"I won't know until I try." Shirou's voice brought Issei back to reality. As expected from his sensei, there wasn't an ounce of hesitation in his voice. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."
Shirou was about to turn around, but he stopped when Kiba approached him. Both stared at each other for a second, with the knight's hostility being tangible.
"Do you have something to say, Kiba-san?"
"Why are you so adamant in helping them?"
"Because ensuring the safety of the people in this city comes first than any disagreement I may have with their beliefs."
"And you prefer their side than ours?"
Well, this came in handy if anything. This was his opportunity to shatter any misgiven belief that he was going to trust them so easily.
"That is a no-brainer, Kiba-san. A bunch of supernatural creatures that I've barely known for a month, or two humans that follow the teachings of some God. Personally, I wouldn't pick either. But if I have to choose one of them, of course, I would pick the humans."
The bomb was dropped, getting a lot of widened eyes. Surprisingly, the Red Dragon Emperor looked at him with an expression filled with sorrow instead of surprise.
"Should we take that as a declaration of hostility?" Sona asked with a voice colder than usual.
"It's just a reminder that I'm a neutral party, not your ally."
"We should get going. Emiya. Where is your house?" The hostility in Xenovia's voice had decreased by a large margin.
"Yeah, I'm starving!"
"It is actually at the other side of the city, so you'll have to bear with it for a little."
The magus walked out of the room followed by the two exorcists, and that didn't help to ease the tension in the atmosphere.
Kiba's hand reached to his sword's hilt as he watched their backs, or more specifically, the two now hidden again holy swords. But he didn't continue to unsheath it.
The only reason he was quicking around was that the magus allowed him. If he tried to attack on impulse, things might not end so well...
When he was already resigning himself, Issei noticed someone pulling his sleeve. When he turned to look, his eyes met the ones of the Gremory rook.
Koneko was wearing her usually stoic face, but Issei could see it clearly. Her determination was burning in them.
"I want to help them. Both senpais."
"Mmmm! So good! God bless you, Emiya-san!"
"I never thought... mmhh... that I would taste... mmhh... such delicacy from a magician... mmhh... of the far East..."
Shirou could just sweatdrop as the two exorcists the quick dinner he wiped up. He intended to start sharing information right away after coming home, but they almost collapsed after not having eaten for two days.
They didn't even bother to check if he poisoned the food, but perhaps they assumed that if he wanted them dead, he would rather side with the devils to finish them during the meeting.
Or they weren't the best the Church had for this mission, or this world's executor couldn't begin to compare to his world's equivalent. Humans trained to be able to match dead apostles in direct combat. He was sure they could perform well even in those conditions.
Even with his body being just a reflection of the body he had in his previous life, Shirou was sure that he could perform at the same level.
"You two are exaggerating."
"No, don't be so humble, Emiya-san! This is the kind of food I would expect if I were to ascend to heaven! Right, Xenovia-san!?"
A blushing Xenovia nodded reluctantly as she continued to stuff food in her mouth.
Perhaps he should reevaluate the days he could let them stay without affecting his funds if they eat like that.
After a few minutes and second rations, they finally finished eating, with their bellies so full that they had trouble moving with all their blood rushing to their stomachs for digestion.
"I guess tonight's patrol is up to me... Anyway, we should start sharing all the information we have if we're going to do this."
"Oh, right! Although, what we let you and the devils know was pretty much all we have..." Irina gave him an apolegetic smile.
The image she had of a shady magician allied with the devils was quickly turning into the exact opposite.
"The only thing we left out is that we suspect Kokabiel is working with the Genocide Archbishop, Valper Galilei. The mastermind behind the Holy Sword Project." There was a noticeable amount of disgust in Xenovia's voice.
"I see... I heard about that. The massacre that left Kiba as its only survivor." So many meaningless deaths just to wield such abominations... it made his blood boil.
"Oh, so that's why that devil glared so hard at our swords. I can't blame him in that case... even if that investigation helped the Church find more holy sword users like me, it wasn't worth all those lives. It will be a plus if we can bring that monster to justice!"
"Good to know we're in the same wavelength. Now, it's my turn to share my findings. Does the name Freed Sellzen ring a bell?"
Once again, the answer he got was a pair of grimaces. This was starting to turn into a trend.
"He was a talented exorcist that was excommunicated due to his mental illness. He didn't seek to fight devils in the name of God, but to satiate his bloodlust. What does he have to do with this?"
"I stumbled into him last night. He just killed who I presume was one of your colleagues... and was wielding Excalibur Rapidly."
The news caused their eyebrows to hide behind their bangs.
"To think Kokabiel got that mad dog to work for him... And Valper must have used a Light Container on him so he could wield a holy sword... If you're here alive, that means you managed to escape."
"No. Quite the contrary. He was the one who managed to escape before I finished him off."
"How can you prove that?" Xenovia asked doubting his words. Irina was more or less the same. In their minds, a magician going against an Excalibur wielder was inconceivable.
What was wrong with this world? Even fellow humans didn't believe in his chances of defeating someone that was a little bit stronger than the average.
Luckly, he had hard evidence. One mind-blowing at that given their belief of those abominations being remotely powerful.
"Look for yourself."
He dropped in the middle of the table an envelope and unwrapped it so they could inspect its contents. They looked like some metal shards, but the holy aura they exuded was unmistakable.
"N-no way, this is..."
"This is what is left of Excalibur Rapidly after I smashed it into splinters."
With the proof now in front of their eyes, they had no choice but to accept his words regardless of how absurd they were.
While Irina was left completely speechless, Xenovia swallowed loud. She knew her trump card, which gave her the confidence to face Kokabiel, could destroy an Excalibur, but that meant this magician had a spell that could match one of the strongest holy swords in existence.
"First, even the sisters of the Maous were wary around you, and now this... Such a remarkable magician shouldn't be able to stay under the radar. Your name should have appeared in the list of remarkable figures living in this city."
"That's a sign I've been doing my job properly. However, your superiors might've mentioned someone called "the Slayer"."
A surprise after another. "Don't tell me... you're the Slayer?"
Shirou nodded at Irina. "Yes, that would be me. Not that I like that title. It makes it look like I've been killing those things just because I felt like it."
"And why exactly did you do that?" Irina's question was made more out of curiosity than anything else. If he hadn't been purging the evil in the name of God, why would he do so?
