Lyrical Sword Chapter 8-14 (Patreon)

Part 2, cause the prior post started crashing with how long it was on my phone... Damn.Next update is Steel Eyed Faker ...Chapter 8: Disappeance-???-As far back as he could recall, he never really hung out outside his everyday life in Fuyuki. Getting up early in the morning, cooking breakfast for Fuji-nee, going to school, and then spending the rest of his evening either practicing in his shed or working part-time at Copenhagen’s.'Now that I think about it, Issei was pretty much the same, except he focused on his academic life and training as a priest.' No wonder they got along well, the redhead remembered how Shinji on the other hand was known to play arcade and crane games all day. He even invited him along, once or twice. Going from one arcade to the next, rumors even floated around that he was seen using pachinko machines. ‘Regardless, I didn’t really enjoy going out and meeting at the arcade. Just watched a few TV shows, did homework, or played on my laptop. So how come I’ve jumped universes and still ended up in an arcade!?’ He thought while looking around, as much to his surprise, he found himself in a surprisingly familiar setting, surrounded by eerily familiar, obviously not the exact same, arcade machines in what for all intents and purposes, is a sci-fi world. 'Then again, zombies, spaceships, and magical girls are a thing here, so I should raise the bar on what is actually surprising and what is not.' He was worried at first, thinking they accidentally walked into a casino. But the sight of people his age and younger playing around soothed his heart. Now the question was - is he enjoying himself? And he’d admit that at first, he was.But that novel experience soon broke apart and turned into a sense of despair. This was followed by frustration and anger as the screen before him flashed red with 'You lose!' in bold letters — his character laying on the ground in the background while a large bug-themed alien posed over him for the twentieth time."Damn it!" His fists lightly smashed against the metal case, sweat dripping down his face as he decided to invest all of his focus once again on the next match. "Let's do another rematch!" The little hooded figure next to him didn't say a word other than a light nod as he passed his watch over the screen to pay for the next round. His hands shook as buttons were smashed countless times, various memorized combos that he learned in the last two hours. Putting as much effort into this match-up than anyone of his recent fights most likely. Yet much to his dismay, what he battled again was no mere simple opponent but an insurmountable mountain of pure skill and precision.The health bar dwindling to half within the first seconds, not giving him any opportunity to recover, the girl started a series of combos that pushed him beyond his limit. Powerless he watched as his swordsman got delivered a finisher by his opponent and cut open with a rather brutal animation. "..." Speechless, the young man rested his head on the control panel and let out a long sigh. Looking around, he found the little Medusa staring right back at him with the same stoic face. "Is this your first time playing such games, Lutecia?" He asked, seeing the girl nod her head without a second's thought. "Wow, you're pretty talented at this, I never met anyone as good as you." Tilting her head sideways cutely, "I don’t know, aren’t you just bad? Someone said you sucked." Those words hit him like a sledgehammer, sure he wasn't familiar with such things but having to be defeated so easily after so many tries with someone who was equally inexperienced just felt harsh. "Were you really trying?" "You don't have to give me that look, guess I'm getting too old for this game." It didn't help that white streaks had been appearing more and more often on his hair. An unavoidable change that was bound to happen with time."Aren’t you barely a young adult, tho?""..."Now he didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or a jab. "Hm?" He noticed her gaze wandering around, staring at the small shops aligned behind him, selling plenty of different snacks and drinks. Oh right, he only gave her a small treat rather than a full meal, so the little girl must have been starving! "Hey, why don't we go grab something to eat." The little girl perked up before calming down, "I… I'm not hungry." She said quietly, feeling as if she was forgetting something. "It's already late, I should retu—""—Two orders of hamburgers please, and for drinks…Lutecia, what would you like?" Before she knew it, Shirou had taken her hand and led her to the food court. Shock flashed within Lutecia. She hadn't sensed anything wrong and happily went with him while holding hands. "T-tea?" She answered instinctively. "That's a rather odd choice for a girl your age. But who am I to say otherwise?" Snacks in hand, Shirou and Lutecia wandered through Midchilda. Despite being a military base, it had all the parts that you’d find in a large town or a small city. Shops, parks, entertainment centers, restaurants and more. Their time together ended up being more enjoyable than she’d have imagined, especially since she was slightly suspicious of Shirou at the beginning.As for Shirou, he smiled when the girl started to show more and more emotions… or so he would have hoped, since her expression remained the same as ever. He worried about her past, why would such a young girl have such a hard time emoting?"Lutecia, I’m sorry if this is a bit personal but …where did you come from, and why are you here?" Perhaps she was a new member, like Erio, and here to join the TSAB? She seemed to hesitate for a bit, "Um, you can say I'm from…somewhere far away, and came here to help someone with a friend."  Jail mentioned how it was best to avoid any possible suspicion and avoid interacting with the locals. Zest also mentioned a similar advice, but she felt Shirou was a gentle, kind soul. "I'm grateful to have met you, Shirou. I don't know anyone here, and today was very fun, so… thank you." "Oh," he hadn't expected such an answer. The gratitude alone made him scratch at the back of his head with a smile on his face. "Hahaha, that's good to hear. Though I'm sure someone else would have come to help if I wasn't there and treated you the same. Also, I was afraid you’d think of me as someone weird for approaching you like that." "You were weird," said Lutecia, stabbing yet another metaphorical sword through his chest. "But Shirou is nice, he showed me how to play games and gave me food. So Shirou may be weird but he’s also kind."He chuckled, "Glad to hear that, you know, if you'll be here for a long while, I can show you around town, with an extra pair of other friends next time. I'm still new to this place and my first time ever stepping foot inside that arcade was with you. I know two girls you’ll get along great with. One is a bit dense and can eat three times her weight, and the other is trying to be mature but is easy to tease." A grin formed on Shirou's face as he described Subaru and Teana. Thankfully they weren't here or else he’d be on the wrong end of a few punches and bullets. "Jokes aside, they helped me get familiar with the place. I would've been really troubled if they weren’t around to help me. Oh, you can bring your family for lunch or dinner any day!" Family… if only she could. 'Maybe one day, I can bring Mama back here and have them meet.' No such thoughts brought any changes to her face, thus making it hard for the boy to know what she was thinking. Her resemblance to Rider was truly uncanny, so much so he could almost mistake her for her doppelganger...."I hope Teana-chan doesn't overdo her training." Competition - A concept Nanoha grew familiar with during her time as a member of the TSAB. Fate called her very competitive, going so far as to question if she knew the meaning of holding back, a statement that the young woman found ‘exaggerated’ as she wasn't ‘that bad’. "She's just exaggerating, she's the one that gets the most invested in our spars." Regardless of her side of the problem, Nanoha found the textbook definition of a competitive person emerged from their newest gunslinger. From the moment Shirou showed his expectation-defying sharpshooting skills, Teana started pushing herself even harder when it became known that he barely ever used guns in the past, and even then it was just him being curious. That information was more like a bomb to Teana’s pride, since Nanoha knew of the immense amount of work and training she’d put behind getting to her current level. "But that doesn't mean Shirou hasn't practiced rigorously as well, his archery skills didn't come out of nowhere." She mentioned that to the girls, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect as Teana just sighed and left to continue her shooting drill. Subaru on the other hand mentioned how it wasn't a big deal and that her partner just needed a moment to get herself together. "Still, if Shirou possessed a ranged firearm device, it would suit him more than using bows." Muttered the brunette to herself. While alone in the library, she thought about the first time they met, and the magic she saw him using. The power was impressive but it obviously took some time to prepare each shot. Plus, it also consumed a lot of his energy. "Ah, I'm getting distracted again." She noticed the time and sighed, deciding she’d better check on Teana tomorrow. Also, Hayate mentioned an event about to happen she’d soon brief both Fate and herself about. As for the train case, it was highly likely for those responsible to return. "I should get going." Gathering her belongings, she prepared to go back home and began walking towards the exit. "Maybe visit him and see how he's doing?" The idea came to her mind while gazing at the setting sun. With how busy everyone has been lately, Nanoha felt that it had been a while since she got to hang out with the redheaded ‘Magus’. After all, she brought him in, so it was her duty to check up on him and make sure he was comfortable in his new surroundings!A certain someone's stomach grumbles a second later, as that very same someone imagines the kind of food he’d prepare for her... No, this was just a small wellness checkup and nothing else, she definitely wasn't going there just for the food! Her stomach made a louder noise than last time, almost as if to shatter her self-delusions, or perhaps it was the call of her more honest side telling her to cut the crap and go get the delicious, delicious food. She couldn't deny it, the food he made brought memories of her hometown and tasted better than what she ate in Midchilda which already was great on its own. Walking out of the establishment, she spotted an unusual sight."Ah, Shirou?" The familiar redhead was walking alongside a stranger in a hoodie, and though she didn’t recognize her, she could tell it was someone very young. She thought it might have been Caro for half a second, but that thought got immediately defenestrated as soon as she spotted a strand of purple hair. "A friend or his?" She thought, growing curious at that idea since being new to the planet as he was, he’d barely know anyone at all aside from the members of the Team and her own friends.A spur of the moment, a string of questions one after the other that piled up out of nowhere made her, without realizing it, tail the duo as they continued to venture around the area. "I could just call out to him…" perhaps not the best idea, she didn't want to ruin whatever moment he was having with her presence.To her surprise, the first place they went to was the arcade, an old-fashioned establishment inspired by the ones found on Earth. They played there for hours as she hung out at the counter having a snack, her ears twitching whenever she heard Shirou groan at his string of defeats while making faces that she hadn't gotten to see before and behaving, unlike the mature young man she knew him as. 'He's almost like that with Hayate-chan as well.' A small voice inside her noted an idea that brought an ever-so-small frown on her face. They knew each other the longest yet he never acted like that, he was even more playful with Teana-chan and Subaru. Was it because they didn't have enough time to get to know each other? That didn't seem like the case, yet no matter how she looked at it there was a clear difference in treatment between them. But then again, they did make progress by having him call out her first name instead, so maybe he was just shy? That sounded highly unlikely, she needed to figure it out."They look so cute," she muttered absentmindedly, seeing him hold hands with the girl and taking her to get some snacks and of all things, tea. It was like watching two siblings having fun together. Did Shirou have any siblings back in his world? She never asked him, maybe that was why he knew how to behave with Erio and Caro. "Hm?" Out of the corner of her eye, for a split second, she spotted a shadow of a tall man standing near the entrance — watching those two. But a closer look showed no one there anymore. "Maybe it's just my imagination." Those two continued to hang out in other places as she kept pace. Nanoha started to get more uncomfortable with her actions as it was no different from stalking. "Hah, what am I even doing? I’ll just approach them" Putting the questionability of her behavior aside, Nanoha noticed how the two took the same path back to where the arcade was, so she decided to catch up to them. "Ah, Shirou?"  For some reason, rather than giving him a proper greeting, she called out to him as if she had just accidentally crossed paths with him. Caught up in the moment, all she could do was double down and act like she had just left the library. "S-surprised to see you here, who's your friend?"{Break}Hearing someone calling to him, he slowed down and turned around to find Nanoha walking out of the same place where Lutecia and himself had left a minute ago. "Ah, Nanoha-san, I didn't expect to see you here, of all places." He greeted her, caught off guard by the young woman's presence. Her eyes twitched at the suddenly polite form of speech."Mah, Shirou, what did I tell you about just calling me Nanoha? Don't tell me you forgot." Soon her mind processed the other half of his sentence and she couldn't help but give him a squinted stare with her hands around her waist. "And what's with that about not expecting to see me at the arcade? It's a valid stress reliever, and I do like to have fun too, you know?"He tilted his head, considering his following words. "According to Hayate and Fate, you’re the type who’s likely to overwork, then relieve her stress by causing mayhem at the battlefield." He said, making an effort to stop a smirk from showing on his face. Shirou watched in amusement as her smile went down and a visible blush tinted her face."Those two, just what are they saying behind my back!? I am not some… battle maniac!" She whined, having completely forgotten her previous awkwardness. "Who was it who joked about firing a Divine Buster at me?" He countered, raising an eyebrow coupled with a dry tone that sliced through her words. "You're being dramatic, Shirou. I can control the output and I'm sure you're more than capable of handling it." She spoke with perfect confidence that the other party lacked. He very much doubted there existed any Noble Phantasm in his arsenal to tank such an attack. Rho Aias may very well be his only surefire way of defending himself but he wasn’t in any hurry to test its concept of ‘the perfect defense against projectiles’ against a continuous energy beam. Like, does a beam even counts as a projectile? He has plenty of memories including other servants’ Noble Phantgasms blasting energy waves at him, but do waves count as projectiles? Maybe he could just fire a Broken Phantasm in an attempt to canceling the attack. "After all, Fate-chan and the other girls are perfectly fine." "Last I checked, I'm not a magical girl floating around with magic sticks and casually firing attacks with blasts that can be seen from space." Even if he now possessed a Device, it was solely for defensive purposes. "Oh and by the way, this is Lutecia. We met on the road and I decided to show her around Midchilda a bit since she seemed lost."Upon introduction, Lutecia who was next to him acted a bit more reserved than usual. More so after she kept checking out the uniform Nanoha still had on her and just gave a short bow. "She's probably just shy," thought the brunette, getting a better look at the girl's face. Young and very cute, a bit weird why she was wandering outside all by herself. Midchilda was a safe place, but still… "Hello, my name is Nanoha Takamichi~! I'm a friend of Shirou's, want to hang out with me too?" "... I'm fine, thank you." "Eh?" That… wasn't the response she expected to hear. Perhaps she came off too strong and frightened the girl? "Mah, you scared her," Shirou commented with a chuckle, making her sigh helplessly. He patted Lutecia's head, an action she initially tried to flinch away from but had grown to enjoy and didn't pay much attention to anymore. "Nanoha-san is someone you can trust, she is kind and helped me in the past." "..." She gave no response, deep in thought which lasted for a couple of seconds before she once again nodded for a bit. "Okay." With that, Lutecia opened up to Nanoha enough that both girls decided to visit a famous town spot famous for its beautiful sights."You're not coming?" Noticing Shirou staying behind, Lutecia commented while Nanoha also looked at him with confusion. "I'll be with you in a little bit, I just need to check something first." He said, getting even more confused stares from the girls before they went ahead without him. "Hmm," looking around, he noticed how empty the place had gotten, with most of the people having left so only him and one other person were left in the park. A tall man wearing a brown coat similar to Lutecia’s, one that hid his face. He stared at the man for a few seconds, keeping a close eye on him while continuously surveying his surroundings. From the moment they entered the arcade, he sensed someone's gaze on them. Though  he wasn’t sure if he was just overthinking it or something really was afoot. This feeling got stronger the more time he spent with Lutecia, and once Nanoha appeared to escort the girl, he knew it was the perfect opportunity to  handle the matter. So he carefully approached the individual, "Good evening,” he greeted him politely. “May I inquire who you are?" He asked while walking closer, but still keeping some distance between them in case this person turned out to be an enemy. "This place hasn't changed, I remember the last time I came here, still the same peaceful life surrounded by smiles and laughter." He spoke, showing neither aggression nor hostility. "I'm glad Lutecia got to share in some of it. These last few months haven't been the best.""Are you related to Lutecia?" Rather than answering his question, the man got up and turned to face him. His face resembled a man in his late thirties or early forties, with a figure that seemed to pack a lot of well-earned strength and an air that put the Magus on guard. "Shirou Emiya, an anomaly that appeared a few days ago on planet K7498-N7. Though even the previous records of said planet before its demise showed not a single one matching your name or face. Not even Earth's record has any information on you besides the absolute minimum required for the identification that the Time Space Administrative Bureau made for you.""I'm asking you again, who are you?" This time, Shirou added a more stern tone to his voice. He didn't want to believe this person was an enemy but the way he behaved just tickled him wrong. Kanshou and Bakuya were ready to be called from his Reality Marble at any moment as he still wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt. Again, rather than answering his question the man activated a holographic display screen with a dark figure appearing on the other end. "Greetings, Shirou Emiya-kun, it's a joy to finally get to meet you." Whoever was on the other side hid their face and electronically altered their voice, so Shirou failed at discerning anything about this person. He wasn’t even certain if it was a man or a woman."Wish I could say the same." He commented, glaring at both of them. "What a cold reception. Please excuse my use of anonymity, though something tells me you'll find out about me soon enough knowing how the TSAB works. But for now, I'll be using anonimity as my ally." The screen changed, a video starting to play next to it — showing Shirou and the others on the train, confronting the drones. "Wouldn't have expected less of the mages here, young they may be but their raw amount of potential is staggering. Don't know how to feel about seeing one of my past experiments used as weapon after everything they said, though. Bunch of hypocrites."Was he truly alone right now? He didn't sense anyone else following them but he couldn't take any risks. "Quite the impressive display of swordsmanship you have there. It's not every day you see mages relying on martial arts over magic, or the power of their Devices. As you see here, the average e TSAB agent tends to crumble when you take those away." The screen now showed Erio facing the anti-magic field and getting wounded after the drones attacked him. "A very handy gadget, unfortunately, the field requires tons of energy. Too much to be useful in a large area over a meaningful length of time." "So you're the one responsible for the drones stealing those relics…!" Shirou exclaimed, now fully certain they were his enemies and how he couldn't let them get anywhere near Lutecia or anyone else here. He nearly jumped forward after tracing the dao blades but still held back as there had to be a reason why these two were confident enough to appear before him in the open like this. "I hope you're not here just to show me a replay of that fight. I'm more than aware of what happened. Now answer my question. Who are you?" "Patience, you sure are in a hurry." The man chuckled. "But as you said, this is not me doing a recap of the fight but rather something during this little skirmish of your team caught my interest… especially this." Now, the screen changed to the specific moment in which he summoned Kanshou and Bakuya before slicing through the drone as if it was made of butter despite its anti-magic field still being active."Magnificent swords you have there, I take it those aren't devices?" He asked despite his tone suggesting he was already certain about the answer. "I initially mistook them for just another pair of Devices, but the fact is that they not only behave different, their design is too different to that of the Devices everyone in the TSAB depends on, so I can't help but grow curious about their origin, and doubly so about their owner. You're definitively not local-grown, are you?" Clenching his fists, Shirou tensed his body, ready to go on the offensive at any moment. "I was originally curious about who you were and didn't find it appropriate to take on any stance, but now that you've confirmed your involvement with the relic’s theft… I'll have to take you in." He hoped Nanoha got far away with Lutecia and didn't try to return, noticing his extended absence. He couldn't even order Rubin to contact the others and call them over — meaning he had to take care of this matter by himself. Light flashed within his palms earning the curious glances of the giant man, and the person on the other side went quiet and observant. Blue motes of light gathered into the shape of a single, curved black blade without its match."Fascinating," commented the shadowy figure. "Are you going to face him? It seems you truly see us as enemies when it shouldn't be like that. We can be allies, Shirou Emiya." "Is this your idea of a recruiting pitch? Because I must say you are terrible at it. Not only did you not introduce yourself or explain your objectives, your means endangered plenty of innocents and appear as nothing but self-serving." At this response, the figure suddenly started laughing out loud. The distortion made the laughter sound twisted and weird. "Hah, you truly are naive and blind to the reality around you. But I can't blame you, they were the ones who came forth with a helping hand and it's natural for you to trust them. But don't be mistaken, the slightest mistake or the moment they have no use for you, they'll throw you out like garbage, same as they did to countless others.""...perhaps it is to be expected of a governmental agency. It does not disprove any of my points. Your purpose is unknown, your means are reprehensible, and you hide like a criminal would. I’ve met plenty of individuals just like you, and none of them were acting for the greater good. You claim to be better yet offer no proof of your claim.""The only reason you were given so much freedom and a position in their forces is because they are curious about your powers, nothing else. It's only a matter of time before they try to replicate it, and then they’ll dispose of you in a ‘freak accident’." At that mention, Shirou sensed the man holding the holograms's mood shifted slightly. "My sole goal in life is to combat these liars and murderers, to expose their lies to the galaxy and deliver true justice. That is why I ask you to join me. Even if you don't believe me, I'll use this opportunity to show you the ugly truth of the TSAB. They have more blood on their hands than any monster. Lutecia is but one of those who lost everything because of them." Waiting for an answer, the man on the other end smirked as he witnessed a lost gaze turning to stare at the ground. The young man's mind was obviously in turmoil after this revelation. He was sure it would be only a matter of time before cracks started to appear in his resolution, the prelude to him to getting another paw—!?His reaction altered drastically when a split second later the redhead stood next to Zest, his sword already cutting through the screen, and an spear suddenly present on his other hand, deflecting Zest’s counterattack with a loud noise of screeching metal. "What's the meaning of this!?" He shouted in outrage, unable to believe the other party actually attacked out of nowhere. "Do you not care about the countless injustices and darkness hidden away by this organization!? The many atrocities its higher-ups have committed just to cover their backs while sacrificing their soldiers like pawns!?" "I'm more than used to dealing with such people."  Mentioned Shirou with a deadly gaze. Unfortunately for his unknown opponent, Shirou was too experienced after working as a Clock Tower Enforcer, and had zero doubts that Time-Space Administrative Bureau higher ups or if they weren’t as righteous as Nanoha or Hayate believed them to be. He wasn’t a naive youngster unable to see the world in anything but black and white anymore, so just because they weren’t perfect, it didn’t meant they should be destroyed.He didn’t suddenly revert when arriving to this world. He never truly bought into the Image the TSAB presented itself with. He was simply willing to follow Nanoha, Hayate, and Fate because they showed a genuine desire to help people and better the world.Tthat was all he needed to know. "You are truly bad at negotiating. Even if they’ve done questionable things, in which world does that make you the good guy?"He knew he was talking too much. Talking in battle was a sin, after all, and thus he didn't wait for an answer as the hologram completely broke into tiny pieces when his blade split through its projector. And yet, the very next moment he was taken aback when a black naginata, one that was instantly scanned and added to his collection, came at the last second and managed to deflect his ongoing slash. "Eurgh!" The guy in a trench coat himself wasn't an easy opponent, either. When successfully blocking his attack he managed to push Shirou away with a kick that rendered him airborne for a few moments. 'Strong!'The amount of force behind that kick would have easily broken his bones if Shurou didn’t have Reinforcement already active on himself. It reminded him of sparring against Rin or Luvia, either girl more than capable of breaking through a cement column with their fists if they wanted to. Yet this person obviously wasn't capable of using Reinforcement, thus his strength shocked the redhead. With Kanshou's blade stabbing the ground for support, Shirou was able to stop his momentum and restart his attack, at least until the man grabbed a handful of pellets and crushed them in his fist, creating a dense fog."Shit!" Shirou cursed under his breath, mildly pissed at the cheap ninja move, and wondering if more of these assailants would emerge to gang up on him. So, he stayed vigilant and waited for the other team to make a move by bringing out Bakuya, the white blade gleaming within the foggy atmosphere. "H-Hey, what's going on?" Sounded a random voice coming near him as soon as the smokescreen started to clear up. "Did we get attacked? Someone call the authorities quickly!" "Stay away from it, it could be something toxic!" Another voice spoke out, which caused Shirou to tense because it was a valid point and he didn’t think of it first. Soon, Shirou came to realize that he was surrounded byregular civilians now, with no signs of the cloaked guy anywhere in sight.  "What?" At first, he was stumped. Where could the man have gone? Did he seriously pull a ‘ninja vanish’ on him!? If so then why…? "Lutecia!" Horror settled in Shirou's mind as he thought about another possibility and immediately rushed to where Nanoha went off. Pumping Magical Energy inside his legs and pushing them to their limits as he zipped past the obstacles with little effort until he finally caught up. "..." Only to find Nanoha all by herself surrounded by the debris of destroyed robots. The brunette looked around worriedly until she spotted him.  "Shirou, are you okay?" Fearing that the enemy had the opportunity to take away Lutecia because of his talking with them made him angry with himself. "I'm fine, where is Lutecia, who took her away?" He needed a vantage point, so he looked for the tallest building in the area. It hasn't been that long, and if they are within range of his reinforced eyesight, there was a good chance he’d find them."Wait!" To his surprise, Nanoha turned out to be the one who stopped him. "She wasn't kidnapped, a woman came as soon as we left, and it was someone Lutecia knew. She left on her own accord and even told me to thank you for making her experience a great day. I spotted these drones afterward and decided to pursue them before any civilians were harmed." What? He trusted Nanoha to figure out if said woman who came by was suspicious or not, but still, he couldn't feel at ease without checking it out by himself. So Shirou resumed his rush to the top, until he reached a high enough spot for a complete view of the area underfoot, along with the surrounding streets. "They're not here anymore," his hands struck the wall in frustration. ‘Saber would be furious. Talking in battle is truly a sin.’ That person on the screen knew about Lutecia, and spoke about her losing everything due to the TSAB, same with the guy in a cloak who briefly spoke about her. What to do now? He didn't have any information about the girl nor a way to find her, knowing just her name and face. "Rubin, is there a way you can help me findher?" [I'm sorry, but I possess no available software for such a matter.] His worry and frustration continued to grow until a pair of delicate hands came to rest on his shoulders. Nanoha arrived with a comforting smile on her face as she spoke with a gentle voice. "This is not your fault, I should have kept her for a bit longer and verified the identity of the person she left with."Sighing, Shirou shook his head. "No, you acted as any person would. There’s a good chance i’m just being paranoid. Could I ask you to try and find them? I just want to make sure she's safe.""Don't worry, I'll ask Hayate-chan and Fate-chan to look for her. It's very likely they’re still on the planet, so things may turn out alright." ***"You didn't need to be here. The doctor doesn't need to worry about me with Zest by my side." On the other side of the city, hidden within a darkened alley both Zest and Lutecia gathered together with a third individual. Her appearance flickered before changing into a woman with long, dark blonde hair. She’s wearing an skin-tight blue catsuit and a large smirk. "Lutecia-sama, we were just taking the proper precautions against the mages. I just happened to be in the area and got an order to keep you safe. Please understand we were just looking out for you." She spoke calmly while Zest in the background frowned. He always felt uneasy facing these artificial creations, the Numbers by Jail. Numbered from one to twelve. They weren’t just deadly dangerous, as each is basically a drone for Scaliageti's. His eyes and ears on the field. "Forgive me for my curt presence, but I must return to my duties. The doctor is counting on you both, especially you, Lutecia-sama." Giving the purple-haired girl a nod, Due shortly left as her appearance drastically changed into someone else’s before she blended into the crowd with little effort, eventually causing them to lose any and all traces of her. "What was his response, Zest?" Lutecia asked the man behind her after a moment of silence. To which the latter just sighed while shaking his head. "This Shirou Emiya remained firm in his opinion and didn't get swayed in the slightest. This was just a waste of time." He was against the idea from the start, as they had more to lose then gain from this stranger who just happened to own blades the doctor believed to be relics. "Nanoha Takamichi's appearance was also a factor we did not take into account. As much as I hate to admit it, we got lucky when one of the Numbers came to help." "I know you don't like the Doctor, Zest, but I really think he’s a good person. He just wanted to help Shirou and stop him from going through a similar tragedy in the future." The response that came from Lutecia made the man sigh with helplessness, she was far too trusting of Jail and that never sat well with him. No matter how many times he tried to hint otherwise, she'd remain adamant on her beliefs. 'She's just like Megane…' No matter, all he cared about was his revenge and keeping her safe. As long as he remained by her side, he'd make sure that the snake wouldn't take advantage of her trust and turn her into a disposable pawn. Whether it be Gaiz or Jail, he couldn’t see a difference between them.Looking at the girl, he noticed her hand fiddling with the now empty cup the boy bought her before. He closed his eyes. She’s still just a young child who didn't deserve to get used by mad scientists. A part of Zest knew he already failed Megane, unable to grant a life her daughter deserved. "Did you have fun?" He asked the girl, to which she nodded slightly.  "It was my first time in an arcade, there were lots of games." "I see," they continued to walk into the crowd, making sure to venture as far as possible from Shirou and Nanoha so as to not get spotted. "What do you think about him?" "He's kind, weird and funny. He looked very worried and uncomfortable when he approached me, and tried to hide his awkwardness in weird ways. He sucked at games but kept playing for my sake, made funny faces when he lost, never tried to force me into anything, made sure I wasn’t hungry or thirsty and showed me around, probably waiting for my parents to show up… he felt warm." The last part she whispered, hesitating to throw the cup away at first but doing so at a garbage bin. "Shirou promised that he'll cook a large feast for me and Mama one day.""Is that so," Never did he see Lutecia describe someone like that, it made his heart ache more the longer he listened to her. The chances of that happening were slim to non-existent when remembering who Shirou Emiya worked for. Furthermore, they were already enemies, the latter just didn't fully know it yet. "When this is all over, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to have you two along for a meal." Despite that, Zest spoke encouragingly, unable to find the strength to pop the girl's dream. "What do you mean by 'you two'? You're coming along, Zest." "..." Everyone could dream, the same applied to him as well. But to accomplish his revenge, such a future was an impossibility. But at least Lutecia had a chance, he just needed to make sure nothing got in their way. {Break}(A few days later)A couple days passed since his encounter with Lutecia and till now not a single information about her whereabouts were found. As if she and whoever else was with her vanished from sight, where they had little power to find them. His worry turned out to be true, whoever was that man had taken Lutecia. Safe to say, he wasn't in the best of moods lately. "Today we've been assigned here, Hotel Augusta. Our duties will include guarding an antique auction and securing the premises." And so for now, he continued to work alongside the team as they were given another task which was being presented by both Nanoha and Rein. "Due to the legal trade or lost logias, there is a big chance for this to attract those same gadget drones mistaking them for relics. So that's why we were called." Relics, gadget drones and lost logias… all which connected to that man who spoke to him. If he decided to attack this place, then there was a possibility for him to get information on Lutecia. "For an auction as large as this, there is a high chance for smuggling and secret trades to happen in the background. Be on your guard for such occurrences." Warned Fate, having everyone agree with her words. "I believe Vice Captain Signum and Vita are already on the scene for a while. So I trust them to have kept a tight watch." Vita and Signum, just from the short interaction he had with them Shirou knew they were the best for the job. "Hm?" He noticed Caro tapping his arms shyly, noticing the girl calling for his attention. "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly, Erio next to her having a similar expression on his face. "You look a bit down since yesterday." "Yeah, it's rare to see you frown so much." Added the boy. "Was I frowning?" Honestly he didn't even realize it, thinking this entire time he kept a normal face without showing anything unusual. