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.

10. Chapter 10

A cold silence enveloped the forest.

Amidst a sea of broken, bloody bodies, she loomed over me, the incredible weight of her presence seemingly causing the world itself to pause and stop, her existence almost bending reality to its whims. With the way the moonlight clung to her luminous form, it would not have been inappropriate to call her a goddess. Despite her small stature, she was towering, her magnificence wholly unsullied by the deathly scene around her, as if the air embracing her was too divine to be touched by the filth and grime of the mortal realm.

She was grace and elegance given form, a blessing from the heavens themselves descending to earth. Her aura was magnetizing, and I could feel all that I was, body and soul, destiny and fate, inexorably drawn towards her, her radiance threatening to swallow me whole.

"Was this how I had seemed to you all?"

It was hard to deny. It was plain as day—as obvious as the brightly lit moon in the stark black sky.

Perhaps this breathtaking presence is what Saber and the others had been trying to convince me I possessed, the mark of someone who was blessed by the world. They all had told me several times, and I had never properly listened.

Saber's sincere words, Tohsaka's flowery praise, Sakura's thankful cries, Illyasviel's saccharine adoration, and even Rider's small, knowing smiles all conveyed what I had stubbornly refused to accept. How ironic was it that the very thing I denied would now be thrust back to my face, a mirror reflecting the truth I had so desperately avoided? It was like a bucket of cold water, the realization hitting me with the force of a chilling tidal wave.

Crystal blue orbs bored into amber pools, and time stretched as the strength to turn away slipped from my grasp. One second turned into two. Two seconds turned into four. Four seconds melded into infinity, and my brain turned to mush as my lungs burned from a breath I had been holding in since our eyes first locked together.

Somewhere in the hazy depths of my mind, I made a mental grimace. The effect that this woman had on me was dangerous, the pangs in my chest ripping open the wounds that had festered all this time. Not that they ever healed in the first place, of course not, but the familiar feelings swirling within me only intensified the memories that haunted me.

My only consolation was that just as our meeting had affected me greatly, stirring up the ghosts of the pasts like a whirlwind, I was having a similar effect on the woman in front of me.

She was paralyzed, her dainty features twisted into a complicated expression. The confusion and caution were still present from before, but now her eyes were glassy and unfocused, and her mouth was agape. Hints of wonder started seeping onto her face, and whatever she saw was clearly overwhelming, as she flinched in surprise as the staff fell from her grasp, her hand shooting out to grab the weapon like it was second nature.

The sharp movement seemed to snap her out of her reverie, and blue eyes narrowed onto me like spotlights. The trepidation was back now, even stronger than before, and her lips were pulled into a terse line.

"You… who are you?"

The suspicion in her words was unmistakable, tinged with subtle accusation, but the slight tremble in her voice betrayed the underlying hints of fear I sensed earlier. I could sense her magical energy fluctuating—the possibility of a fight not escaping her. However, perhaps the visions she glimpsed within me made her hesitant to resort to violence. Or maybe it was as simple as the fact that to her eyes, I was only a child, my youthful appearance staying her hand.

Still, the knowledge that we were both on an even playing field gave me a small comfort.

"I'm—" I took a moment to properly find my voice again "—a boy from the village around here," I answered.

She raised a delicate eyebrow. "Just a boy, huh?" The woman had a disbelieving gaze as she looked around us, eyes darting from the smoldering mounds of flesh and bone that littered the area and towards the small steel sword that was sheathed at my side then back to casting their frigid gaze at me. "And what of all this?" She waved a hand towards all the bodies.

A snake coiled itself around my throat, and I could not help the feeling that my next words would determine the nature of our relationship.

The temptation to deny everything rose within me. The uncertainty of her reaction to the truth gave me pause, not to mention the consequences afterwards. There was a small chance she would shrug it off as the delusions of a child, but with what she had seen, it was a miniscule hope at best. More likely than not, she would believe me, and perhaps the secrets I had hidden from the Greyrats would finally to light. I had been hesitant to reveal anything due to the tenuous balance in the household, and up to now, Paul, Zenith, and Lilia had been willing to look past my abnormalities, but there was a significant difference between confirming I was a gifted child and them discovering just exactly what they had been harboring this entire time.

Could I convince her to withhold my secret? It was a possibility—making the woman some sort of collaborator. Having an ally separate from the Greyrats and the villagers could be invaluable, and the chance to do so would be now, when the slate would be the cleanest it ever could be.

