Thanks to Shirou's warning everyone had a plate ready but they still took a few minutes to start to eat. After the 'meow' that Koneko had let out she looked so peaceful, stoic but peaceful with Liz wearing a similar expression.

"They look like-" Before Shirou could finish Rias placed a finger on his lips.

"Just… let it go." She whispered sadly. Shirou nods in acceptance, not knowing if he should ask about it but trusting that Rias knew what she was doing.

The dinner was a fun affair in general but work still needed to be finished, the last touches for a second workshop and Shirou's place of work during his time in Kuoh. It was different from his previous one, there was no galery of weapons surrounding him or secret passages to hide his most sensitive works.

There were boxes all around that they moved to it during the whole week and organized the best way they could, labeling with the names of ingredients, metals and all sorts of materials. The forge itself was positioned to optimize the ley line of Kuoh which was considerably bigger than the leftovers close to his house with it empowering the new boundary field, one more powerful than his usual one made not to harm but just repel. "It can withstand a bomb." Rias had said.

He had his old tools there and some of his old stuff around and ready to be used, close to the entrance of the forge he had a desk he could use for anything he wishes, a gift of inauguration they said. Rias also insisted on installing a shower there.

Once Shirou stepped inside the forge he felt a rush, like electricity had just charged his body. Any mana he had used in the day was replenished and he felt… giddy?

"So… How do you feel?" Rias asked with a smile. They were alone in the room while the rest was doing their own thing.

"Like I could take on the world. Why do I feel so…?" He was trying to find the words but Rias decided to just say.

"Those are the benefits of proper use of a ley line." Rias starts to walk around. "Every wall, every corner of your workshop is made to work with you, for you. They will absorb and filtrate the mana and help you do your best work." The devil stops gesturing to his new desk. "Even the desk is made from a special wood to help you get in the rhythm of work."

"Really?" Shirou approaches and uses structure analyses on the table. Giving Rias a deadpan look he says. "Mahogany?"

"What? Not everything is magic." She replied with a smile. "You need to' dress for success' and this is a table of quality."

She was right but Shirou felt he didn't need that much. "Thanks I… Will start to work right away."

"Oh no you won't." Rias grabbed his arm to stop him from starting. "You still need to spar with Setsuna and Kiba. The work can start after."

"But -." But the girl was already dragging Shirou out.

"No buts. I really want to see you fight properly and I believe you and Kiba are going to have a great match. AH!" Rias stops for a second and looks at Shirou. "Can you bring EM here tomorrow? It would be useful to have it around in case of emergencies."

"I planned to move it here anyway, it and a few others of my works." Only EM was properly finished and just needed to be mass produced but the others Shirou felt he could do better.

"Great, you will have to be careful in the spar to avoid major injuries."

"That was the plan from the beginning." Rias gave no signs she heard him. Once they left his 'room' they found the rest of the members of the club waiting outside.

"We are having our rematch today." Setsuna declared looking straight at him. Unfortunately for Shirou he had no retort, there was nothing else for them to do today and he could see that his raven haired colleague was not going to back down.

"It's late, you should do this tomorrow." Fortunately for him, Liz came to his rescue.

"I am in top condition and Shirou is as well, we have no reason to wait."

"We need Shirou to cook tomorrow." It was Koneko who said it and everyone turned to look at her.

"I can cook tomorrow." Setsuna offered, confident she would have the energy.

"Shirou is better." Liz affirms and with Koneko they just stare at Setsuna trying to make the girl relent by pure pressure. If anyone asked she would deny but she surrendered to the cat like yellow eyes.

"Fine. Tomorrow after lunch, no more delays, outside of the club." That was her ultimatum.

"Tomorrow is saturday." Akeno points out, amused.

"Don't act like you all don't work on the saturdays devils." Setsuna was not going to be teased on this.

"Yes we can make our own schedule but can program ourselves better if you spar during the day." Rias said diplomatically. "This way we can watch the fight and even help judge a definitive winner."

"Fair enough." While the discussion was going Koneko approaches Shirou and taps his arm to call for his attention.

"You will cook tomorrow... right?" The request sounded like something Liz would say, but her eyes were different as in Liz eyes were more… dull while Koneko's shined more. Shirou wanted to pat her head and wondered if that was the feeling that an older brother would feel.

"Sure." He caved again. "What is your favorite kind of food?"

"Sweets." She answered with a smile, her voice had some excitement on it but it still sounded weak to his ears.

"Really? That is the same thing my sister told me once. That and waffles." For a second Koneko's eyes lost a bit of their luster. 'That won't do.' He was trying to cheer her up not make it worse. "Do you want a cake tomorrow?"

"Yes!" The girl finally showed a bit more emotion before clamping it up again.

"What kind of cake do you want?"

"Chocolate, no strawberry, no…" She starts to say different flavors, stopping after some time to think which one she felt would be better. It was adorable.

"What about a chocolate cake, with strawberries and vanilla cream." The little girl looks at him almost like he was a saint and gives him a single nod. "I will come here earlier and bake everyone a cake." That got him a couple smiles and a hug.

"She already has him wrapped around her finger." Akeno 'whispered'.

"Then we can have our match earlier too." The woman in man's clothes nods satisfied.

"Setsuna… why?" Shirou was starting to grow concerned for his friend's… competivines? It was either that or bloodlust to him.

"I just want to fight you at my full strength." She raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you aren't curious too?"

He couldn't deny that but not to the extent to rush it that much. On the other hand… "Fine, but we still need to define the rules."

"We fight until one of us admits defeat." That was good for him.

"No. That is a terrible idea." Rias cuts any hope of that off. "Setsuna-san, even if Shirou is stronger than the average human, he is still human. If you two fought until surrender he would lose."

After thinking for a second the raven haired woman nods. "You are right, Buchou."

"Why?" Shirou was curious about that.

"Well… it's just a natural thing really since she is a hanyo(half-demon). Her stamina is naturally higher." The red haired devil tried to explain hoping to not offend Shirou.

"Hanyo?" Shirou sounded surprised but not bothered. "So she is…" Or he just didn't understand the situation.

"My father is a yokai while my mother is a human." Setsuna explained.

"Ah, is that why you have such an advanced sense of smell?" The devils looked surprised by the question.

"It is related to the kind of hanyo I am. My father is a dog yokai and I got some of his powers from it." She explained easily.

"Okay, so we can't go indefinitely since you will outlast me." Shirou remembered how he was starting to get winded in their previous fight while Setsuna was still looking in top form. "I may have a few tricks if we go for a point rule or something similar."

"Then you can do it like this;" Kiba got everyone's attention. "First blood or first to the ground. It will end faster and avoid injuries."

"Since Shirou will bring EM tomorrow either myself or Akeno can stay on guard to help most wounds." Rias pointed out.

"Buchou, it is time for us to start our rounds." Akeno reminded the King.

"Thank you Akeno." They move back to Rias' office and she claps her hands. To the side of her desk a magic circle started to glow, it was the symbol of Gremory. "Anyone feeling a request already?"

"I do, Buchou." Kiba steps forward. "See you all later." With a red light the Knight disappears.

After that and a couple of minutes only Shirou, Rias, Setsuna and Liz were left at the club. Shirou made some tea while Liz was playing on her cellphone and Setsuna meditated. Once he got to Rias he saw her doing reports. "Anything in particular?" He asked her.

"No, just routine deals and a few reports of the area… altrought maybe this one interests you." She picks a stack of papers and offers it to him.

"'Report of the new ley line branch'? Is this about the new one in Homurahara?" She nods in response, a frown on her face.

"The investigator has made little progress on when it showed up. The specialists apparently are disagreeing, some saying that it popped up ten or so years ago, others claiming it has at least a century but the second one doesn't make sense." While Rias talked Shirou read a bit but couldn't follow most of the terms there. "So far the most accepted argument is that at some point ten years ago the branch just showed up."

'Ten years huh… " His mind fixed on those words, Shirou knew why. It was almost ten years ago that he almost died. 'Is that a coincidence?' Memories of fire and death came to him. He could still see it, the destruction, the despear, all the while he dragged himself-

"Shirou." Rias calling him snapped him out. "You alright?"

"Yeah, all fine here." He tried to smile but no one was buying it. Rias gives Liz a look but the homunculus shooks her head.

"Are you going to be in condition for our fight tomorrow?" Setsuna opens an eye and looks at Shirou. "I hope you give me your best. I don't want a half attempt or anything like that."

"Don't worry, I promise I won't disappoint." But that was not enough.

"Then you better go home and get some rest." Setsuna moved to get his bag.

"Wait-" She throws it at him.

"You will make sure he rest won't you Liz-san?" The maid was confused but she gave a nod and also got ready to leave.

"Hold on a second! What is going on?" Setsuna looked at him for a few seconds, Rias was also confused by her actions.

"I want to talk with Rias… girl talk." It was obvious that the girl felt weird saying that.

"I could just leave the room."

"And we will take your time, you better go." That was weird for everyone. During the whole week the black haired girl never acted like that and never bothered with 'girl talk'. Rias decides to play along.

