Chapter 54 - 2-

"Munch... munch... munch..."

The sounds of a certain albino devil devouring a homemade bento echoed throughout the rooftop. Something Shirou would need to get used by the looks of it.

Her master, or king if he went by the roles they used, took it as another defeat the moment little Koneko refused to have something else other than his food for lunch.

It has been just a couple of days after the negotiations, and his plans of distancing himself from these magical creatures went down the drain pretty quickly. Not that he minded Koneko's presence. Being a girl of few words made it easy for him to ignore the ominous aura around her.

However, none of the devils tried to strike a conversation longer than two minutes. The closest one was Asia, and maybe Sona, but he kept things as professional as possible.

They kept their word and didn't make any other offer, and sticking to his facade as a clueless magician, he managed to acquire some books about the basics of this world's magic and the three factions.

Well, things got even weirder.

Gods from long-dead religions managed to survive with all their authorities intact, with most of the pantheons in a cold war state, waiting to throw themselves at each other's neck at the first sign of weakness.

Magecraft, neither True Magic has ever existed, with human magic being just an imitation of the demonic powers. The same goes for the Reverse side of the World, explaining the abundance of phantasmal species.

But the most worrying issue, there doesn't seem to be any connection between this world and the Throne of Heroes. Or at least no one in this world is aware of it, but that's highly unlikely. Meaning, this world's humanity is on the verge of getting stuck, or in other words, lose its will to keep moving forward.

And the reason behind this is obvious. Mystery and technology might've been able to somehow coexist in this world, but the existence of Gods and phantasmal species are still hindering humanity.

In short, this is an impossible world in which humanity failed to become the apex predator but miraculously avoided the pruning theoretical phenomenon.

That brought two obvious troubles. First, he was an abnormality in this world. A hole in the system. And that was the fastest way to become a living target for all the supernatural factions of this world. Sticking to this world's magic system when he introduced himself was truly the best choice he could have taken.

As for the second problem, obviously, the reason why he was here. If his assumptions were on the mark, forget about being summoned to save this world.

The most usual purpose of a heroic spirit summoned in an irregular world like this is to destroy it because it most likely poses a threat to proper Human History. But this was something he could discard, as the Counter-Force would have sent a heroic spirit with a more suitable noble phantasm for the task.

Then, if the world itself isn't the problem, there must be something in this world that is actually a threat to even other worlds. A calamity, a Beast, or even some petty God. Something that he has to exterminate.

Not an easy task being stuck in a human body, a teenage body at that. But given the disconnection between the Throne of Heroes and this world, being summoned as a proper servant, let alone a Grand servant, was too much to ask.

Perhaps this was only possible because the resident human named Emiya Shirou had compatibility with the nameless hero King of Fakers stronger than even twins.

He could feel there were some traits of his Spirit Origin active, as his magic resistance, but accessing his parameters as a servant was still out of question. And the obvious solution to this, exterminating the Gods to put an end to the Age of Gods, was too absurd to even consider it. Only a Grand Servant would be able to fight an entire world.

For now, keeping his low profile would be the best until he manages to identify the threat he needs to exterminate. In the meantime, he should sort an alternative to unlocking his power as a servant, even if he didn't know where to even begin with.

"Shirou-senpai... there's something I've been meaning to ask..." Koneko's unexpected voice brought Shirou back to reality.

He eyed her. She always settled with just eating the bento in silence, so she being the one starting a conversation was odd. But the fact that she had already finished eating and they still had 20 minutes before lessons started again was most likely the cause.

"Shoot."

"You said you didn't want to reject your humanity because believed in mankind. But I don't think that was the entire truth. Even as a devil, you could still watch over them. So, what is your real reason to reject Rias-senpai's offer?"

A very good question. Leaving aside that he has yet to trust their words, and the loss of his political freedom, if he delved further, there was a deeper reason behind his outright rejection.

His golden eyes turned to look at the horizon. They didn't show him the blue sky, but a living hell. The place from which he was saved when everyone else died meaninglessly. The fire in which a part of him died.

"You see... if I were to take a psychological exam, I would barely qualify as a functional person... Losing what little humanity I have left is something I can't allow to happen..."

"It would be like betraying all the people I let die so I could live."

He kept that last fact to himself. It would do him no good to reveal too much about himself, and she wouldn't understand it without proper context anyway.

"I see..." However, that answer seemed to be enough for her.

Now then, since she asked, it was his turn to ask in return.

"There's something I want to ask, too." Getting a nod from her, he went ahead. "When you became a devil, did Rias-san force you, or was it on your own volution?"

By the face she made, he knew he had stepped on a huge land mine. The color drained from her face as her entire body stiffened.

Shirou frowned, assuming it was the first option, but Koneko noticed this and shook her head.

"It's true I didn't have much choice, but it was not because Rias-senpai forced me..."

She sounded sincere, but he couldn't discard that those evil pieces brainwashed her.

He refrained from asking further, as it seemed to be a topic she wasn't comfortable about, and resumed his lunch.

The bell soon rang, and he went to attend his lessons. Even if he now was aware of his possible mission, he couldn't just desert from school and start searching for the threat.

Once the lessons ended, he went straight to the tennis courtyard. The days in which he would go home to get some rest before tonight's hunt seemingly came to an end, but this visit had a purpose aside from lending a hand.

He heard the Tennis club needed maintenance with some of their rackets that were getting old, a perfect occasion to meet their club captain, one of the few humans aware of the supernatural.

After asking some of the club members for directions, he arrived at the shed used by the majority of the clubs to store their stuff and became his task swiftly. Now that he could use structural grasp and reinforcement without worrying about leaving traces for the devils, this was going to be quick.

But he must say, it was a miracle the rackets had lasted so long. Some of them were bought when the Kuoh academy was first opened.

"I guess this is the problem of having so many clubs. The budget for each club is so limited that buying new equipment is a luxury they can hardly afford."

Not that he was against it, but with the lack of proper maintenance, all the requests the Student Council receives asking for equipment renovation started to make sense.

"Hoh, I see the title of "Fake Janitor" isn't for show. You really are fast." A feminine voice warned Shirou that he was no longer alone.

Luckly, he was just finishing tying up the strings of the last racket, a task with no magecraft involved. Not that it mattered, as this was the person he wanted to met.

Shirou turned around to meet a voluptuous girl of brown hair tied in several drills. Abe Kiyome, the captain of the Tennis club, and the heir of an ancient family specialized in taming phantasmal species.

Well, it could be just a coincidence, but she shared her last name with Japan's greatest onmyouji, Abe no Seimei, said to have contracts with a large number of youkai.

"I thought I would have to cancel the club's practices until the Janitor fixed the rackets, but then you offered your help. You really saved us here, Emiya-kun."

"It's not that big of a deal, Abe-senpai. I don't mind dropping by every month to keep these in check."

A smile spread across her face. "I'll take that offer gladly. These rackets... They look as good as new. Those hands of yours really did magic here."

While she was inspecting his work, he walked to the door and locked it. The clicking sound of the lock made the girl fall in silence and send a questioning look at Shirou.

"It would be inconvenient if someone were to hear us."

Those words made her face go completely stiff, a slight blush showing in her cheeks. From Kiyome's perspective, the situation had taken a really weird turn all of a sudden. Something Shirou was completely unaware of.

"E-Emiya-kun, i-it's not like you're not my type... I-in fact, you're really a treat for the eyes if that six-pack I can see through your sweaty shirt is an indication. Bu-but my heart isn't ready..."

At that moment, Shirou blinked a couple of times like an owl. She mentioned magic, so he thought she actually noticed his use of reinforcement in the rackets and wanted to talk about that. But it would seem, she was speaking figuratively.

"Abe-senpai... I don't know what you're thinking, but this is not what you're thinking. I just want to talk about a sensitive issue."

All the tension left her body upon hearing that. There was a tingle of disappointment in her face, too.

"Then, what do you want to talk about?"

"It's obvious. The supernatural world."

The mood in the room changed again, this time to a completely serious one. A frown appeared on Kiyome's beautiful face as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I take it you are the stray magician who signed a contract with the devils a couple of days ago."

"Yes, that would be me." He was a little surprised that she didn't mention the "Slayer" title. "This will be quick. I just want to confirm something. You too signed a contract with them, right?"

"Well yes. I happened to enroll in this school at the same time Rias and Sona did, but it seems this has been devil territory for many years prior to their arrival."

"I see..." That was something that still rubbed him wrong. They already had the underworld, but they still had the nerve of claiming human regions as their own.