Of course, in that case, the question of how exactly I could ensure her cooperation came to my mind, and with it, what exactly I would need to offer.

What was I willing to give up for my goals? It was a question that I had constantly wrestled with both in this life and my previous one. Before, I had been willing to be an uncompromising wall, believing myself able to defy the fate I had been imprisoned to, and even though the circumstances of this situation were far different, the core dilemma remained the same.

This time, however, I was not facing an immutable destiny, but a negotiation where the stakes were of my own choosing.

I held no status in this world, and I had no wealth to my name. I was simply a young boy in the middle of the countryside, and there were no connections I could offer in return, no favors I could call in. For all intents and purposes, I was a child, nothing more.

However, I had something far more significant than simple material gifts.

The truth.

The truth of the monsters that had attacked me and plagued this world as well as the truth of my impossible existence—a traveler who had crossed the barrier between worlds and held the history of one within its soul. If she were an opportunist, the potential of our collaboration was obvious. In that regard, I myself was the most valuable bargaining chip of them all.

I had been and still am willing to toss away this peaceful life in this village to pursue my ideals. Now, with a clear goal in sight and an enemy to defeat, the ante only increased.

I sighed internally.

Once again, I caught myself.

What was I even doing?

I immediately discarded my thoughts, and I could feel myself mentally relaxing at the loss. Archer would be proud, and the thought of that made me scrunch up my nose.

Of course, there was the other, darker, uglier truth to consider—the fact that I was just tired of it all. All the pretending, all the acting, living a life that didn't suit me, it simply didn't agree with me. Coming from a war with the fate of humanity at stake and billions of lives hung in the balance, seeing the destruction of the life I had yearned to create and the deaths of everyone I held dear, feeling the last crumbs of happiness slip away from my fingers… compared to that, how could I possibly reconcile Emiya Shirou with the banality of merely living?

No, that kind of story died when the ghosts of the past followed me to this new world. I would need to finish what I started, and for better or worse, I couldn't afford to play coyly anymore.

Besides, the people of this world deserved to know the truth, regardless of anything else.

I stood back up, ignoring the aches and pains of my body. Looking at the woman from this angle, she was only a head and a half taller than I was, yet it did nothing to diminish her presence. The movement caused the woman to tense further and eyes to narrow. In contrast, I let my shoulders slacken, keeping my arms to my side as I stared evenly as the mage.

Well, there was certainly one way to distinguish myself from the crimson knight.

"They attacked me and my partner. If they came any closer, they would have attacked the village as well."

Even now, she was still assessing my intentions. I could tell from the way she carefully examined my form, keeping particular attention to my hands, that she was the studious, analytical type.

She took a moment to consider my words, letting out a hum. "Monsters are known for being aggressive," she agreed. "Still, it's hard to believe you did all this on your own."

I pushed forward. "There are a lot of things that are hard to believe nowadays," I said, repeating Paul's words.

Something dark flashed through her eyes. "That is certainly true. " The witch-like figure walked over to the nearest pile of bodies, prodding it inquisitively with the butt of her staff. "How visceral. Even though the evidence is right in front of me, to think such a young child would be capable of this level of brutality…" She trailed off with a frown, continuing to probe the dead monsters. "It's hard to tell given the extent of the damage, but it looks like each one was killed with only a single strike. Whatever you used to kill them had both impressive destructive power and unerring precision." There was subtle but definite approval in her voice, though whether or not she was impressed by the manner in which the monsters were killed or the techniques used to do so, I couldn't tell.

Then she turned back towards me with a curious gaze. "This doesn't look like any elemental magic I know. These wounds were inflicted by physical weapons, but your sword—" she gestured to the weapon at my hip "—isn't capable of causing these kinds of injuries. It's almost like…" she trailed off, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully, a pensive look on her face as she pondered, "a small army trampled through here, like the aftermath of Asuran knights."

The term meant nothing to me, but I decided to file the information away for later. As for her question, I couldn't stop myself from questioning my actions, but I pushed through the hesitation. I had to commit now; I couldn't afford to waste time and energy trying to do two things at once. If nothing else, upfront honesty wouldn't betray my ideals, even if it could betray my efforts in the future.

