Emiya Shirou descended once again down the stone staircase that led to the underground dungeon beneath the abandoned church in the city. After the demons had rescued Asia, he bid farewell to the Gremory group and under the pretext of "one last task to do", he went back down. They, in turn, took the former nun with them to answer all her questions and tell her about what had happened.

As he descended the stairs, Shirou tried to understand if he had made the right decision. At his desperate request, the girl had been turned into a demon. The very thing that, according to the teachings of the church, she should hate and despise above all else. However, at that time he couldn't ask her, so he had to make a decision based on his own principles. And Shirou valued life above all else and hated others' suffering. For him, the choice was obvious and justified. And if, in the end, Asia couldn't live like this, he could always use the Rule Breaker to break the master-servant contract.

A servant.

This word reminded Shirou of many things. Suddenly, he became curious. If Asia became a heroic spirit and entered the throne of heroes, which class would she be assigned to? Definitely not a Caster, her level was far from it. Maybe... a Supporter? Yes, if only such a servant class existed. Although, someone like Medea successfully enhanced Kuzuki's body and reflexes, turning him into a skilled close combat fighter, capable of competing even with other servants.

Pondering this, Emiya returned to the ceremonial hall, which was now covered in the lifeless bodies of exorcists and bladed weapons. Numerous mutilated bodies, the stench of blood, and the floor resembling holed cheese. And he caused all of this. He killed dozens to save three. Wasn't this what Archer had warned him about? That in pursuit of his own ideals, he would end up becoming a common murderer?

"I have no regrets. This is just one path among many," he thought.

Right. He knew from the beginning that he couldn't save everyone. However, he had decided to pursue this dream to the end. Even if someone suffered because of the decisions he made, he wouldn't regret it, no matter what happened. His path had always been woven out of blades.

After observing the room filled with corpses and steel, Shirou continued on. He passed through this bloody battlefield; his current objective was an inconspicuous room. Reaching the door, he pushed it open and entered. The room was rather dim, lined with gray bricks and illuminated by a single light bulb, greeting him with a profound silence. Each of the three walls had two steel grilles, enchanted with magic (as his eyes suggested), one of which was completely broken.

"Detention cells," Emiya thought and heard a strange rustling coming from the first cell on the left. He approached the steel bars.

"Here you are," he sighed with relief and smiled slightly. In the corner of the cell, two pairs of surprised eyes stared at him.

"You did show up after all. I suppose the commotion outside was your doing?" one of the fallen angels, Kalawarna, asked. While she spoke, Shirou spotted the keys and took them from the wall.

"Yes, we can leave this place. There's no one left here," the key went into the keyhole. There was a click. Magical circles lit up on the lock, and then it opened and fell to the floor. The cell was now unlocked.

When the fallen angels finally emerged outside, Shirou saw her. The one for whom he initiated this entire rescue mission, the one who left him by the fountain on that late evening without explaining anything, the one who got into trouble to help him, the one he so desperately wanted to save. Amano Yuma, or Raynare.

He looked at her…

"Well, I've saved you," he said, and felt a sense of relief. Raynare had a rather complex expression on her face.

"Why? Now everything will only get more complicated. You didn't have to come. You could have walked away from this story, but you chose to get even more entangled. Why did you come?" she demanded, staring at him with intensity. Shirou became serious and replied:

"Did you want me to leave you to be torn apart and run away? Sorry, but I'll never do that. It's not the path I've always wanted to take."

"They won't leave you alone! Kokabiel needs your head, and he won't stop until he achieves his goal!"

"So am I. To be a target in an unrelated to me conflict? To defeat a superior enemy? To endure any trial? Unfortunately or fortunately, I'm used to it."

"But still, why?" she wasn't satisfied with the answer. Shirou simply came to help someone who needed him. He didn't think too much about the reasons. However, if she needed at least one reason, he would provide it.

"I won't say that everything started just because of that," the young man awkwardly scratched his head. "but still, you were my first girlfriend."

