Of Swords and Redemption

by Saber is a Cutie

His performance had been flawless. His painstaking perseverance had produced the perfect product. But no one has ever spoken of what might transpire once the last light had dimmed, for to them, the stage is fleeting. For one such as Emiya Shirou, who has acted for far too long, even the path back offstage had faded into dust, buried by the sands of time.

12. Chapter 12

The sharp shrill of shimmering steel sang through the sky, a salvo of sharpened swords slicing into the soft earth below. Each projectile jutted out of the ground like gravestones, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris with each strike, and by now, there was scarcely a spot on the forest floor that wasn't dotted with miniature craters.

And perhaps that made it all the more impressive that their intended target had not suffered a single scratch so far, his blurry form gracefully weaving through each attack like a shadow.

Suddenly, there was a gap in the barrage, a slight delay in the curtain of steel bombarding the man, and the opportunity was one that did not go unnoticed. Years of experience and innate genius took over in that moment, and his body rushed through the opening, his powerful frame barreling towards me.

CLANG!

His sword rose, the blade pressed flat against his face as it stopped a spear fired from his blind spot, his keen instincts saving him from a gruesome injury. The man winced as the impact nearly sent him to the ground, instead only pausing his stride for a brief moment. However, it was more than enough, and the slight opening vanished in a shower of steel.

The man clicked his tongue, sweat running down his furrowed brows as his frown deepened. With a flex of youthful muscles, he sprung away to the side, dodging projectiles as his mind tried to calculate an approach through the storm.

I sighed, somewhat tempted to end the "spar" then and there.

Unlike last night where I had been gradually worn down by the onslaught of monsters, I was in a better state right now. I had shaken off some rust from years of complacency, the result of only training and little else. My body also felt lighter, as if a monumental weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and my mind raced with a clarity I had not felt since before my reincarnation. While the path that had laid before me had always been obscured in fog, there was finally a direction I could focus all this time and effort towards.

With those factors in consideration, I was not surprised at the result before me. Despite the projections I was using far less destructive than the ones I normally employed, the foundation of the strategy was still sound. Utilizing a rain of swords to stalwart any advances while creating opportunities for my own offensive was a tactic that had proven effective against even Saber herself. Hell, it had allowed me to match the King of Heroes, albeit only temporarily, but long enough, nonetheless.

So it didn't surprise me that Paul was unable to break through. As skilled as the man was, there was a nearly insurmountable gap him and the things that this technique had been used against. The man was only human, after all, and fighting monsters always required tip-toeing the fine line between humanity and insanity, embracing the darkness that dwelled within while still retaining the strength to remain human.

Of course, it would be a different story if Paul finally managed to close the distance or if exhaustion diminished my skills, but for now, the current stalemate would have to do.

Well, it wasn't as if I was doing this to assert some sort of superiority over the man. It was at Paul's insistence that we have this spar, after all. Not that I blamed him; after what he learned, there were just some things that were better felt than told.

Last night, after I had told Paul a significant portion of my abilities, that I had been the one to deal with the majority of the monsters that had threatened to overrun the village, the man had only met me with quiet acceptance. Some portion of me was surprised, pegging the man to be the type to overreact, someone who put action and emotion before thought. Then again, Paul already had a first-hand experience of my small fraction of my powers, and he had already been deliberating about me for quite some time now, so perhaps this was simply the natural consequence.

If anything, he seemed more peeved that Roxy and I had conspired to hide the truth from him, though Roxy had thankfully quickly stepped in and explained that part was solely her doing. The enigmatic but helpful woman then helped to smooth over the situation, clarifying my status as a "miko", the same classification she had used when we first met. Whatever it meant, Paul seemed to take it in stride, and while the doubtful look remained to a certain extent, the logic in her words was enough to sway him.

"Were you like this the entire time, Shirou?" he had asked afterwards, his tone fragile yet firm.

"… Yes."

Whether or not he was upset by the truth, I hadn't been able to tell. Even now, as he circled around me, trying his best to draw my blood with his blade, I couldn't sense any true hostility, so whatever the man felt, he was either undecided or indifferent to my answer.

It was almost certainly the former, I assumed. Knowing Paul, I wouldn't be surprised if this spar was some sort of test for him to decide on his feelings towards me. Such a roundabout method was certainly something the emotionally-clumsy man would use.

Still, regardless of what he wanted to do, this sort of reaction was much better than the worst-case scenario. I couldn't decide if Paul was sane or not for handling everything so smoothly. It took a truly strange person to witness a child with the ability to manifest swords from thin air and questions things as little as he did. Though considering Roxy had a similar response, maybe everyone in this new world as far more accustomed to the supernatural than I was.

WOOSH!

There was the sound of steel breaking through the canopy of the forest, and then Paul rushed out from behind a tree, his sword braced at his waist in a white-knuckle grip. He let out a guttural scream, his pupils narrowed as I saw my own reflection within his irises. The ground cracked below him, his stride creating a small crater in the ground, and the man launched himself towards me in a sudden burst of speed.

I raised an eyebrow, unsure what his plan was, but I sent a new volley of projectiles his way regardless. The man battered them aside, but the minor movement was enough to slow him down just enough for an additional wave of steel to coalesce above my head.

However, I felt that something was wrong, and it was only until I heard the all-too-familiar sound of sharp whistling that I craned my head upwards.

Steel glinted in the bright sunlight, shining almost like a pair of stars. A pair of swords, two that I had projected, lanced towards me at dangerous speeds. One was aimed right towards me, threatening to skewer me right where I stood, and another was heading behind me, cutting off my instinctual escape path.

Ah, he must have thrown up from when he was hiding behind a tree.

I blinked once before snapping my head back forwards where my opponent was. Paul had swatted aside the additional projectiles I had sent to repel his charge, and his sword arced towards me for a decisive blow.

It was a clever move from the man, perhaps something I should have expected considering his mastery over this world's swordsmanship styles, one of which utilized such unorthodox maneuvers such as this.

Unfortunately, Paul also told me to win if I could, and I knew he wasn't trying to kill me, so he expected me to escape this pincer trap in some manner.

I dismissed the two swords shooting towards me an instant before they could reach me, the blades disintegrating into motes of blue light. At the same time, the rustling of chains filled the air, and Paul's eyes widened as iron links swiftly wrapped around his wrists, both ends of the chain ending in a dagger that stabbed itself into the ground at his feet.

The swordsman came to a sudden halt, his momentum carrying his feet forward while his upper body remained immobilized. He crashed onto the earth, his breath leaving his lungs as he landed squarely on his back.

To Paul's credit, he reacted quickly, immediately struggling to free himself. However, his efforts stopped once his eyes traced the length of steel that loomed over his chest.

"I swear, it's just one stupid trick after another," he sighed defeatedly.

"Satisfied?" I asked.

My opponent stared pensively at the blade before closing his eyes, leaning his head back. Paul's brown hair swayed softly with the afternoon breeze, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically as his breathing slowed to a crawl.

"… Yeah…" he finally said after several seconds, jade orbs finally opening and peering straight at me. The chain restraining him disappeared along with the sword I brandished towards me and the countless weapons littering the forest. However, despite being free, Paul chose to continue lying on the ground. "… Be honest, how much of your power were you using?"

I paused for a moment, thinking how to approach the question. "… Had I been just a moment slower, I would have been in trouble." My statement was no lie; Paul held the advantage of a fully-grown adult body in its prime along with whatever power he used to enhance himself. It was a good thing that he had just been a tad too reckless in his final attack.

