Reenacting a legend

by davido747

In a world in which humanity never parted ways with the Gods and became the dominant species, an unexpected variable enters to disrupt its delicate order. After regaining his memories as the nameless hero King of Fakers, Emiya Shirou will have to teach this world why humans cannot be underestimated, and show them all what means to be a real hero.

15. Chapter 14: Kyoto, the city of mystics

Hello there, everyone! Yes, I'm not dead. Instead, I was here, writing an entire bible because I hate cliffhangers and I can avoid them if I'm the one writing the story. So, you could say this triple update is my Christmas present, which barely came in time. I do hope it's worth the long wait. I had to ban myself from reading the Lostbelt 7 in order to get this done in time.

Now, regarding the last chapter of this story, it was received with some skepticism and is natural. Most of the fics that try to blend more than one universe tend to be chaotic, and this is supposed to be a serious story, even if I'm just one more fan at the end of the day. I want to think I have everything planned and everything fits, but a perfect blend is just not possible. I admit finished finally reading Honkai Impact's first part recently, chapter 25 hit me with the usual sense of closure that makes it hard to keep reading further chapters, but once I got into it, it was a smooth ride.

Which is to say that I hope to get all the lore right. By the way, I recommend reading the previous chapter before reading these three new chapters. The amount of events in this chapter that were set up there is quite huge if I do say so myself.

It goes without saying that this is the entire Kyoto arc, or as I would call it in this story, the Kyoto incident. If you get that reference, which isn't that hard, then you know for what to brace yourself.

I won't keep you further since you already have plenty to read. Let's get to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own any right over Type-Moon, the Fate Franchise, High School DxD, or Honkai Impact 3rd.

---

Japan has always been a place rooted in mystics. That held true even in the world from which a certain red knight came, with their Age of Mystery spanning to the Heian Era. Something not even the Island of Britannia achieved, maybe due to being even more secluded from the rest of the world.

In this world where Mystery never declined, Japan's supernatural inhabitants took refuge in another plane of existence, like all the other pantheons. But unlike those, most of them preferred to stay in parallel planes rather than the underworld or the heavens. It wouldn't be wrong to call them mirror or inverse planes, as they were pretty much copies of the real world.

And in one of such mirror worlds, deep in the prefecture of Nara, lay the Inner Sanctuary of the Five Great Clans. The origin of the human clans that are still attuned to the supernatural and serve the Shinto God. Or at least served them until their perspective on foreigners differed after recent events.

It was a calm, secluded place that upheld old traditions, and was definitely well hidden to avoid any attack from their enemies, the Youkai and Oni. There were inner fights due to how the politics were structured with the Nakiri Clan leading the others, but at the end of the day, what one would see if they ever set foot in this mystical place would be a lot of up-tight people clad in fancy kimono's going about their days.

Not on this night, however.

In one of the main residences, the one owned by the Doumon clan, the sounds of agitated voices and raging flames filled what should have been a peaceful night.

"Hurry! We must fortify our defenses!"

"Protect Genbu-sama at all costs!"

"They are already inside, Sir- Argh!"

It was all futile. The attack came completely out of nowhere and was quick and ruthless. It was mind-boggling how the invaders seemingly pierced through all their wards and sentinels flawlessly. They appeared from some kind of dense fog that suddenly enveloped the main residence, and dismantled their defenses in mere minutes.

It was as if they already knew the layout of the building and the intricacies of their warding spells.

To make matters worse, each of the cloaked attackers was armed with magnificent weapons or Sacred Gears. A peerless Holy Spear, explosive gauntlets, a hat that granted invisibility, a flaming sword, shadows that came to life and attacked them, and the list went on.

"Kuh..." The former head of the clan who had passed the Genbu title to his daughter quite recently after she made the pact with the Black Turtle, found himself on his knees, utterly defeated.

He was a man of black hair and purple eyes, around his forties. His kimono was in tatters, and his body was filled with wounds, provided by the towering man beside him, the one with explosive gauntlets.

Despite his deplorable state, the former head of the clan was putting all his remaining energy into glaring at the other two invaders in the room. The one with the Holy Spear was holding the unconscious form of his daughter, a little girl with long, silver hair and purple eyes.

She still had yet to master the power of the Black Turtle, the Sacred Beast that blessed their clan, but it wouldn't have made a difference. The user of the Holy Spear, and the other invader, the one with the flaming sword, had caught her completely off guard in swiftly neutralized her before she could fight back properly.

"Huh?" A confused voice escaped the man's lips as his eyes observed closely that flaming sword.

That wasn't a Sacred Gear. It was a Japanese sword he recognized. How couldn't he? It wasn't on the level of Japan's national treasures, but it was still a legendary sword hailing from the Heian Era. And recognition quickly turned into unbridled rage, veins popping on his temple and teeth rattling against each other.

"You bastard! Wasn't it disgraceful enough choosing the side of the Youkai that you're now turning to foreigners, Raiden scum!? What are you planning to do with my daughter!?"

"Oh? I guess the jig is up then. No harm in showing my face then." The man spoke with a flat tone, but for the former head of the clan, it couldn't have been more mocking. They then proceeded to pull back their cloak's hood, revealing their identity as Raiden Tsunayoshi, wielder of the Onikiri Yasutsuna.

His usual stoic face was now carefully decorated with a sly smile to further get into the father's skin.

"What do we plan to do with little Genbu? Isn't it obvious? You guys took a hostage from our side, so we are taking one from yours. Equivalent exchange, if you will."

The former Genbu's expression was contorted by a mixture of wrath and indignation. "What nonsense are you spitting!? Do you really think we would stop so low as to take a hostage!? I don't know who in the world abducted that sly fox, but it definitely wasn't us! Release my daughter right this instant-"

The man tried to gather all his remaining energy to stand up and rush at the cloaked figure holding Genbu, but a punch from the one behind him was more than enough to kill his momentum. Calling it a "punch" would actually be generous. It had been just a slight bump, which only added to the growing feeling of helplessness.

"Think what you want, old man. If you want her back, you better start praying to the other heads to start preparing negotiations for a hostage exchange."

"NEVER! You have no idea whose wrath you've incurred! We, The Five Grate Clans will-"

The now-renamed Watanabe-no-Tsuna ignored the man's desperate threats and looked at his accomplice as if to tell him that his duty was over. And he in turn showed a twisted smile.

"Well then. Let's leave this old man reflecting on his shortcomings. Get us out of here, Wizard!"

Just a moment after shouting that code name, the same purple mist that brought them appeared, whisking away their figures before the former clan head could blink. Before he knew it, he found himself alone in his devastated fortress, hitting the tatami weakly with his fist and holding his tears in pained silence.

Finally, back in their secret base, Cao Cao pulled back his hood, revealing a patch on the eye he got damaged during his fight against Emiya Shirou, and let out a satisfied sigh. "That went way more smoothly than I expected. Where did you get all that reliable intel about their base, Tsuna?"

The stoic youth didn't share the same feeling, but he let the tension bleed out of his body. "Let's just say that I found an information dealer that is quite interested in the endgame you have planned."

The Chinese teenager wanted to inquire more, but due to his good mood, he decided against it and just turned to face his trusty right-hand man, handing the hostage to him. "You know how to entertain our guest, George."

The magician nodded and disappeared into the residential area of their base, only whispering "I hate it when you call me "wizard"."

"As for the rest, you should start preparing for what's to come. After this successful mission, we only need to wait and watch the conflict brew until the right moment."

The other members who had assisted in the operation dispersed. He took a mental note of Heracles' form, and how there was no enthusiasm in him during the raid.

Yeah, there were no remarkable opponents, but the descendant of Greece's mightiest hero had been like that ever since the fallout in their Russian base. Anyone would be downcast after having their pride shattered, more so by someone using your ancestor's ultimate technique, one they weren't even aware of.

Not to mention Siegfried's passing. As two battle maniacs, Heracles had been close to Sigurd's artificial descendant. Cao Cao wouldn't say he considered the man a friend or anything remotely close, but as a leader, seeing one of your subordinates die wasn't an easy pill to swallow.

Besides seeing the red knight singlehandedly destroy Siegfried's monstrous form got the message across quite effectively.

Humanity doesn't need that kind of strength to thrive.

A heavier sigh escaped his lips. The unity of the "Hero Faction" was falling apart by the day after he reluctantly undid the mind control spells. He himself had his mind plagued with doubts. But, after making up his mind with this plan, he felt oddly at ease. As if he had already accepted his fate.

Whatever happened in their next confrontation, Cao Cao knew the "Hero Faction", and humanity would be left in good hands.

The sound of steps brought him out of his pondering, his eyes drifting to a young man approaching him. He had neat brown hair and matching eyes and was wearing the usual school uniform they adopted as the organization's uniform, covered in armor in the same style as Heracles. His eyes exuded resolve that quickly faded away the moment Cao Cao's met them.

"Is something the matter, Perseus?"

"Leader Cao Cao... Is this... Is this truly worth it? I-I mean, I'm glad you stopped with the brainwashing, but... we're still kidnapping people and doing horrible experiments... Like that eye you used to replace the lost one. I-is this truly what we should be doing to make a difference?"

This teenager was the first one to ask that directly to him, and it was hard to not see how his legs were trembling. Cao Cao couldn't help but think about what kind of leader he had become with such image in front of him.

A hand rested on Perseus' shoulder, which almost caused him to jump back, but the serene expression in Cao Cao's face stopped him.

"The me some months ago would have been able to answer that question without problem. However, as of now, I'm afraid that's something I have to find out. What is right and wrong can be really subjective, so if anything, today's endeavor was a step towards the answer."

"I... I see..." That left Perseus a little bewildered, but he roughly understood what Cao Cao meant.

The Cao Cao that ran away in defeat from Emiya Shirou to lick his wounds and prepare himself for round two and this one could be hardly called the same person. What was a grudge and a necessity to eliminate an enemy had slowly turned into a need for recognition as he saw that man smashing through what was considered impossible for humans time after time.

If Perseus was being honest, he was more inclined to follow someone like that red knight, but could only wait and see...

---

"Hnn!" The blackened magical girl grunted as she kept swinging her magical staff turned into an ice sword at the auburn-haired smith.

It was a crude style, with each swing carrying massive strength and unleashing blades of ice that cut deep into the concrete and the nearby buildings. It was her answer to the smith's incongruous style of swinging swords so hard they blew up on the enemy's face. Fighting fire with fire, or ice with equal power in this case.

But the plan she devised after clashing with him had seemingly gone down the drain the moment Muramasa switched to a pair of Chinese, short swords. Black and white danced in complete harmony to flawlessly redirect Levi-tan's brute force.

For all that grumpiness and bravado he showed in their first clash, the smith was now fighting like a proper swordsman. His golden eyes were now more focused on her figure than ever, trying to find an opening as he was pushed into a defensive approach.

It was the first opponent who fought her this way. The fallen heroine couldn't help but admire his form, even though she was putting her entire being into destroying him. That was part of the reason she was choosing a close approach rather than her usual method of bombarding the enemy from a distance like a proper magical girl.

The other reason was... well, she already tried and Muramasa wasn't just able to defend, but he retaliated by firing swords at her. Hence why the city around them had been turned into a literal warzone of ice and swords.

The ambient temperature should be already approaching lows that would make the human body slow down or even cease to function altogether. Yet, her opponent's magic circuits generated enough heat through their use to keep his body warm even in such conditions.

It was a stalemate in the truest sense of the world, and that only made her grit her teeth with more frustration and anger. The only silver lining was that the other pest wasn't around, having gone to stop whatever the overgrown goat was trying.

"Tch... All will be revealed... in lunar flame!" Her yellow eyes flared as she spun to unleash the crescent moon-slash she used on their first meeting. Just that this time, it was a nearly point-blank attack.

Golden eyes widened as the smith had barely an instant to cross his swords in front of him before the attack engulfed him.

It was a killing blow. It should have been a killing blow. But much to her irritation, the smith somehow managed to slide under the attack using his blades as leverage against her attack. Both swords shattered in a light show just as her attack impacted the floor behind him, creating an explosion that left a beautiful flower of ice.

"Trace on."

As a new pair of Kanshou and Bakuya were projected, their eyes locked into each other, and a chill ran down the heroine's spine. Although the smith kept his poker face, she could feel it.

The battle would be decided in the next exchange.

"Spirit and technique, flawless and firm."

Without any kind of warning, the married blades were hurled at her at blurring speeds, drawing two beautiful arcs that intersected right in her neck. Her auto-preservation instincts kicked in before her brain even processed the attack, with her ice sword moving to deflect the white sword coming from her left while her body tilted in the same direction to avoid the black sword.

It was a close call, with the black sword leaving a cut in her shoulder, and her stance almost ruined.

"Our strength rips the mountains."

The fallen heroine could barely put herself together in time to swing her ice sword at the incoming black sword. The smith had crossed the distance in a beat, with a second pair of twin sword in hands to ruthlessly attack her.

She successfully parried the attack, her newly named "mana burst: ice" blowing away the sword from Muramasa's hand. However, her ear caught almost too late the sound of the white sword coming from behind to reunite with its twin.

"Guh!" A pained cry escaped her lips. She conjured a layer of ice on her back, but that only prevented the blade from completely sinking into her flesh. The tip of the blade still drew blood and teared muscle.

"Our swords split the water."

And unfortunately, the white blade in the smith's hand came crashing down without mercy. She desperately swung her ice sword to block it, throwing out the window her balance and trusting the ice wall to block the second surprise attack coming from behind. The black sword coming from behind smashed the ice apart, blowing away its stuck twin and leaving a cut that further ruined her stance and concentration.

"Our names reach the imperial villa."

The four coordinated attacks left her defense in shambles while Muramasa was merely "disarmed". Both hands raised for the finishing blow, the third pair would be projected at any time.

All that said though, Levi-tan should have been able to block, or at least mitigate the attack. Even with her staff in an awkward position, she could have erected an ice barrier between them.

"Ah..." But she didn't. Her eyes were fixed on those golden orbs filled with determination. His form had been so impressive that you could say she was left enthralled. That unwavering look had pierced through her entire being. She barely even registered his next words.

"Bukle up, princess! Time to wake up!"

"The two of us cannot hold the heavens together."

His right arm was brought down, his hand filled with a familiar iridescent dagger. Any kind of magical defense she could have erected would have been useless against that weapon, but more importantly...

"...!" Her entire body froze the moment its tip poked her chest. All sound vanished for a moment, before the sound of a glass shattering announced the end of the battle.

All the corruption tainting her body was forced away as her connection to its source was shattered, along with all her strength. But before she dropped unconscious, the smith's strong arms wrapped around her.

