Chapter 1: Confrontation
"Yawn..." Emiya Shirou found himself yawning during lessons again. The sleep deprivation was already taking its toll on him, the bags below his eyes could no longer be ignored.
He had spent all the night looking for any trace that would lead him to the lair of whoever created those chimeras, but his efforts bore no fruit. The only dead body he conserved, the little familiar, wasn't of much help as there wasn't any trace left of its connection to its master.
That's why he decided to take a more direct approach. But he would wait for this night. A quick nap, once he returns home, should be enough to recover energy and be able to perform at his 100% for tonight's hunt. Their minions weren't much of a threat to him, but if what he was going to face was this world's equivalent of a magus, he must be cautious.
It wouldn't be the first time he goes to confront a magus, and it turned out that they had rejected their humanity and had become a dead apostle.
With his mind focused on the upcoming battle, lessons went by without him noticing. The bell announcing the beginning of lunchtime rang, and as usual, Shirou took his homemade bento and walked out of the classroom to head to the rooftop.
Unlike yesterday, no one approached him. He would have sighed relieved, if he didn't notice a pair of eyes stuck in his back as he walked through the hallways.
Someone was watching him, and they weren't doing a good job hiding their presence. After giving his "stalker" a sideways glance, he was able to confirm his identity. And it brought really bad news.
Shirou could just ignore him and pretend to be completely oblivious to his poorly attempt of spying on him. But, it was so obvious that doing so would make him look suspicious to the real spy.
She was doing really good job hiding her presence. Not on the level of an Assassin's presence concealment, but it was enough to pass under his radar... if her white hair didn't stick out of the crowd so much. Even if she was short and was able to blend into the crowd, his hawk-like eyes spotted her without applying reinforcement to them.
This was no longer being just curious about the new transfer student. They were now watching him.
He didn't know if he made a mistake that gave him out, or if this was due to the offer he received to join the Student Council.
But one thing was sure. He needed to lay low for a while if he didn't want to get caught, as much as it pained him to let those creatures run wild in the night.
All the more reason to put an end to the "magus" who was sending those creatures this night at lastest.
"Hah..."
Sighing, he turned a corner and prepared himself to confront the "stalker".
Meanwhile, a certain devil, Hyoudou Issei, was following closely the golden-eyed teenager.
After talking with his master, Rias Gremory, about the incident last night, they determined that Emiya Shirou was most likely the true identity of the "slayer".
It was a process of elimination. She and her "queen", Himejima Akeno, checked the profiles of all the male students in Kuoh Academy who were aware of the supernatural world. But none of them had any power, nor sacred gear, that could slaughter a werewolf in a matter of seconds, let alone from more than two miles away.
With him being the only male student that they haven't confirmed yet if he knew about the supernatural world, along with Kiba and Koneko's testimony, he was labeled as a target of observation.
The situation was so tense that she told him he was going to meet the other devils in the school today. The "slayer" had attracted a problematic stray devil, and they were hunting him tonight.
But that was something he should put aside, for now, to be able to put all his attention into the task he was given. Buchou said he should watch him if he could, and that's what he was going to do.
Honestly, he still had his reservations about this. Yeah, Emiya Shirou would fit very well all those memes about the quiet kid that reaches into his suspiciously big backpack after saying: "I had enough."
But even so, the "Fake Janitor" being someone who exterminates monsters like they were just inconveniences was too much to take.
What happened that night was engraved in his mind. The feeling of dreadness, that he and Asia could have been killed in a matter of seconds without being able to do anything.
It was really terrifying. Just thinking about it made him shiver.
"Huh?" While he was remembering those things, Emiya Shirou disappeared from his sight. "Damn... he turned a corner!"
Ignoring all the stares in his direction, Issei picked up his pace to catch up to Shirou. He gave up his lunch alongside Asia to do this, so he was completely determined to see this through!
"Woah!"
But just as he turned the corner, he nearly fell on his butt after running into someone.
"Oh, sorry for that. But I- Ah?"
He started to apologize, but his blood ran cold as he realized who was in front of him. It was Emiya Shirou.
"Do you have any business with me, Hyoudou-san?"
Issei paled at that question. Did he knew he was spying on him!? Well, if he is indeed the "slayer", it wouldn't be that strange if he was able to feel his presence.
Quick, think of an excuse!
"Err... I-it's not something that important! I just... wanted to know if you considered our offer! Yeah, just that!"
Shirou raised an eyebrow at that, but just a moment later, he seemed to remember.
"You're talking about your invitation to become part of that "pervert trio" of yours, right?"
After seeing Issei nodding enthusiastically, Shirou gave him a troubled look. "I gave it some thought, but I still fail to see the logic behind your actions. I mean, you guys are always complaining about not having a girlfriend, but aren't you just scaring the girls away with all that pervert stuff?"
"Guh!" Issei felt a metaphorical punch in his gut as his way of life was questioned in such an innocent way.
But he quickly pulled himself together. This was not the first time someone questioned his obsession with boobs, nor would it be the last. Therefore, he didn't even need to think of an answer.
"A popular guy like you wouldn't understand it! Some things are beautiful because they are out of your reach! Boobs! The forbidden treasure that every man on earth sicks and is completely denied to losers like us! We can fantasize about them, their shape, their smell, their sensation in our hands, because of that! Just a little glimpse of them is worth every hit I received with a shinai! That is the magic of boobs!"
Shirou couldn't help but sweatdrop after hearing that speech. The logic behind it was so alien to him that he discarded thinking about it, and put it in the "things he had to investigate later", just after "why the Age of Gods never ended in this world?".
He could already hear the people around them whisper between them things like: "There goes that pervy speech again." or "Is that scum trying to corrupt Emiya-kun."
But both teenagers ignored them. Instead, Shirou decided to remark something weird in his speech.
"Me? A popular guy? What are you talking about? Being called the "Fake Janitor" doesn't mean being popular in my book."
"You won't fool me! You're like that pretty boy! I bet your locker is full of letters from girls wanting to confess their feelings every morning."
Shirou blinked a couple of times. "No. I didn't receive any letter from any girl, and I doubt I will ever receive one. What kind of girl would want to be the girlfriend of someone like me?"
"Huh?" This was Issei's turn to look in astonishment at the boy in front of him.
He would call it bullshit, but Shirou's words were so sincere that even he couldn't see any trace of deceit behind them.
What is this? Even Kiba, who wasn't interested in any kind of relationship, was aware of his fan club. And those words... it sounded like he was rejecting the very thought of someone falling in love with him...
"Anyway, about your offer..." Shirou's voice brought Issei back to reality. "Sorry, but I'll have to decline. I have no interest in that stuff, and I have more important things to do after lessons."
The devil frowned at that. Not because he politely rejected his offer, but because of his last words.
What did Shirou do after lessons that were more important than peeking into the girl's locker room? He doubted this guy had to fix heaters and vending machines every day. And Rias said he didn't have a part-time job.
Could it be... he really was that "slayer", the one patrolling the city at night and exterminating monsters!?
No, he was jumping to conclusions without enough evidence. Maybe he had other hobbies. Who knows? Maybe that traditional mansion of his was actually a gaming mansion on the inside?
"Well, if you have nothing more to say, I'll be going. I don't want to miss my lunch."
"Huh? Oh, yeah... You're right..."
Shirou turned around and resumed his way to the rooftop, while Issei sighed relieved. He couldn't get a lot of information about Emiya Shirou, but he managed to get off the hook.
A couple of minutes later, Shirou was already on the rooftop, unwrapping his bento.
The Prince of Kuoh was nowhere to be seen, that was a relief. But unfortunately, even if he couldn't see them, he knew the other "stalker" was still there observing him.
However, he didn't feel any hostile intention from them, so he just proceeded to eat his bento.
But to his surprise, the moment the aroma of the food spread through the place, his peripheral vision caught something twitching behind the door. He was able to get a glimpse of the skirt of his "stalker".
After that, the little girl started to stare intently at him, or more exactly, at his bento. Any kind of stealth and discretion was completely thrown away, she seemed to be even drooling.
That reaction... Could it be... she wanted to have some of his bento?
