Fate: Bonds Beyond Humanity

by Apprentice of Life

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

38. Chapter 38

Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

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38- The King's Sword: Turbulence

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'He is late.' Tapping her finger on her desk the Student Council President knows some of her peerage could notice her mood but that couldn't be helped as the simple act of tapping her desk with a finger was something she never did casualty. 'You got Genshirou into your mess, didn't you, Rias?'

In her own opinion Sona Sitri wasn't the type of person to worry over nothing, she always believed in reason before emotion and that every act should be measured to an extent.

She also knew that her best friend was far more emotional to the point of picking a fight with the whole world if Rias believed she was right.

"Kaichou, do you want some more tea?" One of her Bishops asked gently.

"No Momo, thank you." She replied half distractedly as the other members of her peerage took notice of the pureblood devil silent contemplation. 'I know that with the Excaliburs around Kiba would have issues but to drag my Pawn into this and not even call me! You better get ready for an earful, Rias!'

"Kaichou, is there any problem?" The sole Rook of the group asked in concern.

"Saji is missing." The words actually made some in the student council wince with Tsubasa regretting asking the question immediately.

Some in the room began to sweat and held back comments as Tsubaki, their second in command, just shook her head silently. "I'm sure it's nothing, Kaichou. Gen-kun probably is just enjoying Emiya-senpai's food." When Ruruko said that, Sona could just shake her head.

"No, it is something else." Sona's voice was devoid of concern and worry only to not spread these emotions to her subordinates. "It has been hours. Even if he spends time with his friends, Saji is a responsible boy who knows he has work to do." She pointed to a pile of papers that represented the Pawn's workload. "If circumstances didn't indicate the contrary I would believe he is avoiding coming back."

Some threw weary looks towards their fridge and remembered the slice of cake reserved for the blond Pawn. Some days they couldn't stop Sona from saving some for him or get rid of enough to make her believe they all ate. Considering that Saji was failing in delivering good food for them either way, the majority didn't feel guilty about leaving the last slice for him.

Most of them didn't realize that there are other things worrying their King.

"Do you want me to go call him? I'll be back in a second." Tomoe, the Knight of the group, their fastest member asked. It wasn't an entirely selfless offer as she was thinking about getting some of Shirou's food.

It only earned an almost invisible frown from Sona who shook her head. "He probably isn't in the ORC right now." That comment surprised their peerage once again but not Tsubaki.

"You believe that Rias-sama is doing something she shouldn't?" The Queen's question didn't surprise the pureblood who nodded. "This is about Yuuto-kun, isn't it?" A nod was all the reply she needed.

"Is there something wrong with Kiba-kun?" Momo asked with curiosity and both black haired devils hesitated to reply.

Deciding to not keep relevant information from her peerage, Sona replied with what she could. "Yes but it is something extremely private. If you wish to know, ask him."

"Is this something only pertinent to the Gremory group or should we be involved?" The other Pawn present asked. "I thought that since the Exorcists asked permission to explore our territory without interference that Gremory-sama would have no issues either."

A sigh escaped Sona's lips before she could stop herself. "Unfortunately Rias isn't one to consider the logical course of action if she can get away with doing something without breaking the rules." She added silently 'Or care about them if she can get away with it.' She massaged her temples in thought before continuing. "And knowing her, Kiba's situation and how confident she has been over the last few weeks I have no doubt she is trying something to help Kiba if the situation permits it."

There was not a shred of doubt on Sona's mind that Rias' victory over Riser made her far more confident in her actions than she should in the Sitri Heiress' opinion. The signs are all there for her; how Rias behaved more assuredly, how she expanded the Gremory interests in the Underworld in a way that even her parents were worried for a few days until the Gremory Clan itself assured she was only punishing the Phenex..

How Rias moved in with Shirou despite the possible consequences. That in itself spoke a lot about the redheads' relationship in a way that surprised and horrified Sona.

Moving in with a man not for protection but out of her own volition was sending a strong message that Sona was sure could shake the pillars of the Underworld, especially after Rias had completely rejected and humiliated her ex fiance.

It was one thing when Koneko moved in with him, Sona knew that Shirou wouldn't touch the small devil; she was there for his protection and behaved like a proper gentleman. From what Sona could garner they were just friends with a positive relationship that anyone could notice but not much more.

But Rias was another thing entirely and her own habits made Sona believe that the two became a couple. More than once she thought about asking but the issue with that was that once she received a positive confirmation she would be duty bound to tell her parents if only to protect the Sitri's interests.

Depending what her parents did, Sona could see a spy or someone curious taking a closer look at Rias' relationships and from there it would only be a matter of time before all the Underworld would know.

For the life of her Sona Sitri didn't want to be the leak for that information nor the responsible for what may come after it was public knowledge.

'You are getting cocky, Rias. A human lover is one thing but after destroying Riser there are plenty who will see this as a challenge of some kind.' Not that Sona believed that Rias cared about the opinions of others. Either way she wouldn't ask, it was less of a headache if she just speculated. "The proper thing for Rias to do is to let the Exorcists take a look around Fuyuki. If either they succeed or fail is not our business. But with Kiba's issues that becomes less likely… No, she definitely is already doing something."

"Then send me to the ORC to collect Saji." Issei offered immediately. "I doubt that he would go along with anything without your approval. He must still be there, maybe even helping calm Kiba-san down." That was what Ryuudou believed he would be doing in this case but Sona had other ideas.

"Saji is dutiful but he also has a weakness for sad stories." She avoided mentioning Saji's own circumstances even if some in the room knew about them. "And while I hate to admit it, Rias is better at convincing people to her side than I am. She could easily have told Saji that she would talk to me if I got… upset about his actions."

Which she admitally was since her worry about her Pawn did irritate her because of the Excaliburs presence in town. If not for that she would just consider he just took a break for the day and have him work on Sunday to compensate.

"I'm going to bite and ask; what should we do then? Go after the Excaliburs ourselves?" Tomoe wasn't surprised when everyone looked at her. "What? It's our territory."

"The Church wouldn't like that." Reya pointed out while fixing her hair.

"So? Still our territory."

"Tomoe-chan is right!" Tsubasa exclaimed loudly. "I also don't like that Saji is getting to fight while we sit here in the office."

"The Excaliburs are dangerous. Don't you remember what Shinra-san explained when the Exorcists left?" Issei cleaned his glasses a little before putting them back. "We aren't high class devils in power like Kaichou. We are still in the lower class, including Saji. Fighting against the Excaliburs is too risky and Gremory-sama is in the wrong since she shouldn't be involved either."

Sona agreed with her Pawn completely however that was her and not her oldest friend. "Unfortunately you forget that Rias is more emotional than most. If it is to help someone she cares about then she is going to try, despite the risks." Stopping to think for a moment then Sona shakes her head with a realization. "Most likely Saji isn't in any danger since Rias is not foolish enough to send him and the others after the Excaliburs. If someone is on the prowl after the Excaliburs then that one is most likely Emiya. He wouldn't be affected by the Holy Swords as we would."

Ryuudou couldn't help but frown. "I still can't believe that Shirou is that strong to be trusted with such a task. I know he is reliable but…"

"I know you are worried for your friend but when it comes to swords I believe that Emiya will be fine." Sona told her Pawn with a smile to reassure him and immediately Issei relaxed.

"Of course, Kaichou."

"I still say we should go after the Excaliburs." Tsubasa had her arms folded and a glare towards the window. "Come on, Kaichou. You can't like the idea of some girls from the Church walking around our town and making a mess of things."

"You are just mad because of how much work we got because of them." Reya pointed out while holding her own pile of documents.

Between the canceled services during the investigation, the warnings for every important client and the solicitation for someone to get into contact with the Church about any possible damages, the Sitri Peerage still had a lot to write about.

And that was not counting what was going to be reported when the Exorcists eventually left Fuyuki and if they found the Excaliburs or not. That by itself may become a headache and a half because if found they would have to review where they were located, who had them and how they got into town in the first place.

"I hate paperwork." Tsubasa sat down, fumming.

"I think we all hate paperwork." Momo joked with a smile that had some almost laughing.

'I like it. It's simple, logical and doesn't give me headaches by putting my servants into dangerous situations.' Sona avoided saying anything as she fixed her papers and continued her work. 'You better get ready to pay Rias because if you got Genshirou into something dangerous I will-'

Her train of thought is suddenly brought to a halt as she felt something deep in her bones, a shiver that lasted only for a millisecond but was enough to draw all her attention.

'That was…' Sona got up from her desk, surprising everyone by the speed she jumped from her seat.

"Something wrong, Kaichou?" Issei asked but Tsubaki held a hand up to stop everyone from talking as Sona had her eyes closed.

The pureblood devil was clearly concentrating on something which became even more clear as a blue close to cyan aura began to cover her and the silence took hold of the room. No one dared to interrupt as the mana began to stabilize and retreat for a moment and Sona opened her eyes with a frown.

"Kaichou?" Tsubaki knew her friends would wait for her to signal all was done but Sona didn't reply for a few seconds before looking to her Queen.

"It was just for a moment but the boundary field around Kuoh acted up." That was enough to have every second year student worried. "It was just for a brief moment, faster than the blink of an eye, I felt something." Sona looked around the office, trying to search for something with her senses. "But now the boundary field feels normal."

"Should we call for Buchou?" Momo asked fast, already getting up.

"No, she won't be on the school property anyway." Sona replied with a frown as Rias wouldn't be around regardless of Kiba's situation or notl. "Since the Exorcists came to see me first, protocol dictates that Rias needs to talk with those around the town who can't be easily reachable."

Just remembering that some people refused to have at least a phone because of traditions had Sona blood boiling because of situations like this one.

"We better look for whatever is wrong." Reya suggested with a frown. "We don't want a repeat of Shinji's incident, do we?"

"Something like that shouldn't happen again after the modifications." Sona replied immediately but she was still worried.

"That wouldn't stop anyone from trying a bigger ritual, would it?" Issei asked nervously. "I mean, Kuoh's ley line is considerably big." He may be new to the moonlit world but he was dedicated and no one disagreed with his opinion.

"If this has anything to do with the Excaliburs that could present a bigger problem." Tsubaki didn't like to even suggest that but as the Queen of their Peerage it was her duty to try and help her King plans, even if just by offering the worst possibilities.

"Very well. We shall split up and-" Sona had to stop talking when everyone felt a strong pulse of mana on the school grounds. From just that pulse, all prior preparations felt irrelevant and the King knew she had to act. "Outside! Now!"

All obeyed the command immediately and rushed outside the office guided by the pulse toward its point of origin. They had to leave the school building before seeing a huge magic circle beginning to take shape above Kuoh.

"Who would be so bold?" Sona couldn't help but ask. "Right in the middle of the school. In the middle of the afternoon where other students could see it."

"Is there anyone else in Kuoh?" Issei asked quickly.

"As far as I know most clubs are out at this hour but…" Ruruko didn't have a definitive answer, none of them did.

Sona quickly tried to control the situation. "All of you spread around! Make sure that the boundary fields are hiding everything happening properly while also sending anyone straggler home! Join with us after checking! Tsubaki, you are with me!"

"""""Yes, Kaichou!"""""

All Sitri Peerage moved to execute their orders while Sona glared at the magic circle taking shape. "Right in the center of Kuoh. That kind of audacity…"

"The same kind of audacity that would hide in a devil controlled city with some of the most powerful Holy Swords." Tsubaki was sweating a little with worry. "If any of the Excaliburs is here this can be a prelude to an attack."

"They aren't around. We would have felt them if that was the case." Slowly Sona began to advance towards the center of Kouh's grounds with many questions and concerns on her mind. "We will find our answers there."

"Could I advise you to call Serafall-sama?" Tsubaki asked nervously and Sona paused to consider.

"As a pureblood devil I must show that I am capable of solving any problems on my territory without having to call my sister." But she understood her Queen's concerns and tried to evaluate the situation coldly. "Besides, we can't detect any great presence in the school and outside of the magic circle over our heads there is nothing else going on." Sona made sure to check that before even stepping a foot outside the school building where she had more defenses. "Probably the person who stole the Excaliburs is trying something but if that is the case then you and I are more than enough to take out the trash. Especially if they are busy constructing a complicated spell that needs a huge magic circle in the first place."

Tsubaki looked to the magic circle to try to agree or disagree with her friend. "Those symbols don't look like anything that I ever saw before. If it is a magician then it is from some unknown school." Sona nodded and waited for her to finish. "But you are right. I can't feel anyone. How is that possible?"

"They are taking advantage of the ley line to make the spell which indicates the person working isn't strong or really versatile. Kuoh's ley line is big enough that you don't need Senjutsu to control it if you are willing to throw away all subtlety. Maybe even risking your life if you are trying to take that much mana without proper control." Sona examined the situation and her deductions once more to make sure she didn't miss anything. "Logic dictates it has to be a scholar of some kind but not really powerful because of the method they are using."

If they paid enough attention the devils could see the mana of the school leaving the earth and moving to the magic circle above their heads. It was slow, practically small bands tickles of mana traveling at a snail's pace to the heavens and something that the boundary field around Kuoh connected Sona should be stopping but wasn't.

"From what I can tell the user of the creator of the circle has some skill in magic, that is why they need to make a magic circle in the air just to channel this much mana." Sona and Tsubaki began to advance to the center of the school grounds without fear. "While they are bold, they clearly never did something similar before."

All things considered Sona didn't fear whoever was making the magic circle, its size didn't represent the casters power, only that they needed a big vessel to absorb it. If mana was being gathered faster maybe Sona would be worried but the speed it was going implied someone being extremely careful.

Using Kouh like that meant they needed to rush but the slow flux of mana meant they were holding back from going too fast for they were weak and susceptible to the price of taking all that much mana at once.

So the two walked towards the center of Kuoh between the university campus and the main school itself. An open path that allowed students to travel unimpeded between the area without interruption but was closer to the school than its counterpart.

There was nothing to stop Sona and Tsubaki from seeing the two figures' backs on the area, one tall with long raven hair dressed in a cape the same color as their hair and other dressed as a priest with their arms held high, clearly the caster of the spell.

While it was still too far to figure out who the two were, both Sona and Tsubaki stopped to look at each other. "The caster has no mana leaving him, a normal human."

"A magician without anything to help them with their magic." Sona corrected Tsubaki who nodded. Just because he didn't have his own mana it didn't mean he was normal. "The clothes indicate someone with the Church and I don't believe in coincidences."

The Queen understood the implication perfectly. "Do you want me to fly around and verify if there are any Excaliburs around? They may be close."

Tsubaki's offer was a tempting one but before Sona could reply to one of the men, the one with the black cape turned to them and even if they couldn't see who they were they felt a sensation of dread.

"Kaichou… do you know who that is?" Tsubaki regretted not having a weapon as her hands moved to try and hold a spear that wasn't there.

It was still too far for her to confirm anything but just the presence of that individual alone was enough for her to have an idea. "I think-"

"Why don't you two come closer?" A distinct masculine voice suddenly spoke closer to their ears than it should be possible as they both looked around and saw only the two of them. Only after a few seconds did they realize that it was coming from the man still far away. "You are here a little earlier than I anticipated but now I can't let you leave and ruin the show. By the way don't try to run," a chill ran on both their spines, "you won't get far."

Having lived all her life surrounded by powerful individuals, Sona recognized the fear that gripped her heart; it was her instinct telling her that person was leagues stronger and she better listen or else she wouldn't live long enough to feel regret.

Once upon a time a younger Sona Sitri asked her older sister to show her how strong she was. As one of the Maou Serafall Leviathan was considered one of the strongest devils even if not fully combat oriented or the most powerful in terms of raw power. But when the older sibling showed the younger how powerful she really was Sona always had a distinct feeling that Serafall was holding back to not harm her.

The man before the King and Queen of Sitri was doing the exact same thing, letting out just enough that the devils knew he was fully capable of killing them but not outright doing it. Sona was sure he wasn't showing his full power but his presence still felt massive, as strong as her older sister if not stronger.

Yet his power was subdued, not disrupting the air around him like Serafall did all those years ago but still present and waiting to be used.

Someone powerful enough to challenge the one of the Maou shouldn't be in Fuyuki but there was a man standing right in the middle of Kuoh, the center of devil power in the city, who could challenge them if he so desired.

The fear that took root on Sona's heart grew stronger at the implications, possibilities ran amok in her mind and each and everyone of them looked to be worse than the last.

That fear, primal and raw, got even worse once Sona was close enough to see the features of the man who invaded Kuoh and Fuyuki itself, dressed in a long coat with armor only on his shoulders to enhance his distinct air of nobility. 'No, that is impossible! Why is someone like him here?!'

She remembered seeing a picture of the man once during her lessons, it was black and white since it was taken during the days of World War II when he fought in Italy. Her family and teachers told her many times how bloodthirsty and dangerous the individual was, how she should avoid him whenever possible.

He was someone said to love war, fights and violence. Someone so powerful that more than once he put the balance of the world in danger because of his tendencies during the days of the Great War.

But there was always a silver lining when she heard stories about the man before her, an individual that time didn't touch despite his many centuries of life. Her parents especially assured her that while the man was dangerous he had no real say on his own Faction. That while the ceasefire held then they wouldn't have to fear him.

That person whose movements were always involved with a war or conflict of some sort was now in Fuyuki and for the Sitri Heiress that couldn't be a good sign.

Sona kept her feelings of fear and panic in check as the man smiled gently at the approaching devils. "Good afternoon my dear devils. I apologize but you are ahead of schedule by at least a few hours." Nonetheless he sounded pleased. "But even so I can't blame you. It was Valper's first time preparing a magic circle of this size and he failed to take into account how much Kuoh's boundary field would fight him for it."

'Valper Galilei was who I expected. Unfortunately I didn't take into account who would be with him.' Sona's eyes never left the taller and much younger looking man as he motioned to the older looking one.

"I apologize once again, Lord Kokabiel. It seems age is finally catching up with me." Valper spoke gently and sounded genuinely sad for having failed at keeping the spell hidden.

"See, he even apologized. Don't worry so much Valper, mistakes happen and I noticed the devils coming just in time before something irreparable occurred." The smile he offered wasn't gentle but feral and yet Sona kept her composure.

"Ko-ko-Kokabiel?! The Fallen of the Stars?! Cadre of Grigori?!" Tsubaki didn't have the same upbringing as Sona so she was the first to crack.

A frown made its way to Kokabiel's face. "It is 'Angel of the Stars' not 'Fallen of the Stars'. No one else claimed my name and I would appreciate it if you used my proper title." Slowly Tsubaki nodded, fearing to provoke the man who soon was smiling again. "After all an angel is an angel even when fallen. But I can't blame you." He said with a sigh. "You must be uncomfortable with the situation, being a reincarnated devil and all. I am sorry for not knowing your name but please, sit quietly and let your King deal with it."

Recognizing that Kokabiel was giving her a chance to talk, Sona didn't hesitate both out of duty and pride. "What can I do for you, lord Kokabiel?"

Starting a conversation with accusations could only end badly and Sona knew her situation was a delicate one. Before her was a being that could destroy the whole town of Fuyuki in seconds if he wanted so she needed to thread carefully. She still needed to know what Kokabiel wanted before anything else but a mistake could be fatal.

"Hmm, you can just sit here quietly and let us finish what we came to do." Kokabiel replied in a joking manner which had Sona's face showing some of her frustration. "No need to be upset. I will tell you exactly what I am doing and you can act accordingly. Does that sound fair?" The pureblood devil said nothing but gave a nod seeing it as an opportunity for negotiation. "Good. I want to restart the Great War."

If devils had anyone to pray to, Sona would be on her knees begging for deliverance. "What?"

"I want to restart the Great War. Wasn't I clear enough?" Kokabiel spoke sincerely, like someone telling the other they wanted to buy a house or plant a tree. "Let me try to elaborate, I want to restart the conflict between the Three Factions that will absolutely involve others. Was that enough?"

Sona had understood her perfectly, she just didn't believe in what she heard. "That…"

"Is unbelievable right? But I swear to you it is the absolute truth." He opened his cape just enough to show his hands for a shrug. "I know what you must be thinking right now; 'I must get into contact with my sister'." Both knew she didn't need to confirm, Kokabiel had guessed right. "Let me tell you something, I have no intention of allowing you to do that. As I said, you got here a little earlier than you should but now you can't leave." In a second he was face to face with Sona, holding her chin with his hand as sweat began to drop from her forehead. "If you try to leave, or try to contact Serafall, or try to send anyone to contact Serafall; I will destroy this whole town. Am I clear?"

"Yes." Sona tried to nod but Kokabiel kept her head firmly in place.

"Good. I wouldn't want to kill you accidentally." Then the Cadre was back at the Archbishop's side.

Much of what Kokabiel spoke confused her but Sona fought to keep a cool head. "Why spare me? Isn't your intention to start another war?"

"Starting a war isn't as easy as I make it sound. You could say that I have certain victory conditions that I must follow so the Grigori has the least casualties possible."

"That is why you stole the Excaliburs? You wanted a weapon?" Sona asked back and Tsubaki got ready for a fight in response to the accusation.

Only for the devils to receive a laugh of reply. "Hahahahahaha! Would you believe me if I told you that I don't care about Excalibur that much?" The man chuckled a little. "Of course you wouldn't. But Valper here cares a lot for the Excaliburs, doesn't you?"

"Of course, my lord. Reforging the complete Excalibur has been a dream I had since my younger years." The admission had Kokabiel chucklign a little more, especially at the panic in the devils' faces.

"So your plan is to really reforge it?" Sona asked with a look of determination but Kokabiel just smiled without saying a word. "And you said that you won't kill us if we don't try to contact a Maou or try to run."

"That is correct." The fallen angel replied with glee. He liked where the conversation was going.

"Can we do anything else?" At Sona's question Tsubaki prepared herself with mana in her hands. Even without a weapon she was ready to charge into combat. 'I don't know exactly how he plans to start a war in these conditions but I need to explore any alternatives he may give.'

"Anything you want. You can try to kill me, kill Valper here or even break the magic circle." Kokabiel pointed up to indicate the spell still taking shape above their heads. "Of course I would stop you but I promise that I won't kill you in your attempts. I need a good distraction anyway while we wait for the swords."

'He obviously is leaving a lot out.' Sona and Tsubaki traded glances, both understanding the danger they were in. "So we can attack you at will and you aren't going to fight back?"

"I will focus on stopping you but you won't die by my hand if I have anything to say about it." Kokabiel added.