And then I sighed, realizing that misdirection was still a lie. "Your tactic at the end, it was good. You never would have gotten close otherwise."

Paul's lips twitched. "Heh, well look at you, being so smooth and diplomatic. With skills like that, you might be more at home in the royal court of the Asura Kingdom than in this village."

I scrunched up my nose at the thought. "I'll pass. I have little interest in politics."

"You say that..." The man let out a thoughtful hum, studying me with an appraising eye. "Though I feel like you might be very good at it."

Ah, I couldn't deny that one.

A hint of amusement crossed Paul's face. "With those looks and manners, you might even charm yourself a princess. Set yourself up for life." He spread his arms in an exaggerated gesture. "Maybe even ascend to the throne if you're up to it."

I rolled my eyes. There was little likelihood that I would place myself in a demanding leadership position. "No way, ambitions like that will ruin your health."

"Ha!" Paul's bark of laughter was followed by a wry expression. "With deadpan jokes like that, maybe being a comedian would suit you better." His gaze drifted to the scattered evidence of our spar around us. "Though maybe a street performer might be better considering how you can pull swords out of thin air like a cheap magic trick trick... North God style is good for unconventional tactics, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for that."

I shrugged. "The world works in strange ways, Paul."

"… True. Well, considering what your magic does, I still consider you a swordsman. I got that over Zenith at least."

I rolled my eyes. "If you're really that concerned about me being a magician instead of a swordsman like you wanted, I wouldn't be worried. This—" I held out a hand, and a generic sword landed into my palms"—is really the only magic I can do."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Wait, that's all you can do? You can't go around throwing fireballs at people?"

"No, just swords."

Paul blinked owlishly at me, his face set in an expression of frank bewilderment. "Huh… You tried?"

I shook my head. "I don't need to. Call it my intuition." Magecraft came from the soul, and the soul shapes the body. The soul of Emiya Shirou was allowed only one form of magecraft, and the body I've inhabited in this world would naturally suffer the same fate.

The lack of understanding and bemusement was clear in Paul's eyes. "There's a book upstairs with a bunch of spells you can try. If you ever feel like trying"—the word left his lips with no small amount of incredulity—"you can have a go at it."

I withheld a sigh. Well, maybe giving it a proper attempt wasn't unreasonable. No doubt I'll be asked to do so anyway at some point. There were some things people just needed to see for themselves.

"I don't believe reading was within the homeschooling curriculum," a voice interjected. Paul's head turned to the side, my own gaze lazily following his to land upon a female maid standing a healthy distance away from us alongside some other visitors. "Not that you had one, of course," Lilia pointed out.

"He'll figure it out, I'm sure," the man responded dryly. With a grunt, Paul hauled himself back onto his feet. He wasn't injured, the swordsman having expertly avoided every blade thrown at him, but it was clear that the man had definitely exerted himself a good deal. His once-white shirt was stained with grass and soil marks, evidence of the countless rolls and dives that had kept the various cuts on his clothes from blemishing the skin underneath. Sweat plastered his wild, roguish hair to his forehead, and though he tried his best to hide it, I could tell his breathing was slightly labored.

Lilia let out a quiet but exasperated breath at his blasé attitude. "I envy whatever gives you the confidence to say such things." The maid then turned her eyes towards me. "Congratulations on your victory, Master Shirou," she said with a curt nod. I could sense some wariness in her tone, and her gaze still retained the same skepticism as it had before, but both parts had… lessened? It was strange considering I had expected the opposite to happen. Lilia had always had her suspicions, so confirming them with no room for doubt should have only intensified her feelings, and yet…

Regardless, perhaps what was even more puzzling was the glint in her eyes, one of respect and… satisfaction…?

"Thank you, Lilia, though it wasn't a serious fight in the first place. Paul was not putting in his best effort." While the man was trying significantly harder than he had during our first spar, he had not gone near his maximum potential in either bout. It was to be expected; it was only a casual practice round to gauge my abilities. There was no serious intent to win from his side. He had only pushed himself as far as he needed to see what he wanted to see.

"As if you are any better," the man next to Lilia spoke up. Laws stood there with a skeptical expression. His eyes panned around the forest in a mixture of fascination and disbelief, noting the churned and broken earth as well as the multitude of broken trees, their trunks gouged open with some particular ones having bent and toppled over. His mouth slightly agape, and his brows twitched as his mind struggled to reconcile the irrefutable demonstration before his eyes with the grounded logic his beliefs had been built upon. Calloused hands rose to his forehead, fingers massaging his temples in an effort to stave off an incoming headache. "If you were really the one to take care of all those monsters I saw, then you're not trying very hard either."

I shrugged, unable to refute his words. Laws told no lie, after all. It was only a spar, and I had no desire to fight Paul on any serious level, not to mention that I wasn't entirely keen on using the more potent levels of my magecraft in something unserious like a spar. The more destructive and lethal components of my abilities were best saved for situations that actually necessitated them.

"Ah, don't be like that, Laws," Paul cut in, prompting a raised eyebrow from Laws. "Anyway, I guess I forgot the part where I advertised this training session to the whole village. You're all lucky that I'm not charging you for the show," he joked.

To his credit, Laws looked a bit sheepish at the accusation. Next to him was Alice, who gave me a bright smile and a wink when she noticed that my eyes fell on her. I gave her a nod back, which only served to widen her grin.

My vision lowered, casting a gaze upon the small figure that clung to Alice's legs. Similarly to her father, Sylphiette's face was brimming with awe, but while Laws's had been mixed with disbelief, his daughter's expression contained all pure, unrestrained wonder—befitting that of a child. Her eyes sparkled like stars, wide and unblinking as she looked around at the destruction around her with almost childish naivete, her mind no doubt replaying the scenes earlier on repeat.

I was not entirely surprised. After all, unlike Laws, Sylphiette had already seen me shed my guise, inadvertently spying on me during one of my training sessions. Of course, there was a large difference between waving a sword around and crystallizing them out of thin air, but the girl was sharp, and perhaps such leaps of logic were not entirely out of the question for her.

There was also the fact that she was a child, and the prospect of high-speed missiles creating loud noises and explosions appealed to her young mind.

When she noticed me looking at her, the young girl flinched, snapping out of her reverie and letting out a quiet "Eep!". I half-expected her to hide behind Alice's legs, but Sylphiette managed to sit still, giving me a timid smile and a shy wave of her hand.

Amused, I reciprocated with a small grin of my own. Alice gently nudged Sylphiette with her leg, and the two exchanged some hushed words I couldn't hear.

"For the spectacle I just watched, a small price would not have been unreasonable," Lilia responded.

"Funny, I'm sure that's all there is to it. You definitely don't take pleasure in seeing me on my ass," Paul shot back.

Lilia's lips split into an icy smile. "Why, I don't know what you mean, Master Paul. I'm a professional. I would never indulge in such pettiness."

"Funny." Paul turned to the man next to the maid. "Anyway, what are you here for anyway?"

"A few things, really. First of all, I don't think I actually properly thanked Shirou for yesterday. Everything was going a bit too fast, and my brain was too scrambled to actually make sense of anything." The man took a few steps forward, ending up in front of me before kneeling down. He raised a hand, letting it fall onto my shoulder before he stopped and thought better of it. Instead, Laws clasped my hand between both of his own, his rougher, larger palms easily enveloping mine in a firm but gentle grip. "Thank you, Shirou. It would have been easy for you to turn the other way—no, it would have even been smarter for you to do that. You took a risk just to save me, even putting yourself on the line for someone you only met a day before. Can't say I've met many people, never mind children, that would have done that same. Rest assured, I will never forget this."