"To protect the citizens, of course." Shirou answered as if it was the most obvious thing to do. "The devils, although they claim to own this city, are busy doing their stuff during the night, so someone has to do the dirty work."
"And why don't you stop the devils from tempting the humans?" Xenovia asked with an edge. It didn't add up to her that someone so proficient at killing supernatural creatures, didn't confront the devils.
"For once, I don't want to have to fight two of the strongest devils in existence any time soon. And for another, if someone decides to summon a devil of their own accord, then it's their problem. The thing would be different if they were forced or tricked to form the contract, but I don't have anything to do with how they want to expend their money."
"You are aware that those contracts aren't the only thing they do, right?"
"Yeah, they tried to recruit me too when they found out I was a magician. But after I won a bet, they didn't bring the subject again. But enough about me."
After saying that, Shirou stood up and started to pick up the dishes, something that surprised the exorcists. They were expecting him to ask about them in return.
"You guys can take a bath while I clean the dishes. The bathroom is in the hallway connected to the garden. After that, I'll show you the guest rooms so you can choose one and start unpacking."
The two nodded before standing up. Irina however shot a teasing smile at the local magus.
"If you dare peek on us I'll have to punish you, Emiya-san."
Contrary to the reaction she was expecting, the golden-eyed teenager just raised an eyebrow. "That black spandex you guys wear under the shroud doesn't leave much to the imagination, you know."
The exorcist just pouted after her attempt at getting an embarrassed reaction from him failed. That should have worked with any other boy of his age.
After they took a bath, Irina ended up using one of the rooms near Shirou's, while Xenovia chose a guest room at the other side of the residence which was of a more European style.
The Japanese exorcist almost freaked out when she discovered that just unpacking her things her room had more personal things than Shirou's. There was only a simple desk in front of the window, and a closet that contained several futons.
He said his workshop as a magician was the storage house in the garden, but even after going there with Xenovia while he was taking a bath, there wasn't anything that gave them the sensation of a secret base.
And after they went to get some rest for the next day, Shirou went to patrol the city. Bow at hand, he surveyed every corner of the city with his enhanced eyes. The moment he spotted the mad exorcist or a fallen angel, he was going for the kill.
However, he didn't find a single soul. After the bout they had the last night, it seemed they regrouped to rethink their plans...
The next day was Saturday, so they had free rein to plan their course of action for this night.
But, a surprise came in the form of the doorbell ringing not long after the three humans finished their breakfast.
Before he even got to the door, he sensed the wicked presence of one or more devils. They weren't doing a good job with that. And seeing the faces waiting at the other side of the door, it was no wonder.
Issei gave him an apologetic smile, and Koneko was wearing her usually stoic face while dragging a Saji that obviously didn't want to be here. The latter one stopped struggling and stiffened the moment Shirou opened the door
"It's you guys. What brings you here?"
"Well, you see..." Issei scratched the back of his head as he giggled due to the nerves. "We would want to know if we can lend you a hand with the issue of the Excaliburs."
That wasn't out of Shirou's expectations, even if he expected more of a plea so he didn't go to fight the Kokabiel guy. However, he had to confirm something.
"You want to help even if your masters almost went nuts with just me helping them?"
"Yes." Koneko replied with no hesitation.
Seeing her resolution, Shirou couldn't bring himself to reject them. But it was a different matter if the girls accepted their help.
"I see. I don't have any problems with that. However, you'll have to ask the exorcists. Come in. They are in the living."
Both Issei and Koneko's faces lit up, but Saji deflated visibly.
They were guided to the residence's living. It was actually the first time any of them set a foot in the Emiya residence, and they only got the address asking around for a huge traditional mansion.
"Huh?" The two exorcists wearing casual outfits looked surprised at the trio of devils. Xenovia's accusing stare landed on the magus. "What is the meaning of this, Emiya?"
"They say they want to help. The decision is up to you." He said as he took sit beside them.
"I don't want to help! These two just dragged me-" Saji's complaints were silenced when Koneko's elbow sunk into his abdomen.
The two exorcists exchanged looks full of suspicion. "Why would you like to help? Isn't that against your masters' orders?"
"We want to help Yuuto-senpai overcome his trauma with the Excaliburs. You said you don't mind breaking the holy swords, right?" Koneko stated their intentions without beating around the bush.
"I see..." Their eyes drifted to Shirou, who just shrugged. They were resigned to that option from the start as one of the three stolen Excaliburs was already ruined. "So you want to have him break one of the swords so he can bend off some steam?"
The little girl nodded. Her eyes then landed on the owner of the residence. "That... and well... I don't want Shirou-senpai to die..."
It was Shirou's turn to widen his eyes at her words. He honestly wasn't expecting that show of concern from one of the devils, not even her or Issei.
"Do you have so little faith in me, Koneko? I don't have any intention of dying, you know?"
For some reason, that didn't ease Koneko's concerns in the least.
"Well, we definitely could use more firepower... If you manage to keep your identities hidden, we don't have a problem with you dealing with one of the Excaliburs."
Even Irina looked surprised at Xenovia's words.
"Hey, now you're now the one rushing things, Xenovia-san! Having Emiya-san helping us is one thing as we can just write in the report something like "we got some help from the mysterious Slayer", but even if it's Issei-kun, they are still devils!"
"Even with Emiya's help, I don't think our possibilities have increased that much. He might have destroyed one of the Excaliburs already, but we still don't know much about him and his combat capabilities. Having the Red Dragon Emperor on our side will increase our odds of succeeding even further. And I have to agree with him on something. Even if that's what our superiors decided, I don't have the least intention of dying here."
"You're right but..." Irina fell silent before Xenovia's arguments, and that made the blue-haired exorcist gain some points in Shirou's mind.
It seemed she wasn't like all the other fanatics serving that sect.
"Wait, hold up!" Saji's shout got everyone's attention. "What do you mean Emiya already destroyed an Excalibur!?"
Shirou raised an eyebrow at that. "Kiba didn't tell you about what happened that night? That is surprising."
"Well, he wasn't that much talkative after you guys left... At any rate." It was one of the few occasions Issei's eyes acquired a serious glint. "Sensei, even if you aren't on the best terms with Kiba-san... you aren't really going to give us a chance?"
"Huh? Sensei?"