He could pretty much ignore her and avoid a confrontation... but that face she was making was too much adorable. It triggered a nostalgic feeling, even if he didn't know why.
He might be shooting himself on the foot with this, but...
"You can have some if you want. There is plenty for the two of us."
Toujo Koneko hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, she ended up approaching him. And even so, she was really cautious, approaching him slowly like if he was going to attack her at any moment.
Shirou just brought out a pair of spare chopsticks and left them at his side before focusing again on his lunch.
He made his offer, and now it was up to her to take it or not. The way she was being so cautious was bordering the absurd. That didn't seem to be her instincts warning her of a possible threat, or at least there was more to it than that.
But he wasn't a psychologist, nor he knew much about this creature, so he could only make assumptions.
The little girl finally took the chopsticks, and after inspecting in search of anything suspicious, she dug into Shirou's bento. After staring at the food for a few seconds, she slowly put it in her mouth.
After savoring it, her entire body winced. Her eyes widened, and she... purred? For some reason, she sounded like a cat while she was finishing savoring and swallowing the bite.
Shirou had to make a double-take on that. Was she actually a yokai? But her presence was darker than that of the other evil yokai he encountered in the city.
The only thing that came close to that profile... was she a kitsune? An evil fox that blends with humans taking the appearance of a young girl and manipulates them to get what they want...
No, that might suit her, but that doesn't seem to apply to the other creatures, and a fox doesn't sound like a cat.
Putting that aside, he focused again on his lunch but...
"Huh?"
His chopstick hit the bottom of the bento. He was sure there was still half of it a moment ago, but now there wasn't any trace of food there...
His eyes darted to the little girl at his side. She was happily chewing what little remained of his food.
Did she just devour all the remaining food in his bento in a few seconds?
"Delicious..." She mumbled shamelessly after swallowing. There were even some grains of rice and sauce over her cheeks.
"Hah..." He sighed in defeat. He would have to endure until lessons are over, as he no longer had time to pay a visit to the cafeteria.
"Let me clean the food on your face. You don't want to show up in your classroom like that, right?"
Shirou took out a handkerchief and brought it close to her face. Koneko flinched and nearly jumped, but in the ended she conceded.
"Kind senpai..."
"There you go."
After cleaning her face, Shirou wrapped his bento and set to go to his classroom. But before he took the first step, he felt an intense glare on his back.
After turning around, golden eyes met yellow ones. The two stared at each other for a few moments without moving a muscle.
It was like Koneko wanted to say something, but she was ashamed to do so. And Shirou could guess what she wanted.
"I don't mind bringing more than one bento from now on."
At that moment, a ghost of a smile appeared in her always stoic face, and her eyes shone with excitement.
If spending a little more time in his kitchen every morning could bring a smile to this little girl's face, it will be worth it.
Even if he knew that he might have to exterminate her one day.
The remaining lessons of the day proceeded without any remarkable event, as usual, and Shirou went straight home. Anyone asked for help, and his body was starting to demand some rest.
Meanwhile, the members of the ORC met in the old building near the high school building. The room they always used was quite gloomy, lit by candles and a magical circle draw in the center.
The room had a desk used by the club's president, a couple of comfortable sofa at both sides of a table, a small kitchen in a corner, and a shower.
Issei always asked himself why they had a shower of all the things in their club's room, but apparently, Rias used it quite frequently.
He and Asia were sitting on the same sofa, with Koneko sitting on the other one eating some cookies. Kiba was standing next to the door, his sword already strapped to his belt, Akeno was making tea in the kitchen, and Rias was sitting on her desk.
Unlike on a normal day, they weren't talking about their job as devils, as they weren't going to attend any call tonight, nor was Asia going to handle pamphlets around the city.
Today, they were going to hunt a stray devil, and a dangerous one at that. They were waiting for the other devils in the school, so Issei and Asia would introduce themselves to them and start planning an strategy to storm the stray's hideout.
"Ara, you seem to be in a good mood, Koneko-chan. Did something good happen to you today?" Akeno spoke as she left three cups of green tea on the table.
While Issei and Asia needed it to calm their nerves, Koneko just wanted it to go along with the cookies.
"Emiya-senpai shared his delicious food with me." She answered blankly between bites.
Everyone then looked at her surprised. Even Asia, the most recent member of the club, could notice she was in a good mood regardless of her stoic face. It was like a kid that received a new toy for Christmas.
But Akeno and Rias were surprised by a different reason. "Oh my... I thought you were going to watch him from afar, not approach him like that. Didn't he give you a feeling of danger?"
"The smell of his food was irresistible. And the feeling disappeared once I approached." There wasn't a trace of shame on her face.
Well, everyone agreed that Koneko's cuteness could make people drop the hostility. However, the fact that she dropped her guard near someone she barely knew was strange.
"His cooking skills are better than Rias-senpai's."
The pureblood devil's eyebrow twitched at that bold statement, and the others couldn't help sweatdropping.
"I'll be the judge of that. But anyway, while we are at it, did he have any slip-up?"
"Well, Pervert-senpai's lecture about pervert stuff didn't throw him off that much..."
"Hey! I was enlightening him in the way of boobs!" Issei was completely ignored by the other members.
"...and he even tried to talk some sense into pervert-senpai, but it was a useless effort. Aside from that, he was just a kind senpai."
"So you didn't get any evidence of him being aware of the supernatural world, did you? I guess it was to be expected..."
Koneko shook her head. "He promised to bring more food tomorrow."
"Oh my, Koneko is growing so fast." Akeno's eyes turned to Asia, a teasing grin plastered on her face. "You should learn from her, Asia."
Both girls tilted their heads in confusion, the implications of her joke having gone over their heads, causing the queen to pout.
"Wa-wait! What if that guy is trying to do something bad to Koneko-chan!"
Who actually got the message was Issei, but he was quickly taken down by the albino.
"Emiya-senpai doesn't have pervert thoughts. He rejected Pervert-senpai's offer to join the "perverted trio". Pervert stuff isn't allowed."
"Guh!" For the second time that day, Issei felt a metaphorical punch in his gut. Even Asia couldn't stand up for him on this.
That also made him remember his conversation with the golden-eyed teenager, and he discarded that option grudgingly.
The conversation had to end there as someone was knocking on the door.
"Oh, they are here."
Kiba opened the door and a group of people quietly entered the room.
"Sorry for the wait, Rias. We had to finish today's paperwork in time record before coming here."
Asia and Issei blinked a couple of times after recognizing all these people.
"Kaichou and the Student Council!? Wait, does this mean..."
"Yeah, they are the other group of devils in this school. Actually, Sona's surname isn't Shitori, but Sitri. In other words, she is the heiress of the Sitri House, one of the 72 pillars that survived to this day like the Gremory House. The Gremory House controls this city during the night, but that changes during the day, when the city is controlled by the Sitri House. That's how our schedule is arranged."
Rias surmised the basic information for them, but instead of clearing their doubts, that left them even more surprised.
"So Rias-senpai didn't talk you about us, huh? Even if thanks to us they can have regular school life."
Sone pushed up her glasses after hearing Saji's remark. "That's because that's how things should be. You weren't meant to know each other yet, but these are extraordinary circumstances. Besides, like you, they had been reincarnated quite recently. Now, introduce yourself properly, Sagi."
"Ye-yeah... My name is Genshiro Saji. I'm in the second year, and I'm Kaichou's pawn."
Issei's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! You're the same year as me, and you're also a pawn!"
Contrary to Issei's excitement to met another devil reincarnated with the same evil piece, Saji grimaced.
"My pride is really hurt right now. You, a member of the perverted trio, a pawn like me..."
A vein popped in Issei's temple. "What did you say!?"
"Want to come at me, huh? Even if I look like this, I took four pawns to be reincarnated. Even if I was reincarnated recently, I won't lose to someone like you!"
He was taunting Issei, but just a glance from Sona made him froze in place.
"That's enough, Saji. Yesterday with Emiya-kun, and now with Hyoudou-san. Maybe I have to discipline you so you don't shame us during an important meeting." The blonde's blood ran cold after hearing that.