"And that's a wrap! Magnificent!" It was then that the director signaled the end of the scene with unbridled excitement.

While Levi-tan, the character, was supposed to be out cold, Serafall was totally conscious. Her cheeks were starting to burn due to the hug that would have been passionate if she reciprocated. Her heart was beating at a rate she didn't know it even was possible, and the embarrassment brought by the chance of him noticing only made it worse.

But to top it of, Shirou was already applying on her wound the Phoenix Tear they had in case something went wrong during the action scenes.

"Are you okay Serafall? Damn it, I ended up overdoing it..." His concerned voice warmed her heart even further, but it also helped her snap out of it.

"D-don't sweat it! This is hardly the first time I've been injured during a recording session. It's part of being a method actor." The fact that she couldn't stop herself from stammering was daunting, but he seemed to focus more on that last excuse if his blank stare was anything to go by.

Now that she looked right at his eyes, she noticed their faces were way to close to her comfort. How was she the only one aware of the embarrassing situation they were in? Was he really that dense?

"Well, well. Don't think it's still a little early for that kind of scene? You should wait for a little more development." Her salvation came in the form of her best friend approaching them, but her teasing tone and amused smile put a frown on Serafall's face as she finally broke the hug.

"It doesn't hurt to practice it a little until we do the real thing." Serafall's acknowledgment got Nahida's mouth taking the shape of an "o", while Shirou just raised an eyebrow.

"Practice what? Getting hurt?" His question only received a pout from the Leviathan and a sigh from her queen as answers.

"At any rate." Serafall feigned a cough an proceeded to shamelessly change the topic as the three walked off the setting and headed to the changing rooms. "Tomorrow's the big day. Are you ready, Shirou-kun? And by that I also mean: did you tell Xenovia-chan and the others?"

"I'm as ready as one can be going into a war with so little information." Which was how he entered the battlefield 90% of the time. The maou didn't miss the joke, having to suppress a giggle to keep staring at him with a serious expression.

It was up to him whether he decided to involve the rest of his schoolmates or keep this between him, Serafall, and Azazel, a matter he had been putting aside for a week. Pretty much from the moment he signed up for the mission. At least Azazel assured him that he had dealt with the problem about his room at the hotel the school had booked in Kyoto, but the fact that he said it was a surprise was horrifying on its own.

Back on track, Serafall wanted him to choose a course of action now before things went south. And after pondering it for some time, he gave his reply with a sigh.

"I'll tell them before leaving home. It would be a waste of energy trying to pretend nothing shady is happening, and given our luck thus far, they'd somehow get involved anyway."

A small smile formed on her lips. This was most likely the answer she wanted to hear. "I'd say that's way too little time for them to prepare themselves, but as reinforcements, they don't need a long briefing about politics to be at the ready."

Her feet stopped right in front of the women's changing room, and turned around to look at him one last time before entering. "Besides, I've got a little surprise for you as well, so you could say we're all even. See ya!"

Her words were accentuated by a wink before she disappeared from Shirou's eyes, but whatever reaction she was trying to get from him, Nahida would bet it wasn't him freezing and paling as if he had seen a ghost.

"Don't tell me... those two..."

He whispered those words, but immediately denied whatever somber conclusion he reached by shaking his head at neck-breaking speeds. His golden eyes then landed on Nahida's emerald eyes, as if to ask why she wasn't entering the changing rooms, to which she offered a reassuring smile.

"Before we part, allow me to perform a little check up, Shirou-kun. I know Serafall just asked, but, are you truly ready? Were you able to sort out what you remembered after recovering?"

Nahida had to admit, Shirou's poker face was one of the best she had seen in her long life. But for someone as perceptive as her, the way all semblance of emotion left his face was already telling in of itself. She internally braced herself for what she might hear...

"You could say I... kinda made up my mind. Or at the very least, I can see the road ahead."

Those had to be the most contradictory words she had ever heard coming. She had to hold herself back from drawing a bitter smile on her lips. Whatever that road he was referring to was, if it included locking away his feelings even more than he had been doing...

She honestly didn't know what to say without going full psychotherapist.

"That's... good to hear. But don't forget that you can lean on us if you feel it's too much. I'm aware of how difficult it is for you to even fathom asking others for help, but please bear in mind that there are a lot of people who would gladly repay your kindness."

The only reply she got was a nod before the auburn-haired teenager's figure disappeared into the corridors of the facility.

Nahida could only hope that whatever Serafall had planned could get through that thick skull.

---

The sun rose over the Emiya Residence, signaling the start of the week, and the old household was already filled with hustle and bustle.

"Hmm... I think I've got everything ready."

"What are you saying, Xenovia? That's not even remotely close to the necessary amount of clothes! Let me choose them for you."

"Huh? How come? I've packed one set of clothes for each day, pajamas, and my combat uniform just in case! And why are you even picking up all those makeup sets, Irina? We aren't going to a ball or a wedding."

"Ugh... stop thinking like a boy! A girl needs to look beautiful even while sightseeing."

"Even though, three suitcases is too much! This is just a one week trip! And I don't see you shouting at Jeanne despite only bringing one like me."

"Hers is at least twice as big as yours! And she definitely knows how to dress herself."

"Umm... Even though I agree with you about looking good, three is still too much."

"What!? What side are you on, Jeanne-chan!?"

The fourth and last "tenant" of the Emiya Residence watched the back and forth from a safe distance.

If Rossweisse was being honest, she was on Xenovia's side. The only reason she brought a second case was so that she could pack everything she was going to buy from Kyoto's famous 100-yen shops. But she didn't want to get caught in the argument and have to refill the contents of her already prepared suitcase from yesterday night.

It went without saying that the owner of the house was also avoiding it by retreating into the kitchen to prepare their lunch. They would arrive at Kyoto in the afternoon, so everyone unanimously agreed they preferred to bring homemade bentos than buying food in the train.

Still, it was quite surreal for Odin's former secretary to be here. It took a really long conversation and convincing arguments to get Rias to let her live in the Emiya Residence rather than Issei's house.

She really wanted to continue their conversation about magic and that unique spell he created, even if he kept insisting that he was a third-rate magus. And also... well...

She ended up blurting out that she might have a crush on Shirou. Just thinking about it got her flustered. She wasn't even that sure about it, but that ended up convincing Rias, so it was something.

Realistically speaking, she was aware that everyone here in the house held feelings towards the golden-eyed landowner in one way or another. A combination of his good looks, him helping them a really low points in their lives, and teenage hormones.

In her case, though, she might be a little desperate due to all the other Valkyries from her generation making fun of her, but she'd like to think her feelings were more sincere. There were no hormones involved, and he treated her like a proper gentleman when her drunken self tried to hit on him and embarrassed herself.

Not the most deep reason, but did she really need overly complicated reasons to have a crush?

"Hey, Rossweisse-sensei! We're already done here. Are you coming?"

"Oh- Yes! I'm coming!"Irina's voice got the silver-haired Rook out of her internal debate, and she made sure to follow her to the living room.

There they... didn't find Shirou, but rather their bentos sitting on the table and his modest suitcase, which already made Irina sigh in exasperation.

But the auburn-haired teenager appeared from the inner garden before she could correct that, carrying a familiar holy sword that made Xenovia's eyes turn into stars like a kid getting candies. A smirk came to Shirou's lips upon noticing her reaction, but that quickly turned into a confused face.

"Why the three suitcases? Are you planning to move to Kyoto permanently, Irina?"

His question made the other three girls huff with amusement while the reincarnated angel pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Not you too... I'm bringing the very basics! A set of clothes for the morning, other for the afternoon, and other for the night, three for every day, aside from the pajamas and my combat uniform just in case. There's also my makeup, lotions, shampoo, perfumes, cologne, hair dryer-"

"Wait, hold up!" Shirou stopped her before the list went so long he'd get a migraine. "Half of that is already provided by the hotel. And why would you need three changes of clothes per day? I'm pretty sure we aren't allowed to go partying at night, or even leave the hotel."

"Well, that's true, but you know everyone's going to be up until late anyway. That's also part of any school trip!"

"Huh?" Roseweisse let out a surprised voice at that, which made Irina remember that they had one of the teachers right beside them. "What do you mean staying up late? Everyone should be sleeping before midnight, and that's putting it generously-"

"Wait, more importantly." Xenovia ignored the Valkyrie's lecture and instead looked at Irina with confusion. "I thought one of those suitcases was filled with black keys? Aren't you bringing any?"

"Oh, about that." Irina smiled confidently as she brought out one of those bibles small enough to fit in a pocket and opened it at a random page. She then poured holy energy into one of the pages, and it suddenly turned into a familiar short hilt from which a rapier-like blade sprung forth. "Ta-da! Ever since Shirou-kun told me how black keys were crafted, I can make them as long as I have a bible on me!"

"So cool..." Jeanne whispered in awe, even if she could produce holy swords out of nowhere with her sacred gear. The concept of weaponizing holy scriptures resonated with her.

Xenovia on the other hand threw an incriminating stare at Shirou. "Why didn't you teach us that sooner? It would've come in handy!"

"No, Irina made it look easy because she's an angel, but even the top-notch executors back in my world needed at least an aria to turn scriptures into weapons in the flight. It takes a decade's worth of training to use them at their full potential, and the magical energy consumption isn't something to be overlooked. In the modern ages, only weirdos stick to them while the majority just use blessed modern weaponry like this world's Church."

"Does that mean what Irina did is actually a spell?" Rossweisse cut into the conversation now fully invested in it.

"Technically, yes... They call it sacraments, but that's just the Church being petty and not wanting to use the same terminology as the mages they deem heretics. But we're digressing too much!"

Shirou got back on track by coughing and putting on his serious face. The effect was immediate, as the four girls tensed up.

"Before we part, I wanted to tell you guys something really important. Kyoto might seem a regular city on the surface, but speaking of its supernatural side, it's most likely going to end up turning into a battlefield." Those words had them widening their eyes, but he continued with his low tone. "Serafall, Azazel, and I were asked for help by the Youkai in Kyoto and the humans siding with them to quell the inner turmoil between their inner factions. Until the matter is resolved, the negotiations between the Three Factions and the Shinto Pantheon will be put on hold."

With the brief explanation out of the way, Shirou raised two fingers. "Knowing that, you have two options. Let us handle it and enjoy the journey as regular students, or join us as backup when crap inevitably hits the fan."

He left a dramatic silence to let them think, but as he already expected, that wasn't even necessary judging by their determined smiles.

"Shirou-kun, why are you even asking?"

"We'll follow you to whatever battlefield you get yourself into."

"I mean, it's my duty as a teacher to protect my students."

"And didn't you bring that beauty for the occasion?"

Their answer made the corners of his lips curve upwards on their own before speaking. "I was just making sure. And yes, I reforged this and told Irina about the black keys in preparation."

Xenovia eagerly took the reforged Excalibur in the same way someone would cuddle their pet after a session with the vet. Even with Shirou's warning, feeling it shatter in her hands was a devastating feeling.

"Don't worry, I'll try not to break you again."

"Actually, you can go nuts. Arthur dropped by while I was hospitalized and gave me the last fragment as compensation for ditching us, so what you now hold is the complete Excalibur."

The blue-haired girl's eyes glowered with even more intensity as she traced the blade with her fingers and felt its power. Maybe it didn't mean that much for Shirou, but reforging the strongest holy sword of their world had been only a dream until he appeared.

"Well, now that you've made your choice, we should get going. We still have plenty of room, but it doesn't hurt to be early."

And with that said, the four finally left the Emiya Residence with all their luggage.

When the group arrived at the station, there was already a large amount of students waiting. It wasn't that they arrived on a tight, so Shirou supposed that most of his schoolmates were eager for the trip.

It was a school tradition, their destination was a tourist hot spot, as well as the first trip in which they were allowed a considerable level of autonomy rather than having to follow a specific set of activities.

A part of Shirou thought it was a pity this would be just the usual stuff for him, while the other though that it would have been the same even without the civil war. The feeling of awkwardness would just ruin any fun he could experience.

Murky thoughts aside, while Rossweisse went ahead to look for Azazel, and the Church trio went to talk with their friends, including Kiryuu, Shirou searched for the devils. As it turned out, Rias and Sona had come to see the members of their respective peerages off, as well as handle each of them a special pass.

Serafall told him about them. It was something the Shinto Pantheon and the devils devised to let the latter visit Kyoto's temples and sanctuaries without getting burned in the same way they would upon entering a church. Their Valkyrie teacher must already have it on her.

However, when the conversations ended and everyone walked up to where all the students were waiting, Shirou noticed that Rias had Issei stay with her a little more. And seeing her worried face, he decided to reinforce his ears and tune out the other conversations around them.

"You know, Ise... If I'm being honest, I'm just like Akeno. Even if it's going to be some days, I'll feel lonely without you around. But I think I'm improving. Back in the first semester, I'd be dying just thinking I wouldn't be able to sleep with you one day."

Despite the red-haired beauty doing the equivalent of a football team having even their goalkeeper on the offensive for a corner kick, Issei still made a confused face while taking her hands.

"I think you're exaggerating, Buchou. Akeno-senpai, Koneko-chan, and Gasper-kun will still be here with you."

Shirou had to give it to Rias, her self-control was top-notch, allowing her to repress an exasperated sigh. "I know. But... you should be more aware of your own attraction. Even though I like this part of you as well." Despite that last bit, her smile was as bitter as it could get as she saw Issei still being unable to perceive her advances.

Yet, she didn't give up and launched her final attack. Which was steeling a kiss before Issei could answer. It took the brown-haired teenager's brain some seconds to reboot, and even then, he could barely formulate a proper sentence.

"Bu- Bu- Buchou!?"

Rias on her part gave him a smug smile. "It's a goodbye kiss. Why are you surprised? This is far from the first time we've kissed. I wouldn't complain if you took the initiative for once, though."

"T-that's... No, even if you're right, it's still shocking!"

"Well, be that as it may, I think I'm satisfied with this. I'll be able to endure the loneliness better. Take care, Ise."

"Right. I'll be going then, Buchou."

Damn... and people called him dense. Well, not that he didn't earn it, but even if he could miss some, admittedly, obvious hints, even he would get it after such direct advances. It was another matter entirely if he just pretended to be clueless, and he was pretty sure that wasn't Issei's case.

But what could be the problem then? Rias wasn't shouting it out loud, but her action might as well scream it.

"Damn you, Hyoudou... Why can't I have that kind of relationship with Kaichou..." A sudden voice right beside genuinely startled Shirou. One of his magic circuits was activated and his hand was already swinging when he saw it was Genshiro. Fortunately, Sona's pawn was distracted looking at Rias and Issei's interaction to notice his slip.

