To say that Shirou was tired was to understate things. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. After the adrenaline rush of thinking there was an attack wore off, he almost immediately slumped. While the elves had healed him, that didn't do anything for the fact that he'd expended a lot of magical energy.

As such, as much as he would have preferred to walk alongside the escort they set up, he had reluctantly chosen to ride in with the JSDF.

The air conditioning was a godsend, if nothing else.

That didn't mean he wasn't looking out for something to go wrong. More often than he'd like to admit, during his tenure as an Enforcer, he'd been attacked during transport. Considering that track record, he half expected it to continue.

He couldn't risk anything. Tired as he was, he couldn't let anything happen to what amounted to a foreign delegation that he had given his word to.

Beyond the diplomatic consequences, he had given his word. Favors, in the realm of magi, were just about everything. If one person were to go back on their word, their entire line would be treated with contempt.

While he was the only Emiya, the Tohsaka were still known to be closely allied to his family. Enough that any damage he'd do to his family name would cascade down onto her. Something he wouldn't forgive himself if it did.

That was why, above all else, he would give it his all to get Adrianne and her people to safety.

The woman in question didn't seem to notice his inner turmoil, thankfully. Sitting next to him, she was too preoccupied staring at the various equipment that the JSDF soldiers brought with them.

"Ah, Lord Emiya," She was looking at the bulky piece of machinery that was right in front of them, "What contraption would this be?" This wasn't the first time that she had asked this, and would likely not be the last.

"It's a device called a radio." Shirou was patient. He'd had this conversation magi before, those ones that didn't know, but were interested in modern technology, "It's a device that's used for long distance communication. Speaking of which?"

"Only short range is available right now, the antennas are still being set up." An older man, Sergeant Major Kuwahara, told him. Shirou nodded. He expected as much. Had the radio been functioning, there would be doubt that Itami would contact their base.

"Long distance communication, you say? But where would thou speak? How would it produce sound?" The woman was like a kid in a candy shop, looking just as enthused as when she had asked for the kind of fabric that was used for the JSDF uniforms.

It was sad to say that this wasn't the worst reaction that Shirou had seen when it came to modernity.

"So, Emiya-san." One of the two females that were riding with them started, "I never did thank you, did I?"

"Hm?" Shirou raised an eyebrow. The shorter woman, Sergeant Kuribayashi, and him had never met before. He could honestly say that, as he probably would have remembered the upbeat attitude she had shown.

"That TV reporter you saved?" Shirou thought for a moment before nodding. Yes, he recalled that there was a TV reporter and cameraman on the scene. The same ones that had gone on to showcase Zelretch for the first time.

"That was my sister." Kuribayashi stared at him intensely, "I was out of town when the attack happened, so I couldn't do anything to help. So, on behalf of me and my entire family," She bowed as much as she could while sitting down, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He bowed back. He knew the feeling of helplessness she must have felt then. He wouldn't disparage that worry by denying the thanks she gave him.

Kuribayashi leaned back with a smile, before settling in silently. She gave a grin as she motioned to the elf, Adrianne looking and tapping at the glass with a childlike wonder.

"This glass…Lord Emiya, how did thou make this glass so clear?"

Shirou shifted in his seat as he prepared to lecture about the intricacies of glassmaking. It was a lecture that he didn't think he'd ever have to give, but at least the audience was listening raptly.

Shirou wasn't the first to notice the sound. Turns out, the elves' ears weren't just cosmetic. Their range of hearing was far further out than his own without Reinforcement.

"Uh, Emiya-san, there's a guy here that I think wants to talk to you?" Itami called out from the front.

"Give us a second." Shirou had a frown on his face, one that was mirrored by all the JSDF soldiers with him. They all knew what they were hearing, and none of them liked it.

Shirou, along with Adrianne, disembarked. Next to them was Hodor, looking more tense than ever. He had his hand on his bow, the other arm already ready to draw an arrow.

The moment he saw the Grand Elder, he walked swiftly towards her, his tense posture not fading in the slightest, "Grand Elder Valliere, Lord Emiya, our scouts report explosions in the direction of Alnus Hill."