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about something, that's all." "Are you sure?" The dragon on her forehead tilted its head. Conveying the same intentions as its summoner. "Erio and I can help you if you're having trouble with something." They were adorable in Shirou's opinion, so young but already looking out for everyone around them. He patted Caro's head who was closest to him, doing the same for Fried and Erio. "You two shouldn't be so noisy with grown up stuff, I'll be able to handle such things by myself." "Hey, we might be young but we're still very capable!" She exclaimed with a small pout, Fried on her head releasing a small roar to affirm it and Erio in the background nodding his head. "What Caro is saying. You don't need to be afraid or reluctant to share some of your burdens. We are part of the same team and should learn to handle our fair share of responsibilities." Shirou chuckled, still uncomfortable having people this young be involved in such affairs where their lives could easily be in danger. But not like he could tell me that with those innocent eyes looking at him with so much determination. It was unfair how powerful they were! "I heard Nanoha-san found some of the drones wandering around in a public area, since they are searching for relics then is it possible for one to have been present there?" On the other side, Subaru and Teana spoke with each other to pass time after they got briefed with their mission. "I don't think that's the case, Subaru. While it's true those drones were used to hunt relics, there is nothing stopping the creator to use it for other instances. My guess is that the robots were used as a distraction, for what reason I'm not sure yet. The case is still being investigated as we speak, though we can ask those involved for more information." "Hah, it's a shame I wasn't there. I practiced so many new moves and honed what I already knew to take those tin cans out with little trouble. If they appear during the auction, I'll be sure to crush them all." Subaru was pumped, ready for action at any time, she then turned to the newcomer next to her. "By the way, not to sound rude or anything, but why are you here, Shamal-san?" Similar to Signun and Vita, a Knight that always shadowed Hayate wherever she went. If she was here then that meant… "Is Hayate-san also participating? We'll get to see her in action!?" Slowly but surely, both of the girls exclaimed with excitement, more than happy to see those they looked up to in action. Shamal on the other hand giggled at their reaction, finding it cute. "Unfortunately, Hayate-chan will continue to assume her role as leader and pass the order down. I'm here to lend a hand in case you need me and also to deliver these little gifts." She pointed at three suitcases on the floor. "Before you ask, think of them as… uniforms for the captains. Yes, that's the best description I can give fufufufu~!"Question marks appeared over Subaru and Teana's head. Exchanging looks wondering if the other understood what the blonde meant by that. "Like, is it some kind of new device?" Subaru asked. "Well I'm not going to ruin the surprise, just know that I spend plenty of late nights preparing these things and make them perfect." Seriously, what the heck were in those suitcases? ...Half an hour later, the helicopter landed near Hotel Augusta with an entire ground's team waiting for their arrival. Hoping off, Shirou noticed the grand expansive forest in the background with the magnificent hotel standing tall in the middle, looking more like a castle than anything else. "Everyone here will be waiting in the lounge, be sure to set up a perimeter and patrol each hallway for any suspicious activities. All items have been sent to the storage so no boxes should be found being pushed around. Contact me or Hayate-chan in case you have something to report. Now, let's not waste time and get to work." Fate ordered with a stern voice, grabbing a couple of her belongings and one of the suitcase with Hayate and Nanoha doing the same. "Ah, I have too much on me to carry." Nanoha exclaimed as she picked up a large luggage, leaving no hands free to lift the extra suitcase. "This will be hard." Seeing the woman in trouble, Erio was about to help out until someone pulled on his ears. "Ouch!" He shouted in surprise, looking back to find Shamal having been the one to pull him back. "What was that for? I'm just trying to help her…" "Nope~! You just stay put here, I'll uh… I'll be needing your help with something important." As soon as those words left her mouth, Nanoha turned to Shirou and asked him instead. "Can you help me carry this? I have too much on me." Asked the brunette with a helpless face, having both Fate and Hayate snap their heads towards her with an intrigued reaction. Shirou, clueless to their change in expression, shrugged and picked up the suitcase without much thought. "Sure, it's not a problem for me." "Thanks, let's go now, we should hurry." Nanoha walked along with the redhead in toe, entering the building while the rest continued to watch her back. Hayate in particular raised an eyebrow at the scene, "Fate-chan, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "I think so, still don't know if she planned this or is just as clueless as him." "We're talking about Nanoha-chan here, she has her moments but not to this degree.* "Well, Shirou has been smiling a lot less lately, even Caro-chan and Erio-kun noticed his change… so she probably wants to cheer him up?" Fate suggested, almost marveled the way her longtime friend behaved with the newcomer. "Though it looks like she also got Shamal to help out, did you know about this?" "Nanoha-chan did ask to speak with her last time, but I didn't know what it was about. I'm just finding it funny how he didn't react to her request. Can he be that clueless?" "Maybe we're just overanalyzing the atmosphere." Hayate chuckled at that answer. "Or maybe Nanoha-chan is more forward than what she shows on the outside, who knows, but I know he'll have a bigger reaction if he saw all three of us. What do you say? Want to go over as well?" "Hayate-chan!?" Fate's eyes widened in shock, looking at the woman in front in disbelief. "Mah, I'm just teasing you. Why are you getting so red over a small joke?" Even if she said that, the blonde couldn't help but feel her eyebrows twitch at Hayate's little smirk. Knowing her, she would have absolutely gone through if she agreed. While the two had their back and forth, Subaru and Teana observed the whole scene as it unfolded. "What do you think they are talking about?" Asked Subaru, getting even more clueless than before. "I'm getting lost with all this secret talk between them.""It's not our place to meddle, Subaru." Grabbing onto her friend, the gunslinger dragged the latter inside the building to start their duties with Erio and Caro following along. {Break}-Hotel Augusta-"A room?" Standing outside a door with the room number engraved on it, Shirou hadn't thought they were heading here. In his mind, part of the group were to head to the lounge for surveillance while he and Hayate would stay at the security room with all the CCTV live footage at their disposal. Nanoha next to him nodded her head, "There has been some minor change of plans. Rather than staying in the background and keeping watch behind a screen, Hayate-chan opted to blend into the crowd of guests. Like this, it'll be easier to intervene in case there is indeed an attack amongst them. So Hayate-chan, Fate-chan and myself will be attending as regular invited guests.""That sounds like a good idea, though something tells me you'll be having more fun than the rest of us." He joked, opening the door to the room and finding a regular sized living area with a simple bed, table and bathroom. Nothing luxurious or opulent, but still having a nice view of the outside fauna. "Hope you don't accidentally fall asleep while on duty." "Moh, don't treat me like a novice. I'm an S Ranked mage and an expert. I should be the one saying this instead, don't get into any trouble on your own, Shirou." Him getting into trouble? Never happened, though Rin wouldn't have had a drastically differing opinion if she knew his thoughts. Probably firing a couple of Gandr as well, he never knew with that girl. Though he made his way to the door, Nanoha brought up the subject from last time. "I've mentioned to Hayate the matter concerning the man who met you last time and Lutecia. I didn't think it was appropriate to bring this up in front of everyone so I figured this was as good an opportunity as any." "Any good news I hope?"She sighed, lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. "I'm afraid not, Shirou. We tried to check the surveillance cameras but found missing footage. The security team suggested that those people must have had some sort of jammer. But Hayate-chan suggested someone from the inside had removed the clips manually. We believe it would explain why they didn't want to show either their faces or voice to you. Of course, all of this is just speculation, I could be wrong." That was concerning no matter which way he looked at it. If this person really turned out to be someone on the inside then it made finding them much harder. Furthermore, it explained how the man in a cloak knew so much about him when Hayate mentioned most of his records were kept secret for only the higher-ups to see. "I know you're worried about the girl and so am I, so let's keep our heads up and try our best to find her as soon as possible. Okay?" Seeing his face, the brunette went over to cheer him on, which he appreciated."I know we will. Also, thanks, I'll leave this here and return to Hayate-san." "Good, now I want us to hang out as much as anyone but I'm afraid we still have work to do. So step outside mister, I need to change." Taking up a cheery tone, she slowly pushed him out of the room as he gave her a side glance. "But you're already in your uniform?" "Heh, it's a surprise, you'll see what I mean by that." Having no other choice, Shirou stepped outside as Nanoha closed the door. It wouldn't hurt to wait for her, walking back together was safer in case these unknown enemies decided to approach them again. So, he decided to stand near the window for a couple of minutes as he checked the scenery in the background. "Hard to imagine this is another planet and not Earth." From here, there was no noise from the dense crowd of people on the other side of the hotel. With hundreds of vehicles coming over, dozens of helicopters all carrying various important items to be auctioned off during the event. It wouldn't be a lie to say that he still had trouble grasping his current situation from time to time, everything seemed so… unbelievable. Aside from that, Shirou questioned when that person from before would appear again. Unlike last time, he'd make sure not to let him escape under his nose. And whoever it was who tried to make him abandon Nanoha and the others, Shirou vowed to find them as well and stop whatever they had planned. "She must be done by now." His ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming closer to the door. Still curious what she meant by wanting to show him something, he waited with crossed arms. The door knob turned as the door was pulled open. "Hey, I hope you don't mind if we walk back to—cough!?" His words got stuck in his throat as soon as Nanoha came into view. Gone was the standard gray uniform and instead his eyes bore witness to a beautiful dress that reached up to her chest, leaving the shoulders barren with a transparent shawl covering them. The color of the dress in particular matching her hair and giving off a completely different aura to what she showed usually. So much so that he remained speechless, his jaws hung open as the silence just made the girl blush ever so slightly. "Ara… you were waiting for me? What a gentleman you are~!" Nanoha chuckled amused to see his reaction. "Since we're at it, what do you think? Fate-chan and Hayate-chan should have gotten something similar that matches their figure and color choice. I don't get many opportunities to wear a dress so I kinda like it." What did he think? Many things actually, so much so that he didn't even know where to start aside from continuing to stare at her for the following minute. "Well… you look amazing, Nanoha. Now I feel bad about walking back together, I don't exactly have a suit with me." "Why thank you! And that doesn't matter, your uniform is already good enough. So, will you be accompanying this lady to the main hall?" 'Lady, where?' Those words nearly came out of him with the glaring opportunity to tease her like this, but he held himself back and gave her that. 'What did Luvia-san teach me last time about etiquette? Ah, I remember.'With a short bow, Shirou presented his hand to Nanoha, the latter not having expected for him to actually take her words seriously. "It would be my honor, Lady Nanoha.""Oh my, now you look like a true knight, fufufu ~!" Willing to play along, she linked her arm with his and both made their way onto the main room. A few of the guests greeted them along the way, the duo attracting a few glances here and there until something rather obvious dawned on Nanoha which made her eyes widen."Eh, is something the matter?" Shirou asked, wondering why she stopped."... I'm just realizing that I may have caused some misunderstanding between the group by asking you to accompany me.""—?" His confused little head tilt made her lips twitch upwards. "Shirou… I called you to help me bring my luggage to my room and we are returning together as well. It's kinda sending a particular kind of message to the others." "I don't follow, you wanted to talk about Lutecia and the investigation. What's weird about that?" Sighing, Nanoha continued to elaborate further. "But they don't know that. Or at least, everyone else other than Hayate-chan and probably Shamal-san. In their eyes my invitation seemed like something else entirely." "..." It took a few seconds for him to start to grasp her meaning. But when it finally dawned on him, another blush forced its way to his cheeks again. "Oh…" {Break}Outside the Hotel, deep within the forest two figures emerged from the shadows. Wearing the same cloak that Shirou would have recognized instantly. The silence was palpable as they drew closer to their desired location. Removing their hood, Lutecia and Zest's face came into view as they gazed at the building in the distance. "It should be here," the girl spoke as a small robot the size of an insect landed on her hand, conveying a message that only she understood. "Doctor's drones are nearby.""The security is denser, we should be careful with this one." noted Zest, keeping watch on the people and aircrafts in the distance. "This isn't even worth it, what we want is not present in the auction." That vile Jail, there was no way any of these items present today truly mattered to the man. Unnecessarily putting their safety in danger for mere toys, how fitting."He knows it, the doctor mentioned how these items could be useful for him in the future. I know you don't like him, but I'm certain he has a plan." So she said, but he knew the real truth behind this matter. In case the situation turned for the worst, he sincerely doubted that man would risk sending reinforcement like last time with his Numbers. More than likely to abandon them to save his own hide. "We will most likely face the people from last time, it's almost certain that the young man is present here. Will you be able to face him in case he comes for us?" "..." Receiving no response immediately but instead avoiding his gaze, Zest forced a sigh out of his mouth. "I can handle him." She said with a whisper but he didn't believe her. "No, it's fine. I'll face him instead, even if you two hadn't met, his skills are too dangerous to let him anywhere near you. We even have records mentioning his usage of ranged weapons, so he can't be anywhere near you. Focus on keeping the others busy instead, that's our best course of action. No matter what, we shouldn't underestimate the knights.""... I understand."  ...Chapter 9: To Save Someone.Beta read by Opal...-Midchilda-“So you'll be monitoring the auction directly? Are you certain anyone is brave enough to actually do so?” Walking through the corridors, Shirou commented on the overall plan. “It is better this way. Also, are you going to be patrolling with Subaru-chan and Teana-chan?” Nanoha asked, walking in her pink-themed dress while garnering some attention from passing people. “I believe so, Hayate hasn't given me any specific orders. I've only been told to walk around and make sure to help anyone in case of an emergency.” Not a bad order gave him a lot of room to move around and was generally vague. Whether it was on purpose or Hayate had something in mind he couldn't tell. “By the way, Nanoha, have you gotten any word on the possible whereabouts of Lutecia?” He asked one question that kept bugging him all the while, one that had Nanoha shake her head with a disappointed smile. “Unfortunately no, it's the same as before, any and all records show no traces of these two, and weirdly enough, we couldn't even find any footage of them walking around town or even during the time you were with her. All of the footage disappeared.” “Wait, disappeared? I hope you realize what this sounds like…” “Trust me, all of us were rather shocked about this discovery. The idea that we have a traitor amongst our ranks is worrisome, and with how many that are working in our department it makes it kinda impossible to single one out as those immediately responsible for managing the archives were found to be innocent. But don't worry, Shirou, this is only a minor setback and with enough time we will find some clues about their whereabouts.” He sighed, “I sure hope so.” Both became silent, having reached the main door leading to the hall. Walking inside they were greeted by the sight of another person waiting for them."Where were you two?" Standing on a balcony within a grand amphitheater, Fate turned her head to find Shirou and Nanoha returning from her room, most likely. The brunette was wearing a beautiful dress that complemented her figure, while the redhead hadn't changed. A smirk emerged on the blonde's face; Fate knew her friend better than anyone else. She knew her previous invitation to the redhead, which was seen as a bold move by many, was merely to ask him to help out with the luggage. Despite her maturity, she learned long ago that Nanoha was not an adept user of words with hidden intentions. The girl was always completely straightforward to a fault, never bothering to use wordplay or cunning strategies. ‘Then again, Nanoha has no idea that befriending someone doesn't involve launching a nuke-level attack, face front to her opponent, before somehow getting them to join her side.’ Ironic that she went through a similar fate, speaking from both experience and intuition about her friend's personality."You look wonderful, Fate-chan," Nanoha said, complementing her friend, as Shirou got distracted by the numerous people present downstairs. All wearing equally eye-catching suits and dresses, a place he felt very out of place. Walking up to him, both girls rested their hands upon the wooden fence as they surveyed the floor below. Despite the number of guests numbering in the near thousands, or even more, there was not the sound of a chaotic space. Instead, it was a calm and soothing environment that earned the respect of many. “The auction is about to start soon. It should be a matter of minutes before the host shows up. Are you willing to join us, Shirou? We wouldn't mind having a bodyguard keeping us safe from unknown threats." Fate asked in a playful tone, a question which the boy answered with a head shake. “As much as I would like to do that, I can't. My task is to help the others set up a perimeter and patrol the building. Though something tells me that the last thing both of you need is someone like me acting as a bodyguard… I'd argue it's the other way around given you also have your devices. I'd rather not be the one going after you, I'm the less dangerous target in all of this.” “Fate-chan is right, Shirou!” Nanoha joined in, an equally playful smile on her face that made him want to sigh. These girls just acted so casually that he nearly forgot this was supposed to be a highly important event. “You know how much effort went into making these dresses? It would be a tragedy to have them be ruined, since you obviously like them.” “E-Eh? I admit it is beautiful but I don't think—”“Wait, you haven't said anything about my dress, Shirou!” Fate interjected, getting in between the two while crossing her arms. Pointing at her navy blue gown, coupled with the transparent fabric around her shoulders acting as a scarf. Shirou backed away, putting his hands up in mock defeat, fully knowing these two were just messing with him at this point out of boredom. Not that he was going to let it slide without a comeback of his own! “Both of you look stunning, I'm afraid making any negative comment about either of you will earn a Divine Buster blast to my face which I very much like to avoid thank you very much." A sour face appeared upon the brunette's face as she started to pout. Fate chuckled, loving the expression her friend made, Shirou was not the only one who kept bringing that up as Hayate also did so. Nanoha hit his chest, “Moh…when are you and Hayate going to stop bringing that up? I was young back then and I don't do that anymore!” “Vita would say otherwise, remember that time you two sparred last mon—” A hand pressed upon the blonde's mouth as Nanoha forced a smile on her face, a bit of red creeping up her face as Shirou gave her a look that alluded how he expected such a thing. "You two have been hanging around Hayate for a bit too much lately. Now, you won't stop bringing up my past,” she put an emphasis on the last word. “actions, which is completely untrue! I am not some sort of battle maniac brute who can only make friends through a fight. I am a lady, so you should treat me as such, Shirou!""And how exactly is one supposed to treat a lady, in your opinion?" Shiro asked, tilting his head sideways as he waited for the girl to give him an answer. She opened her mouth, trying to find an answer but came up with nothing."Yo-you know, being polite, giving out frequent compliments on their looks and clothes, hanging out, being a gentleman, buying them gifts, and so on," she listed off one by one while counting on her fingers.Fate joined Shirou with a similar reaction, unable to hold herself back as she gave an answer, “That sounds more like a relationship between couples I would say.” Nanoha froze, her friend's words taking her by surprise as she hadn't even thought of it like that and was starting to realize that she couldn't even argue against that. Shirou, on the other hand, sighed; these two were really good friends, and it was clear they got along nicely.Though Fate wasn't done, “But I wouldn't mind also being treated like that as well. What do you say, Shirou?” “I think you're both trying to give me a headache, congratulations, it's working.” He massaged his temples, most likely to get white faster at this rate than what Archer went through. Then again, that bastard mostly reveled watching him in his current situation.Overall, the general atmosphere felt less suffocating than what he was used to in the Clock Tower. Everyone there had a hidden agenda, a ploy, or some grudge that wasn't even related to him; he always had to have eyes on his back, as they say. Very few people did he feel comfortable around without worrying about such things, Rin being one of them along with Luvia and the teacher from the Modern Magecraft class. Though they didn't talk much, he believed the guy was different from the rest and more earnest with words. ‘Ah, I am getting distracted with memories of the past.’ It was hard not to do so from time to time. Though Shirou very much enjoyed his time in Midchilda where he got the opportunity to better pursue his dream to become a hero, It was just impossible to completely forget about the past. He didn't worry much, given both Nanoha and Hayate gave him their words to help him out in the future, and just for that, he promised himself to help them in return as well."You two have fun; I still have loads to do, and let's hope nothing bad happens. Though I suspect nothing will happen, The Assembly Hall security is as tight as you'd expect. If there is any trouble, there probably is going to be more than enough to deal with it instead of having us intervene, I suppose." Nanoha smiled, “Shirou, don't start jinxing us like that. You can never be certain about such things, given both Fate-chan and I have dealt with different kinds of absurd situations in the past.”He shrugged, “I know I'm just messing with you.” He waved at the girls before leaving the room.As he was leaving the room, the blonde looked around, searching for a certain friend amongst the crowds but came up empty-handed. With a confused expression, she looked at Nanoha and asked, “I just noticed this, but why hasn't Hayate-chan appeared yet? She should have been here around the same time as you since we left to change together. Don't tell me she got lost?” Nanoha realized that she was right; it didn't dawn on her that their group was missing one person from the beginning, “I'm sure she'll be here soon; if there was any problem, then she would have called us.”…Leaving the room, the boy walked through the halls looking left and right for his team members. One aspect he noted was the dense forest that surrounded the building. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the enemy would use it to their advantage. With the cover of the trees helping them blend in with the environment. “But then again, Subaru mentioned the countless sensors around.”As he reached the outside, the boys still hadn't found the others but that did not last long as he spotted a certain redhead, a person he didn't have much of an opportunity to converse with in the past. “Vita-san?” The Wolkenritter turned around and raised an eyebrow in his presence. “StarS five, I thought you'd be in position with the rest of the team, what the hell are you doing here?” ‘For someone her size she sure has an interesting way of talking. And I'm pretty certain that's not my number… or was it? Hah, even I don't remember.’ Shirou thought, smiling at the words of the person he was close to associate as a brat but held himself back from doing so. “You can call me Shirou, it's a bit weird to be called like that. As for your question, I was just patrolling the area after escorting Nanoha to the main hall. Ran into you when searching for Subaru and Teana.” She tilted her head before huffing, “Is that so, if my assumption is correct, they should be on the opposite side of the building, so you wouldn't have found them here regardless. Oh well, it wouldn't hurt to have some support. Signum spoke highly of your skills and I've also seen them.” He took it as a sign that she accepted his company and both traversed around the area. His eyes widening as a triangular red magic diagram forms upon the ground which Vita wasted into stepping on. She waited a few seconds before looking back at him. “Well? Can't you fly?” These people and their casual way of using such forms of spells. “... I can't.” He answered, noticing the woman was watching the pendant with confusion, and guessed what she must have been thinking. “The Device granted to me only serves as a portable computer assistant of sorts and as a standard Barrier Jacket. Unfortunately, they couldn't add much to it due to my situation.” She squinted her eyes before remembering something, “Oh right, Hayate mentioned your case. Guess I can't blame you. Hop on.” The construct grew bigger and spacious enough for two people. Shirou froze in place. “Well, what are you waiting for?" Vita asked, her tone getting slightly impatient. The boy hesitated before answering, “It's nothing, it's just my first time standing on a magic construct like this to fly. I'm just a bit afraid to fall down or something worse.” "Tch, stop being a wuss and get on quickly. It's easier for us to patrol from the skies than walking around for hours, potentially missing something. And don't worry, you won't fall so easily with me around. And even if you did, just activate your Barrier Jacket, you'll survive." Using his Barrier Jacket as a cushion to fall off great heights… didn't seem that bad of an idea. With a bit of reinforcement it would work even better. “I hope you realize that this doesn't inspire much confidence.” He said drily, not really afraid of heights, but just unused to how these people were used to the idea of flying around on a regular basis. Did Teana and Subaru also have such capabilities? Unlikely, they would have used it against him back then. Given one relied on skates and the other her gun like a grappling hook. “You sure we won't fall?” A vein bulged on Vita’s temple, eyes darkening as she glared at the man. “Get on or else I'm leaving.” Those words pushed the red-headed to the side and walked forward — taking a step upon the construct. It felt similar to pure glass, yet wasn't slippery at all as they went further and further into the sky, where before long, they reached the lower clouds with a clear view of the terrain below. Shirou's knees shook for a bit due to how quickly they got there, not having gotten used to this way of traveling. Seeing his still worried face as they ascended to the skies, Vita thought about something. “Hey, does your world truly not have any flying magic? I saw your fight against the girls and your spells were very complex, to say the least. Something as simple as flying should be quite common.” “Flying? Well, it is a form of magecraft some Magus practice, but very few can actually use it as far as I know. I haven't really met anyone in person but it does exist. I guess it's similar when you compare it to this world's magic, you all use devices as a tool to channel your mana for spells, and in my world people use a broom for example.” He wasn't one to have numerous connections in the Clocktower, perhaps there were people around him who indeed could use it but he just never noticed.“So if I gave you a broom then you'd be able to fly?” She suggested, finding the idea of Shirou flying around sitting on a broom with a witch hat quite amusing. Certain that Hayate would burst out laughing if she ever saw it happen. “Uh… no, I'm not that good of a Magus — a third-rate in fact.” He said while scratching the back of his head. “I really am bad with any other types of magecraft other than what I already know. The best thing I can do with a broom is use it to dust the ground and trust me you'll find the end result to be far better than me flying around!”Putting the weird realization that the man showed signs of pride for simply cleaning the floor as being better than actually flying, Vita took note of another part of his words. “A third rate huh? Then I'd rather not meet what you consider first-rate after what you've shown us.” For some reason the image of Rin and Luvia flying around in magical girls outfits and causing mayhem to their surroundings by shooting lasers through their gems came to his mind. While funny enough to imagine and even laugh, it was still a dreadful scene. “Changing subjects, I heard from Hayate that you and Nanoha encountered some suspicious individuals a few days ago. Any possibilities that they are here for the items at the auction? We'll have to make sure to capture those criminals before they cause any damage or steal important artifacts.” A frown appeared on his face as soon as she asked him this question. “Not all of them were bad, Vita-san.” No matter how he tried to look at it, the idea that Lutecia was willingly associated with a person like that scientist did not sit well with him. He couldn't see her as someone willing to do all of this without being forced to do it somehow. There had to be a reason, and he was determined to find out. “But I'll make sure to not let the one behind this escape.” “Does it have to do with the girl we were told about? I believe her name was Lutecia.” He nodded, “She was accompanied by someone else, I couldn't get his name but I'll recognize him the moment I see him.” “What if she isn't the one you're hoping to be? I understand trying to empathize with your opponent and trying to help them out, I've experienced being on the receiving end with Nanoha in the best. But you better freaking not let it cause any problem or harm to Hayate. Or else I'll take care of that brat myself.” “I know,” he replied, having gotten somewhat of a grasp of the kind of person Vita was. Giving him a similar feeling to Signum, someone who took their duties very seriously and prioritized keeping Hayate safe. “But you won't have to go that far. I'll stop it from happening.” The redhead Wolkenritter let out an irritated exhale. “I should have expected such an answer, she was the same as well… I'll help out if I can.” She added that last part quietly, continuing to look forward. “Plus something tells me it doesn't matter what I'll say, not like you'll listen to me even if I advise you against such an action.” “Do you have so little faith in me?” “Well I don't trust you like I do with Hayate or Nanoha.” She answered without hesitation. “Not like I see you as a possible enemy, but you are still a new arrival to our world and are unfamiliar with most things here. I don't want you to confuse what's normal in your world here of all places, it will land you and those around you in trouble.” “I appreciate the advice, but trust me when I say that your world is actually more forgiving than mine. I don't mean it in a bad way, just the people here are more united from the looks of it, especially with the Time Space Administrative Bureau’s existence and how I've seen people behave here. It's very much different from the Clocktower, I'm less worried about getting backstabbed here on a daily basis.” He joked. Of course, a large portion of his opinion of the Clocktower was influenced by his own experience and Rin's constant warnings. He was certain that for some, that place was more enjoyable and comparable to the TSAB. Unfortunately for him, his father made a lot of enemies with his actions as the Magus Killer and Magi in general never let go of past grudges so easily — even if it meant going after the son who never had anything to do with their affairs. Especially families related to those who died in the fourth Holy Grail War. Thankfully, not all of them were out for his throat.“By the way, you never told me about your combat style, Vita-san?” Wanting to change the topic of conversation, he asked her a familiar quest she asked him a few minutes ago. But as she was about to answer him, both of their devices suddenly rang, glowing in a light tone as he heard a voice speaking to him. “Emergency, please know that we have spotted gadget drones type one land models around thirty no thirty-five of them approaching. Followed by type three land models, multiple readings found, at least a few dozens of them and counting! How did no one before us catch so many of them!?” Both redheads were shaken out of their conversation by the sudden warning, looking at each other day nodded before surveying their surroundings with more focus. “Drones again after what your team dealt with last mission? Humph, there is no doubt about it, we are dealing with the same group.” Vita commented, a statement which he agreed with. “Agent Subaru and Teana have begun moving, they have covered the southern region.” They continued getting briefed on everyone's position. “Commander Hayate, Nanoha and Fate are in the middle of the auction and are in position in case something happens. Evacuation teams are in place as well.” “We won't have to worry about them for now,” Shirou said, his Reinforced eyes focusing on the ground below. His enhanced vision sporting several shadows moving between the tree shades, using the latter as cover to get closer to the building. Woosh! Red light shone behind him, he didn't need to look behind to find out what was happening and preferred to keep his gaze away for the intense transformation scene. The bright burst of light surrounding would easily irritate his eyes at such a close range, not exactly the best transformation for a stealth mission if they ever had to deal with one. As the light died, Shriou’s eyes immediately fell on a rather peculiar device different to the staff weapon Nanoha used. A giant double headed Warhammer easily as tall as Vita herself with a small spike at the top. “Graf Eisen, get ready!” [Rüdiger!] The Device spoke with a deep voice, nearly making him fall off the platform as that was clearly German. First English and now German… he wondered who must have possessed a Japanese one or even a French one going by the pattern it was following. “Found them!” Shirou exclaimed, spotting a multitude of floating apparatus in the distance. All of them flying from within the shade provided by the forest, a natural camouflage that whoever was controlling them used it as a way to infiltrate the building without getting found out most likely. Perhaps that was how they only spotted them later on. ‘Those models look the same as before, I don't see the same model that managed to block everyone's magic attacks. But I can't be too sure.’“Ah, Signum has already started without us.” Vita noted, pointing in the trees below where a certain pink haired Knight breezed through a handful of drones with ease. A fiery aura surrounding her blade as it glided through the air with a near perfect technique showcased by she not only managed to cut through multiple shots without batting an eye. “Well we can't let her do all the work, let's go Graf Eisen!”With a simple command, multiple round steel orbs formed around her. Shirou watched as the hammer swung and hit all of the orbs with great strength. “Break them all to pieces!”No different to multiple cannon balls being fired, the projectiles struck the ground with enough force to cause a cloud of dust to fill the area. Each one of them having successfully reached their target and even taking out those around them. Vita on the other hand smirked, glad to see her accuracy remained as precise as ever. “Hm?” As she was about to send another volley, her attention was caught by a sudden large shadow, a black bow twice her size standing imposingly. The string pulled backwards with a bone chilling creak as she could see the boy's muscle bulge with a weird looking arrow. Swish! Right before her eyes, he released the string and the arrow was let loose. Rather than targeting a single drone, to her disbelief Vita witnessed in a straight lined trajectory the arrow six drones. “I'm impressed, your accuracy is something else. No wonder you kept bullying Subaru during your duel.” He sighed, “When you say it like that it makes me sound like the bad guy.” Other than making sure these drones wouldn't encroach any further upon the territory, his eyes kept sweeping through the field erratically. Pushing himself to search for someone rather than another drone though making sure to destroy any that Signum and Vita missed. The chances that they were here with so much security around was low, but he wasn't willing to give up hope so easily. There was no other way he managed to find than hoping to come across them once again. “—!?”For a brief moment, perhaps a trick or light or even him being too paranoid. But he saw a black blurry figure in the far distance, further away from the drones and with too many trees blocking his vision he couldn't be certain. ‘But I have to take the risk!’ “Vita-san!” He called to the woman next to him, the latter focused on her task and shooting more orbs in the distance with an angered yell. She turned her attention to him, wondering what he wanted to say. “What is it?” He had an idea, the figure was most likely trying to escape after deploying the drones for all he knew. His reinforced legs could only run at a certain speed which he didn't believe was fast enough to catch up. But Vita’s earlier comment about his Barrier Jacket gave him an idea that gave him an optimal solution!“How far can you hit something around my weight?” ...“...What the hell?” {Break}-Forest-This wasn't a good idea, no, far from it… this whole operation was nothing but a ticking time bomb where the slightest misstep led to not himself but even Lutecia in grave danger of being captured by the enemy forces. This further worsened by the fact the other side had seen their faces and knew exactly who to find, for all he knew, Regius Gais already suspected their presence and would get personally involved in this matter. “That Jail Scaglietti is planning something else, the auction should be the last of his concern.” Regardless, Lutecia wanted to help that man despite his interjection. She trusted him and he couldn't say anything to dissuade the young lady, but at the very least he swore to keep her safe until this entire operation was done. “The bugs have been released, I'll be teleporting more in a few seconds.” Lutecia’s voice spoke calmly from the comms, the girl worked hard to make this operation a success and he refused to let her down. Multiple summoning magic circles appeared around him as more and more drones emerged from them, though these ones were much more responsive to their surroundings and possessing a certain level of intelligence per say from Lutecia's powers. “Good work, don't get any closer and stay out of bounds. We don't want the enemy to spot you first instead of me.” Zest advised, having taken the role of bait in case someone were to spot them. Especially that boy from before, Shirou Emiya… he was bad news from the beginning. “Galue is inside the building, we can retrieve what the doctor wants at any moment.” A piece of good news, the faster they get done with this, the sooner they leave this area. A screen expanded from a device on his wrist, showing different scenes all around the area using the cameras within the drones. Getting a perfect view of every opponent they were facing. From here, he found two members of the riot force using a gauntlet and pistol device to take down the number of drones, though the added addition of Lutecia's bugs made it harder for them to land a hit anymore. On another screen he found the knight Wolkenritter, wielding a blade and managed to cut through multiple drones despite the bugs trying their best to evade the attacks. But she was too swift and experienced for such a tactic to have any effect. This coupled with the bombardment coming from the other Wolkenritter in the sky reduced the number of their drones drastically. Thankfully, these weren't the only models brought into the battlefield. “Have it get behind the pile of metal, use it as another form of camouflage to sneak attack her.” Following his words, the next moment, a larger machine with metal appendages struck the woman in her blind spot. “Good, how much longer till the item is secured?” “Almost,” she answered, “I can't rush it or else they'll be found by the sensors. You need to be careful as well, Zest. My insects are sensing a lot of mages near the building, you'll be overwhelmed if they all come to your location at the same time. I can summon Garyu to aid you.” “No, save your energy in case of an emergency, I'm more than capable of handling myself. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.” He ended the communication between them, knowing that the longer he tried to convince her the more worried she would get. His secondary objective, other to act as bait, was to keep Shirou Emiya as far away as possible from the girl. Having gotten Intel that he not only requested the TSAB agents to find any and all information on her rather than himself. “Where is he?” He scoured through hundreds of footage, logically he should have been stationed alongside the same ground as during the previous mission. Yet neither was he with them or anywhere else around the forest and this worried him. “Did he decide to attend the auction instead? But it was mentioned that Nanoha Takamichi, Fate Testarossa and Hayate Yagami have taken upon that role. It makes no sense for him to join in as well.” Another idea came that perhaps he was stationed to protect the items they were after. But if that were the case then Lutecia would have mentioned it to him by now. “If all proceeds as planned, then I won't need to confront anyone and can't hold my position. But just in case, I should grab he—!?”A thunderous explosion sounded from the sky, catching his attention. A bad feeling fell upon Zest as he quickly searched for the source of the noise, the drones tracing it to one of the mages in the sky, one adorned in a red Barrier Jacket holding onto a large hammer as a great amount of smoke came off the end of it. “Huh?” The sound came from her yet there seemed to be no explosion or even attack of any sorts that affected the drones on the ground. Rather, she wasn't even looking at the ground in the first place. A large smirk on her face as she faced his general direction. “What is…” Something was amiss, Zest tore his attention away from the screen and gazed at the sky above. His eyes widening as a small dot appeared above, growing larger and larger till it showed the shape of a person wearing a Barrier Jacket. “What!?” Plummeting straight for his direction, a white blade cutting through the air with a slight ringing sound. Disbelief filled brown eyes starting right back at angered golden brown. ‘That sound from before, did he let himself get hit to be thrown this far!?’ Unable to wrap his head around the ridiculousness of this entire scene, Zest twirled his spear in a defensive stance before bringing his hands up, channeling his Mana and casting a trip-pointed magic circle before him.“Panzerschild!” With a shout, the construct came to life, covering his entire body just in time for the blade to descend and strike the surface with an equally tremendous force. “Argh!” The surprise attack went well beyond anything Zest expected from this person, his focus fully on these strange blades which somehow managed to dig deep enough into the shield that it nearly cut through it! A screech no different to a razor scraping against glass stung his ears. The sparks from the clash flew everywhere as his knee shook before stabling themselves. “Where. Is. She…” Shirou asked, pushing more onto the Bakuya and trying to cut through. ‘I knew he was going to be in major trouble, but this is just ridiculous!’ Zest though, once again cursing Jail in his mind. “That is none of your business.” Having gathered his wits, he moved the shield around to put his opponent straight in the line of fire from the drones. Dozens of energy shots fired simultaneously in a barrage, thankfully the integrity of his shield still remained whole enough to withstand it. Hoping that with his opponent focused on him, he would miss the drones and get hit. The blade struck within his shield helped to keep him from moving.“That should have taken care of him.” His front vision filled with smoke, he waited as the shooting stopped and it started to clear. To his surprise, the sword was left behind, Shirou no longer on the other side. “—!” His sharp instincts screamed at him, a cold chill descending upon him forcing him to instantly cancel out the spell and turn around just in time for his spear’s shaft to black a slash from a black blade. The redhead had abandoned the white blade and opted for another weapon from the looks of it. ‘He’s fast, a close combat fighter similar to a Knight and doesn't seem to know any long range spell attacks. I should be able to handle him.’“Tell me where she is.” As the confrontation escalated, Shirou asked once again with a frown. “I told you, that is none of your business!” Zest found himself facing in a close quarters combat where his enemy's strength shockingly matched his. “If you want to find her, then you'll have to go through my dead body.” The battle unfolding in the forest was not just about completing the mission; it was now a clash of skills, tactics, and the desire to protect their respective objectives.“It is my business when you people are obviously using her!” Shirou, relentless and focused, pressed on with his assault, his black blade cutting through the air with precision to which Zest met with equal amounts of skill. Though the spear wasn't the ideal weapon in such a scenario, the man was not hesitant to use the drones in the surrounding to create some distance between them. Still, he adapted quickly, utilizing his magic construct to shield against the relentless slashes.The forest became a stage for a dance of blades and magical constructs, each move calculated, each decision crucial. As Zest and Shirou continued their intense confrontation, it was becoming clear which side was getting overwhelmed. That sword of his… Zest couldn't make heads and tails of what it might be. Able to cut through simple constructs if he wasn't doing his best to keep them stable. Far too sharp that it made little sense when it didn't even look like it was part of an intelligent device. Lutecia was still working diligently on securing the item they sought, he needed to buy as much time as possible! “She's safer with us, at least then she won't be sent to her death!” “You call this being safe!? And such a thing won't ever come to pass if she doesn't want to get involved! You are involved with those behind the train attack, making you an enemy of the TSAB, how does that equate to keeping her safe!?” The forest echoed with the clash of blades and the hum of magical constructs. Zest's mind raced, contemplating the unfolding chaos. He continued to scan the screens displaying the ongoing battles across the area — making sure that he wasn't going to get ambushed by a second arrival. “Don't think you can escape this time!” Gritting his teeth at Zest's continuous retreat, Shirou swung around and threw Kanshou forward, the blade Noble Phantasm twirling in the air and destroying the surrounding drones. Cleaving through the larger models, similar to the one he fought on the train, with ease. His first instinct was to call forth multiple nameless blades and hurl them in multiple waves, a barrage of steel to eliminate every drone before him. But he also knew there were many eyes upon him, and if not pushed to a corner he saw no reason to go that far and possibly even accidentally kill his opponent.At worst he could rely on multiple black keys, they always helped him out in similar precarious situations in the past.“Got you!” Seeing his opponent finally defenseless without any weapons, Zest took this opportunity to close in the distance between them on his own. Rushing forward with his spear glinting with killing intent, going for a single powerful thrust. Yet not a trace of panic showed on Shirou's face as he drew closer, uncertainty flashing before Zest's mind. But he pushed it to the side and pushed on — a decision he quickly grew to regret as he found Shirou muttering two words under his breath. Clang! Right before his eyes, in a flash of blue light, the dual blades once again reappeared within his grasp. Both Noble Phantasm blocked his thrust with the flat side of the Kanshou taking the hit and Bakuya acting as a support creating an x-shaped stance with the weapons. Shirou slid backwards but his knees held firm without buckling under the pressure of the attack.“H-How…” In his shock, he glanced to the side of the area when he was initially attacked, the white blade his opponent abandoned was no longer laying on the ground! So this entire time… he could teleport his weapons within his grasp? Doing so instantly without even a magic circle? No, that didn't make sense! He dealt with plenty of mages capable of using teleportation spells, but none were capable of using such a form of magic! “Argh!” Damn, he also rarely death with weapons that showed this level of toughness and sharpness, some cuts and damages already present on his own spear. The dual blades pushed his spear upwards with an inhuman amount of strength that surpassed his, and soon after, Shirou was upon him holding Bakuya over his head. The cold, sharp metal cutting through the layer of his clothes and skin filling his mind. The pain lasted only a fraction of a second before his adrenaline kicked in. “Hurgh!” He held in his groans, sending a powerful kick which dodged before Kanshou swiftly pierced his defense, leading to a thin vertical bloody line in his midsection. Unfortunately for him, as he tried to push his body to move, Shirou using the pummel of Bakuya delivered a strike to the back of his neck. “Argh!” Zest's vision darkened for a second, everything turning hazy as he started to lose strength in his leg and soon enough, collapsed onto the ground. His ears picked up the footsteps of Shirou who approached him, the latter slightly out of breath but nothing drastic. It almost made him chuckle, even at this level he wasn't enough to keep up with his opponent. Perhaps if Agito was here…He closed his eyes waiting for the final blow. “I'm not going to kill you, that never was my goal.” Shirou spoke, still holding a prominent frown on his face as he watched his defeated opponent. “My question hasn't changed, I don't know what you are planning but whatever it is doesn't matter to me. You're using a naive young child for your own plans, taking advantage of her trust — especially the one I spoke to before.” Zest scoffed, “You're the one who is naive, boy. You're working for an evil man who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice people like you just to save his skin. It's the very reason why Lutecia and I are in this scenario, your side has betrayed us and you're asking to come back? They'll kill her, just like they did with her mother.” “...her mother?”Step StepStep“Zest!” The defeated man had his face hardened as he heard a familiar voice coming from the woods. Hasty steps revealing the purple haired girl rushing to his side.“Lutecia! What are you doing here!?” He shouted with frustration, wanting to get back up and run away with her but having little strength to do so and the wounds on his body making it impossible to do so. “I can't leave you.” She answered glaring back at Shirou as multiple summoning circles formed around her bringing forth hundreds of tiny insect-like metallic creatures. “Get away from him, Shirou.” No answer came from him, rather he took a step forward, making Lutecia flinch as the insects started to swarm him. “Huh?” Unlike what she expected, the man did not fight back against them. Letting his weapons fall to the ground as they pierced the earth. The red Barrier Jacket disappeared as he stood without any protection before her. The various cuts and scrapes ridling his skin from the insect attacks. “Stop!” She ordered them, unnerved and taken aback by his actions. Her previously monotone voice was slightly shaken as well. “Why are you doing this, Lutecia?” He asked calmly, showing no change to his facial expression. “You're working for bad people, they are using you.” “The doctor is not like that.” She retorted. “I trust him, he will help me with my goal and I'm willing to help him.” “And what is your goal?” She shook her head, refusing to answer it. “I… I won't pretend like I'm familiar with your past and this man's. But I heard from him that something tragic happened to him and your mother. Am I correct in assuming that your goal involves her somehow?” Her body freezing up was all the answer he needed. “I don't know what he promised you nor how he's going to accomplish it. I don't know how far you're willing to go to help him but one thing I can say with certainty is that this person cannot be trusted.” “You don't know him.” “No, no I don't, but speaking to him a single time is all that I need to get a picture. You have to trust me, Lutecia, such people always promise you everything but will throw you away as soon as they're done with you. From what I gathered, even this man doesn't trust him.” He pointed at Zest, the latter not having said a thing from the beginning. “You don't know that!” Once again, she spoke back, this time with more anger evident in her tone. “How can you say that without knowing anything? He's the only one who can deliver on his promise when no one could, without him… within him I'll never be able to see my mother again…” Putting the pieces together, Shirou started to get some ideas on this promise of his. Zest mentioned how she was dead and now Lutecia was talking about meeting her again through Jail’s help? Did that man have a way to bring back the dead? He doubted it. This entire promise reminded him of the Grail, a wish granting device said to accomplish nearly anything one could ask for. Yet to achieve that one needed to go through a literal bloodbath. And now this Jail, promising the girl a similar wish of bringing back the death but for that to happen she needed to work for him. This attack was probably one of many, how much more was he going to have the girl do before honoring said promise? Granted, if he ever was planning on doing so in the first place. Most likely a lie, one invented to gain her trust. “Why should he be the only one who can help you, Lutecia?” Shirou spoke more firmly with his words. “Tell me, everything you're doing right now. Would your mother have been happy to see her little girl go through such a life? Would she not want you to be happy? If this person had the means to revive her, then wouldn't he have done so already? There has to be another way, don't believe this is the only path you have to take just because that man said so. If he can do it then so can others, and I'll help you along the way.” “...” “I know you don't like doing this, it's written all over your face. If he was a good person then why would he have pushed you to do so?”Her hands clenched, the girls struggling with some thoughts visibly. “You can't help me.” “You don't know that.” Shirou said, throwing her own words back. “Remember the time we spent at the arcade? I recall you had fun that day, though you didn't show it I could feel it. If you don't trust the Time Space Administrative Bureau… then trust me.”“Shirou…” “I’ll take the burden of this wish you have, whether it be the TSAB, the one you're helping or any other individual in this galaxy, I'll make sure to find them and make her come back if there truly was a way.” He got on one knee, putting his hand forward with a smile on his face. “I promise I'll go to any length to make it a reality, all the while without putting you or Zest in danger. If TSAB one day truly becomes the enemy, then I'll turn my blades against them if I have to.” Lutecia refused to meet his gaze. “You are saying stupid things again, Shirou.” The redhead chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “I do have a habit, I know a friend who would regularly try to tear her own hair off because of my actions. I'm not willing to see you cry or suffer through all of this, you don't deserve such a life.” She was still very young, reminding him of Caro and Erio. All of them were far too young to be involved in such things in his opinion, he still believed this despite what Hayate mentioned to him. He knew that if he failed today, then the likelihood of meeting Lutecia once again was slim at best. The chances that this person would let him approach her after what happened today were non-existent. Zest on the other hand perhaps agreed with him to some degree. The man was still very much conscious and hadn't mentioned a single thing so far, not even trying to put down his words. From their previous conversation, he knew he also distrusted Jail.“What if I accept and join you, then they have me and Zest get taken?” “I won't let that happen, like I told you, I'll put my life on the line if I have to.” He was indebted to Nanoha and Hayate, not the TSAB, he still held reservations about the organization as a whole, knowing that despite there being characters like his friends working for them, there would also be unsavory people within their ranks. He wasn't so blind to not recognize that fact and thus never dismissed Zest's claim of something within the organization being responsible for Lutecia's situation. “What if they don't listen and try to use force?” His face hardened, “Then I will reciprocate with force as well.” The fact he was an outsider, a being from another world, he still decided to keep a secret for now. He wouldn't accomplish anything bringing that up with her to gain her trust, he doubted he would gain anything in the first place. “You'll even face your friends.”“I won't need to.” He said, getting a confused look from Lutecia. “Because I know they'll be by my side when the time comes. That's the kind of people they are, they're not the type to turn a blind eye to injustice and that's why I trust them.” The girl, no matter how much she thought about it, looked at the boy before her — she just failed to wrap her head around his entire drive. “Why… Why are you willing to go so far for me? What do you even want from me?” “Nothing,” he gave an immediate answer, not wanting her to get the wrong idea or that he shared the same kind of mindset as Jail. “Is it wrong wanting to save someone?”He heard a sniff, seeing the girl's shoulders start to tremble. All of this must have been a lot to handle for her, having forced herself through so many challenges without breaking down must have been a lot for her.“Hey, I have an idea. Tomorrow I don't have any duties to attend, why don't we go with the promise I made to have dinner or lunch together? I already cook for two gluttons in the apartment building, so having more is not a problem. I can show you around the kitchen if you'd like, teach you some skills and little hacks I learned when I was your age.” The girl unconsciously nodded her head, the gentle tone soothing her chaotic mind as it struggled to come to a conclusion. “We can go shopping together, I'm pretty sure you'll need new clothes and other things to get settled. I haven't used my money yet, so what better opportunity than this, right? We can stop by the arcade, play some games, visit the park and Subaru can teach you how to skate. She's been trying to do so with me a lot lately, but I don't believe I'm good enough to skate, but I'm willing to try if you're there with me. We can go through the learning steps together.” No matter how much she tried, Lutecia found herself incapable of pushing back images her mind made up of such scenarios. Imagining herself, Zest, Shirou and her mother all having dinner together. Getting to spend more time with him, playing games and laughing at the funny faces he made whenever he lost. She'd seen Zest read books on rare occasions, it would be nice to see him indulge in his hobbies a lot more than having to constantly worry about her safety. He deserved that kind of life as well…It sounded too good to be true. But still… what if… what if he truly was capable of doing so? But she also promised the doctor to help him and turning her back to him felt bad as well. He had done a lot for her, and she wanted to repay that favor one day. “If you truly think I'm not capable and are willing to go through whatever that man has planned — then you'll have to go through me.” Shirou said, making her heart skip a beat at the meaning behind his words. He showed no signs of summoning his Barrier Jacket nor those weird weapons, letting all of his guard down and making it easy for her to attack him by summoning Garyu. “I'm going to be stubborn here and not let you go back to that life as long as I can stand, forgive me for that, Lutecia. But you don't have to go that far, trust me and let me take on your burden.” Without her even realizing, Lutecia took a step forward, her eyes focused on his outstretched hand. Hesitantly, she extended her own, a part of her yearning for the lifestyle Shirou described along with her wish to see her mother again. ‘Lutecia-sama!’ A voice shouted in her head, shocking the girl as she struggled to not show any surprise on the outside. ‘Glad to see you're safe~! I'd expect nothing less from you! Though it seems we arrived a tad bit too late given Zest's injuries, but nothing you can't heal with Asclepius!’‘Quatro?’ One of the numbers that served Jail for many of his missions. A bespectacled woman who was always energetic and playful with everyone around. Yet last she checked, the woman was still in the laboratory conducting some research with the doctor. ‘What are you doing here?’ She heard a hum on the other side.‘We were tasked to act as reinforcement in case something too drastic occurred and to keep you safe. You did a good job, Lutecia-sama, we have Shirou Emiya on our sight and without any Barrier Jacket on himself it should be a breeze to eliminate him. Jump as far away as you can! Don't worry, Zest is far enough to not be hit.’ E-Eliminate? She hadn't agreed to that with the doctor! They were only supposed to retrieve the item and return to base!‘Wait, Quatro. Quatro!’ No answer came from the other side, her heart racing as a terrible sensation spread over her being. Her outstretched arm went past Shirou's hand and onto his chest before pushing him away and taking his place. “Eh?”Whether it was a spur of the moment or likely her own subconscious, she didn't feel any regret in that moment. Just tired, exhausted and saddened that she wasn't going to be able to spend some time with him as promised. ‘Lutecia-sama!?’Quatro’s words were the last thing she heard before her whole world turned white. ...“Eh?” Strange, Shirou was initially very happy when Lutecia showed signs agreeing with his words. Granted, he knew the path to accomplish her wish wasn't going to be an easy one, but he was willing to make it a reality no matter what. If there was a chance, no matter how minute it was… as long as it existed then nothing was going to stop him. Yet her hands moved past his own, resting upon his chest before pushing him away with force. Speechless and stunned, it caught him by surprise. Had she truly decided to stay with the enemy in the end? Had he failed? His answer was soon answered seeing the expression on her face, to witness traces of fear? Goosebumps formed on his skin as his ears picked up a high pitched noise, at the corner of his eyes he spotted a green dot. No, not a dot, but a beam of energy similar to the one shot by the drones. But this one, far more powerful and fast, aimed straight for when he stood not a second ago. Without his Barrier Jacket or any form of protection, that would have killed him in a single hit or at best mortally wounded him. But even he doubted that last part, given how the beam had carved through multiple rows of trees with little to no resistance.“—!” The whole world around him came to a snail paced standstill. She… she tried to save him. Taking his place without thinking and willing to throw away her life? He couldn't understand, why was she going that far when he hadn't done anything to earn that?For a brief moment, memories of the past flashed before his eyes. A small girl, destructive and filled with bloodlust who called him brother when they first met. Showing a smile on the outside but filled with hatred towards him, a reason he came to learn much later in the future. Helpless he laid on the ground as in her final moment she was brutally tortured by the Golden King. Her sight taken and heart crushed, mocked and made fun of by that bastard till the end. How powerless he felt at that time, how little he could have done if Rin hadn't stopped him. He hated himself for not having held the power to change the outcome. A regret that grew substantially after he learned about Kiritsugu’s history with the Einzbern and the possible connection to his father. And now this feeling of helplessness came back, further amplified by the fact he was getting saved again when he didn't do anything to deserve it. And that… made him feel a sensation of fury. Not again. Never again. No matter what… He was going to save her. His feet dug through the ground, breaking the soil as he let Magical Energy flood his circuits to their limits.“I am the bone of my sword!”  ...Chapter 10: Aftermath -Midchilda-It was supposed to be a simple routine patrol. Their team gathered at the auction to survey the surroundings and ensure the artifacts weren't damaged or stolen. With the recent attack on the convoy, security had been increased tremendously according to Hayate. Their group specifically was asked to take part in this auction and safeguard everything, including the guests due to their prior experience of having dealt with those drones. Herself and Subaru were asked to survey the southern region, the forest more specifically. With Subaru's rollerblades and her eyesight, she was certain that nothing would escape their watch. ‘Then again, the surveillance team is also keeping watch, they'll most likely spot anything before us.’ “This is quite boring, isn't it?” her teammate commented with a sigh, having grown tired of walking around the area for the better part of an hour. “While I'm happy we get involved with such important missions, it just doesn't feel fulfilling with us just walking around for a bit before going back.”“I think we would be more useful if we could guard the inside of the auction,” Teana gave her own thoughts on the matter, neither agreeing nor denying it. She also had a small part of her mind wondering about the same topic. “But there is no point putting too much thought with such things, better we just focus on our current task.” Ever since the attack on the train by those drones, each programmed to seek out precious artifacts, it made sense why their team was called onto the scene given their prior experience dealing with such entities.Another piece of important information was the anti-magic capability of those drones. Teana didn't know if they would have been able to take down these entities without their devices; Erio himself had nearly been hit by the inability to use his spear by surprise.Her guns wouldn't have worked, and Subaru wouldn't have been able to deliver any kind of damage without her devices. Back then, for a brief moment, she honestly worried that their first mission would end in failure or with one of their members getting hurt. A possible outcome that Teana knew would have weighed on her mind for ages, hindering many future assignments and her own confidence.Nonetheless, they somehow succeeded, with Shirou having used his blades, those weapons sharp enough to be characterized as devices themselves yet completely different. Her hands and body still shook at the memory of getting hit by his weapons, especially Subaru who took a rather strong strike from him during their first duel bringing it up from time to time. It still shocked her to realize that he had been holding back, even without Nanoha having to reveal that tidbit afterward. ‘Yet he continued to deny it.’ When she brought up the topic, the boy never gave her a straight answer, merely saying that he had a hard time against them. Whether that was a lie or truth she could not say, but one thing Teana became certain of was that he could beat them once again, and it wouldn't be because of luck.She… she still had a lot to do to become stronger.“What happened with Shirou?” Subaru asked, curious about the whereabouts of their certain redheaded teammate. “I thought we were supposed to be patrolling together… don't tell me he lost track of time and is hanging out with Nanoha-san” Teana shook her head in response, “No, I don't think they would waste that much time, and Nanoha-san will be together with Hayate-san and Fate-san. Shirou should be coming over anytime soon, he can always ask the communication team for our whereabouts or just contact us.” Not to mention, they had already been briefed on their duties and groups. Shirou initially was to act as reinforcement and support, joining and helping any teammates who needed his help or joining them if he was nearby.“Speaking of Shirou, don't you think he has been behaving a bit oddly these last few days? It wasn't clear at first, but he's definitely acting more absentminded and… stressed. Even with our packed schedule and training classes I manage to spot it.” A statement with which Teana agreed to. While she was spending some extra time in the training field to improve her aim after finding out the gap between her and him when it came to accuracy — she noticed the man was less talkative and involved. “It would seem so, though he doesn't try to show it, but it's clear there is something always on his mind that is distracting him. And from what I gathered, Nanoha-san seems to be involved with it as well.”"Again with those two? Is it just me, or are they spending a lot of time together recently? Even outside of training, I heard from a friend who works near the arcade that she spotted those two together," a small grin appeared on her face as she whispered to the gunslinger. "Hey, what chance do you think there might be of those two dating?"That came out of nowhere for Teana, the young girl looking at her friend with disbelief, such a thought not even crossing her mind before the latter brought it up. "Those two dating? Are you sure that they are not just being friendly with one another?"Not that she had any experience with such things, but the dynamic between those two, though very close, did not seem to be something people who are dating one another would have, at least, that's not what she learned from seeing other couples together. They behaved similarly to what one would see from close friends, in her opinion at least."Shirou is very unfamiliar with his surroundings obviously, and the fact of the matter is that he doesn't have any connections other than us. So it makes sense why Nanoha-san is always with him, she's just helping Shirou around and familiarizing him with the city. I don't think that would make them lovers or interested in one another.”But Subaru did not share her sentiment. "You're not thinking it with the right mindset, maybe they are just putting up a front, choosing to keep this matter a secret from all of us."That sounded even more unlikely."I think you've been watching too many dramas lately, Subaru. And I know Shirou doesn't seem to be the kind of person who would keep such a secret from us. And why even try to hide it? If Nanoha-san were seriously going out with Shirou then I don't see why there would be any issues in the first place," she said with a stern voice, while her friend continued to giggle in amusement. "Not to mention, Shirou is a terrible liar. Remember last time when he tried to lie to us about whether or got hurt or not from your attack during our training?""Hehehehe, I remember, he couldn't even keep a straight face the entire time and flinched whenever I tried to pat his back. But it's his fault for trying to train without using his Barrier Jacket just because he was curious about how strong my kicks actually were!" A strike he tried to block without using his swords, a decision she knew he regretted afterward after forming a human-sized hole inside a wall."Then there you have it, neither of those two would lie to us and it is very unlikely for there to be such a relationship between them," as the duo continued to gossip about the relationships between the members of their team, their earpieces suddenly rang with the hurried voice of a woman speaking through them. "Emergency, please know that we have spotted gadget drones type one land models around thirty, no, thirty-five of them approaching. Followed by type three land models, multiple readings found, at least a few dozens of them and counting! How did no one before us catch so many of them!?” The feminine voice spoke urgently with a grave tone, both of the girls stopping whatever they were talking about. “Agent Subaru, agent Teana, there are more of these entities spotted in the southern region, please be advised that our scanners have located over multiple dozens of such machines heading your way right now!” Teana, grasp her gun with a tighter grip, determined to perform much better now than before. "We heard you loud and clear and will make sure to clear them out. Have you spotted any models similar to the one possessing an anti magic field?" Now, the girl preferred to be more cautious, still holding some mixed feelings over their last mission. So she wanted to be fully prepared and not caught off guard. "It's hard to say, our scanners haven't picked up such a model so far, but with how many of them keep on appearing, we can't be too sure about this. So it's best to keep cautious and not get caught off guard.” "Speak of the devil," as soon as Subaru said that, a swarm of drones emerged from the treelines. Same models that Teana remembered destroying on the train. "Don't worry about them, I'll take care of each of them on my own, Blitz Caliber!" her teammate said with confidence, activating her device as bright white light formed around both her hands and legs. Not wasting a single second, she rushed forward with haste, filled with energy as she pummeled each drone one by one with precision. "Oryah!" she shouted with vigor, darting around the forest with great speed thanks to her rollerblades. Beams of energy attacks fired from the swarm, each one of them dodged expertly or punched in pieces — all of her senses focused to their limits. “Like that will stop me!” With the distance between them closed with record speed, the girl grinned sharply while clenching her fists going for an overhead smash."Huh," her fist swung downwards, yet missed the target as the latter moved away at the last second. “Tch!” A sliver of frustration bloomed within her heart, not willing to let this matter slide the mage moved with more enemy behind her moves. Following with a perfectly executed sweep with her feet, sparks flying everywhere as the rollerblades sunk into a metal shell with little effort, destroying the drone as a small fiery explosion illuminated the surroundings. “Almost thought I was losing my to—”"—Careful!" Her body froze at Teana’s worried voice, momentarily sighting a drone that managed to sneak up her blindspot, preparing to shoot her at point blank range. Fortunately, a bullet shot through and pierced the machine right in the center, saving Subaru from getting hit. "Thanks!" Subaru smiled at her friend, her grin turning into a frown soon after as she cursed herself from making such a rookie mistake. “I'm not going to hold back anymore! Revolver Shoot!” The fight continued, her fists gauntlet glowing with power as a sonic shockwave tore through a series of drones all around her — causing a chain reaction of explosions as Teana continued to provide support. But one aspect caught her attention, especially when she noticed that her attacks started to miss their targets more and more often."Hey, something is up with these drones! They keep moving out of the way before I can land a hit. It's almost as if—""—as if they are learning from our movements and adapting," Teana finished her words, loading her revolver with more bullets and shooting up the remaining drones. "I don't know what's going on, but these are definitely upgraded models. Just don't give them time to adapt, destroy as much as you can as soon as possible!" As the relentless battle wore on, each drone shot down by Teana or crushed by Subaru seemed to be replaced by two more emerging from the dense woods. Piles of twisted metal debris accumulated around them, the forest echoing with the sounds of splintering trees and breaking foliage. Despite the overwhelming odds, they refused to yield, their determination unwavering as they steadily pushed forward, determined to trace the origin of these machines.