Magical energy gently ebbed and flowed, softly enough that the woman in front of me wouldn't get the wrong idea. Thankfully, she looked more curious than guarded, the blue motes of light coalescing in front of me matching the azure glow of her eyes. The woman continued watching with clear fascination as I slowly went through the steps of my personalized version of gradation air, mana giving form to memories and experience before encapsulating it in a vessel of steel.

After a few seconds, the light finally subsided after one final flash, revealing a completely ordinary longsword, as plain and mundane as any weapon you would find on the hip of any adventurer. Its original warrior was no one of note, just a well-trained soldier from a time long passed. Weapons like it were the majority of my arsenal, and it was one of the countless blades I had used earlier to dispatch the monsters.

"What in the world…" The petit woman breathily whispered, her voice barely audible as wide eyes reflected a mix of awe and confusion. I could sense her mind racing to make sense of the scene before her, bright cerulean orbs frantically darting along the length of steel hovering between us. Occasionally, her eyes would quickly peer at me, her gaze boring into my soul as if she were trying to decipher the secrets that laid within it before returning her focus back to the sword.

"It's magic, I can tell that much… but it's so much more…"

The enigmatic woman, a figure shrouded in mystery and allure and had appeared in dramatic fashion, was reduced to an almost child-like state, innocent wonder sparkling in her eyes as she examined the projection.

Perhaps it was those eyes of hers, the shining orbs maybe granting the woman a deeper insight into the secrets of the projection that were unknown from others. To a regular person, my projections were merely ordinary weapons, indistinguishable from the mundane original. Even most magi would not have been able to identify them as fakes, and only Gilgamesh had been able to peer past their shell and decipher their true nature at first glance.

The witch-like figure seemed to finally snap out of her reverie, her back straightening as her eyes turned back towards me.

"Ahem… How uncouth of me. I apologize," the woman embarrassedly said, a faint blush visible on her cheeks. "Whatever magic you conjured is quite mesmerizing. I would ask what spell you used to create such an effect, but you have only been truthful with me while I have not divulged anything yet. Such sincerity deserves to be reciprocated in return first." Her gaze softened, and a small smile blossomed on her lips. The wide brim of her hat dipped, the woman nodding in a gesture of respect.

I could barely recognize the quiet, meek "Thank you" that left my lips, and the woman coughed lightly as she quickly averted her eyes.

"Ah, I suppose I should probably start by introducing myself first." To her credit, she gained her composure quickly, icy orbs regarding me with a firm look. "My name is Roxy Migurdia. I'm an adventurer, and I was investigating some strange monster activity in this area." Her free hand disappeared inside the folds of her shirt before reappearing with a card of some sort.

I dismissed the sword between us with a thought, and though she tried to hide it, Roxy's face fell in slight disappointment. Still, she stepped closer to just shy of arm's length, offering the card towards me.

Curious about what she was giving to me, I took the object, inspecting it with an inquisitive gaze.

It was magical, if barely, but I wasn't familiar enough with magecraft—both this world's and mines—to ascertain its supernatural properties. There was some sort of function there, but the only thing I could do was sense the faint mana radiating from the small crystal embedded on its back.

Still, I was ignoring the obvious purpose of the card. It was clearly some sort of identification, almost akin to a driver's license or residence card. The woman's name was clearly printed at the top, alongside her age and gender. There was also her race and job etched onto the small metal sheet, stating she was an adventurer much like she had told me, though the fact she was apparently a demon almost caused me to raise an eyebrow.

I looked up from the card, scrutinizing the lady in front of me.

Tufts of silky blue hair crowned her dainty head, showing no signs of any spiraling horns. Her skin was a youthful, alabaster white, a far cry from the fiery red of the denizens of hell, though there was a faint tan giving it a healthy glow, presumably from many days spent outside as an adventurer.

I looked below me, and though I could see the red tint of the soil from the blood of the monsters that seeped into the ground, there was no circle of fire and brimstone opening up at my feet nor any arms from the tortured souls of the dead trying to drag me down to hell.

Well, she was far different from any demon I could have imagined. Sylphiette was also called a demon by the bullies yesterday. Perhaps my image of demons was simply not correct in this new world, and the demons here were actually small girls with an abnormal talent for magic.

Roxy noticed that I was staring intently at her, and she cocked her head questioningly. I quickly glanced back down towards the card.

What truly caught my attention were the fields denoting her rank and party.

In the space that should have listed all the other members of her party, there was nothing but empty space, the metal of the card clean and unblemished.