"Now, did they interviewed you like if they were the Gestapo and tried to recruit you for their peerages?"

That made her raise an eyebrow. "Err, no... I mean, I am the heir of an important family here in Japan, so they better don't try something like that if they don't want to deteriorate their relationship with the Shinto faction. But aside from that, I'm not really an active person in the supernatural world. It's kind of scary."

"Hmm..." That meant they tried to recruit him first because of his power, and second because as the nobody he is they wouldn't get on anyone's bad side.

"If that's your decision, stick to it. The night in this town is really dangerous."

"You don't have to worry, Emiya-kun. My friends can protect me. That "Slayer" that roams the city exterminating magical beasts is kind of scary though."

Shirou could just sweatdrop at that. But, before he could say something else...

BA BUMP!

All the alarms rang in his head as he turned around at neck-snaping speed.

The reason, a really ominous presence had just appeared in the vicinity. By the similarities of this presence and Rias', he knew it was a devil, but one that made the local devils seem like little puppies.

He wouldn't put it anywhere near Beast level, but it would be on the level of a lesser dragon or a superior dead apostle. And that was worrying on itself. To take down something like that, the best course of action would be blasting it with a holy sword as Durandal or Galatine.

But before jumping to conclusions, he had to make sure that devil was hostile or was an acquaintance of the locals.

"Is something wrong, Emiya-kun?" Kiyome noticed the way Shirou tensed up and his expression became really serious.

"Don't freak out, but a really powerful devil has appeared in the school. I'll go see what's happening. Stay alert in case things go south."

Her face lost all its color, but she nodded. He didn't waste any second and set course for the Student Council room. If his orientation wasn't off, the presence he noticed was in the old school building, so Sona was the safest way to seek confirmation.

"Come in."

After knocking, the Sitri heiress' voice gave him permission to enter. Some surprise showed in her expression as she raised her head from the paperwork. The few members of the Student Council in the room looked at him for a moment before returning to their work.

"Oh, to what I own this visit, Shirou-kun? If it's about the pictures you sent me last night, I assure you there wasn't any VIP among them."

Well, that's something he wanted to confirm, too. He still hunted creatures at night, but now he reported them to Sona to know if he killed a big shot. Not that he cared, since no faction could identify him, but it was good to keep track of which factions are outright hostile to humanity.

"Aside from that, I just want to confirm something. Were you guys expecting a visit?"

"A visit?"

"Yeah, like the devil with a really ominous presence that appeared in the old school building."

It took her a couple of seconds to connect the dots, and her face became sorrowful.

"I see... So Rias finally ran out of time, huh?"

Aside from Tsubaki, those words didn't make any sense for all the other people in the room.

"I don't think we're on the same page here. Care to explain why is there a being on the level of a dragon in the school?"

Shirou insisted further. The safety of all the people in the school, and even the entire city, was compromised.

"Well, since this is a public matter, I don't see any problem telling you. But I must say, it is impressive you can sense her from here."

"You could say I'm pretty sensitive to abnormalities in the air, and they aren't trying to hide their presence in the least."

"It makes sense I guess. Now then, the devil you sensed most likely is one of the Demon King's direct servants. The queen of the current Lucifer to be precise. The title of "Ultimate Queen" isn't for show. As for the reason for her visit, I believe she came to watch over the negotiations about Rias' political marriage with the heir of the Phenex clan."

"So they are in the middle of a meeting, huh..."

Although Sona didn't know much about Emiya Shirou, she could guess his intentions with just a glance.

"Shirou-kun... please tell me you're not going to do what I think you're going to do."

"Of course not, Shitori-san. I'm not going to enter the meeting like I own the place." That made her sigh relieved, but he wasn't over yet. "However, I think I've heard Rias-san saying the hallways of old school building need some cleaning."

Just as he spoke, a pair of mop and bucket were projected in his hands, causing Sona to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Just... don't get into any mess. Grayfia might tolerate your presence, but the heir of the Phenex clan can be... how should I put it..."

Her eyes then turned to Saji, who had been sending side glances at the two of them since Shirou stepped into the room.

"Saji, which word would you use to describe an unpleasant man who treats you like an object?"

The boy in question nearly fell from his chair at the sudden question, and it took him a couple of seconds to think of a proper answer.

"So you're saying this Phenex guy is a dick?"

"A vulgar expression, but I'll allow it since the subject in question deserves it."

"Thanks for the warning, I guess..."

With a clear idea of what he was going to find, he went to the old school building.

They were really careless.

Yeah, having this Grayfia around made placing any defense mechanisms even pointless, but there was not a single bounded field, or whatever equivalent they had, to prevent anyone from hearing their conversation.

When he arrived at the second floor, just as he said, he started to mop around, with his ears reinforced to hear them better.

If anyone of them noticed his presence, they didn't mention it.

He arrived at the middle of a discussion between Rias and who he assumed was her fiance. The guy was using the argument of the devils' low birth rate, but the red-head was refusing outright even if the marriage was arranged by their families.

And he had to be in Rias' side for once. Something in the guy's behavior was rubbing him the wrong way. For some reason, his instincts shout at him that he must destroy his existence.

A quite familiar reaction now that he thought about it, but he couldn't put his finger on the person that caused such reaction from him.

"You know it Rias. I'm a pure-blood devil that carries the name of the Phenex clan. I cannot let any humiliation befall that name. I didn't even want to come to this little building in the human world. I hate the human world. The fire and wind of this world are repulsive. For a devil like me who represents those elements, this world is sickening! So I'm bringing you back to the underworld, even if I have to burn your entire peerage!"

Judging by how the temperature in the entire building skyrocketed, the guy must have summoned those flames he's so proud of. The energy he was giving off was several times bigger than the average human, but he was still a bug compared to the monster in the room.

But right now, Shirou was busy repressing his urge to kick down the door and turn that prick into a pincushion.

If he considered the human world so disgusting, then he would gladly send him to his home, inside a coffin, that is. If those words came from a fairy who came from Avalon they would make sense. But if their society was still stuck in the middle ages with that pureblood bullshit, he had no right to speak ill of the human world.

So he gritted his teeth and continued mopping the floor to keep his mind distracted. At least those flames were useful as a heater to dry the floor faster.

"Rias-sama, Raiser-sama, please, calm down. If you two insist on the hostilities, I'll have to step in."

Just the words of the Demon King's servant were enough to make the two pure-blood devils hide their auras and cease fighting.

"If it's the ultimate queen who dictates it, I don't have other option but oblige..."

Even outside the room Shirou could tell the conflict was far from over, and so, Grayfia made a proposal.

"Both Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex knew things were going to end like this. Actually, this meeting was the last resort. So, they decided to give you a choice."

"A choice? What do you mean by that, Grayfie?"

"Rias-sama, if you wish to break this arranged marriage, then why don't you settle it with a Rating Game?"

Well, that was new. And judging by the way it left Rias speechless, that was everything but good news. From the context, he could deduce it was going to be the good old way of settling things with their fists.

"As you know, a Rating Game can only take place between devils above the legal age. But, an exception can be made if it's an unofficial match to settle an issue between families."

"Tch. In other words, father and the others resorted to this to force me to accept the marriage..."

"Are you going to take it, Rias-sama?"

"Why of course! This is the best opportunity I could have. Let's settle this with a Rating Game, Raiser!"

"Hoh? You're challenging me? Even knowing that I have yet to know defeat in official games, you'll still challenge me?"

"I'll do it! I'll defeat you and make you go away from my life!"

"Very well then. But if you lose, you'll marry me right away."

"Understood. Then, I, Grayfia, will confirm the opinion of both parties. Do you agree with this?"

The two nodded in agreement, and Shirou was about to leave the place having confirmed that there was no danger that those two wouldn't start a fight, but unfortunately, things didn't end there.

"Heh, if those are your servants, this Rating Game is going to be a joke. The only decent one would be your queen, the "Lightning Priestess". On the other hand, these are mi cute servants."

Shirou heard a finger snap, and at the next moment, he could sense 15 presences that popped out of nowhere in the room.

"So they can perform teleport magic, huh? Well, having in mind the Age of Gods has yet to end, this isn't that surprising."

The fifteen presences weren't so impressive, but if the prick has the complete package, then he has a huge advantage against Rias, who only has five servants.

There was some chit-chat between them, most of it Issei making them freak out as it seemed all of them were cute girls, but then something happened that made the atmosphere in the room get tense.

"You bastard! You already have Buchou! Why are you groping your queen!? You don't deserve her, damn it! We don't need a Rating Game! I'll beat the crap out of you with my Boosted Gear right here, right now!"