"Go home and get some rest Shirou. The spar is tomorrow and we still have to schedule your fight with Kiba." Rias then gave him a coy smile. "Make sure to get yourself ready for her."

Rias made an insinuating motion with her eyebrows but Shirou didn't get it. "Let 's go Shirou." Liz decided that whatever Setsuna wanted to talk about must be important and they were right, the young man would need all the help he could get for the fight tomorrow.

After the Emiyas were gone Rias looked at Setsuna. "I would love to have 'girl talk' with you but I doubt that is what this is about."

"Is Shirou human?" The question shocked the devil;

"Care to elaborate on that?" Setsuna took a deep breath and said.

"He smells like a human, from the little I could see of him using magic his mana has nothing special and even the beat of his heart was of a human's." During the description Rias waited for the 'punchline'.

"And?"

"It was just an instant but I swear I heard his heart stop." That surprised the devil.

"Are you sure? Maybe you made a mistake."

"Maybe…" Even the younger woman was confused. "It was a moment but the rhythm got all wrong after."

Deciding that she needed to give some reassurance Rias lets out a sigh before speaking. "I had to take a bit of his blood to make the boundary field. It is tailor made for him with help from Sona, a dear friend of mine. By the specifics he can't be anything else other than human."

"Does he have a sacred gear?"

"That would be telling and you two have a fight tomorrow." Rias said with a smile and Setsuna accepted her logic.

…..

Shirou wakes up sweating and in a panic. He takes a moment to calm his heart and catch a breath. 'It was just a nightmare, calm down.' He tells himself while fighting to control his breathing. 'One… two, one… two, breath. Focus only on breathing, one… two…'

He couldn't even remember when was the last time he had a nightmare, even if he could remember the first. It was a few days after he woke up and he met his future parents, he was so excited to leave the hospital that he slept early only to wake up in the middle of the night screaming.

The doctor explained that it just had taken some time for the trauma to set in and recommend a psychiatrist or that he talked with his parents when he was adopted. He took the second route and with how much love Iri had drowned him in time the memories were buried, not forgotten for he could never forget what he passed but he managed to live with it.

His sister and father tried to help too but it was his mother who managed to just talk with him out of thinking about it. 'Build something good from the bad' she used to say and in a way that was the inspiration for Shirou's path in magic. Make something good.

Laying on his bed Shirou tried to go back to sleep but he knew that it was in fain. Looking at the watch at his bedside he saw it was almost 3 AM. Taking another deep breath he gets up and starts his work out.

After he was done he thought about what he should do, getting some sleep would be great but he just didn't feel like it. 'Maybe playing some games... ' Not his thing without his sister, she was the one who liked to play while he was the more active one.

He had plenty of spare time until the time for breakfast and part of him wanted to get out and run around the neighborhood, he was about to do exactly that when he had an idea. He was going to have a spar with Setsuna and she asked for his best, if he didn't give it to her after he promised she would be mad.

So he moved to his forge, even if the tools were missing he could trace copies and work there anyway. But that was not what he was doing there, he didn't know what were the benefits of being a half-yokai but he could guess from their previous fight.

Stamina, strength, it was possible that speed as well and, of course, the extra senses are all advantages she had over him. But that is just the surface. Shirou may not know much about yokais but he can tell that Setsuna was not the type to relax and let natural advantages help her, if anything she would harness them, sharp them into true weapons.

Much can be known by fighting against a person and the impression Shirou got after their first fight was that she is dedicated, their week of friendship and the fact that she insists on a date he believes she doesn't own him were just part of that.

While he looked around his former works he started to collect the best ones. 'I don't need to win but that would make her mad and I promised to do my best.' The sad fact is that with so many weapons around a good chunk of his time was used in maintenance but that meant most of his weapons were still sharp and he had plenty of options. 'My best huh? I'm going to do just that... Going to need Liz to bring up the car."

A couple of hours later Shirou and Liz entered the school grounds of Kuoh, the university was still going normally but the rest had their capacities reduced with only some clubs meeting at the moment. The residents of the Emiya household were both carrying bags with two on Liz's hands and a briefcase in Shirou's right and a bag on his left.

Getting to the club they see Akeno getting inside. "Ara, don't you two are here a little bit early?" The question carried her usual teasing attitude.

"I brought some stuff for my match and also wanted to start with the cake early." Baking can be difficult and even if Shirou has good practice there is nothing wrong with an early start.

"Is that why Liz looks so tired." The poor white haired woman was looking about to pass out.

"She stayed awake watching a marathon of an anime she likes." The results were there for all to see. Her face was not bad at all, but her clothes were a mess with jeans with a leg pulled up, a messed sweater and her hair that needs to be combed. Even her disposition is a bit different than normal since the woman could look lazy but was actually quite alert. "The only reason she didn't stay in bed was-"

"Caaaaaaaaake." She says almost zombie-like. "Caaaaaaaaaake."

"Oh my~ she looks about to attack." Akeno teased. "Why don't you go and talk with Buchou for a bit while I take her to one of our extra rooms?"

They enter the club and Shirou asks a thing that was making him curious. "Why are you in the school uniform."

"Oh, we slept here yesterday and I only had other uniforms to change in."

"Are the others here too? If so I can make breakfast for everyone." Akeno just smiled.

"No. Koneko is too young to be awake for the whole day and night, she will probably only show up in the afternoon. Kiba left early while Buchou was waiting for me, he will be here later to watch the spar but I think he will probably have eaten by that point." They stopped in front of one of the many rooms when Akeno opened the door. "I will keep an eye on her, go say hello to Buchou before you move to the kitchen. It would be a shame if you didn't at least say hello."

Shirou didn't disagree with her. "But Liz-"

"CAAAAAAAKE!" Akeno moved to find the white haired woman on a bed.

"After talking with Rias, go make something for her to eat, it will help her more. For now just go and let her with me." The Queen then promptly shooed him out of the room. "Now sho, sho. Let me take care of Liz."

It wasn't that he minded she expelled him from the room, it was that she looked in a hurry to do it. Shrugging he makes his way to Rias' office not noticing that Akeno was watching him leave with a grin.

Making his way, Shirou starts to think on what is going to be for breakfast, either he can go for a classic japanese meal or something else. Both devils liked japanese food well enough but it didn't hurt to check.

Knocking on the door he waits for a few seconds. "It 's open!" That was Shirou's cue to enter and not see Rias in her office. He started to hear a noise of water and looked to a door that he never paid attention to before, he had used most of the time to set up his workshop and read the book of materials.

There he sees a silhouette of a woman, a very familiar one. 'I shouldn't be doing this.' His face goes red and he turns to march out of the room only to trip on his own feet.

"Akeno? Wait for a minute will you. I'm almost done."

'Damn hormones!' Shirou screams in his head while getting up. "It 's me!" He couldn't stop himself from answering. 'Damn it!' "I got here early and just wanted to wish a good morning!"

"Shirou! Good morning!" He heard the shower stop and close his eyes taking a deep breath and in a few moments Rias was there, still drying her hair but she was dressed. "Did something happen?"

Shirou had a more pressing question. "Why is there a shower in your office?" His voice almost cracked.

"Shirou… it always had been there." She explained calmly.

"Yes I just… never paid attention."

"Are you embarrassed again?" Rias gave a shot and his red face told it all. "That is so cute." His ears were redder than her hair at that point.

"Why did you tell me to enter?" The male redhead tried to change the subject.

"I thought it was Akeno." It was with that comment Shirou knew the reality of his situation, the realization must have shown on his face because Rias laughed a little. "She setted you up." Even if the Queen couldn't see the result she was probably laughing at his expense.

"I'm going to the kitchen." Before he left Rias placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Shirou, is completely normal for a boy of your age to have those feelings." She said with a serious face.

"Really. Are you going to give me the talk?"

"Do you need it?" The deadpan stare on his face said it all. "It is just skin Shirou. Not that much different if you go into a beach."

"Are you telling me that YOU can go to a beach and won't be stared at, By both men and women?"

And for the first time Shirou managed to win an argument when Rias had not come back… that lasted until she changed the battlefield. "Are you calling me pretty?"

Having lived with an older sister that could tease him in worse ways Shirou had the answer at the tip of his tongue. "I'm calling you beautiful." Funnily enough he could say it no shame, it was a fact and he had no problems starting it. "You also tend to get into positions that make me embarrassed."

The moment he finished his phrase Shirou knew he screwed up. "And which positions should I get on then?"

"Take a deep breath Shirou." He mumbles to himself much for her amusement. "I can either go to the kitchen and make a good breakfast or you can go make it."

"That is a great idea." Rias got excited. "We can cook together!"

"Promise to not tease me?" It was a request made by a man that wished for peace.

"Of course, I think you had enough for today… Akeno on the other hand…" And wasn't that scary?

Finally Shirou decided to place the briefcase on the devil's table before opening it. Inside was EM, the scalpel was in a velvet purple pillow that looked fancy but was for practicality. "The briefcase is keyed to open by me or by the last person who closes it. A gift from my sister when I finished my first success."