From my brief dive into Paul's memories and what he told me, I knew that solo adventuring was atypical. Most adventurers were in parties of at least a few members, and even someone as strong as Paul was no exception. Even the warrior that Paul had suggested training me, the one he had fought alongside and conceded was the far better swordsman, didn't fight alone.

And finally, in the space below her non-existent party, the woman's adventurer rank was displayed at the very bottom, the lettering larger than everything else. Etched into the steel in crisp, bolded lines were two simple letters—

SS.

Paul and Zenith were S-rank adventurers from what they said yesterday. Being SS-rank put her in a league above even them, and that's accounting for the strength of Paul's entire party. I wasn't sure if adventurer rank necessarily translated directly to combat ability, but the fact was impressive, nonetheless.

A part of me was glad that my initial trepidation towards her wasn't just pure superstition and paranoia. Her presence and aura reminded me of memories long since passed, digging up the emotions that I had buried deep within my heart, but they had ultimately been just that—reminders. I could scratch the surface of her abilities just from pure intuition and senses but seeing the actual acknowledgement of her abilities in a tangible manner helped to put my feelings into perspective.

And it made my initial assessment of her all the more correct—Roxy Migurdia was dangerous, in more ways than one. Her delicate and saintly appearance belied the fierce and skilled mage that lurked underneath, and just being near her was enough to set my senses aflame.

Still, despite everything, it wouldn't change my plans going forward. If nothing else, Roxy did not seem to have any malicious intentions. I could give her the benefit of the doubt at the very least.

"It's a pleasure to meet you then, Miss Roxy," I said, handing the card back to the woman.

"Such a polite child. However, just 'Roxy' will do, please," she insisted, her smile slightly strained. She put the card inside her dress, but I didn't miss how her eyes lingered ever so slightly upon the enlarged letters at the bottom nor the complicated storm of emotions laden in her gaze. There was a sense of satisfaction in there, but it felt hollow, almost bitter.

Visions of red flashed through my mind, of a crimson cape fluttering in desert winds. Orbs of ashen grey steel pierced through the sandstorm, a pair of haunted eyes staring through my soul.

Ah, so that's how it was.

If Roxy noticed my intent observation of her, she made no comment on it, instead looking at me with a curious look.

"I'm Shirou… Shirou Greyrat. I'm from the village near here," I answered her unspoken question.

"Buena village, if I'm not mistaken?" I nodded my head affirmatively, and Roxy let out a quiet hum. "I heard that this village is one of the few settlements that survived the monster outbreak. There were also a few rumors saying that this village experienced far less monster activity than other places." The woman once again cast a deadpan gaze all around her, giving me an unimpressed look. "I'm not entirely sure how much credence there is to them."

It seemed that this woman did her research on the area.

"Still, as interesting as such a phenomenon would be, I've discovered something far more fascinating." I could sense her magical energy shift, and twin frosted orbs bored into me once again. I shifted uncomfortably in place, beads of sweat rolling down my forehead as the woman keenly scrutinized me.

There was no doubt about it. This unnatural feeling radiating from her wasn't just an imagined effect on my part. My intuition had immediately focused on her eyes, and I could sense a concentration of energy coming from them. She was definitely doing something, but whatever function she was activating was beyond me.

Tohsaka and Illyasviel had told me about Mystic Eyes back on Earth, special eyes that were able to actualize magecraft. Rider herself possessed a pair, able to petrify living beings with a single glance. However, whatever special powers Roxy had definitely did not seem as outright deadly as the servant's. A good thing too—I was wholly unprepared to combat someone who had a trump card such as that.

Perhaps they were able to enhance her analytical abilities and grant her visual prowess. It would explain how she had been entranced by my projection, the multitude of layers of memories and experience in it a mesmerizing maze to navigate through. It would also explain why she was so intent on observing me; perhaps my unique status as an outsider was something she was able to readily see.

"Still, as mystical and mysterious your magic was, I find it hard to believe it was capable of devastating results." Roxy said skeptically. "Judging from their corpses, these monsters are highly mutated, and there are enough bodies here to traumatize the average soldier. Had you been a warrior on par with Sword King Ghislaine or a mage on the level of myself, I would not have been surprised. However, the amount of people who could replicate such carnage probably barely number a dozen, and I do not believe any of them are you."

I shrugged again. "I made a lot of them."

Roxy blinked. "You… made a lot of them…?"

I nodded. "A lot."