[Boost]

Issei was the first to snap, summoning that sacred gear of his. The description Sona gave him about that gauntlet was terrifying, but his expectations went down the drain. He was expecting to feel a presence on par with the King of Knights, the incarnation of the red dragon, but it seemed Issei needed more training to draw out that thing's full potential.

The problem was, with no bounded field around, everyone was going to see this building blow up from the inside out if the prick falls for Issei's taunt. Trying to cover it up as a "gas leak" would be troublesome, and they might even resort to silence any witness.

"Hah..." Shirou sighed.

He really hoped he wouldn't have to step in, but seeing that Grayfia wasn't going to intervene this time...

"Hmph, do you think you can defeat me just because you have a Longinus? Perhaps I should teach you de difference between a highborn and a lowlife-"

Raiser's words were interrupted by a shrill sound coming from outside the door, which put everyone full alert. It sounded like something metallic hit the ground.

"Shit! Now I have to mop this part again!"

The shouting voice was actually familiar to the members of the Occult Research Club, which left them even more dumbfounded.

Rias and Akeno exchanged looks, and the latter went to open the door. On the other side, she met a certain golden-eyed teenager, mopping the floor like if he was possessed.

"Shirou-kun, what are you doing here?"

He stopped in his tracks, and then looked at all the people in the room behind her. As expected, the prick and all his servants were looking at him as a nuisance.

"Never mind me, Himejima-san. I was just making sure a group of devils didn't blow up the building when the school is still open and full of teachers and students."

He spoke with a casual attitude despite being the center of attention in a room full of devils.

"I appreciate your concern, Shirou-kun, but you didn't have to bother. Grayfia is here to make sure that doesn't happen."

This time was Rias who spoke, inwardly appreciating his intervention just before Issei got his ass handed.

"Are you sure about that?" He entered the room and eyed the two men in question. "Because that's what was about to happen. Or am I wrong, Phenex-san?"

Raiser's expression turned into a grimace. "Rias, who is this insolent human that dares to interrupt a meeting between pureblood devils? Should I burn him to ashes?"

The heir of the Gremory clan, and pretty much all of her servants, started to sweat bullets. Even Issei, who had managed to calm down.

They knew Shirou was no joke, that was clear after his spar with Kiba, but the man in front of him had a superior regeneration compared to the stray he exterminated a few days ago and was more powerful. Getting into a fight with him wasn't the best idea.

But before Rias could try to de-escalate the situation, Shirou spoke again.

"Is that how you greet a guest? I still have my reservations about your kin, but you're leaving a really awful image of them."

The expression of the Phenex heir was now full of rage, and his flames were expanding to the point that the room became a sauna.

However, where everyone, even the Phenex's servants, was starting to sweat due to the heat, Shirou just faced him with a slight frown. Akeno, who was the closest to him, could notice that the flames didn't get to touch him. It was like something was nullifying them the moment they get close.

Unbeknownst to her, those flames were just a calm breeze to his C-rank magic resistance.

"Who gave you permission to talk to me, mongrel!?"

The moment that the last word left Raiser's mouth, the temperature in the room decreased significantly despite his flame.

Everyone could see something snapped inside Emiya Shirou as all the emotions drained from his face.

His cold eyes settled on the Phenex heir like a machine that has found its target and now was going to proceed with his extermination. The killing intention Shirou was giving off was so terrifying that it made the ladies behind Raiser go completely pale, and even Raiser himself lost his breath.

It was like being in front of a monster, a superior predator that made them feel so powerless.

Blond: check

Acts all haughty and calls mongrel everyone he sees inferior to him: check

Has an absurd amount of power to back his attitude: failed to read

Now Shirou realized why this prick irked him so much. He was a pale imitation of his natural enemy, the King of Heroes. But the fact that this Yakitori didn't have a fraction of the power of the Golden King just pissed him off even more.

"Hoh? The pampered devil acts all haughty despite being so far from home? Perhaps I should be the one to put you in your place."

His right arm was raised slowly as his circuits flared to life, several anti-immortal noble phantasms being loaded in them.

"Trace-"

"That is enough, Emiya-sama. Raiser-sama got your point." But just as the weapons were about to come to life, the monster in the room raised her voice.

The magical energy that was about to form the noble phantasm dispersed as well as the killing intention. Shirou was able to reign over the instincts driving him to destroy the existence of the devil in front of him, and everyone else in the room released the air they were holding.

The golden eyes then settled on the silver-haired stoic maid in the corner of the room. An entirely different problem had arisen here.

"You know my name?"

The maid nodded. "I was the one who processed your contract, Emiya-sama. Rias-sama warned us about the "Slayer" roaming the city, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out you weren't hostile. But you can rest assured. At the request of Rias-sama, you're just a stray magician to the eyes of the devil society."

Those words clearly tried to appease him, but the only thing they got from Shirou was a frown. Even if his name didn't spread, a servant of the Demon King, and by extension, the Demon King himself, were aware of his existence.

But antagonizing them would do him no good, even if he could easily break the contract. He would need full access to his strength as a servant at least if he wanted to fight an entire race.

"I see. Well, since you now have things under control, I'll step aside. But if I'm allowed to share my opinion, this match between Rias-san and Phenex-san is quite unfair. Wouldn't you agree to give them some time to get ready?"

"A fair point, Emiya-sama." The maid's cold eyes turned to Raiser. Just her stare demanded the Phenex heir to agree. "What do you think, Raiser-sama."

"Heh, I have to agree it will be boring if they were to fight me as they are. So I'll give them ten days to train and got the lowlife with the Boosted Gear in shape." He sent a mocking glance at Ria's. "After all, your victory will depend on you managing to draw the full potential of that sacred gear. I'll see you then."

With that said, the devil stepped into his magical circle and disappeared alongside all his servants.

"If you all excuse me, I'll depart immediately to report the decision agreed in this meeting."

Grayfia did the same with her own magical circle, and Shirou was left alone in the room with Rias and her servants.

The "King" was the one who broke the awkward silence. "I would say what you did was reckless, Shirou-kun, but I have to thank you for preventing Issei from getting hurt and giving us some time to train."

"Don't sweat it. Think of it as a way to thank you for helping me remain anonymous. And well, now I know why you were so persistent about recruiting me in your peerage, and that your society is still stuck in the Middle Ages."

"Dude... has anyone ever told you you're damn scary?" Issei managed to get those words out of his mouth. His face was still completely pale, and Asia by his side wasn't any better.

Kiba and Koneko managed to pull themselves together like Rias, but it took a few more seconds for Akeno since she had been too close to Shirou.

"I don't know about that, but Shirou-kun here does have the guts to stand in front of Raiser when he is releasing his flames."

Everyone turned to look at the new guest in the room.

"You too came here, Sona?"

The president of the Student Council nodded at Shirou. "I wanted to make sure you kept your word. This is not the best outcome, but it isn't the worst either."

Her lilac eyes then turned to her childhood friend. "I assume you're going to train non-stop until the day of the match."

"It's not like I have another option. As much as I hate to admit it, Raiser is right. As we are right now, we don't stand a chance."

Sona pushed up her glasses. "I guess I'll have to cover the absence of you and your peerage..."

"Well, good luck with that."

Shirou was about to take his leave, but Rias' voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait a moment, Emiya-kun! I have a proposal for you."

The golden-eyed boy turned to look at her with narrowed eyes. "I know what you're going to ask, and I'll have to decline."

"Why? I know my behavior the other day wasn't appropriate, and I beg you pardon. But please, would you help us get stronger?"

"It's not because you wanted to turn me into a devil. How exactly are you expecting me to help you guys?"

His eyes darted to Kiba. "My sword style and Kiba's are like night and day. Trying to teach him something would hinder him if anything."

The next one was the albino girl. "My knowledge of hand-to-hand combat is limited, so there's little I can help her to improve. The same applies to you, Akeno, and Asia. As a third-rate magu- I mean magician, teaching you guys magic is but a dream."

Issei stiffened when he realized the golden eyes were on him. "As for Issei here, maybe I can teach him the basics, but realistically speaking, there's no time to teach him how to fight properly. So, in other words, as much as I would want to see how you beat the shit out of that prick, there's little I can help you there."

Seeing their faces, he knew the only one who appreciated his analysis was Sona.

"You might be right, but I sensed it when we crossed swords the other day. Your fighting style speaks of a huge amount of combat experience. I'm sure there must be something you can teach us."