"No, we will never forget this." Two lithe arms snaked around my waist, hoisting me up before I felt a familiar, warm sensation swallow me whole. "First, you rescued my cute little daughter from some bullies," a soft voice breathily whispered into my ear. "Next, you saved my husband from being eaten alive by monsters and probably stopped the village from being overrun. One might wonder if you are doing this on purpose, trying to worm yourself into our family's good graces. By all accounts, you are our hero."

Her words were genuine, and the gratitude in her voice was unmistakable, but I couldn't help but sense something else in her message, and my mind recalled the first conversation I had with the somewhat eccentric woman.

It wasn't anything sinister, nor did I think that she was disappointed in me. It was more akin to… a warning of sorts.

"Alice, I think you're killing him," Laws cut in.

It was a scene that had already been played out before, so I had already adjusted before I could nearly suffocate once again.

"Paul, can we keep him?" Alice asked.

"… No?"

"Awww… Oh well, I guess you'll have to settle for coming to our house occasionally. Perhaps maybe after these "training sessions" I heard you set up with Sylphiette, hmm?" I peered upwards, meeting Alice's gaze as she smirked down at me, my head still held firmly against her chest.

"I was already planning on dropping her off anyway." I wasn't entirely sure if Sylphiette could manage on her own if she completely exhausted herself during our training, after all. "I have no illusions that regardless of what I do, you will withhold me at your house if I'm there for any reason."

Her eyes sparkled with mirth. "You catch on quick." Her smile softened, and the woman freed me from the prison before turning and lowering me. Just like her husband, she got down before me, and I felt a surge of discomfort at the show of respect. "Seriously, thank you, Shirou. You saved my husband's life, and before that, you helped my daughter when she needed someone most." Her voice softened. "Without you, my family would have changed for the worst, and there's nothing more saddening in this world than a broken home."

With the angle I was at, behind Alice, I could see Paul suddenly becoming extremely uncomfortable, his eyes not meeting Laws's as the elven man tried to catch the other's gaze.

"… You're welcome…"

Alice looked like she had a bit more to say but chose instead to stand back up and affix her husband with a cool stare. "Thanks to you, my husband has returned to me intact… just so I can give him a good scolding about how stupid he is."

Laws let out a groan. "Alice, didn't I hear enough of this last night?"

Alice placed her hands on her hips, the scene looking every bit like a concerned mother chastising her misbehaving child. Another reprimand was about to leave her lips before the woman caught herself. "Yes, I suppose you did. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I suppose I can forgive you this time."

"I don't need heroes, Laws," Paul interjected with a steely tone. "However, for keeping Shirou safe, I'll say you made the best out of a bad situation."

Laws gave him a wry smile. "Well, truth be told, I was feeling quite heroic at the end," he admitted. "It would've been a cool way to go out."

"Idiot, don't say that in front of your wife and kid."

Laws quickly stiffened in realization, slowly turning his head only to be greeted by the sight of a woman whose scowl was growing by the second. Next to her, hints of tears were beginning to form within youthful red orbs.

"Nevermind, perhaps you need another lecture tonight," Alice said with a resigned sigh.

The elven man's face was morphing into one who was learning that there was a thing such as too much honesty. In sharp contrast, Paul was reveling in the other man's misery, the ultimate sign of a true, brotherly friendship.

"Wait, you mentioned that you had more than one reason for coming here. What was the other one?" Paul asked.

Alice's expression turned sheepish. "Actually, Laws and I were hoping to arrange a dinner with your family," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We'd been planning it even before you helped Sylphiette, and now it seems we owe you even more." She gave a warm smile. "We'd host, of course, but when Laws heard from Paul about Zenith being ill..." She trailed off with a small shake of her head. "Well, those plans will have to wait until she's better. But in the meantime—" She held out the basket she'd been carrying. "—I thought I'd bring over some home cooking for Zenith and you boys!"

I blinked in surprise, and as soon as she presented the basket, I was hit with the savory aroma of roasted meat and herbs. I could pick up the distinct notes of different spices, some more familiar than others, along with the unmistakable scent of fresh-baked bread.

Paul perked up at the smells wafting through the air, glancing at the container of delicious food with not-so-subtle interest before walking over to us.

"We already left the basket for Zenith as well as some packed dinners at the house. This right here is just a snack since Laws told me you guys would be training by now."

Paul raised an eyebrow towards his friend, who responded by shrugging his shoulders. "It seemed obvious after what happened last night. Was I wrong?"

"Can't say you are," he mumbled begrudgingly, though the man looked like he was pouting with his eyes, However, his mood brightened considerably when Alice dropped the basket into his arm. "A-Ah, thank you, Alice," Paul said.

"It wouldn't sit right with me if I came empty-handed on our first meeting," she said with an amicable smile. "You know how it is with these small villages—first impressions tend to stick. And after you and your son have done for us, both as a family and as a person living under your protection… well, I wanted to show that we're not here to take advantage of the kindness given to us."

They were good words, powerful words, and I found myself nodding along to the woman's sincerity.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I became a knight out of good will, but taking payment from the people I'm safeguarding is hardly chivalrous." Paul inhaled a deep whiff of the food in his hands then offered the woman a cunning smile. "However, I'm sure some exceptions can be made. If you're going to offer this kind of food to us, then consider your debt repaid."

I rolled my eyes at his roundabout gratitude. "Thank you, Alice. I'm sure it means a lot to Paul and Zenith."

Alice gave me a forlorn smile, one that made me cock my head questioningly, but my thoughts were interrupted by Paul's voice.

"Wait, you said there was more food at the house? This basket isn't exactly light, and I don't think you guys have a wagon. You carried all this by yourself?" he asked.

"Don't be silly," Alice said. "Laws carried it all. It's a fair price considering I did all the cooking."

Her husband cut in, "'Price' implies there was some sort of consensual exchange. I assure you that I did not have much of a choice." Laws paused for a bit, before adding, "Well, I can't say I was entirely against it. It wasn't much, but anything that can help me improve my stamina and strength is something I shouldn't be avoiding." The man turned to his friend. "Paul, feel free to up the intensity of my training regimen as well."

Paul looked at him questioningly, his concerns about to leave his tongue before his puzzled expression morphed into one of realization. "Ah, so you felt it too, huh?" he said with a small smirk of his lips.

Laws nodded resolutely, and his wife cocked her head curiously at the unspoken words exchanged between the two men. "You felt it? What do you mean?"

"Death," an even voice answered. Alice jerked her head to her left, eyes drawn to the forest's edge. Lilia stood with the family now, hunched over Sylphiette with hands firmly covering the little girl's ears. Though Sylphiette's eyes were wide with confusion, Lilia paid her no mind. The maid let out a soft sigh, her gaze following the others' to where they stared deeper into the forest.

Of course, I wasn't surprised. Due to a plethora of recent events, I've been keeping my guard up as much as possible. Then again, even if I was a bit more lackadaisical with my awareness, her presence was hard to miss.

"I've seen it over and over," the cold voice continued from the forest depths. "Despite the obvious truth, not everyone truly understands their own mortality until reality threatens to wrench it away. How each person responds to that challenge is up to them."

The bushes to my right rustled. A slender leg emerged, landing beside me with a firm thud, followed by its companion. A weathered staff stabbed into the soil next to beaten, mud-caked boots. The sound of a dingy brown cloak dragging against foliage echoed in the silence.