Raynare didn't expect such an answer. With her mouth slightly open, she stared at the guy, trying to figure out how to react to his words. On one hand, she was very pleased. During all the time she spent in the human world, she hadn't encountered such a display of courage and nobility. Most of those she interacted with were deceitful and cowardly. They had no inclination for self-sacrifice for others. On the contrary, they always wanted either to harm others or elevate themselves without shying away from dirty methods. In short - humans. Initially, she thought that Shirou was no different from the others. Exactly until the ability "judge" kicked in, and the fallen one saw fragments of his memories.

On the other hand, she was displeased with Shirou for acting so recklessly despite all her efforts. Even back in the park, she had been surprised to find herself wanting to protect him, to shield him from the new battle that was bound to happen if he went searching for fallen angels. After using her innate ability, the girl instinctively knew that he had faced many battles. But everything had happened exactly the opposite way. She didn't save him; he saved her. And he didn't care about the consequences. To some extent, Raynare even knew why.

"We can discuss this later. Right now, I really want to leave these irritating gray walls and get some fresh air," Kalawarna chimed in, feeling oppressed by the cells she had seen during her imprisonment.

"Mmm, I agree," her sister supported her.

Shirou also wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, so he agreed as well. The trio made their way to the surface.

Naturally, they had to pass through the ceremonial hall again on their way. The sight amazed the girls, but they remained silent. It was a hall of death, as one could call it. Kalawarna was now convinced that she had underestimated the mage who walked ahead of them, and acting like it was entirely natural for him to walk past the still warm bodies of exorcists as if it were commonplace. Raynare was surprised that Shirou could indeed kill to save someone.

Blades stuck in the ground clearly demonstrated it.

Finally leaving the building, Kalawarna took a deep breath of the cool, refreshing night air. Shirou considered it a signal and turned to them, voicing his thoughts:

"So, what do you intend to do next?"

After a few minutes of contemplation, Kalawarna decided to answer:

"We'll head to our apartments; our path is already set. It's only a matter of time before Kokabiel figures out what happened here and sends his minions. Therefore, we need to lay low." She then looked at the guy with interest, but Shirou shook his head in response.

"My home was burned to the ground, so that's not an option."

"Understood," her expression shifted to one of guilt. "But one way or another, we need shelter. I have a couple of contacts on the side, and we need to check on them. I wouldn't leave the city, though. It's under Gremory's control, which means it'll be extremely difficult for Grigori to operate here. All this time, Ray and I managed to hide from her fairly well, and it shouldn't become a problem."

"Don't worry, I will talk to her. After all, it's worth a try. I'm sure she won't track you down. After all, she already helped me."

"And even more." Emiya remembered Asia's resurrection.

"You joined forces with demons to save fallen angels? Whoever you will tell this to - they will laugh." Kalawarna allowed herself a light chuckle. "You're really very strange."

"He didn't call demons just for us, did he?" Raynare finally spoke, addressing Shirou. "In all this chaos, I completely forgot about a healer they sent to us from the Vatican."

"Ah, right. Then that explains a lot. Knowing you, you probably saved her too."

"No." Shirou looked up at the night sky, his mind replaying recent events. "Rias did it."

"So the girl was resurrected?"

"Yeah." the boy replied.

"What an irony."

"I'm in shock myself."

After standing in silence, the girls exchanged glances, and then the older of the sisters nudged Raynare in the side. She, as if waking up, approached Shirou.

"Thank you for saving us." the girl thanked him sincerely, which left the boy feeling awkward.

"You don't need to thank me." he said curtly, looking away. It wasn't the kind of response he had for providing food or helping around the house, which he took quite normally. He always had trouble with such heartfelt gratitude. It felt awkward. Why did they even need to thank him? He would have come and saved her anyway, as well as anyone else he could. Wouldn't anyone else have done the same in his place?

For him, the greatest gratitude was the act of saving itself. There was no need to say "thank you." Because it felt like he didn't deserve it.

That's why one magus girl called him distorted.

While Shirou was lost in thought, he didn't notice the strange look that Raynare gave him. However, it quickly disappeared.

"It's time, Ray," Kalawarna said. There was no need to stay here and admire the ruined church. It was time to say goodbye. She turned her gaze back to the young mage. "Emiya Shirou, I don't know if we'll meet again, but I want you to know that thanks to you, my so-called sister is alive and well. So I'm grateful, and you can always count on our help. Thank you."