"And you are going to let it on your forge?" Rias picked the scalpel and examined it. It looked the same as always, polished and sharp.

"Yes but I want you to close it when we get it there." Once Rias placed it back she looked to his other bag.

"And that one?" Shirou smiles a bit.

"My best."

Toujou Koneko arrived at the clubhouse last, everyone else either slept there or arrived much earlier. Once she entered the first person to greet her was Setsuna with a nod followed by the others giving her good mornings.

With the exception of the older devils everyone else was dressed in normal clothing, even her was using shorts and a white shirt, Shirou was dressed on a white and blue shirt and jeans combo, Liz was similarly dressed like Koneko after she took a shower but on her it looked more tight, not the woman minded, Kiba looked relaxed on his black button up shirt and Setsuna was with a blue shirt and jeans with her normal ponytail.

Shirou was finishing the cake while everyone else ate lunch, her mouth already watering at the thought of cake made on the same level as the food of the previous day to the point she was already licking her lips.

He entered with a huge cake, as promised a perfect mixture of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, to anyone looking it was a work of art. Shirou picks the first slice and gives it to the youngest of the room since it was made on her request.

Once she took the first bite Koneko couldn't stop herself. "Nyaa!" Once again many were shocked by the development, those that knew her history looked to Shirou who was confused how a girl could make such realistic noise of a cat, Setsuna twiched first her whole body but then her eyebrow kept going for a few seconds.

Then everyone else tasted the cake and only Liz kept a straight face, she was more alert and relaxed but besides that everyone else was acting on the food.

"As a chef! I have much to learn!" Rias' pride in her cooking was broken.

"Delicious!" Akeno shuddered while she ate.

"This is… heaven." Kiba looked like he had a revelation.

Setsuna said no words but the stoic girl was devouring a slice after the next with Koneko right behind and only because the black haired woman was bigger to reach the food faster.

"How? First breakfast and now this!" Rias questioned between bites. "I watched you cook and the food we made earlier was just as good." Another pause for eating. "How did you do this?"

"I use reinforcement on the preparation." Everyone stopped at hearing that. "What?"

"You can use magic on food?" Akeno almost screamed the question.

"Reinforcement is a part of magecraft." Liz said between her own bites. "It does as the name implies and reinforces things making them better versions of themselves."

"... You just repeated what Sella said when I tried that, right?" Shirou asked and Liz nodded while eating.

"Teach me!" Rias demanded.

"I… don't know how to teach that?" Then an idea came to the magus. "Can you use reinforcement?"

"Can devils even learn magecraft?" Setsuna was curious as well.

The King had a look of desolation on her face. "No… we can't. We can use our imagination and the natural mana of our bodies or the world in ways that humans can't even imagine but we lack magic circuits. We have cores that produce magic instead."

It was more complicated than just that but Akeno raised her hand. "Maybe we, the reincarnated ones, can learn." The Queen looked at her King and gave a smug smile. "The pieces may act as cores but there is nothing saying we won't have circuits."

Rias puffed up her cheeks getting upset by the prospect while Akeno just gave her a teasing grin. "We would have to run some tests into that… Did any devil try to learn magecraft?"

"I'm sure someone must have tried but when magicians turn into devils they go for our side of magic." Kiba said in deep thought. "It's just easier to do our own brand of magic."

"Hard to compete with raw imagination." Shirou admitted, how easy it would be if he could just think and stuff would exist… knowing his luck there would be another ten steps still.

"Either way we should get ready to the spar." Setsuna announced getting up. The cake was already done.

"That was supposed to last a few days." Shirou complained and some people had the shame to avoid looking at him, none of them had white hair.

"Calm down a minute Setsuna-san, I'm curious on how I can see if I have circuits." Akeno tried to convince her fellow ravenhead.

"You can do it late." Was the response.

"And fighting after eating is bad for one's health." Leysritt said drinking tea. "Rest another hour then you can go." The tone of her voice left no room for discussion.

"Fine, one more hour." She sits on the couch again clearly impatient.

"Actually..." At Rias first word Setsuna glared at her. "Calm down Setsuna. I have an idea that you may like to make the spar more fun."

The younger woman still glared. "I will be the judge of that."

"I'm curious to know if I have magic circuits. What about you Kiba?" Akeno really looked excited by the prospect.

Kiba looked more reluctant. "I don't think normal magic is suited to my fighting style."

"What is your fighting style?" Shirou asked curiously;

"That is a surprise!" Rias interrupted before the awnser. "Afterall, both of you need to spar first and I didn't tell Kiba how you fight."

"You didn't see me fight properly."

"But I can guess plenty and I honestly can't wait for it." Rias looked excited by the prospect and both males just shrugged.

"So… how do I know I have circuits?"

"It involves a ritual…" Akeno nodded, waiting for Shirou to continue. "I… don't know how to do it properly." Now there was a frown on the Queen's face. "It was years ago, I was sitting in a magic circle and mom just place a hand on my back and said-"

Liz almost slapped Shirou for how fast she placed her hand on his mouth. "No, bad Shirou."

"Mphuhmph?" He tried to say something.

"No. No revealing your number of circuits." While nobody else understood Liz spoke like she did perfectly."

"Mph?" Everyone could just watch the conversation.

"Because… Sella said it was bad. Something about knowing how much mana you could use on a fight." Liz was not paying attention to that one.

"Mpmmhumhummnhmph." Shirou gave a counter argument.

"Call your mother first." Was the retort.

The young man's shoulders drop but he just nods, finally having his ability to talk returned.

"Do we want to know?" Rias wanted to know but she could hold back her amusement for a friend.

"I think I do." Akeno hadn't the same courtesy.

"My father is paranoid and that rubbed on my mother." That was all Shirou had to say about the subject.

After an hour of rest they left the club room and entered deeper in the forest. Shirou was carrying three bags while everyone else had snacks and bottles of water, looking at his future/past opponent the redhead wondered how she was going to fight, he would be ready if she was going to go with her hands but Shirou was sure she used a weapon of some kind.

Suddenly Rias signaled everyone to stop while she approached a tree and made a magic seal on it. Soon most of the trees had disappeared and they were in a clearing. "This is our official training ground. You can go nuts here and I will warn if the boundary field has any troubles."

"Impressive." Setsuna commented looking around.

"Bigger than our backyard." Liz gives a thumbs up.

"Is no one else going to comment how we have one of those in the woods close to a school?" Shirou questioned.

"Shirou, you know the size of the property." Rias said, feeling smug. "Are you really surprised that every devil here has their own space?"

Shirou lets out a sigh. "Please tell me this field repeals normal people."

"Of course it does. That is a given." Rias assured him. "It was made for only the Gremory Clan can get access or those under our protection, speaking of which." The devil picks Shirou's hand and starts to use energy on her fingers while making some motions. After she was finished the emblem of Gremory was on the back of his hand before disappearing. "Now you can use this place and any other Gremory owned facility. If a devil or anyone else disturbs you you can also show it by just willing some mana at the back of your hand."

Testing it a few times the others got a towel and places prepared, it looked like they would have a picnic while the fight happened. Setsuna was looking around looking for something and the others didn't notice for a few moments until Koneko asked. "Something wrong?"

Unlike the majority once Koneko sat down her eyes were focused on both Shirou and Setsuna and to her the hanyou actions were weird. "I am looking for a proper weapon."

"Proper weapon Setsuna-san?" Kiba looked around. "What do you mean by that?"

"I fight with a naginata." She was still looking around. "But I couldn't bring my own to Fuyuki but I am sure a good piece of wood would be enough."

Shirou raised an eyebrow and started to look around his bags. "If you had told us sooner we could provide you with one." Rias mentioned. "Akeno, let's go to the school to see if we can find a training one."

"Don't bother. If I can't find a good one I can use my fists." Setsuna was almost quitting looking anyway. "I am better with a naginata but-"

"This one will do?" Everyone looked to Shirou who was holding said weapon in hand. The differences of a naginata, a lance or spear were many depending on who is asked but the blade of the a naginata could be described as a small sword. The body was blue, big enough that it was the size of the girl and it was polished and well taken care of with no ornaments, an utilitarian weapon if anything else.

"Why do you have a naginata on your bag?" Rias asks and then Shirou shows the contents for all to see.

"Every weapon has a purpose, an advantage or disadvantage." He begins saying while opening the other bags. "To practice, I learned to forge almost every kind of weapon. I know their weaknesses, their strengths and how to fight them."

Inside both bags was a mess of weapons of many types, swords, axes, sais and knives. The bag was almost bursting to the point that everyone deduced the bags must have been reinforced to not fall apart.

"I didn't know how she fought but since I have to give my best I brought every weapon I ever made and was going to use the most appropriate in my opinion." While Shirou explained everyone looked at the weapons, admiring their quality. "So… is that one good enough?"

Impressed, Setsuna snapped to attention, collecting the weapon she started to make some katas, testing the weight and balance. "Kiba," Rias called her knight, "do me a favor and go get your sword."

