Shirou stood by the door, slipping on his shoes as the others remained gathered in the living room. The morning light poured softly through the windows, catching in the lingering haze of magic still humming faintly in the air. He was tired but content—everyone was stable, whole. Alive.
He turned toward them, backpack over one shoulder.
"I'll be heading to school now," he said.
There were a few nods—some curious glances.
"Don't burn anything down," he added, looking pointedly at Achilles.
The Rider grinned. "No promises."
Florence rolled her eyes. "We'll behave. More or less."
"You can explore the house," Shirou said, moving to the genkan. "Get used to your bodies. Don't strain your circuits. And when I come back—we'll go shopping. You'll all need clothes that blend in."
Yan Qing raised a hand. "Can I pick out something flashy?"
"No feathers," Florence muttered, already anticipating disaster.
Shirou chuckled. His fingers brushed the handle—
And then Romani's voice cut in, calm but serious, "Wait."
Shirou froze, glancing back.
Romani stood, his expression now completely focused—eyes sharper than before. "There's someone outside."
Shirou's heart skipped. "What?"
"They're powerful," Romani continued, stepping lightly toward the door. "They're standing just beyond the edge of the street. Perfectly still. Watching. They may not have noticed us… yet. I placed a bounded field around the estate last night—simple camouflage, dampens magical signatures."
Arjuna stood, his body still and poised. "You think they're hostile?"
"I don't know," Romani said, "but they're not subtle."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Karna, who had been quietly standing near the window, stepped forward.
"I will open it," he said calmly. "If there's danger, I can take the blow."
Shirou moved to protest, but Karna was already ahead, stepping past him with the quiet assurance of someone born to guard others.
The door slid open, and beyond it, standing side by side, were two men.
One was tall and lean, dressed in dark green and purple, with long swept-back green hair and calculating blue eyes. Magic coiled faintly around him like a second skin—measured, coiled, precise.
The other stood with the air of someone used to lead. Crimson hair framed his noble face, and his posture was relaxed—but the pressure behind his presence could be felt. He looked like Rias, but older, more commanding, dressed in a formal suit that still couldn't contain the quiet power radiating from him.
The red-haired man smiled gently.
"Good morning," he said. "Forgive the unannounced visit. I'm Sirzechs Lucifer."
The green-haired man adjusted his gloves. "And I am Ajuka Beelzebub."
Karna narrowed his eyes faintly. Shirou stepped forward, pulse rising. "The Satans?"
Sirzechs' smile remained, but something flickered just beneath it—interest, calculation, something distinctly royal.
"We sensed a great deal of magical activity briefly here last night," he said, voice smooth. "Enough to raise some very serious questions. Combined with what Rias told me… well—" he tilted his head slightly, "—I was curious."
Beside him, Ajuka's gaze sharpened behind his lashes. The faintest hum of precise magical analysis stirred the air around him.
"And we're here for answers."
Shirou closed his eyes for a moment and sighed under his breath. "It seems… today I won't be going to school after all."
Karna stepped aside with a quiet nod, and Shirou motioned for the two Maou to enter. "Please, come in."
As they stepped through the threshold, Romani quietly approached Shirou, voice a whisper just behind him.
"Karna and Arjuna are holding back fine, and I've adjusted my own output. But the others…" He cast a glance toward the hallway. "They're… not subtle. Especially Sigurd and Achilles."
Shirou nodded tightly. "I'll handle it."
He led the two Satans into the living room, gesturing to the table. Sirzechs took a seat gracefully, while Ajuka remained standing, glancing over the structure of the room with a calculating look, as if studying a prototype in motion.
"Tea?" Shirou asked.
Sirzechs nodded. "Gladly."
Shirou headed to the kitchen, leaving Florence standing by the door, watching the two with clinical precision.
Sirzechs' gaze drifted to her, then softened with recognition. "I recognize you from Rias' report. You were with him during the healing—Shirou's Queen, correct?"
Florence inclined her head. "Correct."
Sirzechs' smile returned. "You're very composed for someone newly reincarnated. Most struggle with their aura for days."
Florence met his gaze evenly. "I'm quite practiced at staying calm under pressure. Comes with the name."
Ajuka glanced at her, before his eyes settled on the others. "Everyone here is a devil—high-level signatures, stronger than low-class, but clearly newly reincarnated…" he trailed off, brow furrowing, "their frequency feels... foreign."