Raynare approached closely, and before Shirou could react, she kissed him on the cheek. His mouth opened as if to say something, but without listening to him, the fallen whispered "see you soon" and stepped back a few steps, turning towards the city. Spreading their raven wings, the girls took to the sky and disappeared behind the nearest clouds, leaving a few black feathers on the ground, so Shirou could no longer track their movements with his magical sight.

"Good luck," Emiya said and, his eyes catching the fallen feathers, he pondered for a moment. Then, picking up one of them as a memento, he headed in the direction of his… no longer existing home.

"It seems that I'll have to go and ask Gremory for a place to stay for the night," he sighed. He didn't want to burden her with his presence, but if he went anywhere else, he would undoubtedly face unwanted questions, which he couldn't allow. The magical side of this world had to remain a secret to ordinary people.

Having made that decision for himself, he marched towards the occult club.

"Akeno," Rias, seated in her chair in the semi-darkness, greeted her friend and strongest figure. "How is Asia Argento doing?"

"Shocked." she replied briefly, closing the door behind her and approaching the table. "Which, in fact, is not surprising. Right now Kiba and Koneko are briefing her. I think she'll be fine. I feel she's a strong girl."

"Is that so? Yes, you're probably right. Even though she came as a surprise, she will be an excellent addition to our group. And it's not just about her sacred gear. I think she has an inner strength or a strong will."

"Exactly." the queen confirmed and glanced conspiratorially at the crimson-haired girl. In the end, both girls smiled in anticipation. "You're dying to learn what happened, am I right?"

"Absolutely right. Come on, don't keep me waiting. What did you see?"

Himejima sat down and settled more comfortably in the leather seat. She began recalling, in the smallest details, their joint raid on the fallen angel church with Emiya. Gathering her thoughts, Akeno began her report:

"Emiya Shirou's abilities are quite impressive, though not entirely understandable to me. Among his physical capabilities, I noted superhuman characteristics that allow him to fight on par, at least, with reborn mid-level devils. High proficiency in wielding dual swords. I couldn't fully assess his speed and endurance, but based on the available information, I assume they are at the level of a rook."

"Interesting." Gremory pondered thoughtfully. "And his magic?"

"It's a bit more complicated. High-level Mana manipulation, magical transformations, creating objects from pure energy, strengthening the structure of objects and his own body, as well as matter manipulation. In addition, I couldn't figure out how exactly he does his magic. The flow of mana in his body remained a mystery to me.

"He creates the matter from Mana?! What is he, Archmage?" Rias was literally jaw-dropped by such news. She had never heard of such magic and wasn't even sure of its existence until this moment.

"That's not even the most shocking part," Akeno said it so seriously that even Gremory was slightly scared, but after a second, she composed herself and prepared to continue. "Rias, he can copy Sacred Gears."

A hush fell over the room. Himejima decided to give her friend some time to process the new information. After all, at the beginning, she had the exact same reaction.

"What can he... do?" she asked again.

"You didn't mishear me. He can create an exact replica of a divine artifact given to humans by the biblical God."

"Incredible," the girl said, absentmindedly looking at the table. "I can't believe it."

"Me neither. You understand what will happen if they find out about this?"

"All those interested in such power will flock to this city. Chaos will ensue, and a small-scale local war is not out of the question," the devilless quickly deduced.

"It's best to temporarily forget about this information."

"Information? What information?" Rias feigned surprise, indicating that the topic was now closed.

"By the way, I think we should prepare for the arrival of guests in the near future," Akeno smiled.

"Are we expecting someone?"

"Of course. I'm sure Shirou-kun is already on his way here. Consider it: his house is completely destroyed, he has no relatives or close acquaintances in the city, and no money for a hotel, either. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary attention, he has no choice but to ask us."

"Hmm, I think you're right. Something needs to be done about this. I actually have an idea. Oh, if only he became my servant..."

"And then what?"

"Then I would have a chance. A chance to avoid that inevitable fate. Time is running out."

"A body of swords..." Akeno murmured mysteriously after a while.

POV Shirou. The next morning.