The two swordsmen stared at each other. The resolution Shirou could see in the eyes of the devil was pretty strong.

"Yeah, please! I need to get stronger so I can kick the ass of that Yakitori bastard!" Issei followed Kiba, but he did so bowing at a perfect 90-degree angle.

They weren't going to desist, did they?

"Please, Shirou-senpai... Help us beat that bastard and save Rias-senpai."

"Please, Shirou-san... I don't want to see Rias-onee-sama married with that unpleasant man!"

"Kuh..." Shirou stepped back. That double puppy eyes attack was really effective.

Asia was replaced by the image of a certain empress of roses, and Koneko was replaced by a little girl with red hair tied in twin tails whose name he couldn't remember. He was just about to concede, but he managed to bite his tongue in time.

This was none of his business, and he couldn't care less about an arranged marriage between devils.

"Rias is a woman of word, Shirou-kun. If you help us, she'll own you a favor. And being the heir of the Gremory clan and the sister of the current Demon King, she has a lot of connections."

Akeno added her two cents, and now, that was appealing. But that was also a contradiction in itself. Helping their daughter to bust the marriage they've been planing for years was a sure way to get on their bad side.

Well, it's not like he was planning on making friends. Just the favor of a Demon King was more than enough. It would help him a lot in his search to find the threat hidden in this impossible world.

And seeing that Raiser guy bite the dust would be pleasing...

Who was he kidding? It's impossible for him to reject someone pleading like that. Even if they aren't even human. He would have helped anyway if they insisted further. The favor of the Demon King was just an excuse for himself.

So, he decided to step right into the landmine. "Haaah... Fine, I'll see what I can do. But no promises."

While the faces of the ORC members cheered up, a faint smile appeared on Sona's face.

"You really are a softy on the inside."

Next day...

Shirou had to admit it, coming to a hidden mansion in the middle of a forest was the last thing he had in mind. The place was huge, with several rooms, a living, a library, a fully equipped kitchen, and even an outdoor bathroom.

So this was why Sona and her peerage committed themselves to patrol the city in his instead during these ten days... Well, the Emiya residence was going to be buried by a thick layer of dust when he arrived home, but anyway.

It was still soon in the morning when they finished unpacking their luggage in their respective rooms and met in the living room.

Rias gave him an explanation about the rules of those so-called Rating Games, that was also for the newest members of her peerage, Issei and Asia.

The gist of it was that it was pretty much chess in real life due to the different properties carried by the evil pieces. The match would take place inside a special bounded field which allows participants who are too injured or have lost the will to fight to be teleported out. That made it nearly impossible for someone to die, so now it made sense calling it a game and not a duel or something like that.

In fact, it was the equivalent of soccer in human society. There was a ranking, and every official match was live televised through magic.

"So you guys see it as a game, huh? Well, the first step to win this is going to be changing that mentality."

Those words got some raised eyebrows.

"Why do you mean by that, Shirou-kun?"

"What I mean is that you'll need to go with the intention to kill if you want to even stand a chance. Your enemy will make light of you most likely due to their numerical superiority, so that's also something you can take advantage of."

"Isn't that a little bit extreme?" Issei asked a little nervous.

"No, he's right." Surprisingly, it was Rias who agreed with him. "We can't afford to think of this match as a game. We can't hold anything back."

The way Akeno and Koneko twitched at those last words didn't go unnoticed by Shirou. And he could bet that had something to do with the reason why their presences were different from the other devils he has met.

But that wasn't his business. He was no psychologist.

"How much experience in group tactics do you have, Shirou-kun."

"Most of the battles I have fought were on my own, so there's little I can help you in that regard. As I said yesterday, aside from Issei there, the only thing I can offer is a spar and some tips."

"I see. Then you'll handle his training during the mornings. The lessons about magic with Akeno will be after lunch, and I'll handle his physical training at night. You can spar with Yuto-kun and Koneko-chan in the afternoon."

Well, she already had a timetable in her mind. She really was serious about this.

"Well, we should start as soon as possible. Oh, by the way, I have acquired some footage of Rating Games in which Raiser has participated. We should watch them this night after dinner."

That could very well be the most important factor of this match. While they could see how Raiser's peerage fared in previous games, the info they had about Ria's peerage was just about their names and some general skills.

But, you could say Rias hit the jackpot, as there was an even more reliable source of info by her side.

"About that... well since we're doing this, I guess I have to do my part here as well... Trace, on."

Instead of explaining, Shirou decided to show them right away. In his hand appeared a western sword of a quite simple design.

Everyone else in the room tilted their heads in confusion, but fortunately, Kiba got the message.

"That sword... could it be... Is that the sword of one of Raiser's knights?"

"Exactly. The thing is, my magic doesn't create swords like your sacred gear but allows me to reproduce every bladed weapon I've seen. That includes the shape, the materials, the forging process, but more importantly the experience. And I happened to see the weapons of more than half of that prick's peerage."

The entire room fell silent upon hearing that revelation.

"Wow, so you're like a 3D printer!"

Shirou's eyebrow twitched at Issei's remark. Calling his infinite creation of swords a 3D printer was a huge understatement, but he'll let the devils think that. Revealing his reality marble was completely out of question.

"You could say that..."

"Then you can show us how they fight?" Kiba went straight to the point.

"For the most part, yes. The problems are the queen, who uses a magic staff, the twins that carried around the chainsaws, and the two girls who I presume are the bishops. Specifically, the girl with the side pigtails. Her aura pretty much overshadowed the rest of the peerage."

"That's because she's actually Raiser's little sister, Ravel Phenex."

That tiny detail made Shirou, as well as Issei, widen their eyes.

"What!? He made his sister part of his harem!?" Issei made it sound even more disturbing if anything.

"A-anyway, let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Yes, sir!"

While Shirou and Issei walked out of the mansion, Kiba and Koneko went their separate way, Akeno started teaching the basics of devil magic to Asia, and Rias went straight for the library.

"So, what's the plan, Sensei?" Issei asked while he stretched a bit in preparation.

In his mind, he was expecting a mystical training like those in the animes that would lead to an incredible power-up. Unfortunately for him, reality was disappointing.

"I'll be blunt. As I said, teaching how to fight properly in a week is impossible. That's why I'll teach you how to survive instead. I'll leave getting you into shape to Rias since she knows more about devil's physiology. What we're going to do is fight."

"Err... are you sure that's the best way?" The Red Dragon Emperor asked skeptically.

"Trust me, learning a few martial arts is going to do you no good if you can't even react properly to your enemy's attacks. What you need the most is combat experience. Your instincts and muscle memory is the only thing that's going to save you if your opponent is superior to you in every sense. Now, summon your sacred year and raise your power to your limit."

"Huh? I'm allowed to use the Boosted Gear?"

"Why not?"

"But Buchou always says that relying on it during the training sessions is not good."

"That might be true when it comes to physical training, but it is the source of your power and your main weapon, right? Learning how to use it in combat is going to be crucial. Of course, the enemy isn't going to sit and watch how you get more powerful in front of his face, but this is going to be an initial test of shorts."

"I see... Then, Boosted Gear!"

[Boost!]

He started duplicating his power, and meanwhile, Shirou dived into his reality marble in search of an adequate weapon.

Aestus Estus was the first option he came across. The flame-shaped sword was wielded by the Fifth Emperor of Rome, Nero Claudius. But he discarded it. The flames of that sword were the representation of that empress' passion, so using them to emulate Raiser's flames would be kind of disrespectful.

Then, he found the perfect weapon. They were actually two weapons that shared the same identity somehow despite having completely different shapes. One was a massive two-bladed halberd that was able to turn into a cannon, while the other was a flaming katana with an exceptionally sharp blade.

He chose the second one, as it suited him better, but the first one though carried a nostalgic feeling for some reason. The circumstances were complicated to describe, but that katana was forged by himself.

With the blueprint already in his mind ready to be trace, he turned his attention to Issei again.

[Explosion!]

"I'm ready, Sensei!"

"How many boosts was that?"

"Ten seems to be my current limit. That sound actually represents that I cut the boosting process. I got the feeling that I would faint if I went further."

"So it has a limit, huh? I assume your body is what determines how many boosts you can perform."

The power overflowing Issei's body was on the level of Akeno's. Quite impressive since his basic power isn't that far from a regular human, but he was still far from reaching the power of a pure-blood devil as Rias or Riser.

Shirou took some distance from the devil and stretched his hand to the side.

"Trace, on."