The figure that walked past was small in stature but that did not stop the air from feeling heavier around her. She paused only briefly, but those piercing azure eyes drilling into mine sent chills down my spine that lingered long after she looked away. Even in the bright shafts of sunlight piercing the forest canopy, her gaze held that same intensity as our last meeting, her blue irises shimmering with barely contained power.

Almost hesitantly, she gave me a small nod, one that I returned a moment later, and the mysterious woman continued making her way to the rest of the group.

"Oh, you're back," Paul said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the adults. He gave Laws a gentle nudge to his ribs, shaking the man out of the stupor he had fallen into.

"Indeed," Roxy said. "I've returned from finishing the job with the monsters of yesterday as well as investigating the surrounding area for further abnormalities." She looked around, noting the rest of the people who had gathered here. When she noticed Lilia and Sylphiette, a confused look fell onto her countenance before the answer dawned on her, and she let out an embarrassed cough while trying to hide the faint blush on her cheeks.

"A-Ah, Miss Roxy, h-hello!" Laws stammered out. The elven man rushed to the approaching woman, clasping her small hand in both of his before enthusiastically shaking it as his lips split into a bright smile. Roxy raised a dainty eyebrow at the gesture, far too perturbed to resist. "I'm so sorry for yesterday, I never actually properly thanked you for saving me last night."

While the display was perhaps a bit too theatric, the sentiment was genuine, judging from how Laws went out of his way to show his gratitude to me.

"Uh… You're welcome," Roxy weakly responded. Her discomfort at the situation was somewhat amusing, the normally stoic and composed woman obviously not having a lot of experience with dealing with the upfront and unfiltered kindness of others.

"Oh my goodness, Laws, please stop it. You're scaring the poor woman." An arm shoved Laws out of the way, and a blonde woman suddenly encompassed all of Roxy's field of view. "Hello, my name is Alice. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you, Miss Roxy," Alice said with a disarming smile.

"… The pleasure is mine," Roxy replied quietly, giving Alice a blank look. Despite her intelligence, she was having a hard time processing the wonder that was Sylphiette's family.

"Oh, don't be like that. I assure you that I haven't done anything of note for you. You on the other hand…" Alice beckoned, and Sylphiette—now freed from Lilia's helpful grasp—came running until she was standing in front of the mage. The little girl hesitated for a moment, twiddling her thumbs while her gaze darted between the confused magician in front of her and the ground. However, an encourage pat from Alice finally gave Sylphiette the courage she needed.

"T-Thank you, Miss Roxy," the little girl said, her voice shy but sincere. "D-Dad told me it was you who s-saved him when he was in d-d-danger..." Her eyes glistened with remembered fear before it morphed to profound relief. "I'm... really happy he's alive!" The last words came out with a burst of emotion, her small frame trembling softly with the intensity of her feelings.

Roxy was stunned, her eyes wide in surprise and her mouth slightly agape. The woman was caught so off-guard that the flow of magical energy she was sending to her eyes disappeared, reverting to the striking blue orbs from last night when we parted ways. "You're… You're welcome…"

I couldn't say I was particularly surprised. After all, I had fallen for something similar before. If I hadn't known better, I might have accused Sylphiette of subtle manipulation—her words too disarming, slipping through chinks in armor too easily, too often. But no, it wasn't anything as deliberate or insidious as that. She didn't need to scheme; it wasn't in her nature. She was only a child, and what I saw in her wasn't calculated deceit but the simple, raw vulnerability of someone who had lost before and didn't want to lose anything again.

And now Roxy was feeling it too. Admittedly, I took perhaps a bit too much satisfaction from watching the bizarre woman fall for Sylphiette's charms—so firm and stalwart yet so easily undone by a child.

I then idly wondered if this is what I had looked like from the outside, and the amusement disappeared.

Roxy coughed into her hand, and Alice caught the hint, giving the woman a final grateful smile before gently grabbing her daughter and reuniting with Laws.

"Apologies. I'm not quite used to receiving such gratitude for my services." Alice's expression softened with understanding, while Laws looked like he wanted to say more. However, Roxy seemed to gather herself, deliberately turning away from the family's warmth and back to business.

Her cloak swished as she walked towards Paul, who looked at her expectantly. "I found little evidence that the monsters are mounting another attack after last night. As we suspected, any remnants of the horde from yesterday seems to have been completely scattered, assuming there are even any stragglers in the first place," she said wryly, and though she was facing away from me, there was little wonder who that comment was directed towards.

Paul hummed thoughtfully. "Interesting. And what about the reason you came here for?"

Roxy shook her head. "Nothing of note. I believed that I had tracked it down to this general region, but I have seen nor heard anything about it since arriving. I consulted the local captains at the Citadel of Roa and at Ars, and the soldiers have not noticed anything especially strange. The rumor mills at the taverns haven't revealed anything useful either."

The swordsman gave her a terse frown. "So there's a dangerous monster somewhere in the Asura Kingdom—"

"It could actually have gone past this village already, or perhaps have even crossed east through the mountains."

Paul gave her a blank look before sighing. "Okay, so there might be a dangerous monster nearby. We just have no idea how to find it, so the best we can do is just sit on our ass and pray it doesn't come here?"

Roxy contemplated his words for a few seconds. "Perhaps if you phrase the situation in that manner, then yes, it does seem rather hopeless, doesn't it?"

"Is there a 'but?' coming?" Paul asked.

"Naturally. I'll be staying in this village for a few days, if you don't mind. Don't worry about lodging, I can camp somewhere nearby."

"M-Mom! W-We get to see more of Miss Roxy…!" Sylphiette whispered enthusiastically while tugging on Alice's skirt. The woman replied with a small smirk and ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Not that I particularly mind," Paul said, "but doesn't it make more sense to try and pick up the monster's trail again?" His tone wasn't one of skepticism. If Paul had truly doubted her, last night's reunion wouldn't have gone as smoothly. Still, there was a difference between offering the benefit of the doubt and granting true trust. Paul had shown a willingness to place his faith in Roxy the night before, but that had been under duress, relying on the confidence of Laws and me. Paul was someone who valued personal experience, and while the elven man and I had made our choices, Roxy had yet to prove herself to him directly. To Paul, the magician was still largely an unknown, and as the knight responsible for the village's safety, cold logic had its place in such decisions.

"Perhaps, but there's an equally likely chance that it come return to this region if I try to hunt it down. I know the monster has been heading North for a while now, but I've long since lost track of it. The fact that I even went this far was purely out of desperation," she explained.

"God bless you did," Laws chimed in.

"Some might even call it fate," Roxy agreed. "Regardless, coming here was an unexpected boon. I encountered more of the corrupt monsters that seem to be my main extermination targets nowadays. I might even be able to get some clues on the monsters' movements in this area and find out where my target is heading." She looked like she had more to say but frowned when her eyes fell upon the basket of food that had been forgotten in Paul's hand. "Ah, my apologies, I didn't realize I had interrupted your meal. Sorry, I'll leave. I will stop by another time, Paul, to discuss this matter further." There was a faint flush on her cheeks, and she pulled down the wide brim of her hat to partially obscure her face before spinning on her heels and making her way back towards the forest.

However, a thin arm shot out, grasping onto Roxy's shoulders. The mage looked back, surprised at the appendage restraining her.

"Don't worry, you were most certainly not being a bother," Alice said with a charming smile. "I assure you that the safety of the village takes precedence over some food. Besides, there's no rule that says we have to eat without you. In fact, you saved my husband, so this meal should be for you as well."