"We're counting on you, senpai," Murayama and her deputy, Katase, cheered me on as I sat inspecting the malfunctioning air conditioner. The summer was in full swing, mercilessly bestowing its warmth upon us. The kendo club girls were suffering from this severe temperature. With dozens of pairs of pleading and hopeful eyes before me, I couldn't refuse to help. Nor did I intend to. And hardly anyone could, seeing such a sight.

"Alright, all of you, scram. I need to concentrate," I uttered, unable to withstand so many attentive gazes scrutinizing my every move.

"Oh, sorry," Murayama realized and then turned to the kendo girls. "Did you all hear? Off to the dojo, get practicing! Quick, quick!"

As the girls swiftly left the teacher's office, I once again fell into thought.

Last night, when I went to Gremory and explained my situation, she gladly took me in and assigned one of the vacant rooms in the occult research club building to me. On top of that, she immediately announced that starting next week, from the ground up, they'd build an entirely new house for me. Honestly, upon hearing those... news, I almost collapsed right where I stood. Supposedly, it was compensation for the oversight with the fallen and simultaneously a reward for bringing a new member to their family — Asia. After that, an infernal argument erupted, lasting until the early hours. I adamantly didn't want to accept such a gift, while Gremory, on her part, was absolutely unwilling to yield to me.

The outcome: I surrendered.

Sometimes, it's just better to agree when they try to reward you, even if you don't want it. They simply feel compelled to do it, and you can't persuade them otherwise. Usually, I would just stand my ground... but this time, it didn't work out. And how on earth are they going to construct a full house from scratch entirely legally in just one week?!

Ugh, when did my life become so unpredictable? Anyway, other problems aside. When I work, nothing should distract me.

"Trace on," a gunshot echoed in my head. My magic circuits activated, and I began infusing the object with mana, detecting flaws and malfunctions.

Ah, the contacts on one of the wires came loose. What a nostalgic feeling. I'll fix this quickly.

It was already noon when I brought the repaired air conditioner back to the kendo club. After hearing various expressions of gratitude, I returned to class for the remaining lessons. After classes, I'll have to search for Kuro. I have no idea where she might be right now, and I'm worried.

And when the lessons finally ended, I went to find that troublesome cat, but on the way out of the building, I bumped into some old acquaintances.

"Hello, Sona-san, Tsubaki-san," I greeted the two girls who were quietly chatting by the window.

The current president of the student council, Sona Sitri, and her deputy, Tsubaki Shinra. The two girls who stand at the forefront for all the other girls at Kuoh Academy ever since it became a co-ed institution. Very decent and well-mannered, they staunchly uphold the peace in the Academy and don't tolerate rule-breakers. We quickly found common ground.

"And hello to you too, Emiya-kun. As always, you don't refuse to help anyone? The kendo club girls have already told me everything. They are very pleased. Thank you," Sona greeted me, while Tsukaki bowed in silence.

"It was a trivial matter. No need for thanks."

"Still, you've helped us more than once. As much as I'd like to, I can't just use the finances as I please. We'd have problems if you didn't lend a hand."

"Problems? Like a well-fed occult research club?"

"Exactly," the girl smiled slightly, but I felt no joy from her.

"By the way, can I ask you directly, Sona?"

"Of course," she became serious again.

"You and the entire student council, you're devils from the underworld too, aren't you?"

Sonna just nodded, and the wary Tsukaki turned and left for the student council office. The devilless, adjusting her glasses, her lenses gleaming, returned to gazing out the window.

"You figured it out quite quickly."

"Rias mentioned that you've been friends since childhood, anyone in my shoes could piece the facts together."

"Yes, you're right, Emiya Shirou," she said with a cold smile. "I am indeed a devil. Allow me to introduce myself again, Sona Sitri, a pureblood demon of the Sitri clan and heir of the clan. And as you've correctly noted, the student council members are my reincarnated pieces."

"Now it's clear where you get the strength to deal with tons of paperwork every day without getting tired."

The girl hesitated, then chuckled softly into her fist.

"I'm introducing myself properly here, and he doesn't react at all. Quite amusing!"

"Well, sorry for not fully appreciating your grandeur, mademoiselle President."