"Genshiro, don't scare me like that."

"Huh?" Saji turned to look at him as if he had grown a second head. "Since when can you even be taken by surprise, Aniki?"

Shirou's eyebrows furrowed at that. "What kind of image do you have of me? I'm not in a constant state of alert 24/7, at least not without any previous signs of danger."

He answered that absentmindedly, but despite being the truth, Saji did have a point. Even if he had been focused on hearing Rias and Issei, that kind of overreaction was worrying. He thought he had been able to suppress the nauseous feeling of being a foreigner after a week of regular interactions, but...

It might be worse than he thought.

However, he didn't have that much problem interacting with Serafall during their numerous recording sessions. And they did quite a lot to catch up with their schedule.

"At any rate. About what you just said, have you even tried to get closer to Sona?" He quickly tried to change topics, which horrified his "lil' bro".

"Are you nuts, Aniki!? Sona-Kaichou isn't known as the "Ice Queen" without reason. I would 100% get dumped. Besides, aren't you two... you know, really close?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm not sure if I would call us "close". If anything, I've been spending more time with her sister. But, what does that have to do with you hitting on her?"

"Really? Does that mean I have your blessing, Aniki?"

"Yes? Why do you even need my blessing? It's Serafall you need to convince."

"Well, about that... can't you lend me a hand with that, Ani-"

"Okay, I think everyone's already here." Before Genshirou could finish the question Shirou would have been forced to politely decline, Azazel's voice took everyone's attention. "There's still some minutes before our ride arrives, so let me address a certain issue."

Judging by the way the General Governor's eyes landed directly on the auburn-haired teenager, he immediately knew what he referring to. He swallowed loudly, praying the horrifying outcome he foresaw yesterday didn't come true.

"As some of you might already know, due to how the room groups have been formed, one particular student was left out. It would have been a bother to ask everyone to redo the groups, and it would have also been a waste to book one more room just for one person."

Whispers started to fill the place as the students tried to guess who Azazel was referring to, but the not-so-subtle way Irina, Xenovia, Jeanne, Asia, Issei, and their friends were staring at his back gave it away pretty quickly. After all, they must be thinking he lied when he told him that he'd already taken care of it.

But what worried him was Azazel's next words. "So that's why I decided to bring along an old friend to fill that extra room."

Taking the cue, a certain black-haired, twin-tailed woman with blue eyes and a smile as warm as the sun walked from behind him, casually dressed like any other tourist and carrying a suitcase. If that didn't cause Shirou's face to lose all color, her next action definitely did it.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Serafall Leviathan, but some of you might remember me at Levi-tan. I hope we can all get along and make this a memorable trip!" She accentuated those last words with a cute wink and raising her right hand above her head with an horizontal peace sign.

Shirou, even in his horror-struck state, could see how all the male students were about to shout with joy and thank Azazel. Some thought of her as some foreign idol, while others recognized her as the cosplayer who visited the school during the parents' day.

But then, the final nail was hammered in his coffin.

"Specially you, Shirou-kun! I'll be in your care~" She didn't just say that in honey-filled tone, but she also blew him a kiss.

Just... what the hell?

"Why does that bastard get to share room with that gorgeous idol!?"

"Isn't already too much that he's leaving with four of Kuoh's top beauties!"

"Just die already, Emiya!"

Aside from the rage comments and death threats, which he completely ignored, he caught an embarrassed yelp from Rossweisse, Azazel's unrestrained laugh, Genshiro praising him as if he had won a prize, and Irina, Xenovia, and Jeanne's comments about having been defeated by an unexpected contender.

But it was actually Issei's comment that got him even more paralyzed.

"Damn, talk about being forward. Leviathan-sama just went full ultra-offensive. Even the goalkeeper went up to head the corner kick."

Is this what people call "sharing a brain cell"? Wait... huh? No...

Not Serafall too...

All those comments he thought were just their usual teasing...

It wasn't just that the realization hit him like an ice bucket pouring right on his face. At that moment, the image of a certain Empress of Roses replaced the twin-tailed maou, but this time, he could even hear her voice.

"****! Would you like to be the magus of my court!?"

That was... the Nero Claudius that reached her happy ending due to Chaldea's interference...

He must have been really lost because when he came back to his senses, the train had already arrived an everyone was boarding it.

"Hey, Shirou, can we sit together?" Surprisingly, or maybe not that much, it was Issei who asked that.

He observed his friend slowly, still fighting to shake off the chills, and for some reason, the Red Dragon Emperor seemed to be even more anxious than him.

Which could only mean he was in need of another counseling session.

"Of course. Let's get going or we might get left behind."

After some minutes, everyone had already loaded their luggage and taken their seats. With the train already leaving the station, Shirou decided to finally speak up in a calm tone.

"Well, out with it. What's bothering you, Issei? You look just like you did a week ago."

The brown-eyed teenager gave him an apologetic smile. "Am I that obvious?"

"You aren't even trying."

"I guess I got my guard down around you, Sensei. But yeah, I was doing fine... until yesterday. Remember I told you we'd go back to the underworld for the weekend to introduce Rossweisse to Buchou's parents as her new Rook?"

After receiving a nod, Issei continued. "Well, Sairaorg-san also dropped by and given that our next Rating Gaming is most likely going to be against him because of public demand, Sirzechs-sama suggested we had a sparring match." The Red Dragon Emperor let out a sigh, and Shirou could already see where this was going. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. Even though I landed a couple of good punches, he just wiped the floor with me. Sairaorg said that I was a worthy and that he was eagerly awaiting our official match, but I'm not sure if he was just being considerate. I mean, Sirzechs-sama told me that he had been using spells to suppress his strength. Like putting on weights for training."

"I see..." Well, that would demoralize pretty much anyone. Shirou was quite sure Sairaorg wasn't flexing his power and just happened to have those on at the time based on the conversations they had, but that doesn't take away how hurtful it was for Issei's declining confidence.

"However, that was just the icing in the cake. The reason I wanted to talk you was the meditation thing. I've been trying the whole week, hiding in the farthest corner of my house, but I just can't pull it off. I keep getting distracted. I'm starting to think I have ADHD."

The golden-eyed teenager had to hold back a chuckle. "I'm not qualified to diagnose that, but I can tell you its natural for a beginner to have that problem. Literally emptying your mind requires more than just focus. In fact, in most cases, it will require a good level of self-hypnosis."

"By that, you mean even more advanced than the one used for spells?"

"No, you got the most basic level. Back in my "world", mages had a sort of "switch" to adopt a proper mentality for casting spells and conducting their research. Some cases even led to the development of a second personality."

"Is that your case, Sensei?" Issei asked with some hesitation. Issei was inclined to say the change that happened between the usual Shirou and battle-mode Shirou could count as personality split.

From Shirou's perspective, though, he wouldn't just disagree with that. How could he explain that, after so much time living as a sword, he didn't even need to adapt his mindset for magecraft without confessing he was mentally ill?

"No, I've already told you I'm a third rate at best. And you shouldn't get that involved anyway. For now, I'll give you some guidelines. Close your eyes and take a comfortable position."

"Eh? We're doing it here?"

"You already know I prefer a hands-on approach."

"O-ok..." Issei did as he was told after some seconds of hesitation. This was going to be a long trip, so it would be a good use of the time.

"Now, I want you to focus only in my voice and try to tune out everything else." Shirou made a pause and his friend nodded. "Start taking deep and slow breaths. You need to stabilize your heart rate and breathing. In other words, try to relax. Forget about Sairaorg and Rating Games. Your only fight right now is against yourself."

It was hard to ignore all the noise around them in the train. It was the sole reason they could discuss these matters so openly. But to Issei's surprise, Shirou was using a really soothing tone. It was hard not to think Shirou just swapped with someone else, an actual expert in ASMR.

And also... just having his Sensei around was already calming in of itself.

Shirou must have sensed Issei was reaching the desired state of relaxation as he spoke up again.

"Good. The next step is going to sound a little... abstract, but you have to use the eye of the mind to look into yourself. Start by visualizing and feeling each part of your body."

That took some effort, though. Fortunately, after so many Senjutsu sessions with Koneko helped him in this matter. Slowly but surely, his own image started to form in his mind, and to his surprise, the left arm of that image had its draconian form. A murky reminder of his decaying humanity, but it made it easy for him to access it.

"You got it, Issei. Now, a regular Sacred Gear would be tricky to reach since visualizing one's soul is quite advanced stuff, but since yours is manifested on a specific part of your body, it should be easier. Focus on your arm then, with your entire being. Don't hesitate. It's a part of yourself. And if I see something's going wrong, I'll bring you back."

Issei would have nodded if he wasn't in a trance. In fact, he didn't need to make an effort to focus on his left arm. Something in there was attracting his consciousness, almost like a gravitational pull.

It was a little worrying though, as everything started to turn black the deeper he descended, but then, another reliable voice filled his mind.

[Don't worry, partner. I think I can take things from here. Still, be warned. What you're about to see is going to be depressing at best.]

"Okay... I think I'm ready, Ddraig."

After giving his approval, the Red Dragon Emperor felt flames wrapping around him. Fire was usually a cause of concern, but he felt at ease. Instead of heat, it was warmth what enveloped and guided him through the darkness, like a pair of giant hands.

After some seconds, the bottomless darkness receded, and he found himself in a place of pure white. And it wasn't empty either. The place was filled with tables and chairs, as if it were a restaurant or something along those lines.

It didn't take him much to notice that that he wasn't alone. Several figures were taking seat on the only furniture of the place. Which was already weird. With so many people of varying ages and gender, Issei expected to hear at least a little bit of noise, but the place was as quiet as a tomb.

His brown eyes set on one in particular, a boy around his age. The guy was taller than him, and with a much bulkier build, clad in medieval, fancy clothes.

"Uhm... Hello there?"

No response. And by that, he meant that the guy didn't even flinch when his voice broke the deafening silence. Either he was completely ignored, or his voice didn't even reach the boy.

Just to make sure, Issei walked around the table to look at him directly in the eyes, but he almost regretted it as his heart skipped a beat. That had to be the most lifeless expression he had ever seen. Not even Sensei in those rare instances he dropped his guard came close.

"What the..."

[That's pretty much the norm around here, Partner.] Ddraig's voice was heard once more, although this time, the sorrow in its tone was quite clear. [The only thing left here from most of your predecessors is curses. Anger, hatred, regrets... you get the deal. They'll only open their mouth if it's to chant the Juggernaut Drive's aria. This one in particular awakened the Juggernaut Drive at your age, but instead of becoming a mindless monster, he became a tyrant with a huge thirst for power. Not that it lasted long. It wasn't even the White Dragon Emperor who killed him, but another Longinus I can't remember.]

"Right... you said most of them had short and unfulfilled lives. But if this is how things are... how am I even supposed to convince them to take another path? To stop chanting something so... depressing." Issei asked as he looked at all the other figures around. Judging by the way they were ignoring even the Red Dragon, they must be in the same state.

Seeing so many people turned into empty husks, shadows of what they once were, was giving Issei chills. If it wasn't for his friend, he would have ended as one of them.

[That's a good question. Emotional therapy isn't my forte, to put it mildly. But luckily for you, there's actually people here who might be able to help you.]

"Wait, for real? There's people here who didn't have sad endings."

[Not exactly. None of your predecessors had a "happy ending", but a few of them didn't let it drag them down into this pool of curses. Usually, they observe silently, but given your recent victory against the curse, they might show up.]

"Oh, I guess that's my clue to introduce myself then." A new voice filled the room as one of the figures rose from her seat and walked up to Issei.

A woman of Caucasian features, long, wavy, blonde hair, emerald eyes, and wearing a purple dress that made her look like a princess. Issei hadn't expected to find such a beauty inside his Sacred Gear, and definitely not a person with such a gentle smile and no trace of negative emotions.

[Elsha?] And to add to the mystery, Ddraig's voice as he uttered what Issei assumed was her name became nostalgic.

"Yes, Ddraig. It's been a long time." After greeting the Red Dragon, she focused back on him and performed a classic bow raising the sides of her dress slightly. "And, we finally meet, Hyoudou Issei. I'm glad to see you made it here. You might not have noticed, but I've been rooting for you from here, just like all the other that came after me."

"Really!? Thanks... a-and a pleasure to meet you, too, Elsha-san."

[Don't let her gentle appearance fool you, partner. She is, without doubt, the strongest female Red Dragon Emperor. And in the general ranking, she'd be fighting closely for second place.]

Issei's eyes widened, but the way Elsha pouted at Ddraig was what truly left him speechless.

"Hey, if you're gonna introduce me like that, at least mention how close we were. And are, given how I ended up here." Her expression then seamlessly returned to her gentle one. "But it's good to see you and Issei are also close. It's a pity that Belzard can't be here."

"Um... Might I ask who is Belzard?"

Elsha shook her head, signaling that it was a more than a valid question. "He's the other Red Dragon Emperor that in Ddraig's words is competing with me for second place." Her face then became sad. "Unfortunately, as one of the first Red Dragon Emperors, he's been here rooting for the next generations way longer than me... so he's barely holding it together despite his unwavering willpower. If anything, it was your show, "The Oppai Dragon", what allowed him to endure a little bit more."

The current Red Dragon Emperor's cheeks started to heat in embarrassment. "I-Im glad, I guess. But how can a kids show help?"

A giggle escaped the princess' lips. "More than you can imagine. It has been the first time we three have had an honest laugh after getting here. You don't seem to have any idea how much of a surprise was seeing a Red Dragon Emperor making kids laugh and look up to him as a hero rather than terrifying them."

She then closed the remaining distance and delicately took his hands. "That's why we decided to believe in you. So don't be so shy. We think that you, and the current White Dragon Emperor can reach a better ending than any of us."

Issei swallowed loudly. Not that he didn't intend to destroy this horrible curse, but now being aware that the expectations of his predecessors, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Actually, now he felt a little bad for thinking of this matter as just a way of growing stronger. In a sense, even if his motivations were noble, it wasn't that far from the thirst for power that led them to use Ddraig as just a tool.

From now on, it also became his goal to save all this people.

"I'll do my best. I still don't know how, but I'll free everyone from this curse, and become the strongest!" The way Elsha's smile became brighter witnessing his resolution warmed his heard, but there was a detail that didn't escape his mind. "By the way, why did you say there are three of you? Who's..."

Another giggle came out as she let go of his hands and took a couple of steps back. "You've already heard of him. Even if Ddraig is always debating if I or Belzard are the second strongest Red Dragon Emperor since we defeated the White Dragon Emperor of our generation, we are still leagues bellow him."