“Look, we got reinforcement!” Subaru exclaimed, waving at the airship descending from the sky and laying waste on the remaining machines with ease. “Should we check up on the others?” Teana nodded, pressing her earpiece. "Shirou, how are you doing?" Given he hadn't been able to join them yet, Teana worried about him, hoping that he was not stuck in a corner forced to handle so many of these drones all by himself. Despite knowing that he was more than capable of handling himself, she just wanted to have peace of mind. Yet no response came from the other side for a good minute. "Shirou?" She called his name again, getting a bad feeling in her gut as no response came from the other side. ‘Don't tell me he's in trouble…’ There was just no way, even when alone the man showed enough capabilities to handle himself from different kinds of challenges and this was without taking into account the addition of his Barrier Jacket. But given what they faced today had been upgraded from their previous versions, the possibility that whoever was behind this to particularly create something to counter his abilities was not out of the realm of possibility. "No, it can't be something like that," despite her rational and logical side trying to calm her down and make sense of her teammate's silence, she couldn't help but further get stressed. "Subaru, he's not answering me! We should go over." "Right behind you!" With their next course of action clear, they upped their game and started to cleave through the next wave of drones. Teana fully focused on only aiming for those who continued to dodge Subaru with her honing bullet spell. In a matter of minutes, they soon reached the other side of the region as the number of drones started to clear. "Signum-san!" Subaru spotted the pink haired wolkenritter in the distance, the latter using her blade to cleave through every enemy with unmatched elegance and ferocity. Showing no signs of tiredness or anything like that, a sight that made both girls marvel at the woman's skills. “Hm?” Having heard someone call her name, she looked behind and had her eyes and smile widened at their presence. "Ah, it's you two! Have you done securing your area?" "Yes, it took a little bit more effort, but we managed to destroy each and every one of the drones. There have also been reinforcements sent there to make sure that no more of them re-emerge," Teana informed, looking around the difference in outcome. While their battle damaged a large area of the forest, with Signum there was hardly any major damage other than the burning carcasses or the drones. No cut branch and slash marks on the trunks.Though, she did notice in the distance a large number of crater—"—Ah!" A small yell escaped her mouth as a shadow crushed through a number of drones and trees right next to her, the impact strong enough to nearly make the girl fall on her butt. ‘I got so distracted, I didn't see those drones behind me,’ she chided herself inside her mind, looking up in the sky to find a familiar person. "Vita-san!" she called out to her, another woman just like Signum. Despite not having interacted with her that much, she had heard a lot of stories about her. "Thank you for the help!" Teana said to the woman, the latter noticing their arrival and making her way down to join them. "Ah, what are you two doing here? Did you manage to clear the southern region?" Vita asked, Teana giving her the same answer as what she told Signum. But one matter continued to boil inside her mind, a small question that grew with each passing second before she was unable to stop herself from asking, "Where is Shirou?" Upon closer inspection of her surroundings, she realized the man was nowhere to be seen, intensifying her growing concern. Had he truly remained inside with Nanoha? This scenario seemed unlikely, as the redhead was not known for keeping such actions secret from others.A strange face befell upon Signum, the latter looking at Vita to answer it instead. Their exchange was not missed by both Teana and Subaru. "Oh, him… Hehehehe!” Vita scratched her chin with a sheepish expression. “Well… he was here with me not a few minutes ago, you just missed him after I kinda struck him away with my hammer," she replied casually, pointing in the general direction of where she shot him towards."Excuse me?" Teana had to repeat her words, unable to believe the redhead as she said that, thinking that perhaps she had misunderstood something. But much to her surprise, Vita grinned and pointed at her hammer. "Hold up, it wasn't my fault, he's the one who insisted. I don't know what happened, but I think he saw something in the distance and wanted me to get him there as quickly as possible using any means possible. Well, I think he didn't like the idea of just jumping down and running over there or for me to create an air platform to guide him there — something about how it would have taken too long or something. So I just aimed and swung, he should be fine with that Barrier Jacket having taken most of the impact.”Gobsmacked at that revelation, Teana looked at Wolkenritter with disbelief, unable to believe she agreed to do such a thing! Seeing her reaction and Subaru's, Vita averted eye contact, “I thought it was a good plan… it takes guts to pull such a stunt just to catch someone and I didn't want to say no.” She whispered, getting an eye roll from Signum, the knight knowing that her fellow fighter was just too caught into the heat of the moment and agreed without thinking much. “You two go to him, if he needs any help then at least you'll be there as reinforcement. Vita and I will remain here and drive off any remnants of these drones. But just because their numbers have gone down doesn't mean you are allowed to lower your guard, understood?” ordered the pink haired Knight.“Understood!” As soon as they said that, Teana pushed her feet against the ground with all her strength. Rushing through the treelines while Subaru kept up pace with little issue. “You are too worried about him, Teana. While I agree it wasn't smart for Shirou to off on his own without asking us to tag along, he's still a freaking strong mage.”Of course she knew that, having seen the monstrous amount of talent that boy had opened her eyes at how unfair the world was. While she trained for years with the gun just to reach her current level, overcoming countless trials and tribulations during her time in the academy… she still fell flat to the likes of him. Having never used a gun he said, telling her that he was less than a newbie when handling such weapons. A fact that actually made her happy, a growing desire to actually take on the role of a mentor figure to teach him how to handle a gun. To guide, correct and impart as much as she knew to him and gain a strange sense of fulfillment from it. It sounded fun when she thought about it at first, having never taken the role of a teacher, she really looked forward to it in case Shirou agreed to learn shooting with a gun. Yet that dream came crashing down and burned to ashes as soon as the red-headed man decided to do some target practice, each of his shots ending up perfectly on the bullseye. Not a sign of hesitation, no stumbling around and missing a couple of shots like she imagined. Everything went perfectly, as if she stared at a marksman with years of experience under his belt instead of someone who just picked up a gun. It made no sense, she even believed that Shirou played a prank on her! No one could be that good with a weapon they just picked up!Yet if that wasn't enough, he decided to miss his following shot and dared to say, “I wanted to feel what it felt like to miss a shot.”It was at that moment that she was forced to come to the realization that sometimes… raw unimaginable talent could trump hard work. The world just wasn't fair, but she refused to buckle under the pressure so easily. To waste away her years of experience just because someone happened to be born with a gift. ‘One day, maybe not tomorrow or even next month. But one day I'll surpass him and reach a level that even he would need to work hard to attain.’ Not that Shirou even thrived to become a gunslinger, his expertise lying with the blade and bow. But still, Teana wanted to pursue that desire regardless and become stronger than her past self. Yet even when she knew what kind of capable person Shirou was, even after seeing the raw potential he possessed as a gunslinger… enough to make anyone frustrated why he didn't try to get more familiar with that weapon instead… he wasn't invincible. Unlike Nanoha, Fate or Hayate who she knew and saw the extent of their powers, Shirou did not come close to their levels. She feared that the situation could get too much to handle for him. As Teana's breath grew labored, her eyes scanned the landscape, taking in the shattered remnants of various drone models strewn across the ground. The telltale signs of a fierce battle were evident, etched in the scorched earth and twisted wreckage surrounding her. Gritting her teeth in determination, she pressed on, fueled by the urgency to uncover the truth behind the onslaught.“Just what happened here,” Subaru said, looking around the destroyed terrain filled with cut marks on the trees and ground. “Did he manage to find the person behind this? Some of these marks remind me of a pierce attack from a spear rather than sword, yeah… definitely a spear user. I remember one of Erio’s attacks having left a similar mark on a tree before but this one is larger and deeper.” Was this truly the work of the mastermind behind the drone attacks? The proximity to the auction raised questions about their motives—why risk exposure in such a manner? The situation seemed perplexing, hinting at the possibility of multiple perpetrators or an ulterior motive driving this individual's presence.Unfortunately, her train of thoughts soon came to an end as she and Subaru spotted three figures in the distance. “What the…” first thing that registered in her mind was the middle aged man on the ground, covered in wounds and cuts on his clothes with a discarded spear near his feet. “Shirou!” Relief flooded the girls' hearts, even if they knew nothing bad would happen to their teammate, it was more reassuring watching him be safe and sound with their own eyes. Weird, who was that little girl in front of him?She guessed her to be around ten or eleven years old at most, around the same age as Erio's and Caro. Having a large good obscuring some parts of her face with what appeared to be a glove-shaped device on her hand! “An enemy…” She couldn't see any blades or ranged weapons around her, making her and Subaru be on guard. Shirou hadn't noticed them, neither did the girl in fact. Both people seemingly caught in their own little world, a tense one where the redhead was on his knee with a hand extended towards her. A warm smile on his face, his gesture both inviting and showing no signs of hostility. To their surprise, the young girl pushed him away. Believing it to be an attempt of escaping — a possibility they soon found out to be completely wrong. “Hm?” Teana's senses suddenly blared, freezing up her body as an intense chill ran up her spine. Time slowed down as everything became clearer, especially a white beam of light shining within the distance. Growing larger and larger before becoming the size of a human before she even had time to blink. “—!?” A trap.One setup for Shirou, she didn't need to be an expert to figure out the power output of that attack. The intense light which started to become painful to even see heating up her skin with the sense of dread washing all over her. ““SHIROU!!!!””What was going on?Who was trying to kill him?For what?He wouldn't be able to survive that, regardless whether he had the Barrier Jacket, that device of his had a limit. Her mind raced with hundreds of thousands of thoughts, all frantically trying to find a way to save the man. But the cold hard reality struck her across the face as came to face the truth, that once again her powers were simply far too lacking to make any sort of difference. In desperation she poured every bit of Mana within her device, screaming in frustration even with all her effort she just couldn't even come close to completing any spell when the beam had practically reached Shirou and the girl. ‘I’m sor—’“Rho… Aias!” In a fleeting moment, she caught the words escaping his lips, their significance not lost on her keen ears. Suddenly, as if time slowed for just an instant, she beheld a mesmerizing sight: a delicate flower bud unfurling before her eyes. Within the blink of an eye, the bud blossomed into a magnificent floral construct, its six petals unfurling with graceful precision. In perfect harmony, six protective barriers materialized around the flower, just as the impending attack struck. The resulting explosion unleashed a powerful shockwave, engulfing everything in its path, including Teana and Subaru.‘That… doesn't look like a device… or any spell I know of.’ “Aaaah!” As the oncoming wind buffeted them relentlessly, both girls instinctively shielded their faces, grappling to maintain their balance against the ferocious onslaught. The collision erupted in a deafening cacophony, assaulting their ears with a piercing intensity. Amidst the chaos, a resounding crash reverberated through the air, drawing their attention forward. To Teana's dismay, she witnessed one of the protective layers splintering under the force of the impact, fracturing into jagged shards. Yet just to break through that one layer seemed to have used up all of the beam’s energy“Kya!” With a cry of pain, one of the girls was violently propelled backward, her body slamming into the unforgiving trunk of a nearby tree. The impact threatened to engulf her in darkness, her senses reeling from the sheer force of the blow....As the dust gradually settled, particles danced in the air before gently cascading back to the ground, revealing the aftermath of the intense clash. Teana coughed, brushing off the clinging dust from her clothes, while she heard Subaru doing the same nearby. “Are you okay, Teana?” Subaru's concerned voice cut through the lingering haze, prompting a weary groan from her friend in response. “Man, what the hell was that!?” Subaru's exclamation mirrored Teana's own bewilderment, leaving her grappling for answers she didn't possess. What was that flower-shaped shield at the end? She wracked her brain but couldn't recall Nanoha or Hayate ever providing Shirou with such a device, and it certainly didn't resemble any spell he'd recently learned. With a multitude of questions swirling in her mind, she pushed them aside for the moment, her focus shifting to the site of the energy clash. Clutching Cross Caliber tightly in her hand, she stumbled toward the dissipating dust cloud, her thoughts consumed by concern for Shirou. Finally, as the dust settled completely, Teana's eyes found the sight of the redhead kneeling on the ground, cradling a young girl in one arm, her head pressed protectively against his chest. “Your hand…” Teana's gaze fell upon Shirou's right hand in particular, the one he had used to summon the mysterious construct. His torn sleeve revealed numerous cuts and burns, a stark contrast to its unblemished state moments ago. ‘Weird, he wasn't injured earlier… didn't the shield protect him?’ she wondered silently.Their eyes met in a moment of mutual understanding, Shirou's clear golden-brown orbs locking with Teana's own blue gaze. A faint but serene smile graced his lips, a departure from his usual expression, appearing more genuine and at peace.“This is Lutecia,” he murmured softly, his touch tender as he stroked the young girl's hair, coaxing her to awaken. As Lutecia's eyes fluttered open, filled with a mix of disbelief and uncertainty, Shirou continued, his voice gentle yet resolute, “From now on, she'll be under my care.”Teana found herself overwhelmed by an ever-growing list of questions.{Break}-???-Odd, he couldn't recall the last time he found himself here. Sitting in a fog-infested area, the redhead found himself immersed in his surroundings. The picturesque sky, bathed in twilight, peacefully stretched overhead as he sat atop a rock surrounded by swords. Weapons stabbed into the ground, their numbers closing into the tens of thousands and reaching for as far as the eye could see. The space was extremely familiar to Shirou, a place that resonated with his very nature, laying his truest self open like a book for anyone present to witness. Yet, despite the breathtaking scene and calm atmosphere, Shirou neither smiled nor felt inclined to show any kind of expression on his face."Would you look at that, even when thrown into another world, you can't help but meddle in the affairs of others," a deep voice remarked sarcastically, coming from the side where he didn't need to turn his head around to find out who it was."That's rich coming from you. Though I would like to ask, why are you even here? I doubt you'll give me any answers," he muttered to himself, knowing he wouldn't receive a response. He knew that it was a waste of time to act m or even try to raise his sword against that man. “You are only inviting more trouble, you can barely handle yourself now and are willing to go this far for someone who is basically a stranger. I want to call you foolish, an idiot even, but I believe you know that already — especially when trusting people making empty promises.Empty promises huh… perhaps that was the truth, but he still held hope and trusted Nanoha, Hayate and Fate. As unlikely as it might be for them to fulfill their promises, he came to accept his presence in this world. “Have you truly?” The man said, as if able to read his mind. “Or are you just putting up a front, trying to deceive yourself with such words in order to not deal with fallout. Emiya Shirou at the end of the day still cares about the people from his past, and completely letting go of them is just not an option for you, isn't it?” The redhead unconsciously clenched his hands, a frown appearing on his face as he failed to come up with any retort against those words. But there was still one fact the other person overlooked, “I care about these people, I'm not going to abandon them.” “Humph,” the man scoffed, whether it be out of amusement, a form of mockery or frustration he couldn't tell — most likely all of them. “My words hold up furthermore in this instant, you must have realized this as well. You can't help everyone. It doesn't matter how strong you'll get, how many weapons that will eventually fill this land or how strong you forge your will… but you'll reach an unavoidable crossroad where you'll have to make a choice.” “Then I will choose both,” Shirou did not waste time giving his answer without a hint of doubt. He heard a deep sigh.“You're a lost cause.” “Who knows how long I'll have to wait, but I don't doubt Nanoha’s sincerity. I'm honestly not worried that I'll be stuck here forever, so in the meantime, I'll return the favor and help them.” Shirou stood up, looking up at the clear sky before turning his head to confront the person behind him. Golden brown stared at steel gray, one side judging the other without a word for a few seconds. "They'll need a miracle to pull that off, I reckon. Despite the advancements in magic and technology in this world, there are still limitations" "I know, though it won't keep me from helping these people. You, of all people, should know that, I made it clear the last time we met." he retorted with a hint of amusement, unable to suppress his smirk as the man frowned. Shirou noticed his surroundings turning hazy. Knowing where he was, he looked back at the man whose figure started to dissipate. If it had truly been him, Shirou would have swung a couple of attacks at the bastard. "Don't grow delusional, last time we met I had to save your skin like I always do, unfortunately. Hah, I still can't imagine how Rin managed to handle you for this long. Perhaps this in itself is a feat of True Magic. Hopefully, the Clocktower doesn't slap her with a Sealing Designation just for that," he mused. Shirou rolled his eyes. "I don't know about that, something tells me that the arrow at the end was aimed at both Gilgamesh and myself. Even in a dream, you can't help being a complete jerk, Archer." As the world slowly turned dark and his consciousness began to awaken, Shirou heard a faint chuckle. "You have no one to blame but yourself for that."This guy… always had to have the last word....“Hmmm,” a groan sounded within the room.The sunlight seeped through the curtains, forcing Shirou to wake up as its bright rays irritated his eyes. Accustomed to the sound of rain or the hum of cars outside, the peaceful and quiet atmosphere felt alien to him. It lacked the familiar chirping of birds he was used to from his house in Fuyuki. Midchilda, despite being a highly advanced civilization, still had plenty of untouched land and architecture in some areas that reminded him of the middle ages. Relics of the past that were renovated again and again, this leading to some areas having a similar feel to what he experienced back in his house. Unfortunately, his current apartment was located near the center with little space for a beautiful forest or any sort of wildlife. Even the complex he lived with Rin in London had some greenery around. But all in all, it was still a comfortable place that suited his needs."Damn it... I forgot to set the alarm," he muttered, his voice laced with fatigue as he reached for his phone to check the time. His body felt sore, tired and not that well rested at all, a sensation he rarely felt in the past even after getting three hours of sleep in the shed. His throat felt raspy, dried out as if he hadn't drank water for an entire day.“Am I… sleeping on the floor?” With a single look around he found his bed on the other end of the room left completely untouched. His back complained from the slightest movement, forcing a sigh out of the redhead’s mouth. “I've gotten too used to sleeping on a mattress.”A part of him wanted to joke that he was getting far too old for this but held back. Given it was already morning, Shirou rubbed his face and believed it was high time for him to freshen up. Pushing himself up, the man immediately noticed a weight on him. Looking below he was surprised to find a bundle of purple hair nestled next to him, her head layed comfortably on his stomach, using it as a pillow as she slept peacefully. A blanked out around her body with a game controller, empty bag of chips and snacks littering the floor around them. “Ah, guess we played too much last night.” No wonder he felt like crap, going to sleep with nothing but chips and junk food for dinner, what nothing short of a sin!‘But she was eyeing these snacks at the store and I didn't want to deny her that…’ he had even lost track of time last night after Subaru came over with a gift, a retro console of sorts that looked similar to what his world offered but with a completely different look. Safe to say, Lutecia had taken a liking to it and both of them decided to have a go with it all night. “Couldn’t even beat her once… she's scarily good at such things.” He thought with a chuckle, finding the entire thing very amusing.“Alright, best to make something nutritious and healthy to balance out what she had yesterday.” He didn't want her to get an upset stomach due to his own negligence. Shirou had to remind himself that it'd be better if he taught her the importance of a proper diet at an early age. Carefully lifting the girl up, Shirou placed her on the bed as he went on to do his daily chores. From cleaning the mess they created, some quick shopping at the closest grocery store and finally starting to cook some food which he deemed to be critical for the young girl's growth. "Good morning, Lutecia," Shirou gently called out, approaching her bedside with a soft nudge to rouse the slumbering girl. She looked peaceful, resembling a child her age in her sleep, yet he knew there was still much to be done to fulfill his promise. "Time to rise and shine. We have important matters to attend to today," he continued, coaxing her gently from her sleep. Following the attack at the auction house, finding the culprit remained their top priority. After deploying his defensive noble phantasm to ensure Lutecia's safety, Shirou stayed behind while Subaru and Tiana pursued the assailant. Initially met with resistance from the girls, who were concerned for his well-being and eager to tend to his wounds, Shirou insisted on his decision, prioritizing their mission's success above all else. Regrettably, the perpetrator who launched the beam attack managed to slip away, taking Zest's unconscious body with them. There was no sign of anyone approaching to carry him off, leading Subaru to speculate that a teleportation spell was involved. Regardless, at least he knew the man was most likely still alive or they wouldn't have bothered to even risk getting him back and could have been killed at any given opportunity."Mmm," Lutecia murmured sleepily, having nestled comfortably into the bed. But she managed to rouse herself enough to open her eyes, prompting a smile from Shirou at her momentarily bewildered expression. "Shirou...?" she called out, her voice barely audible in her drowsy state. Cute as it looked and part of him wishing that it was a better idea to just let the little one get more sleep. But unfortunately, her presence was required. "Come on, time to get ready," Shirou gently lifted her from the bed as she yawned, his movements practiced and precise. Leading her to the bathroom, he exuded a sense of familiarity, as if he had performed this routine countless times before. "Open wide.""I can manage," Lutecia protested softly, asserting her independence as she took the toothbrush from him. “I'm not so helpless that I can't do such things by myself.”"Very well. Now, sit back and let me brush your hair," Shirou instructed, comb in hand. With gentle strokes, he worked through her hair, careful not to cause any discomfort but thorough enough to ensure each strand was tended to."You seem skilled at this," Lutecia remarked, her curiosity piqued by his expertise."I used to help a friend with her hair every morning. She wasn't much of a morning person, so I ended up taking on the role of her personal assistant," Shirou explained, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "She's the reason I'm familiar with these tasks."Lutecia gave him a skeptical look. "Don't tell me you brushed her teeth too…”Shirou chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I may have attempted it once as a prank. She didn't notice until halfway through, and let's just say she wasn't pleased." Apart from this, he also continued to recount multiple other similar stories, having a trove full of them from the entire time he spent in London. A few even including a time he became an actual butler for Luvia, a part time job he did not mind doing it again. Again, his response caused the girl to stare at him weirdly. “There, all done.” With her hair now primed and proper, both went to the dining room where Lutecia had her eyes open wide by the amount of food present on the table. The aroma wafted to her nose and created her mouth to salivate the next second. From two plates of a full English breakfast, two cups filled with some kind of soup, pickled vegetables, pancakes with butter, rice, a whole grilled fish and a full jug of juice. She shakily pointed at the table, unable to believe he did all of that in such a short amount of time. “T-This…”“Oh this?” A disappointed look crossed his face. “Hah, I wanted to cook something nutritious and filling for us, but I forgot to buy some groceries yesterday, so we'll have to eat only this much for today. I'll make sure to cook twice as much for lunch, wait… there should be some eggs left over in the fridge for some omurice.” “Are you trying to kill me?” She looked at him with a squinted glare, keeping eye contact until Shirou's lips twitched before breaking into a chuckle. “I'm just messing with you, Subaru and Teana will be joining as well. Those two eat as much as they weigh, but don't tell them I said that.” It was fun seeing the trace of fear and shock within her eyes as she looked at the table filled with food. Just as if it were planned, a knock sounded at the door."Shirou! I'm starving out here!" Subaru's voice carried through the door, a declaration of his morning hunger likely to rouse the entire neighborhood from their slumber. "Shh! Keep it down, Subaru! What if people are still sleeping?" Teana chimed in, her own voice not much quieter than Subaru's."I can smell cooking from the other side, he's definitely awake," Subaru replied confidently. "No one else on this floor—or the floors above or below—cooks like him. Everyone else just buys pre-made food.""You seem to know a lot about our neighbors' eating habits," Teana  observed."I've had conversations with the residents from time to time. They're friendly people," Subaru explained nonchalantly.“When? I'm always with you…” It sounded like Teana got distracted by that piece of information. “Anyways, we still shouldn't be making too much unnecessary noise and bugging Shirou everyday for breakfast is not a good image.” They continued to have their little back and forth, their little arguments against one another being heard by Lutecia who didn't show much of a reaction in the first place. “They are loud.” She commented, something which he could not disagree with. “That they are, but you'll like them, that I can guarantee you.” Before he could even go over and open the door, a third voice appeared. “Oh? You two sure are quite lively this early in the morning.” He didn't need to look to recognize Nanoha's voice, her presence catching him off guard as the woman was not usually one to visit his house. Not keeping them waiting any longer, Shirou went over and opened the door. Greeting the three women with a smile on his face as Subaru and Teana walked inside. Nanoha on the other hand stayed behind, “Good morning, Shirou, I hope everything has been going smoothly for you two.” She said while looking at Lutecia in the background, the duo mages trying to converse with her but unable to get much of a word out of her as she just focused on her plate. “She's shy,” he said. “Don't worry, she'll get used to Subaru and Teana soon enough and be more open with them. This environment is still new for her, she just needs time to adapt and become more comfortable. She's still a bit closed off, but it's better than working with someone who was just using her as a tool.”A difficult expression appeared on Nanoha's face, one which he spotted and guessed the reason behind. “Will I be in trouble for my decision?” He asked calmly. “It’s not that… Hayate and I are more than willing and determined to support you with this decision, but unfortunately, not everyone is as comfortable with the idea of granting so much freedom to Lutecia.” “They want to lock away a child?” A small edge was added to his voice. “No, no I wouldn't allow that to happen, you can trust me. But a particular member of the higher-ups has been rather vocal of this matter. He believes that at the very least, Lutecia should be under observation and monitored by specific agents under his command. By his own words, ‘To make sure she's not a spy trying to infiltrate our ranks through the back door.’, I think you understand where I'm going with this.” Shirou wanted to scoff out loud but held back, “That person clearly isn't a big fan of me.” Nanoha chuckled, “Don’t worry, he's like that with Hayate-chan as well. But yes, unfortunately, despite our different opinions and view on the matter — his words still hold weight and importance within the Time Space Administrative Bureau and it can't be easily ignored. Not to mention he's accusing you of purposefully withholding important information about owning devices. But he also can't act on his own without consequences, so rest assured we will make sure he doesn't make things unnecessarily difficult for you. Let's instead focus on other things for now, like finding the one who tried to hurt you.” She said with a smile that looked a bit scary in Shirou's opinion. Now that he thought about it, according to Hayate, Nanoha was particularly shocked when they saw the footage of him nearly getting hit by the beam attack. Activating her device in the middle of the auction surrounded by guests and shooting straight past the ceiling the next second. He warmed his heart to know he had such a caring friend, but he also tried to convey to the woman that he was more than capable of handling himself. Though for some reason that made her more angry… What did he say wrong?“We'll find them eventually, I'm not too worried about that right now.” Once again he felt like those words weren't the best to utter as the person before him frowned further. “How can you say that when they already tried to kill you not that long ago? What's to say they aren't coming up with a plan to do so again right now and in a more efficient way?” “I'll be fine,” he waved her words away with a confident smile, though a hint of exhaustion lingered in his eyes. “It's not the first time someone has tried to take my life, and it certainly won't be the last — I've grown used to it.”“There is so much wrong with what you've just said, Shirou…” Nanoha's concern was evident in her voice, her brows furrowing with worry.“You think so? It's not that big of a deal, I'm still standing here, aren't I?” Shirou tried to downplay the severity of the situation, but Nanoha wasn't convinced.“I think it might be better for someone else to stay with you, someone who can actually protect you when things get dangerous. I'll talk to Hayate about arranging for me to move in as your neighbor, or I can stay here temporarily,” Nanoha suggested, her tone serious but with a hint of warmth. “There should be another empty room, or we can arrange for us to move into a bigger apartment.”“Hahaha, you're funny, Nanoha.” Shirou chuckled, appreciating her sense of humor even in moments of tension. The idea of having more people around, especially someone as capable as Nanoha, did offer a sense of reassurance. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have her around to keep an eye on things, especially with Lutecia's safety in mind — not like it was normal for them to live together in the first place.“...”Why was she quiet?“You were joking… right?” “...”She didn't say anything before walking inside, leaving the man speechless at the front door. ‘... I should have kept my mouth shut..’{Break}-???-“Damn it!” Within a spacious room, a clenched hand struck against a computer's control panel. The voice filled with anger and frustration that a few of the girls standing flinched. “What is the meaning of this, Quatro? How could you have allowed her to get captured like that!?” Jail Scaglietti shouted at one of his creations, eyes filled with furor after learning about the outcome of their latest mission. What should have been a simple infiltrate and acquire mission ended up costing him one of his most useful assets! “Instead of going after her, you wasted your time on this wastrel!” He gestured towards Zest, who had awakened and received treatment for his wounds. Throughout the proceedings, he remained silent, offering only a basic report before taking his seat. His demeanor showed neither concern nor interest in anything Jail had to say. Jail, well aware of Zest's disdain for him, addressed the man sarcastically. "You must be thrilled, aren't you?"He knew of Zest's repeated attempts to persuade Lutecia against trusting him and the Numbers. However, he never paid much heed to these efforts. Finding them to be more of a source of amusement than a serious threat. After all, Lutecia's unwavering loyalty to them made it clear where her allegiance lay. Jail had no intention of taking any drastic actions against Zest, knowing that they both faced a common enemy.As long as Regius remained a prominent figure in the administration, the spear wielder would never dare to betray them. This fact was one of the reasons why Zest still lingered here, despite Lutecia's absence. A reason why, despite despising it, he would help them get her back one way or the other. Her device was far too valuable to let go so easily and letting the enemy gain such a powerful weapon so easily would do nothing but further tarnish his reputation. “I don't trust you and your empty promises.” Zest replied, getting both the scientist and the numbers thrown at him various disdainful glares. “But I also find you to be the lesser evil. If I had the choice, then I would have preferred to never allow Lutecia to get involved with this situation.” “Yet you failed even at that. Now you can do nothing but sit here thinking about your revenge while the girl will turn into another experiment of theirs.” Jail smirked, glad to see his words had an effect on him. Faint amount of killing intent directed at him, not that his numbers would even allow any harm to befall upon him. “Quatro, you haven't answered my question.” The young bespectacled woman quickly answered. “I-I didn't know Lutecia-sama would actually try and save that person, I even contacted her to jump away to protect herself.” Jail held his head, “That was your mistake, you shouldn't have told her about the attack. Lutecia at the end of the day is a naive child, even when she possesses the capabilities the girl never tried to kill anyone for any reason. You should have just shot the attack, at most she would have gotten some light burns, nothing a day or two of rest couldn't heal.” The killing intent within Zest in the background grew denser, he clenched his teeth noticing the numbers keeping a lookout. “What about the relic?” Once again, Quatro shook her head. “Our drones were intercepted by two members of Riot Force 6, those which were supposed to be our strongest unit were destroyed in battle by Shirou Emiya.” As she said that, Jail tapped a couple of keys on the control panel before a familiar footage appeared on the screen. The same one that showed Shirou cleaving through the drones while keeping pace with Zest. Once again he was impressed by the talent and weapons this person possessed. Those blades… he couldn't find any records about them. Having one of his numbers infiltrate the system to find any mentions of these devices turned out to be a waste of time. They didn't exist, no device with similar appearance and immunity to an anti-magic field was ever successfully created, not that it wasn't attempted. It made him question if these blades were truly a sort of device or another creation entirely. And the boy even used them before he got the Ruby, he needed to know more. But that was not what grabbed his attention. As in the next scene as Shirou kneeled before Lutecia before the beam attack reached him, Jail played close attention to the scene, especially his hand. As right before his eyes, he used some kind of shield spell. Bringing forth a construct resembling a flower of all things that easily blocked an attack of that caliber. “Could it be an undiscovered type of magic? No, that doesn't make sense, I would have heard rumors of such things, but it also can't be a standard device.” The more the mystery around the boy grew, the more Jail was certain of his next course of action. “From now on, we'll delegate our mission of retrieving relics and Lutecia as secondary, our primary goal being to handle Shirou Emiya as soon as possible before he can become a bigger thorn.” Quatro and her sisters nodded their heads, having long since put this person as a particularly troublesome individual. It wasn't his power that they were wary of, but the sheer lack of control information and how he actually managed to take away one of their allies. “I've been playing around with a few toys of mine, an upgrade you can say. Now it seems I got my work cut out for me, I'll make sure that the next time he faces my creations… he won't come out alive.” ...Chapter 11: AgainChapter 11: -Midchilda-Standing near the now barren field once filled with lush greenery, Teana held a pensive gaze, observing the aftermath of the previous confrontation between Riot Force 6 and the unknown drones. Dozens of people were present, and the cleanup crew was here to pick up any remnants of shells and fragments left behind, also ensuring the place was spotless. This endeavor had started a couple of days ago and was nearing its end."Man, it's a shame this spot got wrecked this much. I used to come here with my son every weekend, a perfect area for some light exploring. Just what the hell happened here? It looks like the enemy dropped a bomb here rather than drones... There aren't even any metal scraps in this particular area," she heard one of the crew members mumble in the background. Teana found herself sharing the same sentiment while also recalling the events that transpired over here.A scene that, even now, remained burned within her memories, one she was not able to look past even after having taken a couple of days of rest. Playing repeatedly, each time the details get more pronounced and exaggerated. "This is the place," she whispered and kneeled on top of the blackened ground, scorched by the fires of the impact between the laser and whatever creation Shirou conjured at the very last second.Her hands absentmindedly touched the ground, a small voice in her head wondering if the outcome would be different if she had not been here to begin with. A thought that grated her mind nonstop and was not going away any time soon. "Still not enough. I wasn't able to be much of a help on the field again." A sigh escaped her lips; currently, she was both mentally and physically tired, feeling that even Subaru contributed more in the end.This even further weighed on her mind after watching the footage of Signum and Vita working in perfect unison, having both dominated the sky and ground where the number of drones was the highest with little difficulty. One of the field agents came forward with a tired smile on his face. "Agent Teana, we will finish the cleanup very soon; our team has already begun packing up after the Ground Commander gave us approval. Thank you for your hard work." So that was her cue to leave for the day, a simple duty to watch over the ground in case another surprise attack were to happen, but she was pretty certain that it wouldn't be the case."Alright, I'll leave you to it then." Bidding her farewells, the girl left the area, having already made plans for the day along with Subaru. Hurrying along the road, she rushed towards the center of the city, passing by countless people all watching the news about the recent attack. Such information was plastered on every corner of the street and the news, most of it focusing on the possible perpetrator rather than anything else.Not paying these things any mind, the girl only wanted to focus on honing her skills. "I can't allow that to happen again… I can't fall behind everyone else." Even Caro and Erio showed great progress in their training, advancing leaps and bounds for kids their age. "I don't even want to think about that guy."The image of the red-headed mage appeared in her mind, his nonchalant behavior after beating her in marksmanship, revealing that he never actually tried to use a gun, always opting for his bow and arrow. "Where even is he?" She walked by his apartment this morning to find it empty, him along with that girl whom he decided to rescue and take in. Why he was so adamant about keeping her away from others in the Time-Space Administrative Bureau, she couldn't tell, but it appeared that even Nanoha agreed with his decision.With these thoughts occupying her mind, it didn't take long for Teana to reach her desired location: an elevator leading down to the underground training area she and Subaru attended daily to keep their skills sharp."Hm?" A loud clanging noise caught her attention from the other side, followed by another heavier impact that sounded much more powerful, similar to a loud thud. "Looks like Subaru came in earlier than usual—""—Careful! If you don't hold it properly, you'll cut yourself." A voice that most definitely did not belong to Subaru reached her ears, sounding similar to the boy she was thinking about earlier came from the other side. "I told you it would have been better for you to stay with Fate; at least she has a car and could have given you a tour of the city. Ah, careful there!""You don't need to treat me like a child… I won't get bored just from sitting around for a few hours.” Answered a second voice belonging to a young girl. “Also, I'm perfectly capable of holding such a weapon.""But you ARE a kid.""