"Hey, Artoria. Long time no see," said the young blonde-haired man, stepping off his floating carpet with a warm grin.
"Uh, who are you?!" Artoria asked, eyebrows scrunching in confusion. "And how do you know me?"
The boy placed a hand on his hip and chuckled. "We used to travel through the world of stories together as kids."
"Stories?" Artoria tilted her head in confusion as everyone stared at the mysterious newcomer.
Rin let out a sigh and shook her head. "Here he goes again..."
"For example," he continued, ignoring Rin's reaction, "do you remember the story Night on the Galactic Railroad?"
Artoria's eyes lit up. Her mind drifted—
I found myself on a mysterious train...
A quiet galactic train chugged through the stars in her imagination. She sat by the window, watching the cosmos swirl past outside.
There, I met...
A familiar figure walked up to her in the dream.
"My best friend!" Artoria gasped aloud. "Campanella!"
"Giovanni!" Kay laughed as the two rushed into a warm hug.
"Um, sorry to interrupt your fantasy reunion, but..." Rias interjected, arms crossed. "...do you two actually know each other?"
The two snapped back into reality and nodded in sync.
"We used to play like this all the time," Artoria explained, smiling brightly. "It's been so long since I've seen you, Kay! How many years has it been?"
"You've really grown since then," Kay said, ruffling her hair fondly.
"Ara~ What a sweet reunion between childhood friends," Akeno mused with a soft laugh.
Rin finally stepped forward, speaking to the others. "Fukamiya Kay. He's a member of the Sword of Logos. Just like me."
The group turned toward Kay, eyes widening slightly with interest and surprise.
"Hang on a second," Issei said, pointing between the two. "You both know each other too?!"
"Small world, huh?" Kay chuckled.
"Sorry to cut this short," Rin said firmly, arms folded. "But Kay, what exactly brings you to Kuoh Town?"
"Nothing major. Just didn't expect to run into my old buddy here," Kay said, slinging an arm around Artoria. "Artoria, mind if I crash at your place for a bit?"
"I don't mind!" she beamed. "Hey Rin, you can stay over too if you like!"
"I—I mean—"
"Come on, Rin!" Kay said, grinning as he threw his other arm around her shoulders. "It'll be a big sleepover! Just the three of us. And hey, we can finally fill Artoria in on the rest of the Sword of Logos history!"
"...Well," Rin relented, sighing. "I did say I'd take her under my wing... Fine. Let's go."
The trio began making their way out of the old schoolhouse.
Morgan stepped forward, giving Artoria a gentle pat on the head. "Looks like you had fun today."
"I did! We even saved part of Kuoh Town!" Artoria said excitedly. "And I learned a lot from Rin-san!"
Rin smirked proudly. "She's got potential. But there's still much more to teach her."
Issei, meanwhile, slumped into a sulk. "Wha—?! She saved an entire city already?! How is she that strong this early on?! No fair..."
As the trio prepared to leave, Morgan pulled Artoria aside briefly.
"I'll come and get you three in the morning," she said softly, planting a kiss on Artoria's forehead. "Be safe."
"Thanks for yesterday, Morgan. I'll see you all tomorrow!" Artoria called back with a wave.
Kay and Rin followed her out, leaving the Occult Research Club slowly clearing out. Kiba, Issei, Koneko, and Akeno soon exited as well—until only Morgan and Rias remained.
Rias glanced at Morgan, her expression more serious now.
"Morgan, can I ask you something?"
Morgan nodded. "Of course, dear cousin. I'm listening."
Rias crossed her arms, brows slightly furrowed. "Why didn't you want Artoria to join my peerage? And... what is she exactly?"
{At Artoria's apartment}
"Wow, this place is huge," Kay said in awe, stepping inside. The three of them removed their shoes, placing them neatly by the front door.
"How many rooms do you have?" he asked as he darted further in, eyes scanning the elegant, modern layout of the apartment.
"Kay, behave yourself!" Rin scolded, crossing her arms. "Artoria is being kind enough to let us stay here."
"There's six rooms and three baths," Artoria replied with a smile as she set down her bag. "I'm glad you guys like it. Merlin was actually the one who designed the building."
"Merlin?" Rin blinked, curious. "Who's that?"
Kay gave a grin, answering for her. "He's basically Artoria's dad. Her guardian, really."
"It's been a while since I last saw him," Kay added as he wandered toward the living room. "Does he still run that bookstore?"
"Yeah," Artoria said, tossing three fluffy blankets onto the large sectional couch. "But he's out of town right now, doing who-knows-what."
Rin found a spot and took a seat. "Ah, I see... I had a guardian too. He was the previous Swordsman of Water. The one who trained me."
Kay stopped mid-step and turned back. "You've never really talked about him before."
Rin looked down at her hands, her expression softening. "He was strict but kind. Every day he drilled into me what it meant to be a swordsman. Not just in technique… but in responsibility. Balance. Compassion." She gave a faint smile. "He passed on everything to me before he disappeared."
Kay leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Sounds like he believed in you. You've done good by him, Rin."
Rin nodded once, the corner of her lips curling upward. "Thanks."