She then stepped aside gracefully to reveal another figure. "The Once and Future King of Britain. He who drew the Sword in the Stone and unified his country to repel the foreign invaders. The strongest Red Dragon Emperor that defeated Vortigern the Cowardly King and strongest White Dragon Emperor. Of course, I'm talking about none other than King Arthur."

Issei's heart rate started to spike as his eyes started to analyze the regal figure in front of him.

As a famous legend that reached even modern day pop culture, there had been no small amounts retellings and interpretations of King Arthur's legend and the Knights of the Round Table. The man in front of the Red Dragon emperor seemed to be in his thirties or forties, but his body build wasn't that far from his Sensei's, slender yet with toned muscles.

Short blonde hair, emerald eyes, and clad in a silver, plate armor over blue robes. At first glance, the man in front of Issei looked like just another knight rather than a king, but he knew King Arthur was always known to lead the charge in the battlefield, so it wasn't that surprising. However, the combination of his build, immaculate skin, and his gentle expression, was far from the image Issei had of King Arthur.

Maybe using Shirou for reference wasn't the best idea.

Those emerald eyes drifted toward the princes for a moment, and his expression turned into one of... embarrassment? "Lady Elsha, how many times I have to say you don't have to refer to me with such formalities? In this place, we're all on equal standing as fellow Red Dragon Emperors, regardless of our status in life."

The smile on Elsha's face turned playful. "Even if you're just a record like all of us, I can't just introduce you casually as if you were simply a friend."

Judging by the sigh Arthur let out, he pretty much gave up on that matter and focused back on Issei.

"Well, even if Elsha already took care of the introductions, I am Arthur Pendragon. It's an honor to meet you in person, Hyoudou Issei, or should I call you, "Oppai Dragon"?"

"C-call me as you like, Arthur-sama! And its an immense honor to meet you!"

[Oh c'mon! Not you too, Arthur! The Red Dragon Emperor should at least be respected! Not used as mere entertainment for children!]

Issei's timid greeting was almost overshadowed by Ddraig's almost begging voice.

"Why are you still so hostile against the idea, Ddraig? It's the most effective way of promoting the Red Dragon Emperor's new image as a hero rather than a monster. Back in my days, people actually tended to forget I was the Red Dragon Emperor due to my title as the Chosen King of Britain overshadowing it."

"That's what happens when you gain those titles with honest merits rather than intimidation," Elsha added her two cents to Arthur's argument, yet it still failed to placate the Red Dragon.

"Um... Even if Sirzches-sama thought of it as a way to spread my reputation, I mostly due it because I like to make the children smile."

Arthur "And that's why it works. It worked so well that it became the key to escape the Juggernaut Drive's curse. I must admit, I almost lost hope at that moment. I even tried to reach out to you."

Those words from the Once and Future King made something click in Issei's mind.

"Oh! So it was you! I remember hearing a voice that wasn't joining the creepy chant."

"That was me, yes. Although I couldn't make the difference. It was all the precious companions you've gathered and the bonds you've forged. It truly reminds me of my loyal knights... but let's hope you and your friends don't end up like that."

"Yeah..." The end of the Round Table was always depicted as something atrocious and sad. Issei didn't even dare to entertain the though of all his relationships ending like that.

"Even though, I don't regret my choices," Arthur answered the question that was forming in Issei's mind before he even mentioned it. "It was thanks to those bonds that I was able to use my Juggernaut Drive without getting consumed and defeat Vortigern's. It was a one-time deal, though, and my holy sword didn't end the fight that well. It didn't break during the fight, but as you know, it ended up falling apart later."

"So... not even you could dominate that power..." Issei concluded with a sad voice, almost giving up.

"Do not falter, Hyoudou Issei. Even if none of us could do it, it doesn't mean it's impossible. If you ask me, the impossible is just something that has yet to happen. Isn't your friend the best proof of that?"

"Well, yes... Shirou-sensei has done so many things people always thought were impossible... but... Can I really do it?" As he asked, the image of that strong back appeared in his mind, always out of his reach.

Yet, both former Red Dragon Emperors gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course. You're already in the right track. The advice you've received from Emiya Shirou and Ajuka Beelzebub is the key. This will be a journey not to atone for your predecessors' sins, nor run from them and reject them. You'll have to accept them, surpass them, and become the Red Dragon Emperor you want to be."

Issei could only nod. "Self-realization", as Shirou put it. To understand himself, he didn't just need to understand who Hyoudou Issei was and what he wanted to be in the future. The Boosted Gear was a part of him, and so was its curse by extension.

What lay ahead were long sessions of meditation and start knowing more about his predecessors.

"In a sense, it won't be that different from what I did with Akeno-senpai, I guess..."

"Oh, that was something I'd like to inquire about, Issei." Elsha's voice brought Issei out of his thoughts. "What was the deal with that... "Breast Spirit?" That is honestly the weirdest thing I've seen."

"I... don't know? I wanted to help Akeno-senpai make amends with her father, and then that voice popped up in my head... and after telling me what it was I started seeing Akeno-senpai's memories."

"I'd be inclined to think that was some kind of hallucination, but we also saw it. It was so vivid... Almost like an illusion rather than just some memories."

Arthur nodded at Elsha's assessment, and his face turned serious. "I don't know what that "Breast Spirit" is, but it worries me that it manifested just moments after that foreign crystal appeared in your body."

Issei blinked a couple of times, and a chill ran down his spine. "Wait, you mean... that the crystal Ajuka-sama detected appeared before the "Breast Spirit" and not the other way around?"

"Precisely. In fact, I'm pretty sure the voice you heard came from it."

That didn't sound ominous at all. The voice he heard sounded so angelical it was hard to not trust it...

As the current Red Dragon Emperor was fighting the chills, he felt a sensation of something pulling him. Given the current topic they were discussing, panic started to assail him, but Arthur's reaction was the complete opposite.

"Oh, it seems our time is up. Your friend is trying to wake you up. There's a lot of things I wanted to discuss, but I guess we'll have to leave it for the next time."

"Shirou... See you later then- woah!"

Issei was barely able to say his goodbyes before opening his real eyes and find himself back in the train. The image of both of his successors waving at him was still present in his mind, and he still had a lot of questions as well. Like Arthur's thoughts on what has become of his sword or his descendants joining a terrorist group.

"Finally. I thought for a moment you actually fell into a coma." His Sensei's voice helped him to finish waking up, and he could notice a hint of concern in it.

"Sorry, Sensei. I lost track of time while I was talking with my predecessors, the few ones that haven't been consumed by the curse. Since you woke me up... is something the matter?"

The concern disappeared from Shirou's expression, replaced by a small smile. "Good to hear you achieved it. As for your question, no, I thought I should do it since it's already lunch time. We still got two hours before arrive at Kyoto, so your body will definitely appreciate some sustenance."

Issei's mouth formed an 'o' for a moment. "Wait, how many hours was that!? I've been the entire morning there!?"

"Pretty much." It was quite obvious Shirou said that while holding his laughter. In fact, he was already digging his bento, and the smell was making Issei salivate.

Once again, he had to apologize to Asia, the one who prepared their bentos for the ride. Shirou's cooking was just on another level.

"By the way, one of the predecessors I was able to meet turned out to be the King Arthur." His casual comment caused the auburn-haired teenager to almost spit the food in his mouth, and a cheeky smile formed on Issei's face.

"I shouldn't be surprised, of course King Arthur's memories would be recorded in that Sacred Gear... He was a guy, wasn't he?"

What kind of question was that? Wait... "Don't tell me..."

"Yep. Back in my world, King Arthur's true identity was Arturia Pendragon, and for some reason, she looked almost identically to Nero Claudius. I met her a couple of times, but given my fuzzy memories, I mostly remember her because of the... records I have of her swords."

"You mean Excalibur and Caliburn... Judging by how you regarded them, I must assume the ones from your world are more powerful."

"Even after reforging this world's Excalibur in its entirety, I can still say my world's Caliburn is already more powerful. As for my world's Excalibur, it isn't a matter of being powerful. My world's Excalibur is the Holy Sword of the Planet. Forged by the World itself using faeries as its extensions, and using mankind's wishes as materials. It was literally the last hope to defeat an alien invader that would have wiped out all life on the planet, back in the Age of Gods way before my or King Arthur's time. "

"Wow... So that's why you were so paranoid about alien invaders when Ophis-sama asked you to help her defeat the Great Red. Your world has already faced them."

"Pretty much..."

Shirou decided to not expand further about Types, True Ancestors, or the One Radiant Thing slumbering in South America, and instead, switched to more lay-down topics to pass the time.

Talking about aliens given his current internal dilemma wasn't the best idea.

---

The entire group of students and teachers finally set foot in Kyoto around 4 pm, and the hotel they had booked wasn't that far from it, so they were already checking in ten minutes later.

While Azazel and Rossweisse were giving instructions to the students in the lobby about the periods they would have for free activities, Serafall was already familiarizing herself with the room she and Shirou would share. It was quite fancy, but that was to be expected from the hotel "Sirzechs".

Really smooth from her friend.

The twin-tailed maou was unpacking her suitcase on autopilot, her mind drifting to the moment she and Azazel revealed their arrangement. The dumbfounded expression that slowly turned into horror had been her goal, but the next face Shirou made had killed all her amusement.

"What was that..."

She couldn't find words to accurately describe it. The closest one she could think of would be "pained", in the sense of someone getting reminded of something they regret. There was also nostalgia or a feeling of longing.

She had been trying to dig around to find information about Shirou's past life for the last week. If she wanted to make full use of this trip, she needed as much information as she needed, and if that included by chance any past romance, then the better.

All in the name of helping Shirou, of course.

Serafall wasn't sure if the golden-eyed boy did it on purpose, but he tended to reveal one piece of information at a time, and to different people if possible. That caused all the information to be dispersed and complicated the task of understanding him as a person more than it should.

So, she took it upon herself to compile that information. The best contributors were Issei, Koneko, and surprisingly, Rossweisse.

The general consensus was that, much like in this life, he experienced a tragedy when he was young, lost his memories, and even a part of himself as he put it, and was saved. That led to the development of his warped sense of self and massive survivor guilt that culminated in his dream of saving everyone.

He had the life of a vagrant, going from place to place helping wherever he could, and hunting magical beings and vampires. Emphasis on that last species. Xenovia and Irina said he gave them quite a graphic depiction of one of those cases.

After a short life of nothing but hardships, he died and struck the deal that turned him into a defense mechanism for the World. They didn't have any details of his death, and all his experiences from that point on were blurred due to being second-hand records. She suspected some of the ideas she provided for her show came from there.

That wasn't much, but the last pieces of information she managed to combine formed a clearer picture, one way more somber, if that was even possible.

First, both Koneko and her sister said they could discern a world of infinite swords whenever they made contact with his soul. A landscape that evoked a massive feeling of loneliness.

Second, Rossweisse told her that Shirou's spells originate from a single spell he described as personal, to the point he needed a really deep understanding of himself to develop it.

And third, there was that depressing poem he wrote about his body being made out of swords and his life having no meaning.

Serafall's heart tightened just thinking about the implications. She really hoped the conclusion she arrived at was just an exaggeration.

But the story Issei told her about Shirou's relationship with a woman called Nero Claudius and how he blamed himself for not being able to save her further cemented her theory. And the cream at the top, a conversation she had with her So-tan that was stuck in her memory.

"Onee-chan, do you know about the Chinese swords Shirou-kun uses the most?"

"Umm... Not much. Whenever I asked, he just said he had been using them ever since he saw them. Aside from the low cost to project them and their anti-monster properties, he said he was captivated by them."

She didn't give that much importance to that question. After all, Shirou just treated his weapons as tools to get the job done. But the way Sona's expression became somber was already a bad omen.

"That tracks... You see, their names are Kanshou and Bakuya, and originate from an old Chinese legend about a blacksmith and his wife, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye. One day, the King of Wu requested the best sword the blacksmith could create, and in fear of being executed if the sword did not meet the king's standards, the Gan Jiang spent entire days and weeks in his forge. After a lot of failures, Mo Ye saw her husband get extremely frustrated and desperate, so she then decided to sacrifice her life by throwing herself into the furnace in front of her beloved. With tears in his eyes, Gan Jiang used her wife's life essence to forge the two swords that are said to have reached the Heavens, and named them after his wife and himself. Representing the Yin and Yang, they were swords that were attracted to one another, so when the time came to present them to the king, Gan Jiang gave him only the sword representing his wife and kept the one representing him, in hopes of one they being able to reunite with her. But the king caught wind of it, and in his fury, had the smith executed."

Upon hearing the retelling of the legend, Serafall couldn't help but feel sad... and confused.

"That explains why Shirou-kun was captivated by them. They aren't just beautiful in appearance, and craftmanship, but their backstory is just as beautiful and sad." But what did that have to do with Shirou's past life? To him, it must be just another legend from the numerous he has seen in the swords he has reproduced.

"That may be one of the reasons, but... I suspect there's a deeper reason, Onee-sama. Those swords were forged for the sake of crafting. They were created with no vanity and had no purpose aside from being a gift. They were never meant to be used on the battlefield, nor to compete with other grandiose legends."

With each word So-tan pronounced, a picture was starting to form in Serafall's mind, but she refused to piece it together. It was just too depressing...

Like that poem he wrote.

"I think, Shirou sees himself in those swords. Someone hollow, with no purpose, chasing after something beautiful..."

Serafall swore to help Shirou reach his happiness, and she intended to keep that promise, but, there weren't that many ways she could think of. How could she fill that void in the person known as Emiya Shirou?

After a lot of thinking, there was only one method she could use. Going on the offensive with her feelings.

After all, the most effective way to make someone happy is by sharing your own happiness.

"...!" Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing steps approaching the room. She put aside those murky thoughts as quickly as she could to bring back her smile before turning around. She even found herself checking her hair before the door was opened, making sure she was on her best looking.

A familiar auburn-haired boy entered the room after knocking, and the first thing he did was sigh. Maybe a part of him had hoped that what happened at Kuoh's station was a bad dream, which helped Serafall keep her grin.

"You surely took your time, Shirou-kun."

"It couldn't be helped. Rossweisse started rambling about 100 yen shops and no one had the courage to interrupt her."

"Fufu, now I'm starting to regret going ahead."

The brief exchange ended there, with Shirou just standing by the door and giving her a long look with squinted eyes. She returned the look while keeping her smile, refusing to be defeated by the awkwardness of the situation.

"I'll ask this even knowing it's pointless. Are you sure you want to share a room with a dude you have known for just some months?"

"You speak as if we didn't spend a lot of that time together." She crossed her hands behind her and walked up to him, making sure their faces were close and their eyes locked onto each other. "We've fought together, and we're work colleagues, be it our show or negotiations with other factions. I would consider us to be rather close, don't you agree?"