"That would be the artillery." Shirou was looking in the distance. He could hear the explosions going off, but with the trees in the way, he couldn't actually see anything.

"Artillery, Lord Emiya?" Adrianne asked with a noticeable edge to her voice.

"Weapons that the JSDF use." He gave a far more concise explanation than before. Right now, they didn;t have the luxury of time, "But they wouldn't be using them unless they need to."

"You've got that right." Itami had exited as well, and was walking towards them, "We're going to try and get in contact with command, but we're going to have to get a little closer."

He relayed the same thing to the elves, to which Adrianne nodded resolutely, "Do whatever thou thinks would benefit us, Lord Emiya. I have faith in thee."

With a nod back, Shirou turned to Itami, "How close do you need to be?"

"Maybe a few hundred meters? Hard to say with all the interference." Itami's somewhat carefree look had hardened once again. Shirou realized that he wasn't talking to just Itami anymore. He was talking to First Lieutenant Itami.

"Then we'll have t-"

"Oh ho! I thought I heard voices here!"

Itami's gun snapped up to attention, his finger already ready to fire a burst of bullets. Hodor had drawn his bow, an arrow already notched. Shirou had Traced Bakuya in his hand. Even the gunners on the mounted machine guns turned in the direction of the voice.

Only Adrianne seemed relaxed, if a bit exasperated.

"Show yourself!" Itami growled out. Nobody but Shirou and the rest of the JSDF could understand him, but his tone made his message clear.

The Enforcer meanwhile, was scanning the area with a critical eye. There was no indication that anyone was there, but the voice had to come from somewhere.

"Okay, okay! I'm dispelling the spell, give me a second." Slowly, in a glimmer of blue particles, an old man appeared. He was short, and wore a pointed hat, not unlike a stereotypical wizard.

"Sage Cato." Before anyone else could interrupt, Adrianne cut into the conversation with a name.

"Ah, Lady Valliere!" The old man, Cato, grinned up at the elf, "You look as lovely as ever. And Hodor, is that you? How is the kid? Is she doing alright?"

"Tuka is fine, Sage Cato." Hodor released a breath as he retracted his bow, "A bit shaken up, but fine nonetheless."

"You know him?" Shirou hadn't dismissed his sword, nor had Itami and the JSDF let their guns trail from the old man. The Enforcer knew that it was usually the older magi that were the most dangerous. They knew more than just about any of the younger ones.

And this man was a magus in all the senses.

The moment he had dispelled his invisibility, Shirou's senses went haywire. He could smell the sheer amount of power that was contained in his deceptively frail body. Not only that, but he could feel the very earth shift around the staff that the man carried.

He was powerful. Had he wanted to, he could've killed them without anyone being the wiser.

"Indeed." Adrianne spoke, "I mentioned him before, if I recall. Sage Cato El Altestan, of Coda Village."

"Guilty as charged." Cato didn't seem to worry all too much about the threat against him. To Shirou, that much was common - magi usually had a backup plan. Someone like Cato wouldn't live that long if he didn't prepare for any occasion.

"Sage Cato, let me introduce Lord Shirou Emiya, and Sir Youji Itami of the JSDF."

A brief repeat from Shirou to the JSDF, to which Cato's eyes lit up. As Itami and the gunners relaxed, the magus spoke up.

"Ah, you've gotten a Translation Spell, and yet, your companions have not? Let me fix that for you."

Before anyone could respond, the man had drawn a complex pattern on the ground. Magical energy swirled around in staff, and in less than a second, a burst of light surrounded them all.

Kanshou joined Bakuya, and Shirou had both poised to throw them. Only the tired sigh from Adrianne and the awkward stance of Hodor prevented him from doing anything.

"What did you do?" That didn't mean he wouldn't throw them if he didn't like the magus' answer.

"Oh, just a Translation Spell, weren't you listening?" Cato waved off the threat with a roll of his eyes.

"Sage Cato, I thought we'd discussed thou propensity to cast spells without due permission." The Grand Elder groaned in a display that showed just how common this was.