"Emiya-san has been training Issei-kun?"
The magus took a moment before answering, ignoring the comments of his fellow humans. There wasn't really a gentle way to put this into words.
"Hyoudou... the fact that I didn't kill you the moment I caught your wicked essence is already me giving you guys a chance. I've already told you, haven't I? I'm used to killing supernatural creatures on sight."
Those words made the blood of the devils run cold. Not just the ominous implications, but his indifferent tone... It was like if he were just talking about some homework he forgot to do.
"Why do you have such aversion to inhuman beings? You didn't even know what we were back then." Koneko was the one that managed to ask.
"Perhaps I have yet to know other devils aside from you guys and the Phenex prick, but believe me, I have dealt with plenty of creatures with a wicked essence similar to yours."
As he spoke, his tone became colder, and his eyes devoid of life.
"Do you know what it feels to arrive at a town where a vampire had established his nest, just to find that all the citizens were turned into living corpses after the life was sucked out of them just to extend its immortality? Having to kill all that people to put them out of their misery because there was nothing I could do to save them... That is just one of many examples. If it wasn't because I didn't find any report of missing people, I would have gone for the kill, even if covering it up was going to be difficult."
By the end of it, Shirou could just look with middle surprise at their horrified faces. Even if he hated to admit it, that was just his bread and butter. Had he used one of his jobs as a Counter-Guardian instead of an experience in his past life, how would they have reacted?
The reincarnated devils, well, they might be too young to have been exposed to the cruel reality, still clinging to their former morals.
But the exorcists? It was their duty to do the dirty job for the Church. Why were they looking at him with those faces? Even Xenovia looked like she just saw a ghost.
Could it be... they've sent a couple of greenhorns for this mission!? Forget about giving those bastards a chance...
Meanwhile, Issei was in a huge dilemma.
Since he had been reincarnated as a devil, he was beginning to believe that maybe the stereotype image of the devils was just a misunderstanding or a thing of the past. And those were his thoughts towards other supernatural species aside from the fallen angels.
How naive he was. Just experiencing his Sensei's fighting style, he should have guessed it already. Humanity is at the bottom of the food chain, and Shirou is one of the few people that stands up and fights those superior beings. The magus had every right to not trust them even if Issei knew they weren't like that.
"I think this is a good time to ask." Noticing Shirou's eyes landing on him, Issei was brought out of his thoughts. "Hyoudou, do you regret becoming a devil?"
In normal circumstances, Issei would have answered without giving it much of a thought. Now, however, he wasn't sure, and Shirou could tell just seeing his expression.
"It is not like I had much of a choice... I was killed and Buchou appeared there to give me a second chance... But I think that... at least the devils I know, they aren't evil..."
Just the way Shirou narrowed his eyes shacked what little determination he had.
"Do you really think it was just like that?"
"Huh?"
"Perhaps Rias and Sona didn't notice the fallen angels when they arrived, but you said one of them pretended to be your girlfriend to lure you into a secluded place, right? I find it hard to believe they didn't catch wind of it after that. At least she should have left some of her scent over you."
The way Koneko stiffened didn't help in the matter. Issei was starting to find it hard to breathe. Just remembering how "Yuma" played with his feelings was already stressing him out, and now the image of the woman he admired was starting to crumble.
"You are saying... Buchou just watched how I died... just to recruit me?"
"I can't tell it for sure if it was an accident or they just let it happen. But remember, unlike your fellow reincarnated devils, Rias is a pureblood devil. She might not be inherently evil, but regardless of how much she tries to imitate humans, she doesn't have the same common sense as us. Or in other words, her common sense is alien for us humans."
"Bu-but... I haven't felt any change... after I was reincarnated..."
"That might be a flaw in the system, or maybe it was intended to be that way. Just like Kiba kept his grudges after being reincarnated, you retained your sense of morals. That was clear to me after I saw your resolution. However, that won't be forever. You'll be forced to live in the devil society in the future, where humans' sense of morality has no place. You'll have to choose, adapt to the environment, or reject it and become a stray. This is something you'll have to talk out with Rias. Preferably after this mess has been dealt with. However, I can make you an offer. Would you like to be human again?"
"Be human... again?"
That question came crashing down like a steamroller for all the present. The absolute confidence in his words made them start to believe that he could pull it off regardless of how absurd it seemed.
"You say you have a method to undo the transformation caused by the evil pieces?" Xenovia spoke in disbelief. "You jest. The Church has already tried all the possible methods. Not even removing the evil pieces from someone that didn't die before reincarnating worked. They either die or become strays."
At those words, Shirou gave them a confident smile. "I can assure you they haven't tested my method. It is quite simple actually. I just need to rewind his body's time to before it was turned into one of a devil."
"Huh... You... You have a sword... that can do that?" Issei asked with a trembling voice as the others were left speechless.
"Not exactly a sword, but yes, I do have a weapon that can pull it off. However, the price for something like that isn't small. I can only rewind around five or six months safely, so it would only work on you, Asia, and maybe you Saji."
Said devil gulped down at the realization. Even if his recruitment wasn't as Issei's and he chose to serve Sona on his own accord, the notion of being a human again was still eye-catching.
"What would happen if you tried to do it in a devil that has been reincarnated for longer?"
"I would have to spend my own lifespan as my magical energy wouldn't be enough." After answering Xenovia's question, he looked again at Issei. "I'll leave the offer until summer. It's your decision. You're free to tell Asia about this, too."
Koneko was next. "I would offer the same for you Koneko, but I assume you've been reincarnated for years. I would like that you keep this a secret. The same goes for you, Xenovia, Shidou-san."
"And what if I say I will tell the superiors about it?"
"I'll block your memories then, if you survive this mission, that is."
"Hmph, fair enough. As a way of thanking your cooperation, we won't expose anything about you. At least for now."
The room plunged into an awkward silence as the conversation died. The devils, even Koneko, had much to think after this, and the same could be said for the two exorcists. Shirou had already said what he had to say, and lightening the mood in such circumstances wasn't in his skill set.
Just who was Emiya Shirou? That was a question that plagued more people's minds as the days passed.
It was after a whole minute of silence that the sound of a clap brought them all to reality.
"I think you should start calling your friend, Issei-kun. You'll have to fill him in before we start planning, right?"