She then looked at Issei. "Besides, Hyoudou-san here took all the eight pieces to be reincarnated, so in that terms, he is superior to you. He is the owner of a Longinus-class sacred gear, the Boosted Gear."
"Wh-what!? You mean this pervert is this generation's red dragon emperor!?"
Issei couldn't help but feel awkward. The entire Student Council was now looking at him with curiosity written all over their faces. He felt like a zoo animal.
Sona's stare turned again to her pawn. "Saji."
"Y-yes! Let's get along." He stretched out his hand grudgingly.
"Yeah, let's all get along."
Asia took his hand shyly, and Saji's expression changed completely.
"If it's Asia, I will gladly get along with you!"
Issei gritted his teeth. He was all nice to the cute girl, but he was a punk when talking to him! He took Saji's hand and squeezed it hard as he talked with a fake smile.
"Jajaja. Please, take care of me as well, Saji-kun! But if you put a finger on Asia, I'll kill you!"
Saji then answered in kind, squeezing even harder Issei's hand with another fake smile. "Yes! Yes! Let's get along, Hyoudou-kun! You want the blonde beauty just for you? You're a sadist! Men, you deserve a divine punishment, damn pervert!"
While they exchanged insults, their masters sighed with frustration.
"You have to be having a hard time with him."
"Right back at you. But, at any rate, this should be enough for introductions. Let's start planning today's operation."
The curtain of night fell on Kuoh City, and with that, the beasts came out into the streets in search of the "slayer". Now that they knew how he looked like, it was just a matter of time finding him.
Two chimeras walked the lonely streets while smaller familiars scouted the surrounding houses.
"Do you think we can capture him?" One of them, a beast-man that seemed to have been modified to make him look more like a cheetah instead of its original appearance of a werewolf, asked the other.
This one, a lizard-man that seemed to have an exoskeleton similar to that of a beetle over its scales, replied confidently.
"Of course! He may be skilled with the bow, but we can overwhelm him in close range! Who would have thought the so-called "slayer" was a high school teenager? Once we capture him, Master will give us a generous reward!"
"Hoh. This master of yours sounds like a nice person. Would you tell me more about him?"
An unexpected third voice accompanied by a really terrifying feeling put the two beasts on alert.
After turning around, their eyes met a lonely teenager who was ten meters from them. He was wearing a black and white tracksuit and matching sneakers.
But what made them tense what his appearance. He was...
"The slayer!?"
While the wolf-cheetah was cautious, the lizard man's hostility raised. "Heh, so you came to us. That makes our work easier-"
The beast was about to throw itself into the teenager, but before it could take a step, three black keys pierced its body. Brain, neck, and heart. It died instantly, its body hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"Whoops. My bad. Your friend was so excited I had to calm him down."
Shirou's golden eyes then settle on the other chimera. He pulled out more black keys from one of his sleeves, and his murderous intent became overwhelming.
"Now, what are you going to do?"
By this point, the werewolf's body was shaking so much it had trouble remaining standing. If its face weren't covered with fur, its face would be completely pale.
The boys killing intention didn't match his appearance. It felt more as if the beast-man was standing in front of a monster leagues above it.
Was this what someone felt in front of a dragon? No, the feeling was much eviler. An evil born from humanity...
"Sorry for the trouble sir I'll be heading back now!"
In any case, the chimera turned around and ran away. It knew that it was going to die for sure if it stayed there in front of that human.. no, in front of that monster.
The incredible speed it obtained after several modifications in its body, which was meant to be used to quickly close the distance between it and the slayer, was ironically being used to put all the distance between them.
Even if that boy gave off a terrifying aura, he was still human. There's no way he could catch it-
"What!?"
But that thought was proven wrong, as it could see the "slayer" just behind him. The golden-eyed boy was jumping from roof to roof at superhuman speed.
Even if he wasn't as fast as the beast-man, he was easily tracking the beast, using shortcuts to close the distance when it got too far.
But the chimera didn't pay attention. It kept running as fast as its legs allowed him, a destination in its mind.
If he managed to lure the "slayer" into its master's lair, he and the other chimeras could overwhelm him with their number. So he ran without looking back.
The chase lasted a few minutes that became eternal for the beast, but it finally reached the abandoned factory.
The euphoria was apparent in the beast's features as it went through one of the factory's windows.
"Gah!"
But just as its body broke the glass, the beast released a pained groan as several swords pierced its back. It fell limply on the ground, its body lacking the strength to rise again.
It was so close, but at the same time, so far...
The "slayer" fell upon the beast, piercing its head with his black twin sword to put it out of its misery.
Shirou then took a look at his surroundings. The moment he entered the place, he felt a really dense, ominous atmosphere. It just confirmed this was the place, as this feeling was the same as a magus' workshop.
The place was completely dark, except for the faint moonlight entering through the broken window. Even with his reinforced eyes, he could barely distinguish the factory's rusted machinery.
But luckily, he didn't have to search, as a guy wearing a doctor's coat came out from what had to be a secret basement. His appearance was that of an old man, and he had a really disturbing smile while he looked at the corpse at Shirou's feet.
The old man's dark presence told him that he wasn't facing a human, but a creature quite similar to the ones attending Kuoh Academy.
"It would seem experiment 87-B completed its mission with its last strength. What a pity I can't reward him with more adjustments to improve him further."
His eyes then landed on Shirou and began to analyze him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, "slayer". I assume you're one of those magicians... but that magic of yours doesn't seem to be demonic in nature. Could it be a really special school of magic? Or is it one of those famed sacred gears?"
A devious grin spread across the madman's face. "At any rate, you'll make a really valuable subject for my experiments! So I'll recommend you to surrender and come to me quietly. I'll make you reach highs that you could never dream as a human!"
Shirou's eye twitched. Even if this guy wasn't human, he was the stereotype of an immoral magus. Ignoring those unknown terms, he made aside from the werewolf's corpse and prepared for the battle.
Trying to talk some sense into him would be a waste of time. This thing was completely beyond any kind of salvation.
The old man made a disappointed face. "So that's how it is, huh? Well, your body will suffice then. Get him, my children!"
At his command, several candles lit the factory, revealing all the grotesque creatures that had been lurking in the shadows, and the gates of the factory were shut. There were of all kinds, hidden behind the machinery or clinging to the walls and ceiling-
Shirou was completely surrounded, and he stopped counting them after reaching the hundred. But the beasts didn't attack him immediately.
Something was stopping them. Not just the murderous intent Shirou was releasing, but also the fact that he wasn't faced in the least by the situation he was in.
"Before we start killing each other, I'll ask you a question."
As he spoke, Bakuya was projected in his right hand to accompany the Kanshou in the other.
"Do you really think I couldn't kill that thing before it reached this place?"
More swords began to appear floating above him as he let the ominous realization settle in their minds. The holy and anti-monster blades aimed at the creatures, causing some of them to panic. Even their master's expression turned into one of wariness.
That was right. He could have easily killed the beast-man before it got here, but he chose to not do so, and that thing ended up ratting out its master's lair.
They hadn't trapped the "slayer". They were trapped with the "slayer".
"Is everybody ready?"
Rias asked another time, and all her peerage's members nodded. The same applied to Sona and her peerage.
Both groups were already reaching the stray devil's lair, and the tension was starting to fill the atmosphere.
Their formation was pretty simple. Both of Sona's bishops, Hanakai Momo and Kusaka Reya, and one of her pawns, Nimura Ruruko, would stay outside in case the stray or any of his minions tried to escape.
The other members would go on the offensive, with both kings and their queens staying on the rearguard with Asia to provide long-range support.
Issei leaned his hand on Asia's shoulder to reassure her. She was the most visible nervous of the group as this was her first hunting mission.
"You don't have to worry, Asia. Everything is going to end well. With everyone here, I doubt that guy has any chance. And I'll be protecting you."
"Issei-san... I'll do my best too!"
The tender moment was interrupted when the entire group stopped suddenly once the abandoned factory came into sight.
"Is something wrong, Yuuto?"
Kiba, who was on the front, narrowed his eyes. "I see light coming from inside the building."
That put everyone on alert, but at that moment, Koneko's ears twitched.
"Explosions... there's a battle inside..."