Roxy blinked again. Then again. Then again. Her features were oddly blank, but there was a bemused haze over her eyes.

"Had that statement that from anyone else, I would have thought it was made in jest, but coming from you, I can't help but feel it's entirely truthful." She hummed thoughtfully as she pondered. "Well, it would certainly explain how you were able to deal with such a large group of monsters. Keeping the large swarm at bay with a barrage of projectiles is definitely a sound strategy. However, to be able to create enough of them to stalwart such a massive offensive is… impressive, to say the least."

Roxy knew there was little sense in denying the truth when the evidence was right in front of her. Of course, that did not mean that she was easily accepting of my explanation, but she was grasping at the implications of what I had revealed along with what her eyes told her.

"I have to ask: how did you learn such magic in the first place?"

Honestly, there wasn't an easy answer for her question. I didn't know very much about it myself.

"I was born with it," I said simply. For now, that explanation would have to suffice. Perhaps I could elaborate further when the current information was allowed to marinate in her mind.

"In that case, you're probably a miko of some kind," Roxy hypothesized. "There is certainly some precedent already. I heard a prince in the Shirone kingdom was born with superhuman strength, and due to his lack of control, he killed his own brother when he was barely a toddler."

Ah… that sounds like—

"You look guilty. I'm guessing an incident has already occurred?"

I frowned, the remorse from yesterday swelling up within me. "It wasn't too serious, and he'll make a full recovery, but I would still prefer if it never happened in the first place."

Roxy considered my words before firmly nodding. "That is good to hear, both at the outcome and your caution. Children tend to easily misjudge things, and for someone as strong as you, lacking control over yourself can result in some dangerous situations, harming those who are close to you among the top of them." Her last phrase cut a bit too deeply for my liking, but I managed to hide the grimace on my face.

Roxy paused, more words on her tongue before she stopped herself. "Well, I'll stop myself there. Children tend to believe themselves to be adults when they aren't. For you, at least when it comes to matters such as this, I believe further wisdom is unnecessary. In some cases, patronizing lectures such as this can do more harm than good. I wasn't overly fond of them when I was younger, so I can attest to that fact."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's… surprising. I wouldn't have guessed." It was hard to imagine the woman in front of me on the other end of a scolding. She seemed far too composed and collected to have warranted such. Then again, the harshest lessons are often the ones that shape us most profoundly.

Roxy's eyes softened, a strange mix of amusement and bitterness crossing her features. "Is it really so difficult to imagine? Then again, if my younger self saw how I had turned out, I imagine she would be quite frustrated." She chuckled softly, then her expression grew more serious. "I wasn't always like this. I was far more arrogant and desperate a few years ago—no, even before that. I believed myself to be superior, not bowing my head to others. I was always desperate to prove myself, to show that I was more than just a kid." She shook her head in painful reminiscence, a self-deprecating smile on her lips. "I only ended up becoming a fool, and the world has a habit of humbling us when we believe ourselves to be infallible."

Her words pierced through me, the meaning behind her message all too clear. I knew exactly what she was referring to, the vivid bitterness in my mouth at reality's cruelty just as fresh as the day it had forced it down my throat. However, her existence wasn't as accursed as mine, and it made me all the more curious about her.

Despite not delving into the memories buried within that staff of hers, I was slowly starting to piece together the fragments of her past. They were fleeting, almost imperceptible, but each interaction, each carefully chosen word—not because she was trying to hide something but because she was particular about what she said—each subtle shift in her expression offered small glimpses into the enigma that was Roxy Migurdia.

In a way, this type of understanding was far more genuine than the one I usually experienced—the difference between knowing and understanding.

It was… satisfying, and wave of inexplicable feelings washed over me. How strange… when was the last time I had felt anything like it?

Flashes of five people raced through my head, and I realized that asking such a question was the height of stupidity. I already knew the answer; I was simply in denial about what was in front of me.

Roxy let out a small sigh. "Well, I'll spare you the stories. I'm sure you already get the idea. They're nothing more than the foolishness of youth, after all."

"I…" My mouth opened, but the words died in my throat.

How strange—when I stared down a sea of monsters, such an emotion never crossed my mind, but it was only when in a conversation with this woman that trepidation stayed my words.

"…Even still, I would like to hear them." Each heartbeat thumped against my chest, hammering against the walls around it, and despite knowing full well the consequences, I found myself swept up in its quiet yet insistent rhythm.