The Knight raised an eyebrow but had no reason to disagree. "Sure thing Buchou."

"And Kiba." The blonde stopped walking to look at her. "Do be fast. I have a fun idea."

While everyone else got ready to watch the show Shirou watched as Setsuna practiced with her new weapon. So far he could say she was skilled and was able to adjust herself just fine, either his naginata was similar to her own or she was used to training with different ones… or she is skilled enough that there was not enough difference to impair her.

Taking his time he watches her katas, they were not flawless but she was getting better with each and every move. He could estimate that wasn't her top speed but for every moment he watched he grew sure of something. 'I will have to play defense and try for an opening.' With that thought he selected his weapons, two swords.

One bigger than the other, the first was similar to a roman gladius and was the bigger one of the pair, not big enough to be a two hand sword but enough to be half of his arm. The shorter one was slim, one sided and light as a feather, a weapon that could be used by an assassin if they wanted.

These were Shirou's initial weapons, by using them like this he can save mana and stamina and if they break he can remake them or change to others. The focus there was defense.

Setsuna watched his choices and gave him a nod. Even if the swords were different Shirou made them and she was not underestimating him. This would be the first time she fought someone with two swords at the same time, it was not an easy thing to do and most prefered to focus on one single sword.

Both looked to Rias, indicating for her to give a signal and the redhead devil smiled, got up and said. "Before we begin let's give Kiba a moment to get back-" She barely finished talking and Kiba showed up with his sword.

Shirou recognized it as Holy Eraser but it was not the same sword, it was but it wasn't. His structural analyses told him that the steel was made anew on the underworld during training being immediately used to block a strike from another blade.

Part of him was confused because his mind was fighting against the concept of a different sword being the same sword. 'It was… the Jason's Boat problem wasn't it?' It was a riddle he heard once, as of if all the parts of a boat were replaced if it was still the same boat or not.

But there was not a single piece or part of the old sword there, it wasn't reforged using old metal, it just spanned in existence by the use of Kiba's sacred gear. He couldn't glimmer anything from the gear itself but his eyes could get that from it.

"Why did you need my sword Buchou?" Kiba wondered and the King smiled more.

"It's not me who needs it but you. Here is my proposal." Rias steps forward and stands between the three still on their feet. "A 1v1v1."

'What?' Most of the audience thought but nobody voiced their doubts for a bit until Akeno asked.

"Buchou… aren't you rushing things a bit?" Liz and Koneko nodded in agreement.

"But it is a perfect solution." Rias started to move around. "I wanted Shirou and Kiba to spar for months now but Setsuna got to him first. If they just fight Kiba will have an advantage if he watches, and the same is in reverse."

"I… could just leave and come back later." Kiba suggested.

Rias was having none of that. "But then you will be left out of the fun of the first match or Setsuna would be. As president of the Occult Research Club and your King I can't have that." The girl gestures to Shirou." Anything against it?" The question was so out of nowhere that automatically Shirou shook his head. The devil then turns to Setsuna. "And you?" She was also surprised by the turn of events and stayed silent making Rias take that as an acceptance. "There you go."

"Fine." Shirou finally found his voice. "Fine. I have no problems with it if Setsuna doesn't."

"I don't mind. It will make this more entertaining."

Kiba takes a deep breath and steps forward while Rias goes to sit with the rest. "I am sorry. Buchou can be a bit…"

"Pushy?" Shirou suggested.

"Intense." Was the blonde reply.

"Ready?" Rias' voice covered the clearing and everyone took their positions."Fight to your heart's content but if you receive a debilitating wound you are out! I will personally pull the defeated off!" Once it was clear that there were no disagreements Rias shouts. "BEGIN!"

The three fighters stood in a triangle shape, none really close to the other. Shirou kept his previous swords while Kiba drew his, Setsuna was holding the naginata with both hands. None of them charged or attacked recklessly, the addition of a third fighter changed the dynamic of the fight.

For a few moments they all just stood there, neither given nothing away while plans ran in their heads. In a fight like this the first move can be suicidal and if the idea of losing was already unpleasant then the idea of being the first defeated in a three way match was worse.

They couldn't just stand there for the whole day, not for the lack of patience but there was the possibility their opponent was already preparing some move. The eyes of each fighter jumped around, their feets steady and ready for counters but they all were hesitating in caution of attacks from the remaining fighter.

In the case of such situations it was common for the ones with more options to do the first move to capitalize the advantage, especially when they have range. Cutting the air and using her mana Setsuna shouts. "SCOURGE OF SWALLONS!" 6 green lines of energy are shot from her vertical slash in Shirou's direction at high speeds.

The redhead barely had time to react when the attack hit the ground around him, taking away his vision. He jumps back expecting a follow up that never came, instead what came was the noise of metal hitting metal.

Kiba didn't take his eyes off Setsuna once she launched the attack, it could either distract Shirou or take him out and he knew he was the next target. Caution was rewarded when she launched herself at him, covering the distance between them in a single leap and going for a stab that Kiba managed to parry.

Not being deterred the ravenhead keeps going for multiple stabs, trusting that her weapon gave her the advantage in this position while the Knight's sword was a two handed european on that didn't focus on speed or counters. The blonde youth was fast enough to keep up with her rhythm, a feat born from both training and his Evil Piece, that allowed him to lock the naginata on the ground only for the woman to kick him on the torso.

Setsuna then turns around just in time to block an overhead attack from Shirou and has to move the naginata to redirect the other weapon. She had to keep countering while Shirou alternated his attacks, trying to get a solid hit.

Kiba recovered and got back into the action but runned around to get both his opponents to the side forcing a disengagement. Once the Knight got a swing in the magus retreated but the hanyou changed her target.

Letting go of his smaller sword the magus shouts. "TRACE ON!" The aria announced the use of circuits as Shirou made knives on his hand and threw them at both.

To them they were simple knives and were blocked as such, as easily as breathing for those with superhuman abilities. "So that is why she wanted us to spar." Kiba observed while racing to Shirou making the magus turn his focus to the Knight.

If Setsuna was fast like a car then Kiba could be a plane, the difference of speeds were distinct enough that Shirou had to use both swords to stop the first barrage. "You are used to one on one aren't you?" Shirou asks. While talking the redhead couldn't help but try to entrap his opponent's sword, managing it by forcing a stap with a feint to his arm.

"Yes, any problem with that?" Kiba smiled but Shirou frowed.

"Not everyone is honorable." The redhead said letting go of his swords to mess with Kiba's balance while he ran.

"Huh?" Kiba was ready to go after him but Setsuna announced herself from behind.

"You are open!" The call was on purpose, this was a spar and Setsuna wanted to give the chance for defense which Kiba took but that allowed Shirou to escape while the devil and hanyo to trade blows. "You should pay more attention around you." Was the warning before Setsuna disengaged again while more knives came from Shirou's part.

Forced to retreat Kiba started to feel frustrated, both his opponents were fighting completely different than he was used to. Shirou kept throwing knives at both of them and all Kiba can do is defend and dodge, a rarity for him since he was trained for fast offensives

His patience started to run out and after a few more minutes in trying to deal with an aggressive woman and a retreating man he decided that enough was enough.

The Knight stabs Holy Eraser to the ground and commands his sacred gear to forge another weapon. Unlike Shirou whose blades are born from teal energy Kiba just spams out of nowhere, faster and almost imperceptible with a brief flash of light that lasts one second or maybe less.

The sword that appeared on his hands was similar to Holy Eraser, european in design but a little tinner of the emerald color, without a proper guard. Swinging it with all his strength Kiba proclaims its name. "WIND MONARCH!" With the call a burst of wind is unleashed and repels all the knives while lifting a cloud of dust.

Once again Shirou found himself blind and on guard but he was ignored by both combatants as the sound of clashing weapons rang through the clearing. 'Fine by me.' He had a target in mind and moved swiftly.

Sitting on the towel the audience watched the spectacle. "Do they think Shirou is weak?" Liz asked with a frown.

"It 's not that." Rias reassured the woman. "Shirou is the most… fragile here, he can take less hits than everyone else, but he can do damage. That is why both Kiba and Setsuna are trying to keep him away and deal with each other to avoid tricks and not use lethal force."

Akeno finished eating a rice ball before she said. "It's a terrible idea to underestimate a magician but usually their defense is weak. Even us spellcasters devils fall to that rule most of the time."

Even if they didn't know exactly what Shirou can do, the fact he can make weapons was enough to be cautious. 'But he is only using knives." Koneko pointed out.

"He isn't using them, just throwing them." Liz's comment confused everyone but RIas who asked.

"They have some sort of trick?" When the taller woman nodded Rias started to look for the ones on the ground. "But they are disappearing. They can't be a set up."

"Shirou too is trying to not hurt them much." The homunculus said munching her food. "He is holding back too much against these kinds of opponents."

During the conversation the fight between Kiba and Setsuna intensified with the swordsman repelling every attack with wind blasts and had managed to cut her arm and forcing Setsuna to intensify on her approach. "SCOURGE OF SWALLONS!" Came in a much short range, the six green energy attacks faster than before, but Kiba was ready.