After hearing that, they rushed to the building, just to discover that Koneko's words were the understatement of the year.
"What in the world is happening in there!?" Saji voiced everyone's thoughts.
Sounds of explosions, screams filled with agony, and flesh being torn apart, came from inside the building. The entire building seemed to be shaken by the explosions.
There wasn't a battle inside the building. There was an entire war being fought in there.
One side must be the stray using the place as his lair, Friedrich Steiner, and his minions. But then, who was the other side?
The first thing that came to mind was the mysterious "slayer", but that was hard to believe. The "slayer" was just a single person, but the sounds of the storm-like battle taking place inside the building hinted that there were actually two armies involved.
Then, another stray devil was invading their territory and fighting with Steiner, or a group of exorcists came to hunt him?
There was only one way to find it out.
Rias turned her eyes to her only knight, and he nodded before trying to open the gates, his other hand resting on his sword's handle.
"It appears to be sealed... Should I cut it?"
"No. Leave it to me."
Kiba stepped aside, and Koneko readied her punch covered with a Kick Boxing glove. But, she stopped at mid-swing, her sharp senses having picked up something.
"Something's coming. Get out of the door."
Her warning barely came in time, but everyone managed to step aside before the factory's gates burst open and something landed in front of them.
Everyone grimaced at the sight. They assumed it was one of Steiner's minions, but it was reduced to a pile of unrecognizable flesh with several swords piercing it.
The ominous feeling that those swords gave off was already alarming, but what really freaked them out was the sight waiting at the other side of the gate.
"No way..."
"Oh, God..."
Issei and Saji brought their hands to their mouths to avoid throwing up, and Asia was so shocked that she ignored the pain she received from mentioning the biblical God. The reaction of the other devils was similar to several degrees.
The corpses and blown pieces of flesh were all over the place, and the blood was starting to form pools in the several craters around the place. All the bodies were pierced by at least one sword, and almost all the machinery was turned into rubble.
It was a sight that would put to shame any horror film. And in the center of such horrifying landscape...
"ROOOOOOAAAARRRRR!" An inhuman roar shook the entire place.
The thing in the middle of the land of death could no longer be called a devil. What was left of the stray known as Friedrich Steiner was now a gruesome pile of muscle and flesh.
Countless blades were puncturing its body, their holy or ominous auras trying to purify and consume it. But Steiner's high-speed regeneration was able to keep up with them. That just confirmed that man experimented with his own body to, in his words, reach perfection.
But it was that regeneration that turned him into this abomination. He was being damaged so fast that his regeneration got out of control.
"LET ME SQUASH YOU ALREADY, YOU LITTLE MAGGOT!" The madman frantically swung his oversized and deformed arms.
The ground was cracked, lifeless bodies and debris being blown away by the shockwave. But the abomination failed to hit its target.
Around its massive body, dancing between its arms and even some tentacles growing from it, was a familiar auburn-haired teenager, wielding a pair of Yin Yang swords.
"The Fake Janitor-!?"
Meguri had to cover Saji's mouth so he wouldn't give their position, and Koneko did the same with Issei. They continued to watch the unrealistic fight in front of them, their minds still processing that Emiya Shirou was actually the "Slayer".
Even if they suspected it, it was still a shocking revelation, even more after seeing the cold, emotionless expression on his face.
"DAMN YOUUUU!"
Shirou narrowly avoided being turned into a red sticker by one of Steiner's arms, and he then jumped on it to run to the abomination's head. Kanshou and Bakuya severed swiftly all the tentacles that tried to slow him down.
After reaching its top, Shirou stabbed its atrophied head with his twin swords.
"AAAAARRRRGGHHH!"
The abomination let out a pained cry, but it seemed that this wasn't enough to kill it.
"Trace, overedge!"
He pumped a great deal of magical energy into the married blades, which in turn spread to all the other copies stabbed around the body.
Shirou jumped from the creature, just seconds before all the Kanshous and Bakuyas burst and grew twice their original size.
The abomination's body was torn apart from the inside out, blood spurting out of its wounds like fountains.
But, still...
"You're still kicking around?"
"Hah... hah... hah... IT'S USELESS! AN INSIGNIFICANT HUMAN LIKE YOU CANNOT KILL A SUPERIOR BEING LIKE ME! I AM IMMORTAL!"
"Then, I just have to blow you away so there's no trace left."
That said, a massive black bow appeared on his left hand, while an ominous silver sword appeared on his other hand.
The sword was loaded in the bow, its appearance changing to take a more aerodynamic shape as he pulled the string. As the magical energy began to fill the cursed sword, its malevolent aura spread throughout the place, sending chills down the abomination's spine.
"YO-YOU CAN'T-"
"Redeemer!"
With its true name summoned, Shirou let loose the bowstring and the broken phantasm hit the abomination square on its chest.
The resultant explosion blew away part of the ceiling, and turned the abomination and all the corpses around it into dust. The only thing left was a smoking hole in the ground, which most likely lead to the secret basement, where that mad-man conducted his inhuman experiments.
Shirou lowered his bow, the weapon fading in specks of light alongside all the swords scattered around the place. The land of death was now in dead silence.
He then turned to look at the entrance, his expression returning to his usual one. Even if they were hiding now, he noticed the dark presences that arrived at the place while he was "cleaning".
"Does the audience need some popcorn to further enjoy the show?"
After hearing his voice filled with sarcasm, the devils had no other choice but to confront him. Shirou was not surprised to they were the same creatures attending Kuoh Academy.
The devils watched him closely, their bodies tensed despite not sensing any hostile intention from the auburn-haired teenager. The figure in the middle of the land of death made their instincts scream dangerous in their minds.
The air in the place was charged with tension and could be cut with a knife.
"Well..." Shirou decided to speak first as it didn't seem they won't make their move any time soon. "To what do I own this visit? You didn't come here to avenge that thing and its army, do you?"
Rias and Sona took a step ahead. As the kings of their peerages, it was their duty to do the negotiation. The heir of the Gremory House was the one who answered Shirou's question.
"No. Actually, we came here to hunt that stray. But it would seem you beat us to it, Emiya-san. Or should I call you "Slayer-san"?" She didn't let any of her distress be seen as she spoke with the dignity of a high-class devil, a confident smile on her face.
"I'm not familiar with that title. But as that thing called me that, I guess that's how the creatures in this city call me."
"Just to be sure..." It was Sona's turn to ask then. "Are you the one that has been killing supernatural creatures for the past few weeks?"
"That is correct. Do you have any objections about it?"
That was a simple question, but they had the feeling that an affirmative answer would cause the number of corpses in the place to raise.
"That will depend on your reasons to do that, Emiya-kun."
"Well, you won't expect me to let those creatures kill innocent people indiscriminately, will you? I thought you guys aren't that type of creature. But I might have to change my thoughts if you allow those actions."
A frown appeared on Sona's features. The way he was talking... Could it be he didn't know they were devils?
"Your assumptions are correct, Emiya-kun. We have a mutually beneficial relationship with humans."
Shirou stared at her for a moment, but he couldn't find any trace of deception in her words.
"I see. That's a relief. Things won't have to get violent then."
Those words relieved the devils, but at the same time, the way he wasn't faced in the least by the prospect of taking all of them at once was a bad omen...
"Now, would you tell us what faction do you serve, Emiya-san?" Rias cut to the chase.
Even if it looked like he preferred talking things out civilly, the chances of having to fight him would still be present until they confirmed he didn't work for an enemy faction.
Shirou raised an eyebrow at that question. Of all the things she could've asked him... He wasn't sure if the three branches of the Magus Association existed in this world still ruled by the laws of Mystery, but that's the only thing it came to his mind when talking about a faction...
"A faction? Well... I don't serve any faction. You can think of me as a solitary magus."
This was Sona and Rias' turn to raise an eyebrow. Again, it looked like he wasn't getting what they were talking about. And they haven't heard the word magus in their lives.
"So you don't serve the Holy Church or the Grigori, do you?"
Keeping a straight face became harder for Shirou as the conversation went on. Holy Church, that was something he was familiar with, even if that organization hadn't been created yet during his first life. But Grigori? Never heard of that.