All that the fallen angel was saying sounded suspicious to Sona but she saw no falsehoods in his expression or demeanor. 'I should have connected Truthbearer to a magic circle.' They had no way of knowing if Kokabiel was telling the truth or not but the fact that the two are still alive spoke that the fallen angel wasn't lying..

"Why?" Sona asked with a magic circle forming in her hand.

"I already told you: to pass the time." Kokabiel replied with a smile. "Also to give you a chance to stop me."

"You are trying to show good sportsmanship?" Sona couldn't believe how bizarre the situation felt for her. Ever since she heard the fallen proclaim he wanted to restart the Great War she felt lost. "That is just insane."

"Is it? Or you just aren't seeing the full picture?" Kokabiel teased with a wave of his hand that made Sona angry. She hated being left in the dark. "It doesn't matter what you do. I told you my plan and now you only have two choices; try to escape and certainly die or fight back and maybe live." He raised his head and looked around. "And knowing that a peerage is never far away from their King for long, I can guess that soon we will have more witnesses for the reunion of the Excalibur Fragments." Sona tried to hide it but he saw she was bothered by that comment. "Those rules apply to them too, you know? Once they are here, they won't leave until all is done or else…"

Finally Sona reached her limit. "Kill Valper at all cost!" A magic circle ready to unleash a torrent. Taking her King's attack as a signal Tsubaki rushed towards Valper, still in the same spot without moving as the old man focused on completing the spell. Since he was the only one who could reforge the Excalibur the devils' plan was simple to kill him and so ruin Kokabiel's plans.

The Cadre just smiled before moving. He was much faster than the Queen and easily punched her to the side before placing himself between the old man and the young devil.

Without changing his expression Kokabiel raised a hand and completely stopped Sona's water as it accumulated on his hand until it formed a giant bubble.

Since the liters of water were her creation, Sona tried to force it to burst or to keep the output up until Kokabiell couldn't do anything. She soon stopped once she noticed the tin veil of light holding the water's shape. Looking up she saw the equivalent of several boxes of water between her and the fallen angel who began to move it.

Kokabiel casually raised the water above his head before slamming it on the ground and pushing both devils away with a huge wave that didn't touch him much less the old man he was guarding.

"Kaichou, what do we do?" Tsubaki asked with fear as she got up. She was used to sparring against Sona so the water didn't bother her but the situation seemed hopeless.

"You keep trying." Kokabiel replied, making Sona grit her teeth. "Or you give up. I am just waiting for the Excaliburs at this point. That and your dance partners."

For the pureblood devil it was clear that Kokabiel was trying to provoke her. "He is making clear there is more to his plan we can figure out." She didn't fear the fallen hearing her, he could kill them both whenever he wanted anyway. "Our best bet is stopping Valper." She looked at her Queen sadly. "We may die on the attempt."

Tsubaki smiled back at her King, her friend. "Better to die trying to stop a war then running away and letting it happen." The sound of claps followed their statements.

"Beautiful. Just beautiful. That is how a noble and their entourage should behave." Kokabiel praised with a genuine smile before giving the two a small bow. "But don't worry. As I said, we are waiting for your dance partners. There are many actors still missing from our play."

Gritting her teeth again, Sona stood up, followed by Tsubaki. "Try to save your energy and go for any opening. The others will be here soon."

"Do you really think he is going to keep his word?"

"Doesn't matter. If he doesn't then there isn't anyone in Fuyuki capable of stopping him." With that the two devils charged once again as Valper kept working on the magic circle, slowly bringing it back to the earth.

Kokabiel just smiled.

…

All around them everything looked to be melting as the black knight rushed in their direction with a sinister green glow on his hand. An arrow flew to try to hit the man's knee but with a wave of his hand the arrow became a liquid that soon broke apart into mana before the man jumped and tried to slice the archer who jumped back.

Shirou rushed to his allies as more of the factory became puddles of a mud-like substance and Rin offered him cover fire with her spells.

"Maybe I should get involved." Yoruichi offered in her cat form when Shirou got close enough to hear. "That sacred gear is too dangerous to be left alone."

"How come we never heard of anything like that?" Rin asked as the black armor easily brushed off her curses as Shirou threw one of his knives at Agravain's direction. The man used his sword to block as the knife exploded into a fireball. "At least fire seems to have some effect."

Another arrow appeared in Shirou's hands which he quickly shot. It caught fire mid air but still flew in Agravain's direction. But the man, despite wearing heavy armor, slided to the side while turning some of the floor under his feet into mud. The area behind him exploded in flames but the black knight easily continued moving between the machines of the factory.

"So far he has no way to get us. Besides the damages to the factory we lost nothing."

"Talk about yourself, Emiya! That bastard turned one of my gems into mud!" Rin was clearly furious by the loss but kept glaring around the area. "And we lost him again."

There were many places that Agravain could hide inside the factory, with most of its machines turned off and his black armor the man had many shadows to hide. Things got worse in the late afternoon as the sun began to set behind buildings and there was almost no natural light to help anyone find the knight.

With a nod, Yoruichi jumped high until she landed on a stand above the line of production and began to look around. "He is in the north between two half-built cars!"

"Damn you monstrous cat!" Agravain complained just before Shirou's arrow almost hit him but the man called for his sacred gear once again. "Mark of Cain!"

Instantly the metal arrow became mud and hit the man harmlessly but Rin followed up with a fireball, fully ready to cook the man alive inside his armor. This time Agravain didn't retreat, he charged straight through the fireball and towards the duo of magicians, his hand still glowing with the power of his sacred gear.

"Goddamned!" Rin opened fire as fast as she could but Shirou didn't think twice and scooped her up in his arms. "Damned Emiya!"

"Scream at me later!" Shirou replied as he jumped back between some cars as the knight stopped to discard his cloak which was on fire before giving chase. "Are you sure you never heard of his sacred gear?"

Rin replied between shots as she tried to stop Agravain. "If I did, I would have said so. It must be a rare one or something like that." Then Shirou stopped in an area in the middle of two treadmills full of incomplete cars before letting his bow disappear. "I think we already established that swords don't work on him."

"What about a Muramasa?"

Realizing that Shirou was about to get serious, Rin smiled. "That is another thing."

"In case this fails, try to figure out a weakness for his sacred gear or something." The redhead charged before Rin could reply.

"How am I supposed to do that?!"

Agravain saw the magus advancing against him with another sword but wasn't worried. His sacred gear began to shine even more on his left hand as he planned to get rid of the weapon before it became a problem.

Both fighters meet in the middle as their blades clash, a loud echo ran through the factory as Shirou moved faster than his opponent and separated their weapons, aiming to cut off the black knight's arm.

Instead of trying to follow with his own sword Agravain moved to try and capture the Noble Phantasm with his glowing hand, a mistake the older man soon regretted as Shirou was faster than he expected and avoided the green glow and connected to the arm.

When the black knight failed to grab the sword he gave an opening and Muramasa easily cut through his armor. Agravain quickly shifted back at the unexpected event as his armor failed for the first time since he acquired it, trying to protect himself from the follow up. Shirou was already moving to cut off the man's hand to limit his actions and neutralize the sacred gear.

But Agravain recovered just in time from the shock and changed tactics,instinct taking over as he realized that Shirou was too fast for him to run. The fight or flight response got him advancing against the redhead, ignoring the blade which cut more of his arm but not it off as his glowing hand was aiming for a grab.

Having seen that the Mark of Cain could do Shirou had no intention of letting the sacred gear touch him so he made a switch with his feet and moved to the side. He had no space to bring Muramasa against Agravain's hand as the black armor proved itself enough to stall the blade for a few seconds and so he was forced to abandon the offensive and focus on dodging.

To limit the black knight's choices Shirou threw himself to the side of his opponent's sword, counting that he would change his method of attack to keep pushing and stop focusing on his sacred gear for a few instants.

Shirou escaped successfully as the knight chose to use his blade just as the redhead predicted and he could see the glow diminish as the knight focused on his sword.

In those few seconds Shirou noticed through the blood in the man's hand that there was no armor protecting the man's palm. That made sense on the redhead's mind since it would get into the way of the Mark of Cain but unfortunately he got distracted a second later as he couldn't avoid the sword coming from a low slash against his side.

When the great sword hit Shirou in the chest he was forced to take several steps back and jump a few more to get time to recover. Thanking his armor for the save the magus realized that if it wasn't for it Agravain may have cut him in half with his strength while Reinforcement prevented any wounds from the impact.

Despite the setbacks Shirou was still the faster of the two and took the time Agravain took to recover from his bearing to charge back in. His first move was trying to get the overextended arm of his opponent but Agravain showed skill by turning his sword around and blocking it in time.

A contest of brute force began and Shirou was sure he would win by the looks of things by just pumping his muscles with Reinforcement only to reconsider when he saw the green glow returning to the man's left hand and took a step back on a small retreat.

That retreat also gave him an opportunity and Muramasa changed its targets from Agravain sword arm to the side of his abdomen. Once again the black armor failed to stop the Noble Phantasm but the knight was more aware now and moved back as fast as he could while the redhead moved for the stap.

It still connected and the black armor once again failed. The black knight felt the sting of the sword and saw that Shirou began to advance for the potential kill.

Agravain deflected Muramasa with his sword, nervous by how that blade was piercing his armor so easily. He wasn't confident about fighting Shirou directly anymore and tried to retreat but the moment that he took a step back the magus tried to go for a cut from above the shoulder for more damage.

Once again the bigger sword deflected the katana as Agravain was chased around the factory.

Agravain wasn't fully sure what Muramasa was and he was blocking Shirou's blows with some difficulty. He failed to understand how a katana could cut his armor as easily as it did but he knew that a wrong step meant his death. He frowned behind his helmet both from effort and trying to figure out who Shirou was, having realized that the magus was naturally stronger and faster than him.

Reports acquired by the Order of Pendragon spoke of the Gremory magician having some affinity for weapons; the sword's presence wasn't weird even if the bow and arrows were unexpected.

Realizing that Shirou truly was the Magician of Gremory, Agravain tried to figure out what to do with the information as the reports still failed to include how skilled the redhead was or how he could effectively make his armor deadweight.

Indeed, if it wasn't for Rin's presence on the battlefield then the knight would have already discarded his black armor but it was his only real defense against the more traditional magician who was more in line with what he expected to face.

For his part Shirou was being careful about the knight's free hand, his strikes were always fast enough that Agravain had no chance to grab his weapon even if he was confident about the Noble Phantasm odds of surviving the sacred gear's ability.

Mark of Cain was the only reason Shirou was going with just soft stabs, shallow cuts and avoiding to commit fully into the offensive, he knew that their side had the advantage and that sooner or later Agravain would make a mistake. The magus also knew that there was another person in the fight that was getting ready to make her move.

Counting the seconds on his head, Shirou moved to his right, close to Agravain's free hand for a swing on the man's shoulder. It was an opening he knew the knight couldn't refuse since for the first time Muramasa was open to be grabbed and the tall man knew of Shirou's own armor at this point.

Truly it was a target too tempting and Mark of Cain activated as the black knight moved to grab the Noble Phantasm.

Only for the sword to disappear before the green glow touched it, shocking Agravain. He was so stunned by the sudden disappearance that he didn't notice Shirou jumping back just before the tire of a car hit him on the side and he ended up hitting his shoulder against one of the robots to his right.

Before the knight could recover another wheel hit him, this time on his head and Agravain could feel the spells on his helmet struggling to protect him. He could already deduce that the throw wasn't from a human and his memory conjured an image of a white haired girl that was Rias Gremory's Rook.

It was easy for the knight to associate the picture with the woman he saw in the factory even if the eyes were wrong and Liz was taller.

Despite misremembering the Rook's appearance, Agravain was still somewhat correct as Leyrsitt was the one who was throwing tires in his direction. Unlike the magicians and the nekomata in their group, the maid bodyguard didn't have any range options to try and take down someone that could melt things by touch.

So Leysritt ran around the factory until she found some tires and grabbed as many as she could, lying in wait for Shirou to position the knight where she could throw them at will. She thought about using some of the heavy machinery around the area but she wasn't trying to kill the knight as they still needed to interrogate him.

Mark of Cain shone brightly on Agravain's left hand but the knight still struggled to recover. Shirou's bait had worked and he completely lost his balance, the tires hitting him making things worse even with his armor. After taking a couple more hits his sacred gear finally melted one and he began to recover.

At that point the redhead had already changed his position and prepared a fully Reinforced arrow. He aimed for the man's hand with the intent of neutralizing it completely by hitting the wrist and damaging the nerves and bones. The arrow would also let out a small charge of electricity to make sure Agravain would be stunned.

Hitting a solitary limb was going to be hard regardless of Shirou's skill, Agravain was moving almost frenetically to try and block Leysritt's attacks. But he knew to trust his bodyguard with the maid rarely losing sight of him during a situation of peril. He was confident that she was going to give him the opening he needed.

He was right to trust Liz who noticed his plan and moved to throw a tire parallel to the floor with the goal of either knocking Agravain's legs or forcing him to direct hand into a better position for Shirou.

Training and experience served Sir Agravain well and he moved to block the tire as fast as he could. Soon the tire going for his legs joined the others as black mud but Shirou let his arrow fly and hit the back of the man's wrist without troubles as the armor failed once again.

"Damn you cowards!" Agravain cried out in pain and anger as he began to run to the side. 'Need to get some distance, regroup and take the arrow out.'

Not wasting any time Shirou and Leysritt began to chase the knight, the magus preparing another arrow as the maid ripping off a robot's arm. Both had a good chance of catching up to the man who was trying to run with heavy armor, Shirou already taking aim at the black knight's leg to knock him down.

"SIR AGRAVAIN!" The redhead magus barely had time to react as one of the defeated knights charged at him with his sword ready.

Ignoring the first blow to his chest, Shirou countered by using his bow against the knight's face which sent the man tumbling down.

"Shirou behind you! Liz to the left!" Yoruichi's warning helped Shirou to turn around with a frown as another knight tried to cut his head off, the redhead blocking the blow with his bow before swiping the man's legs off and delivering an elbow on the knight's chest.

Leysritt had less trouble as she used her newly acquired robot arm to knock a man's helmet off and knock him out in a single blow, never stopping from her run.

With his arrow already ready Shirou shot at another knight trying to get up, a frown still on his face as the soldiers they had defeated before tried to get back into the fight despite their wounds.

It was a downside from sparing the men's lives but Emiya Shirou didn't mind just knocking them out again.

Rin also saw some others getting up and quickly cursed them with heavy bodies, realizing why they were fighting harder than the ones they faced throughout the day. "It's because Agravain! They are trying to protect their boss!"

"Damned." Yoruichi cursed as she made sure another pair was unconscious with hard stomps despite her small form. "We are trying to not kill you idiots." She quickly moved to shock most of the defeated knights into unconsciousness, taking special care to stay around Shirou and give him space to take the shot.

The redhead easily obliged as another arrow was quickly prepared and let loose in a single motion. Agravain jumped to the side when he heard the sound of Shirou's bow string but Liz was already on him and the black knight saw himself with no choice but to throw his sword to force the white haired woman back.

He was unable to dodge Shirou's next shot which was faster than the previous one and had no choice but raise his right hand and turn the leftovers of his gauntlet into mud as the green glow easily intercepts and melts the arrow.

"He can use his sacred gear with both hands!" Shirou's warning made Leysritt stop her advance and jump back to join with the pair of magus and yokai. Agravain took the moment to rest as he used the leftovers of his gauntlets to cover his wound, getting rid of the arrow on his left easily and confirming Shirou's call. "Two hands then. It is possible that the Mark of Cain can affect his whole body so no one jumps at him right now, right?"

Leysritt nodded in confirmation as Rin approached a little and Shirou already had another arrow ready and aiming at the knight. "If it can affect his whole body then it may be more dangerous."

"Then why was he using a sword? To avoid having to melt his armor?" Shirou asked with a frown.

"As good an explanation as any." Yoruichi paid attention to how the knight was threatening his wounds and found herself a little impressed as parts of his armor closed the wounds. "He can make something into mud and back? Interesting."

"Rin, did you come up with something about the Mark of Cain?" Shirou asked directly but the twin tailed magus frowned at the question. "Didn't you study the Bible?"

"Just because I- Yes I did. When I was a kid." Rin massaged her forehead in frustration. "And I would remember if the Bible had something about Cain doing something like that. As far as I remember he was the First Murderer and later the Builder of Cities." She was still trying to recall her lessons but it was really long ago and she just read that story once. "Wouldn't it be easier to figure out his thing by his name?"

Which would be Shirou's area of expertise as he knew a lot about King Arthur's Round Table. "Sir Agravain was never known for great deeds or prowles on martial arts. He was more of a treasurer or a secretary than a fighter." The redhead could see how some of the defeated tried to fight for their leader but that spoke more about them than the man in question, not his powers. "He was also one of Morgan le Fay children."

"Wasn't that just Mordred?" Rin asked back with a raised eyebrow.

"No, she had many children, many of which were part of the Round Table." Shirou frowned, his arrow still on Agravain but the green energy around his hands kept going strong. "He has nothing in common with the original Agravain as far as I can tell."

"So we need to figure out that Mark of Cain bit." Yoruichi deduced after some thought. "You called him the Builder of Cities?"

"Something like that. If I am not misremembering then, after Cain killed Abel, God cursed him with a mark that stopped him from working as a farmer for the rest of his life. Anything he planted would die without fault." Rin studied some of the mud around them. The objects hadn't melted because of heat or some substance, all Agravain did was touch them. "Cain, first of Adam and Eve's children, killed his younger sibling with a bone because God showed favor to Abel's sacrifice and while rejecting Cain's as unworthy. Talk about petty, right?"

There was another reason why Rin didn't like that particular story of the Bible, she hated the idea of siblings killing each other. She would never kill Sakura and hated to read about any older sibling that would be the same, especially when the reason was something like envy.

Agravain could hear the conversation easily but tried to not draw any attention as he slowly moved to the side to try and jump on a treadmill to look for a better position. His arms may be hurt but he can still use them but he wasn't sure how long it would take before his opponents found a solution against his sacred gear.

An arrow flying in his direction had the knight reacting to destroy it, Agravain and Shirou trading glances as the redhead prepared another shot. "I won't say anything about the Excaliburs! You better kill me!"

Shirou ignored the man. "That explains some of the effects of the sacred gear. If we go by his loyalty then he isn't playing the part of the spy either."

"Well, a sacred gear that makes things rotten would be more famous, don't you think?" Rin pointed out pensively.

"No smell." Leysritt pointed to one of the puddles of mud. "It isn't rotten."

Yoruichi approached one of the puddles. "Hmm! She is right. I can't smell anything other than metal in this." If his face wasn't hidden they would see Agravain snarl in anger, his time was running out. "I could go around and knock him out really fast."

"And if someone sees your true form what are we supposed to do? We can't hypnotize them, remember?" Shirou pointed out.

"Most of them are really out. It will be over in a flash." Yoruichi brushed his concerns off.

"We don't need to risk it."

"You could just use a Noble Phantasm to finish this." Rin said with a chuckle.

"That will either A; I kill him or B; I knock down the whole building and kill him." Shirou didn't like either option. "Look, it is clear that his sacred gear isn't that powerful. There must be a way to work around it."

"The best that I can think of is that it maybe doesn't work with organic objects. You know, 'a farmer whose crops don't grow' and all that." Rin began to rub her chin. "We would need to test it."

"Then I will go with Muramasa to finish this. Even if he can melt me alive he probably can't beat my Noble Phantasm." Shirou prepared to advance but no one liked the idea.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Just let me knock him out."

Before Shirou could try and defend his idea from Rin and Yoruichi's protests, Leysritt was already charging ahead.

The three turned to try to stop the maid but she turned out their words completely. If the choice was to risk Shirou's life because he refused to kill someone in cold blood then she would step up for his sake. While she didn't mind risking his life she wasn't suicidal either so she grabbed some equipment to the side and held it as a weapon.

Agravain was afraid, he knew that at this point he was mostly beaten and was already planning his retreat. He would have to abandon his men but had already noticed that the group in front of him was trying to not kill anyone which reassured him and alleviated the guilt.

The problem was that there weren't any openings for Agravain to escape, not with two magicians and who he deduced was the Rook of one of the Heiresses in Fuyuki already targeting him. Much less with his armor walking around town. He almost regretted having worn it before entering the factory but without it the twin tailed magician would have already finished him.

When the white haired woman began her charge his worry grew. Agravain knew his time was up and that his adversaries were finally ready to commit fully or may have discovered his sacred gear's weakness.

Either way none of the possibilities bode well for Agravain and he had no weapon to repel the woman who he saw as a Rook so he doubted that just anything could really harm her.

Options dwindling by the second, Agravain prepared himself to go all out with his sacred gear. He had positioned himself between two treadmills with heavy machines to his sides and the only way his opponents could reach him was a straight line unless she wanted to dare an obstacle course which he could use to get more distance. Also with Leysritt already attacking there were less chances for the magicians to intervene.

So the green glow grew brighter in his hands to his limit as Agravain slammed both his hands on the floor. "Mark of Cain!"

This time the sacred gear worked much faster than before, the area around him began to become mud which spread quickly. Agravain thought that Leysritt was a newly reincarnated devil, not used to flying and fighting at the same time so he planned to ruin his balance and use the opportunity to reposition and try to recover his sword.

It was his best chance, his sword was the only thing he believed could give him a victory despite how unlikely it was.

He didn't expect the flaming arrow to land just when his mud was close to touching the woman's feet, spreading the flame swiftly enough that the mud became stone again.

It was so fast that Agravain couldn't react but he didn't need to. Before he began his offensive the knight had put a lot of his energy towards the Mark of Cain so it was just another second before more mud was spreading to get into Leysritt's way.

Only for a fireball to hit the area just behind the maid and the flames spread ahead while keeping themselves going, following behind the white haired attacker like they had a life of their own and jumping into the mud before it could get to her.

At that point Agravain could do nothing, his sacred gear couldn't turn things into mud because the fire was keeping its effects at bay. Worse still for him was that the fire seemed to be alive, perfectly staying out of the white haired maiden's way while advancing by itself in his direction.

There was no point in continuing to use his sacred gear on the floor so Agravain got up and charged. He hoped to force the woman to flinch or hesitate, for an opening which he could use to push her back and get some space. He hoped that they hadn't figured out that his sacred gear didn't work at all against living creatures.

Agravain was counting on fear but Leysritt wasn't afraid and neither she needed to be by how he attacked.

When the knight charged wide open in a motion to grab her arms with his hands, Leysritt just threw her knee against the man's face. Sure the helmet managed to hold back the impact but magical or not it could not stop the open blow the knight received.