"WIND MONARCH!" Forming a wind barrier that forced the green blasts to disappear, that was fine for her since Kiba had to focus his energy on the wind barrier and that concentration gave her time to attack through it. The question was: is the naginata going to hold?

Covering her new weapon with her energy, Setsuna pushed until Kiba had no choice but to stop it with his sword, failing in preventing the blade of the naginata from reaching him and getting his leg.

Kiba amped up the winds to try and throw the woman out but she had no interest in retreating now that she had him. Unfortunately for her she would lose the choice on the matter.

Shirou charged in the middle of both fighters, in his hands Holy Eraser and he attacked the naginata forcing Setsuna to direct her attention to him while Kiba got away. Once the Knight was out Shirou started to attack Setsuna with both Holy Eraser and the gladius on his other hand.

While the gladius was a one hand sword, Holy Eraser definitely wasn't and if it wasn't for reinforcement he wouldn't be able to use two swords with Holy Eraser being one. 'Note to self, make swords that can work together.' At least he could say he learned something from the experience.

The surprise attack was enough to caught Setsuna and force her back and Shirou's relentless assault was pushing her further and further while she tried to find a opening to counterattack but he was just not giving her space but pushing her back, it looked reckless and desperate and Setsuna was confused why such advance.

He was attacking in any way he could always with a sword on her weapon and using the other in any other means. Shirou tried to swipe her legs only for her to block, then he went for a stab and Setsuna spun the naginata to try and repel both swords at once, only for Shiour to pull them out and back again once her motion was done.

Shirou finished his assault by using both his blades to hit the naginata at the same time forcing the hanyo once again to jump back. With that the redhead also retreated and got his own distance.

'This is getting us nowhere.' The thought came to Shirou's mind as he stepped back then looked at Kiba's leg that was bleeding but besides that the blonde looked ready to keep going. 'At this rate someone will get seriously hurt.'

Setsuna was getting ready to advance but Shirou just kept walking back trusting that Kiba wouldn't attack him on that position. 'For a devil he is too chivalrous, Shirou is using that and If I attack, odds are that Kiba will intercept me.'

There was a lull on the field where Shirou took the chance to discard the gladius closer to the spectators and started to swing Holy Eraser. Kiba was confused by the redhead's action. 'Why is he using my sword?' The blonde was confused but noticed that the magus was retreating towards him.

"Fighting in a three way match is too messy!" Shirou announced to everyone. "I don't even know who is winning!"

"Ah! Shirou, don't be like that!" Rias responded. "It has been fun so far!"

"Maybe to watch." Only Kiba heard the whisper while Shirou passed by him and kept retreating until his back was against a three.

"Then do you have a suggestion Emiya-san?" Kiba asked while Shirou placed Holy Eraser to his side and took a deep breath.

"Well… I'm going all out and hope to make a decisive maneuver to knock the two of you out!" At the declaration Kiba turned completely and Setsuna got ready, both on guard. "There is no problem destroying this place right?"

"None! Go nuts!" Everyone was curious about what he was going to do.

"I am the bone of my sword!" Circuits flare and all could see the sword that appeared in his hands. A katana that was pulsing with mana. "I never give this one a name, but if I was going to call it anything! It would be Earthbreaker!" The energy around the sword grows stronger as Shirou takes his swing, both his opponents jumping away to dodge.

They couldn't or shouldn't have bothered, his target wasn't them but the ground itself and once that sword touched the ground it released a pulse, empowered by both his reinforcement and the knowledge he had of his own blade.

Earthbreaker started the process of moving the ground and opening a huge crater, all the devils managed to unleash their wings and avoid the attempt with Liz being caught by Koneko. Setsuna wasn't so lucky but she managed to stab the naginata to a close wall to stop her freefall. Looking down she sees it wasn't that deep of a fall. "Impressive."

She starts to drop down sliding down the wall, taking the naginata with her. She couldn't help but admire the hand work since the crater actually looked natural in a way, the ground was pushed down and to the sides in a way that she never saw before.

The hole itself wasn't big, the clearing wasn't completely taken over, it still was enough to cover where everyone was. Shirou managed to change the battlefield completely but it wasn't cheap, the same way EM needs his mana to heal, the newly named Earthbreaker needed mana to move the stone and the earth.

But Shirou is satisfied, part of him feared to test that but now he finally had let his sword show all it could do. He stood there admiring his hand work when Rias landed at his side with the others. "We done?"

"I… don't know…" She looks to the crater. "Didn't you say the other swords were incomplete?"

"That is because they eat mana like mad." Shirou sits down with his back to the three while everybody approaches. Once everyone else had landed and Setsuna jumped out of the crater having climbed it after she got into a better position he continued. "Also it was not supposed to do all that. It was to help to clear rocks or, in the best case scenario, help make farming easier. Took a lot out of me to just focus on that hole."

"I don't think I can make a sword like that." Kiba was admired by Shirou's work. "I doubt I could do something similar even using all my magic. Your swords are better in that regard."

"Your swords are of better quality." The human admitted. "The metal is superior, no impurities to be found, their abilities are practically passive and you barely need to use mana on it either to use it or to keep it on the world." Shirou picks up the Holy Eraser. "You may not have the fire power but in comparison to your sacred gear, I still have a long way to go." And offers it back to Kiba who shrugs.

"You can keep that one." And made another one. "You can take the Wind Monarch as well, I prefer to train with this one."

Shirou was about to refuse when his naginata appeared in front of his face. "Next time let's have a proper match, one on one." Setsuna declared and made a motion to give him his naginata back.

"You can… keep that." And with that Shirou lets out a sigh, there would be no returning the swords to Kiba. "If this one is not good enough, tell me you preferences and I will make one better."

"The size and weight are fine, it is just… How do I say this?" Setsuna didn't know how to explain the problem but Shirou knew.

"It's the steel, right?" Many looked confused by this but Setsuna nodded.

"It's the best steel that I ever holded and used. As a weapon used against humans it is exceptional but it is still just steel." Kiba was about to protest when he felt a bite on his arm and looked to Akeno giving him a smile while using EM, once the surprised died down he protested at the statement

"All of my swords are also made of steel and they work just fine against any threats."

Both human and hanyou looked at each other for a few seconds and said at the same time. "Sacred gear." No one countered that statement. Sacred gears were powers beyond normal comprehension, it was not weird for them to surpass most similar things by just existing.

"Take this sword for exemple." Shirou raised Holy Eraser once again. "It's too perfect, no flaws in its making, the steel is literally so pure and well developed that I would need a lab or a factory to get close." That was a fact that he had to accept. "Because of my limits with steel I started to add magic and other things to the weapons. In versatility I believe you are still better when it comes to swords but my swords can go farther in terms of variability."

Kiba stopped to think about it for a moment and could only nod, it made sense that his swords were inherently better, they may be demonic in nature but they were still made with a tool of God. In a way his weapons were already perfect and he just needed to grow himself to make use of their perfection while Shirou had to build from the ground up.

"You don't look upset from that." The observation from Rias brought Kiba out of his thoughts.

"There are plenty of weapons of legend made from steel and other materials that could beat this one." Out of his head Shirou could think of quite a few. Excalibur was famous even among magicians as the ultimate weapon said to have been made either by the world itself or by fairies, Durandina, later turned into Durandal, was said to be unbreakable and only with God's assistance the spear could become a sword, Balmung that managed to cut the hide of a dragon becoming even stronger with its owner… "There are also weapons that can be made from great beasts and are strongest because of it."

"And that is why we got plenty of materials for you to try." Rias said with a smile.

"Any dragon bones or fangs? Usually they are the go to in myths… or would be history?" The older redhead chuckled.

"Unfortunately not since dragons are a species in extinction." Looking towards the crater Rias lets out a more depressed chuckle before asking. "Anything you can do about that?" Everyone else was staring at the damage.

"The clearing is… kind ruined." Akeno pointed out.

"Messy." Liz says and Koneko nods in affirmative. "That is why Iri-sama supervises his tests."

"Oya, is there a story to tell?" Shirou couldn't even stop her because if Akeno didn't get the story now she would be with his mother later. Resigned, he let Liz talk.

"He almost burned down the kitchen with his knives and when his electric sword got done and his father got him a generator to a desk he destroyed his workshop… twice." That surprised everyone.

"Never said I was a good magus, I can only try and see what works." Seeing that his comment didn't help he said. "I got better. Haven't destroyed the forge or damaged the house in a year."

"Right… Just to be safe we are going to test anything outside." Rias declared. "Once this place is patched up. We can use that until them no more spars."

Setsuna raises an eyebrow and asks. "Regretting your decisions Gremory-san?"

"Mistakes were made." The sigh the King let out was self deprecating. "I knew Kiba's limits and legitimately thought this would be smaller since no one wanted to really hurt each other." Observing the results of Shirou's last gamble Rias sighed again. "Mistakes were made."

"Well, that was all much fun but we all should go and rest." Akeno got everyone's attention on that.

