Due to its holy runes, it was extremely deadly to other demonic creatures.
And right now, I could feel its raging intent to cut off the heads of all the devils in the room.
...
"Calm down." I spoke to the blade while mentally projecting my thoughts to it. Slowly and somewhat reluctantly, the blade's glow receded to the runes before completely disappearing. I took a moment to ensure it was calm before cancelling the projection.
"Hmm, a holy blade of superior quality." Rias looked at me with that unusual smile and hawk-like attention. "A different blade from your fight with the Fallen, and also several demonic ones back then. You really are a mystery."
I ignored her and looked at Sona in the eye. "I am not sure what just happened, but I apologize for my actions." Sona studied my movements before bowing her head. "It is also my fault, I did not expect that the piece to react in such a manner." I bowed back before reaching to pick the chair up and put it back properly, choosing this time to stand. "Okay, before we got interrupted, was there anything else you wanted to add?"
"Yes." Sona let out a sigh while signalling to her members to stand down. "The Evil Pieces were designed to allow High-class Devils change other species into devils themselves, and have them as our servants."
"Servants?" My eyes narrowed on that word. Granted it was not the one I am deeply familiar with, but the manner she worded it… "You mean you enslaved them through their souls?"
"No, not like that!" Sona let out a panicked tone while acting flustered for the first time since the start of the conversation. "The purpose of the pieces isn't to create slaves, it was meant to increase our numbers. Although there are some who abused the system, we make sure to punish them severely and!"
"Stop." I held up a hand while taking a moment to take a deep breath to clear my head. That, and to control my intent to fill the room with sharp blades. "What you are essentially saying is that you guys would go about taking other creatures by converting them into devils while they are mostly on their last toes, so that you increase your numbers to possibly invade the human world."
"Wait that isn't!" I moved my hand towards Tsubaki who tried to speak up for Sona. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what she did to Ise?" I motioned to Rias while keeping a close eye on the others. Sona looked pained as she tried to explain out of the predicament. "Please understand Emiya-kun, but when the cease-fire was introduced, it was less of trying to increase our battle force, but more for the survival of the species. The only bits of conflict are from the Rating Games and they are generally harmless, not to mention…"
I returned the palm to her while closing my eyes to process the situation. I wanted to believe her words, I wanted to trust that she meant everything she said, but my experiences were a bitter reminder that for every silver lining, there was always a copper lining that gets twisted and destroyed. The idea of the devils increasing their numbers was bad enough, but the fact that they involved the ones I knew, how else should I react?
I think I should get a second opinion on this, and not from them.
"Don't mind me saying, but this conversation is over." I let down my hand and opened my eyes. "I will have to say no to join your groups and I will be taking my leave."
"Wait, you can't just get up and leave!" Momo spoke for the first time as she looked at me with agitated eyes. I merely turned around while avoiding contact with Reya and Tomoe. "I will not tell anyone about you, but no mistakes. I am not wanting to be with you guys for now, I am wasting enough time as it is. Time which could be better spent hunting down that creature Raynare." I made my way to the door, only to stop short of having a blade nearly piercing my neck.
"Sorry, but we can't let you leave." Kiba said coolly as he held the blade with one hand. Despite being roughly a head or two shorter than me, he was holding the blade with the ease of one who dealt with taller opponents. I ignored his words and looked at the sword, concealing a frown as I studied it. Appearance-wise, it was a thin blade with straight edges with no distinguishing markings apart from the golden hilt, but there was the distinct feel of demonic energy coming off it, not as potent as the ones I have though. Yet for some reason, I could not decipher its composition or its core. Unlike Gilgamesh's Ea, which caused me to have a splitting headache due to its composition of a fallen star, this one left me an odd feeling of 'emptiness', like it was missing a key piece of something to make it whole.
I would have to think about it later, right now I was feeling really pissed off.
"A demonic blade with a straight edge. Designed for quick slashes but relatively weak against stronger blade strikes, this blade is obviously meant for high speed hit and run." I turned my face slightly to see Kiba's surprised look. "So that is your weapon huh. That's cute." I pushed away the blade with my finger and continued to the door, before pausing and tracing Bakuya in time to block the blade aimed at my neck.