Irina's cheerfulness was right back on track. She never thought that she would end up cheering up devils, but after hearing Shirou's words, she got a different perspective... at least regarding Issei.
"I said I agreed to this, but the garments were really necessary?" The Gremory knight could just grimace looking at the priest garments they were forced to wear.
In the dead of the night, he, Issei, Koneko, and Saji wandered the quiet streets of Kuoh Town. After calling Kiba to the Emiya Residence, he unexpectedly accepted to be part of the mission.
He wasn't in the best mood though. Receiving the exorcists' permission to destroy the Excaliburs didn't sit well on him, and besides, he wasn't a fool. He could guess that it was Shirou who actually destroyed Excalibur Rapidly on purpose, but even so, seeing one of those accursed swords falling apart didn't make anything to amend the void in him, filled with just flames of revenge.
It was just because it was Issei who asked him that he accepted. Well, that... and the opportunity to kill that wretched bastard that was behind the "Holy sword project".
And about Saji, after hearing Kiba's story, he was more motivated for the mission.
"This is part of the ploy to conceal our identities... or so they said... I don't think it will be of any use without a mask or something like that..."
This was the only inconsistency Issei could find in the plan, and it was just an annoyance. It was quite simple actually.
They were split into two groups, the devils and the exorcist, to avoid hostilities more than anything. Both of them patroled different parts of the city to lure in the madman Freed, and meanwhile, Shirou acted as the coordinator and long-distance support.
The exorcists and even the rest of the devils aside from Issei had some doubts about Shirou being able to even see from miles away, let alone provide cover fire with a bow. But Issei witnessed it that night when the chimera attack him and Asia.
Shirou's skills with a bow were absurd, even more than his swordsmanship. The ability to snipe an enemy from so far away that they wouldn't notice death was coming for them until it was too late. If anything, Issei was confident that they weren't going to have trouble as long as the enemy was in the open.
And just in case things got ugly for some reason, most likely Freed having reinforcements, he would alert the other group about the fight so they can regroup quickly.
Their legs ended up bringing them to a certain park, a place that brought everything but good memories for Issei.
This was the place where he was killed, and the prospect that they were searching for the madman that almost raped Asia was not a good combination. It took him all of his willpower to stop his legs from trembling.
"Do you think that guy would attack us here in the open?" Saji spoke skeptically as they scanned the place.
"Well, there isn't a single soul around and there are a lot of places to hide. I think this is a good place for an ambush."
"Hnn!" After Kiba finished sharing his observations, Koneko suddenly tensed up, her head shooting above. "Yuuto-senpai, watch out!"
"DIVINE PUNISHMENT!"
A blur fell on them from above a streetlight, swinging two swords at the Gremory knight. And judging by the chills their holy aura sent down their spines, those were definitely Excalibur fragments.
One was a plain-looking European sword while the other was a thin rapier with a piece twirling around its blade kind of like a drill.
Thanks to Koneko's warning, Kiba was able to react quickly and draw his sword to block the attack. However, due to the exposition to the holy aura, the stray exorcist was actually overwhelming the devil in sheer strength.
"Boosted Gear!"
[Boost!]
The struggle between the two swordsmen didn't last long though. Sellzen had to bring one of his swords to block Issei's gauntlet, and even if he pulled it off, the punch sent him flying like a rag doll.
"Tsk." The exorcist clicked his tongue as he landed a few meters away. "I thought this would make a good warm-up before we destroy the "Slayer" bastard, but it seems you're no longer that useless, Iseei-kun~ Perhaps you can entertain me as I get used to these cuties!"
Just like a month ago, the twisted smile on the madman's face gave them goose-bumps. If it wasn't because the idiot just announced his presence in the middle of his surprise attack, they would've been off to a really bad start.
"So you are the creep that caused so much trouble, huh?" Saji spoke as he summoned his sacred gear, a small black gauntlet with a shape resembling a lizard with purple eyes. "If you think you're getting out alive of this one, you're wrong, buddy!"
"And you think I came to fight that monster all by myself, you moronic devil!?"
"Tsk, your ability to get distracted by trifling things is surprising, Freed Sellzen."
As an unidentified voice cut in the conversation, three figures emerged from the shadows surrounding the madman.
The three were clad in trench coats like the ones used by cliche undercover detectives. Oe was a bulky man whose eyes looked at the devils with such intensity that betrayed the annoyance in his fellow's tone. The other was a quite beautiful-looking blonde woman despite her stoic face and her cold blue eyes.
And the one who spoke was an albino man with an average constitution of a 20-year-old man. The way he was looking at the devils wasn't different from the look a person would give to a pile of trash.
"Fallen angels..." Koneko spoke as she caught their scent. Not that their presences put all four tense before they even knew what they were.
"Our target is the "Slayer". We don't have any business with the local devils. At least for now."
"Hoh, but we do have business with you." Kiba spoke with the same amount of poison the albino fallen had in his look. "You are my ticket to get to that bastard Galilei."
"I agree with the shitty devil! Don't be a pushover, man. A little warm-up won't harm you. Or is it that you've shit your pants in presence of the so-called Red Dragon Emperor!?"
The fallen started to exude killing intention at Sellzen's taunt, but the madman didn't even flinch.
"He's right, Kushiel." The bulky fallen spoke with excitement. "It won't take us much to take them out, and it would make things easier for the boss when he decides to start his plan."
"Annoying. But I'll comply if necessary."
With his two fellows agreeing with the madman, the now identified Dumah let out an exasperated sigh.
"Very well. Kill them. You have less than three minutes." The fallen crossed his arms. It was obvious he didn't have the least intention of getting his hands dirty with "minor preys".
"Heh, bring it on!"
[Boost!]
The devils threw away the garments, revealing their usual school uniform beneath them. It was pointless having them on since the enemies were well aware of the identities.
"That's the spirit, kid! I'll keep your skull as a trophy after having slain a dragon!"
The bulky fallen summoned a massive spear made out of light and spread his two pairs of raven wings before rushing at the group of devils. He was targeting Issei specifically, the one he felt could offer a better challenge.
The Red Dragon Emperor prepared to me him with his draconic hand. Even he could feel that those fallen angels weren't third-rate like Raynare and her underlings, so he wasn't taking any chance. In fact, he had been boosting while the fallen angels and the madman chatted, so he already had four boosts on him.