"And the mess?" Shirou felt guilty about the damage he made.

"It all looks just sunken down, I am sure I can get someone to fix this." Rias knew some people with enough skill with earth to fix the damage. "I can even pay a magician to deal with this crater later."

"So… who won?" Koneko asked. The fighters looked at each other and said.

""No one!""

While the devils were doing their contracts Liz and Setsuna offered to help Shirou on the forge. Liz was still the stronger of the three and could carry and hold the most of the materials while Setsuna showed that she had some knowledge on what some of the parts did, more on the yokai ones but it was still useful.

Shirou studied the whole week what each bone, mineral and gem could and couldn't magically do. He also had some samples of human made materials like titanium to work with using the ley line empowered fire. All of that was on the effort of making weapons that can hold magic inside them and be used by anyone.

"So what is the name of the smith who made your naginata?" Asked Shirou between the hammering of a new sword.

"Totosai, he is the greatest yokai blacksmith ever born." Monitoring the fire the raven haired girl used her magic to help keep it steady. "He used my father's fang to make it and it is a powerful weapon carrying some of his own power."

"Hmm." Shirou just kept hitting the hammer while Liz holded the metal for him, everyone was using light clothes with gloves for protection but Liz was the one less bothered by the impacts and the heat.

On the white haired woman's face was a look of pure concentration while Shirou was struggling to forge his new creation. "Weren't you gonna make new tools first?" Setsuna asked, recognizing that a sword was being made.

"I'm testing the ley line." Better yet, he was testing how he could use it. The fact that his mana was being replenished and his circuits were barely making an effort. One hand on a hammer, the other above his creation Shirou keeps going. "I just wished I could use more spells."

Using reinforcement constantly was easy for him but trying to use it to both work and also add it to a weapon was proving to be futile. Deciding to go for the next best thing, Shirou reinforced his body and tools to make sure his work was flawless while applying another of his spells on its creation.

"You two need a break?" While Shirou wasn't bothered, maybe the two women were. Leysritt blinked but shook her head while Setsuna just shrugged. "Setsuna, if you want you can go and do other stuff."

"I have nothing to do right now. Everyone in this club has a job while I am just here…" It wasn't clear for the others on the forge if that bothered her or not.

"Have you looked at the other clubs?" They kept working, still new at working together but it was a start.

"They all were interested but it was too easy." Frustration clear on her voice.

"Try other kinds of clubs." Liz suggests snapping out of her concentrated state. "Go for something new. Something you never tried. You may like it."

Shirou wasn't surprised by Liz's insight, while Sella was the 'smart twin' as they both admitted to it, Liz was observant. She needed to be since she was the fighter of the duo. Thinking about Sella made him think about Ilya and the rest of his family, that almost distracted him but he steeled himself.

On the other hand Setsuna stopped working on the fire to think about the suggestion. "Setsuna?" Shirou calls her once he notices it.

"Ah. Sorry! I was just thinking about that."

"It 's fine. I also was planning to look at other clubs but I will admit this is more…" Shirou missed the word.

After a few seconds the hanyou asked. "Rewarding?"

"Yes. It feels good to be doing something productive in a way or another but I also can see the appeal of doing something you just find fun." That gave Shirou an idea. "That is it! Try to find something you can have fun with. Just fun. Nothing else."

It was hypocrite of him to suggest that since instead of looking for something fun for himself he found a job instead, he was not doing the same thing he did on Homurahara since there was not as much fault equipment or the need of someone constantly fixing things but he was still doing something not for the fun of it but with a purpose. If anyone asks Shirou would say he was having fun and it was true but it was exhausting, gruelling work and stressful both mentally and physically.

Liz gave him a deadpan stare but Shirou didn't notice, still focused on his work and paying close attention to his body to make sure that everything was okay. He couldn't analyse himself the whole time but every twenty seconds or so he would use the spell.

If he was trying to make a normal sword he would be done by that point. However he had tried to imbud it with a spell, when that failed he started to use the spell and make a sword around it and more than once he would have to remove the sword, check it from and break the sword and make it again and again until it had a suitable and stable form.

This process was harder than the rest but doable, for now it was just steel then he is going to test the more sensitibles materials and the harder ones to use. 'I can do it. Just a little more."

In her office, the center of their club Rias sat down, drinking tea and reading a manga. If it was a book it would be fitting for her 'image' but she was sure that she would be alone for at least a few couple of hours and had time to catch up with her passion or just read one of the many editions she hides on her table.

It was not that she felt shame from her passion or had a problem with her taste, it was just that she used the excuse of working to read them instead of going around doing more contracts. If she wished Rias could relax her standards to be summoned and do more minor tasks or maybe allowed herself to be summoned for company.

But Rias Gremory refused to compromise her manga time, she made sure that the reports were done after dinner and once everyone was out she just sat there and enjoyed a nice cup of tea and a good story.

Turning a page she chuckles a bit, it was a violent story, a story of a family that started with two brothers and couldn't stop itself from entering in conflicts. Her favorite series and an excellent way to pass her time-

"RIAS! I DID!" The door opens so fast the young woman almost spit her tea in the manga, she couldn't help but let it fall to the ground.

"SHIROU! EVER HEARD OF KNOCKING?" There was no way that she could keep her composure after that sudden entrance. Indeed she hadn't grown used to others staying behind with her yet. "Wait! You did what?"

The first reaction confused Shirou but he soon smiled and approached her table showing her a knife. "I managed to make a new weapon with a spell!" It was a dagger, it was pristine and recently polished.

"Really? Already?" The devil could say she was impressed.

"Yes! I and it's a new one! It was so fast and so easy compared to EM that is not even funny!" The dagger didn't look special, it was the type one would use to commit a mugger if anything else. "With the others' help it was really easy."

"Great! And where are they?" Rias looked to the door but the girls that had gone to help him were not around.

"Liz is using the new shower and Setsuna said she was going home." Approaching the desk Shirou offers her the dagger and Rias can't help her curiosity.

"You used only steel right?"

"Just to make sure I could, it was an experiment. Once I find a good enough material I plan to use the EM to make others of itself." The idea was that if the ley line would allow him to use magic beyond his normal limits he could use the scalpel to make more of it.

"And… what is the spell in it?" Even if it is a smaller one Rias was getting excited to know.

With a smile Shirou touched the table with the tip, it was a small stab but it was enough that Rias eyebrows raised a bit. "Structural Analysis." With blue glow the whole table is covered with a circuitry like appearance. "Your table has a total of 9 drawers, 4 on each side, 1 hidden. Inside the top ones you have different kinds of documents, with ones regarding deals on the left are the ones regarding the city. School material on the-"

"STOP!" Rias grabs his hand and pulls out the dagger from the table. "Okay… give me the dagger." He did. "How much… did you see?"

Confused with the devil's question Shirou said. "It's not a sword, it takes a good time for me to process everything. If you want you can test it."

"No, it's fine." Rias sits back down. "So now it is just a matter of finding the right material? That may take a while."

"Absolutely." While his latest work was examined Shirou to think on the next part. "First is to separate the best materials, then figure out what does what by adding spells. With luck I can find some that will accept spells easier."

The heiress gives him a nod. "Just remember to pace yourself. Don't do anything stupid." Returning the dagger she waits for Shirou to reassure her. The way he didn't gave her confidence.

"Don't worry about it, Liz is keeping an eye on me." And Shirou knew that she wouldn't hesitate to scold him if he did too much but she herself didn't know how to set a good rhythm.

"Then go home and rest for the night, your mana may be fine but you have to be tired."

"I feel fine, like I could run a marathon." She was not buying that.

"Shirou, remember the first stray you met?" He could never forget. "While the workshop is made to avoid such a situation happening with you please remember that no one was made to deal with that much mana."

"But I feel fine, great even."

"Yes, that is normal and it was supposed to be like that but your body still runs on nutrients, your muscles can still tear apart by excess and you still need to sleep." Rias then gives him a small smile. "Or you can become like the stray, a mutation of mana." A small lie, there were a lot of safeguards to avoid such outcome but he didn't need to know that.

Remembering the flautist gave chills on Shirou's spine. "Please tell me that is a joke."

"Maybe. Or maybe you should pace yourself." Knowing to take his defeats, Shirou nods. "Great. Go home and rest for the night. Tomorrow is sunday so use it to rest."

"Fair enough I suppose." Shirou turns to leave but before he is completely out of the door he looks back. "By the way Rias, why is your secret compartment full of manga?"

The devil froze and said nothing for a good thirty seconds being paralyzed by the revelation that Shirou noticed her collection.

"Rias? You alright?"

'Quick, redirect him.' A plan springs on her mind. "I am fine, just tired. Thinking on just letting everyone do one contract today and go to sleep early."

Rias knew that if she made some abrupt reaction Shirou wouldn't forget this interaction, if he remembers the occasion she can say that there were sensitive documents around even if there weren't any since she kept those into a safe hidden in the clubroom.