"So, what do you intend to do, knowing that there are so many devil in this Academy, mage?" she asked with interest.

"Nothing. It seems like you care about the students and don't steal their souls. I won't get in your way."

"Understood, that's good. Then I have a request for you, Emiya-kun. Will you listen?"

"Of course."

"It concerns Rias. You see, I've been her friend for a long time and I wish her all the best. But due to certain circumstances, she can't find her happiness, at least not right now. So, she might need help soon. Your help, Shirou. So here's my request: when the time comes, please help her," she asked quite seriously. For some reason, I understood that my answer at this moment would determine a lot. Perhaps not now or tomorrow, but definitely in the future. Either way, even if Rias Gremory is not human but a devil, if she needs help, I will put all my strength into helping her. That's how it has always been. That's how I follow my ideals.

"I'll do just that. I promise I will definitely help her," I replied.

Sona stared at my face for a few seconds and, apparently understanding something for herself, said satisfactorily, "Now I can rest easy. Remember your promise, Shirou."

In the last four days, I haven't found a single trace of Kuro. It's as if she disappeared into thin air. I shouldn't have let her go back then; maybe it would have turned out differently. Now, I cant stop thinking about it. I hope she's okay. Of course, I won't give up on the search.

Entering the club building and heading to the second floor, I found Rias and Asia in the office, sipping tea and having a pleasant conversation. My arrival didn't go unnoticed.

"Hello, Shirou-san," Asia greeted cheerfully.

"Good to see you, Emiya-kun," Rias followed suit.

"Hello, everyone," I replied, pouring myself some tea and casually asking, "How are things going for you now, Asia?"

"Everything is going great! A couple of days ago, I started my first duties. Right now, I'm just handing out flyers, but President Rias says that soon I'll be able to take contracts on my own. Oh God, my sinful heart, OW!" Asia reported cheerfully, grabbing her head playfully, and Rias grimaced.

"You're a devil now," Rias and I both noted simultaneously.

The former nun stared thoughtfully at the floor.

"Yes, indeed. I became a devil. I could never have predicted such a turn in my life."

"Do you regret it?" I asked. I really wanted to hear the girl's answer. "If yes, just say it. I can break the master-servant contract and make you human again."

Upon hearing such a statement, Rias almost choked on her tea. Clearing her throat, she looked at me with extreme suspicion. It was evident that she was pondering something. But that didn't matter. The main thing was that I delivered this news to Asia. Whether to believe me or not, it would be her own choice.

"Emiya-kun, I'm sorry, but that's impossible. You can't extract the evil pieces from the body of an already converted devil. Such magic hasn't even been developed. Besides, you don't seem like a scholarly wizard with cutting-edge knowledge."

"If I understand anything about magic, I can confidently state that there's nothing impossible for it. There's only what's yet to be found and studied," I reassured the girls. In my old world, such a phenomenon was True Magic. More precisely, its five manifestations. These magics are the result of those who reached Akasha in that world. The ability to do the impossible—that is the miracle called True Magic.

"I have no regrets, Shirou-san. On the contrary, I am grateful to you. You shed tears for my sake. So, no matter who I am, the important thing is that I can be by your side," the blonde smiled radiantly.

"I see. By the way, I see the uniform of our Academy on you. Are you planning to transfer here?"

"Yes, my father has a certain influence here, so there were no problems," Rias replied on behalf of Asia. "And in connection with this, I would like you to join our club and look after her, Shirou."

"Join your club?"

"Of course, as a regular member of the club. It's not an attempt at recruitment or anything similar, we just take responsibility for those we've tamed," she said with a satisfied smile, this... manipulator. Damn, and now I can't refuse, she even gave me a house. Even though it was for a task, it feels like I've fallen into her web of intrigue and machinations. And that satisfied look directed at me. Just like Rin's expression when she managed to really get under Luvia's skin. I don't like where it is going. But since I've gotten involved, I'll see it through with my head held high.

"Alright, alright, you convinced me. I'll join."

"Excellent!" the red-haired one unexpectedly rejoiced warmly, quite in contrast to Asia, who was quietly pleased.

What have I gotten myself into?