"That's not the point, and you know it. I rejected the girls' offer to share a room with them precisely to avoid this kind of awkward situation. And now here I am, sharing a room with another beauty."

That casual compliment almost got her blushing, but she resisted it with all her willpower. "We're both adults here, aren't we? There shouldn't be any accidents. Unless, you want it to happen~"

Shirou's eyebrow trembled as he watched the cheeky smile plastered across the maou's face. "My soul might be old and this body might have been modified by it, but the teenage hormones didn't go puff and disappeared, y'know? But I guess you're right. As long as none of us wants that kind of thing to happen, we should be clear."

The smile on Serafall's face started to fade upon hearing that. However, Shirou didn't notice it as he was already unpacking beside the other bed. If anything, he was glad there were two beds instead of a big one. Not that the distance was that much different, but the gap between them prevented accidents during sleep.

Meanwhile, Serafall noted the... modest amount of belongings Shirou brought. Not that she had packed a lot of things, but the boy's case... Just like when she visited his home, Emiya Shirou had barely any earthly possessions.

And there was also the fact that he had his combat gear with him at all times. Serafall still felt a little jealous to this day as she looked at her magical girl attire neatly wrapped in her suitcase.

"By the way, changing to more serious topics, any news about the situation or the Shinto Deities?" The auburn-haired boy broke the silence with a casual tone that betrayed the seriousness of the topic he chose.

"Not much," Serafall answered as she went back to her suitcase as well. "The Shinto Deities remain radio silent, and Sakura hasn't informed me of any development. As for when will we meet with her, Mei, and Lady Yasaka's daughter, that won't be happening until dinner, so you can go enjoy the afternoon with your friends."

Shirou gave her a curt nod. There was no excitement in his body whatsoever, but at least he didn't grimace... she guessed.

They were done after some minutes, and at Serafall's insistence, Shirou immediately ventured into the hotel's hallways to look for his friend's rooms.

A part of Serafall really wanted to go with him, but her rational part knew she would ruin the magical atmosphere of this trip. Besides, she had work to do, like start scouting the area on her own and trying to pull the last strings she had to get in touch with Amaterasu.

However, all those plans had to be put on hold when she heard her phone's ringtone, the new opening of Miracle Levi-tan. She checked the phone's screen, and the contact already got her raising an eyebrow.

"Talk about the devil..." She immediately picked up the call and entered her business persona. "Serafall Leviathan on the phone. To what do I owe this call, Sakura?"

The room was plunged into silence as she listened to the pink-haired kitsune at the other end of the call. Her calm demeanor slowly fell apart, replaced by a dumbfounded expression that culminated into...

"Lady Kuno did WHAT!?"

---

"Oh, look! There are so many shops already at the bottom of the stairs!"

"That must be where you can start completing the stamps!"

"I don't know if I brought enough money for souvenirs if there's gonna be this many shops..."

"Wa... look how cute are these fox figures."

They had barely set foot on the Inari station when the group formed by Irina, Jeanne, Xenovia, and Asia ran up ahead. They were definitely the ones that were enjoying the most Kyoto's atmosphere.

Issei's friends were also enjoying the view closely behind, although Issei and Shirou could tell they were more focused on the girls rather than the beauty of the place.

"A quartet of beauties contrasting with Kyoto's landscape. Let's start taking pictures!"

In fact, Matsuda started taking pictures of them. It wouldn't be that weird of a thing if he wasn't making that perverted face. But Shirou chose to not comment on that and ruin the atmosphere.

Luckily, Kiryuu called him out, although for her own reasons. "Hey, "quartet of beauties"? Aren't you forgetting someone?"

Both Matsuda and Motohama threw a "seriously?" look at the bespectacled girl, who answered with a murderous glare but had enough self-control not to lash out and make a scene. The Red Dragon Emperor couldn't help but pinch his nose's bridge.

"There's a time and place for everything, guys..."

"You say that because you can indulge yourself in this kind of view every day, traitor!"

"Seriously? You're still bringing that up?"

Issei desisted from trying to reason with them here of all places and looked for his Sensei. Given that the girls were doing their own thing, he guessed it was his duty to rope him in so that he didn't end up wasting the travel by acting like a statue.

To his surprise, the auburn-haired boy had walked up to the beginning of the stairs leading to Fushimi Inari. Instead of the myriad Torii gates adorning the stairs, his golden eyes were focused on the two fox statues at each side of the entrance.

It was indeed peculiar, as most of the guardian statues placed at temple entrances were dogs, but nothing that would get Shirou so... locked in.

However, the Red Dragon Emperor's body tensed up as a realization hit him. If those were guardians protecting the temple, then, wouldn't they be hostile against devils?

Shirou must have picked up that reaction, as he threw a side glance at him. "Are you feeling hostility from them, Issei?"

"Actually, I don't feel anything from them. I guess the passes Buchou gave us are doing the trick."

He heard a grunt from Shirou, but when the golden-eyed boy turned around, he had once again a carefree expression.

"Well, should we start climbing? If we delay it further, I don't think we'll make it to the hotel before dinner."

"You think so?"

Well, when Issei asked that question, he hadn't been taking into account that some of the members of their group weren't used to such physical effort at all.

That became quite apparent fifteen minutes later. Matsuda and Motohama already looked like they'd spew their lungs at any moment despite they having yet to even arrive at the first stop in the long stairs. That obviously was slowing down their more than Issei expected.

Surprisingly, Kiryuu kept up with them while reading out loud their guidebook.

"Fushimi Inari-Taisha, the principal sanctuary dedicated to Inari, Goddess of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, and success. The kitsune guardian statues represent her envoys, and all the numerous Torii gates are offers from traders and craftsmen who wished for success in their business in return. It dates back to the year 711, a little before the start of the Heian era."

The foreigners among them listened closely, as they had little to no idea about Japanese mythology and folklore. Issei and Irina chimed in to answer the questions Xenovia, Jeanne, and Asia threw from time to time. Things like what was exactly the Heian period, what significance had the Torii gates, etc...

"Hey Emiya, you had been traveling before enrolling into Kuoh Academy, right? Any insight you might offer?"

That had to be the most blatant attempt to get him into the conversation Shirou had ever seen, but he decided to humor Kiryuu.

"I didn't exactly visit a lot of tourist spots, but I guess you could say this is the equivalent of Mt. Ebith back in Sumeria. A mountain vanquished by Ishtar, Goddess of beauty, fertility, and war, and later made her sanctuary. I don't know if Inari is as shrewd as Ishtar, but kitsunes aren't exactly symbols of purity."

His rambling got the bespectacled girl widening her eyes. "Oh wow. I didn't know you were such a nerd when it comes to mythology. You should be the one acting as a guide then."

"No thanks."

His instant rebuttal caused some giggles. Everyone agreed with Kiryuu, as Shirou was a walking encyclopedia, especially when it came to legendary weapons.

"Hey, guys... Don't you think... we should take a moment to rest?"

The conversation was interrupted by Motoyasu's plea between ragged breaths, which was answered by Kiryuu's cheeky smile.

"What's the matter? This climb is used by local schools as a training spot. Don't tell me you guys can't even outlast Asia here." That was kind of an unfair comparison given the ex-nun's devil body, but that was the image Asia kept projecting at school.

"Don't be ridiculous... we're about to die here!"

"Endure it just a little. We should be half away from the checkpoint at the stairs' halfway."

""What!?"" Xenovia's words almost killed their resolve, but they had a dignity to protect in front of Asia, so they kept pushing forward with their dying bodies.

And it paid off. The checkpoint was situated on the mountainside, which translated into really beautiful views. More so now that the sun was starting to set.

"This is wonderful!"

"Let's take more pictures, everyone!"

After taking a few group pictures, they started to inspect the few shops in the place. And it was then that Shirou's suspicions reached their threshold.

There was no one there. No tourists, and no shopkeepers. Japan was a country where people could leave a shop unattended and the odds of a theft would be pretty low. But those odds increased exponentially on tourist spots, so it was definitely weird.

That, coupled with the fact that he felt no wards, and the guardians didn't emit any kind of presence at all, made him think something was going on.

So, he did the most sensible thing. He hid his presence as best as he could and ran up the remainder of the stairs as fast as he could while everyone was distracted.

A part of him felt horrible for doing this. But, even if he accepted their help as backup, they came here to have a good time, and he came on business. Having time windows to join them didn't change that fact.

The distance that would have taken them another half an hour was blazed through in seconds. His reinforced senses started to pick up noises and voices as he approached the main shrine, and he didn't like what he was hearing one bit.

In short, there was a battle going on.

Hence why, rather than just barging through the main entrance, he stepped into the foliage at the sides of the stairs to calmly assess the situation.

The battle was pretty much over already, with one of the sides... completely slaughtered. And worryingly, it was the yokai side, while the humans were the ones basking in their victory.

He could tell that most of the bodies on the ground were no longer breathing, and the pools of blood were already covering the ground. The place itself had been trashed to the point it was hard to even recognize it from the pictures in the guidebook. Mei and Sakura hadn't been exaggerating when they said the Five Great Clans were desecrating shrines.

"Well, well, to think we'd hit the freakin' jackpot here." One of the two figures leading the human side started walking over the bodies without a care in the world.

It was a young man, with a shaved head, blue eyes, muscular build, and wearing a black kimono that wouldn't be out of place on a karate dojo. Despite that, given his mannerisms, the guy looked more like the leader of a bike gang than a big shot from an old Japanese, clan.

"What is the princess of the shitty Youkai doing here out in the open? Don't tell me you expected to be safe around this bunch of weaklings?"

Shirou's eyes darted to the Youkai the guy was speaking to, and his heart skipped a bit. A young kitsune, even younger than Koneko, golden-eyed and matching long hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a classical shrine maiden outfit... and six tails.

There was no way to miss it, she fit the description Serafall gave him to a T, and that punk's words just confirmed.

Her porcelain skin was now filled with bruises. She clearly wasn't suited for violence, and definitely shouldn't be here in the middle of a battle. Yet, she glared back at the punk from the ground, her eyes burning with hostility.

"You fiends took away my mom... give her back!"

Her shout was met with laughter, and the punk started crack his knuckles. "On the contrary, you shit-faces took our Genbu-chan as hostage. So, let me pay you back, "princess"."

"Hey, pull your punches a little, Byakko. We need her alive." A bespectacled, young man of the same age as the punk rose his voice in a calm tone, even if his expression had the same sadistic grin on it, and his yellow eyes were looking at Kunou as if she were a piece of trash.

The boy was wearing a formal suit, and gave Shirou the impression he was a Student Council president. Regardless of the looks, he seemed to be on equal standing with the punk, as this one stopped to listen.

"Why would we need this thing alive? We should just storm their base and rescue Genbu-chan directly. If this is the best they can offer, it will be a piece of cake!"

"Look, even if I'm of the same opinion, acquiring a hostage of our own is what the clans have decided."

"Screw those geezers! This is war-" The punk was already raising his fist, intending to crush the princess' skull while she could only grit her teeth, when a steel-tipped boot crashed against his face.

"Wha-" The heir of the Shinra clan was flung away like a ragged doll, and the place was filled with surprised voices and gasps.

"Huh?" Princess Kunou's eyes widened, taking on the tall figure of a red knight landing protectively between her and the humans.

He was a human, Kunou could tell that much, but he felt different. It was something aside from how he came like a knight in shining armor, wielding those beautiful twin swords and with his red cloak fluttering with the wind, but she couldn't put a finger on it.

Those thoughts might have received an answer if she had been able to see the red knight's hawk-like eyes piercing through the Kushihashi heir and his underlings. Most of them were frozen like a frog staring directly as a snake, but this generation's Azure Dragon tightened his fists and mustered the courage to confront him.

"Who are you and why are you siding with the Yuokai!? Don't you know who you just attacked!?"

"As if that had anything to do with this. I just kicked away some trash assaulting a child you guys had already beaten up." The red knight's voice was dripping with hostility, and he started to raise his black sword to point its blade at them. "And unfortunately for you, Yae Sakura and Raiden Mei did request my help to put an end to this pointless conflict. So, I'll give you guys one chance. Get out of here if you don't want more blood spilled today. If there's still a chance to talk things out, I'll leave that decision to the princess."

The fake Student Council President gritted his teeth in defiance. "Once again, bringing external agents to our issues. The Raiden Clan has truly hit rock bottom. Regardless, if you insist on being an eyesore, then so be it. Byakko!"

A war cry that sounded more like a tiger than a human filled the place, and the red knight had to tilt his head to avoid a fist coming at blurring speeds. His white sword immediately came to deflect a left hook, and he brought up a knee to block its counterpart, causing a deafening like a ram hitting a wall.

The red knight narrowed his golden eyes. He did feel that hit despite the reinforcement. Suffice to say, his enemy's body was covered by a thick layer of ki, denoting his domain over the Touki technique.

The heir of the Shinra Clan gave Shirou a battle-hungry smile as he pressed on. "It seems you ain't all bark, smartass. Let's see how that thing reacts when I pummel you to death!"

The White Tiger went for a headbutt in a reckless assault. Most likely overconfident in his strength, thinking that he was just caught off guard seconds ago. After all, he inherited one of the five Sacred Beasts, putting him in the upper echelons of Japan's power.

All that was thrown of the rails when the red knight when he flipped Kanshou into reverse grip and punched the punk with a mana burst. The blow came too fast for him to react, and was once again blown away, this time right into his underlings.

"Get out of here while I deal with them, Princess Kunou!"

The red knight left those words as he tilted his body forward in preparation to charge at the envoys of the Five Great Clans. However, he almost stumbled, unable to move. Something was wrapping around his right leg, like some kind of rope.

He looked at it for a split second, realizing it wasn't a rope, but vines that had sprouted from the concrete.

By the time he returned his gaze to his opponents, the other heir was already jumping at him with his bare hands as his weapons. With no other choice, the red knight took him head-on and deflected his fists with his twin swords.

His hand-to-hand technique was polished, even if not on the same level as the punk, but the Touki around his fists wasn't that polished. It was clear he wasn't supposed to be in the front line, so it was a wonder why he decided on this approach.

That was more or less answered when the punk rejoined the fight, and the two threw a combined onslaught of fists and kicks.

Their coordination was... passable. Good enough to leave no openings for him to exploit, at least in his current predicament, but not good enough to allow them to pierce his defense. The heavy blows from the White Tiger never found their mark, and the attacks of the Azure Dragon cloaked in sharp winds and electricity were nullified by the red knight's magic resistance. Also, he could tell that the fact that he was rooted in place was a disadvantage for them as well since the punk's martial art seemed to rely on grabs and throws.