The difference between his original world was bigger than he expected, and hiding that fact wasn't going to be an easy task.
He just prayed that this Grigori thing was something similar to the Holy Church.
"That's correct. I don't serve any of those mafias, even if exterminating evil creatures line's up with their objectives."
Sona pushed her glasses up. With that settled, they could begin to talk things out. "Then, you say you're a magician, Emiya-kun. What organization are you from?"
So the factions don't have anything to do with magi organization... Shirou had to stop himself from correcting them about the term they used.
He wasn't a sorcerer, but, from this world's perspective, the most powerful magus could pull off things close to true magic. That was actually troublesome, but, maybe it was just semantics entering at play here, and they just referred to any user of magecraft that way.
"I don't work for any organization. I was self-taught." A half-truth, as it was his father from his first life who taught him the basics, but the rest was up to him.
"In other words, you are a stray magician that settled in our territory without asking for our permission. We have a problem here, Emiya-san."
Shirou frowned. "Huh? Do I have to ask you permission to live in a human city? From my point of view, it should be the other way around."
The tension filling the atmosphere sky-rocketed. The average magus would have taken them to the dissection table already, but he decided to give them a chance as they seemed to just be pretending to have a human life.
But what's this about asking permission? They actually think of themselves as the owners of the city and treat its population as livestock? That's something he wasn't allowing in his watch.
"Just as I thought, you're up to something. What's it? Human trafficking? Experimentation like that thing?"
"Wait a moment, Emiya-san." Rias stopped him just before he got ready for the battle. "It does seem you don't have any idea of what we are, am I right?"
"Well, I do know you're an inhuman creature that gave's off a really dark aura. Is there something more to it?"
The red-head and her childhood friend resisted the urge to make facepalm. It was to be expected from a magician that didn't have proper teaching about the supernatural world, be he should at least know about the devils as human magic came from their demonic power.
Not to mention his unawareness of their condition as the heiresses of two of the remaining pillars, and the sisters of two of the current Demon Kings.
"Explaining what we are would take too much time, so I'll get to the point." Sona started to explain with a pose that was somewhat familiar to him. "This city has been owned by our kind for many years, and now our families are the ones controlling it. There should be no problems for you to live here as long as you don't cause trouble, Emiya-kun. However, we have to register you as someone aware of the supernatural and discuss the terms for proper cohabitation. But I believe this isn't the place, nor the time for that kind of negotiation."
Shirou took a moment to think his answer, seconds that became eternal for the devils. But in the end, he conceded.
"Very well. I too think it's better to call it a night and leave negotiations for tomorrow. But before that, I'll stick around to clean up this mess."
"That won't be necessary. You can leave that to us." Seeing his eyebrow raised, Sona kept explaining. "You see, that... thing you took out was a... wanted criminal of our kind, so to speak. We were given the task of exterminating him, and we have to report his death. The authorities will come to check it, so it would be better if you are not around then."
"I see. Then, I'll be taking my leave. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
After saying that, he walked out of the building casually. Both peerages, let him walk between without saying a word.
Once Emiya Shirou was out of sight, everyone let out the air they've been holding subconsciously.
"The Fake Janitor is actually the "Slayer"..." Saji parroted with an emotionless, his mind still having trouble putting together those two entities.
"I know it, dude... I have trouble to believe it as well..." Issei leaned his hand on his fellow pawn, his face still in shock.
That was the first time those two weren't discussing since they met. The same could be said for all the other devils as all the adrenaline left their bodies.
"I'm just glad we didn't have to fight him..." Meguri commented, her hand still wrapped firmly around her katana's handle. "I don't think I can make up my mind to fight him. I mean... he looked more like a killing machine while he slaughtered that guy..."
The other devils of the Sitri peerage agreed with her, except for Saji.
"Wait, you don't think he can beat us, do you? I mean, yeah, he went full Doom Slayer there, but he can't possibly defeat all of us, let alone if Kaichou and Rias-senpai are fighting together, right?"
"Perhaps our numbers would make the scales of the battle tip to our side, but I'm not so sure about being able to beat him without any loss."
The blood drained from his face at hearing Sona's words.
"The thing is, he just exterminated one of the most dangerous stray devils without breaking a sweat. We were fortunate that he agreed to talk things out in a peaceful way. But for now, we should focus on cleaning this mess before the smell reaches the city."
Her eyes then turned to her queen. "Tsubaki, call the Archduke's servant while we burn the corpses."
She nodded at her master's order and walked out of the building, a magical circle for communication purposes already on her ear.
"Aside from the corpses, how do we explain the holes in the ceiling and the floor?" Rias asked while she began to set on fire the closest corpses.
"We can say Akeno and you went a little overboard."
Said queen seemed to agree with her. "That thing looked tough enough to endure my attacks. Ahh... I would have liked to hear its screams filled with agony after being hit by my lightning... But I must say, Emiya-kun made a good job torturing that thing with all those swords. Maybe we can share some tips."
In contrast to all the other devils, she was beaming as she burned the pieces of torn flesh and organs.
"Asia, don't hear her! You'll get corrupted!" Issei covered Asia's ears to protect her innocence.
Even Rias, her closest friend, pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course you'll be thinking in something like in a situation like... At any rate, for that matter, Asia's presence here can also explain why any of us has a single scratch... But even so..."
Her eyes looked again at the massive hole in the ground. "All those swords... I don't think that is just some kind of magic... Do you think he actually has a sacred gear?"
"That is still a possibility. But what kind of sacred gear allows the user to create holy and demonic swords alike, let alone create a bow too and turn a sword into an arrow?"
"Perhaps a Longinus that has yet to be discovered?"
Sona eyed her childhood friend. She knew very well what her friend was thinking while making that face.
"Rias, are you thinking of asking him to join your peerage?"
"Well, you saw that thing. Its regenerative capabilities were quite remarkable, and he just blew it up with one attack. That's exactly what I need. Or could it be... did you have your eyes on him, Sona?"
"It is true a invited him to join the Student Council. But I wanted to get to know him better before even mentioning anything about my identity as a devil."
"I guess that kind of approach suits you better. But unlike you, time is not on my side..."
"Yeah..." Sona decided to leave the conversation there. She knew very well the situation in which her friend was, so she could understand why she wanted to rush things, even if she didn't agree with it.
They continued cleaning the mess, but at that moment, nobody noticed Koneko's stiff face.
"Kind senpai was actually a heartless senpai... just like Nee-san..."
"Hah..." The next day came, and Shirou found himself looking at the clock above the classroom's blackboard. This was the first time lessons seemed longer than usual from his perspective-
He knew this was inevitable. The day in which he would have to confront the supernatural creatures attending this academy.
But he wasn't expecting it to be this soon.
Yesterday's confrontation made it clear that pretty much all his knowledge about the "Moon-lit world" didn't apply to this weird world.
He was clearly at a disadvantage. Negotiations weren't his forte precisely, and he didn't have another source of information to contrast whatever they tell him.
And judging by the way Sona and Rias acted, they were likely important figures, at least between their kind, so making all of them "disappear in mysterious circumstances" wasn't a sound option. Not to mention that he couldn't afford a fight in the middle of the school. Too many witnesses, he couldn't perform any spell related to memory manipulation, and he didn't know if these magician organizations had the same policy about witnesses as the Clock Tower.
In short, he'll have to play his cards right if he wanted to avoid a really bad mess.
The bell announcing the end of the day's last lesson rang, and after the teacher dismissed the class, all the students packed their stuff to either go home or attend to their respective clubs.
Shirou packed his things too, but he remained at his desk. Just as he expected, the two creatures in his classroom didn't take long to approach him.
"Buchou told me to bring you to the old building, Emiya-san. She and Kaichou we'll be there for the negotiations and that stuff."
Issei spoke firmly, but Shirou could see he was wary of him. Asia behind him seemed pretty much the same. It was to be expected after seeing the aftermath of that fight.
He aimed to end the fight as quickly as possible without using a powerful noble phantasm so the factory wouldn't be destroyed at the end of it, so things got pretty rough. And he would have used anti-immortal weapons to kill that thing if they hadn't appeared to witness the fight so he decided to keep that to himself.