Roxy stared at the woman with a conflicted woman, pools of blue melding together as the magician wrestled with indecision.

If I may—" a stern voice interjected, Lilia rooting the two in place with an even look "—while politeness is certainly admirable, the food is getting cold, and perhaps such matters would be better discussed inside." Her eyes flickered briefly to both Sylphiette and I, the slightest tells of conflict flashing across her features before vanishing.

Lilia was a professional, as she said so herself earlier. The discourse of the village's plans to combat any possible threats were beyond the scope of her responsibilities, so she had mostly kept quiet this entire time. However, her propensity for stepping beyond her boundaries was becoming more and more apparent. Her intervention now wasn't surprising. After all, this was exactly the type of situation where Lilia tended to shed her servant's mask—when she believed something needed to be said, regardless of her station. She had done similar things two nights ago in that stifling room with Paul, Zenith, and myself, acting as a guide and mediator.

Paul blinked a few times. "Yeah that sounds good. We can eat while we're talking."

The maid accepted his words, nodding curtly before walking back to the Greyrat household.

How strange. I had observed her subtle changes before, but her words just now were bordering forceful, a stark change from the normally passive woman. Had I underestimated the magnitude of development? Or was there something else pushing the woman, an invisible factor I had not accounted for?

Well, it didn't matter, though it was nice to always be able to rely on the maid to guide matters as necessary.

The other adults began making their way over. Sylphiette briefly looked at me, who had stayed behind, with a questioning look. Alice briefly paused and did the same, the briefest of questions flickering through her eyes before she continued.

I wondered how exactly I should approach the upcoming conversation. One part of me just wants to up and leave, making some false pretense about training and return later once the uncomfortable discussions were over. However, a much larger—and currently winning—part of my mind knew that there would be immense value in staying. Information was critical, and there was bound to be a lot revealed. Not to mention that the others would no doubt inquire about my encounter with the monsters since aside from possibly Roxy, I had the most personal experience with them of anyone in the village in my brief skirmish with them last night.

In the end, I let out an exhausted sigh and made to follow Paul. I was already in unknown and uncomfortable waters. Then again, perhaps that was exactly what I needed.

---

A pleasant and savory aroma filled the room, the adults surrounding the table looking at the marvelous pile of treasure at the center of the table as if it was an oasis in a desert. They had the tact to not be so overt about it, of course, but the desire was plain as day within their eyes.

Surprisingly enough, it was actually Roxy who had the strongest reaction. I would have guessed the disciplined and somewhat stoic woman would have been the least affected, but it was strange to see the opposite.

However, from the snippets of her past I could glean from her behavior and words, the woman was clearly not someone was treated with much hospitality anywhere. Furthermore, judging from her demeanor, she was not someone who was getting homecooked meals often, if at all anymore. In fact, if I concentrated a bit, there was the undeniable feeling of longing from within the woman, an unquenchable yearning for what was lost.

The feeling was simple to trace. There was little doubt I radiated the same aura, after all.

Laws and Paul were handling themselves with a bit more composure. The former must have built some resistance considering he was married to the chef, and as questionable as Paul was, even he could restrain himself from slobbering all over his guests' gifts.

The basket from earlier had been filled with sandwiches, compact rectangles of thinly sliced bread layered with precision. The shredded protein—fresh chicken from the village farms, I assumed—still glistened with delicious juices, and the lean meat was resting on top of a bed of crisp lettuce, the image punctuated nicely by a bright slice of cheese.

Alice had obviously spared no small amount of effort, having taken great care of delicately craft each one to perfection. The consideration of her choice of food was not lost to me either; the ingredients were nutritious but not heavy. In tandem with how she had made the food into sandwiches, it was the perfect midday meal for a warrior in the midst of training.

The inclusion of meat was something Roxy in particular enjoyed thoroughly, the mage citing that such ingredients were a rarity nowadays.

While Alice's food probably still paled in comparison technique-wise, I didn't need to have a taste to know it was superior to mine. Despite the excellence in all other areas, the dishes I made these days all lacked the vital component that had no substitute.

Lilia was not present, having taken her leave after preparing the table for us, presumably because she felt that the upcoming matters were not necessarily for her to hear. Just as she knew when to step forward, the maid knew when to step back as well.

Well, I doubt anyone would have minded if she had stayed. After all, in a way, the discussion would be relevant to her and her safety. Still, I couldn't fault Lilia for her choice. However she made sure to take Sylphiette with her as well, enticing her with the offer of additional tales of adventuring from Zenith's younger days, an offer that was very quickly and enthusiastically taken by Sylphiette. Naturally, her mother followed, concerned about the other woman's well-being and feeling slightly out of place in the discussion.

Lilia was always the most perceptive of the Greyrat household. It was clear that having a child around during the discussions would only be a hinderance. Of course, it wasn't necessarily Sylphiette's fault; she was smart enough to not ask questions and to just quietly observe. The issue laid in the fact that the adults, especially her own parents, weren't keen on talking about possible impending mortal perils when children were around.

Which made it all the more ironic with my current position, sitting at the far end of the table and opposite Paul. Laws and Alice were sitting on either side across from each other, and had Zenith and Lilia been here, every seat would have been occupied.

There was a bitter sort of satisfaction with how none of the adults questioned just why exactly was there. Alice had given me a sad smile earlier before she left but ultiamtely said nothing.

I would have been lying if I said that it brought me happiness. Despite shedding the guise of a normal four-year-old, things didn't seem to get any easier. In fact, it looked to have done the opposite.

"Well, to pick up where we left off," Roxy said, her words cutting through the quiet sounds of their meal. She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, though she missed the few breadcrumbs that clung stubbornly to her cheek. The sight was almost amusing, though her next works banished any such levity. "The monster I am tracking is a dragon that ravaged the kingdom of Shirone."

Paul's fork clattered against his plate. "A dragon? In Shirone?" His brow furrowed as he leaned forward. "That can't be right. There shouldn't be any dragons in that area. The closest ones are in the Dragon King mountains, but it's still a bit out of the way for them."

"The Cataclysm changed everything," Roxy said with a shrug, her tone as even as her gaze, though her words carried the weight of a harsh truth. "Monster movements have been utterly unpredictable ever since. This dragon is no exception—but its strangeness is far more than that. Not only is it a species I have no knowledge of, but it's one of the tainted monsters we saw last night."

A heavy silence fell over the table. I could see Laws' hand trembling slightly as he reached for his drink, no doubt remembering his brush with death against those corrupted wolves.

"When you say 'devastated,'" Laws said hesitantly, his voice softer, as though afraid of the answer he might receive, "what exactly do you mean?"

Roxy's face darkened, shadows seeming to gather in the depths of her azure eyes. "I arrived after the siege, but the witnesses' accounts were... consistent, at the very least. It came from somewhere in the North, perhaps from the Red Dragon mountains, but it was like no Red Dragon ever recorded. They described something more serpentine and flightless, like a bastardization of the Snow Drakes that dwell beyond the northern peaks. But the size—that's what truly set it apart. The beast was as large as one of the castle towers itself, coiling around them like a giant snake."

The vivid image that her words conjured caused me to frown. I pictured a titanic wyrm coiled around the soaring spires of the Einzbern castle and frowned. If something like that attacked the village, then it could easily wipe out most of the settlement and displace countless people.

Such a massive being should have been impossible to lose track of, and yet that is exactly what happened.

"…And what happened after?" the elven man asked hesitatingly.

Roxy caught the man's eyes in an even stare. "… It left."