The only reason they were at a stalemate was that Shirou had the added difficulty of not letting any stray attack get past him since the Youkai Princess was still there. Much to his annoyance, she seemed to be in a trance, her golden eyes fixed on his back. His words most likely didn't even reach her.

"Oh?" Damn it, the School Prefect seemed to have noticed that fact in his desperation to find an opening.

With a gesture of his hands, more vines emerged from the ground and lunged at Kunou. The red knight spun around as he could and threw Kanshou and Bakuya to cut them.

Of course, the White Tiger immediately capitalized on the opening and threw a powerful haymaker. But, the guy clearly overextended, confident in the inevitability of his strike since his opponent was disarmed and with his back exposed. And the red knight was already executing his next move.

With a potent mana burst he had already prepared in advance, the ground around his right foot shattered, and the limb was propelled with enough force to tear out the vines. The red knight's leg drew an arc through the air with a chunk of concrete still attached and landed on the back of White Tiger's neck. At the same time, the recoil allowed him to twist his body enough to avoid the punk's fist by the skin of his teeth.

A loud crash filled the place as the Shinra heir crashed head-first into the ground, but another impact followed right after. The red knight had focused his undivided attention on avoiding the attack that could actually harm him, and as a consequence, he had to endure the other incoming attack.

"Have at you!" The Azure Dragon's fist was firmly pressed against the red knight's cheek. But, the smile on his face quickly turned into astonishment the moment his lightning spell failed to activate again, and noticed that his attack didn't even make him flinch.

Even if there was no Touki involved, it felt like he had just a steel wall, and those golden eyes turned to look at him again as if he were just a mere target.

The momentary shock caused the Kushihashi heir to not react in time as the red knight grabbed his extended arm and pulled. With his stance completely ruined, a knee found its way to his guts, knocking the air out of his lungs as his body rolled through the concrete.

The Azure Dragon managed to recover fast, and with another command, vines, and roots from all the trees around the temple emerged to attack the red knight.

"Trace on."

With his aria intoned, the weapon called into his hands wasn't another replica of the twin swords, but a flame-shaped sword. With a swing, Aestus Estus set aflame all the plants and blocked the view between the combatants.

Shirou then focused his senses in case the Azure Dragon tried something else, but the next attack came in an unexpected way. He was ready for more plants to emerge from the ground, but he didn't expect a hand to grab his ankle.

"Gotcha, assface!" The White Tiger gave the red knight a toothy smile covered in blood and proceeded to flip him.

Shirou had to give it to the punk. He was sturdy.

Even with all the world around him upside down, he was able to tilt his body enough to not lose sight of the White Tiger, who had already jumped back on his feet and was charging straight at him shoulder first like an enraged bull.

He could easily block that attack, but that was already a problem in and of itself. Airborne as he was, he will inevitably be blown away by the strength behind that attack, and the Princess will be left at the punk's mercy for way more seconds than he could afford-

""Huh!?""

A surprised voice escaped both combatants' lips when a fireball came out of nowhere and hit the White Tiger right in the face. It didn't do much damage, but it managed to deviate his trajectory enough for the red knight to deflect the charge rather than meeting him head-on.

Aestus Estus ignited with a mana burst, converting the momentum in the desired way so Shirou flipped back and landed on his feet. Letting the experience of the sword flow into him, he readied his stance for a lunge, but to his surprise, the punk didn't mindlessly charge and retreated instead.

"Hey, Seiryuu. I think we should stop playing around."

"Hmph, we do agree for once. Let us not waste any more precious seconds."

The frown on Shirou's face deepened. Were they about to show an actual trump card or were they just bluffing in front of their subordinates who were thinking whether they should just run? To be fair, if this was what those legendary Sacred Beasts amounted for, it would be kind of underwhelming, so he supposed it wasn't that surprising they had something more up their sleeve.

On the other hand, it seemed they were completely oblivious to the fact that he too was holding back quite a lot. He wished not to resort to the option of sending them back with a lot of bones broken and using fear as a token in the negotiations.

"You sure you want to keep this up? You still have the chance to leave if you want to get back in one piece."

The red knight's comment caused a vein to pop up on the punk's temple, and the lifeforce covering his body started to grow thicker.

"Let's see if you can keep the trash-talking with this, dipshit!"

His presence changed. Not just that. White fur started to coat his body and his eyes started to shine with power. And the same could be said of the other heir, although the effect wasn't that visual. They were starting to fuse with their contracted Sacred Beasts.

Should he finally unleash his servant's strength? No, they were still manageable. Even if their power grew, their technique and experience didn't magically increase as well. If anything, what posed a problem was the fact that all the underlings now seemed ready to join the fray.

"S-sorry for the wait, Hero-sama! I'll assist you against this fiends."

Shirou's eyes widened when he noticed that voice he heard some minutes ago and a presence standing right beside him. It was the Princess, who was fiercely glaring at their opponents as if they hadn't just beaten her before he got there.

"Please, Princess, don't... act recklessly. You must escape and leave this to me." He replied as calmly as he could, but the kitsune was having none of that.

"But I can help! I've already helped you against that brute, Hero-sama!"

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his serious expression. Yeah, she did help, but the situation would have been overall better if he didn't need to focus on protecting her.

"No, listen to Shirou-sama and stand back, Kunou-sama!"

Someone beat him to it though. An agitated, yet refined voice crashed the party, and the confidence of the two heirs started to go down the drain as a figure landed in the middle of the battlefield.

The temperature of the place, raised previously by Aestus Estus, started to plummet, to the point of some snowflakes forming in the air. A pink-haired kitsune he immediately recognized, wearing a shrine maiden outfit with a short skirt designed for combat rather than ceremonies, and her right hand resting on the hilt of one of the two katanas strapped to her waist.

Yae Sakura, Lady Yasaka's right-hand woman, had finally arrived.

"As for you two, Shinra Byakko, Kushihashi Seiryuu..." Shirou couldn't see her eyes, but judging by the punk and the fake prefect's reaction, he could tell Sakura was looking at them with the same cold eyes he had. "I am not as merciful as our guest here, so I won't hesitate to claim your heads for all your recent crimes." Her voice took an icy tone, and each word felt like a dagger thrown at them.

"As if a rabid animal could speak of justice! Bring it-" The punk was still acting brave despite how rigid his body was, and it had to be his companion who stopped him before he could make the situation worse. The way the pink-haired kitsune was rattling her katana was definitely a bad sign.

"Pardon my comrade's manners, Yae Sakura. We will retreat this time." The Azure Dragon then proceeded to perform the signature of every person who wears glasses, that is, pushing them up with a finger to make them shine. "However, do not expect any kind of negotiations. We will rescue the comrade you are holding hostage, even if it means we have to burn down Kyoto."

"Hmph... Should I take that as an actual threat on behalf of the Five Great Clans?"

"Take that as an ultimatum, servant of the Kyubi."

Leaving those words behind, the envoys of the Five Great Clans retreated into the dense forest and disappeared, not without the punk shooting one last blood-thirsty glare at them.

Once they were sure the situation had been settled, the temperature finally returned to normal, and Sakura's expression made a 180 as she rushed to Kunou with the same concern as a big sister rather than a retainer.

"Are you okay, Kunou-sama!? Let me see those wounds."

"W-wait, Sakura-onee-chan! I'm fine. Hero-sama arrived before those brutes could truly harm me- kya!"

"Don't try to tough it out, young lady. And why were you even here in the first place!? Do you have any idea how worried Mei, Rin, and I were!? And..."

The pink-haired kitsune was struggling to keep her admonishing expression, but looking at Kunou's battered body and the mangled bodies and corpses around them, both relief and sorrow filled it. Yet, the Princess pouted at her, no doubt failing to understand the seriousness of the situation, and the cost of her choice.

"I had to go look for mom! Even if you said help would come soon, I just... I just can't stay idly while Mom is still out there! I... I miss her..."

"I know, sweetie." Sakura hugged her to provide some comfort, and it was working. She was pretty much a second mother to the Princess if Shirou had to guess. Now that adrenaline was fading away, it seemed the situation was finally dawning on her.

Shirou wished he could help her in that regard as well, but he knew more than anyone he wasn't suited for it. In fact, a part of him wanted to leave them alone rather than just staying there silently, but this too was part of the business he got himself into.

After some minutes, the two kitsunes finally broke the hug, and Sakura spoke with a serious tone.

"Kunou-sama, please, promise me you won't do something this reckless again."

The princess nodded slowly and showed some remorse. "I promise. I won't go out without telling you again."

"Good girl." The pink-haired kitsune rubbed her hair gently before showing her a warm smile. "After all, help has already arrived. Make sure to thank Shirou-sama."

"I had a hunch, but he truly is Emiya Shirou-sama. He is every bit of a hero you told me."

The red knight couldn't help but wonder what kind of hyperbolic description they gave Kunou about him to have her looking at him with so much wonder and admiration.

"Thank you so much for saving me, Emiya Shirou-sama. And I'm deeply grateful to you for accepting to help rescue my mother."

He couldn't prevent his cheeks from heating up. He could more or less endure the fact that a Youkai princess was calling him with honorifics as if he were of higher standing, but seeing her bowing to him was just too much. And the playful smirk Sakura was giving him wasn't helping.

"No, I just did the right thing to do. Besides, I didn't make it in time to save your subordinates and the shrine."

The pink-haired kitsune's expression softened upon seeing the way he was clenching his fists while looking around them. "Please, don't blame yourself, Shirou-sama. It is still a regrettable outcome, but be it luck or fate, you were here to save Kunou-sama. And for that, you have my deepest gratitude as well. And thanks for sending this location to Serafall-sama, who in turn sent it to me."

"Don't mention it. Anyway, we should leave the talks for later, and look for survivors and treat them." His golden eyes then drifted to Kunou, who was still looking at him with shiny eyes. "Kunou-sama also needs treatment as well, and I don't think she should stay around for this."

"Agreed. Mei should be here at any moment as well, so she can take Kunou-sama back home."

"Eh? Why?"

Before any of the two adults could try to persuade Kunou to go home, the sounds of steps made them look at the shrine entrance. Contrary to Sakura's expectations, the figures that showed up were that of Shirou's friends, who by the looks of it must have rushed all their way here.

"There you are, Shirou! Man, why did you disappear on us like... that..." Issei's words died in his throat as confusion assailed him. And he wasn't the only one.

The scene of Shirou in his combat gear standing with two kitsunes, both in shrine maiden robes, one of them being armed, and surrounded by unconscious or dead Youkai, was admittedly weird without any context. The situation could be solved with a good explanation, even if they would most likely be angry with him for the disappearing act, but Shirou's heart missed a bit the moment he realized Matsuda, Motohama, and Kiryuu were also there.

"Hey, Emiya, why didn't you tell us about the cosplay party!?"

"Yeah! Why don't you introduce us to your... friend..."

Of course, their eyes went immediately to Sakura, so it took them longer to notice the corpses and the poor state of the Inari sanctuary.

"Blerg!" The bespectacled girl, whose attention wasn't completely drawn to the pink-haired kitsune's mature body, was already emptying her stomach's content, and the two perverted boys were seconds away.

In that fraction of a second, the red knight made a choice. His eyes darted to Xenovia, hoping she would get the sign before his figure disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The next instant, both of Issei's friends were dropping out cold after a well-placed hit on the back of their neck, and fortunately, that was also the case with Kiryuu. A good number of surprised voices followed, including Kunou, as well as more confused looks directed at him.

"Was that even necessary, Shirou-kun!?"

"The more they saw, the harder it will be to modify their memories. Damn it. Everything got ruined today."

"Then why didn't you tell us?" It was Jeanne who confronted him, her usually shy expression now turned into a frown. "We could have made something up to keep them away and helped you deal with whatever happened here faster."

"I wasn't even completely sure something was happening in the first place. And even if I warned you about the situation, you are supposed to be enjoying the journey and only interfere in the worst possible case."

"Well, so much for that," Xenovia spoke up as she gently left her friend's unconscious body on the floor. "Even if they don't remember, things are definitely going to be awkward."

"That's just the usual for us people who live in the Moon-lit World. Something like this is bound to happen sooner or later. That's why you should treasure your time as a school student."

"But what about you?" That was the question that crossed their minds, but none of them ended up voicing it.

Because they knew the answer. Emiya Shirou never saw himself as a high school student. To him, it was just a procedure he had to bear until he was of legal age. He might enjoy some of the moments, but that was just a bonus.

Shirou himself saw that question coming, but after waiting for some seconds, he decided to address Gremory's bishop. "Asia, would help us treat the injured here?"

"Of course!" She accepted immediately, also wanting to drop the awkward conversation.

With her help, they were able to clean things up way faster, even before Mei made it to the shrine. As a form of gratitude, and also a way to get everyone introduced to each other, they were all invited to dinner in what was called "the Reverse Kyoto".

"Once again, thanks for protecting Kunou-sama, Shirou-sama. I pray you have a safe journey to the hotel, and let us meet again tonight."

"I'll be eagerly waiting for you, Shirou-sama, everyone!"

Both kitsune bid them farewell with varying degrees of formality before starting their descent from the mountain. As for their part, there was one thing left to do.

"What was I..."

"My neck..."

"Ugh... what's this taste in my mouth?"

The perverted duo and their female counterpart came to their senses after a good shaking. Judging by their reaction, Shirou's trick with one of his katana, Gabriel Muramasa, had worked.

"Are you guys feeling better now? You three passed out from exhaustion just before reaching the main shrine." Irina asked with genuine concern, even if it was for other reasons.

The two boys accepted the excuse they came up rather easily. In fact, that was what would have happened had they not been carried by Issei and Xenovia. However, making Kiryuu believe it was an entirely different matter.

"Wait seriously!? I'd expect that from those two, but me? I might not be on your level, but I have decent cardio."

"In your case, I would say something you ate made you sick. You even puked before passing out."

The bespectacled girl couldn't help but blink owlishly at Shirou's stoic face, and her hand reached to her lips again. "I guess that'd explain this taste, but I don't have any allergies..."

"At any rate. Now that we're up again, let's visit the shrine and be done with it."

"Yeah, I feel like shit. I want to get to the hotel already and have a nice bath."

Fortunately, it was Matsuda and Motoyama who changed the subject for them, to which Jeanne had to respond.

"Actually, the main shrine seems to be off-limits. We figured out they must be doing some renovations."

""HUH!?""

Despite their disbelief, the tapes Shirou projected and placed to block the shrine's entrance left them no choice. It wasn't even that big of a lie, as the Youkai would have to fix it once this mess is solved.