And it was precisely due to his serious reaction that the fallen was completely focused on breaking his guard... and never saw the twisted blade soaring through the night sky...
"Hu-"
He never got to process what killed him. The black key turned into an arrow pierced his forefront cleanly and destroyed his brain. And if that wasn't enough, the strength of the "arrow", combined with the fallen's speed, made his neck bend past its limits, causing a sick snap.
The park plunged into dead silence as the lifeless body fell to the ground. Even the devils, knowing that the archer was on their side, paled visibly.
"Marut!"
The cold mask of the female fallen broke, but she didn't have time to mourn the sudden death of her fellow.
She immediately conjured a pair of light spears in her hands to try and block the incoming projectiles, but it was to no avail. The first one already repelled her spears, shattering them like if they were made out of glass. She actually managed to avoid having her head pierced, but that was it.
"Gah!"
Blood splattered across the park once again as the female fallen flew like a rag doll with several twisted arrows stabbing her chest.
"Puriel!"
The pragmatic leader of the three fallen angels suddenly found himself alone. His blue eyes darted to the madman by his side, but his fate had been the same as his companions. The stray exorcist's bloodied body laid on the ground, the two Excaliburs completely shattered nearby.
Kushiel could only widen his eyes in horrid realization as more of those "arrows" fell upon him like a rain of miniature comets.
When Lord Kokabiel told them to act as a diversion alongside the mad dog, he wasn't expecting... this.
A one-sided massacre.
He wasn't enough old like his Lord to have been able to participate in the great war between the three factions, but even so, he still had centuries of experience. However, he wasn't prepared for this.
Perhaps, the title of the "Slayer" wasn't just people exaggerating things.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
He put all his aura into a barrier. A desperate attempt to cling to life as long as possible. He did never need to win to accomplish his Lord's orders, but staying alive more than a few seconds now seemed so impossible.
The magic arrows battered against the barrier, shattering it several times. But given his massive reserves of aura, Kushiel kept reforming it again and again.
He became just a target, with his life hanging by a thin string.
"Mo- monster..." It was a miracle Saji didn't collapse with his legs trembling so much. His face was so pale that he looked like a ghost.
"Issei-kun... when he said he was going to provide fire cover... I didn't know he was referring to actually slaughtering them... We were just used as a decoy to lure them out..."
"Well, that way anyone gets hurt, right?"
Issei's attempt did little to ease Kiba's frustrations. Again, seeing the Excaliburs beings destroyed like glassworks didn't reduce his hatred in the least.
However, it seemed things weren't going to end just like that.
"Yuuto-senpai!"
Suddenly, Koneko kicked the back of Kiba's leg. The pain brought the knight to his knees, and that actually saved his life as a sword cleaved through the place where his neck had been just an instant before.
As a follow-up, the drill-like blade shot to pierce Kiba's heart, but the devil pulled himself together in time to deflect the attack.
"Freed!? Bu-but you were dead-"
Issei's mouth was left hanging after seeing that the madman's "dead body" was no longer beside the remaining fallen angel, nor were the broken forms of the holy swords. There wasn't even a drop of blood there. It was like... it never happened.
"Do you like it, shitty devils!? This is the combination of these cuties' powers! Excalibur Nightmare and Excalibur Transparency!"
"So it was an illusion, huh? Heh, that just means a haven't lost my opportunity to take revenge!"
"Wait Kiba-"
The blonde devil rushed at the madman without hearing Issei, and just as he expected, the knight's sword passed through Freed's body as if it was made of thin air.
"Looks like behind that pretty face there isn't a single neuron left!"
Kiba's eyes widened as he heard the madman's voice behind him. The devil quickly turner around to block the incoming attack but...
"Huh!?"
"Wrong! Try again!"
The attack Kiba blocked was also an illusion, and the real one attacked from another angle. He didn't have time to block it. He had put everything he had to block the first surprise attack, even ruining his stance in the process.
But fortunately for him, he wasn't alone. The drill-like sword that came to smash his brain was blocked by Koneko's kickboxing loves. Even if she didn't touch the blade directly, she had to pull back the fist immediately with huge pain, but it gave Kiba enough room to get out of the way.
"Yuuto-senpai, you need to stay calm and stop being reckless!"
Her junior's words finally got to the knight, and he pushed back his raging emotions behind a mask of cold rationality.
"Even if those swords are third-rate in terms of quality, their quirks are quite a pain in the neck."
"So the little devil can perceive me, huh? Now that I remember, you had a good sense of smell, right? Hehe! That's something I can fix quickly with Excalibur Transparency, fool!"
The man disappeared from their sight once again, but this time, Koneko widened her eyes in horror.
"His scent... it disappeared!"
And the problems didn't stop there. Several "Freeds" appeared surrounding them, their maniac laughs filling the place.
"Everyone, keep close to each other!"
The attacks came from unexpected angles. There was a possibility that Freed was hidden among all the illusions, but they could neither discard the possibility that he was invisible and all the clones were decoys. And with the madman cleverly switching between the two strategies, they found themselves cornered.
And at the same time, that helped him to avoid being sniped by Shirou. The possibility that he could shoot him while keeping the fallen at bay was still there, so he wasn't taking any chance.
"Damn it! We can't even land a hit, and the moment he hits us we're screwed!"
Issei was firing some beams with the technique he named dragon shot. It was in essence the same beam he used in his last spar with Shirou but on a way smaller scale. But it was to no avail as he could get the real one.
"Tsk! Absorption Line!"
What looked like a metal whip came out from Saji's sacred gear, and he swung it around them, swiping all the clones in front of him. But then again, it bore no fruits as the illusions were replenished shortly after.
"It's useless! I'd say you should just give up, but seeing the desperation and hopelessness in your faces is really delightful!"
"This bastard..."
It was just a matter of time one of them ended up receiving a serious injury and their formation collapsed.
However, time was also on their side.
"It seems you could get a hand, Issei-kun!"
Just as they heard Irina's voice, several metal spikes struck the battlefield around the four devils, whipping out all the illusions.
"Kuh!" The real Freed jumped out of the area of attack, but he wasn't unscathed. It seemed one of the spikes graced his side, leaving a trail of blood.
The exorcist clad in the black spandex landed beside them, with all the metal spikes having retracted and taking the form of a katana. That was Excalibur Mimic's quirk, the capability to take any form visualized by its wielder.