…"“And I'm being serious, those blades aren't exactly normal, they can cut through steel by simply dropping them.”“Are you sure they aren't devices from an ancient civilization?” she asked again. “Uh… the second part is technically not false, but no it's not a device. Then again, they are just copies rather than the real deal.” Never mind, the voice wasn't just familiar—it was most definitely Shirou! Unknowingly tiptoeing near the door frame, Teana peeked her head around to find him along with Lutecia standing near a field of dismembered wooden dummies, some of them having been completely destroyed into pieces. The boy was no longer wearing his Barrier Jacket but rather a black cuirass armor covering his chest that she hadn't seen before. And next to him, holding the black and white swords, was none other than Lutecia."They... are not real?" The little girl questioned, looking at the weapons, then back at the man behind her. "But I saw you use them against Zest. He went toe to toe with people holding very powerful weapons with that spear and managed to break them, yet he never left a scratch on these swords here." said the girl, giving Shirou a confused look as the next moment the black blade in her hand vanished right before her eyes. She looked back at her empty hand in shock as the sword reappeared within Shirou's hand along with a couple of other similar weapons around him."It would be even weirder if all of them were real, given it would mean that I had someone make me hundreds of copies of the same blade down to the smallest detail and store them within a space created by my Magecraft," Shirou explained, realizing fully the irony of the second part of his sentence, though he rather not bring up the matter of his Unlimited Blades Works. “It's simple Projection spellcasting, uh… kinda complicated to explain in detail but just know they're basically lesser copies.” Shirou imagined a certain golden king getting angry and calling him a mongrel all the way from the other side of reality if he were to hear their conversation."Wait, does that mean you can also copy Intelligent Devices!?" Lutecia asked with an expression of anticipation, looking at him with wonder and sparkly-filled eyes for a brief moment. The wonder on her face was so different from the stoic expression she normally had displayed, catching him off guard for a second. But unfortunately for both him and the girl, he had to shatter that expectation. "Sorry, those are things that I can't replicate."It wasn't like these items were Divine Construct by any means. Those like Rubin were possible, nowhere near as complex or alien as some of the other devices he had seen. He even experimented with the device in his spare time, using reinforcement and alteration on his cloak, just to see what he could and could not do with this world's technology."Your magic is very unusual," Lutecia remarked. “No wonder the doctor was very obsessed with you. He wouldn't stop talking about you after our first meeting.” He shivered at those words, “Somehow those words sound so wrong, imagining a creep ‘obsessed’ over me isn't reassuring.” “I don't know… the doctor you may consider an enemy but he's been very nice to me.” ‘Well because you are a naive child who just lost her mother, not really a challenge for a mad scientist to earn your trust.’ These words played in his mind, nearly slipping out but he made sure to not let his subconscious speak out. She tilted her head as her attention returned to his weapons, “By the way, if copies are already that powerful, then where did you exactly encounter the originals?” “Because a white-haired guy who didn't know when to shut up and an adult-sized blonde psychotic brat with arrogance the size of a country kept throwing their swords at me every so often. Though the former did save me a couple of times… unfortunately his smug face is too irritating to make me feel any gratitude.” The more he explained, the more worried Lutecia got, looking over him with a worried gaze. “Ah, don't worry, we won't be seeing them anytime soon — hopefully.” “Wait, why are you telling me all of this? You shouldn't be revealing the secrets of your magic to anyone so easily, Shirou.” She huffed, her eyes squinting and looking at him with disapproval. Adorable was what he'd call her at the moment, but held back. “Zest taught me that the more you reveal your powers to the world, the more likely the enemy will create a counter against you.” At that, he just shrugged. “Well, you aren't my enemy anymore, so I'm not worried if you know about the details of my abilities. Nanoha and the others already know about the basics, so I don't mind it.”“I feel like sooner or later you'll be in trouble because more people will know about how your ability works…” “Oh don't worry about that, I'll manage.” “...”While those two conversed with one another, Teana continued to gaze at them from the back, unsure whether she should interfere and possibly ruin the mood. It was a strange fact to discover. Not long ago, Lutecia was a member of a criminal… a terrorist group that nearly killed the man, and now he was taking care of her without any grudges. She herself tried to engage in a conversation with the girl, but it was hard to make any progress with her. The latter was still very wary of everyone else other than Shirou and Nanoha to some degree. Even Caro and Erio had trouble completely getting along with her in their first meeting. "Though if I remember correctly, Subaru is the only other one she is getting along with," she mused. Then again, her friend was a very gifted individual when it came to making friends. She would know, as Subaru did the same with her back in the academy. Her stubbornness knew no bounds, bullheaded with her ways of getting along with someone who admittedly wasn't exactly the nicest at first.In her concentrated state, looking at the two in the distance, Teana failed to notice a presence slowly approaching her from behind. Her body jolted as an arm came to rest across her neck."Well, well, what do we have here? I knew you and Shirou were getting along well, but the last thing I expected was for you to start spying on him," an amused voice teased the girl.“Wah!” Teana jumped away, scared out of her wits at the unexpected presence, jolting around just to find Subaru standing behind her, already wearing her Barrier Jacket. The blue-haired girl showed a big grin on her face, starting to chuckle at her friend's shocked reaction."Hey there, Teana. Didn't expect for you to be done with your duties so early. You're focusing too much on training lately, perhaps you should take a few days to rest. Also, what is going on inside?" Subaru walked forward and peeked inside the room, her curious face turning into one of surprise at the duo inside. "Huh, is it just me, or do those two start to look less and less like a guardian and his protégé, becoming more and more like siblings?"They did give that kind of impression, didn't they? But in her opinion, it was Lutecia who behaved more maturely most of the time, weirdly enough. She almost wanted to joke with Emiya that the girl was actually his bigger sister despite looking so young. Strangely enough, Shirou behaved rather weirdly after hearing that, trying to avoid that conversation before finding an excuse and leaving the apartment to buy groceries. It was a strange situation that made Teana wonder if he actually had some siblings back home and whether or not her words made him remember them."So, how long are we going to hide here from the others?" Subaru asked, causing her friend to hesitate as she didn't know how to answer that, unsure whether going inside now was a good idea after the latter caught her spying on them. Seeing her hesitate, Subaru just rolled her eyes before grabbing her orange-haired friend's wrist and pulling her along.“He-Hey! Wait!”Unfortunately, her words of protest were completely ignored as they swiftly walked onto the field. "Hello, Shirou! You seem to be having fun with Lutecia there. Mind if we join in on the fun?" she said without missing a beat. "We were kinda spying on you two from the corner, and while it was cute seeing you two get along, it's more fun if we joined in.""Subaru!" At that moment, Teana wanted nothing more than to hide in a hole and never come out. “She's just kidding! We've just arrived, and we're hoping to get some training together," she quickly tried to dismiss Subaru's words, hoping that she wouldn't get suspicious or anything like that. "So don't mind us, continue doing whatever you were doing, and we'll just be in the background."She slowly backed away and forcefully grabbed her friend, dragging her away this time while making sure that the latter wouldn't say anything else just to embarrass her.{Break}Bang!Bang!Bang!From the spectator's seat, he sat alongside Lutecia, sipping on a cold drink absentmindedly as he watched the scene before him. The training area held many facilities for anyone dealing with any kind of weapons, along with places like this where he could have a drink or something to eat. Right now, he was absentmindedly watching Teana's session, a strange gaze in his eyes as he noticed one particular detail about her shooting."She's not in the right state of mind," the purple-haired girl answered before he could, casually sipping on a straw of a milkshake he bought for both of them. Her legs swung back and forth as she sat on the chair next to him. "She is getting way too frustrated every time she misses even slightly.”He had to agree with her; the trial was not just a simple target practice with a circle at the end of the range, but rather a machine that sent dozens of rubber balls hurtling towards Teana at different speeds and rates of fire. Her task merely was to shoot them down before they reached and hit her. In the beginning, it was all going smoothly. With just a single gun, she was able to destroy nearly a couple of dozen spheres and dodge a few when they got too close. But as time went on and the fire rate and speed slowly started to escalate, she started to falter."Really, that is to be expected. I don't even think I am capable of deflecting so many attacks at that rate if I had a gun," he conveniently did not mention how it would have been a different story if he used his swords instead. Unfortunately for him, some of the opponents he faced, even after the Holy Grail War, were monsters in their own right. While not as fast as Servants, they were able to move so fast that even his eyes had trouble keeping up, leaving him relying on his guesswork and other senses to compensate. Not like he possessed a Mind’s Eye like Archer… yet."You were much faster against Zest," Lutecia answered with a deadpan face. "And I heard from Nanoha that you are a pretty good gun user, so who knows, you might surprise yourself if you tried."The boy chuckled awkwardly at those words, not having anything else to say. "You're going to keep bringing up that fight at every opportunity, aren't you?""It's the only time I saw you fight, so yes," Lutecia replied matter-of-factly.A third voice chimed in. "Why don't we change that?" Subaru Nakajima said, giving Shirou a quick pat on the back before taking a seat on his left side, a bottle of water in her hands while her clothes were soaked in sweat. Shirou immediately looked away, through pure instinct alone, to avoid any misunderstanding. Unfortunately for him, Subaru noticed. "Oh come on now, you don't have to be so shy about such a little thing. You'll be red as a tomato if we went on a mission and it was raining.""I'm pretty sure your Barrier Jacket would protect you from the water as well," Shirou retorted."That's your best defense?" Subaru said with a grin on her face, one that made him sigh as it only meant she was going to tease even more. "But since you didn't deny my claim, that means you're actually always looking, aren't you?"Her elbow jokingly struck his side a couple of times. Shirou didn't know how to react and just tried to get on with it while Lutecia completely ignored them. His reaction made Subaru start laughing out loud before she waved. "Oh come on, no need to get flustered. I'm just messing with you. You're too easy of a target, Shirou."Too easy of a target? Perhaps it was high time he started to give the girl a taste of her own medicine. He hadn't honed his skills for the past few years, using Rin and Luvia as practice targets without them knowing for nothing!"But seriously, I don't know if you noticed, but Teana has been acting kind of weirdly lately," Subaru continued. Shirou nodded his head, having seen moments where the girl would be absent from her apartment longer than usual, and come back very late at night, exhausted and covered in suit marks. "From day till night, in every possible free time she's given, the girl has been spending time here, honing her skills.”"Ouch!" As if on cue, another rubber sphere managed to breach Teana’s defenses and struck the girl straight in the forehead, sending the mage hurtling backward until her back struck an iron wall. Cross Mirage fell out of her grasp, sliding away till it turned back into its Standby card form."Yeah, that. She's been having that same experience probably a hundred times a day for the past who knows how long. If it weren't for me, then I assure you she would even forget to have her daily meal or to even take a shower," Subaru said with a sigh. He was pretty sure if Teana were to hear the way Subaru worded the phrase, the former would easily aim for the blue-haired girl's head and start shooting. "It's not that her progress is stagnant, but to my eyes, they seem to be getting worse and worse every time I see it," Lutecia answered. Her lips twitched upwards as she witnessed Teana going back for another round and getting belted by more and more spheres, which struck her like a hailstorm. The sight, other than being kind of sad, was also very funny."Yeah, what she says. Wow, for someone so young, you certainly are very perceptive. It would have been a pain in the ass if you remained our enemy. I can't imagine having to deal with a small child with a brain like that," Shirou remarked."You don't have to imagine anything. You would have won any kind of battle against me. My skills do not exactly lie with combat, to begin with. I just control my little bugs into infecting some systems and taking over. Nothing more, nothing less," Lutecia responded, giving Shirou a side-eyed glance. She was pretty certain that she had mentioned to him prior that her ability allowed her to do much more than that.He was certain that after his battle with Zest, the girl was willing to fight him to some degree. If her abilities were only to control insects, then he didn't think Teana would be the type to jump into a battle with such a disadvantage.Another cluster of spheres was shot at Teana, and the girl started to struggle even more, resorting to dodging each one of them more than actually shooting. Her defenses slowly but surely chipped away as her stamina depleted, until the point she got hit straight in the face. "Argh!" cried out the young girl, her system shutting down as she was shot behind the starting line while her gun went flying back as well. Shirou winced at the impact."Should we go over there and check up on her?" Lutecia asked, her answer coming in the form of Subaru and the redheaded boy running down next to Teana. "Damn it!"The orange-haired girl shouted with anger as her fist struck the ground repeatedly, her frustration palpable to everyone around her. "Why can't I do it!?" she exclaimed to no one in particular, Subaru and Shirou looking at each other in confusion, wondering how to handle the situation. "No matter how hard I try, this entire time I've practiced for days on end, yet it only feels like I'm getting worse!" Allowing her partner to help her stand up, the duo escorted the girl near the spectator zone. "Calm down, Teana. You've just been pushing yourself far too much lately, and it's hard to notice any difference or progress if you don't take the time to rest.""But I don't have time to rest, Subaru. You know the enemies won't wait for me to take a small break before attacking us again. I barely had much of a presence in our first mission, and during the auction, it was much worse. You destroyed more drones than I did and could have done more if you had gone all out," she said, gripping her jacket tightly and looking down at her hands in frustration. "It feels like I've hit a plateau. Even as I try to go beyond my limits, my body just won't accept it, and I keep making more and more mistakes."“…”Subaru remained silent, understanding the weight of Teana's words. The feeling of helplessness, the realization that her friends could be in life-threatening danger, and she wouldn't be able to rescue them in time. The knowledge that it happened already once with Ariel during their first mission and much closer with Europe during the second mission. Safe to say, the girl was angered at her own lack of abilities. "Sometimes I wonder if I even deserve a place in this."Meanwhile, he resisted the urge to sigh, understanding her emotions and what she could be feeling. He immediately went up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What are you talking about? You did more than anyone could expect from you in those missions. And you can't judge your performance based on just those two occasions. The second time was my fault. I asked the others to send me to the other side of the field and risked my life because of that. You aren't at fault for not being able to stop that.""Yeah, what he says," Subaru chimed in. "And I'm pretty sure you had my back more times than I can count during that fight. If you weren't there, I would have been caught by surprise by a sneak attack and would have been defeated in a matter of minutes. You're just being too harsh on yourself."Lutecia nodded absentmindedly, lacking knowledge or reference of Teana's abilities, but trusting Subaru's words on the matter."You guys are just being too nice to me," Teana said with a self-deprecating chuckle, indicating that their words didn't fully alleviate her concerns. Shirou understood her resistance, as he was familiar with the frustration of being stuck at a level despite putting in countless hours of effort. Wasn't this similar to his struggles with magecraft when he tried to practice what Kiritsugu taught him? However, Teana had genuine talent; she just needed a confidence boost or a battle to showcase her capabilities. "Hey Subaru, remember your idea of having a small spar again?" Shirou asked, prompting a confused look from the blue-haired girl before he continued. “Unlike last time, why don't we have a match against one another? Me and Lutecia versus you two.”Shiro's proposal was met with surprise from both women and the young girl beside him, but he believed it was the most effective way to reach Teana rather than just using words.break{Break}Teana wasn't feeling confident about this battle, unlike Subaru next to her who was physically beaming with joy and anticipation. "Man, I can't wait to get my revenge on that guy. Unlike last time, he won't catch me off guard or keep pounding me into the ground with those stupid arrows! I'll count on you for cover, Teana," Subaru said, showing the girl a thumbs up."Do you think we'll be able to change the outcome? It was pretty clear to me that he was most likely holding back on us," Teana said, unsure if Subaru recalled, but it was clear that Shirou was able to conjure up more than just weapons and arrows."You're talking about that flower-shaped shield spell he brought up before, aren't you?" Subaru's words made her look up at the latter in surprise before shaking her head."Of course, you remember, you were there with me after all," she said, looking back at the opposite side of the field where both Shirou and Lutecia stood, waiting for the battle to start. The little one was no longer wearing her hood and had some sort of glove on, most likely her device. Meanwhile, Shirou wore something very different from his usual attire. His closed red jacket was gone, replaced with the black armor she had seen previously with a red jacket, but this one only had one long-sleeved arm. His right side showed his full arm without anything covering it. That was an odd choice of design, she had to admit. Even if Barrier jackets generally protected the entire body regardless of their appearance, it was still recommended for the standard ones to cover the entire body as it offered slightly more protection. As for her and Subaru, who was wearing slightly less clothing, that was mostly to accommodate agility and movement, especially in Subaru's case as she was a close-quarter combatant.Despite its appearance, that shield was certainly one of the strongest spells she had seen. Being able to block an attack of that caliber was no small feat, and she doubted that either of them would be able to even cause a crack in it with their strongest attacks."Don't worry, it's not like he's able to bring out such a spell all the time without any repercussions. That thing must be consuming a ton of his mana, so he won't use it constantly, I bet. Or perhaps it was a one-time spell he used to save his life. If he could use it regularly, then we would have seen it earlier as well," Subaru reassured, though despite wanting to believe in her words, she was still very skeptical about the entire thing. "What we should be worrying about is that girl over there. Like, I know she's not our enemy anymore, but if the guy behind all of this chose to send her to accomplish such a mission in the first place, then it must mean she has some powerful spells." Another matter with which Teana agreed. So without further ado, both girls used the remaining time before the duel officially started to come up with a basic plan of attack. Using the knowledge gained from the first fight against him, it was decided that moving as a group was ideal rather than approaching one by one. With Shirou and his accurate shots most likely aiming for one of them, it was best to focus on that rather than anything else. "I'll keep shooting at him as well. This should provide us with enough time and distract him far enough for us to close the distance,"  Subaru proposed. After that, both agreed that Subaru would deliver the final blow to Shirou while Teana would take out Lutecia."Alright, in three, two, one... let's go!" At Subaru's signal, a translucent platform appeared beneath their feet, a spell that created a thin path for both of them to take. They circled all around the field in a zigzag formation, making sure not to give their opponents an easy time aiming at them and increasing their range of mobility."Looks like the little one is going to make a move first," The blue-haired mage remarked, prompting Teana to look upwards and spot a gentle glow forming beneath Lutecia's feet. The latter's eyes closed in concentration before opening again, the giant magic circle having summoned entities that made her skin crawl, surrounded by an uncountable number of insects."Ew!" She recoiled slightly at the sight, but upon closer observation, she realized that these insects were different from what she had imagined — not organic creatures but metallic, drone-like almost. Unsure of what to expect, the girls stayed on guard and prepared for anything their opponent could send their way. Not wanting to sit idle, the gunslinger made the first move, aiming straight toward the little girl with her attack.The barrel of her weapons glowed with a gentle yellow sheen before a magic circle formed in front of them, “Cross Fire Shoot!” sending small orbs made of magic hurtling towards Luticia. The yellow projectiles closed the distance towards their opponent in an instant, yet Shirou did not move a muscle. His arms folded as his gaze was perfectly calm. The wind picked up, as the hundreds of summoned familiars moved.Both girls were surprised to find the attack stopped by hundreds of insects gathering in front of their summoner in a condensed cloud, completely absorbing the attack. Lutecia had not taken a single step and merely observed from her spot on the other side."Damn, those things are durable," Subaru remarked, noting that Teana's attack had managed to destroy only a handful of them from the entire cloud."I'll try something more powerful, but she'll probably use the same move to block it," Teana added."Still, nothing a good old punch won't be able to bypass. Uh, I'm pretty certain those summons of hers can't be as powerful as the drones," Subaru said, her rollerblades screeching against the ground as they grew closer and closer to one of them. Unlike the last battlefield, there was no technology here capable of altering the space around them into an urban environment. The area they were in mostly was an open field where unfortunately they wouldn't be able to use the surrounding structures to use as cover against his arrows.Subaru used one of her techniques against the storm approaching, a single shot from her device sending a beam of energy towards the hundreds of insects and causing a small explosion before their eyes. "Yes! That should take care of the rest of them," she shouted while her partner continued to send a flurry of shots towards the swarm, treating them no differently than the rubber spheres she trained with a couple of minutes ago. Fully focusing on those furthest away and letting Subaru destroy the closest ones. "Just how many of them are there!?" A handful of these insects managed to bypass their attacks and reach both girls, their sharp resembling stinger ends leaving small scratches upon their skin, somehow bypassing the defenses of their barrier jackets.Gritting her teeth, Subaru had enough and jumped high in the air. "Tea!" she warned her partner, the latter having heard her voice but too focused on something else, her eyes darting left and right to search for someone in particular, “Teana!? Move!” “Huh? A-Ah, right!” The revolver mechanism on her gauntlet spun around before a large quantity of mana gathered at its epicenter. The swarm, which had grown from a couple of hundreds to beyond thousands of those small mechanical insects, gathered in a singular spot, so dense that even the ground was no longer visible before shooting upwards straight towards her. Taking a deep breath, Subaru did not let that distract her and thrust her hands forward. "Revolver Shoot!" Unlike the previous attacks, this specific cartridge inserted in Mach Caliber shot out a beam of energy that scattered in a large area, barely able to cover every one of those small insects and destroy them with minimal effort.From a distance, Teana made sure that each one of those targets was hit, ensuring that any remnants would get swiftly destroyed by her bullets. "That was easier than I imagined," she said as Subaru landed right beside her, a strange feeling coursing through her mind as she gathered her thoughts. Before the fight even began, she was expecting a difficult challenge where both of them would be pushed beyond their limits and with hardly any chance to win. But now that they had handled such an attack in the first place, rather than making her happy, it made her feel very uneasy. It was as if she was forgetting about something particularly important, and the more she thought about it, the more restless she became."Wow, that was awesome! Did you see my move there? I was practicing it for the last few days to make it more powerful, totally worth it!" Subaru exclaimed, a giant grin on her face as she looked at the aftermath of that attack. The ground was slightly scorched with scattered bits of metal and burning debris all around them. These insects, despite having sharp things capable of breaking through their layer of defenses, were quite fragile. It made her question how Lutecia would have fared against them during the auction, as this wouldn't have been enough against the likes of Nanoha and Fate, who were also present back then. "How exactly did she participate during the attack again? I was pretty sure we didn't see any insects back then and were mostly dealing with drones."The orange haired girl had a similar question; there had to be more that the girl could do than this small-scale attack. Perhaps she, too, was holding back against them? "Wait a minute... Why aren't we being attacked anymore?" she asked. Instantly, both their eyes widened in concern as they turned around swiftly, only to find the spot where both of their opponents previously stood was now completely empty. Not a single trace of those two was visible anywhere, and that made the hair on their skin stand up."Shit, it was a distraction!" Subaru shouted, getting into a battle-ready stance with her guard completely up for any slight changes in their surroundings. Teana did the same thing, feeling goosebumps spread across her skin as she heard the sound of a gun hammer clicking. "—!"A loud bang occurred right next to her ears, the corner of the girl's eyes spotting a red piece of cloth right next to her along with the familiar black armor. "A gun?" was all she could say before another wave of shock spread within her mind as she got a closer look at the weapon in question. "My gun?" The same colored gun, same shape, and same color? The weapon that she believed to be within her grasp was now held by the boy, with smoke coming out of its barrel as its wielder looked her right in the eyes. ‘No… it is slightly different to Cross Mirage, the fact that it has a revolver chamber.’"Look out!" Subaru shouted, being the fastest one to react, and jumping towards Shirou with an overhead strike with her legs. The latter didn't even bother to dodge and instead turned the gun upwards and shot again. Bang! The projectile left the chambers before striking Subaru's heels right in the center.The force behind it was more than enough to throw her out of balance, sending her body spinning backward. He swiftly moved, his free hand moving with lightning speed, striking her right in the guts. The attack forced every ounce of air straight out of her lungs, along with spit. "Gah!" she recoiled. Unlike Subaru, there was only so much physical trauma she could endure, regardless of whether she was wearing a barrier jacket or not. Both girls fell to the ground a couple of meters away before hastily getting back up again. Remembering his way of fighting from the past, Teana instantly loaded her gun with another magic shot before firing. Unlike before, it wasn't just one beam, the spell split into dozens of smaller bullets, all heading straight toward Shirou. She expected him to bring out the same shield or use his blades to deflect the attack, hopefully buying them enough time to come up with another tactic. However, once again, she was rendered speechless. Rather than doing any of that, Shirou raised his gun and fired six shots in quick succession, each projectile hitting her bullets dead center and nullifying the attack.The scene left Teana speechless, her mouth wide open, momentarily forgetting they were in the midst of a battle. Fortunately, she snapped back to reality when she noticed Shirou lowering his gun straight towards her once again, the barrel shining with a strange blue light for a second. "Since when could he copy my technique and device!?" she screamed in frustration, raising her gun and carefully aiming for the barrel. In a similar fashion to Shirou, she closed her eyes and concentrated before firing her shot at the same time as her opponent. Their attacks met halfway and canceled each other out, but before she could even be relieved, a second bullet pierced through the cloud and struck Teana on her shoulder. "Damn it!" she shouted."Don't forget about me!" Subaru, on the other hand, took advantage of Shirou's focus on Teana. Circling around the duo, she rushed straight towards the boy's back where he wouldn't be able to spot her. Unlike last time, she went with a strike from below, using her fist and going straight for an uppercut. "Try using a gun against this, you bastard." There was no way he would have enough time to switch hands and aim. But her moment of glee was cut short as a powerful punch struck right across her face from someone else. Subaru thankfully managed to recover just in time and not be sent flying like before, noticing the person who attacked her."How did she even get there?" Right next to Shirou was none other than Lutecia, the young girl still wearing her stoic face, standing right between Shirou and another one of her summons. But unlike the other small insects, this one was much more intimidating and bigger. A humanoid creature the same size as Subaru, covered in a thick black carapace, with a mantis head that stared right back at her. Powerful arms capable of delivering a lot of damage, most likely the ones that struck her moments before. "She wasn't there last I checked, it's like she appeared out of nowhere," Subaru whispered in shock, noticing Lutecia secretly holding onto a certain dagger hidden within her pockets."Doesn't matter, I'll just focus on you, and Teana will focus on Shirou!" Subaru said, but before she could rush forward, she was forced to dodge as her instinct screamed at her, moving away just in time to dodge a stray shot. This one, however, was from her partner. "Teana!?" she exclaimed with shock, Teana froze in her spot as she quickly shook her head. "I wasn't aiming for you! I shot at him, and he deflected the attack somehow, changing its trajectory!" Both girls struggled to believe that such a thing was even possible, let alone executed with such frightening accuracy that it defied everything they had seen in the past.“Idiot, don't lose your focus on him!” Subaru warned her friend, the latter not expecting Shirou to close the distance between them and head straight for her partner instead. “Try to hold ou— Ugh!” As she tried to get back up, the same humanoid grabbed her head and pushed it back into the ground. The disgusting taste of dirt on her tongue coupled with the slight dizziness made it hard to concentrate on anything else. “Sorry about that, but Shirou asked me to make sure you don't interfere.”Interfere? Subaru was curious what she meant by that....Teana felt her body freeze as she wondered what to do next. Her mind was still trying to figure out whether or not she would bring out the blades and use them against her or not. Yet it became apparent to the girl that she couldn't just stand by and let him do whatever he wanted. ‘He’s too fast, I won't have the time to charge a Cross Fire Shoot. But I can't risk him getting close if he can even overwhelm Subaru!’ One attack… only a single spell came to her mind she believed that could possibly earn her a chance at victory. But the casting time was the slowest. “Shoot Barret!” Wasting no time, she cast another spell. This one taking less time than any other attack to form. The ball of light, though dimmer, shot out of the barrel as there remained less than a handful of meters between her and Shirou.“Huh?” He didn't seem to have anticipated such a quick cast spell, Teana holding back a smirk as the projectile struck him right in the middle of the face. A cloud of smoke spread before quickly getting dissipated by more shots from Shirou's gun. “What!?” Surprised by how quickly he recovered, the girl staggered backward as a few managed to hit her. The impact was, strangely enough, weaker than what she expected, but painful enough to release a grunt. This time, Shirou managed to close the distance between them completely, leaving her no room for any other spells. “You're overthinking it too much,” Shirou said, the gun's heel delivering a swift strike to her forehead, again, the impact itself did not carry as much force as she thought it would. “Don't think about what you must do to win, just focus on your current situation.” She would have given him an answer if his knees hadn't struck her in the guts, pushing the girl off the ground before whipping the gun around and aiming it back to her face. Through sheer willpower alone, she got over the pain and tilted her head just enough to dodge the bullet. “It's clear to me that you're far too distracted and frustrated lately. But blaming yourself for everything is not healthy, you're already an amazing gunslinger.” “As if you'd understand!” Anger leaked out of her voice, grabbing onto Shirou's arm and locking it in place with her arms and legs, making it impossible for him to move it anymore. “I trained for years to get to this point, yet it only took you a matter of days to get on my level. Who are you calling amazing here!?” He winced as she twisted, most likely feeling the joints of his arm screening in pain. Yet Teana could not celebrate as he tried to slam her body to the ground, the blonde jumped away and managed to create enough distance between them. “Cross Fire Shoot!”Orbs formed around her body, twice as many as before, all being sent shooting towards Shirou. With her own eyes, she saw him hesitate, his free hand making a motion as if he was going to hold something else before abandoning that notion. ‘Why isn't he using his swords?’ Teana's question went unanswered as right before her eyes Shirou started to move. Bringing up the gun and just like before, fired six shots, destroying half of the orbs before hastily jumping away. ‘Are those… bullet casings near his feet?’ Those weapons definitely looked similar to her device but were definitely different.It had escaped her notice before, but not once did he use any of the spells she was familiar with. Even the ones that struck her were not beam attacks or anything of that sort, but physical bullets. “This is my chance.” Gaining a window of time, Teana ran up the light platform to gain a better position. Taking the time to check on Subaru and finding her friend pinned to the ground by some insectoid creature, she thought of aiding the blue-haired girl. “No! I have to make sure he's out first, Subaru can handle herself!” So she jumped straight towards the man, both of her guns now equipped with blades shooting out from their barrels, her hands held upwards as she descended, ready to strike him down. She still expected Shirou to bring out his blades and was prepared to deal with them at any moment. But to her dismay, not only did the man not bring out his usual blades, but he also brought out a second pair of guns that resembled hers and copied her exact stance as he aimed upwards. "Are you mocking me!?" she shouted as she fired two more shots. Each one impacted the blades of her guns, shattering them into pieces. Yet Teana no longer cared, completely disregarding any hesitation and worry she had prior. "Phantom..." Time felt as if it had slowed down to a crawl. Her eyes concentrated on Shirou's hands as he pulled the trigger once again and fired another shot. The bullet traveled through the air toward her, and she made no effort to deflect or destroy it, letting it continue its trajectory toward her face until she forcefully used every ounce of muscle in her body to turn her head just in time for it to pass right next to her cheek. "...Blazer!"The impacts released enough energy to create a miniature dome of both fire and smoke that engulfed both of them in less than a second. Teana fell to the ground, barely able to catch herself from planting her face straight onto the grass. She panted loudly, trying to regain her breathing while her limbs slightly shook. The fight hadn't lasted that long, but every second felt like an entire hour. "That… should have… hah… done it. It had to," she said while panting, having used most of her mana for that move. But just as she was about to celebrate a victory, her ears picked up the sound of another gun hammer being pulled back followed by an audible click. Everything around her seemed to come to a standstill. Her face, which had been slightly turned around, now fully widened as she found the redhead standing close. His right arm extended with the gun pointing straight at her, while his apparel looked more detailed up close. On his body there were no signs that showed major damages other than small burns and stains that could be polished out easily, but the same couldn't be said for the black armor, which showed some slight cracks on its edges, confirming it wasn't there before.“Why… aren't you using your swords!? I feel like you're making fun of me, Shirou!” Finally not being able to hold back anymore she demanded, he looked up at her with an awkward smile. “Because I want to show you that you actually are getting better with your skills after every mission.” He said, getting up from the ground, sharply breathing in as he moved his arms around a bit. “I didn't know you could use daggers with your gun, must it have been a new spell? Would have made it easier for me if they were real blades.” She was taken aback by his first answer, frowning and demanding for elaboration. “Didn't you notice? I was fighting the same way you did during our first duel together.” That made her eyes widened with shock, while he continued his speech. “From my speed, strength and even accuracy were all something you would have been able to do very recently. Granted, I had to use a regular gun that only looks similar to yours given I wouldn't have been able to use the spells you know but you get my point. Your current self easily managed to overwhelm that version of yourself, quite easily I might add.” “But it doesn't matter,” she retorted quickly. “If you had used your swords and stopped holding back then I wouldn't have won! Can't you understand? I just want to reach a level where I can protect you and all of my friends!” Taken aback by her words, Shirou was left momentarily stunned at the tone of her voice. “In the first mission, Erio almost got gravely hurt, and in the second one you nearly died… I couldn't do anything and I hate that! If we were to end up in a similar situation once again and you weren't as lucky as before, then what's stopping you from ending up with life-threatening injuries or worse?” Her way of thinking felt strangely familiar, different for certain but with enough parallels that he knew more and more where she was coming from. A way of thinking that somewhat mirrored his, one that he started to understand more and more how it gnawed at the girl's mind if left unchecked. “I don't want to see you all hurt and I don't want to become a dead weight to the team… I can't allow that.” He took a deep breath of air to carefully think about what he could say next. “You're wrong about one thing, I understand where you're coming from. Because I used to be in your shoes as well.” “...”It was obvious she didn't believe it.“Heh, you don't need to look at me like that as if I'm lying — it's the truth. I didn't get to my current level because of talent, I believe I mentioned this before. I am, and always will be a third-rate Mage, someone barely qualified in the eyes of many with how little I could actually do. Shirou Emiya at the end of the day was only able to use a single spell, with no chances of learning anything else without spending my whole lifetime just to make the smallest of progress. And this same person tried to go up against true monsters because he didn't want to see anyone get hurt.” “You succeeded?” Before she knew it, Teana had lowered her guard and began to converse with the man, curiosity having gotten the better of her. “Hardly at first, I kept losing again and again. Nearly got killed more times than I can count, it was honestly pathetic what little impact I had on the overall situation. I always ended up being saved by someone else, and I hated that. I… I couldn't save one person, someone I found out much later on to have been basically family to me.” His tone changed as his eyes darkened. “I-I'm sorry, Shirou.” She replied, genuinely feeling a pang in her heart at the emotions he showed. “Don't be, it was my fault. I was weak.” Anger leaked out for a moment before he quickly composed himself. “But you aren't, your case is very much different from mine. Your rate of improvement is astonishing, you don't realize that but everyone around you does. You were helpful in every mission, without your assistance Subaru wouldn't have been able to fight freely without any worries of getting attacked because you had her back covered. You're just as important as anyone else, without you the team wouldn't be able to operate the same anymore. That is why…”He raised the imitation gun once more, this time a second one appeared in his other hand. Taking on a stance that mirrored hers, the redhead glared back with a far more menacing look than before. “I'll use your skills to prove to you my point.”The ground within her feet sunk in slightly, his feet pushing himself forward at great speed. “—!” Teana, unprepared, tried to aim once more but had her hand kicked away by a kick. A gunfire aimed straight for her already sore stomach, causing a great deal of pain yet even in her state, she managed to recognize the moves he used being of hers she used rarely. So she tried to do the same, only to have gunfire be shot straight at her knees. “I remember in our first duel you were far more perceptive and calculating than what you've shown today. You have never allowed yourself to be separated from Subaru and try to take on an enemy on your own.” True, she couldn't deny that. Had she focused on their teamwork then maybe…His words were followed by a series of shots each aimed at her hands, forcing Teana to lose grip of Cross Mirage. “You would have made sure that I wouldn't be getting anywhere near you, focusing on your main advantage and constantly putting me under pressure. Buying time till Subaru got close and finished the job.”In a desperate attempt, her hands glowed with magic as mana gathered to fire another Shoot Barret, only to discover the man was gone. Her ears picked up the sound of running footsteps on top of her until she realized the platform was still active. She tried to regain her footing.  But it was too late, he grabbed her hands, legs wrapping around arm and neck interlocking with one another. Forcing a painful sensation as if her muscles were about to be torn and her bones dislocated. She ended up on the ground, huffing and immobile.“The Teana of the past was far more capable, I know you can easily surpass her if you stop holding yourself back with these false thoughts about you not being important because you are.” She didn't have an answer for him, staying quiet and her gesture admitting defeat. Letting her go, he stepped back as she lay on the floor with her eyes looking at the ceiling, hearing footsteps approaching as she came to face Subaru. Crouching down, looking at her straight in the eyes. “So, have you woken up yet, Tea? You kinda left me to fend off against the insect girl by myself, never thought I'd lose to someone probably younger than Erio.” “...Sorry.” “I'll be honest, this also reminded me how reliant I am on you. I always fight without any worry about my surroundings because you are there, I honestly can't remember the last time I felt so overwhelmed.” A small smile appeared on the blonde's face. “It’s rare to see you lose like that.” “Humph, of course, it's rare. Our teamwork was one of the most effective even in the academy, there was a reason why we were amongst the best! You seem to have forgotten about that.” “Hah… yes, you are right.” She sighed, now that calmness occupied her mind, she started to realize how faulty this plan of attack was from the beginning. Her prior self would have never agreed to such a reckless approach. Subaru extended her hands which she took, the latter pulling her back on her two feet. Looking at Shirou who was talking to Lutecia, going to pat her head which the girl leaned in towards with a peaceful expression. Approaching them, strangely enough she felt more nervous yet also at ease. As if some invisible weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. “Feeling better?” He asked.“Much better…also,” the girl closed the distance between them and had her arms wrapped around him. “Thanks for everything, it would have been bad for everyone if I kept acting like that.” She truly meant those words, not noticing the smallest of blush appear on Shirou's face before he awkwardly returned the hug without saying much of a word. Subaru laughed in the background while Lutecia seemed to be talking with her insects and congratulating them for their efforts.“You two seem to be going along well enough.” “—!?”“Wah!” He was frightened for a moment, his body twitching as he hadn't sensed this person approaching. Looking back to find Nanoha having a large pout on her face, looking at him as if he'd wronged her somehow. “N-Nanoha, w-when did you get—”“—That’s not important! I’m supposed to be the instructor but here you are having all the fun, Shirou.” She said, looking between him and Teana. “While I am glad you two are getting along, it wouldn't hurt to have called me to oversee the battle. I could have participated as well!” A chill ran down Shirou's spine at the thought of fighting this woman.A reaction that was noticed by the brunette. “What? Do you have something to say to me?” She asked getting close to his face with a frown, he looked away, not sure how to answer the woman.So he let his mind just utter the first thing it could come up with. “Not really, I very much like to live to see the next day and not get murdered by your endless whining.” “...” Everyone around him gave the man a strange reaction at his response, not expecting it to sound so dry and sharp.“Well he's not wrong, you can be pretty stubborn at times.” Apparently, she wasn't the only one watching the match, as Fate walked over followed by Erio and Caro. The young boy ran over to him with wonder in his eyes. “That was an amazing battle! I didn't know you could copy techniques like that! Can you do it with me as well? I want to see if I've gotten better compared to my past self. Please!” He pleaded, putting him in a tough stop as Shirou only intended to boost Teana's confidence this one time. “Kyu!” Friedrich jumped on his red hair, rolling around, treating it like a nest before going to sleep. Best to ignore it.“M-Me too if you don't mind.” Caro asked as well, trying to reach for her familiar but too short to reach him. “So-Sorry about Fried, I don't know why he's behaving like that!” “I can't really copy your style, Caro. I'm not a summoner.” Shirou replied dryly, tilting his head sideways and trying to have the little dragon slip off his head. “Ouch!” Only to have the creature sink its claws within his scalp and hold tight. “Waaah! Fried! Bad dragon! Bad dragon!” Caro panicked, her eyes moistening at her familiar's actions.But thankfully he was saved by the sound of all their devices starting to ring all of a sudden. “Eh?” Even Nanoha was unprepared.Accepting the call, they all heard Hayate’s voice come from the other side. “Riot Force 6 is asked to assemble at the Headquarters, we have spotted the presence of more variant drones. Everyone please return as soon as possible, this is urgent.”“Again?” Said Subaru. “We just got done with those very recently!”“It's the doctor! “ Lutecia answered, looking at the screen with shaking hands.As for Shirou, he shared her sentiment, this was far too quick of a response after what happened last time. The girl mentioned how this person was supposed to be very cautious, was he perhaps here to take her back?He had a bad feeling about this. ...Chapter 12: Trust-???-“Report.” It was an unsettling moment in the usually predictable confines of the facility. The cold, steely contempt and arrogance that once filled the air had melted away, replaced by a heavy cloak of weariness, simmering curiosity, and a barely contained rage. Jail couldn't remember the last time he'd suffered so many setbacks in rapid succession. For days, it seemed as though every carefully laid plan unraveled at the worst possible moment. His thoughts swirled with suspicion—was there a traitor in their midst? But the chances of that were ridiculously low; his inner circle was tight-knit, each one the numbers' loyalty were unquestionably solid and generally a waste of time to even entertain. Yet, doubt gnawed at him, forcing him to reconsider Zest to be the one behind this. He had Cinque on close watch, observing him around the clock to ensure his actions were beyond reproach. But even then, it seemed unlikely. "We don't see eye to eye, but we do share a common enemy," he mused to himself, his brow furrowed in thought. "He wouldn't just feed her to the wolves for the sake of revenge. He's not that heartless... not yet.""Uno reporting. All six groups have been successfully deployed as instructed. They've managed to breach the outer zone of the radar undetected, with minimal acoustic and energy signatures. We’ll reach the inner layers of the northern zone in T-minus five minutes," the voice of a tall, silver-haired woman cut through his thoughts, her face flickering onto his screen. Her expression remained as cold as ice, but her tone was laced with a subtle respect as she relayed the update to her creator."Quattro and Sein are in position. The others will be ready in a matter of minutes, well before we reach the city’s outskirts," she continued, her words efficient, precise."Good," Jail muttered, his eyes scanning the data and maps projected on the screens before him. The intricate detail of the layout of both the outer regions of Midchilda laid bare for him to study, a web of his operation was unfolding smoothly so far with a precision that brought him some measure of satisfaction. "These drones were hastily assembled. I didn’t have time to test them properly, but this is a good opportunity to see if they perform as expected. Keep monitoring enemy movements, and report back the moment the others have secured their positions.""Understood," The woman responded, but instead of ending the transmission, she hesitated. A flicker of emotion—uncertainty, perhaps—crossed her eyes, causing Jail to raise an eyebrow. It was rare, almost unheard of, for his first creation to show hesitation or doubt. Yet, given the recent events, he had a good guess as to what troubled her."It’s about Luticia, isn’t it?" he stated, his voice firm and unwavering — certain why this topic bothered Uno given her prior relationship with the child. The question caught her off guard, her composure slipping for just a split second before she quickly regained it."Yes, I... I apologize," she replied, a hint of regret in her tone."Don’t be," he interjected smoothly. Uno had always followed orders without question, but this time was different. He knew she wasn't doubting the success of the operation—her concerns were rooted elsewhere. She was likely grappling with the aftermath of what they had been ordered to do. "Luticia is an important asset, that much is still very much the truth. We can't afford to let her fall into the enemy's hands, she'll be used against us and possess valuable information… which I suspect she hasn't shared with them yet. Her potential is vast—she could be a crucial piece in this operation and in our future plans. I’m certain that leaving her at Regius Gaiz mercy will only turn the naïve girl against us eventually. So, when the others find her, they are not to engage with hostility. Make her see reason."Jail wasn’t entirely sure what the boy, or Riot Force Six, had promised her—something about her mother, perhaps—but he couldn’t fathom what they could offer that he couldn’t. "And what about Cinque?""She’s still currently monitoring Zest," Uno answered promptly."Mn, even with all this, our operation should succeed. It doesn’t matter if Takamachi Nanoha, Fate Testarossa, or even Hayate Yagami herself joins the fray. They might win this battle, but they will lose the war," Jail declared with a confidence that radiated through the room."What should we do if she refuses to come back?" Uno asked, the question hanging in the air, heavy with implications. Despite being captured, the young woman had never once attempted to communicate with them. She had the means to do so, even under surveillance, but had chosen silence instead.This topic remained constant between the numbers for the past few days, many of them having mixed opinion and answers. Some still believed she was firmly on their side while others were quick to label her as a possible traitor.At this, her creator's lips curled into an easygoing smile, one devoid of any doubt, which had a calming effect on Uno and those listening in. "Leave that to me. I highly doubt she’ll defect after only a few empty promises. We were there for her in her time of need—she's young, but not ungrateful."With that, the call ended, and Jail returned to monitoring the unfolding situation, his eyes narrowing as they caught sight of additional energy signatures heading directly for his drone units at the front. The first one appeared early, dispatching a few of his creations with ease. “Vita, a troublesome individual but not who I thought would show up first.”Thankfully, there were enough units in the groups that even destroying a dozen of them mattered little. It wasn't until others started to show up that he noticed something… odd."Strange, only two individuals?" he murmured, his mind racing. He had expected a more significant response from Midchilda after the previous events, but as he analyzed further, a new theory began to form. "Those two must be very confident to face an entire army without fear. How disappointing that they would underestimate me so blatantly. No matter—I’ll turn their arrogance against them."A smirk played on his lips, visible to all the Numbers who were watching him. "All right, prepare yourselves. Remember, if you find the Relic, pass it on to Sein. Retreat if you feel outmatched. They aren't our main priority today—we can always capture them another time."“Understood!”{Break} While one side operated with confidence, the other held a different atmosphere filled with both confusion and worry. “Varian drones?” Having rushed to their headquarters, the team was met with a worrying scene of everyone gathered in front of a monitor showing various footage of a new kind of unmanned aircraft by the hundreds flying across the sea not far from the main city in multiple groups if what was shown on the screen was accurate. “Didn't we just destroy a small army of these drones a few days ago?” Shirou asked while groaning internally, “Who can even make so many of them this quickly…” Granted, he already knew the answer to that but this was just ridiculous. The last few days were spent taking care of Lutecia and trying to make the girl come out of her shell around others, he didn't dedicate that much time to study Jail Scalliageti’s past and involvement with the Time Space Administrative Bureau. But to be able to hold an army of drones of this scale was just ridiculous.“Very few,” answered Fate, standing next to him with her arms crossed and a pensive stare. “It's safe to assume these ones will be more dangerous compared to the land based drones you all faced before, already it is clear that they possess more speed and firepower.”They roughly resembled flying wings, some small enough that they wouldn't hold enough space to carry any person but there were a few large enough that made him wonder if Jail was truly coming to take Lutecia away or start a war. “They are approaching the north-east region, we've also received reports of the smaller land drones’ presence within the subterranean tunnels, twenty units detected with possibly more on the way.”“How come no one noticed their arrival!?” “They are all heading in the same direction.”“So, what's the plan?” Shirou asked, looking over to Hayate along with everyone else. The woman didn't give him an answer immediately, staring at the screen in front of her eyes with a frown and shook her head. “I'm not sure if they came here to take Lutecia back or another relic, but we cannot take any risks.” Just like some of the members in the room, she had doubts on what that rogue scientist had planned nor what his goals were. A stray thought crossed her mind which made her glance at the small girl behind the redhead. The latter's complexion showed uncertainty which did not bode well for the commander who held herself from saying something she didn't believe was a good idea in front of Shirou. He gave them his words that the girl wasn't going to pose any danger nor was she an enemy any longer. Just someone who needed their help and accepted to take the boy's extended hand. But what did she possess… or rather what was she capable of to make Jail be this desperate to take her back? ‘I should trust him, but I am also responsible for everyone's safety. Nevertheless, I did give him my word that I'll trust his judgment, I can't start having doubts now.’Lutecia has been quiet ever since she joined their side, having spoken to no one other than Shirou. Neither was she interrogated nor tested in any way — something which attracted the ire of her colleagues and superiors. But if this attempt at getting her back were to occur again, then Hayate knew there was only so much she could do from shielding Shirou and Lutecia from the eyes of her superiors. Either way, she had to make a decision now. “Stars two, I repeat stars two reporting.” From the comms sounded Vita’s voice soon followed by the footage of her flying across the sea headed straight for where the drones were. “I am approaching the target as per the commander's instructions and will delay them as much as I can until reinforcement arrives.” “Mn,” with that side now handled, she needed to handle another matter. Initially, Hayate planned to depart to the battlefield herself accompanied by Nanoha and Fate, but now that she thought about it, it was too much and it was best to not focus all of their heavy hitters in one spot. “Caro, Lushe, you two will handle the drones in the west side of the tunnels, Teana and Subaru will occupy the east. As for you, Shirou, I think you know what I want you to do. Upwards the tunnel is a bunker within the inner circle of the city with little the drones can do to reach that place.” The man hesitated visibly, clearly wanting to say something but in the end not voicing it out and nodding his head. “... Alright.”He was capable, that much she knew, but recalling what happened last time, she was unwilling to take such a risk.He grabbed Lutecia’s hands and gently took the girl towards the exit — only to be pulled back by Subaru by the collar. The latter looked at him with a deadpan expression conveying a conversation between them which Shirou seemed to understand and grew pale. “... Is it really necessary? I… I really don't think it's needed. We can just do it on the way to the tunnels.” He asked pitifully, his previous serious exterior shattered in an instant and replaced by that of an awkward smile that pleased the girl to let go of the matter.Hayate blinked her eyes with confusion. Unfortunately for him, Subaru didn't take heed to his words and just turned her head to face Teana. “Tsk, tsk, told you he would try to sneak away.” Subaru commented, her iron-like grip on him not wavering after he struggled to break from. “Just think of this as a team bonding exercise. It's important we conduct such things every time rather than doing so in the corner like you are, Teana and I do it everyday!” “That doesn't make it better for me.”“Just suck it up! What's so bad about it anyways?”  “... You know that for a very split second you guys are without clothes…” A faint blush formed on Teana’s face who was listening to the conversation while Subaru just waved it off. “We're not naked you idiot! There is a film of light around our body, also why are you observing us so closely in the first place!? You're making Teana imagine weird things now.”“Subaru!”Hayate, who had been paying close attention to the enemy movement on the screen couldn't help but sneak a glance at the group, her lips twitching upwards when Shirou and the others brought out their devices. With the red-headed man having a slight blush on his face when holding onto his necklace — Rubin. ‘Is he still feeling embarrassed by the transformation?’“Set up! Mach Caliber!” “Set up! Cross Mirage!” “S-Set… up… Rubin…” The contrast between the two groups was evident, especially for Shirou who was avoiding looking at the deadpan Lutecia in the eyes. Hayate was pretty certain that the young girl was probably just as confused as the others as to why he was embarrassed rather than judging him with that stare. ‘Then again, different worlds must have different understanding.’The room lit up with all three now vested with their appropriate barrier jackets with the red one standing out the most. Both girls giggling and patting Shirou on the back as they left. Thus this being his turn to turn tail and leave and make his way to a secure location — only for her to call out to him. “Wait.” “Yes, Hayat— uh, commander?” Her lips twitched upwards at his small stumble there, she figured he wasn't aware she didn't mind being called by her name even in such scenarios. “You didn't forget what happened last time you dealt with this group right?” “I'll be careful.” He answered confidently. “I know, but we can't be sure if our enemy will try to do it a second time.”“Lutecia is with me, they wouldn't fire such a thing in the tunnels.” “Are you certain?” “...”“I thought so, that is why I'll have you be accompanied by someone else.” It may be a bit excessive, but Hayate believed it was best for her to overestimate the enemy than underestimate them even if there were only drones present. ...(A few minutes later)The subterranean area by itself felt like a real maze, with no source of light at first till they reached deeper after a few seconds of running guided by Subaru and Teana who split ways soon after. Caro and Lushe pairing up to clear another path a few seconds later as well — leaving him, Lutecia and the person in charge to protect them.“The coast is clear, but don't drop your guard.”“I'll be careful, Fate-san.” Out of everyone in the room, the last person Shirou expected to be paired with was her of all people. Not that he had anything against the woman, but part of him felt this was too much. He didn't show it outwardly, having not even pushed back against Hayate’s orders since this wasn't the time for one. But it seemed his true thoughts were discovered rather easily by the blonde who gave him a side glance. “Are you thinking that I should be out there rather than here?” Was this person a mind-reader? Nevertheless, she was correct and he answered with a slight head nod, “I do appreciate your help, Fate-san, but  I'm more than capable of handling those drones.” They were easy targets to hit with his arrows and  possessed little to no resistance against Noble Phantasms. Even if he was hit, his barrier jacket proved to be effective enough to reduce the damage. “Hayate-chan is just worried about you,” Fate answered with a small smile, making it harder for him to say anything against that. “You must understand, when you were nearly killed by that attack she has been blaming herself for such an outcome. So learning from the past, she will not take the risk of letting history repeat itself.” Her words, along with the echo of their feet spreading within the tunnel as they quickly made their way to the other side filled his mind. "But I survived in the end," he replied stubbornly, his voice carrying a defiant edge. "I may not be from around here, and my magecraft is also quite different, but I am no fragile vase. You saw what happened last time and I managed to pull through, also I'm not alone here, Subaru, Teana, Caro and Erio are all clearing the area as we speak.”She couldn't argue against that."Are you worried that Vita will be overwhelmed by their numbers?" Fate remarked with a slight chuckle, her tone light though not tinged with concern as he thought. It wasn't that he doubted Vita's capabilities; he knew full well how formidable that person was from their last encounter. However, the sheer volume of enemies could overwhelm anyone, and having Vita hold the front line alone was far from ideal. Seeing the worry etched on his face, Fate moved closer, with a flick of her wrist, a small holographic screen materialized from her wristwatch, displaying live footage of the battle raging outside.From the looks of it, reinforcement arrived in time but was very different from what he had in mind."Hayate?" he murmured, his eyes widening as the image of the usually composed commander filled the screen. The kind yet strict leader, who typically directed operations from her seat, was now soaring through the sky beyond the city’s limits. Her standard uniform had been replaced by a dark robe with a white sleeved jacket, reminiscent of Nanoha and Fate, but with an odd twist—four small, black wings adorned her back. In one hand, she clutched a scepter, and in the other, a book, likely her device. Even if he couldn't hear anything, she was clearly chanting something under her breath, her focus intense as she confronted the enemy head-on.The air around her shimmered with ethereal colors as four large magic circles materialized before her, each one intricately designed, with a fifth circle aligning perfectly in the center. White energy began to gather, coalescing into a brilliant point of light in the middle of the first circle. Suddenly, a powerful beam of pure energy erupted, cutting across the sky like a blade of light. The blast stretched across the sea, leaving destruction in its wake—it pushed the waters apart, scattered the clouds, and obliterated dozens of aircraft drones in a single, devastating stroke. And then it happened again—a second, third, and fourth time—each blast more powerful than the last. The final, fifth circle unleashed an even larger beam, a blinding column of energy that tore through the enemy ranks, reducing countless drones to mere ash.“...”He could only stare in stunned silence, his mouth agape, utterly speechless at the sight before him. Was this truly the same sweet, somewhat mischievous girl he had known? The sheer magnitude of her power was staggering, more akin to the might of a Servant than a human mage! It reminded him eerily of the energy beam that had struck him earlier, its force undeniable and terrifying."Still think she needs my help?" Fate asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "I’m not sure if Nanoha-chan ever mentioned this to you, but our Commander is easily one of the most powerful mages in Midchilda. She didn't earn that double S-rank for nothing."“I stand corrected.” He'd only get in their way trying to help them, that much he was willing to admit. “I can't even fly yet, even with my arrows I doubt it'd make much of a difference…”“Fufufu~! Don't look so down, I'm sure the others would be very happy to see you try and help!” She stopped having remembered something and looked at him from the corner of her eyes. “Speaking of being happy, I heard that you and Nanoha-chan are getting along nicely.”He nodded his head, “She does help me out a lot to get settled in and checking up on both Subaru and Teana. Is something the matter?”“...Nothing really,” Fate answered with an uncertain gaze. “She's someone who does naturally try her best to help everyone she can, guess I was just caught by surprise with how often she does it recently. She literally storms off the moment her shift ends without wasting a second, she never used to do this before.” Her voice trailed off at the end, clearly there was more to it but that was missed by Shirou. “Did something happen between you?” She asked again, this time her curiosity growing further. “Eh? What do you mean?” His head tilted with confusion.“Seriously, you haven't noticed something weird about all of this?” “Notice what?” Fats just couldn't believe her eyes and ears, the guy genuinely sounded confused. Hayate even mentioned Nanoha going regularly to his place for breakfast and lunch! She could understand in the case of Subaru and Teana who lived in the complex but that wasn't the case for Nanoha who had her own apartment! ‘Maybe she's very interested in Shirou's origin given he is from another reality, but that hardly explains her behavior.’ Fate decided that after dealing with this matter she would speak with her friend and get to the bottom of this. She knew countless sleepless nights would occur if these questions went unanswered! A part of her knew for certain that Hayate herself must have had some suspicions.“...Nothing, forget I asked that. Maybe I'm just overthinking things.” …While taken aback by the strange question at first, Shirou went back to remembering the scene with Hayate once more and felt a chill creep up his spine. What was with the ridiculously powerful mages from the people in this world? “Ah, you've been quiet, Lutecia-chan.” While he was still swimming in his thoughts, Fate decided to start a small conversation with Lutecia with a warm smile on her face. “You don't need to worry about anything, Shirou already mentioned many things about you and I promise that I'll do my best to help you.”“... Thank you.” Her answer came out hollow, as if she didn't even trust those words mentioned by Fate and just said it out of politeness while keeping her gaze focused on the person holding her hand. “Shirou… the doctor knows about you.” “I know, we've talked.” “You did?” Fate interjected, certain she didn't hear about this from the others. “He was trying to get me on his side and make me doubt the Time Space Administrative Bureau. This happened before the attack during the auction, I mentioned this to Nanoha.” Fate had more questions but stayed quiet letting him continue his explanation. But it seemed that this wasn't what worried the girl, she hesitated, looking back and forth between Fate and him before sighing. “What if… what if the doctor has a reason to stay away from here?”Though she didn't say it, it was clear to both Fate and Shirou what the girl was trying to entail. Holding back more she wanted to say most likely due to Fate's presence. After all, those weren't something someone allied themselves to the TSAB would dare to say without arising without arousing suspicion. “That doesn't give him the excuse to use other people for his own gain like this.” “What if he's not the only one doing so?” for all the positive things she heard about the time space administrative Bureau from Subaru and Teana, how the former was saved by Nanoha with similar stories mentioned by others, they also had to be things that were hidden from her. Stories she heard from jail which she hadn't shared with Shirou yet. In the young girl's eyes, this organization still wasn't trustworthy enough for her to trust them anymore than she did in the past. In her mind, the ideal scenario was for him to join her side instead. If he was worried about her safety, then he could stay by her side and watch over as long as he liked. It would take some effort to persuade the doctor, but she was confident to have the ability and the means to do so. Jail has shown in the past that he valued her opinion very much.The group continued running lightly down the tunnel in silence for a few more seconds, fate not saying a thing but instead looking over at Shirou waiting for his response just as Lutecia was doing. “I wouldn't be surprised if the TSAB did indeed have some dark history and less than likable people amongst them who caused innocents to suffer.”“Then why…” He turned back, firmly squeezing her shoulders enough to reassure the girl. “Because I’m not asking you to be allied with the organization. Did you forget what I said before? Just trust in me if you don't trust them, and if by misfortune someone above Hayate or her other colleagues gets any funny idea of using you then I will not hesitate to turn my blades against them.” Repeating the same words he mentioned on the day of the attack at the auction, he hoped it would convey to her that these weren't just empty words. He gave an apologetic smile to Fate, not wanting her to be offended by his words.Surprisingly enough, there wasn't any expression of anger on her face. Instead some surprise which morphed into a beautiful smile when she looked back at Lutecia and himself. “Oh my, how bold of you to foil our evil plans for Lutecia-chan like that. I will not hold back against you and accomplish world domination.” He was taken aback by what she said only to notice the faint mischievous undertone in her voice he recognized hearing from Nanoha. Fate was probably just trying to lighten the mood and ease up the girl behind him. So he chuckled in response with cold sweat streaming down his forehead when her device turned into a scythe. “Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Nanoha alone is scary enough. I don't want to deal with a blonde grim reaper.” “Hah? This is the first time I got called a grim reaper… ““Nanoha mentioned you liked using a scythe during your fights and how you used to be very scary wielding that weapon against everything that moved.” “... Just what are you two talking about in private?” She looked at him suspiciously. “And for your information I wasn't a mindless berserker swinging around my device like that! Seriously, what is she sharing with you!?”To be honest, he barely knew anything about her other than the fact she and Nanoha started off as enemies. He saw how she sneakily tried to look back at Lutecia, wondering if the conversation managed to make the girl ease up a bit. Her reaction reminded him about a conversation he had with Teana, about how the person in front of him was very good when it came to taking care of children given she looked after Caro for a period of time. “Shirou, heads up.”All of a sudden, her tone shifted dramatically, adopting a more serious and focused demeanor. The lightheartedness from moments before had vanished, replaced by the cautious vigilance of a seasoned mage. Her gaze sharpened, carefully scanning the space ahead as she sensed something amiss."Careful! We’ve spotted a dozen drones approaching fast!" one of the communication agents urgently informed them, the voice crackling in their ears. The agent provided detailed information about the size of the group and their direction of approach, a total of twenty with more coming on their way. “Stay back,” he warned the small girl behind him. “We'll handle this.”Fate was already prepared. In a flash, her device transformed into a gleaming halberd, and without hesitation, she launched herself into the air. "Hah!!" With a powerful swing, she effortlessly sliced through the first five drones in line, their metallic forms crumpling under the force of her attack. The remaining drones halted in their tracks, immediately retaliating with a relentless barrage of blasts aimed directly at Fate.However, their efforts proved futile. In the blink of an eye, Fate conjured a translucent shield, the magical barrier absorbing the onslaught with ease. Not a single crack appeared as the shield held strong against the assault. “Are you two already?” Some tried to aim for Shirou, only for their shots to be met mid air by an arrow and then followed by another piercing it."Fate!" A panicked voice echoed through the tunnel, breaking the tense silence. She turned her head just in time to see more drones emerging from hidden entryways, half of them cloaked in some sort of invisibility that had escaped her detection as well as the radar's. They began to fire immediately, giving her little to no time to mount a counterattack."Eh?" Several sharp, piercing sounds filled the tunnel as arrows suddenly flew from behind, striking the drones that had been poised to ambush her. The drones exploded upon impact, their attack thwarted. More volleys of projectiles followed in rapid succession, each one finding its mark with pinpoint accuracy, taking down the targets without ever coming close to Fate, even as she continued to move and slash through more of the attacking drones."That one again," Shirou muttered, recognizing a familiar drone among the swarm hiding in plain sight. It was larger than the others, its presence unmistakable, recalling what capability it held made his eyes widen with unease. It materialized right beside the blonde mage and quickly emitted a large anti-magic field that swept across the tunnel.As expected, the barrier’s effects were immediate and overwhelming. In an instant, it neutralized the magic in the area, causing several of Fate's shields to dim considerably and break from the continuous onslaught. She was left vulnerable, exposed to the remaining drones, which were ready to fire upon her defenseless form."Get behind me!" The memory of what had happened with Erio during their first mission surged in Shirou's mind. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and grabbed Fate by the waist.“Eh? W-Wait, Shirou, I can handl—Wah!” Her initial surprise followed by a protest fell into deaf ears and was cut short as Shirou threw her back toward Lutecia, the latter stepping aside a few feet and watching the body land with a loud thud right next to her. “Oof!” “...Shirou.” Having not paid the person any attention after she landed, Lutecia worriedly stretched her hands where a pair of purple and black gloves materialized. A violet glow emanated from the gem in the middle but got interrupted when a hand grabbed onto her wrist. “—!” From the wall a ripple of water formed where a young girl with light green hair gestured at her to stay quiet with a small anxious face. “Sein.” Crack! At the same time, the ceiling above Fate was cut into pieces where a blue haired woman in the same tight blue bodysuit showed up with multiple sets of eight feather-shaped energy wings struck the girl by surprise and pushed her further downwards. All of it happened so quickly that even Shirou hadn't noticed as on the spot several drones casted holograms of an undamaged floor with another Fate standing on guard.She was shaken by her appearance but then calmed down, lowering her hands as the light from her device dimmed down. Unfortunately, her intervention made her forced to watch Shirou barely have enough time to trace the weapons she learned were called Kanshou and Bakuya. The married swords gleamed as he braced himself for the incoming barrage, the first few shots sliced into two at the edge of the blade while others shattered — but there were far too many for him to keep him. The drones unleashed their attack, and a torrent of blasts converged on Shirou from all directions, engulfing him in a thick cloud of dust and smoke.Swish! Not even a second passed right as a black sword swirled in right out of the dust cloud and pierced through the drone with the anti magic field. Several more blades fired out at a rapid pace and took out all of the remaining drones. “Hah… Hah… that was close.” The dust settled quickly and a disheveled Shirou walked out coughing, his barrier jacket managing to absorb most of the damage but at the cost of his magical energy. Had the assault continued for another minute, it would have completely drained him. “This is different from last time.” The anti magic drone though at a glance looked similar to the one from yesterday but was different now that he got a closer look at it. His magecraft weren't affected by this contraption but he worried that Jail might have tried to enhance its effect. “Fate, Lutecia, are you okay?” He realized that in his panic, he ended up tossing Fate backwards like that without much of a thought. “Sorry about that, Fate, I acted before thinking… Fate?” He looked at the girls at the back, both of them standing still cautiously looking at the fallen drones. Sensing something weird he called them again, “Guys?” Walking closer till he stopped in his tracks realizing something wasn't right here. The two ‘people’ in front wobbled, their form started to glitch and become see through. “What!?” His fears turned true when he tried to grab onto one of their arms only for his hands to pass through without resistance. Their images disappeared along with his surroundings distorting until he found himself standing in a completely different space than before. A larger enclosed space still within the subterranean tunnels from the looks of it with neither Fate or Lutecia in sight. “Fate!”“Lutecia!” He called for them but none answered, his nerves growing till he noticed a few individuals on the other end, unsure of whom they were he tried to take a step forward till his eyes were assaulted by a bright light. “Argh!” He cried out, using his arm to cover his face and allow his eyes to slowly adjust to the sudden brightness. “We meet again, Emiya Shirou.” He hoped to not meet this person anytime soon. There on the wall was a brightly lit screen where Jail’s face looked down upon him with a smirk. The shadows of multiple figures surrounding him, more drones as usual. “Did you like my newest little creation? Creating believable illusions to fool the human eye was not easy but it has room to grow. This especially is tricky when you are accompanied by Fate Testarossa, I must admit how unplanned that part turned out to be. But then again, she would have approached me sooner or later, she exists thanks to me after all.”Exist because of him? That comment caught him off guard. The chance that this person was possibly her father was absurd, Nanoha and the others would have mentioned this detail. “Either way, it worked, that's all that matters in the end.” So many people were gathered in this room, the outside attack definitely served as nothing more than a distraction to draw in Nanoha and the others. “Where are they?” Shirou didn’t waste any time, immediately demanding to know the whereabouts of the two individuals who had been with him just moments ago. "Hoh, even when you’re surrounded and trapped, you still have the audacity to ask such a question, arrogance maybe? Let me warn you, your barrier jacket is not an absolute form of defense, it won’t save you if I order all of my machines to fire. You’ve already sustained plenty of attacks not that long ago," the man taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. “I don't need a barrier jacket to get out of this situation.” His mind scoured through countless weapons till several options were chosen. Black keys were the first and foremost most useful ones he believed to be helpful in this situation. ‘Using Rho Aias again won't work since I'm surrounded, Carnwennan is an option if I want to disappear or maybe…’ “Pondering on a way to escape? Don't bother, you are only wasting your time. You can always try, it will make it easier for me.” He seemed to take pleasure in mocking him, as if entertained by his defiance. In situations like this, Shirou knew he had to remind himself to stay calm, to take a more measured approach. If the doctor truly wanted him dead, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to separate him from the main group, nor would he have attempted to communicate with him again. Their last encounter had been far from ideal, and the fact that this man was reaching out now only confirmed that he wanted something from him."Then what do you want with me?" Shirou asked, his tone steady despite the tension in the air."What do I want? Many things, you could say—knowledge, secrets from ancient eras, order, justice, and much more. I’ve dedicated myself to achieving these goals for years, only for you to come out of nowhere and start meddling with my plans in such a manner." The doctor’s voice held no anger, only a cold, calculating interest. He gazed at Kanshou and Bakuya with evident greed, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of admiration and covetousness. "Before you say anything, I do have a deal to propose. Surely, you value your life more than you value those." He gestured toward the married blades, his proposition coming out of nowhere for Shirou. "My weapons?" Shirou repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion. Sure Noble Phantasms weren't something he knew whether or not existed in this world, but Kanshou and Bakuya wouldn't be that eye-catching compared to the devices. At best they were extra sharp swords to the eyes of the locals."What else? I have no idea where you found those little toys, but they’re unlike anything I’ve ever seen before," the doctor continued, his intrigue growing with every word. "They can cut through machines even with an anti-magic field deployed, and without any resistance. Even the highest quality metals can’t replicate what you’ve demonstrated today. These are not creations of modern technology. Just looking at their form and design, I’m led to believe they’re weapons forged in a long-forgotten era.""Hn, congratulations, you’re a detective on top of everything else. Do you want me to applaud you?" Shirou’s sarcasm slipped out without much thought, his tone laced with disdain. "They could be from a hundred or a thousand years ago—either way, that’s none of your concern. You haven't answered my question, where are they? I'll find them myself if you insist on wasting my time." His eyes flicked to the people surrounding him, tensely aware that they could attack him at any moment. He was encircled by individuals and multiple robots, and he knew better than to underestimate any of them."Hahaha! So much hostility, yet you misunderstand something, Shirou," the doctor laughed, seemingly unfazed by Shirou’s attitude. "I haven’t come here with the intention of killing you or harming you in any way. It’s become clear to me that there’s a big misunderstanding between us, and I’d like to offer you another chance—if you’ll allow it."Shirou was momentarily stunned by the statement. This was the same enemy who had sent a literal army of robots to kill him, and now he was suddenly talking about an alliance?"You’re not exactly good at these things, are you?" He remarked dryly, his skepticism evident, still keeping his guard up."Well, it’s hard to infiltrate a place like Midchilda without causing any commotion. Other than this, I had no other way to contact you," the doctor replied, his tone almost casual."I turned down your offer last time. What makes you so certain I’ll accept it this time?" Shirou challenged, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.Instead of giving him a direct answer, Jail Scaglietti simply smiled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Because this time, I don't plan on giving you the luxury of choosing. Capture him. Be quick, I doubt Fate Testarossa will be held back for long.”“—!” The scene turned dark with the menacing red glow of the drones and some of the women in blue tight clothing all glaring at him with hostility.{Break}"I'm so glad that you're safe, Lutecia-sama!"“We were barely able to separate you from Fate.”The relief in Sein’s and Quattro's voices was palpable. It was an odd sensation for Lutecia to be reunited with the Numbers after everything that had transpired. The young purple-haired girl remained as cold and distant as ever, despite the other parties’ overjoyed reactions. Shirou and the others might see them as enemies, but in her eyes, they were still important individuals—people who had been kind to her when no one else had."Sein," she began, her tone neutral. “Quattro, you came all the way here for me… I'm sorry for the trouble.” The bespectacled twin-tailed girl, Quattro, shook her head with an easy going smile. “It was nothing, you are an important member of our family and Jail-sama cares about you a lot. Plus this is as good an opportunity as any to acquire the sixth Relic, so we're killing two birds with one stone here!” Sein jumped in place with a large smile, "I'm so glad that you're okay! Do you have any idea how stressful it was when you were taken away? If it weren't for those mages, we would have come to save you much earlier!""...I wasn't in any danger.”She never was.From the very beginning he kept her close away from the others. She couldn’t even say she had been held captive or under lockdown by the enemy. There had been no threats, no attempts to extract information from her. "Shirou kept his promise, and I was safe.""Shirou? Who's that?”“It's the redhead, you idiot. Did you already forget!?” “Oh right.” Quattro sighed at her sister's forgetfulness, “Either way, we shouldn’t stay here any longer than necessary. Jail-sama already gave us the mission to take you away and leave this place as soon as we found you. Besides, those drones won’t be able to hold off Fate for much longer. So let’s go! I'm sure Uno and the others will be ecstatic to see you safe and sound."“Uno…” A complicated expression passed across Lutecia’s face. The blank, emotionless mask she usually wore slipped, replaced by genuine concern. "What does the doctor want with Shirou?" she asked, directing her question not to Sein, but to Quattro, who she knew would have the answer."You can ask that to him personally," Quattro responded with a calm yet cryptic smile. "He’s not seeking to kill the boy but has grown genuinely curious about him. I'm sure you’ve noticed some oddities about Shirou now that you’ve been around him for a few days. That’s why Jail-sama is most likely after him. Especially after he took down those anti magic drones without using a device… even I'm curious how he did that without the help of summoning magic or a high-powered weapon."They were able to conclude that Shirou Emiya did not use summoning magic or carried some kind of spatial storage from the footage of his fight against Zest. They even consider those being some kind of magical construct but appearance wise they differed greatly from that kind of magic as well.“He should consider himself lucky, it's not everyday Jail-sama gets this involved. Usually he leaves Uno to handle the operation and myself.”Even though Quattro's words were meant to reassure her, Lutecia couldn’t shake the ominous feeling creeping up in her heart. She had gotten to know Shirou quite well over the past few days. If there was one word to describe him, it would be “stubborn”. Stubborn to a fault. So much so that she considered there was something wrong with him to go to such length for a stranger.His statement of going against TSAB if her life was ever in danger due to them, reaffirming them in front of Fate just cemented that belief."He won’t accept the doctor’s offer, no matter how good it is," she said, more to herself than to the others. Sein and Quattro exchanged a glance, some hidden meaning passing between them. It was the latter who broke the silence first, stepping closer to place a hand on Lutecia’s shoulder. "And you should know that Jail-sama is not one to back down so easily. If he wants something, he’ll find a way to accomplish it. Don’t dwell on this matter. Remember what he promised you. Staying here won't help you in any way other than further diminish your chances of getting her back."“...”Lutecia hesitated, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. Her wrist gently grabbed by one of the numbers who pulled her along towards the exit leading to the outside where an aircraft waited for them. Yet she resisted the pull and stood her ground, not willing to move an inch.“—?” The two looked at her with visible shock and confusion, especially Quattro who had a bad feeling in her heart at the signs of Lutecia's behavior. Sein perhaps having picked up on them but still unsure how to act. “The doctor, he won't succeed in pulling him to the other side.” These words were spoken with unshakable certainty."Shirou Emiya, whether he likes it or not, will join our side and help you accomplish your goals along with ours. Lutecia-sama, it’s not wise to get attached so easily to a stranger you've known for only a few days who shows a smile but may have sinister purposes," Quattro added, her tone edged with a warning.But even as she said those things, a large part of Lutecia’s heart refused to believe them at all. The feeling was so strong that she shook her head the moment Quattro finished. "No, Shirou is not evil. He’s not capable of that…" she insisted softly, her voice firm.The past few days flashed before her eyes the more she thought back of their time together the more her doubts and hesitation grew. Subaru and Teana, they never spoke much to each other but even those two didn't seem like bad people. Subaru was far too energetic for her liking and ate all the food she wanted to keep for herself. Teana was weird, always distracted by something and kept bugging Shirou for advice on shooting instead of leaving them alone to enjoy a peaceful afternoon.In the end he considered them as friends and thus she couldn't do much.“What do you mean by any means necessary?” She asked with a wavering voice, “he'll be I force him to fight against his friends. I… I don't want him to hate me.” She told herself thousands of times that for her mother to be brought back, nothing would stand in her way. Willing to go from one extreme to another if it meant seeing her smiling face again. Becoming an enemy of Midchilda looked trivial, yet the mere image of him looking at her with hateful eyes instilled a sense of dread she didn't want to experience. “Don't worry about him hating you, Jail-sama has plenty of ways to counter such a thing.” And she didn't want any one of those methods to be used on him. Regardless of what they were.She tried to pull back even more from Sein’s grip, shocking the latter at her action. Arm shaking as it struggled to break free.“Lutecia-sama… are you…” “I-I want to save my mother…. “ Her shoulders trembled, voice croaking with a waterfall of emotions threatening to pour out. She was confused, the Lutecia of the past would hate the decision she was contemplating since it meant delaying her goals. “But not like this… please, I don't want him to hate me…” When was the last time she had shown so much emotion? She couldn't remember, maybe the day she saw her mother for the last time, a suffocating feeling that grew by the second. Unable to understand just what was going on with the girl, Quattro had to ask, “Lutecia-sama, why do you care so much about this person over Jail-sama who has shown you so much kindness? It doesn't make sense!” Her prior cheerful tone now completely gone and replaced with frustration and a hint of rage frightening even Sein who rarely saw her sister behave like that. But Quattro didn't care about the volume of her voice and approached the little girl, ready to complete this retrieval mission regardless if she had to use forceful means. But before that, she needed some answers. Yet all she faced was the appearance of a pitiful child with moist eyes who looked just as confused as her about this entire thing. “Because… B-Because he reminds me of mama… he feels like her sometimes…” she whispered silently, “...”“...”Speechless, out of the thousands of possible answers she came up with this wasn't amongst them. So completely out of the box that Quattro wondered if she heard wrong, but her hearings were perfectly fine unfortunately that seemed to be the case for Lutecia's weird behavior. “This is stupid.” Done trying to persuade her to come along willingly, she had no other choice. “Sein, detain her and let's leave before more reinforcements arri—!?”Horror flashed before both Numbers’ faces when the glove on Lutecia's hands started to glow. A dark wisp emerging from the jewel and presenting itself before them with a large summoning circle forming beneath their feet in an instant. “I'm sorry, Quattro… Sein, please tell the doctor that I'm sorry I disappointed him.” There was regret, she was betraying her allies by her own choice. “Garyu, help me.”The dark wisp transformed into a shadow towering over the girls, an insectoid with a human-like form burst forth letting out a roar that shook the room. It's five crimson eyes glaring at the girls who couldn't believe what just happened.Sein was already halfway submerged within the ground the moment the creature moved. Its figure blurring, moving at speed beyond anything Quattro dealt with in the last and appearing right in front of her. Its carapace covered hands pulled back along with its body until a loud bang sounded, “Urgh!” Spit flew out of her mouth when the next second a dark fist dug into her abdomen, tearing through the latex-like armor with ease and sending the girl propelled through the air and crashing into a wall.The attack carried enough force that it broke through the entire thing and led to another room where the young girl felt her heart skip a beat when she saw none other than Shirou. Holding his own against Tre, Sette, other numbers and drones who managed to inflict some wounds upon him. “Lutecia!” The boy's expression in question, which initially was that of pure anger that quickly turned into pure joy upon seeing her. “Stay there, I'll get you out of here!”Even in such a moment he continued to worry about her, had she decided to leave with Quattro and Sein… what would he think of her? And for the Numbers, especially Tre and Sette to be engaged in combat did not make her feel like Jail truly wanted him to join them.“Lutecia,” she heard the Doctor's voice and saw his face upon the wall. There was disappointment in his eyes, yet strangely enough she didn't feel any more regret than before. “Is this truly your choice?” ”Garyu.” The insectoid creature understood her words and made its move, ramming against Tre with great force with its tail slashing against the nearby drones. Moving at hypersonic speed in such an enclosed space made it very hard for even the most combat oriented Numbers to keep track.“Gah!” The blue haired number followed a similar fate to Quattro but proved to be more resilient physically as she managed to endure the attack. By pushing herself off the ground with shaking legs. Lutecia's action was the answer to Jail's question, the man sighing with his eyes closed. “I suppose you have abandoned your mother, the Time Space Administrative Bureau truly poisoned your mind.” “No, I haven't,” she retorted. “I…I'll find a way.” “I see, then this has been a waste of time. All of you, retreat, there is no point staying here any longer than necessary.” At his command, each of the numbers vanished from their spot with the remaining drones gathering around the ceiling, their bodies starting to glow a reddish hue with the overall temperature of the place rising by the second. “We shall meet again, Emiya Shirou,” were the last words of the doctor before the broadcast went offline.“—!” She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, finding herself momentarily recalling the warmth embrace of her mother despite the current situation. The guilt of her betrayal burned away until nothing was left but ash, and this very action made her certain that both Jail and the numbers were wrong about him. Shirou was not evil like those people working in TSAB.He was planning on using himself as a shield again wasn't he… she wouldn't let him. It was her fault they came here.She had to take responsibility.The gloves once again started to glow with several summoning circles appearing around them. “Gar—”Crash!The floor caved in as a bright yellow scythe cut through it, a figure emerging right as the drones all exploded at the same time. A sea of fire filled the room and nearly reached them if it weren't for Fate grabbing both of them and creating a yellow sphere around her. The shockwave and destructive force of the explosion impacted the sphere, rattling everyone inside. Lutecia unconsciously found herself wrapping her hands around him as well and waited for the shaking to come to an end, bracing the entire time but without any fear in her heart. This went on for a couple more seconds till everything came to a stop. The sphere tumbled deeper underground till they reached the very bottom, all three waited for another minute till they were certain that the blast came to an end. The sphere dissipated, and she found herself staring at the distant sky above, surrounded by endless rubbles and remnants of the tunnels having survived the explosion. “Guys! I found them!” From one of the tunnels, Subaru appeared waving her hands over. Teana, Caro and Erio all soon came over and released a sigh of relief seeing them safe and sound.“That was close.” Fate mentioned, looking around to make sure they were in the clear. “Are you two injured?” Shirou shook his head, “Rubin took some damage but other than that, I'm completely fine. Hah… this thing consumes far too much of my energy, I'm spent.” He said, letting out a deep sigh. For someone who she saw go up against the Numbers before she intervened, he did indeed look in a very good condition. She was glad. “Are you hurt, Lutecia?” Finally, he turned his attention to her, grabbing onto her face and looking over careful for injuries. Barely she managed to hold back her emotions and shook her head. “I see, I was worried something happened to you back then. Hahaha, good thing you showed up in time, I was about to resort to desperate means to get rid of them, all of them had weird names.” His hand gently rubbed her head, that same smile he showed her everyday coming back that reminded Lutecia of someone precious to her made it harder for herself to hold back. Sniff…“Eh, are you crying?” “N-No…”“You are crying,” “I… sniff… I'm not.”He pulled her into his embrace once more, she accepted it without resisting. “It's okay to cry… I'm happy you chose to stay.” Of course she would stay, something told her that had she left, a certain someone would have actually tried to come chase after her and put himself in needless danger. Not listening to a single word even if she tried to stop him… stubborn to the core. “I'll keep my word to you, we'll save your mother. That is my promise to you.”Hearing those words made her feel a sense of relief once more, further extinguishing any embers of guilt she harbored for turning her back against the doctor.Sniff “I-I trust you.”Out of nowhere, both heard the sound of a camera shutter.“Ara…,” Fate holding a camera showed an awkward face. “I didn't mean to ruin the moment.” “Why?” “Something tells me Nanoha-chan will really like this.” Both Shirou and Lutecia were confused by that statement, though the girl soon no longer cared and just continued to stay in his embrace as she felt exhaustion creep in. Mentally fatigued, she drifted asleep while he carefully held her up and started to head back up.  ...Chapter 13: Strange Fish -Midchilda- The sense of belonging had always been an infinitely complex emotion to navigate, the lack of said emotion exponentially growing with the time that passed. Not everyone had the courage or insight to confront it and find a clear answer, and some spent years—sometimes decades—searching for it. To feel at home, to trust those around you, to find joy and comfort even through the hardest times—such moments were rare treasures in themselves. Many unfortunate people traversed life without ever finding that answer, but for those who did, protecting that place and those people became a sacred duty. It was a responsibility, as heavy as the sky itself, fueling the will to keep this cherished sanctuary safe, the familiar smiles of friends and family gleaming like stars in the night.These thoughts had weighed heavily on Fate’s mind for days, bringing forth painful memories of a distant past when such an obstacle had presented itself… in a way, she still worked hard to keep this treasure safe even now. A never-ending duty, where each end of the line only made way for a bigger threat than the last. Ever since the unexpected attack by enemy forces, tension rose amongst the members of the TSAB, all pondering the motive behind the recent attacks A swarm of drones had breached their territory, seemingly with a singular objective: to reclaim one person. The higher-ups were skeptical of this simple motive, but on the surface, it appeared that way. Jail, the treacherous doctor, had failed in his attempt, his schemes collapsing with his efforts to retrieve the young child now residing with Shirou. Though Fate saw the child as Shirou's protege, there was an unmistakable sibling bond of sorts between them. The older one tried tirelessly to make her days lively, with endless food, games, and activities. And though she maintained her usual stoic demeanor, the girl followed along with his plans, never once refusing. She seemed to enjoy it, even if she didn't openly show it—at least, that’s what Fate perceived, though she couldn’t be entirely sure.“Done at last.” Fate leaned back in her chair, the sound of her spine cracking faintly in the quiet room. Hours of writing and organizing her report from the day of the attack had left her stiff.Paperwork that drained more energy than even the most brutal of battles she encountered in this past year alone. And to imagine that Hayate had to deal with similar affairs on a daily basis made her secretly grateful for not seeking any higher-ranked positions so far."Finished with your report?" A voice cut through her thoughts, and a warm cup of coffee appeared on the edge of her desk. Fate turned to find Nanoha standing there, a gentle smile on her face as she sipped from her own cup.“Yes,” Fate replied with a sigh of relief. “Took me long enough, but it’s finally done. Hopefully, this is enough for Hayate to work with.”After the incident, every member involved in defending against the attack was required to submit a detailed report of their actions that day. It was a tedious task, draining nearly a full day, but everyone understood the necessity. From Hayate down to Subaru and Tiana, each report was essential to forming a complete picture of the battle.“The others are still finishing theirs. It'll be a while.” Nanoha took a seat beside Fate, looking tired but content. “Why don’t we get something to eat in the meantime?”Fate didn’t need convincing. With a nod, they left the office together, heading toward the cafeteria. But as soon as they stepped into the hallway, a middle-aged man came into view, striding toward them with a furrowed brow. The air between them cooled, and the easy camaraderie they’d just shared faded. Nanoha’s eyes sharpened with a hint of caution, her previously lighthearted demeanor suddenly guarded.“Good morning, Lieutenant General Regius.” She called out and greeted him with a polite tone and a short bow to which Nanoha did so as well. “How may I help you today?”“I have read your report.” He didn't waste any time with pleasantries and spoke with them using a stern, almost displeased tone which both girls had grown used to at this point, especially when she witnessed the man's interactions with Hayate which were much colder. Safe to say, for him to come over to them only meant they were bound to deal with some headache-inducing conversation. “Good morning to you too, Miss Auris.” Behind the man, almost hidden from view due to Gaiz’s large stature was a bespectacled woman with brown hair — his ever so faithful secretary. “Captain Testarossa,” the latter greeted her curtly with a small nod. Even after working together multiple times on certain occasions, she remained as detached as always. Not that the blonde minded and respected her wishes, but a part of her was curious if the woman harbored the same kind of opinions Reigus had for her to remain as cold as this. “It is not every day Midchilda of all places suffer an attack of any sort from enemy forces.” The man said, his hands clasped behind the back. “I have been made aware by certain sources that the spark that started this whole fiasco is none other than that newbie you found on Earth; Emiya Shirou. Recently brought to Midchilda and already let to participate in team excursions with trained cadets.” He then turned his attention to Nanoha, “Instructor Takamichi, I do not need to elaborate myself to point out the flaws with your decisions that started all of this.”“I believe we already had this discussion,” she hummed at first, not showing any displeasure, and answered calmly. “Emiya Shirou has gotten an extensive background check done with his abilities tested and recorded by various trustworthy agents. If you are insinuating that he was behind the attack by intentionally leading the enemy forces to us then you are mistaken.” “I would not have pursued this matter were he the only one.” The man did not back down. “There is a second one this time, this individual just as responsible if not more so than Emiya Shirou. All two of them were brought in by your department, a former member of the enemy no less!” Not willing to let her friend handle the entire thing by herself, Fate stepped forward to take control of the conversation. “And what exactly are you trying to tell us, Lieutenant General? We followed protocol and kept those two under constant surveillance by our two cadets, leaving them no room to contact the enemy forces or leak out any sensitive information they don't even have access to.” “And yet this incident occurred, it has become clear that maybe your efforts are not enough. Which is why I am asking you again to reconsider the previous offer I extended to Commander Hayate.” His offer? Both Fate and Nanoha looked at one another with confusion flashing before their eyes. However, it did not take long for the blonde to recall certain details from past meetings and turn her attention back to Regius. “You are still trying to have him transferred to your department.”“It is the best course of action and the safest. Not only shall he receive a safer resident but he will be kept away from the public eye.” “I would argue he is safe enough with us,” answered the blonde, finding it odd why this man who initially did not want Shirou to be present within the headquarters suddenly grew so interested in him. “Also, he is not some kind of beginner mage who cannot protect himself, Shirou is more than capable of protecting himself with or without us. So while I believe your offer is appreciated, at the end of the day, it is unneeded.” Not to mention, making such decisions behind his back did not feel appropriate. Furthermore, Fate truly believed Shirou did not need this man's help whatsoever. The first reason is that she highly doubted Regius truly desired to help the otherworldly red-headed. Fate witnessed his battle prowess and magecraft in battle many times to come to that conclusion, this conclusion was further strengthened when she tried to save him last time against those individuals who called themselves numbers. Women who were powerful enough to catch her off guard, with a single one posing a far bigger challenge than even an entire group of drones. When she finally was able to shake them off and even incapacitate a couple, she was surprised to find him surrounded by several of them with wounds and cuts all over their bodies. While he himself seemed to have sustained some injuries, it was still a shocking scene.“Humph, this is a matter of security concerning the entirety of the Time Space Administrative Bureau. We cannot afford to be biased with strangers if their existence here will threaten to attract more trouble. Any more of such incidents and it will only be a matter of time before he ends up at the Midchilda South-Sea Asylum.” Fate’s smile stretched ever so slightly. “If that were to happen then the Riot Force Six will be up and ready to deal with them. You don't have to worry about anything, in general. You should be aware we are not easy to deal with.” Unfortunately, he did not seem like the general understood her words. “We shall discuss this matter once again in the future.” Without giving her or Nanoha a chance to respond, he turned his back and walked away with Auris quickly following along.  Still, their conversation was brief, barely lasting less than a minute. It still made the previously cheerful mood dampen quite considerably. “Quite the personality isn't he, Nanoha-chan?” The brunette chuckled, not giving her an answer but her reaction was more than enough. “I somewhat suspected he would behave like this. He has been awfully quiet for the past few days, I even started to believe he went away on a vacation.” “Maybe a vacation will make him less… prickly than he usually is.” Fate tried to use a less offensive word to describe him. “I doubt that. He has been pretty much against us even since Hayate-chan started working for the Time Space Administrative Bureau.” “I would like to see his reaction if one day Hayate ends up getting a position higher than his.” Nanoha shook her head, “Our dear Lieutenant General might just end up retiring altogether.” Both chuckled as their conversation revolved around the general till it slowly transitioned to other topics that came to their attention these past few days — especially concerning people related to the recent battle. “How are the newbies doing?” “Thankfully no bad news this time, Fate-chan. Subaru and Tiana participated and destroyed quite a few of those drones, They performed exceptionally and improved compared to their past selves. Especially Subaru, she went beyond her limit this time.” “Is it because of the ground sergeant Nakajima’s presence?” “I believe so, it is natural to want to show your best to your older sibling at times like these.” “Well Ginga did teach her everything about Shooting Arts, so it makes sense why Subaru was so energetic.” Nanoha smiled, recalling how much those two had grown up. “Teana will also soon show progress, she is already in a semi-rivalrous relationship with Shirou, so if Subaru gets too ahead then she will not accept being left behind.” “Erio has also performed wonderfully. I read Caro's reports on how he single-handedly handled an entire squadron of drones all on his own when he heard that Shirou was being attacked.” She knew why the young boy behaved like that, for he personally believed to have still owed a debt to the redhead after the latter saved him during their first mission. “Hopefully things start to calm down a little now that we forced Jail to retreat and even to down a large portion of his army. It should take a while for him to fully recover so better use this time to our advantage and recoup our strength as well.” When speaking of the scientist, another matter came to mind. “I remember Hayate asked for us to meet her after we are done with our tasks, will you be going to her now or after?”