With nothing more to do there, they started their descent, which was, of course, easier than climbing.

The change in the overall mood was quite noticeable. For everyone aside from Shirou, the whole memory wiping left a bad taste in their mouth. It was completely different from when others handled the clean-up for them.

As for Shirou himself, he was making a serious face for another reason.

"A rather famous shrine was completely destroyed, yet no sign of Gods stepping in..."

---

That night, at Sirzechs' Hotel...

"Are the kimonos really necessary?" A rather embarrassed Shirou asked a smiling Serafall who was just finishing adjusting his kimono.

She too was wearing a kimono, and while hers was a luxurious one with its right side dark blue and left side red, floral patterns, and a yellow obi, Shirou's was a plain dark one with a darker haori on top.

Usually, Serafall would say that combining black with black is a horrible aesthetic choice, but she had a hunch Shirou would make it work, and she was glad she made the choice when booking them.

"We're going to be visiting Kyoto's current royalty in their palace. Of course, we have to look the part. Even if you've already made yourself acquaintance with Princess Kunou."

"I guess. You even changed your usual twin tails for a bun. It actually suits you really well."

"Hehe, thanks. Adapting to the local culture is crucial in my line of work." The maou's easygoing smile faded for a moment. "But seriously, you were actually undermining your luck when it comes to running into trouble."

"Well, you could say it's something necessary in my line of work."

Serafall let out a giggle and finally finished with his kimono. "Everything's ready. We should get going."

Just like when they attended the party at the underworld, she swiftly slid her arm under his before he could even react, and after the auburn-haired boy resigned to his fate, they left their room. Fortunately, they didn't run into anyone through the hotel's hallways, but not so fortunately, upon arriving at the meeting point, Azazel's room, he realized they were the only ones wearing kimonos aside from the owner of the room.

Of course, that gained him a lot of looks, some of them even of envy, as the girls also wanted to wear kimonos. And while there was also some jealousy given Serafall's forwardness, Issei found himself giving the maou a mental thumbs up.

Maybe going on the offensive and not leaving a single opening for him to retreat was the way all along.

Azazel smirked knowingly before speaking up. "Now that we're all here, before we go, let me introduce one of my most trusted assistants."

The General Governor then pushed into the spotlight a handsome, young man older than them, with black hair and pale gray eyes, and wearing a regular business suit. Despite all eyes being on him, his expression remained calm and professional as he introduced himself.

"I'm Ikuse Tobio, leader of Grigori's Slash/Dog team. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm more specialized in undercover missions and gathering information, so unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to help on the battlefield."

"There you go again, undermining your strength despite wielding a Longinus. But I guess you're right on this one occasion. In case a battle breaks out, Shirou-kun here will act as the primary muscle."

Azazel's attempt at joking blew up in his face as most of the people in the room glared at him. He himself had to admit that it sounded too much like their plan was just throwing Shirou at the problem. Even if the boy in question most likely preferred that kind of approach.

"Okay, okay, he won't be doing all the work. In the best case scenario, we shouldn't even need to come to blows with the local, as improbable as it sounds."

The auburn-haired boy let out a grunt, and the maou gave him a raised eyebrow. That was some wishful thinking from Azazel given what happened that afternoon.

"At any rate. If everyone's ready, let's get going."

With a mental command, the magic circle prepared in the spacious room activated, and the next moment, they found themselves right in front of one of Kyoto's hot spots, Kinkaku-ji.

It was an impressive sight, but what caught everyone's attention was that there was no sight of people. It was as if the place had been cleared out of civilians. They didn't enter the temple itself, though, and instead walked into the surrounding forest until they ran into a suspicious Torii in the middle of nowhere, covered in dense mist.

"Here it is. This is our ticket to Reverse Kyoto."

The General Governor crossed the gate and disappeared in the mist, giving away it was some kind of portal. Once crossed, what was revealed wasn't a copy of the modern Kyoto as the name might've suggested, but rather an old city that, in Shirou's case, brought back memories from Toke Castle Town back in the Edo period.

What was something to be expected was the absurd amount of Youkai going about their lives in those small, perfectly lined houses. Kitsunes, Tengus, Tanukis, Rokurokubis, Karakasas, you name it. There were even some Onis, as surprising as it was. It was truly a mystical environment, even ignoring the fact of how the mana in the atmosphere increased to the same level as in the Underworld.

The massive group of foreigners immediately attracted curious glances, and even wariness, but that second seemed to diminish when a certain pink-haired came personally to greet them. Even if she didn't come armed, her presence alone was enough to put them at ease.

"Welcome, our esteemed guests from the Three Factions. Some of you already know me, but I am Yae Sakura, a humble servant of Yasaka-sama. Please, this way. The banquet is almost ready, and Princess Kunou is already eagerly waiting for you."

Now more than ever, her words were measured and her tone and manners reflected a servant attending VIP guests despite her actual charge. Her smile was outright disarming, and her purple eyes, while seemingly looking in their general direction, were fixed on the auburn-haired boy to accentuate her last words.

Shirou wasn't that much affected by her charms as he had time to build resistance to them, but the same couldn't be said for his male companions. Issei and Genshirou were a given, Azazel was shamelessly checking her out, and Ikuze was holding it in as he could, but it was surprising to see Kiba a little flustered.

Also, having Serafall by his side helped him to resist. Not because she was just as beautiful, although that played a part, but because she was staring at him, completely locked in as Issei would say, looking for a sign of weakness.

After the brief, awkward situation, they followed Sakura through the mystical streets until they arrived at a huge, traditional palace. It towered over all the other buildings in the city, a way to quickly identify it as a symbol of power and royalty used by all the nobles back in the Edo period.

However, while the exterior matched the opulence of those old castles, the interior was an entirely different matter. It was almost other-worldly. If Shirou had to draw parallels, it would be similar to Ishtar's temple. Definitely a lot of gold.

Once they navigated through the almost labyrinthine hallways, with most of them enjoying the views in the same way they enjoyed Kyoto's tourist spots that afternoon, they arrived at a massive dining room. There was already a long table filled with diverse food and drinks, even though the servants were still serving the last dishes.

The de facto host was already present at the other end of the room, wearing a more opulent, feathered kimono that denoted her status better. The shrine maiden outfit must have been her "incognito" getup.

And she wasn't alone. She was chatting with Raiden Mei, who was dressed similarly to when Shirou first met her, and also another kitsune they didn't recognize with three tails and clad in a cherry blossom-themed kimono. Her pink hair tied in a two-side up was suspiciously familiar, though, despite her cyan eyes.

"Oh!" The Princess finally noticed her guests' entrance as Sakura walked up to them.

"Kunou-sama, I have brought our esteemed guests."

Her expression brightened immediately, and dropped the conversation to address the group with the most elegant demeanor she could gather despite her eagerness.

"I am Kunou, daughter of Yasaka, ruler of the Yokai in Kyoto. I am pleased you all accepted my invitation. It has been a while since this castle had such illustrious guests. The maou Serafall Leviathan, the Grigori's General Governor Azazel, the current Red Dragon Emperor, Emiya Shirou-sama the hero and his entourage, as well as part of Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri's peerages." The Princess made a pause after eyeing all her guests and gestured to the table.

"Please, have a sit. I hope you enjoy the delicacies our best chefs have prepared before talking about the current... predicament. Also, we'll be accompanied by Raiden Mei, representing the Raiden clan, as well as mother's most trusted confidant and her sister, Yae Sakura and Yae Rin."

Once she finished her welcoming speech, Shirou could tell Kunou held back a sigh of relief, and the way Sakura patted her on the back and Rin gave her a thumbs up only confirmed it.

Without wasting a moment, everyone did as said. The food's smell was already making some of them salivate, while others were more attracted to the wide variety of sake and whines.

The auburn-haired magus ended up sitting with the faction leaders near the host, with Serafall at his left and Kunou herself at his right. Azazel was sitting next to Serafall, with Rossweisse and Issei following, while Mei, Rin, Sakura, Tobio, and Irina were sitting at the other side of the table.

After everyone recited the usual prayer, Shirou dug in almost on autopilot and was about to take the first bite when his eyes caught a glimpse of a raven-haired beauty waving at him.

"I'm glad to meet you again, Shirou-san." She brought her left hand to her chest and bowed her head slightly. "I also want to show you my gratitude for saving Kunou-sama, and I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you deal with Byakko and Seiryuu."

"I-I also want to thank you, Shirou-sama." Just after the Raiden Clan's heir finished, the little kitsune by her side chimed in. Despite her stuttering and slight shyness, Shirou could tell she was just as eager in his presence. "It's an honor to get to know you, Shirou-sama. I'm Yae Rin, a shrine maiden apprentice. I wish to one day become just as good as Sakura-onee-chan."

Sakura almost died from cuteness at that moment, and Shirou ended up smiling unconsciously.

"A pleasure to meet you both here. And don't mention it, I'm glad I was able to help Kunou-chan. We came here for that very purpose."

With that said, he finally put in his mouth the piece of meat he had picked with his chopsticks. He let out a satisfied grunt while his hands unconsciously moved to taste the other dishes, at a rate that made Serafall furrow her eyebrows.

"Hey, where are your manners? Slow down a little."

"Sorry, I'm only familiar with European etiquette. How to use the ten forks and knives and that stuff, you know?"

"No, there's no problem, Shirou-sama. In fact, I'm glad you're enjoying the food." The host stepped in to appease the maou's concerns.

Serafall guessed the impression he left on her wouldn't fall apart even if he was eating as if he hadn't been eating for days, but still... Wasn't the Princess a little too infatuated?

"Also, Mei-onee-chan helped make some of these dishes." Rin's casual comment had the raven-hair girl blushing a little and diverting her gaze.

"Cooking is a hobby for me, so I wouldn't compare myself to the professional chefs... but I'd like to think I'm decent."

"That makes two of us then, Mei-san." Shirou's words had the Kyoto residents at a loss for a moment.

"You can cook, Emiya-sama?"

"Yes. I had to learn if I didn't want my father burning the kitchen for a second time, and with time, it became a hobby that helped me clear my mind."

"He says that, but I can assure you his cuisine is on par with these dishes," Serafall added with pride in her voice. "I'm honestly not sure why his sense of taste isn't completely distorted because of it."

"That's what happens when you spend most of your life eating what you can and not what you choose."

"I haven't tasted that infamous cuisine of yours, but going by the completely dull reactions of some people 'round here, I guess it's true." Azazel's careless comment finally made them look at the other guests.

Aside from Tobio, pretty much everyone else had the same reaction. They were still enjoying the food, but it wasn't quite the shock one would expect from people who didn't get to eat in this kind of buffet every day.

"I mean, even if Shirou-sensei's food is still top 1 in my ranking, I would say this food would still be top 2."

The reactions to the Red Dragon Emperor's honest thoughts were mixed between nods in agreement and the people who were aware enough to know that Serafall had tried to be tactful about it.

"Issei! Even if it's true, that's rude to the chefs!" Irina tried to admonish him, but it was quite too late. Asia beside him was holding her tears with a straight face due to the fact that her cooking wasn't even mentioned.

And to make things worse, Rossweisse suddenly wrapped her arm around his shoulders and raised her cup.

"Right!? How can he cook so well!? I have never tasted something that good in all Valhalla!" The Valkyrie spoke dragging her words, with her cheeks on fire, and barely holding herself straight. It was as if...

"Damn it! Who let her drink alcohol!? She's already completely wasted!"

"That's on you, Azazel. You would have noticed if you weren't so focused on drinking yourself." Tobio calmly shot back at his boss, who was left unable to respond.

"But Rossweisse-sama only drank a cup?" Sakura asked with understandable confusion, and the complicated expressions she received only increased her bewilderment further.

"We don't know the exact reason, but she's just that weak to alcohol."

"What do ya mean? I'm pretty perfect, Jean- hip- ne! If anything got wasted, is this bea- hip- tiful travel! I won't be able to visit all the 100-yen stores!"

"Talk about having your priorities straight..."

It didn't take long for the Valkyrie to fall asleep, so they left her in a corner of the room while everyone finished eating. Around twenty minutes later, all the dishes were cleared, and almost all the drinks, so they unanimously agreed to get to the serious business.

"I know Sakura and Mei have already done it, but I want to formally do it myself." Much to their surprise, Kunou started the meeting by dropping into a dogeza, her head firmly pressed against the tatami floor as she let out her suppressed emotions. "I implore you, please, lend me your power to find my mother and bring her back!"

Her voice broke, and tears threatened to come out as she made her request. It was a hard sight to watch, the desperate cry of a child who suddenly lost the most important figure in her life.

"Huh?" The silence in the room was interrupted when Shirou extended his arm to stroke Kunou's golden hair, who lifted her head in surprise. He threw to the wind all formalities and status and treated her for what she was, a kid in need of help. He made sure to wear the most gentle smile possible and talk with a reassuring tone.

"And I'll say it as many times as I need. I- no, we will bring back your mother."

He stepped aside to let her see all the other guests. All of them had determined expressions, and started voicing their support and will to help. Seeing people from different species and origins joining her cause slowly returned the smile to her face, and a couple of tears slid down her cheeks.

"Thanks, everyone. *Sniff* I'm truly grateful." Kunou wiped her tears and sat back. On the inside though, she actually fought the urge to just jump and hug Shirou. Even if his warmth had been addicting, she was emotionally stable enough to realize they were still just acquaintances.

"With that said, let's share all our intel and see if we get onto something. Can you please put everyone up to speed about the circumstances around Lady Yasaka's disappearance?"

Sakura nodded at Azazel's request, but before starting the retelling, she brought out something from one of her pockets and handed it to their side of the table.

It turned out to be a picture of Lady Yasaka. She had the appearance of a lady in her forties, very long, blonde hair and the same golden eyes as her daughter. Her curves were... out of this world, but Shirou immediately repressed that thought and passed the photo so the others could take a look.

"It happened a couple of weeks ago. Yasaka-sama had received an invitation for a meeting at Mount Meru with Sakra's envoys, and it coincided with Mei moving here to unite against the Five Great Clans. She insisted on going with just a small group of guards and leaving me here to hold the fort and attend to Mei. One hour after the meeting was supposed to start, we were contacted by Sakra's envoys to tell us Yasaka-sama never arrived at the meeting point."

By that point, Sakura's expression had reverted once again to that icy, stoic expression Shirou had seen that afternoon, and she even bit her lip. It was obvious she was blaming herself for not being there.

"I immediately took my sword and traced Yasaka-sama's scent as quickly as I could. Upon reaching the site where the trail ran cold, I found all the guards dead. All but one. He was at death's door, but he held out just enough to tell me they were attacked by humans. After that, the few investigations we conducted due to the tense situation led us to nowhere. However, we are sure Lady Yasaka is still in Kyoto. To put it simply, the Kyubi's presence is fundamental to keep the energies flowing through Kyoto stable, and we haven't noticed any perturbations."