"Did Lancer manage to pass on a bit of his famous luck to you across worlds, partner?"

"Damn... Ddraig! Don't you dare, do you hear me, don't you EVER joke like that again! You got it?! You don't joke about things like that!"

"Ha-ha-ha! Of course, of course, partner. If that were true, the city would experience a catastrophe! Not just one!"

Stupid lizard!

As promised, two days later, I officially joined the occult research club. In addition to celebrating it with the whole group and a cake (Koneko's eyes were shining brighter than anyone's were), it was on this occasion that Rias finally decided to show me my new house. I still didn't entirely want things to go in this direction, but my conscience was insisting that I needed a place to live. It seems the girl genuinely wants to make amends and not just win me over for her own purposes. However, as before, I'm not entirely sure.

"I'm sure you'll like it," they cheerfully reassured me as we walked the familiar path. Having covered the entire way from the Academy to here in twenty minutes, we only had to pass one more house, and my own would be right before my eyes.

"Here we are," I said, turning the corner and... falling into a stupor and dropping my jaw along with the remnants of my common sense!

"Why are you standing there, Emiya-kun? Come on in, after all, it's now your domain," she emphasized the last word with importance. I could swear I heard her chuckle as she walked ahead.

However, realization hit me like a chilling wind. Where my home used to be, there were now large stone walls with wooden cladding and a roof. In the middle of the wall, steel gates were visible. A sudden suspicion invaded my mind as if it were a brilliant idea. I had to confirm this suspicion at any cost.

I dashed towards the gates, passing the devilless, whose face briefly displayed a half-smile. She had given me the keys in advance, so I immediately unlocked the door and swung it open.

I couldn't believe my eyes. A cobblestone path leading to the entrance, a small garden to the right of the door, and of course, green grass spreading across the designated area. A sudden memory pierced my head.

"Look, Shirou. Now, this is our new home, isn't it beautiful?" Kiritsugu asked me, unloading bags on the veranda and surveying the estate. He was clearly pleased with his purchase.

"Yes, it's a nice house," I agreed, running my hand along one of the support beams. There was a feeling that the house held a rather intriguing history. It was as if it were alive.

"You know, I couldn't decide between this one and the stone villa in the suburbs right up to the last moment. So, I'm glad you like it. It has a garden and even a dojo if you want to practice. Of course, swords aren't my main specialization, but I do have some knowledge in that area."

"Then, teach me, old man."

What I saw was a house in the old Japanese style. It was almost an exact copy of the Emiya estate.

"What's wrong, Shirou?" Rias' voice brought me back from the memories that had already gathered dust in my subconscious. After a couple of deep breaths, I managed to overcome the lingering shock. The adrenaline was subsiding, and now I could speak normally again.

"Tell me, Rias. How did you choose this house for me?" I asked, desperately trying to hold back a few tears.

"To be honest, I didn't know exactly what to choose. But Sona came to the rescue and gave me some advice. She claimed that she had seen you looking through real estate listings more than once, and it was buildings like this that piqued your interest more than others did. As you can see, it worked out."

"Ah," was all I could manage to say, still not fully grasping the extent of my amazement. I had indeed occasionally browsed those magazines, pondering how I might someday afford my own estate. Just a distant aspiration. And now, such a turn of events.

"So? Shall we go inside?" she confidently suggested.

"Yes, let's go!" I finally smiled and went to open the entrance to the living room. It's a shame that Raynare and Kalawarna aren't aware of this little event. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have offered them temporary shelter until things settled.

But one way or another, I know that they're both fine, wherever they are now, and they can take care of themselves. I don't know exactly how fate will unfold, but I hope we'll meet again.

I entered the hallway, took off my shoes, and headed for the kitchen. Rias followed my actions like a shadow. First, I'll check the utensils and the refrigerator. The door smoothly glided to the side, and...

"Oh, hi, Shirou! Long time no see!" a familiar feminine voice echoed throughout the kitchen.

"Huh?" My brain suddenly stopped processing incoming information. In other words, I was utterly stunned.

Resting right on the zabuton, dressed in ultra-short denim shorts and a slightly oversized white tank top, switching channels on the TV and propping her head with her hand, was Raynare.