Leysritt threw her knee at the knight with so much force that the man was himself thrown back despite his best efforts to grab the woman. If anything his arms open themselves more as the man couldn't stop the instinctive motion of trying to grab something and stop his fall.

There was nothing for him to hold as Leysritt finished her advance and delivered an uppercut to the man's chin, the helmet coming loose after many hits and revealing the astounded face of the knight who also had some bruises, the biggest one above his left eye. The magic of the helmet couldn't protect him completely during the fight.

Agravain fell to a knee but recovered enough to try to punch the maid back. It was more out of instinct than anything else as his body just wanted to do something. He managed to hit Leyrsitt midriff but there was barely a reaction as the maid looked at him neutrally.

The short haired woman finished the fight with a heavy slap to the sides of the man's head, right on his ears. Agravain couldn't do anything as he lost consciousness and fell on the floor..

"Liz, are you out of your mind?" Shirou complained as he approached his maid with an amused Rin and chuckling Yoruichi. "We hadn't even figured out if that thing worked on people and you just threw yourself at it! Are you hurt?!"

Tilting her head to the side in a manner the other three could only call cute, Liz replied. "Just lost my shoes." She lifted her feet to show that the soles of her tennis were ruined by the fire. Next she made sure to look Shirou in the eye before saying. "If I hadn't done it you would." That made the redhead wince.

"She got you there, Shirou." Yoruichi barely managed to hold back her laugh which Rin failed at but still managed to turn it into a giggling fit. At the frown on Shirou's face Yoruichi chuckled. "Don't be grumpy, Shirou. Liz didn't even let the knight touch her anyway… Besides a punch but hey, it wasn't glowing." The maid showed her agreement with a sign of victory.

"Maybe he is upset because he doesn't like the idea of other guys touching his women." Rin commented after controlling herself and while Shirou stuttered to try and let out a reply she approached the unconscious Agravain. "His armor is top quality and his sword looked to be a good one too. If the name wasn't enough indication that would be enough to say he was one of the leaders of his Order." She placed a hand on his head before shaking her head. "He will need a minute to wake up after a hit like that and even then I doubt he is going to talk."

"Nah, I can get him up in a few seconds." Yoruichi dismissed the worry with a wave of her pawn. "But we should disarm him before something goes wrong."

They all got to work making sure Agravain wasn't a threat anymore, going so far as to take out his armor. They also ended up finding two knives hidden on his belt, sharp but clearly not as good as his sword, a piece of paper with the address of the factory they were in and some instructions for his men.

"At least they are organized. These are orders to start moving once the night sets in and a signal is given. Apparently they would begin to hunt the Exorcists when they should be resting." Rin read the handwritten instructions carefully before noting "Nothing about what the signal is supposed to be, though."

"They really had no way of communicating between bases that they needed to pass messages like this? That seems like a really big lack of highsight for an organization like theirs." Shirou scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"It is all about the magic circles and their lack of magicians." Rin commented with a smile. "That is what you get when you don't have someone competent in your payroll, Shirou."

The redhead just shook his head and traced some rope. "We still have no way to make him talk."

"About that, I have an idea." Yoruichi spoke after a moment of thought.

She began to explain the plan calmly, fully expecting Shirou to not like her idea while noticing that Rin looked to be fully on board. If anyone else Yoruichi wanted Liz to also participate but the maid's thoughts remained private until she finished and the nekomata saw a small nod that indicated her support.

Which meant that her plan was approved by the majority but not absolutely.

"I don't like this." Shirou replied with a frown as expected. "I get that we are in a rush-"

"More like we are frustrated from running around all day."

"-but it seems a bit too much." He didn't disagree with Rin but still had some issues.

Issues that Yoruichi didn't know how to solve but opted for just being direct. "We can either go and do this or we can keep running around like headless chickens."

"Time is running out, Emiya. Whatever the reason these guys want the Excaliburs, every Excalibur which includes the ones from the Exorcists, can only be dangerous. We need to do something." Rin began to study the man's armor both out of curiosity as well

Accepting Rin's words, Shirou turned to Yoruichi. "I think we got everything." He said after finishing checking if there was anything else hidden on Agravain's person. The knight was now lying down, tied with rope, wearing a black shirt and pants. "Are we sure our plan is going to work?"

"A half baked thing we made in five minutes?" Rin asked with a sarcastic smile. "Sure, why not? Not like we have time for anything complicated."

"Then let's begin the interrogation." Yoruichi announced as she jumped up and landed right on the knight's stomach which was surprising for the rest.

Even more surprising when Agravain did wake up and began to cough, he couldn't move his hands as his arms were tied with but he still felt all the weight of the impact. His stomach was so upset that he even pulled to the side and began to cough, close to throwing up.

"Did you need to do that?" Shirou expected Yoruichi to use Senjutsu or something similar.

"I messed with his Ki. Pain alone wouldn't have woke him up so fast." The nekomata commented with amusement.

After coughing a few times Agravain studied his situation. "Defeated by a bunch of magicians and devils, I am a shame to the name of 'Sir Agravain'."

The quartet looked at each other before Rin replied. "Sorry to disappoint you but there are no devils in the area. There is a yokai though she didn't fight you directly."

"A nekomata to be exact but only you are counting." Yoruichi clarified with a smile

Taking a couple of deep breaths and feeling his pride wounded, Agravain motions towards Liz's direction with his head. "What are you talking about? That woman is clearly a devil."

Again the group looked at each other. "No, she isn't." Shirou denied with a shake of his head.

"Don't try to trick me, magician. You already have defeated me, beaten my men and took over our hideout. There is no need to try to deny that person is one of the members of Rias Gremory's Peerage."

Most of the group couldn't process what the knight was talking about but then Yoruichi took a long look at the white haired woman before bursting out laughing. "Nyahahaha! He is confusing Liz with the little kitten."

Shirou and Rin both blinked and turned to look at Liz for a moment before laughing as well. "Hahaha. That is just unfair."

"Don't laugh about that, Rin- haha. They do look a little alike."

"You are laughing too. Hahaha."

If his defeat wasn't enough to irritate Agravain then the laughter was. "Does all that sound like a joke to you?" He tried to get up but immediately felt dizzy and had to sit down.

Feeling bad about the man's condition, Shirou tried to calm himself. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that Liz does look like Koneko a little but their eye color is different and Koneko's hair is slightly longer."

"And she is shorter." Yoruichi commented with a chuckle and the knight didn't like what he was hearing.

"If she isn't a devil then how is she so strong?"

"I'm a maid." Liz did a small courtesy that would look proper if she was in a dress.

Took a moment for Agravain to think thanks to the headache but he concluded that the woman wasn't lying. "Defeated by a maid. Truly I am a shame to the original Sir Agravain."

That gave Rin pause. "Wasn't he a traitor or something?" She turned to Shirou who was shaking his head. "And Morgan le Fay's son if I am not mistaken?"

"Of course he wasn't a traitor!" The bound knight quickly protested, dizziness and pain forgotten. "While it was true he was one of Morgan's children, Sir Agravain was nevertheless loyal to his king. Once he discovered the indiscretion between the Guinevere and Lancelot he raced to try and settle the matter away from the eyes of the court only to be murdered by the real traitor!"

When the man took a pause to breathe, Shirou decided to add his own thoughts. "In most legends that speak about that period of the Round Table, King Arthur and Morgan weren't fighting as much as before. In fact most stories keep Morgan's name away from the fall of Camelot, mostly only mentioning her part as the mother of Mordred."

"The Knight of Treachery and Rebellion. Another traitor." The unarmored knight spoke with disdain. "If he didn't exist then Camelot wouldn't have fallen. Him and that coward Lancelot who killed his companions with no hesitation." He raised his head to make sure he was looking towards the magi and Liz. "If they hadn't betrayed King Arthur then we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Excalibur would never be broken and the world would be a better place."

"Is that why you guys are fighting? Hard to know how a kingdom would end 'if not for this or that'. If it wasn't them then it could have been something else. Or not, you could be right." Yoruichi commented, earning a glare from the defeated knight. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"She is right. You are trespassing into Gremory territory with weapons and dangerous Artifacts, like the Fragments you stole from the Church." Shirou took control of the conversation, getting closer to Agravain with a glare. "Tell us where they are so we can put an end to this mess before it gets worse."

"You may as well kill me now, I won't talk." Agravain replied with a glare at the redhead magus who turned to Rin only to see her shake her head.

"His mind is protected too."

"Ha! What do you expect? I am one of the Four Knights from the Order of Pendragon. Every protection afforded to my subordinates also applies to me." Agravain affirmed with confidence. "We all received the same training and the same warnings, especially against mental attacks. Only Morgan le Fay herself has been able to break Merlin's mental barriers."

"But your weapons are clearly better." Rin suddenly said with a small kick towards the leftovers of his armor, getting the knight's attention towards it. "Better quality than your troops' equipment anyway. Almost like night and day." She looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. "If you can afford that, why couldn't they have better armor to stop simple curses."

"What do you think you know, woman? Most of our resources are limited. When we deployed all our troops we prepared as best as we could." Agravain spoke in irritation. All Rin did was smile, just infuriating the man more. "Do you have an idea how the budget for our organization was for an operation like that? Everything."

"So you are like your predecessor, the treasurer." Yoruichi took advantage to ask.

"Of course. I didn't just inherit the man's name, while the power of my sacred gear was enough to land me a position as one of the Four Knights I also am skilled in finances and math, trained to help even the lowest state to last for years with a minimal budget." The man sounded proud of the fact and Rin couldn't help but clap.

"Wished I had met you before selling my soul to a devil." Tohsaka said between claps, some seeing where the conversation was going. "But besides equipment you didn't have anything else to pay right? I mean, this place for exemple is abandoned for the weekend."

Despite the wounds and humiliation Agravain suffered today this was the first time he looked really offended. "Transportation, food, camping supplies, bribes, support and even a more formal base of operations to work as our headquarters. We paid all that with the last treasure we had and after selling all the property that remained."

"Did you just say 'headquarters'? Is that where the Fragments are?" Shirou lost his patience and asked first just for the knight to look like he had swallowed a sour lemon. "Hey, you already gave up plenty. Just tell us where the place is."

"Never." Even in the position Agravain was in he looked at Shirou in defiance.

"You should have kept your mouth shut, Emiya. I almost had him." Rin threw her hands to the air and began to walk around.

"We have no time, Rin. It's almost night and if another of these Four Knights is instructing their men then they will begin to move soon unless we can take them all down." Shirou replied back as the two began to fight about it, something that pleased the defeated knight.

Agravain wasn't surprised they found his messages and instructions, the man was without his armor and he didn't destroy the papers in the hurry to get inside the factory and defeat those he believed were the devils or Exorcists even if ended up being neither.

He still understood that the group before him was associated with the Gremory somehow and Shirou fit with the description they had of the Magician of Gremory but he was mostly in the dark.

They also had tied him pretty well as Agravain found himself unable to use his hands to escape. He wouldn't fight either way since his best option was to offer a formal surrender and hope the other knights finish their mission.

"Enough! Both of you!

Yoruichi's shout had the two glaring at each other before Shirou brushed them off; "I am going to get his sword. You guys finish this."

The tone which Shirou spoke worried Agravain but Rin's next words worried him more. "Then I think we should start cleaning this place. What do you say? I kill him and those on this side and you get the other ones?"

"Fine." Leysritt replied with a cold look as she began to step towards one of the downed soldiers.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" The defeated knight demanded to know before Liz crouched down and crushed an armored man's head. "Why did you do this?! We are already defeated!" He turned to Rin in a panic. "We surrender! Please don't kill anyone else!"

"Oh so you do care. Should have thought about that before invading devil territory." Rin pointed out with a cold smile. "Or did you forget that is what you all are, invaders? And with the Excaliburs around it is not like we have time to keep an eye on you or anything." Agravain glared at Tohsaka but she just shrugged. "I mean, I may spare your men if you give us something."

"Is that what this is? A terror tactic?!" Agravain looked for Shirou but the redhead didn't look back at him, just kept examining his sword. "You all are just scum!"

"You are the ones who brought dangerous weapons to a peaceful city." Rin words were more pronounced by the sound of metal bending as Liz was moving for another spot in the factory. "You put innocents at risk by dragging that here and now we have to clean your mess."

"No one else has been hurt. Only the fighters and we are enemy combatants! We deserve a trial by whatever laws-"

Rin silences the man with a glare and a motion from her finger that cuts Agravain's cheek. "Then I condemn you to death. There is your trial. Or do you expect the devils to be any kinder? I can get Rias Gremory on the phone if you need confirmation." His lack of reply was exactly what she wanted. "Leysritt, please stop." The white haired woman had a sword above her head and looked ready to cut someone in half. "We have been running around the town like crazy because of you. Do you want to know how many of your bases we had to clean up? A lot." She let the implication sink on the knight's mind before continuing. "And it is always the same; 'we don't know' or 'we won't betray the Order' or the funniest one 'long live King Arthur'. The man is already dead, let him rest."

"He is in Avalon, that is known." Agravain's protest only had Rin rolling her eyes.

"Yes, yes. We heard how you plan to use Excalibur to bring him back. Big deal." She drops to one knee and flicks the man in the forehead. "I don't care about King Arthur. I don't care about the Excaliburs. I care about a bunch of armed men walking around my town without permission, picking a fight against another Faction and threatening the lives of my boss and friends." Rin got up and shrugged. "Why should we waste our time securing any of you? We have a town to save and you are wasting our time."

"Stop stalling already, Rin, and get it done." Yoruichi complained. "I will undo the magic circle and we should get moving. And Liz, make sure no one can try to attack us again.." Another piece of metal bending was her reply.

"Wait! Please! We aren't going to chase you or anything! We are beaten!" Agravain protested in a frenezy as Rin looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a finger with mana ready. "Others must have told you about us! We value the lives of innocents and our honor! We won't fight anymore!"

"And we are going to believe a bunch of home invaders? As if." Rin had to stop herself from laughing again.

"We can let you live if you give us something." Yoruichi added and once again Agravain grew silent. "So be it. Liz." A loud noise like a trash can getting kicked echoes around the place.

It was too much for the knight. "Information! Our lives for information!" The area was now silent as they waited for Agravain to speak. "I will… I will tell you where our headquarters are so you can go there. The Excaliburs will be under guard but you can still take them."

Desperation colored the tone of the man's voice but Agravain knew that would only buy him time. If the group left he hoped to break his bounds and save his soldiers before they returned empty handed.

"So, is this enough?" Rin looked at Yoruichi and the knight swallowed heavily as a cat held the destiny of every member of the Order of Pendragon in the building in its pawns.

"I don't know. What do you think?" Yoruichi asked with a chuckle. "If anything he confirmed that they aren't at their headquarters anymore."

"Huh?!" Agravain failed to hide his surprise. "What are you-"

"Are we done?" Shirou returned with Liz, sword missing and the maid not having a splatter of blood on her despite having crushed a man's head. "This was starting to get really uncomfortable."

"Sorry but we got something. Looking for their headquarters is worthless, the Excaliburs definitely are not there." Yoruichi's words confused Agravain.

"What are you talking about? Of course they are there." The knight tried to keep himself calm but not only he wasn't following the conversation but he was losing his only piece of safe leverage.

"No, they aren't. You gave that up too easily." Rin told him with a smile, enjoying the dumbfounded expression on the man's face. "I mean, credit where credit is due; no one in your Order told us anything but some details, details like names and things that we got just by looking around town."

Shirou took over by crossing his arms and looking down on the knight. "We know you have a small army walking around but we still feared you could be hiding the Fragments in a different place." The redhead shook his head. "But you trying to direct us there makes us believe that the swords are in a hideout like this."

"I mean, it isn't like we tortured then or anything. I was outvoted on that so we took your men's word." Yoruichi added with a smile. She jumped on Shirou's shoulder and landed a pawn on the side of his face. "And look at that; It seems your knightley types can lie but are as bad as our doofus here."

"So you didn't kill anyone?" Agravain asked in disbelief.

"We tried to avoid it as best as we could and even if some accidents happened, so far we haven't killed any of you." Shirou started with a smile.

"But then-"

"Empty armor." Liz confirms her words by pulling up a leg from said armor, showing that there was no one in it.

"Then the noise-"

"Rin distracted you while I made objects for Liz to smack around." Shirou traced a metal chest plate before making it disappear in an instant. "That armor too." The armor disappeared from Liz's hand and the floor. "Not bad huh? Armors aren't my speciality but I faced enough of yours today to be able to create a copy easily. These things may be well made but they're still too weak for the moonlit world."

"Then you tricked me." Agravain realized before looking at Shirou again. "And my sword?"

"That I had to break." Shirou's smile turned a little sad. "We may trust your Order to stay put but not with anything dangerous around Fuyuki. I am sure you understand."

While Agravain lowered his head to process all they told him, the group started to discuss their next move. "So we don't need to check rented or bought places anymore. That is useful."

"But it still leaves us with a lot to check." Yoruichi replied to Rin with a frown. "I know nobody likes the idea but if he knows something else-"

"Not happening."

"But Shirou-"

"You aren't going alone. Those swords are dangerous for you." Shirou began to scratch Yoruichi's head.

"I am one of the leaders of Kyoto. One of the Four Kings. Purr~"

"And still acts like a house cat." Rin said with a chuckle. "We could go with her previous idea of-"

"None of us is comfortable with torture so don't even try." Shirou cut Rin before she could even finish. "Besides I thought we all agreed that these guys would prefer to die before talking and we aren't going to do that either."

"Just enough mental images to weaken their minds." Rin offered as a compromise but Shirou's eyes told her it wasn't going to work. "Oh come on! You also are tired from running around all day."

"Hungry." Liz informed her allies and Shirou let out a sigh of understanding.

"I know it's tough but we are making progress here. We found one of the Order's leaders. We must be close." The redhead magus tried to remain optimistic.

"How the saying goes again? 'Close only counts with bombs and horseshoes'?" Rin asked with a frown. Shirou decided to avoid correcting her.

Yoruichi however didn't. "'Grenades and horseshoes' but close enough."

"What are you planning to do with us?" Agravain recovered enough of his bearings to ask and the three women looked at Shirou.

He wasn't going to complain about having to explain since it was mostly his idea. "You promise to not cause any more problems and we let you stay here until the authorities arrest you. You broke into a factory, after all."

"What?!"

"Yep, that is pretty much it." Shirou said while shrugging one shoulder to not bother Yoruichi.

"You are- Aren't you going to interrogate me more? Force me to talk?" Agravain couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't we already admit no one from your Order seems to do it?" Shirou asked back. "Look, I understand you all think your cause is noble but what you did was wrong."

"And yet you are letting us go? For nothing?" Shirou frowned at the question.

"Having you guys go to prison isn't nothing."

"It is! This is the moonlit world for goodness sake! Where the strong rule and play from the shadows!" Affirmed Agravain with anger. "Defeat here means death. We all knew what we signed up to."

"And yet you tried to save your men anyway." The respect in Shirou's tone surprised the knight who looked down with some shame. "I find that admirable."

"You should still kill us." Agravain spoke with certainty. "Even with promises we could still kill you or fight back against the officers or many other acts of rebellion."

Rin couldn't help but find the situation hilarious. "Are you really asking us to kill you after trying to trade lives for information, however false?"

"Rin, let it go." Shirou interrupted his fellow magus before sitting down. "I don't like killing."

"Then you don't belong in the moonlit world." Agravain replied immediately.

"I still don't like killing. Especially without reason."

"You have plenty of reasons." The shot back with a glare.

"Not enough. People die when they are killed after all." Shirou ignored the snicker that came from Rin's direction. "Once you are dead, you are dead. That alone is enough for me to not kill anyone."

Agravain shook his head in denial. "Not for everyone and certainly not for King Arthur?"

"Are you King Arthur?" Shirou could see the surprise on the knight's face. "Then you will die if you are killed." Yoruichi even nodded to his side to show she agreed. "I mean, maybe not? I can't say for certain with gods and devils running around and reincarnation also apparently being a thing even if just from human to devil. Oh and who knows how many stories of resurrection were actually for real or propaganda and-"

"Back on track, Shirou." Yoruichi could see the redhead was getting to the man and didn't want to interrupt but at that point he was trying to cover for too much.

"Right. Sorry for the rambling." The magus scratched his head with a bit of embarrassment before continuing. "Point being; as far as I know, if I kill you then that is the end. I don't want to do that."

"Aren't we enemies?" Agravain called out with a good degree of anger. "As your girlfriend put it-"

"Not his girlfriend!" Rin protested with a heavy blush that had Yoruichi laughing.

"-aren't we invaders in your ally's territory? You have every reason to kill me."

"And I would, if you weren't good people." Shirou's reply surprised the knight. "Want to hear my opinion? You are desperate, every single one of you. You are so desperate to reunite with your king that you are doing everything he wouldn't approve in the process. Or you are going to say that King Arthur, the king who united Britain for as long as he could to chase out invaders, would approve of you invading somewhere just to bring him back?" Agravain looked to the floor in shame as he couldn't disagree. "For almost the whole day I have fought against people who don't want to have this fight, who know they are doing the wrong thing, even if for the right reasons." He poked Agravain's chest to get the knight's attention. "And I believe you are the same. Help us end this before anyone ends dead."

"This is still our best chance to revive the Excalibur. To bring back our king. Our last hope." Agravain hated to admit such a thing because of what it entailed.

And Shirou noticed that. "You like having your hope tied to someone who killed children?" The loud sound of Agravain's teeth grinding was his answer. "You really hate that."

"Of course I do! I wanted to kill that monster myself!" Agravain shout astounded the four in front of him who just saw the man lose his composure completely at that moment. "Just the idea of that worm touching his majesty's Holy Sword grates my nerves! I want him dead! I want that vermin dead! I WANT TO BE A KNIGHT MY KING CAN BE PROUD OF!"

The man stopped to breathe, his face completely wet by sweat but also tears as Agravain fought against his restraints but couldn't get up during his rant.

Everyone else was shocked and stared at the black knight with wide eyes as he recovered. Between Shirou and Rin shocked expressions, Yoruichi closing her eyes in reflection while Liz's own pair remained wide, the group silently allowed the man to calm down.

Some of the soldiers around the factory even managed to wake up after enough to hear their superior passionate words. They cried and remained silent for there was no fighting spirit left in them after hearing how the man they followed was so divided.

They didn't blame Sir Agravain, they still respected him with all their hearts but couldn't fight any longer.