"I see. Lead the way then, Hyoudou-san."
Ignoring the comments of the other students, the three teenagers walked out of the classroom and headed to the old school building.
There was an awkward silence between the three. While Shirou was mentally preparing himself, Issei just threw quick glances at the faker, his left hand balled into a fist. Shirou guessed he was ready to summon that red gauntlet the moment he made something suspicious.
Asia on the other hand...
"Err... " She seemed to be trying to tell him something, but the moment their eyes met, she shied away from him.
"If you have something to say, go ahead, Argento-san. I won't bite you."
His words seemed to relieve her, and she finally mustered the courage to talk to him.
"Err... I just wanted to say, Koneko-san looked really happy when I gave her that bento you made... or well, you know... she wasn't that grumpy..."
Oh, right. He kept his promise to her and brought a bento for her. But, with things so tense, he decided to better give it to Asia who was closer to the little girl.
"Then I'm glad it was to her liking."
"You... what are your intentions?" It was Issei who made that question.
Shirou raised an eyebrow at him. "My intentions regarding what?"
"That bento. Why did you bring that bento for Koneko-chan."
So that's what he wants to know. His concern for her seems genuine.
"I promised to bring her more food as it looked like she liked it, and I kept my promise. Who knows? Maybe it can get her to smile."
"You want to make her smile? Why?" He asked, disbelief all over his face.
"Do I need a reason to help someone? I find it sad seeing a little girl like her making a stoic face like that all the time."
Issei continued to look at him with suspicion, but now Asia didn't look at him like he was a terrifying monster.
"I think this is the place, isn't it?"
Shirou's words made Issei look at the front again, and he realized they were already in front of the building in question.
The place didn't have the ominous aura he was expecting, and even if its exterior appearance was that of a building that was going to collapse at any moment, its interior was well kept.
The three teenagers reached a room on the second floor, and Issei knocked on the door.
"Buchou! We brought him!"
"Enter." Rias' voice was not long in coming, and the three entered.
The moment he set foot in the room, he started to assess all the people in there, and possible escape routes in case shit hit the fan.
Rias and Sona were already sitting on one of the sofas, and he assumed he would take sit on the other sofa across the table. Akeno and Tsubaki were standing right behind them just like right-hand women. Kiba and Meguri were standing at each side of the door, their swords already ready, and Koneko was standing on one of the room's corners. Issei and Asia joined the little girl, leaving him standing in front of the sofas.
As these were the ORC's main quarters, it was to be expected to have all the members present, while Sona just brought two members, the two more versed in combat. The other ones were likely doing Student Council stuff.
He didn't notice any bounded field around the building, but seeing that magical circle on the center of the room, he wouldn't put past them activating one if things go south.
He was outnumbered and they had the advantage of the terrain, but it wasn't the worst situation he has been in.
Having analyzed the situation, something that took just a second thanks to his eye of the mind, he opened his mouth.
"I take you guys are into satanist stuff. How many goats have died in this room?"
That managed to ease the tension in the atmosphere, and it even got a chuckle from Akeno.
"You are partially correct, Emiya-kun. Now, please take a sit. There's a lot of points we need to cover."
He did what Sona told him and sat on the sofa. There was a steaming cup of green tea in front of him, but he decided to ignore it for the moment.
"For starters, I guess we should tell you what we are exactly. I said you were partially correct in your assumption because it's not that we are satanist. We are devils."
Just after Kaichou said that a pair of membranous wings, like that of a bat, emerged from the backs of all the presents. Well, that didn't seem the case with Issei and Asia.
Rias must have noticed it as she spoke. "Issei and Asia there still have some trouble controlling their wings, but they are devils just like us. They are still new in this."
"I see..."
Well, his theories were actually right. That just added another difference between this and his original world. It would take some time to get used to thinking of humanoid creatures when the word devil or demon is mentioned.
"Not what I have in mind when I think of a devil, but that explains that ominous aura of yours."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Emiya-san. We're not like the stereotypical devil with horns and tail that appears in the bible. But moving on, as my surname suggests, I am the heiress of the Gremory house, one of the remaining 72 pillars."
"And my actual name is Sona Sitri, heiress of the Sitri house, another of the remaining 72 pillars. Just like we told you yesterday, even if Japan is under the rule of the Sinto Faction, this city has been devil territory for years and is currently owned by our families. So, as a person who is aware of the supernatural world, to be able to live here, you need to be registered and form a contract with us."
The word "contract" made Shirou's eyebrow twitch. "What kind of contract are we talking about?"
Sona pushed her glasses up. That was pretty much a habit of her before an explanation.
"In normal circumstances, a magician would form a pact with just one devil, a mutually beneficial relationship of the sort. But, that kind of contract is regulated by the magician's organization, so that option is not available for a stray magician like you. That's why we propose a regular contract, just like the one we have with the other humans aware of the supernatural attending to the school. You know, you scratch my back, and I scratch yours, that sort of relationship. We won't tell you to fight against our enemies, but we can ask you some favors, and you can ask us favors in return."
After finishing her explanation, a blue magical circle appeared in her hand, and a moment later, a paper appeared in her hand.
She slid what must be the contract across the table, and he picked it up and started to read it. There wasn't any weird condition, and the terms were what she just said. However, the line "you won't take side with the Heaven's angels or the Grigori's fallen angels", caught his attention.
Those things were actually fictional in his former world. Most likely people mistook other phantasmal species. And people that "heard the voice of the Lord or one of his angels", like Jeanne d'Arc, most of the cases what they heard was actually the Counter-Force.
But if devils in this world weren't familiars created by Solomon to watch over Humanity's Common Sense, it wouldn't be weird for those things to actually exist in this world. And that also explained why they asked him if he worked for those organizations.
He then used structural grasp on the contract. This wasn't the Geas contract he was used to, but it definitely had a spell in it.
He could always break the contract with Rule Breaker, but before he signed anything, there were a lot of questions he had.
"Before I put my sign here, I at least would like to know more about you guys. You know, devils are always depicted as the bad guys. You don't go around sucking human souls, do you?"
"That might've been the case centuries ago, Emiya-san." Now was Rias who was explaining things, an ironic smile on her face. "But we devils have adapted to the current times. Now we form contracts with humans. We fulfill their wishes, and they pay us in return. The payment is usually in cash, or favor in case the customer is a high up. So you don't have to worry. Devils aren't an enemy of humanity like the bible says. There are always exceptions though, like the stray you met yesterday."
"Hmm... I see... Well, you don't seem to be lying, but this can be just your version of things. Excuse me for being cautious, but I can't sign a contract hastily."
"That is a sound thought, Emiya-kun. For that matter, you can always ask the other humans that had signed the contract. You will find that we don't have any shady business as you might think. For instance, do you know the captain of the Tenis Club?"
"Well, it is hard to miss the headless guy that is around her sometimes. But yes, I know all of them. I just had to look which students didn't treat the headless guy like a normal person."
"Good. After that, we can proceed to register you. But, if you want, there is a way to skip all the procedures and even the contract."
Shirou blinked a couple of times at Rias' words, and pretty much everyone else in the room looked at her surprised. Only Sona knew for sure what was coming.
"I see a but coming."
"Well, of course, everything has a price when dealing with a devil, Emiya-san. But I don't think it's that big of a price. You just have to join my peerage."
The entire room fell silent, just before everyone widened their eyes.
""WHAT!?""
"Ufufu. You are so bold, Buchou."
Looking at their reactions, Shirou could just raise an eyebrow. "Could you please expand on that, Gremory-san?"
"Please, call me Rias. I don't like being called just by my surname."
He just shrugged. "Rias-san then. I'm not a fan of formalities either, so you all can call me Shirou. But back to the matter, what is exactly a peerage?"
"Well, we'll have to give you some context before explaining that." Sona took again the role of doing the explanation. "A really long time ago, the three biblical factions, the Heaven, lead by the Abrahamic God, the Grigori, lead by the fallen angel Azazel, and the devils, lead by the four great Demon Kings, were at constant war. The war ended up with a ceasefire due to the numbers of the three sides having been greatly reduced. And even so, the tension between the three factions can be cut with a knife. I would require just a sparkle to restart the war."