I was being greedy, indulging in a selfishness that bordered dangerously close to arrogance. The rational mind knew just where this road would lead to. Just as Icarus had strayed too close to the sun, I had scaled the unassailable peaks of the mountains that were my ideals and had fallen back down to earth.

However, the heart was a weak, feeble thing, and the ghosts of my ideals, ones I had tried to bury with my own hands, refused to stay silent.

"… I see. I'll be sure to tell them to you some day." Roxy turned away bashfully, but I could see the hints of a small smile on her lips and a slight crimson hue on her cheeks. Unfortunately, the scene only lasted for a few moments before Roxy snapped to attention. "Oh, before I forget, I should treat your wounds first."

A small hand placed itself on my chest, and I barely had time to raise an eyebrow before a soothing sensation stemmed from the appendage and flowing through my body.

"Healing."

"A shortened incantation," I noted.

The spell seemed to be the same as the one Zenith had cast on me when I was younger when I had accidentally bruised my head. Just like back then, golden light and speckles showered us, and I could feel the broken parts of my body knitting itself back together. However, perhaps it was just the sheer difference in magical energy, but Roxy's spell seemed different. If Zenith's magical energy had been like liquid sunlight, Roxy's energy would be comparable to icy moonlight, and yet paradoxically, it was warmer than Zenith's. I could feel the cool warmth spreading into every crack and crevice of my body, quickly replacing the damaged tissue and bone.

What was undeniable was the sheer gap in potency between the two spells. The intensity of the icy heat flooding through me was far greater than what I had felt from Zenith back then, and the speed at which the spell worked was impressive.

After a few seconds, the stem of healing stopped, and I withheld the whine of disappointment from leaving my mouth. During the entire process, I had inadvertently closed my eyes to better focus on the sensations permeating throughout my body. Moonlight greeted me as I opened my eyes, along with a pair of cerulean orbs lazily blinking open.

Roxy let out a groan, withdrawing her hand as she stretched. "How strange. I've heard that the feeling of healing magic was quite pleasant to some people, but to think that it would be mutual…" she trailed off.

"Was that not typical?" I asked.

Roxy shook her head. "No, it's never like that. That was a first for me. I'm curious on what sparked it." Her eyes fluttered over to meet mine. "Your magical energy… it's warm, by the way."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks…?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "When I first felt your energy, it felt completely different. There was an… edge to it, like a sword to my throat. However, just now, when I dug deeper, what I felt was nothing like that…"

"… What was it like?"

Her features twisted into an expression of confusion. "I'm not sure… It's hard to describe. There was so much to take in. I could hardly process it all."

I wasn't surprised. After all, Tohsaka and Saber had said similar things.

Her eyes lingered upon me before landing upon the stacks of flesh and bone still piled high around us, and Roxy let out an exasperated sigh, as if she was disappointed. "Unfortunately for now, I should probably deal with this mess first. Please follow me."

Roxy started walking towards the edge of the clearing, myself right beside her. When we were just a few steps inside the forest proper, she turned towards the clearing, her staff pointed towards it. "If you're ever going to do something like this again, please make sure to dispose of the corpses properly. Not doing so can result in more monsters and perhaps some more mutations as well." I felt her magical energy shift and wane, though perhaps far less than I anticipated, and then I felt a sudden rush of heat engulf me. A bright light emanated from the tip of Roxy's staff, and I covered my eyes with my arm as I looked away. The heat intensified as a wave of wind almost sent me off my feet, but I felt something—Roxy's free arm—catch and gently guide me away and behind the woman.

In her shadow, I was able to see clearly what was happening—a giant ball of crimson fire, one almost as big as the woman herself, hovered in the air above her staff. Its flames flickered and violently licked at the surrounding area, and the heat from it threatened to almost cook me alive. However, Roxy stood unperturbed, her cloak fluttering dazzlingly in the buffeting winds as her silhouette shielded me from the harsh light. Her posture was still relaxed as she continued to softly hold me back.

"Flamethrower."

Her body sharply recoiled as her uttered the name of the spell, and a jet of flames spewed from her staff and towards the large mass of bloody bodies in the clearing. The odor of burning flesh intensified as the center of the clearing ignited into a sea of flames, swallowing the dead monsters whole.

Without skipping a beat, Roxy turned her staff towards the ground, and then I felt a faint rumbling.

"Earth wall."