For Agravain had exposed their own doubts.

After a few seconds more a gentle voice spoke "It must be truly awful to trust something so precious to a man like that." Shirou felt pity for the knight and all the others fighting for an ideal in a way they couldn't live with. "But it doesn't excuse what you all have done. Even if you held back you placed many in danger."

"I know that." Agravain was still finding it hard to breath but refused to stay silent. "I shall be judged, we all will. Once our king returns, we shall all be judged."

Silence fell around the factory and Agravain heavy breathing was the only thing everyone could hear for a full minute.

"Then what?" Shirou questioned with calm and Agravain raised his head just enough to see the pity on the redhead's eyes. "Do you really believe that any sword someone like Valper Galilei forges will be able to bring back King Arthur? Or that it will even be as Holy as the original Excalibur?" Agravain looked down once again but Shirou's wouldn't let the man run from the truth. "Hey, look at me. You know that you can't trust that monster already. Why are you trying to?"

"Unfortunaly the Archibishop of Genocide is the only one who can restore Excalibur." Despite the hatred in the knight's voice there was also a clear tone of resignation. "The Church tried, or pretended to try, dozens of times and it was always a failure." Agravain looked back at Shirou resolutely and more certain. "He researched Holy Swords for his whole life and even if his methods are abominable, he is the only true specialist about the Excalibur alive. How can we not accept his help, even with all he did?"

Shirou closed his eyes and took a deep breath before replying. "You should still try to find another way."

"Do you think we didn't? For generations we tried even when we separated from the Church and this is the closest we ever got." Agravain sounded even more depressed now. "His research is monstrous, he is a monster, but Valper managed to make a common man be able to use Excalibur. That is more than anyone else can claim."

"And that is part of the problem; Excalibur isn't a sword that anyone should be able to use." Shirou let out a sigh at the lack of a response. "There is always another way."

"Shirou, even I believe you are barking at the wrong tree here." Said Yoruichi gently but the redhead just scratched her head.

"He is our best chance of a lead." The Magician of Gremory admitted.

The nekomata just frowned. "But he isn't going to talk and we are wasting time." She jumped on his lap to look in his eyes. "No matter how much you push he isn't going to give."

Thinking for a moment, Shirou could tell that Agravain was truly bothered by his circumstances, something the redhead fully understood. "Didn't you say you liked me because I don't hesitate." He picked Yoruichi up and planted her pawns on the floor before getting up. "Then let me try something."

"Going for torture now?" Agravain asked sarcastically. He already knew Shirou never would use such unsavory methods.

"Did Valper tell you that the Fragments hate themselves?" The line of questioning surprised everyone but the knight was the most shocked by the line which was new to him.

"How can a sword hate itself?" Agravain let his full disbelief out. "That makes no sense."

"You all believe that gathering the Fragments and fixing a single sword can bring King Arthur back and you ask if that makes sense?" Shirou's question actually made Agravain blush. "I can only tell you what I saw; Destruction and Mimic hate themselves and I am sure the others have the same problem."

"Nonsense. Valper didn't say anything about that. And how are you supposed to know?" The knight glared at Emiya who just shrugged. "You are just a magician, even if you use swords that doesn't mean anything compared to someone who studied the Excaliburs for all their lives."

"It is true that I am a magus but didn't your spies tell you that I am specialized in swords?" Shirou's question surprised the knight who frowned.

"Yes we had spies and yes we heard about you. My question stands; what can a magus, a kid wet between the ears, know compared to someone that worked with Holy Swords for his whole life?"

"Plenty, if you give me the chance." The ropes around the knight fade into motes of light, surprising Agravain while Rin facepalmed and Yoruichi let out a sigh even if she and Liz were smiling. "So why don't you tell me where the Fragments are and let me have a go at fixing them."

"You aren't just a fool, you are mad too." Agravain stands up and massages his wrists, enjoying having his hands free once again. "Valper Galilei may be a monster but his research speaks for itself. What do you have besides your words?"

"I have this armor." Shirou takes out the blazer and white shirt of his uniform to show the black armor with the red gem on its center. Agravain who had a similar but heavier armor examined it with a critical eye.

'Light' was the first word that came to the long haired man's mind, that and the fact that the armor had survived a blow from his sword which had some strong spells in it. Besides that Agravain felt nothing like his armor which he could feel a veil of magic everytime it covered him.

"So, what about it?" The knight finally asked after a minute studying Shirou's work.

"This armor may not look like it but it received the blessing of a goddess." Now Agravain looked interested as he tried to examine the armor once again. "It is also made from a special metal of my making which combines many kinds of metal with magecraft and alchemy. It is literally my best work."

"Emiya, where are you going with this?" Rin asked incredulously as Shirou talked about one of the most valuable possessions he had, maybe even more valuable than the Excaliburs. It soon clicked in her mind what he possibly intended. "Please don't ask him to try and melt it."

While Agravain stared at him in disbelief, Shirou just smiled to show that was exactly his intention. "Oh ho! That would be a hell of a credential." Yoruichi exclaimed. "If his armor can survive a sacred gear that can melt things wouldn't that make him skilled enough to take a look at the Excaliburs."

"You are serious?" Agravain asked, still stunned. "If that armor was really blessed by a god-"

"It is comparable to the Fragments and that is all that matters, won't you agree?" Shirou offered with a smile. "Go ahead then, use the Mark of Cain and take a measure of my work."

"You are really insane. As far as you know my sacred gear can even melt people." He pointed to Liz who watched the events silently. "You screamed at her for trying to attack because of it."

"So you are going to kill me? Then go ahead, that means less one obstacle to Valper restoring the Fragments into one sword." Shirou's smile made Agravain almost fall back in disbelief. "Even if your sacred gear can do it, I still believe you are an honorable man. The only reason why you and your Order are my enemies is because you all see no alternative besides the course of action you all are in." The steel on his voice demanded the knight's attention, it was a determination he hadn't ever seen before. "I am just asking you to give me a chance to offer an alternative, a solution better than a murderer. Please."

Shirou looked at Agravain's eyes and waited for the knight to make a decision.

"The Mark of Cain doesn't work on living organisms. It can't affect other sacred gears either and even silk is hard for it to melt." Agravain took a step forward and placed a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "But it never failed to affect metal; be it steel, titanium or any other metal, man made or otherwise. The Mark of Cain never failed to turn any fruit of science into mud."

"Then if I had failed in making something extraordinary my armor can only melt because alchemy and magecraft are closer to sciency than to magic, to an extent." Shirou summarized with a chuckle. "My mom and sister are the alchemists in the family anyway. I better not tell them if I lose this bet."

"I bet that someone else is going to be mad at you, a certain someone with purple hair." Yoruichi commented with a chuckle of her own, anxious to see the result.

"Why aren't you stopping him?! That armor probably costs more than Fuyuki itself! Probably more than the Excaliburs even since it is one of a kind! Just the gem alone probably could buy a country!" Rin tried to advance but Liz held her back by the shoulder. "Why are you stopping me?! It is your dunderhead master that is placing himself and his very valuable property in danger."

The white haired woman looked at Rin with some disappointment in her red eyes. "I believe in Shirou." For a moment Rin looked at the side with some shame before throwing her arms to the air.

"Fine! Don't blame me when she comes for your head, Emiya!" The four of them knew exactly who Rin was talking about and Agravain guessed it was whoever the goddess Shirou earned the favor from.

"I won't." Shirou replied with a smile, eyes still in Agravain. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Mark of Cain."

A few minutes later the group of Fuyuki began to leave the factory, a cheerful Shirou whistling a happy tune with Yoruichi chuckling from his shoulder followed by a frustrated Rin right behind a smiling Liz.

"I can't believe you just risked one of the rarest gems on the planet like that!" Rin barely could hold back her voice at how irritable she was which made the nekomata grow stif to hold back a laugh.

"What are you complaining about? It worked didn't it?" Shirou replied back with what Rin could only call a dumb smile but she just grew red, ready to explode before just dropping her shoulders and letting all her anger go as Liz gently patted her in the back.

Yoruichi couldn't help herself but laugh a little at Rin's emotional rollercoaster before asking. "What would you have done if that had gone wrong?"

"I honestly just hoped it would work." Shirou replied with a grin. "Now we have a lead to where to go and can finish this once and for all."

"Around the center of town is not much of a lead but the number of bases there sure helps." Yoruichi pointed out. "Just wish he had a more definitive address to give us."

Shirou agreed but saw the value of their strategy. "They were taking precautions. Apparently they have a benefactor backing them up who suggested that." He couldn't help but frown. "Who do you think they are?"

It was Rin who replied. "Well Agravain refused to tell us anything about them so we have nothing. I swear honor is the most annoying of contracts. At least we can discard Valper since your new friend obviously hates the old bastard." She folded her arms while holding her chin with a hand. "Whoever they are, they gave the Order a really inefficient magic circle so maybe not someone that skilled."

"Or they did it on purpose." The trio turned to Liz but the maid just shrugged. "Sounds like something Kiritsugu-sama would do."

"That is something I can't disagree with." Shirou could already see his father doing something similar to thin down numbers of future targets for a reason or another. "Anyway, we need to get moving. We will only have an hour or two after dark for the Order to mobilize and then the city will become a battlefield."

"Again, strange plan." Rin commented with a glare at Shirou's direction. "And can we trust that Agravain was being fully honest? You also made some bold promises back there." She kept glaring at Shirou, most particularly the gem in the center of his armor. "And made the most stupid bet that I ever heard in my life. Do you have a screw loose or you are just mad?"

For a moment Shirou became mute as he felt another pair of eyes glaring at him. Looking up from where the sensation was coming from, the redhead didn't see the orange skies that marked the end of the afternoon but a blue clean sky with clouds that made him wish he was in bed.

There he saw the pegasus of his dreams, also glaring at him with its red eyes the same way as Rin which made him believe it was for the same reasons. Shirou felt himself stuck looking back for what felt like a minute until the legendary mount just turned back, practically declaring it was ignoring him, much to the redhead's amusement.

Even as Shirou wanted to keep staring at the pegasus to try and understand the creature he couldn't do it for long because when he blinked the sky was orange growing dark and looking back at Rin he saw that she was still waiting for an answer.

Instead of replying Shirou turned to Liz. "How are the boots?"

"Don't change the subject!" Rin's protest fell in deaf ears as the maid lifted her foot to show her new piece of wear.

The black boots, previously part of Sir Agravain armor, were now present on Leysritt's feet. It was the best replacement for her shoes that they could get in short notice.

Because of the difference of size while on the knight's feet they would usually end on the middle of his lower leg but for Liz they reached just before her knees and so Shirou made some adjustments to make more comfortable but the footwear resistance to magic made it so that the redhead would have to work with it in the forge to properly fix it for her later.

But it was workable and the best foot wear they could get because of the extra protection and the blessing of Agravain himself who offered them in a show of support.

"A little loose." Liz could walk with the black boots but she always had the feeling that they would jump out of her feet. "I can fight."

"Maybe we won't need to." Shirou said with confidence but Yoruichi quickly shot it down.

"Don't count on it, Shirou. If Agravain was telling the truth then the one called Gawain can be as stubborn as you."

"Quite a feat." Rin added with a chuckle.

After that Shirou could just shake his head and walk again. "Either way we should get moving. Thanks to Agravain's directions we know where to go but we still have to find a closed building for Gawain's sacred gear. If I am not wrong that could be another apartment or a gallery or-"

"Or a lot of other options." Rin let out a sigh of exhaustion, showing to the others how tired she was. "Even when we have someone helping us the work still doesn't get done."

"Tough up, Rin. It is almost over."

At Yoruichi's reply Rin just pointed at her with a glare. "You are practically doing just the bare minimum. Don't criticize me."

"I would help if-"

"No." Shirou stopped the nekomata before she could even finish. "Unless you are willing to go around in your true form then you aren't going alone."

"But-"

"Fragments. Blessing." Two words were enough to silence Yoruichi. "I know why you don't want to do it so please be patient. Both of you."

"Yeah, yeah." Rin waved Shirou off before marching back to the car. "Can't wait to get this over with and take a nap. I am gonna sleep all day tomorrow."

"Hungry." Liz's announcement was both because of the hour and how much energy she had expended during the day.

Shirou still felt fine and could keep going but the others were his priority. "We are going to get something to eat before restarting the search. Once the Fragments are secured then we won't need to worry much about the Order mobilizing. If they even can at that point."

They got back into the car calmly as Shirou collected his cell phone from the glove compartment. "Can you do it? Really do it?" Yoruichi suddenly asked, her golden eyes meeting Shirou's. "Agravain was right about something, many tried to fix the Excalibur before. Clearly none succeeded."

"I promised, didn't I?" Shirou still had many problems with the sword itself but Agravain insisted on the red head giving his word before he actually helped. "The Fragments hate themselves, the swords feel wrong and their story has gaps. All that makes me think that the swords need to become one again, one way or the other."

Yoruichi could see that Shirou was serious by his expression while he worked on his cell and that worried her. "I think I didn't heard you call the swords 'Excaliburs' ever since this hunt began." When the nekomata pointed that out both RIn and Liz looked at Shirou with some surprise, especially when he said nothing. "Be honest with me; you know something, right?"

"Just a feeling for now. I need to study the other swords first." No one said anything at Shirou's response for a few seconds until Rin fully relaxed on the back seat.

"Well if there is anyone here who can do that it's the idiot who has a sword for a brain." It was clear that Rin was still upset about him risking his armor, and the gem with it.

Letting out a sigh, Shirou tried to ask "Can't you just let that go?"

"Want to ask Medusa if she is going to let that go?" Tohsaka's question had Shirou looking back at his phone. Clearly the redhead has no intention to even mention the incident to the goddess which had the twin tailed magus smile smugly "I thought so."

"At least we know that we won't need to deal with one of the knights." Shirou tried to change the subject once again.

"If Agravain was telling the truth." Rin said back almost immediately.

"I think he was and even if he wasn't we will know once we fight the other knights. We just need to pay attention to their sacred gears" Yoruichi stated and they all nodded.

That was an argument Rin couldn't beat and so she began to recite the names Agravain gave them. "Armored Colossal Goliath, Dream Crown and the Stone Commandments. A common and two rare sacred gears with low power but still respectable abilities that can be a headache if we aren't careful." She began to scratch her head in frustration. "Can't he just come with us to give something else more information about his allies? Or at least talk to them? Even if he told us about their sacred gears and that they all are skilled that just isn't enough."

"He wanted to stay with his men." Something that Shirou respected. "He also doubted that any of the others would abandon the mission without further evidence that I can do something about the swords."

"He is hedging his bets." Something that Yoruichi respected. The redhead looked at her and waited for the nekomata to elaborate. "While you proved that you may be able to help with the Fragments if you can't even get them, that means Valper can succeed in fixing the sword. If we get it then you fix it anyway, so he is just making sure that we have a chance." Shirou frowned but didn't disagree. "Not that we need to care about the other knights, Sir Gawain's sacred gear is the only one relevant to our job."

"Don't forget that the Mad Exorcist is also involved." Shirou reminded everyone, with some anger when he spoke about the man. "I knew that I should have hunted him down last time he was in town."

Just thinking about someone like Freed having the Excalibur Fragments worried everyone in the car for many reasons. Not only the stray Exorcist was a sadist that enjoyed torturing people the man was also a skilled fighter that clearly broke the human limits if his previous encounter with Kiba was any indication. That was before he had a Holy Sword or any really dangerous weapon of any kind.

Previously Freed wasn't a threat because he just lacked anything to threaten anyone, devil or otherwise. Even if he was a dangerous criminal and considerably skilled he wasn't a priority to anyone or at least no better than an average criminal. There were orders to arrest him by many and to kill him by others, the devils finding themselves in the latter category.

But now the Mad Exorcist had multiple Excalibur Fragments and was involved in a plan to reunite the original sword.

This was Freed's second time on Fuyuki and Shirou felt guilty for the man having escaped after the first one. "If I just had found him-"

"We didn't know where he was running to or hidding." Liz reminded Shirou but that didn't help him

"And now he came back." Clearly Shirou was frustrated by the news.

"If it wasn't him it would be someone else." Yoruichi commented with a roll of her eyes. "Besides it is a mistake we can correct so this is your turn to 'be patient'."

Having his words turned against him had Shirou smiling at Yoruichi. "Fair enough." He finally brings his attention fully to the phone and gets to the number he wanted to call.

In another part of the town Akeno was finishing with another group of knights while Rias and Medusa took a look around a parking lot. "I doubt the Excaliburs are here." Rias admitted to the goddess as Born To Be WIld shot a knight on the knee before another bullet of mana knocked him out.

"Better safe than sorry." A group of small purple snakes began to descend from the goddess' hair. Most of them were smaller than garden snakes but there was no comment as they began to look beneath the cars. "They will report if they find anything."

Rias was finding herself admiring how versatile Medusa could be. 'That is a goddess for you.' She blinked before realizing something else. "Out of curiosity; are you connected to your creations or they just obey your orders?"

"Both and neither." The smile with her reply made Rias think the goddess was just teasing her. "They may look like simple garden snakes but they are still my creations. If I command, they obey, if they die, I will know. Obviously I can also understand all that they say." She glanced at the King with a smile. "They also have some advantages compared to the average snake."

"Such as?"

"They are smarter for one and can use some mana to hide and run." Medusa said it like it wasn't irrelevant but Rias was astounded by the information.

'Considering how small some of them are and how fast some of them move it wouldn't be far-fetched to think of them as excellent spies. Most people wouldn't even think twice about a small snake in the grass or even notice them despite the rare color.'

Then Rias noticed how one of the snakes turned gray and began to leave the parking lot. Something made her look at Medusa that very instant to notice a smug smile on the goddess lips. It was almost like the purple haired deity had heard her thoughts and mentaly commanded a snake to show how well they could hide even in a city just because she could.

A small chill ran on the pureblood devil spine. "Medusa tell me something; is our house secretly full of your children?" The smug smile was quickly gone as the redhead gave the goddess a glare that showed her there was only one right answer. "Medusa?"

"Not in your bedroom or the bathrooms."

"That doesn't-" Rias' phone began to shake in her hand and upon seeing her lover's number she just glared at the small goddess. "This isn't over."

Feeling that her territory was being invaded, Medusa stated. "I got there first."

"I sleep with the owner." Now it was Rias' turn to feel smug as the goddess just pouted. She then brought her red phone to her ear. "Shiro, good news?"

*We got a lead, the Fragments are close to the center of town in possibly three buildings and we are close to the area.*

A huge dose of relief poured over Rias' body. 'This mess is almost done.' But she couldn't relax as of yet. "We still haven't managed to get into contact with Ise or the others. Did you have any luck on that front?"

Shirou let out a loud sigh. *No sign of them so far but the Order of Pendragon isn't as dangerous for them then they are for us.*

Rias nodded at that observation "Because of Kiba." Since she was a devil, Rias expected the knights to hate her or attack with Holy Weapons of some kind but the opposite happened on both fronts.

After her anger with the situation subsided a little, Rias began to notice how the members of the Order of Pendragon weren't using anti devil weapons and were respectful towards her. In fact they only attacked after Rias or Akeno began their own assault and never tried to go for Medusa even when she was wide open and she was sure that it wasn't just because of her aura.

*We managed to convince one of the knights, the leaders of the Order, to give us some intel.*

"That is great! How did you do it?" Medusa almost jumped from Rias' excitement but it couldn't be helped since the redhead was proud of her lover and couldn't hold it back. But when Shirou didn't reply immediately the devil began to worry as she could hear chuckles from the other side of the line. "Shiro?"

*I made a gamble and it paid off.* The magus replied slowly and Rias could swear that she heard someone laugh.

Deducing that her lover had some problems with the method he used and was ashamed of it, Rias moved to reassure him. "Shiro, it doesn't matter what you did, I don't care if you had to beat the guy to death, I am still proud of you and will back you up 100% percent. Nobody is going to blame you for it and we can easily dispose of the body, just to make sure." The silence that followed didn't help her worry. "Or was it a girl? Did you seduce another woman, Shiro?"

Another round of laughs came from the line and Medusa nodded with some pride of her own. "As expected of my protector."

"You know I don't mind, right? I will have to meet her but that is fine since you are doing this for our benefit while getting rid of a dangerous weapon-"

*It is nothing like that!* Shirou interrupted her and she could see him blushing on her imagination as he also tried to stop the other people with her. *Medusa isn't hearing us, right?*

"She is right. Want to talk with her?" Rias found the question odd but didn't mind.

With a laugh Yoruichi took over. *Nyahaha~ He risked her gift to get the information and doesn't want her to know.*

*Yoruichi!* Even from the cell phone Rias could tell he was apprehending the cat through her teeth but only heard more laughter after.

"Oooohhhh~ I see." Rias would have teased him more but the situation didn't allow her time. "Don't worry about it for now. She is with me and safe."

*Thank you.* Was all Shirou could say, clearly keeping the phone away from the others. *Now let me tell you what we discovered.*

"Give me a second to call Akeno. At this point she must be done with any stragglers."

Indeed the Queen was done as many soldiers laid defeated but still breathing as electricity still coursed through their bodies. When Rias called her, all Akeno did was clean her hands and show the other woman a smile that clearly indicated satisfaction and pleasure, to no one's surprise.

Unfortunately for her that smile disappeared quickly when Akeno got the summary of the situation. "So we have another three knights to deal with? Hmm, and the three also have sacred gears?"

*Pretty much.* Rin replied from the phone. *But we don't need to worry about them if we don't go to their areas and if we believe Agravain-*

*I do.* Shirou's endorsement was enough for Medusa but both Rias and Akeno were still a little concerned.

*Either way if Agravain was right, and plans can change so he may not be,* Rin changed her implication mostly avoid Shirou's protests, *then we most likely won't come across the other knights. Neither should you if you stick close to the more developed areas.*

*Where are you girls anyway?* Yoruichi asked a considerably relevant question and it had Akeno smiling.

"A parking lot that Shirou-kun knows very well." The Queen's comment had the King chuckling and the magus couldn't stop himself from groaning..

*Please tell me you are joking.*

Akeno placed a hand on her forehead and took a look at the distance. "Not at all. I can see the mall perfectly from here."

*I thought that place had closed.* A sound similar to a skull hitting something else was heard from the phone.

Rias chuckled again before replying. "They expanded and added more security. The mall was popular enough to do that." She looked around, seeing few cars and many defeated knights. "Unfortunately the security doesn't go this far and the Order took advantage of it. I swear they were scraping the bottom of the barrel to get places to hide."

"Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, Buchou." Akeno sounded way too satisfied for some of the people hearing her.

*You let Akeno on them, didn't you?* Shirou asked with a deadpan tone.

"Yes she did." Medusa didn't give the devils a chance to answer.

*They have my sympathies.* Shirou knew how out of control Akeno could be, especially when her prey couldn't really fight back.

*Mine too.*

*Even this half baked knights didn't deserve that*

"Meanies. All of you are a bunch of meanies." Akeno was fuming and pouting a little and the humor made some people laugh.

That good atmosphere didn't last long for Rias. "I just want all this to be over soon."

That sounded wrong for Shirou who detected a change in Rias' voice. *What is the problem? Are you worried about the others?*

"We all know that Kiba wouldn't give up chasing the Excaliburs if they found the Exorcists. Maybe even without them." Which made things worse for her. Rias' only consolation was that she had checked her credit card account and took note that Issei, the responsable for it, had made other purchases in the last few hours, mostly food.

"There is also something else." Medusa's words made Rias nervous and she quickly began to shake her head. "A few minutes ago Rias felt something that had her stop for a full minute and let out mana in a full street."

There was no time for the pureblood devil to complain about Medusa giving that information away. *What happened?* Shirou asked too quickly and Rias knew she would have to talk as Akeno looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I felt… something coming from Kuoh's direction." She told her lover timidly.

But Shioru wasn't the only one in the conversation and Yoruichi wasn't going to let Rias dodge the question. *It must be quite something if it is bothering you.* The nekomata gave a moment but when her friend didn't continue she sighed. *Stop stalling, Rias. If it is something serious then maybe you should check on that.*

"We have something important happening in the city right now and one of us is up on it to his neck." She was talking about Kiba. "Doesn't matter anyway. Sona is there and if anything is happening I am sure she is capable of solving it."It wasn't an attempt to change the subject, Rias fully believed in her friend.

*But it is worrying you.* Shirou pointed that out. *Tell us what happened.*

Not having a choice because Shirou would be calling Akeno if she just turned off the phone, Rias gave in. "I felt something from the boundary field. A flicker or an alteration."

*That 's bad.* Liz's remark showed that she was distraught at the idea of someone messing with it again.

"Don't worry, it isn't another 'Shinji situation'. The reason why I stood still was to check if it was still there and under my control." A control Rias shared with Sona and the connection could be felt all around Fuyuki. "The field is normal and there are no alterations."

*You should still check.* Yoruichi's suggestion made Rias angry.

"Are you suggesting that I let Kiba and the others with the Order of Pendragon around our town?" Rias hated that idea completely. Trying to stop the members of her peerage from fighting without her was the main reason why she was still hunting the Order while she tried to look for them. "I won't have it, Yoruichi. Every hideout we take out is another that they won't get hurt on."

*Besides a couple of them that wouldn't happen anyway since most of the Order doesn't have weapons or fighters capable of harming them, the little kitten and Ise most of all.* Yoruichi offered calmly, knowing that Rias wasn't going to really listen but trying anyway. *There is also the fact they don't want to hurt Kiba and you know that.*

"Doesn't matter. It just needs to be one mistake and some of them could get really hurt." Rias said back.

*Maybe they are back in the club already?* Rin didn't want to piss Rias off considering their relationship but she knew her suggestion was wishful thinking. They all did.

"Ise would have called from there, either from the landline or by using Koneko's phone." Rias wished that was what happened. "The fact that they didn't doesn't bode well."

"Knowing Kiba's situation, they probably didn't find the Exorcists but started hunting the Excaliburs anyway." The speed with which Rias turned her head towards Akeno had the Queen both worried and impressed. "You didn't think about that?" It wasn't teasing and Rias didn't think about that possibility.

"Of course they would do it!" Rias complained, beginning to pace around in frustration. "Most of I was sure that Koneko would stop them from doing anything stupid but Ise and Asia are too nice and could have convinced her." She began to mumble in concern and in fury and none tried to stop her. "There was still Saji- no. Sona said that he had a bleeding heart. Just hearing Kiba's history may have been enough to convince him too."

"Rias, calm down." Akeno placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder and the redhead stopped but was still worried.

"How can I calm down, Akeno? They could be in the middle of a fight against those sacred gear users-"

*That is unlikely.* Shirou tried to interrupt but Rias didn't stop.

"-or surrounded by an army of knights. Ise never killed anyone and wouldn't be able to do it just yet and Asia, poor Asia probably couldn't take it-"

Akeno had to think quickly to try and calm Rias down. "Well… Kiba and Koneko are with them-"

That was the wrong thing to say. "-and don't get me started on Kiba. I am sure he convinced everyone and is the mastermind on running after those damn swords." Her mana began to cover her to indicate her fury. "I swear when this is all over I am going to have him sitting in a seiza position for two hours with a brick of concrete over his knees. No, three." She was really losing control at that point, both of her power and her temper.

And for someone that was enough. *Control yourself, Rias Gremory!* Yoruichi's shout from the phone in her hand snapped the King off her anger. *Since when did the Rias Gremory I knew become so insecure?*

Feeling self conscious, Rias tried to defend herself. "I am just worried that-"

*Are you saying that your faith in your peerage is so low that you need to watch their every step?* The nekomata cut Rias' train of thoughts and stuns the devil into silence. *Are you really telling me that they can't take care of themselves? That all the training and effort they put into growing stronger was for nothing?*

"No, I-"

Yoruichi still doesn't give Rias a chance to speak. *Then stop thinking that you need to babysit them and focus on your job.* The redhead looked at the phone in shock as everyone else stayed quiet. *You are the Second Owner of Fuyuki, its Overseer and protector. We are in the middle of a crisis right now and something weird happened in your territory. What do you do?*

Rias took a deep breath. "Are you done?"

*Are you?* Yoruichi asked back. *You can't be everywhere, Rias. Going around town without direction is not going to solve your problems and something is happening at Kuoh, the place with the biggest ley line branch of the city at the same time that a madman promised to fix one of the most powerful swords to ever exist. If that alone isn't suspicious then I don't know what that is.* Rias couldn't disagree with that argument. * You know what I am talking about, don't you?*

Yes, she did. "The responsible thing to do as the Second Owner of Fuyuki is to drop my search, go back to Kuoh and evaluate the situation." Rias hated admitting that but it was the right call. "But it is exactly because of all those problems that I can't help but be restless. The Excaliburs are on the loose and most of my peerage is gone into a dangerous hunt. I can't help but worry."

*I want to say that I understand that but the Love of Gremory isn't a thing I can't really comprehend.* By the tone of her voice it was clear that Yoruichi was trying even if she was failing. *Yet that doesn't change the fact that you aren't just their King, you are part of Fuyuki's leadership and it is your duty to see to the safety of your citizens.*

Rias could understand what Yoruichi was telling her and if there was someone who could chastise her for not acting like a proper noble the nekomata was one of the few who had it. However she doesn't want to admit that or quit, Rias' priority are her loved ones, first and always. If her peerage was complete she knew she would already be halfway to Kuoh but that wasn't the case.

Besides, Rias knew she wasn't the only one who could handle the situation. "Sona is there. She can take care of it."

*And if she can't?* It was Shirou who asked. *I trust Kaichou, she is competent and efficient but Rias, she isn't as strong as you.* She tried to come up with a response but she couldn't, Rias knew it was useless to disagree with the facts. *If it was just the Order of Pendragon I wouldn't be even arguing this but the way that Agravain tried to speak about their benefactor it is clear they are dangerous.*

*Shirou is right.* Yoruichi took over once again. *We can't underestimate the situation and that means that you, Rias, need to run back to Kuoh to make sure everything is under control.*

Rias bit back a sigh as she couldn't find in herself any strength to disagree with her lover and friend's statements. It was always obvious that their group was always stronger than Sona's while the Sitri side was more strategically oriented, a gap that Rias began to work to amend with Shirou but her friend was still superior.

In a more controlled setting, or if Sona had some warning, Rias didn't doubt that her friend could hold back a whole army with few resources. But there was no warning and things happened so fast during the day that Rias had no time to give her fellow Heiress any warning before beginning to look for the Excalibur Fragments herself.

Akeno saw how her best friend was almost convinced and offered another nudge. "Think things this way, Rias; the Order of Pendragon is not dangerous and neither they want to hurt Kiba, whoever is invading Kuoh may not be as generous." She smiled with a little mischief. "Besides, if Kuoh is going to be the place they are going to fix the Excalibur then Shirou-kun is already going to intercept them while we can just ruin their party before it even properly begins. I wonder how Kiba will feel once he realizes we solved everything for him."

"That is true, the Archbishop of Genocide may be in Kuoh." Rias spoke with understanding, dawning into her who would be the one making a spell that could affect the school's boundary field. "I still don't like this."

*Regardless, we have a duty. Or don't you think I would have already stopped going back to Kyoto every half month if I didn't take mine seriously.* Yoruichi reminded the pureblood with some annoyance.

They were close and Akeno went for the metaphorical kill. "We could always call your brother."

She predicted correctly, that was something Rias wouldn't tolerate. "Fine. Fine! We are going back to Kuoh as soon as possible." As the future Lady of Gremory she can't be seen as calling her brother to solve her problems without reason and the threat of the Excalibur wasn't enough to do it.

On the contrary, it was understood that Sirzechs Lucifer already knew about the thief of the swords and gave his permission, however indirectly, for the Church to ask Rias for her permission to check her territory. Calling him now would be a little sister calling her brother to do her work because she saw it as too hard.

When Rias first left the Underworld for Japan she made many arguments to not only secure as much freedom as possible but also to not lose status in her old home. It was back when she cared about such things and to be allowed to leave she was given many responsibilities as training for when she truly became the leader of her Clan.

As the Second Owner of Fuyuki, Rias was the law, the one responsible to protect the mundane and keep any threat from the moonlit world in check. She also had to take care of her territory, the economy and its security, working with the mundane government to allow Fuyuki to prosper.

Calling her brother without a good reason would undermine everything that she accomplished and all the work she did. 'The Order of Pendragon isn't a real threat and the Exorcists are already moving to secure the Fragments.' She reminds herself. 'If whatever affected Kuoh's boundary field is part of the present crisis or not it is my duty to check.'

Yet none of that felt right for Rias who still wanted to keep looking for the rest of her peerage despite her duty to Fuyuki.

In the end it came down to 'I took the job and have to deal with the responsibility.' Looking at the phone Rias stated. "We are going back to Kuoh but if it is nothing then we are going back to the chase immediately."

*Fair enough.* Yoruichi replied with understanding.

*Yoruichi, what is wrong?* Shirou asked with a worried tone.

*Messing with a ley line to fix a sword… that is possible but...* A second of silence later the nekomata continued. *It is weird. Usually someone would use a ley line the same way as you and empower themselves to use the sword. That takes tools, a proper set up, a forge. You all know that.*

*Quite peculiar indeed.* Rin's voice sounded weak as she was farther from the phone. *Shirou, you are the specialist here. Anything comes to mind?*

Shirou took a moment to think before replying. *It sounds similar to how I use mana to give some swords power. The problem is that the sword already has power so…*

"You have no clue." Rias concluded for her lover.

*None.* Which just worried everyone else more.

"I hate that you all are right." Rias admitted with a frown as she couldn't escape the fact that she needed to get back to Kuoh..

*Nyahahaha. You already knew that, there was no point in arguing.* Yoruichi's laugh sounded forced but no one called her on it. *Don't worry. They are stronger than you think, especially the little kitten.*

"Are you talking to me or yourself?" Rias' amusement was plain to all. "But you are right, I have a responsibility to Fuyuki. I just don't like the idea of leaving my peerage alone during a time like this.".

*And you made that pretty clear.* Rin called Rias out, feeling confident the worst of the King's temper had passed.

*If it is any consolation I doubt that they will face the Fragments. Considering where the potential hideouts are there are at least another ten around them. It would take the whole night to clean those up if we didn't know where to go.*

Shirou's words reassured Rias who nodded before remembering that he couldn't see it on the phone. "Thank you. It helps." Not that she wasn't worried for him but Rias had no choice as she could only trust Shirou to deal with the threat. "So you have three other knights to deal with, right?"

*Not really. If Agravain was telling the truth,* the pause that followed told Rias that Rin was glaring at Shirou to not interrupt her, *then we just have to deal with one since the other two are too out of the way.*

*Chances are that the others won't stumble on them either.* Shirou said with confidence. *If we see them we will give you a call and escort them back to Kuoh when this is all over.*

"And you better get Ise's excuse for why he didn't call me." Rias was willing to give the Pawn the benefit of the doubt but was obviously still upset. "Better be a good one or else…"

Akeno was smiling, having fun just imagining the kind of punishment Rias is going to give to the Pawn. 'Maybe I can convince her to let me do it? Won't that be fun?'

But while the ladies beside her were lost in their thoughts, Medusa was lost in her less pleasant ones and she was worried. Even if she trusted Agravain's words, and she did because Shirou did and she trusted her protector, there were still factors unaccounted for. Such things are unacceptable when in defense of one's home, especially since some of the information spoke of a plan to mobilize during the night.

"How do we stop the Order from moving?" Medusa voiced one of her concerns out loud. "You said they have orders to move later, how do we stop this."

*Agravain said that if they don't have the localization of the Fragments the members of the Order are supposed to wait for a signal and then further instruction.* Shirou explained after a second. *Should there be no signal for a full day they are all to leave the town.*

"So even their final order is prioritizing innocent lives." Akeno murmured with some respect. "Maybe all of them are really knights, even if only some have the title."

Rias still didn't like how things seemed to be left to chance, despite her luck. "Can't we request that Sir Agravain take care of that? Signal or not, I think its clear everything will be settled by tonight."

*I think we can with that argument.* Shirou realized with an enthusiastic tone.

*Be right back.* It was Yoruichi and the Medusa could hear a door being opened.

Happy that another problem would be solved, Rias smiled at the little goddess. "Good catch Medusa."

She nodded back in reply but still had other worries. "What about the other knights? If they are close we can deal with them." Either by negotiation or violence Medusa didn't care, she just wanted the strangers out of her home as soon as possible.

*You are in that mall's parking lot so…* Shirou took a moment to think but didn't need much. *Not possible unless you want to waste time. Their locations are on two opposite sides of the town and you all are closer to Kuoh anyway.*

Another idea pops into Rias' mind. "We could go there really fast by flying."

"Not with the night lights." Akeno pointed to a post that was already turning on. "And if we fly too high someone may see us through a window."

"Maybe if we had a car…" Rias mumbled.

*You have no habilitation.* Shirou reminded his lover.

"Neither do you." Rias shot back.

*I have an illegal one.* Shirou immediately facepalmed after admitting that. *And you don't know how to drive either.* A second passed. *Don't pout at me because of that.*

"I wasn't pouting."

"Oh she definitivally is pouting."

"Akeno!"

Another sound of a door opening and closing escapes the phone. *Agravain agreed so that is another problem solved. He refused to say anything about the school so Excalibur may or may not be rebuilt there. Again the man is hedging his bets.* Even if Yoruichi understood the point of view she couldn't help but feel slightly irritated at the men's denials of dropping any hits about Kuoh itself, which worried her more. *Is Rias going back to Kuoh yet?*

"We are walking in that direction." Rias informed after taking a single step if just to have the last word in the subject while throwing a glare at Akeno to keep her quiet.

*Then stop stalling and get moving. I have a bad feeling about this.* The nekoshou really didn't like the fact someone was messing with Fuyuki's ley line in ways she didn't know about. *Even if Shirou has no idea how the mana is being used, we can all agree that it can't be good.*

Considering who Yoruichi was and her expertise, the King and Queen of Gremory look at each other with a serious face and then turn to Medusa. "I already saw things this far and you may need help." The goddess stated calmly. "But I expect my protector to rush towards our location at his earliest convenience."

*What a demanding goddess I have.* Shirou teased a little. *Of course my lady. Once I have dealt with the invaders I shall be at your side post haste.*

"Good." Medusa knew that Shirou was joking a little but would indeed do his duty as fast as possible. "Make sure the invaders are routed and that our home is safe."

*But of course.*

Chuckles and smiles ran around all present, someone even throwing out a small laugh. After Rias' concerns were addressed no one was really worried. The Order of Pendragon showed itself honest and loyal and the only ones they saw as dangerous or deserving of punishment were Valper Galilei, a researcher, not a fighter and Freed, who they were confident they could defeat, Holy Swords or not.

Spirits were high when Rias spoke again. "We need to get going. The sooner I check everything in Kuoh the sooner we can find the others."

"Then we better run." Akeno added in agreement before remembering something. "My, my, Shirou-kun, I think you forgot to tell us where the other knights are." Now it was the Queen to tease someone and the redhead magus was the target. "Or are you trying to stop Buchou from finding them, just in case she decides to take a… lets call it a long detour."

*Nooo. I am sure Rias wouldn't do something like that.* Yoruichi's laugh could be heard loud and clear.

*You can't lie even over the phone!* Rin was right behind the nekomata but she was holding herself a little better.

On the other side of the call Rias was massaging the bridge of her nose, avoiding looking at Akeno's smile. "Don't even try to deny it. Shirou-kun is probably right."

"Let's just go to school already and check that potential mess." Rias still did her best to avoid looking directly at her Queen.

"Fufufufu…" But the raven haired woman was purposely not holding back to rile Rias a little more.

Then Rias made the mistake of looking at Medusa whose eyes showed her amusement on full display. "We still should know. Just to be sure."

It was tempting, so tempting to just give in to Medusa's suggestion and ask. 'Aren't I supposed to be the devil here?' Rias decided to give in. "Shiro, I promise to only hunt them after checking Kuoh." And probably blow them up for hatching the whole scheme in the first place. "So you can tell us."

*Okay, since you are promising.* That confidence was something that Rias loved about her relationship with Shirou, just a promise was enough. *They are still pretty far. One is 'located in a quarry outside town and the other is in a shady warehouse on the outskirts of Fuyuki'. We can agree that they are too far for the others to just stumble in those kinds of places, right?*

The three ladies notice each other blink at the description. "'A shady warehouse'?" Rias asked just to make sure.

*Shirou is quoting Agravain exactly on that. Word for word.* Yoruichi informed after controlling herself. *From what he explained one of them has a sacred gear that could damage the town too much so the quarry was the best place for him.*

*Even if none of us ever would look into that area in the first place.* Rin added. *Hmm. Then again maybe that would be a good place to hide the Fragments.*

"Fine but… 'shady warehouse'?" Rias asked again, Akeno even getting closer to get the explanation.

It was Liz who explained simply and directly. *The place we were most likely to look at.* A loud growl occupied the line. *Hungry.*

*There are a lot of stores where we are going next. We can fetch something for dinner.* Shirou informed his maid, none of them was really worried about the Order but there was a certain rush in his tone.

Even if people weren't killing each other they still ran the risk of everyone getting hurt and when they accounted for the Exorcists there was a chance someone really ended up dead.

"Then we better get going. Talk to you later, Shiro." After short goodbyes Rias turned off the phone, placing it inside a magical circle since she doubted she would receive a call anytime soon. "'A shady warehouse'?" The description amused her more than she felt it should.

"Maybe an obvious hideout, the kind that says 'here are the bad guys'." Akeno commented with a smile, they were already leaving the parking lot with no concerns. "After all, there are supposed to be the villains, right?"

Rias could only shrug at Akeno's statement, agreeing to it to an extent before turning to Medusa. "You had some great insights today, care for one more?"

"They want all the swords, better to be in a place where their pursuers can find them more easily." Medusa's statement rang true for the other two girls but the goddess was frowning cutely. "This still feels wrong."

"It has been feeling wrong since this whole mess started in the first place." Rias can't get the worry about the implications of the events of the day as they joined a crowd moving around as the night life of Fuyuki began to show with bright stores, bars, restaurants and people making merry. It was a weekend, after all. "That is why I didn't want to let Kiba and the others run around alone."

"Are you going to break your promise?" Akeno knew she didn't need to bother to ask.

"Of course not, we are just going to have to drop by Kuoh for a moment. Even if someone tried to mess with the ley line it was probably just Valper and Sona probably already killed him." Rias really wanted to fly but considering that most of the population was mundane the risk was just too high of someone taking a picture or even looking up at the wrong moment. There was also the fact that Medusa couldn't do it but Akeno could carry the little girl. "Do you mind if we run a little, Medusa?"

"Not at all." The trio nodded and began to accelerate their step.

They drew many curious eyes and stares as the three beauties raced through the bright night. None of them cared to even stop or notice the surprised looks, always keeping each other in close proximity as they ran as fast as they could while still just above human limits.

All of them could go much faster, all of them could leap through the streets of Fuyuki and reach Kuoh in record time if they desired.

Secrecy held the trio back but they still ran faster than most people could even react to once they got enough space to get going.

Meanwhile they ran and there was no time for conversations but Rias still kept thinking about the description she received. 'A shady warehouse… where do you even find one of those?'

…

Earlier, before the sun began to set and even before the King of Gremory began talking with her Magician and his group, the other part of the Gremory Peerage was still running around town.

At this time they were going for the more depopulated areas of the city, areas that usually wouldn't have that many people around.

"You wouldn't hide something as dangerous as Excalibur in a high populated area, would you?" Saji had suggested a couple of minutes ago and no one argued with him when he suggested that they should look by the industrial district or the docks.

They opted for the docks and even picked a taxi to cut travel time. Kiba felt anxious inside the car but that gave time for Asia to rest as he stamina wasn't as good as the rest of them. It was a pleasant ride and the driver didn't ask questions when a group of students asked him to stop close to an empty area of the town.

The man did throw a look of worry, especially towards the girls, however Koneko quickly dissuaded any other questions with her cuteness. The taxi driver took his money and left with a smile while Issei and Saji wondered if Koneko's cuteness didn't have some hipnotic qualities.

Unfortunately for them there weren't any clues or leads in the area to give them a direction to go. Even on a weekend the docks were full and sailors were working hard to leave or were just arriving after a long voyage, ships replacing their cargo or trucks transporting said cargo inside Fuyuki itself or Japan.

It was disorienting for a group of students and they all knew they needed a guide of some kind.

They found the manager's office easily enough, Issei lying about a nonexistent uncle helped a lot before hypnosis was required. There they found records about many ships that had arrived in Fuyuki the last few days but the man in charge failed to explain everything to them under hypnosis.

There were just too many different terms, numbers and names for them to get a solid lead. Even if the Order of Pendragon was using one of the ships in the area or had rented a warehouse they didn't file it with the name of their organization.