Sirzechs folded his hands together. "And I don't recognize any of the others Rias mentioned. But they're here. And they feel... powerful."
Florence stepped forward, her stance crisp. "They are Shirou's new peerage."
There was a beat of silence until Ajuka tilted his head ever so slightly. "That's quite a feat."
His gaze flicked toward the hallway where magic still gently pulsed. "To gain nearly a full peerage in less than a day is… improbable."
He looked back at Florence. "Unless… Were they summoned, too?"
Florence smiled, just faintly. Not threatening—just sharp. "They were summoned, yes. But now, they are Devils. As real and as whole as any who were born to it."
Shirou re-entered at that moment, a tray in hand carrying two cups of steaming tea. He placed it down between the Satans, hands steady.
"I'll answer your questions," he said looking at Ajuka's calculating eyes directly, "but I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat my family like experiments."
Ajuka blinked—more intrigued than offended.
Sirzechs took a long sip of tea before gently setting the cup down. "Before we begin asking the harder questions," he said, his gaze returning to Shirou, "perhaps… you could introduce us to your peerage?"
Shirou exhaled, then gave a nod. He glanced to the side, and with that simple motion, the figures who had been quietly watching Shirou and Florence nodded.
The first to step forward was Sigurd, silver hair glinting beneath the morning light, arms calmly folded across his chest. "Sigurd. Dragon slayer and knight of Norse myth. Shirou's Knight."
He gave a slight bow, perfectly formal.
Karna followed, each step radiating quiet dignity, his crimson eyes calm. "Karna. Hero of Mahabharata. Son of the sun god Surya. Rook."
Arjuna came next, his expression still and measured. "Arjuna. Prince of the Pandava. Wielder of Gandiva. Bishop."
Achilles strolled in with a confident grin, one hand slung behind his head. "Achilles! Fastest man alive, invulnerable skin, all that good stuff. I used to be a Rider. Now I'm Shirou's Knight. Works for me."
There was a moment of static in the room—an almost imperceptible weight that dropped into the air as the next figure stepped forward.
Romani adjusted his coat, his eyes no longer as sleepy—there was history in them now. Soft, warm… and old. "Romani Archaman. Or, if you prefer the truth—Solomon. Grand Caster. Once the King of Magecraft. Shirou's Bishop."
Ajuka's gaze sharpened instantly. Sirzechs didn't flinch—but he blinked, slowly.
And then Yan Qing appeared, sharp eyes and roguish smile in place, every motion quiet but theatrical. "Yan Qing. Phantom thief, shadow legend. I specialize in making sure people don't see me coming. Shirou's Rook."
There was a pause as Ajuka's hand hovered above his cup but didn't lift it. Sirzechs' lips parted slightly—his composure unshaken, but his eyes clearly processing.
"…Are we to understand," Sirzechs said slowly, "that these are not just namesakes—but that you claim to be the heroes themselves?"
Achilles grinned. "We don't claim anything. We are."
Ajuka tilted his head thoughtfully. "You're telling us you've reincarnated historical Heroic Spirits… through the Evil Piece system."
Sirzechs gave a tight, skeptical smile. "That's impossible."
But before Shirou could say anything, Ajuka raised a hand.
"Impossible," he said quietly, "much like the existence of the King Piece you've used on yourself."
He turned his gaze directly to Shirou. "And yet, here we are."
The silence that followed was not uncomfortable. It was heavy with implication.
Sirzechs leaned forward slightly. "This isn't something that can be ignored."
Ajuka smiled, sharp and intrigued. "No. It's something that must be understood."
Shirou finally spoke again, calm and steady. "I didn't come here to break your rules. I just wanted to protect the people in front of me."
Ajuka's expression didn't change—but he nodded, once.
Sirzechs smiled again, more genuine now, but edged in caution. "Then let's understand each other, Shirou Emiya. Because if what you've done is real… you've changed the rules of the game."
Shirou stood tall, his expression unreadable but calm.
"I haven't changed the rules," he said quietly. "I'm just… the only one who can play this game. My circumstances are unique. No one else could've summoned them—not in this world."
Sirzechs' expression flickered, his tone curious but edged. "And what are these circumstances?"
There was a faint shuffle of fabric as Romani stepped forward, adjusting his sleeves and offering an easy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Now, now," he said, tone light but razor-sharp beneath the surface, "I think you'll understand if we keep a few things to ourselves."
Ajuka raised a brow.