Almost instantly, a giant mass of earth erupted from the ground, forming a large wall that eclipsed even the trees towering over us. It traced the outline of the clearing, spanning dozens of meters in length and separating us from the burning bodies on its other side.

"Let's go. I still need to completely close off this area." Roxy circled around the clearing, reaching the part where her previous wall did not reach before repeating the exact same process of casting a fire spell and then enclosing the area. She repeated the process a few more times, and I could only watch in curiosity at her application of this world's magecraft.

How interesting. If her earlier words were to be believed, then this level of technique could be considered near the top of what was possible in this world. In that case, it would have been more apt to compare her to someone like Tohsaka or even Caster, though I highly doubt that even someone like Roxy could contend with the Servant of the Spell.

"Done. By morning, everything inside should be ashes," Roxy said as she looked at the giant cage she had built, smoke still wafting in the air.

Well, making the clearing into some sort of makeshift kiln to contain the incineration process and not burn the forest was definitely unexpected, but I couldn't fault the results since it didn't take long, and Roxy didn't even look particularly winded, the mage as prim and dignified as when I first saw her.

"There are going to be a lot of ashes," I pointed out. "Wouldn't that cause problems if they get scattered?"

"Oh?" Roxy pondered for a bit. "Ah, now that I think about it, the ashes still have residual amounts of mana in them in addition to whatever caused them to mutate in the first place. There's a chance it can get into the soil and water and cause even more problems." She frowned and rubbed her temples as an exasperated sigh left her lips. "Normally it's not a problem but with this many… I suppose I'll need to use a wind spell to gather all the ashes into a box of some kind and bury it somewhere."

Wind too… it seemed like elemental magic was her specialty.

"Well, it shouldn't be difficult. Thank you for being astute. Admittedly, I've never had to deal with such a large quantity of monsters before. This was almost a grave oversight on my part."

"It's nothing. I just thought it made sense."

Roxy looked at me for a few more moments before she started walking away from the clearing. "You mentioned you have a partner, right?"

"I do," I said, walking next to her. "He should be safe. I diverted the monsters away from him."

She paused. "That pulse of strange energy, that was you then?" I nodded, and Roxy looked like she wanted to chide me. "A reckless plan, though I can't quite fault the results," she conceded. "Would your partner happen to be an elven man by any chance?"

"He is."

"I found him earlier while I was investigating the area. He passed out shortly after escaping the monsters. He was quite injured, so I applied some healing magic and placed him in a safe area before coming here," Roxy said. "As for your little stunt, I could immediately sense there was something off about your magical energy, but to think that it would also attract monsters… I have a few theories, but I would need more time to confirm them," Roxy quietly muttered to herself.

I mentally raised an eyebrow on what exactly she meant by that last part, but if she was anything like the other magi in my life, then there was only one thing it could mean. Tohsaka and Illyasviel already had their fair share of trying to dissect my magecraft, and I had suffered many hours at their hands as they endlessly hypothesized and experimented about the boundaries and mechanics of my abilities. It was one of the few times the two magi were not constantly bickering and the only thing they were ever able to see eye to eye on.

"You have quite a wistful smile," Roxy noted as she quickly glanced towards me.

"Err… sorry?"

She coughed. "Ah, my apologies, I didn't mean it like that." She turned away from me, but the residual blush on her cheeks remained. "I was simply making a statement. You had a similar look earlier as well. It's only our first meeting, but I can tell you don't express yourself much, do you?"

"Damn Emiya, you don't smile much, do you?"

I rolled my eyes at the girl's words. "I'll smile when there's something to smile about."

Ayako looked at me questioningly before she let out an exasperated sigh and gave me a wry smile. "Only you would think that, Emiya," she said before catching up to me and wrapping herself around my arm. "Come on, just like this!" Her lips were spread wide, proudly showing off her shining teeth.

I raised an eyebrow. "And this doesn't have anything to do with Tohsaka?"

Ayako's smile disappeared in an instant as she sputtered embarrassedly. "N-No way, I'm way better than her!"

I scoffed. "I never mentioned anything about being better," I pointed out, my expression remaining neutral as I watched the girl turn into a sputtering mess.

"No, I suppose I don't," I answered. Roxy stared at me for a few more seconds before accepting my response.

Our walk continued in silence for several more minutes after, but much like how I had felt with Sylphiette, the silence was not so much awkward as it was calm and comfortable. The natural bustles of the forest had returned by now, the animals that had fled earlier now returning. Birds softly chirped, blending into a melodious song as faint gusts of wind whistled throughout the forest.