Maybe the manager would have been more useful if he was sound of mind but Kiba knew he wasn't one of those aware of the moonlit world and there was no reason for him to trust a bunch of teenagers with the information.

In the end they still understood enough to know that unless they had a proper ship name or number they wouldn't find the Order's vessel, if there was one.

After spending over half an hour checking the place and finding no members of the Order, the devils began to leave on foot back to Kuoh while checking some of the warehouses.

It was only when dusk was about to begin that they found an isolated warehouse that appeared to have no guards, with a huge gate slightly open and some metal crates visible from the inside.

The place was also isolated and practically looked abandoned with broken windows, falling apart, old containers left to dust and no one else around as far as the devils could see.

"This place looks shady as fuck." Saji couldn't help but comment, happy that his suggestion paid off, even ignoring Asia's pout and Issei's glare at the crude language. "Like the kind of place in movies that the Yakuza owns or something like that."

Issei took a look at the rundown building and shook his head. "I don't think even criminals would want to work here."

"That is exactly why they would use such a place." Kiba jokes, much to his own surprise. He couldn't help but blink and reflect at his change of attitude during the day. 'Is it because I am not alone?' He looked to his friends before looking back to the warehouse. 'Or did I grow up, just a little bit?'

"Found a boundary field." Koneko informed and when they got close enough all devils felt the boundary field surrounding the place. "It's bigger than the others. Much bigger, barely hidden."

"See. See! I told you guys we would find something around here!" Saji felt proud as the discovery confirmed he made the right call.

Pride lasted until Issei grabbed him by the neck. "Keep it down. We don't know if they are listening." He was still a little annoyed about his friend's crass language infront of Asia but now they had other concerns. "This was too easy."

"They already know we are here." Kiba reminded the Pawns by using the previous hideout incidents as references. "They always do when we touch the boundary field but for one of this size… I think this is a trap."

Koneko stoically replied. "It's a trap, just not for us." The Knight immediately understood who the Order was waiting for.

"For the Exorcists, as usual." It wasn't a surprise for them and Kiba couldn't help but feel a little bitterness at the implication he was an intruder in the Excalibur debacle.

While Kiba could understand the Order of Pendragon's obsession and traditions towards that sword for centuries he felt that he had priority when things were related to it. Part of the Knight told him that it was a childish train of thought but the blond didn't care. He suffered because of Excalibur, lost his family because of Excalibur and spent half of his life hating that sword.

It took Kiba remembering Ddraig's warning to calm him down and focus on the present, anger still lingering. "This trap may not be for us but we are here for it."

Asia felt nervous seeing the shadows inside the building. It reminded her of a particular abandoned church where she almost suffered an unpleasant end. "Should we… go inside?"

After a second Issei lets go of Saji, who failed to free himself, and looks at the Bishop. "You can stay here, Asia. We will get there and beat up these guys in a second." He showed his confidence by hitting his fist on the palm of his hand.

"It would be safer like this, less chances of accidents." Kiba could fully believe that the members of the Order wouldn't attack Asia if she didn't go inside, they were honorable like that. "Or we can do how we have done the last few times."

"Last few times." Koneko said with some impatience.

Saji agreded with the Rook. "Yeah, let's just go in and beat them up." Already his Absorption Line was out, the lizard eyes letting out an eerie glow.

Issei and Koneko both nodded in agreement and Kiba looked around before summoning Holy Eraser. "Then let's get this over with." He felt himself trembling again, much like he did many times during this day. 'Are they here?'

Kiba knew that if the Excalibur Fragments were around then they should be more cautious but so far the Order of Pendragon offered them no challenge. On the contrary they didn't even want to fight him so the Knight felt safe in getting to the entrance of the warehouse, fearing no trap or ambush.

When they got close enough Issei called for the Boosted Gear and used a hand to open the gate revealing what they already expected; thirty men and women in armor looking ready for a fight.

However there was a change compared to the last few places they found. "Greetings! I see that someone fell into our trap! Unfortunately it was the wrong prey!" Spoke a knight in blue armor and a woman's voice and figure standing on top of a pile of metal compartments, immediately putting every devil on guard because of a single change.

"A different armor. Did we find the right place?" Issei didn't really expect an answer from anyone..

"Whoever that person is, her armor is much lighter than the average knight we dealt with today." Kiba informed the others, quickly positioning himself to the side with Koneko in the front and the Pawns on her other side.

Truly when compared with the other knights of the Order the blue knight's armor was obviously much lighter; It had less metal in it, less plates, exposing the sides of the woman's midriff while protecting the front. As far as they could see beneath the teal cape there were pieces of armor on the woman's arms and her helmet looked like a falcon's beak with two clear openings for her eyes.

Like the average knight the blue armor also had a pair of gauntlets and boots but those were thinner and stopped at the elbows and knees with individual protection for both. Clearly that armor offered much less protection than the but marked her as a different kind of entity compared to the others.

The blue knight herself looked confident and since she was the one who talked that made obvious to the devils that she was the leader. With a hand on her hip, and all the knights between them and her, it wouldn't be a surprise if she was a strategist of some kind.

"Blond hair and blue eyes." The blue knight's soft voice could be heard around the warehouse. "You must be Isaiah!"

"You don't need to shout. The acoustics of this place let us hear you loud and clear. I also prefer Kiba." The Knight replied with his best attempt of a charming smile.

The blue knight offered him barely a glance before replying. "This isn't the first hideout you found." She pointed out with a grunt which Kiba nodded. "You also have no intention of giving up your hunt for the Excaliburs."

All knights around the area drew their weapons, getting ready for the fight. "You guessed correctly." Kiba admitted as his friends were already prepared. He pointed Holy Eraser at the knight before announcing. "If you don't want a fight, you better surrender."

"The other members of our Order didn't and neither shall I. It would shame me as a knight!" The woman declared loudly and proudly and some of her men began to hit the concrete floor with their feet or spears to show their support. "So you are the one who should prepare yourself!"

Issei found it a little surreal how the knights they had been kicking around the whole day showed far more excitement than all the others just by the blue knight's presence. 'Who the hell is this woman?'

From her beneath her cape the blue knight pulled her weapon, a spear with its shaft retracted that soon grew to its full size. It looked to be made of the same material as the armor with a sharp tip and no edges, about the same size as the knight give or take a couple of inches.

Spinning it in her hands, the blue knight points her spear at the devils. "Prepare yourselves for you all shall fall to Sir Gareth, one of the Four Great Knights of the Order of Pendragon and her brave soldiers!" More shouts roared around the warehouse and Asia covered her ears as all the other devils got ready to move. "CHARGE!"

Kiba immediately could tell that their opponents were more organized than the ones before; their charge was controlled and clearly planned with swordsmen moving forward first while the spearmen stayed in the back.

Usually it was the other way around both in the other hideouts and conventional warfare. Spears are the best weapons to keep enemies at a distance, mostly for mounted ones but considering they all were devils most of the previous hideouts started with spearmen trying to chip them down for the swordsmen after.

It was just a matter of reach, all members of the Order besides Gareth were advancing with shields but the spears fell back in favor of those with blades despite their superior reach.

However the change in the Order's approach didn't change theirs; Kiba took a step back with Asia as Koneko took the front with Issei and Saji right behind. They were already so used to the formation that words were unnecessary when Koneko jumped ahead to meet the knight's charge with her own.

"Don't hesitate! That little girl can break all your bones but not your spirits! Charge! For King Arthur!" Gareth's warning about Koneko broke away the thoughts that she was just a little girl and reminded her soldiers she was a devil.

So, for the first time since their group's hunt began, Koneko met swords directly in her first charge, something that she didn't mind doing. The metal could be strong and well forged but Koneko was a Rook of considerable power and skill, when she got close to the first sword she didn't even allow it to test her defenses, she just tilted her head to the side and got close enough to kick that person's shield.

That was another reason to use spears on the front stead of swords; the reach of the enemy also was taken into account during combat. Koneko was smaller than anyone else in the warehouse, she was barely tall enough to reach most of the soldiers' waist and under most circumstances she would have some trouble on reaching them.

However when the knights decided to start with swords things became easier for the white haired devil, her training made her fast enough to easily dodge the first blow and her natural strength not only broke the first shield but launched the knight against two of his companions.

Adding the weight of the armor and her strength, despite how much she was holding back, Koneko was sure that those three were already out. '27 more to go.' She had already counted and was already spinning in place to deliver another kick against another shield, sending another knight flying. '26.'

Those that could surrounded Koneko while others passed the group by straight against the remaining devils. "We can't let Koneko-chan have all the fun!"

[Boost]

"Took the words out of my mind, Ise!" Quickly Saji sends his Absorption Line against the knights and two of them saw it just in time to dodge. "Gotcha!"

Pulling his arm back the blue line moved with Saji's arm and grabbed one of the knights by the neck, the prisoner trying to cut it off as fast as he could with a knife as the others kept going.

Going straight against Issei who grabbed a man's spear-

[Explosion]

-and lifted the man up with his own weapon. One boost was already enough for him to raise the soldier above his head, armor and everything.

Issei smiled at the soldier who didn't know how to react when the Pawn used him like a club against one of his comrades, knocking both out from their feet and one out of the fight.

Assuming a comfortable boxing stance, Issei moved closer to another knight to deliver a punch to the side of his head and the person beneath buckled at the impact as the Pawn moved to a punch to his chest before grabbing him by the arm and throwing him at another one.

For his part the Sitri Pawn already had absorbed enough energy from his first opponent that when a spear came close to skewer him all the blond did was create a magic circle to block the weapon. "Oh it's your turn? My bad~"

Absorption Line retracts itself back to Saji's wrist fully before shooting again and grabbing the new knight by the arm as its user focused mana on his free hand and punched the knight back before looking to the side and sending a small blast of mana to unbalance another knight.

'I'm getting really good at this!' If there was one thing that chasing after Kiba and the others gave Saji was experience. Most of his spells still didn't pack much of a punch but the idea he could fight someone without having to worry much was helping him learn how to use the extra energy better. "Get over here!" He always wanted to say that.

Saji pulled his most recent capture closer and his fist with the Absorption Line grew purple with energy as he delivered an uppercut, sending the helmet flying and revealing a woman beneath who was already weak by the stolen energy and lost consciousness with the last attack.

With another victory under his belt Saji sent the Absorption Line against the knight he unbalanced before with a weak blast of magic. "You are my food and you aren't escaping!"

'They really got good at this.' Kiba thought with a smile at seeing his friends growing stronger. 'But still not good enough.'

The observation was born from the group of knights who ignored the Rook and avoided the Pawns to challenge him directly with their swords.

A quick glance and nod at Asia was all Kiba needed to reassure her as he threw himself before his opponents.

The Knight could tell they all were skilled as the first one had gone for a swipe to take out his legs while another moved to intercept his sword with a third moving to cut him from the side. Another two soldiers hung back and stood ready but Kiba ignored them for the moment.

Holy Eraser moved swiftly as Kiba accepted the challenge of the second soldier, sparks escaping the swords as the first one still went for his legs. But Kiba was a Knight, he knew his legs were his greatest strength and paid close attention to how they were targeted.

He moved slightly to the side to let the second soldier fall against the first one, the commitment of the second knight now being their potential ruin as they fell straight towards the sword.

But the first one moved quickly and pointed their weapon down, allowing the second to use his shield to stop him from falling against the back of the handle and take another swing at Kiba.

The blond devil reacted fast by taking another step to the side but that was when the fourth and fifth soldiers shifted and charged at him, the third one moving closer to the ones on the front to cover for them as Kiba had jumped in the opposite direction just to avoid him.

"Kiba-san!" Asia shouted in warning but was not needed, Kiba was aware of the situation around him and knew he was caught between two other soldiers and his feet were still off the floor.

But he was a devil and so the Knight unleashed his wings and managed to easily dodge the swords. He had floated just enough to get out of their reach and moved back to where Asia was while the Bishop took a couple of steps back towards the door to give Kiba more room to maneuver.

'Holy Eraser is the wrong sword for this.' Kiba realizes and quickly discards his sword with a hard throw that the fourth soldier deflected while the fifth one kept up the attack, just as Kiba expected. With a flick of his wrist Kiba drew a more suited weapon to deal with his opponents, one that would give him even more mobility. "Jet Sword."

In a blink of an eye Kiba was inside the zone of comfort of the fifth soldier who he cut the chest of before delivering a kick to the side of his helmet. Not missing a beat, more mana was pushed into the sacred gear born sword and Kiba quickly approached another one only for a wall of shields to stop him.

He managed to stop himself by crashing against the wall with his sword but quickly retreated 'These guys are stronger than the ones before. This hideout is probably the main trap for the Exorcists.' By the skill and coordination the knights were showing him, Kiba could easily believe those were some of the strongest members of the Order of Pendragon.

Their teamwork was impeccable and the Knight of Gremory wasn't the only one in trouble. "Shit!" Issei cursed as he had to block a sword with his sacred gear only for a spear to pierce his shoulder.

[Boost! Explosion x2]

The Pawn of Gremory unleashed more power to push back the knights but an order from Gareth had them retreating. "He raised his power two times over! Move back a couple of steps! He is going for a swing at you Gordon!" An apparent random soldier side stepped Issei's attack as the blue knight kept shouting orders for the others. "Keep the Rook contained! Unlike the others of her Piece she favors speed over defense! Your spears are still sharp enough to cut her!"

Koneko glared at the blue knight away from the fight as she was having difficulties finding openings to land any more strikes. All spearmen around her had discarded their shields and were moving fast enough to avoid her, always covering each other.

Especially when Gareth called her moves before Koneko finished them. "She is going for another swipe with her leg! All of you four steps back! She is about to jump to the first person in front of her!" But dealing with that many fighters as a single commander was difficult and soon Gareth had to turn her eyes to another fight, this time Saji's. "Keep a grip on the rope! Vritra's host isn't as strong as the Red Dragon Emperor! He can't lift you up! The rest of you attack now!"

"Fuck off!" Saji tried to command the Absorption Line back but truly he couldn't and a spear managed to hit him on the leg before he punched his attacker back.

'This is bad!' Kiba thought just before Gareth's eyes turned to his own fight. 'She is taking us apart by just analyzing our fighting styles. The first knights we defeated were probably calculated losses!"

That realization was practically confirmed for Kiba when Gareth pointed her spear at him. "His sword is sharp enough to get through your armor but is mostly focused on speed! Move together and push him against a wall!" She then motioned to Asia. "He isn't willing to leave the girl alone! Use that!"

The fact that the soldiers moved side by side in an instant and began to advance with their shields together in a wall of steel showed how well trained they were. There were no words once again after the order was given, just a steady march towards Asia's direction that had the Bishop nervous and forced Kiba to drop between the former nun and the members of the Order.

Calling for Sword Birth to make another sword had Storm Monarch appear in Kiba's hands as he prepared both weapons. "That one also uses wind! Take care!"

Gareth's warning surprised Kiba. 'How did she know? I haven't used Storm Monarch's ability yet!' But now that the secret was out the Knight didn't hold back as a small gust of wind began to form around the blade as he took a swing against the wall of steel. "Storm Monarch!"

Thanks to Gareth's warning her soldiers had already braced themselves and barely budged against Kiba's initial attack. A particularly brave man took a step forward and Kiba had to increase the wind intensity to stop him.

Dust began to cover the area as Kiba's winds got worse, the majority of the fighters were having their vision imparied as the fight grew more intense.

As a former nekomata Koneko didn't need to rely on her eyes to know where everyone around her was, her other senses were more than enough. She grew aware how some of the knights began to hesitate and stop their attacks to not harm each other.

Since she was a Rook and the strongest person present, at least until Issei got another few Boosts, she was also the person dealing with the most knights with twelve people going against her.

It was fifteen before but she knocked some out with her strength before Gareth had ordered them to stop engaging her directly. With their spears they kept constantly poking Koneko while keeping her surrounded and she wasn't able to get any new hits in the fight.

When Kiba began to use Storm Monarch, almost everyone lost their sight or began coughing because of the cloud of dust. Koneko observed how some of her opponents grew more packed together as their vision grew imparied and they looked for reassurance in numbers.

She could attack freely now but Koneko realized that even if the lack of sight allowed her to defeat some of her opponents it wouldn't finish the fight.

So she made the problem worse by hitting her palm hard against the floor and kicking up more dust for Kiba's wind. While the warehouse's closed space helped Koneko blind the members of the Orderm it wouldn't last long unless the Knight tried to keep the dust around.

Already it was beginning to escape through the many openings like holes on the walls and open windows and some soldiers were recovering their bearings and Kiba changed tactics and charged with both his swords.

When the knights previously surrounding Koneko got ready to continue they noticed that the white haired devil wasn't around anymore as the last cloud of dust disappeared and no one could find her.

Koneko had used the cloud of dust as cover and moved at her full speed between the soçdiers until she could get behind one of the huge containers in the area. She didn't take time to congratulate herself for a successful escape as that was only the first part of her plan.

Jumping high in the air and spreading her wings, Koneko launched herself like a missile towards Gareth from the blue knight's side, a blind spot because of the helmet the older woman was using.

It was a simple maneuver to take out the enemy commander and Koneko prepared herself to throw a hard punch as she approached quickly, completely unseen. Every instinct that the Rook had told her that Gareth didn't know about her approach, the blue knight's distracted by the other fights.

There were clear indications that Gareth wasn't expecting any attack at her so Koneko didn't know how to explain why she failed to hit the knight as she was hit by the teal cape. Having lost her own vision didn't slow Koneko down and if anything she began to fly faster as something hit her back right between her wings.

The next thing Koneko felt was a sharp pain in the middle of her back as she hit the floor hard enough to kill a normal man.

""Koneko-chan!"" "Koneko!"

All the other devils call for the Rook in a panic as the blue knight returns to her previous position no worse for wear. That wasn't the first time Koneko was hit that day, some members of the Order got lucky and got her with their swords, but the Rook's defense kept the little devil unharmed as she was more resistant than most.

This time it was different as Koneko crawled out of the teal cape still covering her, the attack having come so surprisingly fast that some wounds covered her skin and the former nekomata looked to be in a small daze.

[Boost! Explosion x2!]

The roar of a dragon marked that Issei lost any patience as he used more power. Those surrounding him learned to fear the Red Dragon Emperor. "You bastards!" Mana gathered in his hand and the Pawn quickly punched it towards the blue knight. "Dragon Shoot!"

The wave of power was so strong that some were thrown off their feat, the Red Dragon Emperor not holding back in his wish of making Gareth pay.

The blue knight was already moving before the attack was unleashed and the blast of red mana missed her and demolished the rooftop of the warehouse. 'I can only hope no one was paying attention in this direction. Unless they are the Holders then that may be enough to catch their attention' Gareth admired the size of the attack before turning back to Issei to see that his fury had not subsided.

Most of the roof was completely gone after the blast but the blue knight had dodged perfectly. However the other devils took advantage of the confusion on the enemy side with Kiba using Storm Monarch once again before using Jet Sword to get closer and swiftly dispatch the soldiers closest to him.

Not having expected what happened, Saji reacted a little slowly but grabbed one shield and quickly beat a soldier with it, tying the man up with his Absorption Line before charging against another two. The duo raised their shields when Saji threw a haymaker but that was a feint, the Pawn was too far to hit them with his fist.

He hit them with their tied up comrade as he kept going in Koneko's direction while taking wide swipes with his improvised morning star as the group that Koneko was facing before turned to meet the other devils in combate.

But it was Koneko herself who dispatched them. Having already recovered from her daze and the damage she took, the white haired devil jumped for a quick elbow on someone's back before taking another down with a punch to the side. She followed up with a kick against another soldier's knee and by the time the members of the Order turned to fight back they fell victim from more punches and kicks.

After slamming on the floor Koneko was slower than previously, her body hurting all over. She wasn't ready for what happened so she only had her natural defenses to help her resist the impact. She still made sure to defeat all knights in her line of vision before falling with only one hand and knees to support her as her right hand touched her side.

Considering previous experience, mostly from training with Yoruichi, Koneko was pretty sure something was wrong with her ribs. She wasn't surprised, her defenses were at her minimum since she was focused fully on attacking when Gareth countered her.

Some blood even was flowing from her back and the former nekomata was sure that if she wasn't a Rook then she would be dead.

[Reset]

It happened suddenly as Issei felt his exhaustion after using many Boosts at once and letting too much of his power out. He was tired but still could fight even as he lost the extra power but still jumped and punched ab enemy.

When a soldier came for him Issei grabbed the spear with his naked hand before punching with the Boosted Gear. Even without Boosts the brown haired Pawn knew he was stronger than most humans and after eight successive punches against the soldier's shield arm it lost its strength and Issei finished them with another three against his.

Gareth barely recovered and got into position again when she saw that most of her men were already defeated. Without her warnings and caught by surprise at the devils' second wind there was nothing they could do. Some stragglers tried to keep up with the devils but Kiba was now moving around the battlefield and dispatching anyone that could keep fighting with quick sword strikes.

In a few seconds the fighting began to die down as the Order members couldn't recover once their formation was broken and Gareth could feel the sweat from her forehead as she was the last knight standing.

As far as traps were concerned Gareth knew things were going badly and that the odds of her group defeating the Exorcists were getting smaller by the moment. 'The only positive of all this is that they didn't kill anyone yet.'

The blue knight was aware of the Red Dragon Emperor's fury but while Issei was the biggest present threat he wasn't the most immediate one. There was another devil that could be a problem both in the present and the immediate future.

It happened while the devils began to regroup, Issei and Saji moved quickly for Koneko to see if she was well while Kiba neutralized the last few of the Order members around. With his speed and two swords it was just a matter of time as the soldiers could only struggle to hold him back.

Asia took a couple steps forward, also going in Koneko's direction to heal her friend. She barely didn't realize that someone had begun to move in her direction with murderous intent.

With Kiba preoccupied with fighting two people at once and the Pawns focusing fully on Koneko it was only the Rook herself who noticed the movement from the corner of her eyes. "Asia!"

The warning brought forward new concern for the Pawns and got the Knight attention but it was too late. There was no one between the blue knight, the Bishop and the blue spear that found itself stabbed in Asia's gut.

Asia's muted scream couldn't stop her from crying as she felt the warmth of her blood leaving her belly. She was a person that had suffered much pain in her life but most of it was emotional with only a few scraps and bruises in between.

The only greater pain was when her soul was torn apart in the attempt to steal her sacred gear but that was a different kind of pain that even if hurt more in the past it couldn't prepare her for the one in the present.