The katana appeared in his hand. The blade was of an average length, with its blade crimson and the braided on the handle completely black. The guard had the shape of a traditional oni mask with horns, and Issei could see de distortions in the air around the blade due to the heat it gave off.

But, as the man of culture (read as former chunnybio) Issei was, he recognized the belly fish patter in the handle, and the random waved pattern of the Hammon of the blade.

"Is that a freaking Muramasa in real life!?"

"You could say it is. Now, get ready!"

Shirou raised the flaming katana above his head and swung it with all his might in Issei's direction.

Then... hell descended upon earth.

"WHAAAAA-!?"

Issei stared in shock at the burning line mere inches from him. He barely managed to step aside from the attack, and it was just because Shirou telegraphed the swing on purpose.

The flames of that katana burned away everything in a straight line in front of Shirou. Something told him that even space itself was burned.

If he hadn't had all those boosts, he would have been turned to ashes in an instant.

"A-are you nuts!? Do you want to kill me!?"

"No, I'm just showing you an approximate of what you're going to face in ten days. Take it as a reference. Now, get your ass moving!" Those last words were followed by another swing, this time diagonal.

"UWAAAH!" Issei managed to roll to the side, and started running for his life.

He was expecting tough training from the guy who beat Kiba so easily, but now it seemed like their roles were swapped. He was the one facing a vicious demon swinging that terrifying katana.

Yeah, this was an accurate representation of facing that Phenex bastard, but still...

Issei could feel all his body covered by a thick layer of sweat, and some parts of his tracksuit were already on fire! The grass field in which they were training was now scorched earth.

By this point, the only thing in Issei's head was moving his legs as fast as possible, making erratic movements to avoid being disintegrated.

But losing sight of Shirou was the worst mistake.

"...!"

When he realized it, the golden-eyed teenager was in front of him, taking the classic Hira-Seigan stance in preparation for a thrust. A huge amount of flames was condensing around the blade of his katana.

I short, he was screwed.

"...Megiddo!"

Shouting weird words, Shirou thrust his sword, firing a condensed beam of flames.

"WHOAA!"

Issei tilted his head, and the beam swept past him, dangerously close at that. He could feel parts of his hair, and his nerves got numb due to the extreme heat. It was as if his flesh was about to melt.

But he didn't have time to think about it, neither about the explosion he heard behind him. Shirou had already crossed the distance, his katana aiming at his neck.

The devil put his red gauntlet in the way of the sword, and it resisted the attack. However, the same couldn't be said of Issei himself, who was blown away like a rag doll.

His body rolled through the hellish landscape in which was turned the backyard of the mansion, getting even more bruises and burns.

[Reset]

Once he stopped, the gem on the back of the gauntlet shone, and it looked like all energy left Issei's body. He managed to stand up though, his breath ragged and his heart seemingly wanting to burst out of his chest.

But fortunately, Shirou didn't continue to attack.

"Hmm... Not bad. You survived three minutes. It's a good start." The golden-eyed teenager approached him casually as he dismissed the flaming katana.

"Those are... good news... I guess..."

"Issei-san!"

The two boys turned to see Asia running towards them with a really worried expression.

"I'll heal you right away!" She put her hand on his face and summoned what looked like a silver ring with an emerald on its top. The ring emitted a faint light, and Issei's burns started to heal at an incredible speed.

That must be her sacred gear, twilight healing. It was on par with that katana's healing flames, but still inferior to the ever distant utopia. In less than a minute, Issei was as good as new. The only reminiscence of the prior battle on him was the burns in his tracksuit.

"Thank you, Asia. You saved me as always."

"No, that's the least I can do to support you. I'll heal you as many times as you get hurt, Issei-san!"

"Ahem!" Shirou coughed to catch the attention of the lovebirds. "Well, I didn't take this into account when I was planning your training schedule. This will allow an even more intense training."

Issei's face got really pale upon hearing those words. "We're gonna do this more times!?"

"Of course not. My energy is not limitless. Keeping that level has already drained half of my reserves. But that means I don't have to hold back as much as I thought."

"Fufu, I didn't know you were that much of a sadist, Shirou-kun."

Shirou raised an eyebrow at the approaching Akeno. Of course, if Asia ran here after hearing the explosions, Akeno who was with her would follow suit. But calling him a sadist?

"I'm just doing what's necessary to make sure he's prepared for any future battle."

"You don't have to be shy, Shirou-kun. I can share some tricks with you. But that will have to wait for later." Her lilac eyes turned to the blonde devil. "Asia, I think we should resume your lessons. We shouldn't bother the boys any more than this."

"Oh, ri-right! Call me if you've been injured again, Issei-san."

With that the two beauties headed back to the mansion, leaving alone the pair of teenagers.

"Sooo, how good I would do if I were to fight that Yakitori bastard right now?"

"You'll lose, really hard. I admit I went overboard there, and I doubt that prick would fight so intense, let alone take you seriously, but even so, you didn't get to throw a single attack at me."

Those words felt like a stab in the guts, but Issei accepted them. It was because he was weak that Shirou was resorting to such methods.

"I'll have to give my best then..."

"That's the spirit. Now then..." Kanshou appeared in Shirou's right hand as his expression turned really cold. "I think you've got enough rest. The real training begins now."

"You won't let me accumulate boost again, do you?"

The only answer he got from the magus was a kick right in the guts that sent him rolling a few meters away.

"Raise your guard the moment you feel hostile intentions!"

And so, the hellish training began.

A few hours later...

"Hnnnnnnnnn!"

Issei was currently in his first lesson about demonic powers with Akeno. Specifically, he was trying to draw his powers as limited as they were.

This was a blessing in itself regardless of his current frustration, as he felt like he was dying when Shirou dismissed him. Now he understood what his sensei meant by muscle memory. He was beating into him how to react to attacks he couldn't see, in a literal sense.

Now, about his current predicament, according to Akeno he needed to have a clear image to be able to draw his demonic powers. But for the life of him, no matter how much he focused on it, he wasn't able to draw a single bit of energy.

Having Akeno around didn't help as much as he thought, as he always ended up losing focus due to her "assets" being too close.

At least Asia was progressing at a fast pace in this field. She was already able to control the water around her to a certain degree. The little envy he could have was completely overshadowed by his pride in her.

And Shirou was also around. He said their magic was incompatible with his, but he was curious about it.

"Issei-kun, the only thing you're going to achieve doing that is tearing apart your eardrums."

The Red Dragon Emperor visibly deflated upon hearing those words from Akeno.

"What am I doing wrong..."

"Well, a devil that can't use his demonic powers isn't something unheard of, but I thought that wouldn't be the case since you can use your sacred gear without problem..."

"Perhaps he needs a mental trigger." Shirou spoke for the first time he entered the room.

"A mental trigger?" Issei parroted in confusion, but Akeno caressed her chin with her hand.

"That could work actually. It's not common among devils to use something like that since demonic powers are like a part of our body, but having been reincarnated recently, that might be what Issei-kun needs."

"Then, what is a mental trigger."

"Think of it as a strong image. Something that would cause a reaction from you or something you feel an affinity to."

"Do you use a mental trigger for your magic, Shirou-kun?"

"Yes. My magic doesn't work with just imagination. It requires a certain degree of self-hypnosis, and hence, a mental trigger. In my case, it is a hammer striking an anvil."

That last explanation went over Issei's head, so he decided to put it in practice meanwhile.

If there was something that caused a reaction from him, it was definitely a girl's boobs. But just that image wasn't enough, so it had to be something related.

He then thought about the moment that he has been anticipating all his life. The moment in which a girl's chest, that ever distant treasure, is finally revealed. The moment in which those clothes blocking them from sight are removed.

"Wow, that was quick."

Akeno's surprised voice snapped Issei out of his trance. When he realized it, there was a small ball of pure energy between his hands.

"I did it... I finally did it!"

"Congratulations, Issei-san!"

The two reincarnated devils started celebrating Issei's small victory. Akeno watched them with her usual smile, but there was something nagging her.

"What was the image you used, Issei-kun?"

"Oh, I visualized the shirt of a girl with big boobs being torn apart."

After those words, the room filled with joy now was more like a funeral. Even Akeno blinked a couple of times at that.

"Well... we'll go to the next step then. Controlling the elements." Akeno said while handing a water bottle to Issei.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll go check on Kiba and Koneko."

With that, Shirou left the room like a fleeting spirit without anyone noticing.

It didn't take him much to find the only knight of Rias' peerage, and this one accepted having a spar with him without a second thought.

"So you're going to imitate one of Raiser's knights?" Kiba asked seeing the sword in Shirou's hand.