"You know, you are not exactly making a very good case if you wanted to invite me into your peerage." I remarked as I turned to face them. "Considering your actions, I am thinking of more extreme methods to refuse you, but considering we are in school, I will opt for less violent ones and just give you this warning. Do not do that again, understand?!" I let out a bit of my Prana into the room as I made my statement, flooding my intention to hurt them inside my Prana and spreading it in the room, causing a few loose objects to vibrate uncontrollably on the table. After a few lessons with Rin and Luvia, I had managed a rudimentary version of it that was effective enough for most magus.
After seeing them back away from me, I eased off on the Prana burst and made my way to the door, pausing halfway through the door. "For now, I will not attack you guys, but that does not mean we are friends just yet. There are still some questions I need answering, and I will find out my way." With that, I walked out of the room and closed the door, then slowly walked off while maintaining a strict vigilance in case they decided to attack or trap me with their magecraft. Well, that pretty much ended whatever possibilities of an alliance with them, unless something else turns up.
Whatever thoughts I had got interrupted as I felt a familiar pulse in my pocket. Taking a cautious gaze around me, I quickly went to a corner and pulled out the object in question to look at it. The Kaleido-Amulet that I had been hanging on all this time was glowing a little lightly, with small arcs of electricity coming off it. But even as I was thinking that it was fixed, the glow started to fade and eventually returned to its dull state.
That was… a little weird.
...
Sona let out a sigh as she watched the door close. At least there was no casualties involved, but sadly it seemed that negotiations failed. Granted, perhaps they should have handled it better, but she for one could not be certain what Shirou might do if forced into a corner.
But she was also a little scared at the odd hallucination she witnessed when Shirou was telling them to back off. For a moment, his figure was seemingly replaced with another figure of an older man with white hair and tanned skin, dressed in black clothes and donned a red cloak, with dark eyes staring at her like she was about to get stabbed by a thousand blades.
What was that?
"Well, I guess we blew that opportunity up." She turned to Rias who shrugged a little stiffly as she looked at the door attentively. "But I guess it helps to confirm one thing. He does not have a Sacred Gear."
"Yes, that is true." Sona forced her negative thoughts out of her head and concentrated on other details. The sword used to block Kiba's strike was clearly created using magic that she clearly had no knowledge. It resembled a lot like Kiba's Sword Birth, but his blades did not have the same feel of power as Shirou's, and from what she had seen with his fight with the Fallen Angels, it would appear that he could utilize blades that had both holy and demonic attributes far exceeding any she had felt thus far.
"So, do we consider him an ally, or an enemy?" Tsubaki asked with a frown. Sona paused while throwing a cursory glance at the two members who were looking a little despondent. She had to be a little careful in her words.
"It would be reasonable to say he is neutral for the time being." Sona replied as she restack her paperwork. "He is not too keen on us for the time being, due to his slight misunderstanding, but at the same time he is prioritising on the Fallen Angels based on their attacks on him and Hyoudou. So as long as we don't antagonise him, we should be fine."
"I suppose that would be the ideal position for him." Rias nodded as she turned to her group before pausing. "Yuuto-kun, what's wrong?" Rias asked Kiba who had an odd expression as he looked at the sword in his hand.
"I'm not sure." He replied slowly. "But Sword Birth was reacting to Emiya-san in a rather unusual manner this whole time."
"Unusual, meaning?"
"Well, when I was taking him here, Sword Birth was 'excited' to be in his presence. It makes me think of a child overjoyed to see his father after so long." Kiba explained as he continued to scrutinize the blade in his hand. "Then when he was leaving, I felt it pushing inside me, like it was reluctant to be away from him. And also…"
"And also what?" Rias prompted him to reply, who only responded by dismissing his blade and showing his hand to them, revealing angry burns on his palm.
"Apparently, Sword Birth does not want me to hurt him in any way." Kiba winced as the pain shot through his hand while he tried to flex his fingers.
"Hmm, that is unusual." Rias tilted her head at the implication while Akeno came forward to heal his head. Aside from the Longinus and other gears that had spirits or creatures stuck in them, ordinary Sacred Gears don't have any type of consciousness that would react to anyone outside of its area, more so in such a manner against its owner. She turned to Koneko who was still in her chair. "How about you, do you notice something odd about Emiya?"
"… Steel." Koneko replied softly as she got off lightly and walked to her.
"Steel?" Sona blinked at the random reply she gave.
Koneko nodded once. "There is a hint of steel around him." Sona and Rias exchanged a look between them, both thinking the same thing.
Shirou Emiya, a very interesting and scary individual indeed.
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Hey guys I really need you to throw some power Stones ;)
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