A gentle soul with a big heart that disliked violence, Asia wasn't ready to defend herself or even know how to do it properly. She was only a healer, nothing else and Gareth couldn't blame her from crying as the former nun never was a warrior.

The blue knight made no comments as she removed her spear as fast as she could, already jumping to the side. "You coward!" Kiba's rage came back full force but now it wasn't about the Excalibur but for the sake of his teammates.

"Leaving a healer unguarded-" Gareth had no time to finish talking.

[Explosion!]

Issei came at the blue knight like a cannonball ready to rip her apart with his gauntlet hand. Gareth had enough time to clash against the sacred gear with her spear and push it back as she kept running away to get some distance but the Pawn didn't let up.

While the two boys of Gremory chased the blue knight, Koneko and Saji ran to Asia's assistance, previous wounds forgotten. "Asia-chan! Are you alright?! Of course you are not alright but-"

"Saji, shut up!" Koneko ordered with a panic as she tore off the shoulder sleeve of the Pawn's uniform and tried to stop the bleeding. "Asia, can you hear me? Stay conscious." It took everything Koneko had to not panic as well with her friend's tearful eyes looking back at her. "You need to heal yourself."

"It hurts- it hurts." The Bishop's tears flooded out and Saji got up in rage.

"That fucker-"

Koneko pulled the boy back down. "She needs help." She knew some first aid but even then the nekomata was trembling, something the Pawn noticed.

"Sure!" Saji would later credit himself for his lack of hesitation as he held the wound close while Koneko helped guide Asia's hands towards the wound as gently as she could.

Meanwhile the blonde Bishop was receiving help Knight and Pawn kept chasing Gareth furiously. 'I may have miscalculated horribly.' Military convention preached the contrary as taking out the healer from the opposite side meant that everytime she landed a hit it would stick.

Unfortunately for her, that attack threw both Kiba and Issei in a berserker-like state as they both kept attacking her constantly. All Gareth could do was block Kiba's swords with her spear, still getting wounded even when she saw the attack coming, and stay away from Issei's gauntlet.

Gareth knew that if Issei grabbed her he wouldn't let her go until she was a blood pulp. What really worried her was that even in their furious state neither devil was getting in each other's way.

Both weren't fully in sync as Issei was having difficulties getting Gareth not only because of her agility but also because he was trying to stay out of Kiba's way. He always took a few seconds into getting to her and that gave the blue knight time to try and dodge. Time that the knight could fully focus on defending against Kiba's two swords but not much else.

While his friend did his best to keep up with them, Kiba refused to give Gareth any time to rest. He kept just swinging his swords as fast as he could but the spear was always there to deflect or Gareth was always moving away from them, never trying to hold her ground.

The three of them were stuck in a stalemate where the devils couldn't land a definitive hit but the knight also could do nothing but defend.

[Boost]

But they all knew it was only a matter of time before their stalemate broke; either the woman would run out of stamina and get cut or Issei would get enough Boosts that he would catch her.

A third option presented itself when Gareth spun her spear in a frenzy and jumped away from Kiba. A literal second before the Knight could keep up the chase Koneko had landed where Gareth previously was and destroyed part of the floor.

"Koneko-chan? Is Asia alright?" Issei immediately asked, stopping to look back at where the former nun remained laying down with Saji guarding her, a green glow visible in the dusk light.

"She is healing but it will take time." Koneko informed and the Pawn felt bad for not asking about her when he saw the white haired Rook's own wounds. "She didn't kill Asia but came close."

"I didn't intend to kill her." Gareth protested while taking many steps back under the devils' glare. "Can you all calm down? Didn't you face other members of the Order of Pendragon before? We don't want problems with Isaiah."

Memories of the whole day crossed the devils' minds but Issei didn't care. "You hurt Asia." A menacing growl escaped the Pawn's throat, his eyes full of murder.

Gareth kept up walking back but was clearly staring back at the Pawn, her expressions hidden behind her helmet. "She is an enemy medic. Expecting her to not get hurt in a battlefield is a naive train of thought at best."

"I'm going to rip you apart!" Issei declared with the Boosted Gear glowing with more intensity in response to his emotions. He was about to charge when Koneko took a step in front of him.

The blue knight knew her words just made things worse but was glad that the white haired girl stopped Issei. She could tell that his emotions were all over the place and that she needed to do something before the fight resumed.

"I could have killed her but I didn't, alright. My attack was perfect and I just took her out from the fighting to stop you all from healing." Gareth explained despite knowing that her words wouldn't calm down the Red Dragon Emperor. She was hoping to convince Koneko to keep him under control as she looked to be the more collected of the bunch. "I could have killed her easily just by tilting my spear up a couple of inches. Her heart was exposed to me and she wasn't on guard. I avoided that because we, the Order, don't want to make things worse."

The dragon's host was still mad and it looked like Koneko wasn't going to intervene but one who came to her rescue surprised them all.

"Issei, she is right. Asia was on the battlefield and as a healer she is a priority in any fight." Kiba was the one most surprised by his own remark but was barely keeping himself together. His rage still burned hot with a heavy weight of guilt fawning the flames but the Knight kept himself composed only because Asia was alive "We are going to get her but remember what Ddraig said."

The Pawn hasn't forgotten the warnings of the original Red Dragon and how anger could be dangerous for him.

[You really better have not forgotten, partner.] The dragon's voice echoed in Issei's mind. [Your fury is justified but too much of it and then you will burn your allies. Hmm, I must say I am surprised by how fast the Knight learned to control his own anger but maybe its because the object of his hatred is not around. Then again this day must have been like a rollercoaster of emotions for him. Hahahaha!]

Ddraig's laugh actually helped Issei calm down but he still glared at Gareth who kept her spear ready and primed to pierce anyone who got too close. The blue knight knew she was still in thin ice with the devils but smiles confidently as they gradually calm down.

"So can we negotiate now?" Gareth asked.

"Negotiate?" Issei's voice revealed his still lingering feeling of anger but Koneko stood in front of him to stop any advance.

Gareth frowned at how upset Issei was about Asia's wound but nodded either way to show he heard right. "That is correct. You all also are after the Excalibur Fragments, right? There are none in this place." She didn't relax or lower her spear as the Red Dragon Emperor just waited for the chance to attack. "Considering you beat up my men we also can't face the Exorcists if they show up."

"So you are surrendering?" Kiba asked back but the blue knight shook her head.

"For King Arthur I can't surrender." Her determination made it clear that it was non negotiable. "But you already did quite a lot of damage to some of our elites and I doubt the boundary field around this place will last for long."

"What are you proposing?" Kiba wanted the woman to get to the point.

"You leave and let us go. No surrender and no more damage needs to be done." Gareth declared and Issei grew mad once again.

"Is this because of your honor? That flew out of the window when you hurt Asia." Koneko stood firmly in front of the Pawn. "Let me get her, Koneko-chan."

The Rook threw the Pawn a side glance before her eyes moving to the Knight. "I agree with Issei."

Kiba had no chance to reply. "Then why are you stopping me? We already beat everyone else."

"Ise is right. Many of your men are too hurt to keep fighting, at least for a while." The blond ignored his friend and spoke with a fake smile. "Maybe things would be different if you hadn't hurt Asia."

Gareth tightened her grip around her spear. "You just want to make me surrender so I can't pursue the Excaliburs anymore." Kiba quickly lost his smile and began to wonder what gave that away. "You are all upset that I hurt your friend and have no intention of letting me get my way."

"Pretty much." Kiba admitted, still wondering what gave his true intentions out. 'At least the conversation calmed Ise down.' Yet he was growing suspicious that there was more happening that he didn't know. "We are going to break all your weapons and leave. That is the mark of your surrender." He then pointed his sword at her. "It is the only way we can believe you will abide by your word."

She knew Kiba was telling the truth but couldn't accept those terms. "You already know my answer."

The statement didn't surprise Kiba. "Yes." The blond took a step to the side, two Jet Swords in his hands. "As a follower of King Arthur you refuse to sully his honor. You won't try to trick us because tricks are the tools of traitors." He positioned himself a few steps away from Issei and Koneko who got ready. "We already have this conversation with others. Not that you already didn't know that."

Gareth didn't reply but held her spear firmly, she would have to react quickly once things started. "As one of the Four Knights of Pendragon my word is worth more than my life." She licked her lips, feeling thirsty as she realized the situation she landed herself in. "I won't lie. I can't surrender."

"That spear is special, right?" Kiba suddenly asked and Gareth stayed silent. "Even with all you had going for you I doubt you really were strong enough to hurt Koneko." The white haired devil moved a few steps away from Issei who felt more power surging on his body. "Combine that with you men, maybe you would have a chance of defeating the Exorcists."

Again no reply as Gareth tried to remain calm while the three devils got ready to finish her. It was just a matter of time before the attack began but she knew the other two were waiting for Kiba's signal.

'Straight attack with a circular maneuver for momentum and extra strength.' Gareth prepared as Kiba had both Jet Swords pointing behind him.

"So to make sure that your word is really worth something we are breaking that spear and leaving you all here, beaten up and without healing." Kiba revealed what Gareth already knew.

Once the Knight of Gremory was done the Knight of Pendragon decided to talk. "That isn't necessary."

"Oh but it is." Kiba's fake smile returned in full force and Gareth couldn't help but chuckle.

"You are just making things harder for us out of spite."

"What can I say? I do have some anger issues."

"Ha!"

Issei couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped Kiba's admission but the Knight just smiled sincerely. "Quite a bit of anger issues. I thought it was just about Excalibur but you showed me something else today." The Knight didn't finish his statement on purpose.

"That you can be angry when your friends get hurt." Gareth's affirmation caused Kiba to chuckle.

"Yes." With his swords propelling him Kiba flew in Gareth's direction faster than anything she had ever seen before.

There would be no dodging and Gareth knew it, the Knight of Gremory was moving too fast and if she had moved before he would just have gone for another maneuver. The only reassurance she had of her survival was her weapon. She trusted in her spear resistance and the spells waved in it because the other option would be surrender.

And as one of the Four Great Knights, she refused to surrender so easily.

Changing his center of gravity and his swords' positions Kiba began to spin with Gareth barely managing to keep up with the blur. Her eyes could barely identify the swords moving in her direction.

But her arms were already in position when Kiba's attack hit and Gareth could feel her knees buckle under the strength of the attack. The blue knight was sure something broke in her hands but ignored it as she needed everything she had to hold the attack back.

She was even pushed back a few steps for the force of the impact but was still standing..

Kiba opened his wings, still in the air after his attack. He noticed how Gareth's spear wasn't damaged despite his attack but wasn't surprised. If Koneko's got even a small wound from the weapon that spoke of its power.

So he ignored the weapon's resistance and moved for his next attack. Kiba was pretty sure that Gareth would dodge it but he still moved his second sword to hit her face.

Just before Kiba began his motion of attack Gareth was already moving her spear. Her arms felt like they had weights on them but she still moved them to push Kiba back, forcing the sword to miss. "You are going to need more than that."

Kiba smiled. "Noted." With his wings he was already back on the ground and going for a slash on Gareth's legs but the blue knight was already running away much to his surprise. 'Was I wrong?' He gave chase a second after.

In her mind Gareth was panicking. 'He came to the wrong conclusion but he pretty much deduced my sacred gear.' With the back of her spear the knight threw one of the boxes to her side at Kiba without losing her step and he cut it off his path while getting closer to her. Even if he wasn't furious anymore Kiba was still relentless in his chase.

While the Kiba fought the other two devils rushed to help their friend. With his Boosts, Issei was much faster than Koneko but neither could get closer as Kiba had covered several meters in a split second with a single dash.

Gareth was still trying to escape Kiba when she detected Issei and Koneko approaching fast. The brown haired Pawn was almost on them when the blue knight changed her strategy and jumped to the left while forcing Kiba to block a jab from her spear.

Her position had put Kiba between her and Issei but that didn't solve the problem with Koneko who was almost on her side. Not having much choice, Gareth let go of her spear with one hand to grab something from her back, crushing it on her hand and allowing a flash of light blind the white haired devil and Issei while Kiba remained safe since he was the closest to her.

"I thought you knights didn't use tricks?" Kiba asked sarcastically. "Makes me think that we should just kill you all."

Gareth gritted her teeth and used her spear as a club that Kiba easily stopped with his two swords. "Tricks like this are fair in a fight." She advanced in his direction for a tackle but Kiba side stepped her and noticed two more cylinders on her belt with her hand ready to crush another one. "For King Arthur!"

This time there was nothing to stop Kiba from being blinded and he had to cover his eyes to try and starve off the pain while Gareth kept going forward to attack Issei.

'He grows more powerful with time! I have to take him out now!' The time to hold back had passed as the blue knight aimed her spear towards Issei's head. 'I am sorry.'

[Your head!] Gareth's eyes widened as the warning came from the Boosted Gear itself and Issei managed to grab the spear before it reached him.

"Thanks, Ddraig!" Still with his eyes closed from the pain, Issei held the spear firmly.

[No problem partner.] The glow from the sacred gear grew even stronger with the green of the jewel being complemented by the red of the gauntlet.

"The real Red Dragon Emperor?! He can talk?!" Gareth couldn't believe those words as Issei followed the body of the spear to attack her despite his blinded state. She saw no choice but to let her weapon go to dodge. 'Nonononono.'

A soft voice then speaks from Gareth's side. "Got you." The blue knight turned just in time to see Koneko deliver a haymaker to her face.

There was nothing that Gareth could do as the punch connected and her helmet began to crack under the Rook's strength. The beak broke first and revealed the woman beneath with a golden crown similar to a diadem with a wheat seed just above her forehead.

If offered absolutely no protection when the fist connected with Gareth's face as her body was already flying back from the point of impact.

Thanks to the noise Kiba stabbed the ground before asking. "Did you get her?"

"No." "Yes."

Issei and Koneko replied at the same time but both boys understood what the former nekoshou had said. "Good job, Koneko."

"Hmm." Nodded but once she remembered none of them could see she let out a hum.

"Can any of you see?" Issei asked nervously. "Did she blind us forever?"

A temptive left eye opens on Kiba's face before he closes it again to scratch it. "It is blurry but I think it isn't permanent."

"How is Asia-chan?" Issei asked next. "Ddraig can you-"

[No, I can't see her from here.] The dragon told his host. [How do you think this works? That I have actual eyes out there? I am just somewhat aware of what is happening outside the Boosted Gear.]

Issei didn't mind that Ddraig sounded a little grumpy. "Thanks a lot. You saved my ass back there."

[No problem.]

It took a few moments for the trio to recover their vision with Koneko taking a little more time than the other two but they were mostly fine. They still were scratching their eyes after a whole minute but they could see normally.

After they recovered their vision Kiba told both Issei and Koneko to tend to Asia and ask her to heal them once she was better. He was going to make sure Gareth was definitely out of the fight.

"Are you going to kill her?" Issei asked with a frown. With his anger spent and Asia recovering he didn't want to kill Gareth anymore.

Kiba just smiled and said nothing as he began to walk towards the defeated knight. He noticed how the blue of her armor was a little red as blood fell from the woman's nose and mouth. If the devil wasn't mistaken he was sure she was breathing by her mouth as her nose was definitivally broken.

"I know you are still awake. Mostly because of your helmet and armor without a doubt." He gave her a moment to see if she would react. "A friend of mine also has special armor but not as enchanted as yours. I can feel the magic from here. Probably that is what saved your life since Koneko wasn't holding back."

He didn't know the kind of protections the armor itself had but, with part of it broken, the magic inside it seemed to be dispersing and turning it into simple metal. Still a good armor and Kiba was sure that it could survive a blow or two from his swords but once the magic was fully gone that wouldn't be the case anymore.

Curiosity for the armor aside, the Knight focused on Gareth's condition before leaving a sigh. "I will ask again; 'I thought you guys didn't use tricks?'"

Another moment of no reaction later, Gareth finally lifted her face and looked Kiba in the eyes. One of her was shut and was evidently going to swell up soon because of the damage, her nose was completely broken and if her cheeks were any indication then she was only really alive because of her armor since Kiba was sure anyone would have died if the attack had been direct.

"That wasn't a trick. It was a strategy to win without killing. For all the good it did in the end" The way Gareth spoke was slow, practically dragging the words out as she found her tongue hard to move.

"From Ddraig's warning it is clear that you were ready to kill Issei." Kiba called her out.

"To my shame. I got desperate. You all were too strong." She told the Knight with an attempt of a sigh that hurt her face as her crown disappeared from her head. "Are you going to kill me now?"

Looking at his swords Kiba shrugs before throwing them to the side. "If Asia had died, sure. But she didn't, so consider this payback for hurting her."

"My sacred gear can't heal me like hers can." It sounded like a lament and a whimper in one.

"That is your own fault, isn't it? We didn't come here to kill you all, just to get the Excaliburs."

Gareth glared at Kiba but soon she sighed again. "I had a duty; to defeat you, gather the swords and return my king to the world."

"Shouldn't have started this in our city." It was clear that Gareth was defeated and Kiba just shook his head in disappointment. "Are you going to cause us any more trouble?" He knew she was in no condition but needed to make sure.

"No, I won't sully my king's honor." Gareth didn't know what hurt more, her face or her pride. "Are you going to break my spear?"

"Just to be safe." Kiba replied. "We also are going to destroy every weapon in this place so you guys don't even think of trying to fight again." He gave her a glare that he knew she wasn't paying attention to. "Once this is all over my King will be the one passing her judgment on you all. Pray that she will be merciful after you hurt Asia."

"If my king doesn't return. If he does then he is the only one whose judgment I will accept." Gareth said in defiance and for a moment Kiba saw her fighting spirit returning to her.

"Suit yourself." Without proper healing there was no way that Gareth could keep fighting as he saw how hurt her face was and doubted she could even see him properly. "By the way, why didn't you dodge Koneko's attack?"

With her good eye Gareth looked at Kiba before looking down again. "Is that a trick question? Obviously I didn't expect her to attack."

Even when Koneko was blind her other senses far surpassed everyone else's in the warehouse and all that the Rook had to do was push back the pain long enough to hit her enemy.

The blue knight didn't expect that kind of reaction, most people shrink down and try to protect themselves when something surprising happens to steal their vision. Double so with flashes that are sudden and the person was unprepared for like Koneko who was the first one she hit with it.

"Doesn't your sacred gear let you see the future?" Kiba's deduction had Gareth laughing before she had to stop as more blood covered her and she found it hard to breathe. "I guess I am wrong."

Despite the broken nose and bloody mouth Gareth still offered Kiba a smile. "You reached the wrong conclusion but it was close." She already knew that from earlier but found his confusion amusing.

"But you predicted all our moves and even knew my sword's powers before I used it." Kiba asked in shock but she just laughed again only to close her mouth from pain and hold her nose.

Gareth debated telling him about her sacred gear just for a moment. "You are lucky you are handsome." She said slowly, making the devil blink. "And it makes no difference if you know. My Dream Crown doesn't see the future but the dreams of people."

"Their dreams?" Kiba took a moment to think before asking "Their thoughts? You can read minds?"

"Handsome and smart. Just my type." Gareth said with amusement, her exhaustion catching up to her. "Legend says that it was made from Joseph's deeds. He was an interpreter of dreams and was said to also guess the future." She chuckled bitterly. "If I could just see the future then I wouldn't be in this state. I didn't focus on the girl's mind because I thought she was blind and paid for it."

Still Kiba found himself respecting the defeated woman. "You read our thoughts and fought the best you could. Even if you could see the future this wouldn't have ended any differently." He then smiled. "Unless you were going to surrender."

"Ha! Stop making me laugh. Bastard." Some blood poured on her throat but Gareth felt happy. "Maybe I would know if all that was worth it. But like Joseph I can't see beyond what people already knew." Her smile became bitter again. "Joseph was a lucky man, he figured out the Pharaoh's dream and managed to get a cushioned job when he should have remained a servant. A lucky man indeed."

"I don't know about that, maybe the dreams he interpreted really told him of the future." Kiba didn't remember everything he read when young but that was a story he had some vague memory of.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Gareth never researched much about the inspiration for her sacred gear.

"Well … he did know how long it would take for the dreams to come true." Kiba realized after a moment, the memory of his childhood coming back after much effort. "If I remember right Joseph interpreted a lot of dreams, not only the Pharaoh's. There was a thief's… and a cup bearer's. I think." His former life so full of happy memories had one of the older children tell him and others those stories. "He knew the day they would leave the prison, one to die and the other to live. He also knew the years of famine after the years of plenty. Maybe Joseph could only know dreams but God," there was no pain for Kiba held no reverence and only distaste at the name, "sent him what he needed to know."

"A devil defending God. Now I saw everything." Gareth closed her eyes and relaxed. "Shouldn't you hate Him?"

"I won't deny that. God wasn't there when I needed him so he has none of my love." Kiba admitted with ease. "I hate Excalibur, God's abstinence and Valper. More than anything." He sighed. "But that won't stop me from looking at things objectively. That is the only way that I can keep my friends safe." He began to walk away with confusion in his eyes.

"You sound like you respect Him." Kiba stopped to look back but Gareth didn't move or open her eyes. "There was even some fondness. Like from those that believed in our king but refused to participate in the operation."

Without turning Kiba just spared the blue knight a glance before walking away. "Not for Him but for others who loved him." Siblings that were gone.

There was nothing else from the knight as Gareth lost consciousness from pain and Kiba began to move closer to his friends. He could see them all fretting around Asia as the light of the Twilight Healing shone on them. The Knight noticed how Issei held the Bishop's back with Koneko and Saji standing guard to the sides.

"How is she?" Kiba asked after a second.

Asia noticed the worry in Kiba's face and offered a smile. "I am healing well, Kiba-san."

The Knight took a look at her gentle face before turning to his other fellow blond. Saji gave him a small smile before replying. "It took a minute for her to begin to real right, her sacred gear kept going in and out."

"She couldn't concentrate." Koneko disregarded Asia pouting as Saji continued.

"But thanks to Koneko-chan's help she managed to heal enough to get rid of the pain. Then it got easier." From a dangerous even if not fatal wound to a completely healed in a moment, Saji was relieved that Asia didn't die under his watch. "I almost cried back there."

"I apologize, Saji-san." Asia let the guilt wash over her and the Pawn of Sitri quickly complained.

"No! It wasn't your fault! I am just happy that you are safe."

Issei was quick to add "He is right, Asia. If anything it is my fault. I should have protected you better."

"No, it was my fault." Kiba protested. "Our formation had me at the back but I thought that the situation was under control and committed at the wrong time." He bowed his head past his waist. "I am sorry, Asia."