"Irina!? Wait, that means-"
BOOM!
All their heads turned to look in the direction of the explosion. It seemed that Xenovia managed to slip through the fallen's guard the moment Shirou destroyed his barrier and landed a solid blow with her Excalibur Destruction.
The fallen however managed to stand up again after rolling through the hot concrete. He was a mess, but with his six wings in full view, he still stood strong.
"Exorcists working alongside devils... What a twisted joke to witness..."
The fallen summoned a pair of swords made out of light and prepared to meet Xenovia, who was walking out of the crater caused by her attack.
"Irina, we'll take the fallen so Archer can support the devils!" The exorcist ordered her companion, using a code name to refer to Shirou at his request.
"Okay!"
Even if their opponent was an elite, Shirou had made a number on him without revealing a single noble phantasm, so they shouldn't have any problem taking him out.
The situation with the devils didn't change that much even with some occasional "arrows" that prevented Freed from landing fatal blows. The madman was slippery if anything.
"Tsk! Think Issei... there has to be a way... Kiba seems to know the general direction in which that bastard's attack is going to come... Sensei is able to avoid attacks he can't see and even reacts to them before they even get near... I doubt those are just a matter of combat experience... Huh?"
Just at that moment, his cell vibrated in his pocket. He was about to ignore it, but something told him that it was important.
He quickly pulled out the phone and looked at the screen. Of all the things he was expecting, Rias asking where was he at this hour being at the top, the cover of going to watch porn at his friends' house could just get him so far, a message from Shirou was surely not one.
"If the five senses don't work, discard them and use your sixth sense."
That... that didn't help at all! Why did his Sensei always put things in a complicated way so he had to figure it out even in situations like this!?
What was he referring to with "sixth sense" anyway!? That thing even existed outside Buddhist myths!?
[Partner, he must be referring to your mind's eye. In other words, you need to empty your mind.] Ddraig spoke with some disappointment in his tone.
"Oh, that's it?"
Issei immediately did that. There was no time to waste.
After his training with Shirou, emptying his mind was quite easy for him, even when it came to pervert thoughts... at least in the middle of a battle in that case. Getting distracted usually meant a broken bone.
With his mind already emptied, he was finally able to feel something. A really disgusting sensation that irked him to no end. And it was getting stronger quickly!
"There!"
Issei's draconic arm moved swiftly to catch what was approaching him. When he opened his eyes, his heart skipped a beat upon seeing the rapier-like Excalibur just inches away from his heart.
"What the!"
The madman tried to retreat, but Issei didn't let him, holding the Excalibur with all his might.
"Hehe! I've finally found out about your weakness! You let out so much killing intent that even I can sense it with some concentration!"
That was why his Sensei looked like a machine when he fought seriously. If you want to pull off the perfect surprise attack, one must discard all emotions to the point they become something close to a robot so the enemy can't read you.
"Tch! You really are a pain in the ass, Red Dragon Emperor-kun! But are you forgetting I have another sword!?"
The madman immediately swung the other Excalibur fragment to force Issei to disengage... or so he tried. With Saji's Absorption Line wrapped around his wrist, his arm was stuck in mid-swing, leaving him wide open.
"Koneko-chan!"
"Fly."
"Gah!"
The rook's fist smashed Freed's chest, sending him crashing against a bench. They didn't go for the kill as they needed him to spill the beams regarding their hideout, but Koneko was sure the man wasn't going to be able to fight for a time.
"Urgh..." The exorcist spat some blood as he tried to stand up. "You really did it this time... shitty devils... I guess this is my clue to get out of here..."
"We're on the same page for once, Freed Sellzen!" Before they could even react, the fallen angel flew to his side and caught him. "Our duty here is done. We must return to inform Lord Kokabiel about this alliance between the Church, the devils, and the Slayer."
"See ya!"
The two flew away at a great speed, but the exorcists didn't stand idly.
"After them! They are our ticket to their base!"
Xenovia and Irina ran behind them, with Kiba following them closely, and leaving Issei, Saji, and Koneko there dumbfounded.
"Hey, wait a moment! We need a second to catch our breath!"
It was actually just Saji who looked like he was about to faint, but aside from that, they couldn't just leave the two corpses there.
Issei looked at Koneko. "What do we do now?"
"Perhaps you could start by telling me why in the world are you fighting a group of fallen angels in the middle of the night."
The voice behind them made the three devils pale so much that Koneko's hair became the less what thing around. When they turned around, what awaited them was Rias and Sona with really scary faces.
Maybe expecting a fight of such scale to go unnoticed was too naive of them...
They were royally screwed.
The wind graced Shirou's auburn hair as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop with his reinforced legs.
Covering four miles with his servant parameters wouldn't take more than a minute, but with a human body, it was taking him more than he thought, a least if he wanted to save magical energy for the real battle. The same reason why he refrained to use a noble phantasm to finish off the fallen and stuck to just black keys.
However, he was able to see where the fallen fled to. It was the abandoned church in the town's outskirts, the place that was used by the fallen angels that killed Issei and Asia as a base.
He should have guessed it. Sometimes, the best place to hide was actually the most obvious one.
"Huh?"
Shirou stopped in his tracks as he reached the park where the fight with the fallen angels and the madman had taken place. The sight that met him made him raise an eyebrow by reflex.
Rias and Sona were slapping Issei and Saji's asses respectively with their hands wrapped in demonic power. It was surprising that their yelps of agony didn't wake up the entire neighborhood.
If this was their policy to punish servants that disobeyed their orders, then he wasn't going to stick his nose in that. However, it still irked him. This wasn't the time for that.
The sound he made by landing beside them put a stop to the show of pain and suffering. Before they got to open their mouth, Shirou spoke as he passed by them.
"I wouldn't be wasting your time like this, Rias, Sona. I recommend you start preparing yourself for the incoming battle. The Kokabiel guy is actually here in this town."
"And where are you going, Shirou-kun?" That was the only thing that Sona bothered to ask.
"To make sure those three don't go dying on me. If I don't return... expect the worse outcome."
Having said that, Shirou didn't waste any more precious seconds and kicked the ground to rush to the abandoned church.
"Wait, Sensei-" Issei tried to go after him, but his butt was in so much pain that he couldn't take a single step. Beside's, his master wasn't going to let him go anyway.