"Okay... Going to get Liz and leave... Good night Rias." He moves to pick his bags on the floor while Rias keeps her smile. Once he was gone Rias lets out the breath she didn't notice she was holding. She manages to hold back until she feels he left the property before getting up from her desk in a panic.

"He knows… Shirou knows…" The heiress of Gremory gets up and starts pacing on her office. "I can't let him tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain, an image that I need to present."

Lots of thoughts passed around her mind of how people would react if they knew that she may love Japan and its culture a bit too much. It was fine for her family to know but if she learned anything from living with Akeno is that people can tease someone about anything or use it in lots of ways.

She already was panicking thinking of the possibilities of Shirou mentioning to someone that she had a huge manga collection and if the high society of the underworld knew she would be humiliated.

'Think… This has a solution, a work around. Shirou could just forget it.' She was legitimately worried about him and maybe that is what he would take from their conversation, she was just worried and nothing else. 'If my worry is all he takes from this, good… but if isn't?'

With her luck Rias was used up to chance but there was no need to risk, specially because Shirou wouldn't see any comments about her hobby as anything harmful and that was dangerous. She is a high class devil, her name had power, meaning but it was up to 'Rias Gremory' to confirm that meaning and to make something out of herself. Being seen as weak was not good in many levels, more than usual for her considering her status, her brother status and the problem she is going to deal with once she graduates.

"What I need is something to distract him, even if just a bit. Enough that he will forget this completely." Rias tries to think for a bit on how she could accomplish such events without damaging her relationship with Shirou as well as not interrupting his work.

An idea, she just needed a good idea to get something going that can catch the leftovers of Shirou's attention and have him forget what he 'saw'.

While she debated the pros and cons the Gremory emblem on the ground lets out a glow and someone returned making Rias smile, but at the return of one of her cute peerage members as an idea forms on her mind to benefit many parts at the same time.

…..

In France, to be more specific, a restaurant in the city of lights were a man and a woman. The lady had an almost ethereal beauty, red eyes and long almost silver like hair while the man looked completely out of place on the passage, dressed in black with his hair unkempt.

They were husband and wife. Opposites in many senses but that is what made them click and at the time they were on a date. "I really love french food." Iri commented, enjoying a classic croissant. "I'm really happy we had work here today."

"I'm just happy it was a simple job." Emiya Kiritsugu drank from a cup of coffee, even in the actual setting there was an edging on his posture.

"Stop being grumpy Kiri. It was an easy one and nobody died."

'Nobody died that day but many died before.' Kiritsugu couldn't help but think. "A cursed portrait… I think I can officially say I have seen everything."

In the last couple of weeks both had organized a hunt for a mysterious serial killer that killed by draining the life force of individuals around the area of Paris. What made the incident supernatural was the fact that people were all being killed in the same way every 30 or so years.

Since the method of homicide was already bizarre enough, the fact that they happened in the span of three centuries was enough for a lot of people to notice. Unfortunately it wasn't one of the usual suspects. It wasn't a spirit or devil or vampire, it was a painting and it had targets.

At the surface there was no connection between the victims and through the years there were quite a few of them nothing was found in between the many powers of the world that bothered to look into it.

It wasn't until a shaman that worked with Kiritsugu called him and told him the name of the next victim that a pattern emerged and with that they tracked down the painting and burned it once and for all.

"Slow down Iri." The mercenary asked his wife.

"But Kiri, this is so delicious!" She motions to feed one of her treats. "Have one! You shouldn't just be drinking coffee all day. It is practically your blood." The baked good was getting closer. "Say 'ah~'."

Considering everything, Kiritsugu did the only thing he could. "Ah." It was blunt but he did open his mouth and took a bite of the food, leaving his wife satisfied for the time being.

"It's great right?" She finishes the one she was having and moves to another, all with a huge smile plastered on her face.

The man just stayed silent, not sharing his thoughts but the woman knew he liked it. The small lifting of his lips were proof enough.

"Sir." Approaching them was a woman in a suit and Irisviel smiled at her until she saw the files on her hand.

"Kiri, you said no work today." Iri sighed and then looked at the woman. "And you should know better than to indulge him Maya."

The black haired woman takes a deep breath and then replies. "It's important Irisviel."

"I don't care. Today was to be our break."

"Still important." The two women glare at each other, while Kiritsugu just reads the file while taking his coffee.

'Hmm, no news from where the painting came from, all the leads dried out.' That was bad news, really bad news. 'Someone is playing the long game.' How long it was the man had no idea, it started much earlier than he had been born but still it was being played.

Inside the file was the confirmation he was waiting for, the proof that the targets were connected. They all were descendents of the same man, every single one of them came from a line of kings. It was not exact which king it was but it was one that existed before Christ.

This was not the first operation of this kind. Reports are going in saying that many kinds of descendents of the same king have been killed throughout history. 'But why?' The two women were pulling each other's cheeks when Kiritsugu asked. "Nothing else in this case?"

The question calmed down both the black and white haired women who acted like nothing happened. "Yes. Unfortunately we haven't figured out who was the king or who was killing his descents but the lab confirmed that the shaman was right and all of them had some divine blood in them."

"It could be some old vengeance that just lasted until the modern day." Irisviel may be correct on that observation and both of the others considered the possibility.

If so then there was nothing that they could do, as far as they knew the issue may already be solved… "Either way the painting case is solved." 'For now'. The mercenary finished on his mind. "Maya… about the other thing."

The short haired woman's posture changed, she stepped back taking some distance from her counterpart. "I am sorry sir but there is nothing that falls under your specifications at the moment."

"I see." During the short exchange Irisviel didn't understand what was happening but once she realized that was on purpose she also realized what it was really about.

"No!"

"Iri." He tried to calm her down but his wife was not having it.

"No means no Kiritsugu! Don't drag Shirou on this! Not in this part of this world." She gestured for the empty restaurant because that was just one of the exemple of the lengths the mercenary had to go to protect his family.

"He already is part of this world. Now it is up to us to help him survive in it."

"Don't think I didn't noticed how Illya changed, everyone did! She was such a happy child before-"

"She wanted to go to the Clocktower." Kiritsugu interjected, his eyes cold. "The kind of monsters that live there… I wouldn't allow her to go unprepared."

"Even then Shirou is not going… please… He is not like us." The woman was almost crying. "He is a good kid."

Taking a deep breath Kiritsugu got up. "We still have work to do before we go back to Japan." The man made some hand signals and his people started to work on normalizing the area. "If he truly stays out of trouble then I won't interfere." His wife blinked, waiting to see if she heard right. "I will let the devil handle things for now and only act directly if his life is in danger."

"And training?" Fear filled her voice.

"If the devil does her part," the mercenary pondered, "and if he really doesn't go too deep I see no need to train him."

The relief poured out of the woman as she smiled at her husband. "Thank you Kiri." Maya looked at him with a raised eyebrow but he ignored it. "You also need to talk with Shirou about the… Magus Killer thing. But don't worry! I will make sure to explain anything you leave out!"

And that was a conversation that Kiritsugu was not looking forward to. He didn't when it was with Illya and is not going with Shirou but it was necessary.

A cellphone ringtone is played and before he even checked his pockets Irisviel already had her phone on her hand. "Sir?" Maya distracts him from the conversation. "Are you sure it is a good idea to leave your son with devils?"

"Neither do I but it was his decision." A decision he didn't approve of but as a father he can't hold his children's hands forever. "Besides the Gremory have a habit of growing overly attached to their allies, sometimes even their enemies. Keep an eye on them but besides that let them do as they want."

The black car outside was waiting and the three of them stepped inside, a driver already in position, something Kiritsugu convinced his wife it was for the best so they didn't have to grow used to a city they didn't know much about. The fact that was their third or fourth visit to Paris was irrelevant to him.

Once they all were in the car he noticed that Irisviel looked satisfied with something. "Was it something important?"

"You could say that Shirou is going to get some more company while we are out. I sure hope they get together!"

And there goes her again playing matchmaker. 'Good grief. Shirou, I hope whatever scheme your mother has cooked up you can hold on.' Or maybe he will get in a relationship.

Either or he was sure Irisviel was going to find it funny.

…..

Ever since most of the family had gone to explore the world the Sundays of the family household have become dull.

There was no rush or hurry to do anything, once Shirou finished doing the chores and some exercise he would just spend time with Leysritt, playing games or watching TV or even looking for something funny online.

From time to time the homunculus would also help him with what she could just to starve out her own boredom, at the moment both of them were finishing with the dishes. They had their own pace and rhythm and together they were at peace for the moment.

Sundays weren't always like this, once they would go out as a family or he would work with his sister to build something together, even if they failed it was fun but now with just two people they find themselves with little to do.

It wasn't like they were incompatible, it was just that they did everything during the week or even during the school since they were also student and teacher. The only thing they were left with was to enjoy each other's company.

Not that they complained. There was never conflict between them during their whole coexistence, if anything they matched. Shirou liked to be active whenever he could while Liz liked to relax when there wasn't any urgency to do something.

"And that is the last one." Shirou announced passing the last plate for Liz to dry it. "What do you want to do now?"