"It is a good way to practice before the rating game, don't you think?"

That was pretty much cheating in Kiba's book, but he put aside his honor just this time. Saving his master came before. That was the oath he took after she gave him a second opportunity to seek revenge.

The two swordsmen took their respective stances wordlessly, and much like their spar a few days ago, Kiba took the initiative and rushed at Shirou.

It didn't take long for the devil to realize that "copying" was an understatement. It was like he was fighting an entirely different person.

Shirou's style using that sword was now pretty much like Kiba's. Straightforward and honest. He actually found himself enjoying the spar. It was the very image he envisioned of a duel between fellow knights.

The prospect that he could face an opponent like that in the upcoming match fired him up.

It was odd at first how the human was able to keep up with him without using his usual style of prediction, but he figured it after a few exchanges. More than Shirou wielding that sword, it was more like he let the sword do the movements engraved in it through its experience, and he just followed suit.

But even so, the feeling that he wouldn't be able to penetrate the magus' defense was still there. In fact, Shirou made some adjustments to the style of that sword to suit him better.

It was not an exact copy like Kiba expected, but it never has been as Shirou doesn't possess the signature control over the flames and wind of the Phenex clan.

However, the devil finally saw a chance of landing a blow after deflecting one of his attacks.

Taking a page of Shirou's book, he called upon his sacred gear and created another Holy Eraser in his other hand to attack from both sides.

Perhaps because the magus wanted to stick to the style he was reproducing as much as possible, he didn't project another sword to counter him. He swiftly deflected one of Kiba's attacks, the one that aimed to a vital point, but instead of trying to retreat to avoid the other attack, he took a step towards Kiba.

The devil's sword managed to sunk into Shirou's left shoulder, but for some reason, Kiba felt like he just struck a block of concrete. The wound he caused wasn't as debilitating as he thought.

That moment of surprise didn't go unpunished. The next the devil knew was that Shirou's foot crashed right in the middle of his chest, causing him to lose his breath and take several steps back. The kick wasn't powered by that explosion trick like in the other spar, but it still felt like he was struck by a speeding car.

"Huh!?"

But he had to react quickly cross his sword in front of him to block the incoming blade. It wasn't that Shirou closed the distance in a heartbeat, but more like he threw the sword aiming at his chest.

And just a moment after, before Kiba could bat the sword aside, Shirou was already in front of him. A fist loaded with a huge amount of magical energy hit the sword right in the hilt, causing it to explode.

The resulting explosion destroyed both of Kiba's swords and blew him away a few meters with some bruises due to the shrapnel.

"Well... ah... that definitely wasn't a movement of that sword's original owner..." Kiba remarked as he got up and shuck the dust from his tracksuit.

"Considering that you can create swords at will, I think it's worth having a movement like that in your stock. If you use it is up to you."

A simple technique consisting in pumping magical energy into the sword past its limits so it explodes. It would guarantee the kill if you manage to do it when the blade is tabbed into your enemy.

But to be able to pull it off in the span of a second required a ton of practice. That's something that's been intriguing Kiba.

Emiya Shirou was a 16-year-old teenager. There is no possible way he could have so much battle experience that it would render meaningless his weakness as a human. Even if he actually inherited the power of an ancient hero, that power does not come with the experience to use it.

"I'll bear that in mind. We should pay a visit to Asia to heal that cut though."

Shirou looked at his shoulder. There was already a quite big bloodstain in his tracksuit, but a quick use of structural grasp revealed that the blade didn't get to pierce through his bones. The devil must have been holding back a lot.

"No, it's not worth the effort. It's just a superficial wound."

"Even if that's so, the coach must be at his pick too, don't you think? Besides, it's not a bother for Asia in the least."

Shirou raised an eyebrow at that. "Is there no drawback for such a convenient power?"

The knight shook his head. "Asia's sacred gear doesn't demand much energy. Only something on the level of a hole in the chest or a missing organ would wear her out."

"I see. Then I'll take your offer."

The two swordsmen entered the mansion and looked for the bishop who should still be in the middle of the magic lessons alongside Issei. But the only thing they found the moment they entered the kitchen was a mess of onion and potato skin.

"What in the world happened here..."

"This is my fault..." Issei popped out of a mountain of leftovers. "Things got a little out of hand while practicing magic you see..."

That night they had potatoes coming out of their ears while having dinner. The dinner had to be a joint effort between Shirou and Akeno, and Koneko's bottomless stomach had to be put into use so any food would be wasted.

Just after dinner, the entire peerage plus Shirou gathered to watch the footage Rias had prepared.

All the matches were pretty much the same. The beginning might vary depending on how Raiser's peerage fared against the enemy peerage while their master lazed around. In that phase of the game, it was his sister who assumed the role of a commander so they wouldn't get wiped out so easily.

Not that it mattered. All the matches were decided the moment Raiser's opponents weren't able to defeat his "immortality". The Phenex heir didn't even lift a finger and just waited for his opponents to faint from exhaustion after beating the living shit out of him to no avail.

No wonder why those matches were labeled as boring. Nobody is going to find interesting a bunch of people beating a punching bag.

"Kuh, that yakitori bastard is tough. He really is immortal..."

"They wouldn't have set up this match if defeating him was so easy." The annoyance could be felt in Rias' words.

All looks drifted to the only human in the room, who had been silent all the time, waiting for his analysis.

"Well, I thought destroying the brain would be enough, but that regeneration really lives up to their name... But even so, all of his opponents made a fatal mistake."

"And that mistake is..."

"Falling for his obvious taunts and attacking with everything."

"Err, isn't that what you have to do if you want to defeat him?" Issei voiced the question in everyone's mind.

"That would work if they had something that slowed or outright nullified his regeneration, like some holy element for instance. But in absence of that, it would be better to inflict pain instead of actual damage. For that matter, how is your anatomy knowledge?"

The only one that didn't look away was Akeno, but the disturbing smile on her face did not inspire confidence.

"I guess that's another topic to add to tomorrow's lesson about devil's weakness. At any rate, before everyone goes to get some rest and Issei's night training, why don't we all take a bath in the outdoor bathroom?"

Issei's eyes widened at that, a trail of blood sliding from his nose. "Wait! Everyone as in mixed bath!?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind taking a bath with you, Issei-kun?" Rias' words just worsened Issei's nosebleed.

"Fufu. Me neither. I've always wanted to wash a man's back." Akeno gave her approval, too. "What about you, Asia?"

The ex-nun blushed really hard at that but actually nodded. All eyes then landed on Koneko, but the little girl mercilessly crushed Issei's dreams.

"No. I don't want pervert-senpai anywhere near me during bathtime."

"Well, too bad, Issei. I can always wash your back if you want, Issei-kun."

"Shut up, damn pretty boy!"

The Red Dragon Emperor started crying comically, but before the knight dragged him to the men's bathroom, Akeno threw a curveball at Koneko.

"And what would you say if Shirou-kun were to accompany Issei-kun?"

Issei was expecting another outright refusal, but more than ten seconds passed and the girl stayed quiet, a faint blush showing in her stoic face.

But before anyone could say anything, Shirou spoke up. "I think I'll pass. I don't have any problem with waiting until you guys are done."

"Eh? You don't want to take a bath with me and Issei-kun?"

"The point of taking a bath is relaxing, and that would be nearly impossible with you guys around. No offense, but I'm used to attack any creature with such an ominous aura on sight."

Even if he used a neutral tone, all the mood was completely annihilated in seconds. The only thing that could be heard in the entire villa was Shirou's steps as he walked up to his room.

Rias and the others went to take that bath, but even after more than half an hour, the overall mood was still sour.

"Do you think we did something to get on his bad side without noticing it?" Asia asked with a sorrowful expression. Of all the present, she was the one more visibly concerned.

Even if this was her first time experiencing an outdoor bath, she couldn't wrap her mind around that issue. The other three female devils weren't better. The four of them were just sitting in the tub in silence after they washed their bodies.

"I would suggest we should give him so time, but I don't get the feeling Shirou-kun is going to open up to us any time soon." Rias admitted with a downer expression. "I guess changing his image of us devils is going to take more than few words."

"I think there's more to it than just prejudice." Akeno spoke with a really serious expression. "I mean, yeah he didn't speak more than four words per phrase when we were cooking the dinner, but he agreed to help Issei-kun with his training. If he still considered us enemies, he wouldn't be honestly helping us."

The queen's eyes turned to the tower. "Koneko-chan, you're probably the one that has spent the most time with him. Any ideas?"