Romani continued, still casual. "Surely you're not the sort of rulers who would try to force confidential information out of someone who's done nothing but act in defense and caution… are you?"
That earned a moment of silence.
Sirzechs frowned faintly, his posture still relaxed, but his fingers tightened slightly around his teacup. Ajuka's eyes narrowed, the air around him subtly ticking like gears spinning.
Shirou stepped in before the tension could rise.
"Romani." He looked at the former Grand Caster, then back to the Satans. "We won't give you our secrets. But I'm willing to be transparent about everything else. The things that aren't classified."
Ajuka exhaled slowly and leaned against the backrest of his chair. "That's… acceptable. For now."
He turned toward Shirou more fully, expression unreadable. "But understand: if even a rumor of what you've done spreads, it won't just be our government that takes notice. You've resurrected heroic figures, Shirou Emiya—most of whom belong to other cultures, religions, and pantheons."
His eyes settled briefly on Arjuna and Karna, who stood with statuesque calm. "If the Hindu pantheon discovers that their champions now serve a Devil, things could become... politically unstable."
Sirzechs nodded slowly. "You've stirred something much bigger than the Three Factions."
Shirou's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't flinch. "I'm aware. But I didn't summon them to make a statement."
Romani gave a soft hum. "And frankly, we're not part of any pantheon anymore. We were dead. Whatever claims they had on us… ended with our lives."
Ajuka tilted his head, expression still thoughtful. "That's a convenient argument. One many won't accept."
"But one that's true," Shirou countered. "They live now. Here. With me. That's not something I'll apologize for."
There was silence for a beat too long—until Sirzechs' smile returned, this time a little softer, a little more genuine. "Spoken like someone Rias would like."
Ajuka didn't smile—but he nodded. "We'll keep this contained. For now. But you understand, we'll need to observe."
Shirou nodded. "I expected that."
Ajuka's gaze slid back toward the others again, scanning each of them with the intensity of a scientist. "Though I've been informed that the Evil Pieces in your hand were of a different color. I'm curious about them and would like to analyze one of them if possible."
Here, Shirou hesitates. He glances at the box with the remaining Pawn pieces. Then he looks at the others before sighing. "I wouldn't be opposed to give you one of the remaining pieces, but in exchange, I would like legal identities for all here."
Humming, Sirzechs taps his chin as he glanze at Ajuka whose gaze is still on the box holding the remaining pieces. "Yes, Rias mentioned that. I wouldn't mind helping you with that. You can go to the Occult Research Room so they can take their pictures for their new identities after classes are over. Rias will be in charge of that."
"They have to decide for their last names, too," Ajuka piped in.
Shirou sighs. "It seems I'll have to skip classes today to go to buy them some clothes."
"Do you want help with that… financially?"
Shirou shakes his head. "Not really. I've the inheritance my father left for me."
Sigurd steps in. "That's yours, though. We won't become a burden to you, Master."
"It's not a bother, really," Shirou says, waving his hands.
Florence looks at the Satans. "We can work and we're strong. We don't know how Devil society works, but if we can share our Master's burden…"
Romani sighs as he holds up a hand. "I've got a PhD in modern medicine, so I can work on something related to that."
Yan Qing nods with a smile. "I may be an assassin, but I'm good at teaching."
Karna tilts his head. "I'm good at strategy and leading."
Arjuna tilts his head towards Karna. "Same as him. I also have experience with politics."
Sigurd looks down, ashamed. "I'm just good at battling. My apologies, Master."
Achilles smiles brightly as he slaps the back of Sigurd. "Battling is a good ability to have. I'm the same, after all."
"I don't feel comforted by your words."
Shirou looks between all of them, overwhelmed and full of warmth. "Thank you, all. But really. I've got enough money. You should enjoy your second chance at living."
"Working is part of living, is it not, Master?" Florence glares at him.
Shirou deflates as he frowns, but he knows they're right. He sighs in the end, nodding with a small smile. "Okay, but don't call me Master. We're family now."
They look ready to argue, but Sirzechs' chuckle stops them. When Shirou turns to look at him, he can see genuine mirth dancing in the older Devil's eyes. "I'm glad you're such a tight group. I think I've got a proposal for you, if you're interested."
.
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Guess who is alive!
And got herself into university once again!
yay
Less me-time for me.
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Also, if you want to support me and read chapters ahead, go to my p@treon: JorieDS