By this point, Shirou was already sipping the tea they offered to him. It was really tasty, but that could also be that his standards when it came to food were pretty low. Everything is a delicacy compared to what he ate most of the time during his first life.
And judging by how Akeno was looking at him, she must be the one who prepared the tea.
"The devils were the ones with most losses of the three sides. Not just the devil population was greatly reduced, but even the four Demon King perished during the war. That ended up leading to a civil war between devils. The Underworld was divided into two camps. The side that supported the heirs of the Demon Kings, who wanted to continue the war regardless of the losses, and the side that wanted peace, and in turn, overthrow the conservative Demon Kings. That war ended with the latter emerging victorious, and four devils that weren't related to the original bloodlines were crowned as Demon Kings."
Sona sipped from her tea to moisturize her throat before resuming the explanation. "With those two wars, you can already imagine the number of pure-blood devils was so much reduced that you could say we were on the verge of extinction. And our kind's low birth rate didn't help the matter. It was then, that one of the actual Demon King, Ajuka Belzebub, came up with a solution, or more exactly, he created it."
She then pulled out a chess piece from her pocket. A knight specifically.
"The evil piece system. It allows us to reincarnate other species' individuals into devils, and it gives them special traits depending on which piece was used. As you can deduce, it was based on the chess game. All the pure-blood devils receive a full set of pieces except for the king, which is represented by themselves, and the devils they reincarnate are their peerage and serve them as their master. For instance, everyone here besides Rias and I are reincarnated devils."
Shirou took a moment to process all that information.
"So, in other words, you want me to reject my humanity and be your servant?"
"That is correct." Rias answered as if that was just a trivial matter. "You would do a fine knight alongside Yutoo with that power of yours. Which by the way, are you sure it isn't a sacred gear?"
That term again. "Sorry, but what is a sacred gear?"
Sona sighted. It was like explaining everything from the beginning to a recently reincarnated devil.
"Sacred gear. In short, they are devices created by the biblical God that are distributed to humans so they can fight against the supernatural. The process is completely random, and once the user dies, it jumps to another. It is said the most prominent figures of humanity had one."
Her eyes then turned to Issei. "Kiba-san and Hyoudou-san here possess sacred gears. Hyoudou-san, can you please show it to him?"
"Oh, yeah..." He summoned that red gauntlet that seemed like a claw.
"That sacred gear is called Boosted Gear, the Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor. It allows him to double his power infinitely, to the point it is said to be able to kill a God."
"Stupid God..." That explanation made Shirou caress his forehead. That was the equivalent of giving a high-rank noble phantasm to a civilian. That was an accident waiting to happen.
"Thanks for the explanation, but no, my magic doesn't have anything to do with a gift from some petty God."
"And about the offer-"
"I refuse." He didn't even let her end her line. His answer was short and blunt.
Rias' expression turned into one of shock. From her perspective, her offer must be a bargain everyone would accept, but from Shirou's perspective, it was a no, and any words could convince him otherwise.
"Bu-but it's all advantages! You'll live longer, you'll be more powerful... If what is troubling you is the part of serving me, you don't have to worry. As a Gremory, I'll take care of you as my family. I swear it on my name as the heiress of the Gremory house."
Now she sounded pretty desperate, but this was something he wasn't doing even if it meant not helping her.
"My answer is still a no. My short lifespan and my weakness are what make me human, and I'm not abandoning them. It is because we know that we can die at any moment, that we can appreciate all the precious moments in our lives. And I'm certainly not making any pact that takes away my liberty."
Those words seemed to take her back, while all the other people in the room made thoughtful expressions. But Rias Gremory didn't give up yet.
"What about we make a little bet? Have a little spar with Yuuto here. If you win, I won't insist anymore. But if you lose, you'll have to join my peerage without any qualms. What do you say? "
Her proposal made everyone else in the room gasp in shock. Even Sona looked at her childhood friend with wariness.
"Rias, we are here to talk things out peacefully! You can't antagonize him just because he didn't accept your offer!"
"It's just a friendly spar, and I won't force him to accept the bet. But being that confident in your humanity, you should have any trouble accepting it, right, Shirou-san."
After that, all the eyes in the room landed on him. Shirou took a moment to think about his options.
He could very well ignore her obvious attempt to taunt him. Pride was something he threw into the trash can a long time ago.
But if there was something he had pride in, it was his dream. Even if humans could become horrible monsters, he still believed that humans and their dreams could keep shining until they reached the stars.
And this world still stuck in the Age of Gods seems to have forgotten that fact. That humanity will always keep moving forward, even leaving behind the Gods.
If he didn't accept this bet, he was sure this two would keep pestering him about joining their peerages. Well, at least Sona seemed to be sensible enough to not ask the same twice when she knew his answer will be the same. But with how desperate Rias looked, she won't stop until she gets away with it.
"Hah..." He sighed as she stood up from his seat.
At that moment, his expresión turned so serious that everyone else in the room tensed up His eyes then landed on Rias.
"Very well, I'll accept your proposal, Rias-san. I guess it's time someone teaches you why you shouldn't make light of humans."
And with that, everyone ended behind the old school building. Akeno and Tsubaki set up a barrier around them so no one notices the battle, and the two combatants were already in front of each other, a gap of ten meters between them.
"Well, as this is a sword duel, I guess I'll be the referee." Meguri stepped forward from where all the other devils would be watching the match.
"I can't believe we are doing this..." Sona pinched the bridge of her nose as she saw both combatants unsheath their swords.
"You just have to relax and enjoy the show, Sona." Rias on the other hand seemed enthusiastic.
Sona could already tell her friend thought she already won the battle, but she wasn't so sure. It seems all the comments the Student Council President made yesterday about Shirou's possible combat strength went in one ear and out the other.
While Kiba fell into a traditional stance with his European sword, Shirou pulled a black Chinese sword from inside his school bag before throwing it aside. Or more accurately, that was what he made them think as he just projected it when his hand was hidden inside the school bag.
They knew he was able to pull out swords and a bow, but they didn't know if there was a condition for it, nor they knew how much time it took him to do it. That uncertainty could very well condition this battle. And they surely didn't know he could fire the swords without a bow, but he was sure he wouldn't need to use that kind of attack to end the match.
"I never thought I would be saying this, but go for him, pretty boy!" Issei was cheering up his comrade, even if he was making a sour face while doing it.
Asia looked at both teenagers worried, while the other looked at them attentively.
"Koneko-san, who do you think is going to win?" Asia ended up asking a person more experienced in combat for her opinion.
"I wouldn't know what to tell you. I know Yuuto-senpai is strong, but I don't know how strong and skilled is Shirou-senpai. "
"Normally, Yuuto-kun would have the advantage in a fight against a magician." Akeno joined the conversation just after Koneko finished speaking. "With his speed, he would be able to cross the distance before the magician utters a word. But, Shirou-kun doesn't seem like the average spell caster, and he has chosen to use the sword instead of the bow wisely."
"Nah, that guy doesn't stand a chance again pretty boy." It was Issei who joined the conversation then. "Look at him, Asia. He's not even taking a stance. I bet he's just using a sword because it looks cool."
At that comment, Akeno and Koneko sighed. "You're still lacking a lot of experience, pervert-senpai. Even if Emiya-senpai isn't taking a stance, there isn't a single opening on him. And his eyes are scrutinizing his opponent."
"Huh?"
"Now that I look at it more closely, I can tell that sword is really a masterpiece." Surprisingly, it was the Student Council vice-president the last one who joined the conversation. "It isn't a demonic sword, nor a holy sword. It's just a really well-crafted sword, but I can say it is really beautiful."
Everyone had to agree with her on that.
"I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff, Tsubaki." The quiet girl's cheeks flushed slightly at Sona's comment. "But I have to agree with you. I would like to ask him where did he get that sword, if he didn't just create it like Kiba-san."
The conversation ended there as everyone focused their attention on the match about to begin.
Just like Koneko said, Kiba wasn't able to see any opening he could take. For some reason, the golden-eyed boy gave him the feeling that any of his attacks would land on him.