The woman stopped for a bit to think. "Want to play-" The doorbell rings.

"I got it." Shirou moved to the door while drying his hands. 'Visitors… who could they be? Do we have tea? Since Illya left we stopped buying soda… I may have to change that.'

While beating himself for the possibility of being unable to be a good host Shirou opened the door and there was her.

"Morning Emiya-kun, or should I call you sensei now?" The woman had a huge smile on her-

"What?"

"Oh my! Didn't your mother call you? Or maybe you should call her more." Shirou could see the expression the young woman had, the posture screamed that he was about to be teased.

"Wait! Hold on a minute. You called my mom? She called you?" The red head boy was trying to keep his head straight at that point.

"But of course! Remember we talked yesterday about the possibility I may have circuits?" He didn't forget it, it was a possibility that even he was curious about. "Buchou had this excellent idea to get a magus to make a check-up but you are the only one close we can trust but then she reminded me of you magnificent mother."

'Oh god, what had she done?' Shirou couldn't stop the thought of popping on his head. What his mouth said was: "I don't understand HImejima-san."

"Simple: You are going to check if I have magic circuits and if I do you are going to teach me magecraft." The satisfaction on her face was noticeable.

"That is a terrible idea."

"Not at all, you are just going to show me the basics." The smile didn't diminish.

"'To be a magus is to walk with death'" Shirou couldn't help but refer to the old saying.

"And as a devil I laugh at it. Fufufu."

"I don't even know how to check for circuits, much less teaching." He was running out of options and they both knew it.

However the reality was that the moment his mother was involved he already had no choice. "Your mother told me exactly where the book that can help with that is. And after that you are going to teach me the basics." Her smile remained the same but she was feeling even more amused. "Here is a tip; it has to do with Structural Analyses. Your speciality right?"

He had one final trick. "And what about your contracts? Do you have time for this?" He knew his last gamble failed when she just tilted her head a bit and asked.

"Are you saying I can't manage my time?" She got him. "Are your Sundays free?"

"Yes but Sunday alone is not enough to learn magecraft. It will take years!" He tried to reason with her. "Magecraft is completely different from the other magic systems. That is the main reason it's not as much practiced. The others are easier!"

She nods, accepting his point. "But it is the best system for spell creation and enchantment. Since the Evil Piece system is still too new, no one tried to learn magecraft as a devil and no magus is known for becoming a devil."

Shirou started to massage his temples while Akeno just stood there, still smiling. "I'm not getting out of this am I?"

"You are the only magus around we trust." Akeno said sincerely. "And your mother gave permission." That she said mischiefly.

"What you want to learn I can't teach. I barely can do anything other than my own brand of magecraft." It was his last attempt.

"But you know the basics right?" He nods. "Then let 's begin."

Finding the book his mother referred to was easy, it was in his sister's workshop and besides cleaning it Shirou didn't change anything out of place for long. The safest option was using formalcraft, the use of ritual circles, to make sure nothing would go wrong.

When the three present setted up the circle it was time for dinner and they decided to start after eating.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Shirou asked. "We don't know how the Evil Piece will react to the attempt."

"Beelzebub-sama said that there were no risks." Akeno assured him, she entered his workshop dressed as a miko with the traditional white haori with red accents, a red hakama and a pair of zori with white tabi. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Because you would be embarrassed if I was naked during the ritual right?" For the first time that day her teasing failed.

"Let me make myself clear on this." Shirou looks the devil right in the eyes. "There is going to be no way back from this. Every secret that your body holds I will know. I won't know your whole story but if you have something intimate that you didn't want anyone to know I will."

Akeno froze, her confidence waived for the first time Shirou ever met her, even Liz noticed the change of composure. There are moments in a woman's life that Shirou wanted to respect, her privacy was hers not his.

The ritual in itself was minimalistic, it was made to help him find the circuits while keeping many of the details of her life hers but not all, it couldn't filter everything.

The thing is that what Shirou wanted to respect was not what Akeno wanted to protect, she actually didn't even think about it since the real secret she had was far more damning. Remembering it was enough for her to hesitate.

At that moment she wanted to do what Rias was doing, trust that Shirou could deliver and let luck dictate her fate. The suggestion of finding magic circuits was tempting but there is a thing she was ashamed about that makes her hesitate.

'Well… What do I do?' Rias suggested she call Irisviel, it was her who worked to get hold of the Maou to make sure the procedure was going to be safe.

In reality Akeno didn't need circuits, her magic worked well enough. Yes, her lighting magic…

The Queen takes a deep, calming breath. "Leysritt-san… could you please leave me and Emiya-kun alone?"

"No." It was simple, it was soft and it was the answer that Liz gave.

"Liz… please leave us." When Shirou asked however she gave a nod and started to leave.

"I will be at the door." And she closes it behind her.

There was only one chair in his workshop but Shirou easily projected another and offered Akeno to sit. She didn't refuse. "I am not human… or better yet, I never have been fully human."

Shirou waited for her to talk but she stayed silent. After ten minutes of both just staring at each other the redhead decides to ask. "That is it?"

"It's a little more complicated… I just don't want to talk about it."

"Then don't." He offered.

"Hum?"

"Look, whatever the problem is, if you want to talk, I can hear you. I won't judge or anything like that." After a pause he continued. "But if you think I have a problem with it or I'm gonna tell someone, don't worry. We can even make a magic contract, a geas, if you want to. I promise to not say anything if I find something."

The raven haired girl paused for a full minute before she started to laugh out loud. "My, my. Your mother is right, you are too kind for your own good." Getting up the devil moves to the center of the circle and sits in it looking back at him. Shirou took it as his cue to start while she removed the haori leaving herself exposed. "Please be gentle."

The teasing tone was back but Shirou was focused on his work and simply placed a hand on the woman's back, she felt the warm hand first before the heat spread through her torso to the tip of her toes and the last thread of hair.

Pain. She felt pain out of nowhere and for a second she almost panicked before remembering that it was normal. Manipulating the mana of the world was easier than controlling one of oneself and a devil wouldn't need half of the troubles or the efforts a magus needed to pass to use their spells.

She felt Shirou's own mana working, she could tell that something was happening because of her experience. It was-

"It 's done." His voice came suddenly for her.

"Already?" He raised an eyebrow at her observation. Looking at his watch he comments.

"We have been working for half an hour." That was surprising for her.

"I… barely noticed." Getting up she could feel her legs and almost fell down but Shirou held her arm to stop her.

"Calm down for a bit, we know what is different about you yet."

"Did you find them? Magic circuits?" He stayed silent for a few seconds and right when she thought the suspense was going to kill her he says.

"41 unused circuits. A good number for someone that doesn't have a mage lineage."

Good was an understatement and they both knew it, it was excellent but considering she admitted to not being fully human there was an argument that it may even be normal for her. "How do I use them?"

"Later, you need to rest for now." That and she would have to learn the basics of triggers, control and… "Does your mana control extend to your circuits?"

The question caught the woman by surprise but she tested it for a bit. "No… they are different, I can feel a flow of mana now that they are open but it's not the same."

Neither could explain what all of that was about, Shirou sighs. "Look, I will give some books for you to start Himejima-san but please only train with me around. Until you get a hold of magecraft it's too risky for you to practice by yourself."

She only nodded at his piece of wisdom and once her footing was stead asked him. "Does it always hurt to use magecraft?"

"Only if you do it in a reckless manner. Don't worry, I will explain everything later." And there is a lot of explaining to do.

"Thank you for that Emiya-kun… did you found anything unusual-"

"Stop." He interrupted her. "In front of me is just Himejima Akeno, no more and no less and that is the only thing that matters."

Akeno lost her ability to speak at that moment. Surprised by Shirou's attitude she decides to give him a smile but it was different from all the others, it was pure and carried unrestrained joy, for someone like Shirou who managed to keep his focus constantly since they started preparing for the ritual it was enough to bring his more human side out and admire her smile.

"Thank you." The happiness on her voice complimented her smile. "I suppose I have to call you sensei now." She repeats her observation.

"You are still my senpai in many things Himejima-san."

"Akeno, please. Call me Akeno." Rias asking to call her by her first name is not strange, that is more a show of respect and part of the japanese culture. But a japanese woman asking the same is another case.

"Then… call me Shirou." But his mother raised a gentleman, if that is what she wants the son of the Emiya family will respect her. Since Shirou now had some sensitive information about the woman before him he found it fair to share something about himself. "27."

"Hm?" Akeno didn't understand the meaning of the number.

"It's the number of circuits I have, 27." Secrecy is paramount in the supernatural and to a magus that goes double. Usually the number could be irrelevant when one took into account crests that passed family mysteries but Shirou didn't have any. By revealing the number of circuits he had he was saying how much he had on a tank that defined life and death.

Akeno said nothing, just smiled again and fixed her haori. "I better go home. We can start our lessons tomorrow?"

"If you want." With that both started leaving and saw Liz still standing outside, waiting.

"Everything went well?" Liz asked.

Again the woman dressed as a priestess gives a peaceful smile. "Everything went perfectly."

…..