The little girl was silent for several moments. Her thoughts drifted to that conversation they had on the rooftop.

That moment he talked briefly about his past, she was able to see a void in his eyes. There was something really wrong with him... but, having refused to answer his question about how she became a devil, did she have the right to pry into it?

In the end, Koneko shook her head. "We hardly exchange a few words during lunchtime."

"I figured as much... And I thought this training camp would help us be on good terms with him... I guess we'll have to leave it to Issei-kun..."

"Why the sudden interest, Rias? Do you want to make it up for getting off to a bad start with him?"

The "king's" cheeks got a little bit flustered. "You don't have to remind me of that whenever you can, Akeno! My eagerness got the best of me when I saw she had a possible method to counter Raiser's "immortality", and he introducing himself as a clueless magician who didn't have proper teaching made me forget that he destroyed an entire army of chimeras in a few minutes. Just remembering it ashames me to no end..."

Akeno let out a soft chuckle, but the seriousness in her expression returned quickly. "That leads to another interesting question. Have you ever heard of magic that allows you to replicate swords with such precision in a fraction of a second and without any kind of magic circle?"

"That's something I was planning to ask Onii-san's bishop when I have the chance. But honestly, if there were anyone else able to perform such magic, they would be really famous. Those blades he used against Yuuto-kun were something else, too. Even an amateur can tell that those blades were masterpieces. The more I think about Emiya Shirou, the more unanswered questions I have, and Grafya didn't found anything suspicious about him either."

"A true walking enigma that fell on our hands, huh? Well, I think we should end this conversation here. You have to go with Issei, don't you, Rias?"

"Yeah, we don't have time to spare..."

The days in the training camp passed quickly... for everyone but Issei.

Having roughly six hours of rest per day, with four of them reserved for sleep, he could say this was the closest he's been to actual hell.

Yeah, the magic lessons, while frustrating due to his incompetence, could be considered a rest compared to the other lessons.

As kind as her master was, she becomes a devil in every sense of the world when it comes to physical training. Despite being a creature of the night, he collapsed on his bed every time he ended his sessions with Rias.

He could feel that his body was getting stronger at an incredible pace, but even so, it was a horrific nightmare waiting for him every night.

However, if Rias was a devil, Shirou was the freaking anti-Christ. Their training sessions were always divided into two different sections whose order was changed depending on Shirou's plan for the day.

About the first part, they were always simulations of possible situations he may encounter. Not as extreme as the first day but the concept was similar.

For instance, on the second day of the training camp, Shirou was nowhere to be seen when he stepped into the backyard. That mystery didn't last long as a literal rain of "arrows" attacked him from above. Shirou was the one firing them from the top of a nearby mountain. A way to prepare him in case he had to face Raiser's queen, or so Shirou said.

Even if the magus was using blunt arrows, Issei ended with parts he didn't even know he had broken.

Asia surely had her work cut out during this camp.

As for the other part, it always consisted of a spar. But that didn't mean it was in any way less hellish than the other part. Aside from honing his battle instincts, Issei had to figure out how to use the Boosted Gear efficiently during battle.

Accumulating boosts while being static was completely out of question, but he couldn't do it while dodging Shirou's attacks. The moment he lost his concentration the power of the gauntlet would instantly reset, and Shirou made sure to punish him every time that happened.

In fact, the only rest he was allowed during the session was when he couldn't even lift a finger after making several mistakes. An opportunity to rest on the battlefield was like winning the jackpot according to Shirou.

"Kuh!"

Right now, Issei was in the middle of that part of the training. The sparks flew as he hastily blocked another attack from his black blade.

He managed to make six boosts, but he was still barely able to keep up with the magus. At least, it wasn't until the eighth boost that he projected the other twin sword to raise the difficulty accordingly.

However, Issei's eyes widened slightly after looking again at his Sensei. There was an opening. He overextended the swing, and his left side was wide open in consequence.

"Haaaaaah!" Without thinking twice, he drove his right fist into Shirou's exposed side with all his might.

But it didn't go quite as expected.

"Gah!"

Issei's fist was swiftly deflected by Shirou's freehand, with the hilt of Kanshou smashing Issei's head as a follow-up.

The devil just closed one eye and endured the hit. This was already the ninth day of the camp, so he was already used to it. And it paid off, as he saw another opening, this time on his right due to his right arm being crossed.

He punched with his Boosted Gear, but Shirou just side-stepped and kicked him in the side. This cycle was starting to repeat itself over and over, Issei's frustration starting to pile up despite him trying to repress it.

The devil let himself be carried by the kick to take some distance and pull himself together. And then...

[Boost!]

The gem on the gauntlet shone as his power was doubled for the seventh time. Of course, Shirou immediately rushed at him, but that was something he was expecting.

[Explosion!]

He stopped the boosting process and pulled back his left fist, aiming at the spot Shirou was going to be in a second.

But to his surprise, Shirou faced him head-on. Mimicking him, the magus pulled back his right arm, and Issei could feel how a great deal of energy accumulated in his fist.

His instincts were already telling Issei this wasn't going to end well, but it was already too late to stop.

Both teenagers clashed their fists with all their might, but the result was decided quickly. Even if the energy stored in Issei's body was superior to Shirou's reinforcement, the energy in the magus' hand burst violently, increasing the strength of his punch to a whole other level.

Issei's gauntlet cracked, pretty much taking all the impact and preventing his arm from bending to the wrong side, and even so, Issei was blown away a couple of meters.

[Reset]

"Ah... ah... ah... What the hell was that?" Issei asked as he stood up again. If Shirou wasn't attacking, that meant it was the end of the spar.

He already saw doing that thing a few times, but this was the first time he was on the receiving end of an attack powered by it

"Mana burst. A simple yet really effective tool to have in your stock. It's not even considered a spell since it only involves a good control over the aura in your case. The only drawback is that it consumes a ton of energy, but your draconic sacred gear should make up for it."

"So you're going to teach it to me?"

Shirou shook his head. "There isn't much to teach you about it. The kinds of energy we use are completely different. But I'll warn you to use caution. Performing a single mana burst isn't that hard, but using it back-to-back to reinforce your entire body will require a lot of practice and an absurd amount of energy. If you use it hastily, you can end up blowing apart one of your limbs."

Issei's face paled. "I'll remember it."

Well, drawing out his demonic powers wasn't a problem. The problem was using it to control or create elements. But something as simple as accumulating energy and then letting it burst shouldn't be a problem, right?

He would need several boosts to even be able to accumulate the required energy though, so for the moment, that would be a trump card to use at the right moment just like Shirou used it.

A tiny smile appeared on his face. After days of failing really badly at performing even the simplest spell, he finally had something that would help him in battle.

But, there was still something nagging him. "Sensei, all those openings... you left them on purpose, don't you? Is that part of the training?"

"So you finally noticed them, huh? It took you more than I expected, but that's an improvement nonetheless. I wanted you to be able to attack any opening you see during the match. No hesitation. They are going to be treated once you defeat them, so don't worry about breaking bones."

"But what if those openings are feints?"

"Believe me, even if they had participated in rating games, they are far from being veterans. They might notice that you attack any opening on sight, but that shouldn't be a problem if you take them out quickly."

"Yes, sir!"

"Well, I'll give you time to rest while I explain what are we going to do next. I think your battle instincts are developing quite fine. However, the day of the match is already there, so I think it will be worth sharpening your natural instincts, too."

"What's the difference there?"

"While your battle instincts are what help you to react properly in the middle of a fight, your natural instincts are what helps you detect danger. An attack that is effective against you, such as the holy element, or a natural enemy, as the white dragon in your case."

Issei understood the first part of his explanation, but the mention of the white dragon, although not knowing what was that about, made his entire body go tense.

"White dragon?"

That got a raised eyebrow from Shidou. "Knowing that you have the power of the Welsh dragon, hasn't Rias told you about the Arthurian legends?"

Issei shook his head. "Actually, I know nothing about the dragon that's supposed to be sealed inside the Boosted Gear. But how's that related with King Arthur?"

"Long story short, it is said that King Arthur was the incarnation of the red dragon, and her- I mean, his fate was to fight the white dragon who sought to destroy Britain. The incarnation of the said dragon was Vortigern the Usurper, the one that let the Saxons invade Britain and killed Arthur's father. I don't know the whereabouts of that dragon, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up sealed in another sacred gear. So keep in mind that maybe someday a random guy claiming to have the white dragon's power shows up to fight you."