Somehow, the simplicity of her response was more unsettling than any elaborate explanation she could have said.

"That can't be true," Paul said bemusedly, shaking his head. "It must have tried to claim Shirone as its lair. But if that's the case, why would it leave? Dragons are greedy creatures—they don't abandon their prey or their prizes. And Shirone? It's a small kingdom. They wouldn't have been able to drive off something like that without outside help."

Roxy sighed, taking a small bite out of her sandwich. "A good point, one that I had considered. The dragon must be acting under some sort of influence, that much is obvious. Unfortunately, I have no answers as of yet." Blue eyes flickered towards me, a gesture that went unnoticed by the other two men. "Well, it's not as if this mystery is the only unfortunate circumstance. Much of Shirone was ravaged during the attack, and the kingdom is in great peril due to the numerous monster attacks it must endure. They've sent for requests for relief from neighboring nations, but the countries in that area are not keen on helping others, especially when they're already struggling to make do as is."

"Then shouldn't you be down there and helping them recover?" Laws asked.

Roxy gave him an icy smile, her words as sharp as the edge of her tone. "I could have stayed, and I offered, but we all decided my efforts would be better spent ensuring the dragon doesn't return. Shirone is holding on by a thread, yes, but the people there are strong—they have to be to survive in this world. As long as nothing major interrupts their recovery, they'll make it."

The energy seemed to drain from Laws at her words. He leaned back in his chair, his hand absently drumming on the table as he mulled over her reasoning. "I suppose you're right," he said finally, his tone subdued.

I watched his expression shift, recognizing the change all too well. The initial shock of learning about the dragon had given way to a sort of resigned acceptance—the kind that comes when you realize just how little control you have over the forces shaping the world. It was a look I'd worn myself, back when I first stumbled into a war waged by beings far beyond the mortal realm.

That memory brought with it a fresh wave of guilt. After all, wasn't I now one of those forces shaping their world? Unlike Paul and the others, Roxy knew the strange effect that my magical energy had on the monsters in this world, either repelling or attracting them in large numbers. It was a small detail I had neglected to mention to the others, not keen on adding "potential monster magnet" to their list of growing worries.

Still, even I couldn't ignore the thought that my presence here might be exacerbating the danger. The fact that we weren't under constant attack offered some small reassurance that the monsters weren't overly sensitive to my magic—at least not at my current output. But that explanation felt hollow, more excuse than certainty.

Or perhaps it wasn't certainty I lacked but courage.

"So now we've got a dragon possibly wandering these parts, and no clue why it's here or what it wants," Laws said grimly, his voice breaking the silence like the crack of a branch. He rubbed the back of his neck, his jaw tight as he stared down at the table. "This keeps getting better and better."

The room settled into a heavy quiet, the weight of his words pressing down on all of us. My gaze shifted to the faint scars etched into the wooden table, tracing their lines as I gathered my thoughts.

I wasn't particularly surprised. Dragons were more than just mystical creatures; they alone stood at the top—the very pinnacle of fantasy. Dragons occupied a place beyond mere human comprehension, and they were less akin to living creatures than they were more facets of the world itself. What exactly was a "dragon" was complex, at least from Tohsaka's and Illyasviel's lectures. Some were demons, others divine beings. Some could see the threads of fate itself, while others were living incarnations of human concepts like greed or drought. However, to put it simply, they were almost mana itself, an extension of the world given intelligence and cunning. The mere act of their breathing could destroy armies and kingdoms, and just their words were enough to actualize mysteries that transcend a lifetime's work of a regular magus. Hell, just having dragon blood inside a human was enough to propel them far past their mortal restraints, Saber's abnormal mystical constitution proof enough.

To face one wasn't just a battle - it was to stand before something that existed outside the normal bounds of reality, a true battle against fate itself.

However, if dragons in this world were anywhere nearly as dangerous, then the kingdom that was besieged by the dragon should have been wiped out already. Still, a dragon is a dragon, and I wasn't arrogant enough to take such a threat lightly. If a dragon was truly in the vicinity, then I would need to prepare accordingly. In my current state, I was ill-equipped to take on the kings of phantasmal beasts. My body was developing faster than a normal person due to my soul shaping its vessel, allowing me to take on a questionably-serious Paul in melee combat with reinforcement, but my greatest weapon was still my projection magecraft. Emiya Shirou was a magus, first and foremost, and the luxury of range was one that Archer and I were afforded and used extensively.

However, I doubt a storm of meager swords like I had used last night would be sufficient against a creature of a dragon's caliber. Perhaps a weaker one, but from Roxy's report, it seemed that the dragon she was tracking was far more dangerous than its usual kind in this world.

"This dragon... how long have you been tracking it?" Paul asked, leaning forward slightly.

Roxy rested a finger on her chin, her expression contemplative. "Hmm, about half a year or so. I've spent a considerable amount of time doubling back through the Strife Zone. The trail has a habit of disappearing, only to resurface in entirely different regions. It's an elusive creature, no doubt."

"Hang on," Laws interjected, raising a hand. "When you say 'track,' what exactly do you mean? Somehow, I doubt you're crouching in the dirt looking for footprints."

Twin pools of azure, sharp as cut glass and just as cold, regarded Laws from over the rim of a weathered clay cup, the magician taking her time with each deliberate sip as she weighed the weight of the man's words. Next to her, Paul's lips dipped in a terse frown, his weathered hands clasped together on the table as he waited for her response.

The silence stretched, broken only by the soft clink of Roxy's cup being placed back onto the table. Her fingers lingered on the porcelain rim, tracing its edge as she wrestled with her thoughts.

"I am fairly adverse to sharing such secrets," she said, her lips straightening into a thin line. "After all, there's no shortage of unsavory individuals who could turn that information against me. I'm already quite infamous, you see." Another sip of her cup, another bead of sweat dropped from Paul's forehead.

Of course, perhaps it may have been the advantage of having interacted with her alone last night, but I already knew her decision.

Roxy sighed, putting down the cup before affixing the two adults with an even stare. "Well, normally that would be the case. However, I seem to have found the only group of people in this world naïve enough to trust me." She paused a bit, ruminating on her next words. "How familiar are you all with Demon Eyes?"

"Only the absolute basics," Paul said. When Laws raised an eyebrow at him, Paul elaborated, "Zenith and I are friends with Ghislaine, remember? Hard to adventure together when you don't know your allies' capabilities."

"Ah, I forgot your uncanny ability to be connected to all the important people in this world. My bad," Laws quipped, eliciting only a roll of Paul's eyes.

"Sword King Ghislaine is a user of Demon Eyes, I've confirmed," Roxy agreed. "I'm sure you already know this, but Demon Eyes—"

"Wait wait wait—what do you mean, 'confirmed'?" Paul cut in.

Another sigh. "I had a meeting with her before, during the journey to this area," the magician explained. "She's stationed at the nearby kingdom of Roa as the bodyguard to the youngest daughter of the nobility ruling there, the Boreas Greyrat family." Blue orbs suddenly glinted with something between amusement and scrutiny. "Imagine my surprise when not only do I find an heir of the Greyrat family in this remote village, but he also happens to be a former member of Ghislaine's adventuring party."

Paul scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly while trying his best to ignore Laws's grumbles. "I guess when you put it like that, it's a bit weird, yeah," he sheepishly admitted.