"Personally, I don't have anything against you wanting to conserve your humanity, Emiya-san. But you know, my priority is to enforce my master's will. So I would like no grudges between us regardless of the result of this match."
Shirou hummed in agreement. "I can see your loyalty is genuine. I won't say what your master did is wrong as I don't know the circumstances, but as I said, I'm not planning on rejecting my humanity."
"This match will be decided when one of the two contenders admits their defeat or can't fight anymore. Are you ready?"
Hearing Meguri's voice, both combatants fell in silence. Their eyes sharpened while they waited for the sign. Kibas grip on his sword tightened as he saw Shirou wasn't taking a stance yet.
"Go ahead!"
A mere instant after those words left Meguri's mouth, Kiba threw himself at his opponent at an incredible speed. He became a blur for even the devils' eyes, and crossed the distance in a heartbeat.
His sword, Holy Eraser, was aimed at Shirou's neck in a downward diagonal swing that came from his right. An attack so fast that a human couldn't possibly see coming, but...
CLANG!
A metallic sound. Kiba's attack was easily parried by Shirou's Yang-sword in a shower of sparks. The golden-eyed teenager was now actually taking a stance, with his legs separated to react properly.
As surprising as it may sound, Kiba already expected this, and continued his assault with a series of quick slashes. The attacks came from all angles at lightning speed, even faster than the first attack.
But, Shirou's expression remained stoic as he warded off the attacks of the devil harmlessly. Not just that. Surpassing all his attacks, Kanshou came at Kiba's neck.
The devil easily brought back his sword to parry the attack, but he was thrown off by the unexpected strength behind the attack. It wasn't on an absurd level, but it was several times above human limit, and even that of a low-class devil.
Taking advantage of Kiba's slight distraction, Shirou threw a kick at him. A kick from a human should pose a threat to a devil, but Kiba's instincts screamed at him that he must dodge that attack.
And so, the devil made a hasty retreat jumping back before the kick landed on his side. Shirou lowered his leg, but he did not attempt to pursue his opponent. They practically returned to square one.
But now, Kiba had more information about Shirou. Those eyes... as expected from an archer, he could easily track his attacks with his eyes. Maybe he could solve that problem by stepping up his pace, but there was another option more reliable.
The devil kicked in the highest gear and once again turned into a blur. But this time, he didn't attack head-on. He attacked from one side.
CLANG!
As expected, his attack was easily parried again. But, before Shirou could attack back, he quickly disengaged and attacked from a different angle.
Basically, he was applying a hit-and-run tactic in its maximum expression, gradually increasing his speed and attacking from unexpected angles. Even an archer would have trouble keeping up with such speeds. A literal storm of attacks that should have crushed any human swordman.
But that wasn't amounting to anything against this opponent. Shirou started to deflect his attacks without even looking at him, much to Kiba's confusion. No matter how fast he was, he wasn't able to penetrate the magus' defense.
At that moment, Shirou spoke for the first time during the battle. "You're attacks are too straightforward. I can easily tell where you're going to attack next."
Even while speaking, he continues to ward off Kiba's attack without moving from his spot. "And I see you're still clinging to that honor code of yours. You have yet to throw a single attack to my back. But more importantly..."
Shirou grabbed Kanshou's handle with both hands, and swung it with all his might at where Kiba was going to be a moment later.
"Your attacks lack strength!"
That took Kiba by surprise, who was barely able to put his swords in front of Shirou's attacks.
"Kuh!"
Even if he managed to avoid the attack, the strength behind it sent him flying like a rag doll. The devil rolled through the grass several meters until he managed to stop his momentum and stand again.
His eyes darted to his sword, which oddly weighted less than before. The answer to that was quite simple. The blade had been completely shattered in that clash.
Looking at that, Shirou thought he might have exaggerated a little bit using a mana burst on that blow. Just reinforcing his body to its limit should have been enough to make clear his point.
Both combatants ignored the surprised reactions from the audience, and Kiba spoke puzzled. "Why are you telling me all that. I appreciate the tips, but I didn't take you for someone that speaks in battle."
"Well, your master said it. This is just a spar, and a spar is meant to improve one's skills, so I saw myself in the obligation to point out your flaws. I can see you've been trained well, and you managed to keep your cool even if any of your attacks landed, but you clearly lack real combat experience."
The sword in Kiba's hand, Holy Eraser, was created by his sacred gear not that long ago, so he could get too much information about its wielder when his reality marble reproduced it. That's why he needed to exchange blows with him to get a grasp on his skills with a sword.
His fighting style resembled that of a heroic spirit whose katana was inside his reality marble. A stile based on a really high speed and fast and deadly thrusts. Okita Souji, Shinsengumi's first unit captain.
However, Kiba wasn't nearly as fast as that man-slayer, so his speed couldn't compensate for the lack of strength behind his attacks. In servant parameters, he wouldn't put him past D-rank, between E++ and D-, and that was being generous. And Okita wouldn't hesitate to deliver an attack from behind.
And the way that "Sword Birth" worked was quite interesting. It didn't seem to need a blueprint to produce a blade. It worked with the user's imagination, so in that regard, it was able to produce original swords easily. Their quality wasn't lacking, but they were still inferior to noble phantasms.
"I see. Well, I wanted to defeat you in a fair and square sword fight, but I can say you're really something else, Emiya-san. I guess I'll have to make liberal use of my sacred gear if I want to have a chance."
He created another Holy Eraser in his hands after throwing aside the shattered one, and got ready for his final attack. Shirou had to agree with him. It was time to put an end to this spar.
"Sword Birth!" After summoning the name of his sacred gear, he stabbed his sword in the ground. Moments later, several demonic swords sprouted from the ground in a straight line toward Shirou.
That was... quite disappointing. But well, perhaps expecting a barrage of swords like the Gate of Babylon was expecting too much.
That aside, Shirou reacted quickly, pouring a great deal of magical energy in Kanshou and throwing it at the line of swords rushing at him. The twin sword exploded, blowing away the demonic swords and stopping the attack.
That effectively left him disarmed, and Kiba took that as the opening he needed to deal the final blow. The devil rushed at him as fast as he could, confident in his speed as a knight. There was no time to perform any complicated chant or summon a magical circle to conjure another blade...
"Trace, on."
But Shirou just needed to utter a couple of words. The seven steps were traced in an exhalation, even faster than Kiba's Sword Birth, and the married swords were on his hands just before the devil swung his blade.
Kanshou batted aside the attack, and Bakuya attacked right at the devil's neck. Consecutive attacks that seemed like a clear stream, with each attack being precise and efficient, leaving no opening between them.
This was Emiya Shirou's, or rather, King of Fakers' true sword style. The culmination of all his combat experience, developed and perfected after countless battles against enemies superiors to him in every aspect.
Kiba managed to avoid the first attacks, but he was never able to regain his balance and pull himself together, and so, he was quickly overwhelmed.
After ten movements, Shirou already saw the opening. Kanshou hit the Holy Eraser near its handle, blowing it away from his hands, and Bakuya stopped inches from the devil's neck.
The entire place fell into an awkward silence, just broken by Shirou's voice.
"I think this is my win, Kiba-san."
The devil gave him a wry smile before raising his hands in defeat. "Yeah, this is my defeat, Emiya-san."
Shirou made his swords fade in specks of light, dropping his cold mask and returning to his usual self. At that moment, all the audience members seemed to finish registering what just happened in their minds.
"HUH!?"
"WOW, THIS IS SHIROU-KUN WIN!"
The only one that seemed enthusiastic about this result seemed to be Meguri. The others were pretty much in shock.
"Now then..." Shirou approached the two pure-blood devils after retrieving his school back. "I'll be taking the regular contract then, Sitri-san. And I expect you to keep your end of the deal, Rias-san."
The latter nodded absentmindedly, while the former pulled herself together quickly. "Very well, let us proceed with the procedures then."
Things ended better than Shirou expected. Now, he wouldn't need to keep hiding his identity as a magus in the school, and he could patrol the city at night without having been that cautious about the locals.
In short, things would stop being complicated...
Or so he thought...