He refrained from mentioning that Albion should be the last pure-blood dragon who died without being able to reach the reverse side of the world. It would do him any good if people started to notice the discrepancy between his knowledge and this world's history.

Seeing how Issei was still digesting that piece of information, he wouldn't have to worry about questions.

"Wait..." It was then that Issei realized something really important. "You aren't going to attack me with holy swords, do you?"

"No. Healing a wound caused by that would take too much time. So instead, I'll use these..."

Kanshou in Shirou's hand was replaced by a pair of gray daggers. Their appearance wasn't intimidating in the least, but for some reason, Issei took a step back the moment he saw them.

It was the same sensation he had from holy weapons, but he could tell those didn't have any blessing. Quite a contradiction.

Meanwhile, Shirou smiled inwardly. He didn't know if having the power of the dragon in his body actually made him vulnerable to dragon-slayer weapons, but that reaction said it all. It seemed to qualify as a human with dragon factor. He wouldn't have to use black keys for this session.

"May I ask what are those daggers, Sensei?"

"The term dragon-slayer rings a bell?"

Before Issei's brain could process that information, or the wicked smile on Shirou's face, something really fast graced his check. And despite being just a bruise, it hurt like hell.

"If you don't move, you're going to die." The magus said as he threw the other dagger in the air and reeled his arm to punch the handle.

"Shit!" Issei ducked, the dagger cutting some of his hair before impacting a nearby tree and piercing through it like a hot knife cutting butter.

Pretty much like in the other sessions, Issei could only run and dodge as Shirou continued to project more daggers and punch them at him. But this time, blocking them with his Boosted Gear wasn't an option, since it would be like trying to protect himself with a shield made out of paper.

It was only the result of all the other lessons that allowed him to survive this, hence why Shirou waited to use this. But telling him those daggers were forged from some shards of Gram that weren't used in the process of reforging it would be too much for him.

As usual, Issei barely made it alive to lunchtime. At least Shirou compensated for all the suffering with his delicious food.

"Haaah..." The Red Dragon Emperor sighed while looking at the roof of his shared room with Kiba.

It was almost 5:00 am, but he was still unable to fall asleep. Anf going to Shirou's final lesson without a proper rest sounded even more terrifying than going to the actual match.

Yet, those thoughts were not what plagued his mind at the moment.

He could easily tell it, he was the weakest of the Gremory peerage. If Shirou hadn't stepped in a few days ago, he would have been crushed by Raiser. He had no talent for the sword as Kiba, who was able to end a match with his sensei in one piece, nor he was talented with magic like Akeno, who was able to manipulate all the elements with ease.

And even if he hasn't had a spar with Koneko, he was sure he would lose against her really badly.

It frustrated him to no end. He was supposed to be the Red Dragon Emperor, someone that was able to slay Gods, but in actuality, he was the weakest. That yakitori bastard said that he was going to be what determined Rias' victory, but he started to think that he was going to be a liability instead.

Even Asia started to show amazing improvements, in contrast to him who had yet to land a single blow on Shirou. Not that he expected that to happen any time soon. He was under no delusion that he would be able to defeat the human named Emiya Shirou even if he trained for decades.

And that was what frustrated him the most. They were the same age, and he was human, a more fragile being. But the gap between them was like the distance between Earth and Moon.

"Damn it..."

He got up and walked out of the room. Perhaps a glass of water to hydrate his dry throat would help him fall asleep.

"Ara? You're up this late?" A familiar charming voice reached his ears as he put the glass on the sink.

His legs led him in the direction the voice came, and he found his master in the library. She was wearing a red nightgown and glasses, which made her look even cuter in his opinion.

"Hi there, Buchou..."

A frown appeared on her beautiful face after hearing his taciturn greeting. It went without saying that this was strange coming from him.

"Good timing. Would you have a little chat with me?"

"Oh, yeah... of course."

He took sit beside her even if he had no clue of what she wanted to talk about. Looking at the books and papers on the table, he could say she was still working on the strategy they would use in the match.

Noticing it, Rias opened her mouth to speak. "If I'm being honest, reading this isn't going to help us defeat Raiser..."

"Huh? Why not?"

"You saw how all Raiser's matches went. Even if we beat his peerage, it will be meaningless if we don't manage to defeat Raiser. Shirou-kun's tips about how to cause him a ton of pain in no time are appreciated, but I still feel that's not going to be enough."

She bit her lips with frustration. "Father and mother surely chose him as my fiance in case I refused to accept an arranged marriage. Why does everyone want to control my life..."

"Erm... I know that yakitori bastard is a total dick, but why does the idea of an arranged matrimony disgust you so much?"

Rias sighed at his honest question. "I am a Gremory."

"Err... yes?"

"I'm not reintroducing myself. What I mean is that, as the heir of the Gremory clan, I'll have to carry to all the weight of that name."

"You don't like it?"

"On the contrary, I'm very proud of being a Gremory. However, that causes everyone to see me as Rias Gremory instead of just Rias. They see me as just a title and not who I am..." Her expression by this point was full of sorrow.

"Oh... so that's why you asked Emiya-sensei to call you by your name..."

"Exactly. You see, when I'm here in the human world, everyone treats me like just Rias. It's so refreshing. I want to marry someone that loves me for who I am, but Raiser just wants this marriage for my title... Even if this is selfish of me, I want to cling to this wish of mine..."

Well, for Issei, all that dilemma about her responsibilities and her wishes being in conflict went all over his head. Being just a teenager that had a regular life until a couple of months, he couldn't understand it.

But he knew he had to say something. Having their master in such a mood would do them no good in the match, and besides, he didn't want to see her crying.

"Well... for me Buchou is Buchou. There's nothing more to it. You'll be always the best for me regardless of what decision you make."

He did his best trying to lighten up her mood. But he wasn't expecting her cheeks to blush suddenly.

"Buchou? Did I say something weird?"

She shook her head. "No. It's nothing. More importantly, I've been meaning to ask, how has been your training with Shirou-kun so far."

She changed the topic of the conversation really quickly, that much he could tell. But that also brought back the somber thoughts he was having a few minutes ago.

"I'm definitely getting better, but even so, I feel useless... I don't think I'm going to be able to help you guys in any way in this battle. I acted all tough because I have the Boosted Gear, but in the end, I'm a weakling as Raiser said. Despite both of us having no talent, I'll never be able to come close to Sensei..."

Rias could only look speechless at her beloved pawn. He was even crying for his impotence.

But before she could speak to comfort him, someone beat her to it.

"I see you haven't understood yet." A soft yet severe voice caught the attention of the two devils.

They turned to see Shirou, wearing just the lower part of his tracksuit and carrying a towel to wipe his sweat.

"Sensei?" Issei stood up to face the approaching magus.

"This has never been a matter of you getting strong. The point of my training was letting you use your weakness in the most efficient way."

"Huh?" Issei looked at his Sensei like if he grew a second head, unable to catch the meaning behind his words.

"Besides, you're selling yourself short. Comparing yourself with me has given you the wrong idea, but I guess I'll have to show it to you in a more visual way..."

The golden-eyed turned around and disappeared after climbing the stairs leading to the second floor, not without leaving one last instruction.

"Come to meet me in a couple of hours like usual, but start boosting 'till your limit right away."

While Issei looked at his back clueless, Rias caught his message. "It seems it's time for you to show us the fruits of your training, Issei."

A couple of hours later, after having breakfast, everyone was in the mansion's courtyard.

[Boost!]

Unlike the other sessions, they weren't alone. The other devils, even Rias, were there to witness their final spar.

[Boost!]

His Sensei was already prepared, that flaming katana he used in the first day found its way to his hands once again. Despite being patiently waiting for Issei, it gave him a really terrifying aura. It was like if he was about to fight a monster.

[Boost!]

[Explosion!]

He finally reached his limit, and he already noticed the first difference. He was able to double his power more than 20 times.

So much power accumulated in his body... he even felt that he could take on Raider without a problem. But facing Shirou, some drops of sweat began to slide down his forehead.

It wasn't a matter of power, since Raiser's aura as a pure-blooded devil was several times superior to Shirou's as a human. But in terms of combat prowess, it was all the other way around. He was in front of a true warrior, while the Phenex heir was just a rich boy that hasn't trained in his life.

Shirou took his stance as Issei took a step forward in preparation to rush at him. The fact that he wasn't able to see a single opening in Shirou's stance meant that he would be taking him seriously. No more openings on purpose to help him be able to see them.

"Are you two ready?" Rias spoke, acting as the referee of the match. After getting a slight nod from the two teenagers, she raised her arm. "Go!"