"Issei, we can't just rush at the enemy base. That would be suicidal. The only thing we can do is, just as Shirou-kun said, is to prepare ourselves in case they fail."
Unbeknownst to Rias, those words struck Issei's resolution even further. She not caring about the exorcists was one thing, but the fact that she didn't care if Shirou died at all shook him.
It was as his Sensei said. She didn't feel empathy for humans in the least. She let Shirou go there because she wanted him to save Kiba.
If it wasn't for his help, she might've very well ended up married to Raiser. He helped them, or more exactly, helped Issei since he saw he was still human at heart, but he did so without asking anything in return.
And his master was willing to let him die...
Back with Shirou, he sailed through the trees on the hill leading to the abandoned church.
It took him another minute to reach the building, and he immediately jumped inside it through one of the broken windows.
There wasn't a single soul there, but that could be said about just that floor. The hole in the middle of the room, most likely caused by Excalibur Destruction, and the sounds of battle coming from beneath it were enough to deduce what happened while he wasn't there.
The magus immediately dived into the hole bow in hand. The fall to the basement was brief, but it was enough for him to assess the situation.
The two exorcists and Kiba were widely outnumbered by more than forty fallen angels, and while they kept busy Kiba and Xenovia, a fallen angel with ten wings that gave out a huge aura was literally playing around with Irina. The Japanese exorcist had her body filled with wounds and was in her last legs.
Time to turn things around.
The first "arrow" was notched, an E-rank nameless noble phantasm, and he fired it directly a who he assumed was Kokabiel.
The ancient fallen angel was actually able to perceive the surprise attack at the last moment and jumped away to avoid it. However, the shot fulfilled its purpose, getting him off of Irina, and distracting all the other fallen angels, who were left dumbfounded at the sight of their boss having been forced to retreat.
Those precious seconds they wasted looking at Kokabiel could have actually saved their lives.
Shirou fired "arrow" after "arrow" like a machine gun. It was a literal rain of steel that obliterated all the fallen angels around Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina.
When he landed in front of them, the only thing remaining around them was a pile of corpses, blood, and black feathers. The bow was discarded in favor of his favored twin swords as he turned to glance at Kiba and Xenovia.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
It took them a couple of seconds to react, and then the exorcist gave him a small smile.
"Your timing was a little off, but you made it in time, Archer."
Shirou could see what she was referring to. The Excalibur Mimic in its katana form was now in Kokabiels hands, which made it three Excaliburs in their possession again. But more concerning, there were still more than twenty fallen angels, aside from the six-winged fallen and Kokabiel himself.
And regarding their side, even if Xenovia and Kiba weren't that much injured, Irina was already lying unconscious beside him.
Things weren't looking so good.
The boss stared surprised at Shirou for a second before a smile crept to his face.
He was a man with long black hair, pointed ears, and red eyes. If it wasn't for his raven wings, Shirou wouldn't have thought he was actually a dead apostle. A sight of how his original nature as an angel was completely twisted after all these years of committing sin after sin.
"You must be the so-called "Slayer", right? I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to this meeting. And looking how you disposed of my men like if they were trash, you didn't disappoint."
His bloodlust was expanding by the second, but he seemed to be open to dialog before they proceeded to kill each other. Shirou decided to ask then, even if he could already guess the answer.
"And you must be one of the leaders of the Grigori, Kokabiel. The one that's plotting to restart the war between the three factions. But I must ask, why are you doing this?"
"Isn't that obvious? The war ended due to that fragile cease of fire the three factions put up to delay the inevitable. Unlike the devils or the angels, we, the fallen angels could have continued fighting without trouble. If it wasn't for that bastard Azazel and his obsession with the Sacred Gears, we would have won instead of retreating like cowards! And now, after all these centuries, I'm going to claim the victory that was stollen to us!"
The way he said that with pride was enough to irk Shirou, but he kept his cold mask.
"So you're just a resented warmonger that doesn't give a damn about the consequences, huh?"
"Oh, but having me and my followers destroy those pests plaguing mankind, isn't it the same objective you strive for, Slayer? The offer one of my followers proposed is still standing."
"And my answer is still the same. I will never side with someone that thinks of others as disposable trash." Shirou's hostility raised to match Kokabiel's, but the only reaction he got from the former archangel was a disappointed look.
"A pity. However, as much as I want to test a human that is not an herbivore, livestock just for the benefit of all the other factions, I shall still stick to my schedule."
Saying that he tossed Excalibur Mimic into the hands of an old man who had approached him while the two were talking. The man looked like a harmless priest, but the twisted smile that spread through his face as he put his hands on the holy swords betrayed that image.
"Valper Galilei..." Kiba barely repressed his urge to rush at him and cut his neck, but with Kokabiel in the way, he knew it would be futile.
"Hehehe. With this, we have already four Excaliburs. Just as you said, we should start already the process of fusion. Getting that girl's Excalibur can come later."
That actually made Shirou's eyes widen. Not just the horrible thought of having those abominations fused together through wrong means and not reforging them properly, but what he said before that.
"Four Excaliburs? Don't tell me-"
"Of course, you fool!" The familiar voice of the madman resounded throughout the toom as he approached Kokabiel and Valper. "What do you think was that diversion for!?"
"It wasn't a smooth operation though. The defense mechanisms in your house were quite troublesome. Some of my elites perished in the process."
Kiba and Xenovia looked surprised at Shirou. There wasn't any ward around the house or anything like the magicians usually used to defend their workshop.
And that was the thing. Anyone expected mundane traps in the lair of a mage. He had set a simple mechanism that would fire several black keys the moment someone forced the door open. However, the trap wasn't prepared to deal with a small army, just any possible phantasmal that managed to track him.
Disposing of the corpses in his house was now added to the increasing list of things to do regarding the "Moon-lit world". And replacing the black keys with more deadly weapons while he was at that.
"You shouldn't have let devils enter your house, Slayer. Tracking their scent was child's play for my men."
"Oh, and not just that. I have to thank you too, shitty devils. This thing was quite awesome. See? As good as new."
Freed threw a small vial to Kiba's hand, and the sight of it caused the devil to widen his eyes with surprise. "A Phoenix Tear!? How did you get your hands on something like that!?"