"No-no need for that, Kiba-san." Asia then smiled gently. "I am just glad we are all safe."

"Yes but this was a bit too much." Saji said with a frown, turning to Kiba who had a similar expression. "Dude, I know that you want to get those swords but… I think it's too much sand for our truck."

Koneko nodded in agreement and Issei's hand held Asia protectively with his arm. "I agree." The Red Dragon Emperor added as Asia looked down in shame. "These guys aren't playing around. I know that chick didn't want to hurt Asia but if she did…" He refused to finish that line.

"No. We don't need to stop now. It was my fault that I got hurt." The former nun protested and Issei looked at her with sadness.

"Asia…" Issei said her name sofly to try to dissuade her but she shook her head in denial.

"We are here to help Kiba-san. We knew it was dangerous and I should have been more careful. I just-" A hand landed on her shoulder and Kiba gave the Bishop a smile.

"Thank you but they are right… Gareth was right. I should have watched over you." A mistake that Kiba regretted tremendously but made sure that Asia didn't notice that. "We all should have been more careful."

After a few moments the glow of Twilight Healing diminished and everyone watched astounded as Asia got up with a hole on her uniform but unblemished skin. "Good Maou. I wish someone on my team had that sacred gear. It must make training easy."

""No."" Both Koneko and Issei replied at the same time, making Kiba chuckle. "Not easy, not even close to easy." Issei added, standing up and crossing his arms in an 'x' in front of his face. "We have to train twice as much, there is no excuse to rest and the moment we are healed and have energy we are supposed to keep going." Koneko nodded her agreement. "Our teachers are also insane. The number of times Liz-sensei made a hole using my body…"

"Trees… many trees." Koneko shivered. "I was thrown through so many trees."

Issei also shivered at memories of his training for the Rating Game. "Thanks to Asia's sacred gear we can train more but we feel every wound every time." He shook his head in panic. "There was no rest, just training, training and more training."

"You still got Medusa's training." Koneko pointed out but Issei looked at her with horror.

"You think that was easy? That was between sensei's lessons and eating. I didn't got a single break." Except when he passed out in bed but since they had won against Riser then Issei felt he shouldn't complain.

Kiba was holding back a laugh at that point but Saji gave them a nervous smile. "You guys had it rough."

"Not that much." Kiba controlled himself enough to reply. "It was thanks to Asia we managed to stop Buchou's marriage after all."

"And then Emiya got with her." Issei's complaint earned him a look of shock from his fellow Pawn.

"Are you for real? Emiya is with Rias-sama? Can they do that?" Saji asked since he was human and she was a devil but Koneko hit him from the side. "Auch."

"Forget about it." The white haired devil then galred at Issei and he felt he shouldn't have said anything.

"Ah, let me heal you all now." Asia moved to check Koneko first but she almost tripped if Issei hadn't caught her.

"Asia, be careful."

"I am fine. I just…" The former nun avoided looking at anyone's eyes, not wishing to say what was the problem.

But Koneko's senses picked up as she felt her energy low. "You are exhausted." The Rook informed everyone as the Bishop looked down.

Saji realized why. "Taking care of any wounded, checking us up, having to heal yourself. With how much stamina a sacred gear can eat, I'm not surprised."

"I just need to rest for a minute. I can keep going." Asia looked at Kiba and soon they all were looking at the Knight.

Looking at everyone's state and noticing that only him was unharmed, Kiba knew they waited for his decision at Asia's silent question.

"We can keep going. Let me just heal everyone." Asia was determined to keep helping Kiba and her determination actually made the Knight feel guilty.

That guilt only grew when he noticed the others were ready as well. "Sit down. It will help you take care of us." Koneko said, sitting down with her back to Asia and allowing the nun to knee behind her to take care of her bruisers. "We can go slow."

"My shoulder is killing me. " Saji commented with a smile that had Issei and Koneko glaring at him. "But I can wait my turn."

"Good." Koneko closed her eyes to focus on feeling Asia's energy.

Issei had a similar idea as he watched over Asia, his eyes not leaving the Twilight Healing glow to make sure the former nun wasn't pushing herself too much. He only left her for a moment to look at Kiba. "Where do we go now?"

Not worrying too much and considering everything, Kiba smiled. "We patch up and get a cab back to town." The events of the day were also catching up to him and he wanted to rest as well but refused to sit down. "I will break those guys' weapons and we can go after you are done."

"But go where?" Issei asked with a frown. He was all for helping his friend but he was concerned about Asia's condition.

With a smile Kiba told him where they would go next.

…

Sir Gawain, the Commander of the Order of Pendragon remained stoic as the hours passed. Nightfall had come and from his position inside the Art Gallery he could clearly see the stars. 'No Exorcists so far. I hope one of the traps managed to collect the Excaliburs but I can only check once the next step of the operation begins.'

And Gawain didn't want to give the signal for the next phase. He knew that once he did the risk of innocents getting hurt would grow considerable and was trying to avoid that at all cost.

But hours had passed and the signal, a couple of fireworks hidden in a known location to some of the Order of Pendragon, hadn't been used as of yet. It was the only solution that he managed to find for the boundary field given to them by Kokabiel, a special firework set that would be bright and loud enough to be seen even during the afternoon. It would scare some people but would indicate that the operation was done; that either the next one should begin or it was successful, depending on the color.

From his position in the middle of the galery Gawain could see every direction around the building. The place was built almost like a glass house with windows that allowed perfect vision of the premises to anyone and a slightly higher position from the ground level that made it easier for one to see the sky and the cities around its street.

It had two floors only, both completely full of knights patrolling the area and keeping an eye out on every window, both for the signal and for the Exorcists. They were clearly visible as well but with the boundary field only those who inhabit the moonlit world could notice them and the majority wouldn't mess in their business.

Except the Exorcists, they are the ones the knights are standing on the windows for with the lights up. Now that it was dark outside they were far more visible and even if Gawain hoped that the other traps would defeat them deep down he knew that his hideout was the one with the best chance.

They had the best soldiers with the best training, all present and ready to give their lives to complete Excalibur. Then there was Sir Gawain himself with his sacred gear, the strongest sacred gear the Order of Pendragon had, and the secret weapon passed down between Commanders since the Order's founding.

In his back pocket he felt the weight of the rune engraved stone that would undo the boundary fields and activate the fireworks with the color calling for success or failure. Then if the Excaliburs are not in their possession, chaos would begin in Fuyuki.

The plan was desperate but the time was short, sooner or later the devils would notice something was wrong and things would get worse anyway. Better it to in their terms in the Order's opinion.

As the night settled down, Gawain lost faith that things would revolve without him signaling the operation. He had faith in his men's abilities but their opponents were the Holders of the Excaliburs and the swords themselves shouldn't be underestimated. That is why they planned to search with their whole army during the night in the first place, to catch the Exorcists tired and unaware if they haven't been defeated by their troops spread around Fuyuki.

But innocents would inevitably get involved in the conflict and that was why Gawain hesitated. He cared not for the devils as he was confident the Order could stall them for him and the other Great Knights to pin down and take the Excaliburs from the Exorcists.

That would obviously expose too much of the moonlit world and there will be consequences but Gawain already admitted their plan was desperate.

"I'm bored." Freed commented, lying down on a bench with Gawain standing at his side. He was the other reason why Gawain was hesitating. "Isn't time for us to go hunting?"

"Not yet." Gawain replied immediately, his eyes running the walls and hallways once full of statues but removed just in case there was a fight. "We are waiting for the night to begin properly."

Freed frowned and sat up. "Lights are on and it's dark already. Let's get moving!" The Mad Exorcist also didn't like Gawain but he surely wasn't going to disobey Kokabiel's orders and can only leave the knight's side under certain conditions. "Come ooooooooon. Let 's goooooo!"

An irritated sigh later, Gawain took his eyes off the window to glare at the white haired man. "What are you, a child?" The knight wasn't one to lose his patience easily but just standing close to Freed was testing him. "It's not time yet."

"And when will it be? By dawn when everyone is waking up? I thought we would go out at night?" Freed pointed outside firmly. "Look there, night. Its go time."

"Do you understand what you are suggesting?" Gawain was sure Freed did. "I would call you reckless but I am sure you are just mad."

Freed threw his head back and began to laugh as many soldiers surrounding them watched the event. "That is how they call me." The white haired man sounded proud of the fact, much to Gawain's irritation. "'Mad Exorcist, Insane Priest, genius, crazy asshole, prodigy. All of those because I'm willing to do what is necessary." His red eyes turned to the knight full of mirth. "Like right now."

Both of them knew exactly why Gawain was hesitating and Freed didn't mind putting some innocents in the middle of the fire if that meant accomplishing his goals. If it was up to the Mad Exorcist they would already be out killing anyone unlucky enough to get in their way.

"It's not the time yet." Gawain repeated with some aggression.

"Bullshit!" Freed kept glaring at the blond and everyone present was now paying full attention to the discussion. "This is devil territory! We should be in the fight, not waiting!"

Gawain held his sword firmly but didn't draw it despite being ready to do it. "We must keep the Excaliburs we have safe. That is our priority, your priority."

If their leader drew his weapon then it was clear that every single member of the Order in the area would jump to support him. They weren't only the best trained members of the Order of Pendragon but also the most loyal whose desire to see their king returned only was outshone by the ones from the knights themselves.

To Freed's side, however, stood at reach and ready to be used Excalibur Rapidly and if anyone made any more against the Mad Exorcist he could use it to easily escape or wreck havoc on his supposed guards.

Beneath his cloak there were also all the other Excalibur Fragments they managed to recover and with Rapidly assistance it wouldn't take much longer for him to draw a second sword and use it to kill anyone on their side.

But the members of the Order had faith in their leader's sacred gear, they all can already feel its effects active and knew that while they had it even the Fragments wouldn't be out of their reach.

Unfortunately for all members of the Order of Pendragon, Freed knew exactly which buttons to press to unsettle them. "Aren't ya doing all this to bring the 'great' King Arthur back?" He smiled when some flinched even if Gawain just looked back to the windows. "Isn't all this to get the Excalibur back together? Then what are you waiting for?" His smile became feral as he grabbed Rapidly and began to play with the sword. "Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." Freed saw Gawain remain stoic and asked "Or don't you want your precious king back?"

Gritting his teeth so hard that Freed could hear it, Gawain tried to remain calm. 'He is right.' The knight looked down to his steel plate armor, similar to his subordinates' but slightly more refined. 'A sacrifice is necessary but must I sacrifice more than our honor?'

The blond knight knew his temporary ally was right, time was running out.

The knight tried to run the plan in his mind to see where things went wrong. 'Any other city would mean dealing with the powers from there. Some who have contact with the Church.' That eliminated most of Europe and Americas. 'Then there were the pantheons full of gods and their territories; how many of them would want Excalibur for their own purposes? How many would kill for it?' He began to sweat as his mind ran more and more possibilities. 'So few places have a ley line strong enough for the ritual and all of them belong to someone far more dangerous than the devils. Fuyuki was the safest bet with the power the Order has.'

Admitting that Freed was right was a defeat that Gawain didn't want, however inevitable it was. Unfortunately the facts were against him and the Commander knew it despite how much he wanted to deny it. He still hesitated to give the signal and so his mind grew distracted by evaluating the plan all over again.

'The only real luck we had was that the devils most likely won't want anything with Excalibur. The Fragments alone are too toxic for them to wish for the sword and getting it will cause friction with the Church.' Gawain then remembered those who already perished because of his plan. 'We had no choice but to kill the Heiresses' guards. The Underworld wouldn't stay silent if they knew that Lord Kokabiel was in the area and he is the only one that Valper will listen to and is capable of protecting the ritual site.'

He swallowed down his guilt as his hand began to tremble as he held his green cape to calm down. "Can we go now?" Freed asked with a smile that had Gawain wishing to punch the stray Exorcist. "The night won't last forever, you know~?"

Opening his green cape, Gawain's left hand moved towards his back pocket. 'If I do this, more innocent people are going to die. I can't stop Freed while he has the Excaliburs and my sacred gear will need to be prepared again once we leave this position.'

Maybe if Freed was a more reliable ally and they knew exactly where the Exorcists were Gawain wouldn't be hesitating but for those reasons he couldn't help himself. Once again he was torn between his duty and what was right, the knight knew that his men would follow him regardless but he couldn't help but feel he was failing.

While Gawain pondered, Freed was losing his patience. "Can you stop being a wimp?"

"You may not care about the innocent but I do." Gawain glared at the white haired man who liked to see the anger in his eyes.

"Good for you but that won't get your king back." Those words repeated themselves in Gawain's mind for what felt like hours but were just a couple of seconds.

Doubt, fear, panic, confusion, exasperation, courage, determination and acceptance. All those emotions went through Gawain's very soul until he made his mind.

"You are right." The steel knight picks up the stone as his men watch him in silence. "You are absolutely right."

"Aren't I? Let's get this show on the road." Freed stood up, Rapidly resting over his shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Break that shit."

A great feeling of dread grew in Gawain's veins but he already agreed with Freed and was about to break the stone. 'Who knows how many will die once we find the Exorcists?' Slowly the stone began to crack as he closed his fist, still with some hesitation. 'When this is all over I hope you all can forgive me.'

Then a bright light cut through the night from the window, bright enough that many turned to look and one soldier couldn't help but shout "INCOMING!" He was the only one who managed to jump to the side and avoid the car that slammed inside the gallery at high speed after having jumped the stairs leading to it.

"Huh. You don't see that everyday." Freed commented as they all studied the limousine for a brief moment when the door opened and a girl with a white cloak jumped out.

"We found them!" She celebrated after taking a look at Freed and noticing all the swords he was carrying even with his coat. "One, two, three… We found all of them!"

"Good job, Irina-san." A blonde haired girl exited the other side's door. The confidence on her stride made it look like her car hadn't just destroyed all the windows on one side of the gallery. "And excellent driving, Auguste. As expected of you."

The driver's window lowered and an old man gently replied. "Of course, lady Luvia. It is always a pleasure to make your life easier." The old man's face gained an edge that actually made some members of the Order take a step back. "I just wish you allowed me to take care of the trash for you."

"I appreciate the efforts but that won't be necessary. Rarely are there chances that I can have some proper punching bags." Luvia replied while cracking her knuckles. When a blue haired woman left the car from the same side as her she turned and asked. "Are you alright, Xenovia-san?"

"Never again." Xenovia replied with a glare at the noble and her butler's direction.

It was Irina who spoke in the magus' defense. "Don't be like that, Xenovia. Look how fast we got here. Auguste-san even dealt with some of the knights." She saw a hand below the car twitching and moved to offer it a prayer. "That your soul finds its way to Heaven and be received by the Lord. Amem."

"Well, well, well. Look who finally showed up." Freed's smile grew wilder as Gawain drew his sword and held it with his two hands, every member of the Order of Pendragon following his lead with shields and spears as well. "I would recognize those uniforms anywhere on the planet. Best part of the Church actually, always liked to see girls on those." He couldn't help but lick his lips. "You look hot."

Xenovia recognized the one who was speaking to her and quickly recovered from her upset stomach. "Mad Exorcist Freed Sellzen, return the Excaliburs and prepare yourself for your demise."

"Shouldn't be 'or face your demise'?" Freed asked with amusement and his eyes gained a mad glint when he saw Xenovia tore Excalibur Destruction's bandages and reveal its true form.

"After your crimes all agents of the Church have orders to kill you on sight." At her partner's words, Irina revealed a rope which transformed into a katana, Excalibur Mimic. "If you surrender I promise you a quick and painless death!"

"Not happening~" Freed announced happily, Excalibur Rapidly on a hand. "But I will take your swords if you won't mind."

"Oh but we do mind." Luvia replied with a sapphire already in hand. "And if you won't give us your swords we shall take them by force."

At that point Gawain took a step forward, immediately the three young women and the aging butler felt a strong presence dominate the area. "I cannot allow that. Excalibur must be reborn for the return of the king." He pointed his sword at them. "But I shall make you all an offer; drop the Excaliburs and you shall be allowed to leave unmolested."

Quickly all the members of the Order began to position themselves closer to the newly arrived group but none of them looked worried. While Gawain's presence was powerful the three girls easily attributed it to his sacred gear and knew that they were capable enough to deal with anything he tried to throw at them.

"You think the Order of Pendragon can protect you, Mad Exorcist?" Xenovia asked with a determined smile. "So far none of them presented themselves as a real challenge."

"Ouch, that was cruel, Xenovia."

"Just telling the truth, Irina."

"Indeed." Luvia agreed with a smile of her own. "Unfortunately for you all, your Order has seen better days." She glanced at Gawain, feeling a familiar power from his direction but it wasn't strong enough to worry her. "You all are ill prepared to face opponents like us."

Luvia's words were not an empty boast; with the information they had about the Excaliburs and the lack of individual power from the members of the Order of Pendragon, the three young women were sure that two of them could defeat everyone while one took care of the Fragments.

The only unknown factor was the power surrounding Gawain which the trio presumed was his sacred gear but they held no concern about it.

Yet Gawain looked confident and happy by their presence. "I truly cannot say enough how thankful I am that you managed to find us."

The relief on his voice surprised the girls and irritated Freed but the knight couldn't help himself. Now that the last Fragments were in front of him there was no need for the operation to proceed, innocents didn't need to be harmed.

The Exorcists and their magician made their choice so Gawain didn't need to hesitate any longer. "You should have taken our offer." The way he spoke had Freed laughing and the trio confused. "Now we shall show you the might of the strongest squadron of the Order of Pendragon."

Below the limousine a golden aura began to pout out and Xenovia immediately realized that wasn't a good sign. "Get out!"

Auguste had no time to react as the limousine was launched to the side, forcing Irina to jump or else be hit, and rolled around inside the gallery until it hit a wall much to the girls' shock and Freed amusement.

"Auguste!" Luvia shouted in concern before her eyes turned back with a glare towards the two soldiers the car had managed to hit with their entrance.

The two didn't look any worse for wear and even their armor remained pristine as a golden aura circulated around them. Besides some dirt they had no damage at all and soon moved to grab their swords.

"Now-" Gawain moved to speak and offer the three women to surrender once again but he was cut off by Xenovia and Luvia who moved faster than he expected, one with purpose and other with murder in her eyes.

Despite not knowing what the golden aura was, the two had attacked and the soldiers weren't prepared for it, Destruction swiftly taking one of the their heads as a blast of blue mana flew from the jewel and pierced the other man's chest, destroying their heart

The blast was the size of a bowling ball and many had to move out of the way as it kept going until it hit one of the walls.

As the corpses fell from the lack of a head and heart, Xenovia glared all around them, daring the members of the Order to attack.

Luvia's eyes were stuck in Gawain's as the knight also glared back. "You are dead." The magus spoke curtly.

"Feisty." Freed commented with a smile. "Mind if I take her?"

He was completely ignored by Gawain as the gallery shone with gold for a second as more members of the Order were covered by the aura that left the Commander and spread around between them.

Stepping close towards her allies, Irina frowned. "I don't know this sacred gear." Xenovia shook her head and looked around, noting how none of the soldiers was intimidated by the quick death of two of their friends.

"They can be killed, that is enough." Xenovia made clear to her partner that she wasn't going to hold back and the twin tailed Exorcist nodded, ready to go all out. "I will retrieve the Excaliburs. You two take care of the others."

Luvia didn't reply but her eyes remained on Gawain while Irina gave her partner more attention. "Roger."

"Ha! I want to see you try!" Hearing the blue haired Exorcist declaration had Freed laughing..

With everyone ready Gawain prepared himself, a hand firmly on his green cloak as he took comfort in it. Closing his eyes he felt an aura of gold surround him for a moment before it spread.

Xenovia in particular observed how the aura that left Gawain ignored Freed but seemed to cover and strengthen every member of the Order of Pendragon. Turning to her partner she saw Irina nodded and they both knew for sure that it was the phenomena born from a sacred gear.

They had no time to ponder or strategize, time was running out for Gawain most of all as he raised his sword to give his command. "Charge!"

The hunt for the Excalibur Fragments was coming to an end.

…..

First things first I made P a tron(changing things slighitng to see if it sticks. thanks 0justareader0). Yeah, no joke, considering how much I am investing on this story and the many stories that I have planned, and the one that I still need to finish but One Piece is so insane right now that most of my plans need to be scrapped, check Apprentice of Life p a tron(seriously why is this word banned here?) to help me invest more time on writting.

For now there is nothing in there because I don't know necessarily what to offer but if any of you can please show your support to my (I can't write the word but this document has been edited at least 8 times now) Apprentice of Life on so I can continue to write this story and others in the future once this one is done.

That is a thing I already decided my Patrons are going to get the right to vote which story will come next or if I continue Fruitless Start or write my own original work. Besides those I have three scenarios of how characters of Fate, Type-Moon franchises(mostly Shirou), would be if born into other 'magic systems' and words. Born, not reborn, no Isekai here as far as I want because there are plenty of those already.

But that is for the future.

A potential far future because I can see this story going for years with the right support. If things get worse around here I can promise you all to at least post one chapter per month but that would take too long to finish even with me doing my best.

However, if you want to support me just go to P a tron /Apprentice of Life and I hope that Fanfiction isn't eating the address. (it did :D)

Now about the chapter itself credits for Anon564 for being the first person to figure out Mark of Cain's power. Yes, I thought about making the seven times damage sacred gear right in the beginning of the story but found it more fair if I at least checked Cain's story to see if he had something similar.

And the Mark of Cain was actually a thing so… yeah that is a sacred gear now recorded in the Bible… go figure.

About the Crown of Dreams, Dreamworks made a movie about Joseph but it was straight to video but it exists and I watched it so long ago that I was surprised to remember quite a lot of it when I stopped to try and remember.

Some of you can already guess which the last sacred gear is based on but just to be sure no, it isn't the plagues as those sound more like individual sacred gears, some weak, some strong but not a single one.

In my mind the design of a sacred gear must always be an individual power that can grow with the user as they fight, train and survive a plethora of situations. When in doubt, remember that the only power that the Boosted Gear naturally has is of doubling power and Sword's Birth creates swords, it's the users that make those powers great. Balance Breakers are exactly that, this was for the base sacred gear only.

Was there anything else about the chapter? Nothing that I can say without giving spoilers I suppose.

If anyone can please support me on P a tron(warn me if you didn't understood), even a bit can help a lot.

PS: This story has officially passed the million word mark and I just noticed that when I had to fix the p a tron. Either way wohoo.

Until next time.