Roxy nodded, taking another sip from her cup before continuing. The coincidence was worth noting, but she had more pressing matters to discuss. "As a Sword King, her skills with the sword are nearly without compare, perhaps only short of the Sword God himself, and her reputation is known throughout the world due to her exploits as an adventurer. I had initially sought her out due to her familiarity with the region, but rumors of her Demon Eye led me to believe that she could help me better understand my own… condition."

"Condition? Please don't tell me you're terminally ill," Laws said wryly, letting out a slight chuckle to lighten the mood.

Roxy gave the man a dry smile. "Fortunately, my condition isn't quite so drastic as that. Simply put, my Demon Eyes are, from what I can tell, quite unique. Normally, you are born with the Demon Eyes. Either that or they can be bestowed upon you by Kishirika, the Immortal Great Emperor herself. However, I awakened mine just a few years ago, right in the midst of the Cataclysm. If I had to make a hypothesis, it would be that the extenuating circumstances of the ordeal as well as the close proximity to the tainted energy mutated me in some way. Of course, like I said it's purely conjecture; Demon Eyes are not exactly a well-documented phenomenon."

Paul hummed in thought. "Well, I guess I never asked Ghislaine where she got her demon eye from. All I can say is that she's had them for as long as I've known her."

"She was born with hers," Roxy explained, her tone steady and clinical. "The issue with my Demon Eyes is that I cannot turn them off. It is similar to most people, however unlike them, covering my eyes does not diminish their effect. By now, I'm able to reduce their rate of mana consumption to near negligible levels, but I can never completely eliminate the strain they have on my mind" She paused, her fingers brushing idly against the rim of her clay cup. "As for what they actually do…"

Roxy closed her eyes, and immediately the air grew heavy with an invisible pressure. A tingling sensation permeated the room, like the moment before a lightning strike. Paul's reaction was subtle but immediate—his body tensing like a coiled spring, years of combat experience screaming at him to move, to act, to do anything but remain still. Yet he held himself in check, though I could see the terse frown settling on his lips.

Laws's reaction was far less controlled. Beads of sweat raced down his cheeks as tremors wracked his frame. His knuckles went bone-white as his fingers dug into his palms, his entire body rigid with instinctive fear.

When Roxy's eyes finally opened, they glowed with an otherworldly light—brilliant sapphire orbs that cast the same ethereal glow I'd witnessed during our moonlit encounter. "Ghislaine is able to see the flow of mana with hers. Mine is not dissimilar," she continued, her voice steady despite the power radiating from her gaze. "They allow me to perceive and sense the energy of living creatures and the world around me. It's that level of ocular prowess that gives me such fine control over my own mana flow, increasing the efficiency of my spells such that my mana usage is near zero."

Laws's eyebrows shot up in astonishment, his jaw slackening, while Paul let out a low whistle, his tension easing slightly as he leaned back in his chair.

Their amazement was well-warranted. The idea of refining magic to the point of minimal cost was something I had trouble wrapping my own head around. If we were on Earth, her Demon Eyes would be equivalent to Mystic Eyes—a fact that would have instantly earned her a Sealing Designation from the Clock Tower.

"So that's how you were tracking the dragon?" Laws asked, his voice steadier now as he pieced the puzzle together.

Roxy nodded. "Correct. The dragon's magical energy signature is… unique. Its unnatural and distorted nature leaves a distinctive trace, one that can warp the land if it lingers too long. The local flora and fauna are devastated, and its passage often spawns groups of corrupted monsters like the ones we encountered last night."

Paul leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "Another point to the dragon being nearby, then."

"Yes, though it's also possible those monsters were here before." Roxy's brow furrowed in thought. "You said you've seen them near here before, right?"

"Yes, a few years ago."

"A few years ago?" Roxy echoed, her brows furrowing in thought. "That lines up with the timeline of the Cataclysm. The question is whether those monsters originated from the same area and took time to migrate here… or if the local population mutated on its own."

I frowned at Roxy's words. That term again—Cataclysm. Even without knowing the specifics, the name alone carried a sense of foreboding. From the way she spoke of it, the event had more than earned its ominous title.

From the fragments I'd pieced together yesterday, the Cataclysm referred to an event where a vast swathe of land was rendered inhospitable due to a sudden eruption of corrupt magical energy. The description struck an unsettling chord in me. It sounded eerily similar to the aftermath of the Fourth Holy Grail War—the tainted mud of the grail overflowing after Kiritsugu's desperate but failed attempt to destroy it. That cursed mire had scarred the land, creating an area so defiled that ordinary people instinctively avoided it, and even Saber had been too unsettled to patrol its edges for long.

If the grail was indeed in this world—and all evidence pointed to that conclusion—then it was almost certain that it was the direct cause of this Cataclysm.

Paul had also mentioned that the area of contamination was expanding. The grail's accursed contents were not infinite, which meant it was drawing energy from somewhere. If the grail was situated on a major leyline in this world, then it could have been sustaining itself all this time… and that thought carried grim implications.

I scowled.

If something like Angra Mainyu had unrestricted access to this world's magical energy network, it could have been poisoning the planet's very essence for years. The Cataclysm that had Roxy so concerned wouldn't be an isolated incident—more and more of the grail's corrupted essence would overflow from the leylines, spreading like a disease through the world's magical veins.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. The grail wasn't just a vessel of corruption; it was a wish-granting device, its purpose tied to the realization of desires. Given enough time, it would almost certainly try to restart the ritual—to begin another war to fulfill its function.

My brows furrowed.

Could it even do that here? This world was likely an alternate universe, and the grail had somehow transported both itself and me across dimensions. There was no Throne of Heroes here, no vast repository of Heroic Spirits for the grail to draw upon. The massive amount of energy required to realize a wish and open a gate to the root would have to come from elsewhere.

Or perhaps the Servants were merely a means to an end. The Greater Grail itself was nothing more than a colossal battery of magical energy. If it drained this world's leylines long enough, perhaps it could bypass the war entirely and proceed directly to the wish-granting process.

But whose wish would it grant? Angra Mainyu couldn't realize its own desires; it could only twist and corrupt the wishes of others. If that were true, then the grail might remain inert unless it found a wish to grant—a condition that could either delay disaster or trigger it in the worst way imaginable.

I clicked my tongue.

There was no point in entertaining optimism. I had to assume the worst. No matter the circumstances, the grail could not be allowed to complete its ritual. It had already nearly destroyed one world; responsibility and morality bade me to make sure its attempt here would be unsuccessful as well.

The timeline was crucial. I'd only existed in this world for four years. Roxy mentioned the Cataclysm appearing "a few years ago"—which might coincide with my arrival. Best case scenario, the grail had only been active as long as I'd been here. Worst case, the Cataclysm was merely a sign of the grail overflowing with accumulated energy, meaning it could have been poisoning this world for far longer.

On Earth, it took sixty years for the Greater Grail to gather enough energy to restart its ritual. The one I participated in, however, had occurred in just ten years due to Kiritsugu's intervention.

There hadn't been a true victor at the end of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Illyasviel and I had been the last remaining masters, but no wish had been granted. The grail had been shut down by Illyasviel's use of the Third Magic.

My heart skipped a beat.

No—wait, that was wrong.

Something tugged at the edges of my mind, a half-formed thought that refused to fully materialize. Like trying to grasp smoke, it slipped through my fingers even as I reached for it.

"Hey Shirou, in your next life, remember us, remember me, would you? I hope you finally find your own happiness. But for now, this is goodbye. Thank you... for everything."

Illyasviel's parting words echoed in my mind, her voice achingly familiar, carrying the warmth of a final farewell. But there was something else there too, something I hadn't understood at the time. The careful choice of words, the strange inclusion of "next life," the wish for my happiness...