That tracked. Even back in Shirou's world, phantasmal beasts of the highest ranks often had symbiotic relationships with the land itself. Things would be really bad if Kyoto's massive leylines were destabilized.

However, just the first words of her accounting were already quite the bomb for him, Azazel, and Serafall. Sakra was another name for Indra, the Hindu Pantheon's King of Gods. Even if that mythology also agreed to put aside any bad bloods to deal with the Khaos Brigade, it was concerning he was also approaching other pantheons like they were.

"Did the possibility of the Five Great Clans' doing it cross your mind?"

"It did, but we can't think of a reason for them to kidnap Yasaka-sama rather than trying to kill her. And today's events seem to confirm our assumption."

"That's something we also need to discuss. Can you tell us your account, Lady Kunou?"

The host of the meeting nodded at Serafall and started speaking a little timidly. "I snuck out with some of our guards to lock for my mother on my own this afternoon, and then I noticed the blessings at Fushimi Inari were fading away. I decided to investigate it and ended up running with those two heirs of the Five Great Clans... We were utterly defeated... but then Shirou-sama arrived and put them in their place with his beautiful swords. They refused to give up, but the moment Sakura arrived, they fled with their tail between their legs."

Her expression might as well have been a roller coaster that somehow ended with her sounding excited. That actually made Tobio address him with some skepticism.

"Shirou-san, I know you defeated Loki, but was it that one-sided? No offense, but Byakko and Seiryuu are no pushovers."

"I wouldn't call it one-sided. They gave me some trouble as I had to protect Kunou at the same time, but I had the advantage of them not recognizing me and severely underestimating me. I also didn't want to... leave them that battered, and increase the hostilities further."

He used gentle terms, but the message was pretty clear. Or at least for most of them, since Kunou asked for clarification.

"But you would have definitely won, right, Shirou-sama?"

"Let's say the odds weren't in their favor. The key thing to discuss about the encounter is that they didn't only deny any implication of Lady Yasaka's kidnapping, but also claimed that your side was responsible for kidnapping someone from theirs. Doumon Genbu, if I recall correctly."

That made Tobio and Mei raise their eyebrow for a moment, and Sakura decided to elaborate further.

"Doumon Genbu is the current heir of the Doumon clan, one of the five principal families, and the one who is currently contracted with the Black Turtle. Given that her specialty is actually the defense, I find it strange that she was chosen as the target of a kidnapping."

"Well, I guess this is when I share my intel then." The leader of the Slash/Dog team raised his voice and adopted a serious expression. "Some of you are aware of it, but I was exiled from the Himejima Clan when I was a kid due to my Sacred Gear."

That pretty much got everyone who was at least acquainted with a certain queen widening their eyes.

"Himejima? Are you perhaps Himejima Akeno's relative?" Kiba asked the question in everyone's mind, to which Tobio nodded.

"Yes. We're second cousins."

"But what does Akeno's family have to do with this?" Issei asked confused, and it made it painfully obvious not everyone was on the same page in terms of intel.

"The Himejima Clan is one of the Five Great Clans' principal families." The Longinus wielder dropped that fact without missing a beat and continued after letting them absorb it. "The thing is, I'm still on good terms with the current heir of the clan and also second cousin, Himejima Suzaku. She's been secretly keeping me informed of the situation on their end, but some days ago I lost contact with her after she told me that Doumon Genbu had been kidnapped. She wasn't able to provide more info about the authors before the monitoring of her actions increased."

"I figured out they'd keep an eye on her given that she opposes their way of thinking," Mei commented with concern dripping from her tone.

"That also leads me to something the Azure Dragon guy said. "Once again bringing external agents to our issues. The Raiden Clan has truly hit rock bottom." However kidnapped that girl made it in a way that pinned the blame on your clan, Mei."

"Huh? Could it be..." She kept that thought to herself. The possibility was there, but it was best not to jump to conclusions.

"Man, this feels like a spy movie..." Saji's comment summarized the feelings of some of the people in the room.

Up until now, most of the hardships they had faced were random people coming at them with the intent of killing someone, them on most occasions, or blowing something up. This kind of political mess was way over their head.

"You told us you had a possible suspect, Shirou-sama. I believe you referred to them as the Hero Faction of the Khaos Brigade."

Sakura's words caused Xenovia and Jeanne to widen their eyes, the information surprising them more than everyone else. All eyes landed on the auburn-haired boy, and Serafall shot him a questioning stare.

"Yeah, what was that about a "reliable source" of information? You don't have any spy working for you, do you?"

Shirou pinched his nose's bridge before speaking, "It was Ophis who told me about it. You saw her, Issei, and I talking when you came to pick me up."

The maou's mouth took the form of an "o", while the room was filled with gasps. That made a lot of sense now that she thought about it.

"Why did no one tell me we had Ophis herself providing us info!?" Azazel asked with a hysterical tone, his eyes darting between Shirou, Serafall, and Issei.

The latter raised his hands and shook his head. "Don't look at me! I wasn't there yet when they talked about that."

"Shirou..." Jeanne started with barely repressed anger, her blue eyes narrowed at Shirou. "You know I have a score to settle with them and you withheld that bit of information from us?"

"Once again, she only told me their base is located here in Kyoto. We can't be 100% sure they are the ones behind the kidnappings, even though this has their name all over the place."

"Wait, before that, how is it that Shirou-san has contact with the leader of the Khaos Brigade?"

Mei asked on behalf of the Kyoto residents, although half of them didn't even know who was Ophis.

"Long story short, she realized none of the terrorist groups under her banner wanted to help her and is now trying to get a clean slate helping dismantle it."

"But what reason would that "Hero Faction" have to kidnap mother and that other girl?"

"They are obviously trying to make Japan's factions destroy each other. After all, their objective is to get rid of all supernatural creatures. But I wouldn't be surprised if they have other motives. To pull off something so aggressive after years of preparation in the shadows... they mean business." Azazel answered Kunou's question with brutal honesty, as well as giving his two cents.

"In that case, we just have to find their base and kick their asses, right?" Yura said enthusiastically while cracking her fists.

"Our men are already searching for any leads, but forget about "we". Regardless of what you've heard tonight, you kids should focus on enjoying the trip until we find something." Serafall shut down the Sitri's rook's momentum, gaining some voices of discomfort, but she ignored them and focused on the boy beside her. "That goes for you as well, Shirou-kun. No patrolling the city using yourself as bait."

He opened his mouth, but seeing the frown on the maou's face, his complaints turned into a sigh. He was the only one dissatisfied with that arrangement apparently, as Irina happily cut into the conversation.

"In that case, we'll visit Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkaku-ji, and Kinkaku-ji as planned!"

"I can accompany you as a guide just in case you run again with members of the Five Great Clans." The heir of the Raiden Clan offered, unknowingly cutting off any change Shirou had to avoid going with them.

"I'll go to!" To their surprise, it was Princess Kunou who made that proclamation with an eagerness.

"Kunou-sama-"

"Please, Sakura-onee-chan." The pink-haired kitsune was cut off by Kunou's begging expression rather than her words. "I don't want to be holed up here. I promised not to go look for Mother on my own, but at least let me do this. And if anything happens, Shirou-sama, Mei, and everyone else will be there."

Yasaka's right-hand woman sighed but ended up relenting. And to make things worse, Rin was attacking her with puppy eyes, clearly wanting to tag along.

"Fine. But make sure to not get separated and hide your ears and tails."

""Yes!""

---

The meeting ended shortly after with everyone's course of action decided. Once back at the hotel, while Serafall changed her clothes and removed her makeup, the auburn-haired boy took off his kimono, put on comfy boxers only, and looked at his bed.

The blankets seemed enough warm for this kind of "sleepwear", so he wouldn't need to look for additional ones. With that taken care of, he pulled back the blankets and sat on the bed's edge, with his elbows resting on his thighs and his chin on the back of his hands.

It would take a while for him to fall asleep with all the things still in her mind. Mainly their plan for tomorrow. He was starting to consider doing his usual magecraft practice even though he wasn't alone.

The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped him back to reality, and his eyes drifted to the beauty entering the room. Her black hair was now loose, another new sight for him, and was wearing a pure white nightgown.

As weird as it sounded, it gave her a semblance of purity with the faint moonlight being the only thing illuminating the place. However, the image was shattered when her blue eyes landed on him and her body froze like a deer in front of the headlights and her cheeks started to heat up.

"...?" Shirou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her. Did she somehow forget he was there while she was in the bathroom?

"Um... Shirou-kun? If you aren't done changing, you should have told me before I came in."

The confusion on his face only increased. "No, this is what I normally have on while sleeping. Unless I have to sleep with clothes on."

"Wait, for real? You didn't bring any pajamas?"

"I'm used to sleeping in a futon, and those are quite warm regardless of the season." He clarified, but her cheeks remained flustered. It was then that Shirou's expression turned into a cheeky smile. "Wait. Don't tell me you're now getting cold feet about this arrangement now of all times. I'm pretty sure this isn't even the first time you've seen me shirtless."

His teasing did the trick, and she finally got herself together by shaking her head. "Not at all. It just took me by surprise. What about you? Why are you hitting the thinker pose instead of trying to sleep?"

"Do I really have to say it? You know that I'm not a person who can just go sightseeing while there's a literal Cold War going on in this place."

The maou stood there in silence for a moment, and then a warm smile was drawn on her lips. "I know. Even I would be anxious in your place." She spoke softly while walking up to him and taking a seat beside him.

"Then wh-"

Shirou's question was immediately interrupted by Serafall taking his hand. "However, I think it's important to learn how to have fun and enjoy the moment even in situations like this. That's how, at least I, managed to pull through the Devil Civil War without losing my sanity. And you need it the most."

She tilted her body, making their shoulders touch, and her expression shifted to one of concern, yet retained its warmth.

"Shirou-kun, you promised you would let me help you to find happiness in other things aside from helping others. Please, give it a try. Try to not think about all the shady stuff happening or that might happen. Just enjoy the trip with your friends and the new friends you've made here. It will be a big first step."

Her hand squished his. Although it was a way to convey more of her warmth, she too wanted to feel his as she uttered the next words. "Even if you say you can't do it due to the "circumstances", the fact is that your entire life has always been in these "circumstances", hasn't it? Even if you say you can't do it this time, that's what you've been saying all your life, right? Your gaze inevitably leaves the present and sets on your goal in the distant horizon. I do agree it's a really beautiful dream, and I won't ask you to avert your eyes from it, but please, don't lose sight of what's already around you."

Shirou felt like he had forgotten how to breathe for a moment.

It was hardly the first time he heard this advice, at least taking into account his secondhand memories. But to make things worse... it was the Empress of Roses who gave it to him.

Not just that. Learning to enjoy the moment even if the future looked bleak... that was the lesson she taught the Chaldeans during their collaboration. And in the end, it was one of the keys that allowed them to step into the Grand Temple of Time on equal terms, and complete their Grand Order.

He knew it was for the best. He knew that was the way to achieve true happiness rather than just fighting alone all his life just for a brief taste of it. In this "second life", more people were willing to help him than ever, people he could consider really close friends if he took a step further. And most of them weren't people just as mentally insane as him.

To top it all, there was the amazing woman beside him, who decided to stubbornly stay by his side despite his shortcomings. This person who, regardless of the species she belonged to, shone like a star and illuminated others' lives just by being herself.

Shirou would be utterly lying if he said he wasn't attracted to her. A husk-like him that can't create his own happiness would naturally be attracted to someone who not only could do it, but also share that happiness with others.

And she was... gorgeous.

He didn't know if succubus were a thing in this world, but she was definitely tempting him. Even though his golden eyes were locked with her blue ones, he could still see the perfect curves on her body, her slightly narrowed lips. He could feel her enticing warmth, her addicting scent, her accelerating heartbeat just like his.

He could feel his hands trembling, barely resisting the urge to grab her by her shoulders and pull her even closer. He wanted to close the remaining distance between them and-

No.

That wasn't meant to be.

In the last second, in an almost desperate way, the cold, rational side of his mind snatched back control and tore him away from that trance. It was as if his reality marble fired some swords at that very thought as a last-ditch effort to stop it.

She was a wonderful woman he'd like to share his life with, but he was an alien. Even if she was one of the few people who didn't make him feel that way, he mustn't forget that fact. It was... the best for them.

Emiya Shirou already chose what he must do. He has been lying for months, so it shouldn't be that hard to keep it that way for some more.

"Okay, I'll try to keep my head clear tomorrow at all costs." He delivered his answer in an almost flat tone, his heart rate having returned to normal.

Her lips curved into a smile, but he could see as plain as day that it was a sad one despite how hard she tried to make it look like one of relief. Because she could tell he once again refused to take a step and open up.

"That's all I needed to hear. Now, we should get some sleep. Have you considered sleeping together in the same bed?"

That joke, or Shirou wished it to be, destroyed the atmosphere like a sledgehammer. His composed expression crumbled like a house of cards with his cheeks now being the ones flustered.

"Of course not! Didn't we agree to avoid any kind of accidents!?"

"It isn't an accident if we both agree to it." She retorted with an alluring tone, almost purring, that was more befitting for someone making an actual move rather than someone joking. Could she...

"What?"

His dumbfounded reaction got her giggling, and fortunately for him, decided to drop the act.

"Your embarrassed reactions are always so lovely. But don't worry, I'm just teasing you. So..." Her words made him drop his guard, and she took advantage of it to close the remaining distance to give him a light kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Shirou-kun."

She pretty much flew to her bed and shoved herself under the blankets before he could react. His left hand moved on its own to touch the spot her lips had touched, her warmth still lingering.

He wasn't shocked about the implications behind the act, but the fact that she went and did it despite his subtle rejection. He was baffled seeing how resolved she was to see this through, and he couldn't blame her.

But he once again drew the line there and forcibly emptied his mind before it could finish processing what happened. Because if he did, not even he could keep pretending to be so dense.

In fact, he didn't know if Serafall had planned it that way, but all his other concerns had been pushed back as he slid below his mattress.

---

And let's wrap things up here, for now. I mean, the next chapter is already waiting, but three chapters don't look as imposing as a massive one. I don't have the word count while I'm writing this, but the page count in the word almost reached 140 in total, which is I new record for me. I don't think the last triple update I did came close in the least.

Now, as I always do in this kind of update, I'll leave my closing thoughts for the last chapter. For now, I'll just say that this chapter was the introduction and that things will get... quite intense in the next chapters.

See you there!