I peered at the woman beside me. Her gaze was fixated straight ahead, but judging from their cloudy gaze, her eyes were clearly planted towards other matters than simply leading me back to Laws. However, while there were very faint hints of wariness in her eyes, it was clear that those orbs that had cast such a heavy weight upon me had softened considerably, and the rigid posture and tense shoulders that had betrayed her guarded demeanor had disappeared by now. The icy edge of her voice, which had sent chills down my spine moments ago, had now thawed considerably, leaving behind a cool cadence that paradoxically radiated a soothing and pleasant warmth.

She was taking this entire night in stride, I noticed, despite the rather… interesting introduction we had. Had Zenith or Paul been the one to stumble onto the scene from earlier, there was little chance that they would have accepted what was so suddenly thrust into their faces as easily as Roxy had.

"We're here," Roxy said, her voice snapping me out of my thoughts. We were standing near the foot of a small mountain, one of the few in the area before the land turned into a larger mountain range up north. It was faint and hard to see in the darkness, but I could see a streak of red on the slope of the mountain, coming down to the forest floor before stopping at what looked like a small earthen dome. Small slits dotted the structure like makeshift windows, but I could not see any kind of entrance or exit.

"I left him in here," Roxy said. "Your signal attracted all the monsters nearby, but it's better to be cautious in situations like this." The woman gentle prodded the dirt hut with the butt of her staff. "It's sturdy enough to withstand a few attacks from some Assault Dogs, but ultimately I just needed something to hide him out of sight while I investigated the disturbance." She finished her explanation by pointedly looking at me, but there was no real heat behind her gaze.

"You… put him in a house…?"

"Unless you preferred that I left him in the open?"

"I… nevermind." I couldn't fault her logic, but I still found it somewhat ridiculous.

"Icicle edge." I stepped to the side as a circle of chilling ice materialized in front of Roxy's lowered staff. It was like a buzzsaw, my hair fluttering in the wind as her magic drew in the air around it. I blankly watched as she released the spell, the blue disc slicing clean through one side of the dome.

Actually, maybe it was just her.

The separated wall crumbled to the ground, and I stepped forward to peer into the now opened shelter.

Inside, curled up into a ball on the opposite wall was Laws. The man had definitely seen better days. His clothes were tattered and stained, bearing as silent witnesses to a recent brutal encounter. Yet his skin, visible through the tears in his garments, showed no fresh wounds or bruises—Roxy's doing, I presumed—the flesh as new and plump as a freshly born baby's.

His chest rose and fell in a deep, even rhythm, quiet exhales echoing into the night. His face was oddly relaxed, whatever dreams he had conjured whisking him away to a blissful sleep. A part of me was inclined to let the man be; he had fought hard tonight, and interrupting the serene scene in front of almost seemed like a crime. Unfortunately, there were certain things that had to be done, and I had to let Laws save some face with his current display.

"It seems like he's recovering quite well," Roxy said, peering over my shoulder at the man.

Well, there was no use in delaying further.

I walked over to the man, my small height allowing me to stand in the small area, and I gently prodded his leg with my foot.

The man let out a small grunt but did not wake, and I took that as my cue to use a bit more force, enough to softly shake the man.

One eye lazily opened, its companion soon joining it as they slowly blinked in sync. His torso groggily rose, his head craning upwards to look at the one who had interrupted his slumber, and he dumbly stared at me for a second before panning over to look over my shoulder at Roxy who leaned against the frame of the opening. His gaze then returned back to me, his face blank while his mouth hung agape like a fish's.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Laws," I said, then cocked my head to the side questioningly. "I trust your nap was refreshing?"

He blinked once, then twice, and then limply leaned back against the wall behind him. His eyes darted towards Roxy again, then to the bright moon hanging in the sky, then back to me, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he finally processed just where he was and what he had been doing.

Then, he found the words to express the situation.

"Ah shit."

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A/N: We're back to our regularly scheduled philosophical and monologuing yap. This is only the first half to what was supposed to be Ch10 but apparently most people have a hard time digesting 15k words in one chapter. I'll release Ch11 in like a few hours and then the following chapters in the coming weeks. More detailed author's note in Ch11.

There's also one place I think I was supposed to place more text. I swear I can't find it but if you guys find it, let me know.