"Just like the black market of the mundane world, getting something like that is possible with the correct contacts and the right amount of money. And speaking of oddities." Valper's eyes landed on Shirou, a murky gleam on them. "A human that can wield a holy sword without holy element is a rare specimen I would like to work on, Lord Kokabiel. Maybe we could obtain a more efficient method to produce a holy sword user without these things. I'm starting to run out of them after using three on Freed."
Valper brought out a small blue vial with a weird diamond shape. Even if he couldn't see the contents, Shirou was able to sense it... and it just pissed him off even more.
"Could you please take him alive after we kill the heiresses?"
"I'll consider it." The boredom on the fallen's tone was a sign that he wasn't going to waste any effort to accomplish that request.
"Hmph."
Shirou couldn't bite back the snort as he stared at the mad scientist wearing the skin of a priest. What he'd done was already unforgivable, but now that Shirou had put the pieces together, now he knew that what he had achieved with his research wasn't that far from some magi researches.
Valper Galilei was now on the list of "kill without asking".
"You got it all wrong. Humans don't need holy element to wield those things. If that were the case, there wouldn't be any natural wielders. That's something only supernatural creatures produce."
The surprise in both fake priests' faces was quite the sight. Behind him, Xenovia and Kiba let out surprised voices too. Kokabiel's face however showed interest in his words.
"What are you saying!? I've been researching about holy swords all my life! Are you expecting me to believe your nonsense!"
"That might be true, but as someone that was raised by the sect called "the Holy Church", of course, your point of view would be distorted by their lies. That thing in your hands isn't holy element. That's just crystallized lifeforce. The only thing you achieved with your investigation is a way to suck people's souls and transfer the energy obtained to humans that doesn't have enough energy to fuel the swords naturally. Heh, and the Church decided to keep using that method. What a joke."
In just a moment, every defense Galilei could put up was completely demolished. Even if he has been researching about them together, he would never be able to learn more about them than the Unlimited Blade Works after reproducing them.
And the fact that he was trapped in the lies of the organization that deemed magic as heresy when they basically used the same just with other names didn't help.
An amused smile crept to Kokabiel's face. "So you were able to see through the lies spread by that fool Michael. Interesting. Now then, we'll be putting up the show in the headquarters of the devils, that is, Kuoh Academy. The whole city will be at stake. Come to challenge me there, Slayer. If you survive, of course."
The leader of the fallen angels then used some magic to levitate what looked like a weird throne, and he, Valper, and Freed mounted it before it flew out the room.
His subordinates didn't follow him though. Their boss' orders were clear even if he didn't voice them, and their increasing hatred towards the human that slaughtered their fellows wouldn't allow anything else. That much was obvious for Shirou.
"Xenovia, Kiba, tgo after him. And take Irina with you. Asia might be able to heal her. I'll take care of this."
The blonde devil didn't need to be told twice. He immediately rushed out of the room using his knight speed and ran after the trio carrying the four holy swords.
Xenovia however hesitated a little. They couldn't leave Irina without medical treatment for too long... but leaving Shirou against all those middle-class fallen angels and a high-class one...
"Good luck..." She finally made her choice and prioritized her partner's safety.
"Now then..." Shirou eyed the fallen angels.
They were eager to attack him, but they weren't fool enough to just throw themselves at him recklessly. Even if he was just a human, their instincts told them that he wasn't an enemy to make light of.
"What's the matter? Are you afraid of a lowly human?" Shirou taunted them. Just rushing at them wouldn't do either. His strong point had always been the defense, so it would be better to wait for them to come, preferably without any formation or tactic.
"Don't mess with us, bastard!"
And it worked. Even if the six-winged fallen didn't fall for it, some of the fallen finally snapped and rushed at him ignoring attention to their instincts.
"Wait-" Their superior's warning was too late.
"Trace, on."
They rushed to their deaths. Having discarded his bow, they didn't expect a ranged attack. But who said he needed a bow to fire swords?
"Wha-"
"No wa-"
The surprised screams turned into screams filled with pain and agony as the swords fired from behind him destroyed their spears of light and sunk into their flesh.
And then, the magus kicked the ground and jumped through the falling corpses. Taking advantage of the commotion, he cut down two more fallen angels before the rest of them came down on him.
And even so, to their horror, the "lowly human" held his ground in the middle of the battlefield. He deflected all their attacks with ease as he danced through them, and fired more swords to deflect the spears thrown at him.
Admittedly, their group didn't have cohesion at all. Despite all of them being middle-class fallen angels of four wings, they were just a bunch of fanatics that followed Kokabiel because they too shared his lust for conflict, even if they never lived that war. Their attacks weren't coordinated, more often than not getting in the way of each other, and Shirou exploited all those errors to take them down quickly.
The only one who seemed to know what he was doing was Kushiel, and he didn't seem to be cut out for the job of a commander.
After some minutes, he found himself alone fighting the magus above a pile made of the corpses of his fellow brethren. And to his surprise, even without anyone getting in his way, the human was able to keep with this swordplay just fine... if it could be called swordplay.
After exchanging blows with the six-winged fallen angel, Shirou could tell that he was swinging around the light blades without technique. Calling him a swordsman would be an offense for every man and woman that dedicated their lives to the path of the sword.
The only reason the fallen was able to keep up with him was his speed and strength were far superior to Shirou. That and Shirou wanting to save his energy for Kokabiel.
"Damn human!" In the end, Kushiel couldn't reign over his accumulated frustration. "You have the nerve to berate our Lord when you massacred our fellow without even batting an eye!"
"Heh, a fallen angel that came here seeking a bloodbath wants to give me lessons about morals?"
Shirou's sarcastic remark just pissed the fallen more, causing him to swing his right sword recklessly. The magus easily battered it aside, and it left him open for a kick.
It didn't do much to the fallen, but it created a distance between the two. Shirou then threw his twin swords to the side, surprising Kushiel.
The two blades drew an arc in the air, coming for his neck from both sides. However, he managed to deflect the two blades by the skin of his teeth, one of them actually cutting his shoulder.
The fallen angel didn't think twice and rushed to his unarmed opponent. He must have been too confident on that attack actually finishing him off, and now he was going to pay that mistake-
"Trace, on."
A newly projected pair blocked his attack, and Kushiel's instincts told him that the fight was already decided.
"Gah!"