Could it be?

The reason the Holy Grail was able to save itself... Illyasviel's wish...

A cold numbness spread through my chest, the weight of realization sinking into my gut like a stone. The pieces were there, had always been there, waiting for me to see the pattern they formed.

Was there something deeper in those words, something beyond what I'd dismissed as a sister's final blessing? Had she understood all along what would happen? Had she seen this path stretching out before us, even then?

"—rou!"

A panicked voice pierced through my thoughts like a blade through silk. Strong hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me back to reality. The world swam into focus, and I found myself staring into Paul's face, his features tight with worry. His usual easy-going demeanor had vanished, replaced by an expression I couldn't quite read, his eyes searching my face with an intensity that made me want to look away.

The scene around me slowly crystallized. Paul's chair lay toppled at the far end of the table, as if he'd thrown it aside in his rush to reach me. Laws stood frozen, his hands braced against the table's edge, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide with a mixture of uncertainty and something deeper, more troubled. He seemed caught between approaching and retreating, his usual confidence strangely shaken.

Only Roxy maintained her outward composure, still seated with that characteristic air of detachment. Yet even she betrayed subtle signs of disturbance—her eyes fixed on my face with an unusually gentle attention, the ghost of a frown touching her lips as if recognizing something in my expression. Her staff remained untouched against the table, a detail that surprised me, as she tugged the wide brim of her hat lower while her azure eyes remained steadily on mine.

The drop of a pin could have been heard in the resulting silence of the room, all three adults staring at me as thoughts raced through my mind.

"Shit, it happened again."

Like when I'd accidentally injured Paul, emotions had carved through my defenses, dredging up memories better left buried. At least this time they weren't combat-related—that would have led to an entirely different kind of disaster.

"Sorry, it was nothing," I managed, forcing evenness into my voice.

"Shirou," Roxy's voice floated across the room, gentle as falling snow, "… You're crying…"

I furrowed my brows, one hand rising hesitantly to my cheek. The warm wetness beneath my fingers made me flinch. A single tear had carved its path down my face.

"… It's nothing."

Of course, my words couldn't even begin to convince the three concerned people in front of me, a natural expectation considering I couldn't even start to believe in them myself.

The words rang hollow, convincing no one—least of all myself. I quickly wiped away the evidence, willing my features back into their usual stoic mask. Within seconds, all physical traces had vanished, but their gazes remained. Yet their expressions continued shifting, reservation and hardness melting into something softer.

Something shifted in my periphery, but Paul shifted closer to my side, my vision completely taken up by the large man. I cocked my head questioningly at him but soon felt a heavy hand fall on top of my head, calloused appendages gently ruffling auburn tresses.

Paul shifted closer, filling my field of vision. His hand settled gently on my head, rough fingers carding through auburn strands.

"Are you okay?"

The words came barely above a whisper, as if speaking any louder could cause me to shatter like glass. Green eyes searched mine, trying to pierce the walls I'd built around my thoughts. His expression was unreadable—unusual for a man who typically wore his emotions so openly.

"… I am."

His eyes continued to bore into mine for a few more elongated seconds, until finally with a quiet sigh, Paul nodded once, the same hand that affectionally played with my hair falling onto my shoulder instead. He firmly squeezed, the gesture of reassurance not lost on me before he fully stood back up, looking pointedly at the two visitors.

Paul's attention turned to Alice's half-eaten food offering. "Why don't we all take a break before we continue talking? It'd be a waste for this food to get colder."

I cleared my throat lightly, drawing three sharp looks. "Before we do that, can someone please tell me what I missed while I was distracted?"

Though my mind still churned with possibilities about Illyasviel's final moments, the present demanded attention. Roxy suddenly stiffened, finding great interest in her plate.

"Oh that? Well, I guess it depends on when you... stopped paying attention," Paul said, awkwardness creeping into his tone. "Let's see… dragon… Demon Eyes… monsters… But the last thing we talked about..." He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Roxy said she wanted to stick around to make sure the village is safe, but she also brought up an interesting proposal."

I raised an eyebrow, trepidation creeping up within me.

"Seeing as you did… quite well yesterday—and with the possibility of even more dangerous threats later on…" Paul trailed off, his gaze shifting to the side, a flicker of guilt passing through his eyes before he sighed heavily. "Look, I need you to know that this is entirely your choice. No one's going to force you into anything. If you say no, that's it. I won't push, and neither will anyone else."

I frowned, my brows knitting together as I studied him. "What are you talking about, Paul?"

"I just—" He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in the gesture. "You're strong, Shirou. Stronger than any child has a right to be. You could help a lot of people with that strength. But..." His eyes met mine, fierce with sudden conviction. "You're my son first. Whatever else you might be capable of, that comes first. So I need you to understand that this choice has to come from you. Not from any sense of obligation or duty."

"… Go on."

"Do you remember what we talked about a few days ago, about Zenith wanting you to have an instructor for magic lessons?"

I nodded. It was a strange suggestion by the woman, since I would have assumed that she would have been against me straying further from a typical childhood, but I couldn't complain in the end, the possible benefits outweighing any grievances I had with the idea.

Paul's lips curved into a conflicted smile. "If you're interested in becoming stronger... I think we've found your new magic teacher."

---

A/N: Pain and suffering but we got it done. Honestly for how "short" this chapter is in terms of actual content, it's painful how long it took. Not surprising when it takes me like 10 minutes to figure out Roxy's hand gestures while she's looking at Shirou but oh well, I've already resigned myself to my odd habit of fixating on minor details.

Nothing much to say here. Trying to build the overall plotline while inserting some character moments here and there. Apparently I can't just spout philosophy while describing eyes very poetically for an entire story.

Anyway, I think we have one more chapter until we close out the "day" in the story. There's an entire conversation between Alice and Zenith coming up and then we have Roxy and Shirou's training session right after, which should have some more confiding stuff. Dear lord, I feel like I'm really laying it on thick even though it's supposed to be a harem. I guess maybe I'm just compensation for how little we see Roxy in the anime.

For the few people who are actually keeping track of characters, we've repeatedly bounced from Shirou wanting to leave the village to still staying. Up to now, he's stayed mostly because he can't help but try and make bonds with people (also because he subconsciously wants an actual normal life). With the discovery of the grail, those plans should be mostly out the window. Hopefully, I can correctly write his motivations, otherwise it feels like nothing is consistent, which is true to an extent. That's the thing with these not-so cut-and-dry characters, it's really hard to keep track of everything. Writing someone who wants one thing but does another is an absolute pain in the ass.

Oh and for those unaware, this story is also on Ao3, along with a FSN x Shadow Slave story I posted as well. That one only has one chapter, but if you want to see this Shirou's "endgame", the one in there has a similar feel. Don't worry, that story doesn't take precedence over this one. I was just really depressed after Volume 7 and had to take my frustrations out somewhere by trying to correct the story.

Alright that's everything. Next chapter should hopefully be somewhat soon since it's not a very long one. After that, I think I can start picking up the pace. We're gonna go full slice of life montage mode-training with Paul and Sylphiette in the mornings and afternoons, training (flirting) with Roxy in the evenings. Should hopefully be like that until we get to Ars should be the climax-ish of the arc and then we gucci. At least, that's the plan. No way I stick to it.

Anyway, please review and leave a favorite/follow—every little bit helps my motivation—and as always, have a great day!

P.S. Not so subtle foreshadowing in this chapter. Way in the future but it's there ;)