"Did we? Now that you mention it, I recall you saying something over thirty years ago, but I don't think I ever agreed."

"I can…understand you now?" Itami was looking at them, his arm frozen in the middle of pointing his gun at the magus.

"Translation Spell. Really, this is the third time I've said this."

"Enough of that." Shirou dismissed his blades. The elves were relaxed around the man. As far as they'd shown, they wouldn't have done that if they didn't trust Cato to some extent.

"What are thou doing here, Sage Cato?" Beyond the whole fiasco going on in Alnus, the fact that Cato was here was worrying, something that Adrianne thought of herself, considering her question. "Shouldn't thou be with the rest of Coda?"

"About that." A frown made its way on the old man's face, before gesturing to follow him. With a quick glance to Itami, who quickly went to whisper something to his second in command, he made to join him.

Had Cato wanted to attack them, he would have done so already, he figured.

He quickly led them to a clearing, one that Shirou was surprised he hadn't seen beforehand. That said, the old man probably had something to do with it.

Around them, he could see a smattering of people. Just a small group, a couple of men and women, and more than a few children looking lost.

"Ah, I can see you understand." Cato had a grim smile on his face, "The people here were left to fend for themselves while the rest of the villagers ran from the Red Dragon. We've been traveling west, seeking to pass by Alnus and away from the Empire. We didn't realize Alnus would be occupied, nor did we think the Empire would attack it."

With a nod, Shirou accepted the news. The only enemy that they had made here was the Empire, so it would be a given who was attacking. Still, that they were using artillery now was foreboding, to say the least.

"Then, I would like to bring thee good news," Adrianne stepped forward with a glint in her eyes, one that made Shirou almost instinctively run away, "The Red Dragon has been slain."

Cato perked up, "You're serious?"

"Indeed." With a confident smile, she looked at Shirou, "Slain by none other than Lord Emiya himself."

A beat of silence, before the old man laughed out loud, "Well shit! I didn't think I'd meet a Dragonslayer today!"

His laugh petered out as he stared back at the villagers, "Gah, I needed that. Still, that doesn't help our situation any. The other villagers are long gone by now."

"No, no I suppose not." Adrianne looked down, before turning to stare at Shirou, "Lord Emiya, I don't suppose that thou can help?"

Shirou was quiet. As much as he wanted to help the clearly suffering villagers, they were all already under the protection of a significantly powerful magus. Had he tried offering his help, he might as well be saying that the magus was incompetent, something that would endanger not just himself, but everyone around him.

Adrianne likely didn't know this, or she would've asked Cato instead of him.

"Yeah, honestly, we really could use any help you could give." Going against everything the Enforcer knew, Cato shrugged as he looked at Shirou.

For a moment, Shirou was astonished. A magus who wasn't embroiled in their own self worth was a near impossible thing to find. The sheer amount of arrogance that a regular magus was almost always present in those with enough power. Their idea that they were always right was instilled in them so deeply that even asking help from someone clearly their superior was heresy.

That was true for what Shirou knew. Of his world, that is.

There was no indication that the same could be said for this place.

He'd been thinking of Cato in the same terms that he would judge a Clock Tower magus. An institution that didn't exist in this world, as far as he knew.

Looking beyond all of his preconceived notions, he could see that Cato really did just want to help the villagers. A feeling that he'd thought was just some ploy by a magus.

He felt the shame that crawled up against him as he gripped his hand into a fist. In the clearing, he could hear the sound of artillery fire grow increasingly louder.

Shirou opened his mouth. He would help these people. He had already agreed to help the elves, what was another few villagers?

Cato spoke before he could though.

"If you need convincing, I could always tell you how the Empire managed to sneak three hundred thousand troops to attack Alnus."

"...What?"

A/N: If you like what I do and want to support me, check out my P-atreon at P-atreon•com(slash)Almistyor.

Thank you to my newest patrons: Jason Millofr, rayne nephew and Krzysztof Wierczyński. Thank you for your support, it's really appreciated.

And a special thanks to: Oliver vazquez, brutalcrab and Tassimo.