“In an hour, I have to go over the reconstruction progress of the underground tunnels near our headquarters. And I also need to check up on the field both Caro and Erio found a few days ago. Were you thinking about going there as well?” “The girl?” This matter had honestly escaped her mind, Fate was embarrassed to admit it but the avalanche of paperwork and matters she needed to handle with the aftermath made her momentarily forget about the strange case of both Caro and Erio discovering a young child holding onto a relic within the tunnels when they were searching for Shirou. She remembered Hayate gave the responsibility of handling this case to Signum. “Now that you bring it up, I'm curious to meet this child. I heard from Ginga that she is an artificial life made within a pod hidden in the underground. A remnant of Doctor Scaliageti’s experiments I suppose… Yes, let's go together to meet her.” The case made Fate draw many parallels to Erio’s case, and she knew how terrified and lost the child must have been upon first awakening.“Great! Then let's go together after lunch, I'll drive this time!” Nanoha smiled, already showing a small key fob within her grasp which made Fate briskly touch her pockets and realize she had been pickpocketed without even realizing it.“Ah, that's my car, you know?” “I only got to drive it once!” “And I want to drive it more since I just bought it recently!” “It will be like having your own personal driver.” Fate rolled her eyes amusedly, imagining Nanoha in a suit along with a driver's hat, and nearly burst out laughing. “Unfortunately for you, I'm not in the market for a personal driver, especially one that just learned how to pickpocket.”Nanoha ended up giving the key back with reluctance. “Honestly, why don't you and Hayate just get your own vehicle? I have even begun letting Signum borrow the car.” “Well, it is a nice-looking model.” “Why thank you~!” Fate took pride in her taste for her choice of vehicle.“Also, it would be a waste when you already have one. Those things are not exactly cheap.” “...”These two……(A few minutes later)-Saint Church's Orphanage-After having lunch which only took about ten minutes, the duo drove to a separate end of the city, getting further away from the main headquarters and closer to the residential area where they soon reached their main destination. The only orphanage in Midchilda. “Sister Schach will be welcoming us from what Signum mentioned. Last I heard from her, she mentioned the little child was already in good health and only needed a bit of time before awakening. “She has been busy studying the girl according to Signum. According to the latter, the examinations showed an exceptional amount of magical power within her body but it's nothing strange for a child to have under the right circumstances.”“But she is still an artificial human,” mentioned Fate, a worried expression gracing her face. “We don't know nor have found any clues as to what the reason was behind her creation in the first place, but it is clear that there had to be a reason for Jail to create her.” “I agree, But for now it is best that you focus on her well-being more than anything else.” No matter what the origins of the young child, Fate did not want to discriminate suspect the young one, or treat her any differently Just because of who created her and for which purpose. However, as they continue to confess to one another, Fate notices the weird lack of response from the other side “It's a bit quiet don't you think so?”“Sister Schach?” Fate noticed how long it was taking Before she began to believe in a possible attack, the screen flickered and the familiar face of the nun appeared. Though much to their confusion, she clearly looked ragged and distressed. “Instructor Takamichi! Captain Testarossa! I am very sorry for the late response but we currently have an issue! Vivio has disappeared and we have failed to find her for the last hour!”She didn't waste a second and immediately shared that worrisome news with both women. Their eyes widened and slight disbelief with Fate wondering if the child already held magical abilities she could control to be able to hide from competent mages working with the Saint's Church at the orphanage. “We will help in finding her as well, open the door and both Fate and I will start investigating! Has Signum been notified of this matter?”“Y-Yes, She is also here aiding us in finding her.”That was a surprise to both of them, if even Signum was unable to find her for an entire hour then the situation was more grave than they anticipated. So without wasting another second, they rushed inside and started to look everywhere. Nanoha took to the east side where there was a large expanse of trees and fate wandering near the water shore. “Signum!” Fate greeted the pink-haired woman who came over followed by Schach, both of their expressions on the edge from the constant searching they had done. “Any luck on finding clues on where Vivio could have gone?” “No, I searched the entirety of the building and basement but found not a single trace of her. Even those outside mentioned not having seen any girl wandering around.” Half an hour passed and not a single one of them was able to locate the young child. Faith in particular started to wonder if rather than escaping from them, someone perhaps kidnapped the young Vivio. What was supposed to be a simple visit to the orphanage where they could give the young girl a quick visit and also get to know her a bit more turned into a blind goose chase with several parties doing their best but failing at finding her. Fate compares the situation to finding a small needle in a haystack.Perhaps due to the stress brought by the situation, she bit the tip of her fingernail, “If we are not able to locate her in another half an hour then we should contact Hayate and ask for backup to expand the search area since it's clear she's not here anymore.”“Can we suspect this being the handiwork of Jail?” “Maybe, but we can't be sure yet.” This place was well guarded and not even a single person could enter without being verified by multiple cameras along the road. And she was certain that both Signum and Schach must have checked the cameras for any person who could have entered this place in the last twenty-four hours.“Just where are you… uh?” Right as she reached the river bank, Fate noticed some footprints on the sand that were suddenly dragged into the water by force almost. This wasn't good.{Break}While this group was scrambling around trying to locate the young child in every nook and cranny, the duo consisting of Shirou along Lutecia were in the middle of a completely different environment. Completely separated from the bustling city of Midchilda, surrounded by nature and dense greenery near a river — a quiet place both found by pure luck. All by themselves, sitting near the water with the young purple-haired girl sporting an expression of pure concentration while she held onto a fishing rod. Shirou nearby reeling his line that had a large fish that resembled a Crucian Carp from Earth. Throwing it into his bucket which was already filled to the brim with captured fish while Lutecia's own bucket was completely empty. Something that irked the girl for quite a while.“...” Seeing the frown on her face get more pronounced after his sixth catch, he couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. “You don't have to treat this like a competition, just stay patient and I am sure sooner or later you will catch something.”“I will not lose.” “I just told you this wasn't a competition,” he repeated with a sigh, shaking his head at the burning competitive spirit this girl had developed with such a simple activity. This was supposed to be a normal outing where he could lighten the atmosphere a tiny bit after what happened recently. To put away any worries she might have had concerning Jail and his next move. “I brought you here so you could relax a bit. Not get stressed over not getting a catch just after an hour.” “Two hours.”“It has been that long already?”Subaru was surprisingly The one who recommended this activity in the first place with Teana telling him about this location in general. Dressed in their regular clothing that consisted of his usual white and blue long-sleeved shirt coupled with regular pants and a large straw hat to block out the sun.Lutecia on the other hand wore a simple red blue dress with a straw hat that was maybe a size or two too big for her head. Not that she seemed to mind or care, refusing to have him replace it with something more fitting. “It's fine, I'll grow into it soon enough.” Those were the words she mentioned. “You can do it, Lulu! Fight!” A small voice cheered on the young girl, floating around until she turned her attention to him and showed an expression of pure fury. “You! This is your fault! Why did you have the need to show off so much in front of her?! Just because you got lucky doesn't mean shit!”An explosive personality this one turned out to be, the bat-like wings and tail didn't help her image. This coupled with her appearance that consisted of red hair like his style in a twin-tail and crimson eyes. Wearing a rather riské outfit that resembled a swimsuit more than anything else. A unison device named Agito, according to Lutecia, appeared right at the end of the attack by Lutecia's side, claiming to have been sent on a mission by Zest, which initially made him wary of her. Her presence was not mentioned by anyone as she kept herself hidden from everyone's gaze except for himself and Lutecia. And to say she had a bad impression of him was an understatement.“Oi, what's with that look!?” She flew near his face, hands from being replaced on her waist for she grabbed his face and stretched them out without him resisting her actions. Her figure was tiny enough that he could hold her in his palm, the size of a figurine just like Rein. “I can tell you are looking down on me like I'm some annoying fly! Don't even try to deny it.” Wow, he wasn't aware these devices were capable of mind-reading. “That shurts… Ahito…” “Of course, it should hurt you, sword bastard!” Had it not been for Lutecia, something told Shirou that his face would have already been burned by this little bratty device that held a grudge against him for some reason. “I bet you must be feeling really proud of yourself. How the hell are you the same person who beat Zest last time? If he saw you right then I bet he wouldn't even recognize you!”Apparently, she knew about his battle against Zest but Shirou didn't recall seeing her at all. Nevertheless, that fight seemed to have left a somewhat twisted image of himself to her. A sword maniac out for blood cutting through hundreds of drones with a single move. Where she got such an idea he didn't know.“Want a snack?” “I will not be swayed by your snacks!” So she said, yet she wasted no time snatching the cookie he made small enough for her size away from his hand and started to munch on it with glee while sitting on his head. Crumbs fell onto his hair, forcing another sigh of pure delight with her cheeks bulging like that of a chipmunk.“Mmmn, acceptable, I will look past your actions this time. But don't think I'll be as lenient on you as last time!” “How frightening, I am shaking in my boots.” He said dryly, resisting the urge to swat the thing off his head.“Heh, as you should be! That is the emotion you should feel the next time you encounter Zest, he will dominate the fight with me present next time.” Her small hands tapped his head, “Also call me Agito-sama next time, I am to be treated with more respect as the greatest device alive. Surely you must be jealous of not being my Master~!”Not really, Rubin was more than enough for him. “I don't think it's wise saying such things to your ‘enemy’ while sitting on his head and spilling crumbs everywhere. I will drop you into the toilet if you don't clean up the mess.”“... You wouldn't dare.” “Try me.”She didn't say anything afterward, continuing to finish her snack while he ignored her existence for brief moments. Though he suspected it was not because of his words but rather her new master getting shocked as the end of her reel seemed to have caught something.“—!”“Shirou!” For the briefest of moments, her face showed an expression of pure joy that made sense to see on someone her age, though it only lasted for that long until it disappeared once more behind her expressionless mask.Still, he was glad she was starting to get more comfortable around him and instantly went to her side. “Keep a tight grip on your fishing pole and slowly pull it back. If you do it too strongly then the bail will be pulled away, if you do it too slowly then the fish will escape. Just calm down and slowly reel it back like this.” He grabbed her hand and showed the young girl the steps. Making sure she didn't get pulled into the water by holding onto her shoulders till she was in a better position.“Hn!” The girl struggled, her arms shaking by what appeared to be a rather big fish from the looks of it. “It's fighting back!” “Let me help you, I'll burn it to death!” Agito exclaimed, about to fly away to wear the line, and was hooked but ended up getting caught mid-air by Shirou. “H-Hey! D-Don’t squeeze me like that! It feels weird!” Her struggle was adorable but futile, he immediately put her down on the ground and she immediately flew over to throw a barrage of soft little punches across his chest with a crimson face. “Lutecia can handle this, also if you use fire like this then it will ruin the fish.” “You can't order me aroun—mmph!?” She tried to resist only to have her face get stuffed by a large cookie the size of her body. Staring bloody murder at the perpetrator, she mentally swore vengeance on him. He didn't pay any attention to that, continuing to help Lutecia as she started to reel in the line closer through great effort. “I-I can do it.”She stood up, using her entire weight to pull whatever fish this was with Agito cheering her along in the background, he followed suit while also keeping tabs on his own fishing pole.“I bet she caught a shark, as expected of Lulu!” “I don't think there are any sharks here with the water being this shallow,” he added dryly, getting punched by the little sprite though he barely felt her touch. “Perhaps it's a fish or an object that got stuck under some rocks.”“Shouldn't you help her?” Agito asked, having already finished half of her meal and taking a seat on his head. Agito had a point, if he helped her then this would be easier, but when he looked at the small girl struggling to pull the rod making faces she never showed in the past with even a vein bulging on her forehead… he couldn't help but smirk. “It's kinda funny seeing her like this.” “...” Not much was said after that, he just sat back on the ground and waited. The shadow in the water got larger as the fish was pulled closer to the shore. He doubted they'd be able to eat all of it, his own bucket was filled with plenty of fish to last a week. But then again, with Subaru and Teana that number decreased to maybe three days at most. Splash!With a final full, she managed to draw it on the surface.“I-It's here! I got you no—”At that moment, all three of them were expecting to see a giant fish. The biggest catch of the day or perhaps just a random piece of heavy debris the hook got stuck into. In either case, all parties found their expectations to be led completely astray with what turned out to be attached at the end of the hook was neither a fish nor a piece of metal. Rather it was hooked into what resembled a ripped-apart rabbit doll that belonged to a dark blonde-haired child around the same age as Lutecia. Her face was covered with algae, and her own damn hair covered most of it. Firmly holding onto the doll whilst sobbing simultaneously. “Uuuuuh, Usagi…” she cried at the ruined state of her stuffed doll.“Shirou.” “Yes?”“This is not a fish,” she said dryly, the prior expressive face gone leaving behind the familiar detached face that showed no surprise whatsoever. But rather held a trace of disappointment. “I can see that.” Unless this planet had alien fishes that resembled human children.“Is this normal?”“... Would be very concerning if this were considered normal, so no.” “I see.” Much to his shock, rather than pulling her to land, Lutecia lowered the pole and let the girl fall back into the water slowly till bubbles rose on the surface. “I'll catch a fish next time for sure.”“Oi, wait!” His senses returned and Shirou rushed ahead without wasting a second, jumping into the water and quickly bringing the girl back to the surface. “Pua!” He emerged onto the surface with the girl held firmly within his arms, swimming ashore and carefully placing her onto the ground. Taking deep breaths he grew relieved to see that the girl was at least conscious without suffering from having any water enter her lungs. “Lutecia, next time to find someone like this, just pull them to shore next time?” “Next time?” “You know what I mean.” Looking down at the unknown girl, her body wasn't in a state that would suggest she had been in the water for a long. Her body shivered slightly from the cold so he wrapped a towel around her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and he came to stare back at not just one but two different colored eyes. Both red and green heterochromatic eyes. “U—uh…” There didn't seem to be any injuries as he made quick use of structural analysis. No broken bones or ripped tendons, just a few bruises on her feet. Lutecia's head and Agito peeked behind him, observing the young girl with some curiosity. “She looks kinda familiar,” mentioned the red-headed talking device. “I'm pretty sure I saw you somewhere but I don't remember… weird. Does she ring any bells for you, Lulu?” “I don't think so.” Regardless of whether she looked familiar or not, this wasn't the ideal place to be and she was bound to catch a cold if she remained like this. “We will figure it out afterward, for now, can you walk?” “A-Ah…” the girl hesitated, looking at the people before her and even showing some fear. Though she understood his words and tried to get up on her feet, “Ah!” Only to fall back down. “I'll take that as a no. Um, what is your name?” Shirou asked, wondering Just what led to this child friend herself within the river. Perhaps her parents were around and were searching for her as well.“I-It’s Vi—” “Vivio!” Soon, he heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer and turned to find Fate rushing toward them with a frantic look on her face. Startled, Agito quickly flew inside Luticia's clothes and hid from view — not wanting to be seen by others. “Oh thank goodness you're safe,” the blonde came over and hugged the child, the latter at first showing some fear before calming down. “We were worried you were kidnapped, everyone has been searching for yo—eh, Shirou? What are you two doing here?” Finally, she noticed his presence, tilting her head in confusion. “I caught her instead of a fish,” Lutecia answered first, further increasing the confusion between them. “Ah?” {Break}Soon the group returned to the orphanage, which just happened to be near the spot where both Shirou and Lutecia were previously. The girl he soon found out was named Vivio now sat near him with completely new clothes and nearly combed hair. Absent-mindedly gazing at Lutecia next to her who used her insects to distract the girl. Not even paying any attention to the food on the table, much to the dismay of the sister who greeted him.“She is a homunculus?” He said, having heard the story surrounding Vivio and her being discovered by both Erio and Caro during the attack. An artificially made life… It sounded very similar to what he knew about the Einzbern. “Perhaps you can look at it that way. I don't know how it differs in your world, but as far as we can tell, Vivio was created and grown inside a life tube.” Fate answered his question, Nanoha had to return as soon as she received a call from Hayate leaving him and Fate alone at the orphanage. Signum borrowed Fate's car to drive the brunette back to the headquarters. “Who was behind her creation, we don't have any conclusive answers but I suspect it to be none other than the man who attacked our base.”“Him again.” “He is the only one who was specialized in such a field, from Erio to many others, Jail had pioneered the science behind artificially made life for years till he was caught and fled away. Some of his labs remained undiscovered for many years, and Vivio just happens to be one of them.” It was honestly jarring to learn that people here were capable of creating life through science like this without any alchemy. According to Fate, Vivio was examined to possess a normal body that wouldn't break down after a decade or two. Capable of living as long as a regular human being. “What do you plan on doing with her?” He wasn't particularly worried now that both Fate and Nanoha were involved. He placed his truth in them many times in the past and never did they let him down once. “Since she was created by Jail, I wouldn't be surprised if others are asking to lock her or put her under quarantine to be studied.” “Not as many as you're thinking. In fact, you're the one that keeps popping up whenever we have a conversation with our superiors.” A faint chuckle escaped her lips when she saw his stunned reaction. “Seriously?” “You have no idea,” Fate twirled the straw of her drink, thinking about the conversation she had with Regius. “Think about it, from a parallel world using a different form of magic different from what we've seen. It's both similar yet very different, relying on physical characteristics like those magic circuits you mentioned that we don't possess.”“You make it sound like it's impressive but having a mana core like yours is more convenient honestly. And my reserves are very limited compared to you all. Were it not for you, I would have gotten buried under the rubbles back then, so thank you, Fate.” “Oh that was nothing, you still had Rubin didn't you? A barrier jacket would have kept you safe under those circumstances long enough till help arrived.” “Which was already at its limit,” he reminded her. “Any updates on those individuals we fought?” “Numbers.” She mentioned, “Unfortunately they all disappeared as soon as the tunnels started to collapse. I did manage to incapacitate a few of them before reaching you, but when I returned to that spot they were gone.” He looked at Lutecia, since she used to aid Jail with his plans then it made sense for the girl to be familiar with these Numbers as well. Having not asked her yet to provide him with information about these people, Shirou wondered if he could ask about them and hopefully get something useful. “So about Vivio…”Once more he turned his attention back to the small blonde girl who was now trying to catch the flying insect controlled by Lutecia. Smiling and laughing while allowing the purple-haired mage to eat her food quietly. His eyes twitched when he saw a tiny arm pop out of her clothes and sneakily take a piece of potato. She better not make a mess of the clothes with grease. Did entities like her even need to eat in the first place?“Oh right, well we can't leave her alone. Right? She must be very confused and lonely, also we don't know if Jail might try to send someone to kidnap her.” Indeed, whatever that man was trying to create initially didn't feel like a good idea. And since he was willing to go through this much just to get Lutecia, then nothing stopped him from doing so against Vivio. But as he waited for Fate's answer, he found the woman staring at him intently with a small contemplative frown visible on her face. “Yes?” “Tell me Shirou, How are things going with Lutecia after you took her in?” She asked to which he grew confused at first but decided to answer honestly nonetheless. “Not That's hard as you might suspect. She is a bit quiet at times and rarely asks for anything, but most of the time we just hang around the apartment or with Subaru and Teana. She got to know them better and I'm hoping for them to become friends. It's been mostly peaceful despite what happened a few days ago.”“I heard different stories about you two from Subaru and Nanoha. You have a knack for such things, from far away you two look like siblings almost.” A smile graced her face as he scratched the back of his head. “You did a great job.” “It's thanks to you, Hayate and Nanoha.” “Which is why I'll need your help!” She announced, Her words taking him by surprise as he wondered what she meant by that. “Seeing you get along so well despite having met not that long ago, I got the idea of doing something similar myself. I plan to adopt Vivio, or just become her legal guardian.” A few seconds of silence passed between them. “... What?” ...“UWAAAAA!!!” The ear-piercing cry of a despairing child rang within Shirou's ears. Forcing everyone around to momentarily flinch, the sound loud enough to be compared to a banshee. Fortunately, no monster, but just Vivio desperately grabbing onto Lutecia's leg. “DON'T GO! STAY HERE! WAAAAAH!!!” Both Shirou and Fate were surprised by the scene just like everyone else, it turned out Vivio got very attached to her new friend quickly and did not want to see her leave so soon. Some of the onlookers laughed at the scene, finding it cute and amusing. Shirou and Fate were part of this group while Lutecia on the other hand had a dark face, exerting a lot of force to free herself but failing to overcome the vice grip. “Shirou, I'm being held back against my will.” She said with what sounded like an emotionless tone but held a clear trace of annoyance. “You don't have to make it sound so dramatic.” “I am being detained in place by a stranger who I fished out from the river.”“Still sounds weird. Anyways, to me, it looks like you made yourself a new friend. Congratulations.” Of course, he wouldn't fail to use this opportunity to tease the girl a tiny bit, going so far as to take some pictures. “Here I was worried there was no one around your age for you to hang out with.” “This is not funny.” Wiggling her legs proved to be futile, Vivio held on like a koala. “You found her first, so take responsibility.” “She's not an animal,” a quick glance was spared at the child who had snot and tears streaming down her face which ended up smearing her clothes. Forcing a look of disgust to flash on her face as the cold wet sensation spread across her socks. “Never mind, get this thing away from me.”“Smile for the camera.” “Shirou!” Her previous stoic expression broke and was replaced with that of pure frustration. Yet he savored the moment even more, happy to see the girl break out of her prior shell bit by bit. “I-I-I'll come back again, so let me go!” “No, you won't!” “This…!” She was helpless, Vivio continued to cling stubbornly while the person she grew to trust betrayed her. Just as she was about to reach her limit and summon Garyu to peel Vivio away as a desperate measure, Shirou came over and patted her head. “Alright, I'll help you out. Don't worry, I was just having a bit of fun.” She shot him a half-hearted glare at that last bit but stayed quiet, watching him get down on one knee to be on Vivio’s level. “Hello there, I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet, but my name is Emiya Shirou. Yours is Vivio, right?” The girl in question nodded her head with some hesitation.“You don't have to worry about Lutecia not coming by, she lives with me for now. Whenever we have free time, I'll make sure to bring her over here or you could just visit us yourself whenever you want to, both Fate and Nanoha know where I live. Right?” He said, turning his head to Fate who came over with an amused smile. “Of course, soon Vivio will be living with me and Nanoha-chan. We live close to Shirou and our colleagues so you can even visit them daily.”“Yes, and you can even have regular sleepovers. I can make you anything you want—ouch!” Shirou stopped mid-sentence when he felt his sides getting pinched with a surprising amount of force. “E-Eh? Is something wrong?” “... Nothing,” Lutecia answered without meeting his gaze. “We already have two freeloaders.”She whispered that last part quiet enough that he didn't quite hear what she said.To him, it was clear she had something else to say but for some reason refused to elaborate further. Fate on the other hand chuckled, perhaps having figured out what was going on. “B-But… can't you stay here… for a bit longer?” Vivio asked, looking at Lutecia with a sad face. “I want to play with Mister Insect again…”Ah, it was then he recalled a detail he missed. When pulled out of the water, the girl was holding onto a rabbit doll that was torn into pieces. Vivio accidentally dropped it into the river, when she tried to get it back, she lost her footing and fell into the stream of water where the hook miraculously managed to grab onto the doll by pure luck. With most of its stuffing lost and completely unusable — it had to be thrown away. It was worrisome that a child managed to get into such a dangerous situation when under the care of the orphanage and Sister Schach apologized many times over for allowing such a thing to even take place under her watch. So to calm the girl down, an idea came to mind. “How about this, I will prepare many toys for you to play with when you visit us, and in the meantime, you can have this.” Right before wide eyes, he projected an exact copy of the doll she lost. “Usagi!” Just like he hoped, the girl was ecstatic and immediately hugged the stuffed toy. Successfully letting go of Lutecia, the latter seeking refuge behind his back. Cautiously looking over his shoulders at the girl as if she were a dangerous animal. “Ah, please be a bit more careful. If it gets damaged then the entire thing will disapp—”“—That was amazing! You made it out of thin air! Can you make more?” “I can, I will make as much as you want when you come over for a visit. So in the meantime, just be a bit more patient, is that okay with you?” She nodded enthusiastically, “Yes! Thank you, Shirou!” After that, all three of them left the orphanage with Fate accompanying him along the road. “I never knew you could use your magecraft to make something like that, I don't know why I kept imagining it was only for weapons and barriers. It was sweet of you, I am sure she will be very happy with what you have given her.” “Ah, it's nothing really. Projection magic is mostly recreating replicas of items using my magical energy. With sufficient damages the item in question will disappear so I plan to buy real ones when she comes over rather than make constructs. So let's hope she doesn't damage it too much. Was Erio also like that?”  Fate's expression dimmed, “I suppose I can tell you the story. Erio's case is a bit… different from Vivio's. For Erio Mondial was a real person who was born into a wealthy family in the past.” “Was?” “He died,” that answer caught him off guard. “The one born within the Mondial family more specifically died in his infancy. Unable to cope with the loss, the couple searched for ways to bring back their dead son through any means necessary which led to the creation of a clone — that of the Erio we know today. When I first found him, he was freed from a facility that was experimenting on him. Filled with distrust and anger, he would lash out often. I never held it against him, he had all the reason in the world to behave like that. He only stayed under my care for a brief moment till he decided to become independent.”It was an unexpected revelation, the boy she described was very different from the one he met. Polite and charming, the complete opposite of the one in this story. “Looks like you did an amazing job at taking care of him given how he is currently, Vivio will be happy to have you as your guardian.” “You think so?” She said with uncertainty. “I… I tend to be very busy dealing with many missions. While I plan on giving my absolute best at raising her properly with Nanoha’s help, I still don't know if things will go smoothly. Heh, I even had the thought of asking you to take care of her in my stead.” Her gaze trailed down to Lutecia who returned the look with her own while slightly frowning. “Fufufu~! But I can see you already have your hands full. It's amazing to see how close you two became in such a short amount of time, I hope… I really hope that I am up to the challenge.” Though she smiled, she didn't bother to hide the rising amount of doubts and uncertainties growing within her. Even with Nanoha willing to aid her in raising a young child like Vivio for the years to come. “You will be an amazing guardian.” “We don't know about that. Nanoha has more experience training young folks than I do due to her time as an instructor. Even having experienced what it is like to have grown up in a proper family. I feel like she will be far more capable than I am.” There was plenty he didn't know about both Nanoha and Fate about their personal lives. Just from this tidbit of information, it was obvious that Fate's past was not one without plenty of hardships. Yet seeing how worried she was over Vivio back when he found her made him realize that she was overthinking the matter too much. “Back when I was a kid, my dad couldn't cook even if his life depended on it. Struggling to use the gas stove and somehow ruining simple tea. He would regularly go on week-long travels and would leave me to take care of the house. Of course, there was someone who regularly came by to check on me, but overall, my old man wasn't what you'd expect to see from an ideal father.” He remembered telling tidbits about Kiritsugu to Nanoha, but he never went into details. Fate listened to his story attentively, same with Lutecia and Agito, the latter two who were the most curious since this was the first time they heard anything about his past at all. “Despite all of his flaws, I know he did his best to raise me right. There were some mistakes along the way, but I managed to sort them out in the end. He gave me a dream before passing away, a purpose and till this day I am very grateful he was my father.” He turned to look at Fate, “If he was able to raise someone like me properly, then you and Nanoha would be excellent guardians to Vivio. I know it.” She opened her mouth, trying to say something but was unable to do so. A few seconds passed till she couldn't help but let out a slightly helpless laugh. “... Hahaha… sometimes I wonder if it's alright for you to be so trusting with me given we barely interacted with one another in the past.” “Really? I don't share your opinion on this. I believe the few interactions we had so far were more than enough to convince me of the type of person you are. You already behaved very motherly from what I've seen, Vivio is lucky to have you take care of her. Heh, in the future when I won't be able to stay here any longer, I might ask you to take care of Lutecia as well.” The purple-haired girl frowned and squeezed his hands with more force, even panicking a tiny bit. “Don't leave, Shirou.” “Ah, I was saying this just in case. I won't be gone anytime soon, hopefully. At least not until you are reunited with your mother.” “...”Fate watching their interaction sighed a bit, “Ara, with you having so much faith in my capabilities makes it clear I can't afford to disappoint you. Even with Nanoha helping me, I will give it my best.” “That's the spirit.” “But, it would be nice to have another pair of helping hands guiding us along the way, don't you think so, Shirou?” She asked cutely, not expecting the redhead to take her words seriously with his following answer.“Yes, whatever trouble either of you or Nanoha might face in the future, I will always be there to assist both of you. No matter what it is, I will come running.” He answered confidently, truly grateful to everyone who helped him so far, wanting to take any opportunity to pay back the enormous debt he owed them. “A-Ah… yes, right! I am looking forward to working with you from now on, Shirou. Let's do our best raising Vivio and the adorable Lutecia-chan over here.” She was a bit hasty with her words, but Shirou didn't give it a second thought. “By the way, I am feeling a bit thirsty right now. Would you two like to accompany me for some drinks? I will drop you off at your apartment after Signum comes back with the car.”Not hearing his excuse about using public transport instead, Fate brought them along to a small cafe near the orphanage. Both spent another hour talking about various subjects concerning matters related to the Time Space Administrative Bureau and from his own world. The more she spoke with him, the more the blonde woman started to realize how similar the redhead turned out to be to her best friend. Finally getting an understanding of how these two managed to get along so quickly in the past. He mentioned the activities and get-togethers he, Subaru, Teana, and Nanoha had regularly at his place. And the more she listened, the more Fate started to feel a tiny bit left out. It sounded fun, and now that she thought of it, it was an excellent opportunity to have Vivio make new friends. Signum finally returned with the car before sundown, driving both Shirou and his young protege back to the residential area. “Oh, you are also stopping here?” Seeing her also get out of the car, Shirou could not help but ask. “Yes, since I am already here I plan to have a brief conversation with Subaru concerning some matters related to her sister. Don't make me hold you up, I know where Subaru lives.” “Hm, then follow me. She might not be in her room right now. No wait, it's already almost dinner time, so she is definitely not in her apartment.”“Eh?” Confused with what he meant by that, Fate followed him into the elevator until they reached the floor where he resided. She wasn't someone who regularly but this certainly wasn't the floor where they lived. Still, she remained quiet and followed him as he led her to his own apartment door. Already without having even opened the door, she could hear people talking inside along with the sound of the television turned on in the background.“These two…” Opening the door and leading her inside she was shocked to find Subaru wearing shorts and a tank top leisurely sleeping on the couch with a half-eaten pizza on the table. Even though the outfit was not outrageously revealing, it still showed plenty of skin. Not only that, but even Teana was present sitting at the dining table munching on some snacks while working on her computer with her hair down. Wearing more conservative but still relaxed clothing than one would have inside their house. “Oh, welcome back, Shirou. How did the fishing trip go—cough! F-Fate-san!?” She nearly choked on her drink when she saw the person standing behind him. Quickly standing up from her seat and smacking Subaru on the head. “Wake up! We have company!” “Eum… wasdsh…five more minutes…” Pa! Seeing no other way, she ended up slapping her friend's head. “You idiot! Captain Testarossa is here!” That seemed to be enough to shake up the blue-haired girl from her slumber. “What!?”Her body fell to the ground when she tried to turn around, almost hitting her head against the table and hastily picking up her uniform that was scattered throughout the living room. Shirou watched all of this with a twitching eyebrow, having just cleaned up the entire place this morning alone before leaving.“Fate-san!? Why is she here?” She whispered quietly though everyone heard the question. “Like I would know! Just stop talking and wear some damn clothes on or else you will embarrass me!” Seeing these two here, Fate had many questions and turned to Shirou to answer them. “I just gave them the spare key for whenever they feel hungry or if I'm late. We tend to have dinner together.” He shortened the distance between them to whisper in her ear, “And this is a good opportunity for Lutecia to socialize a bit.”She did hear from Nanoha that these three were pretty close, having seen them hang out together on multiple occasions. But this wasn't what she expected at all. Sure she and Nanoha also shared the same bedroom but this felt a bit too odd, to say the least — he was still a boy!Not to mention how relaxed Subaru looked to be with such a scene easily able to cause a misunderstanding for any passerby.“Since you are already here, why not join us? I can show you how to cook some dishes Lutecia likes so that you can make them for Vivio as well.” “I… I don't know if I should be intruding…”“It's fine, Fate-san!” Teana added hurriedly, “Shirou's food is the best and you won't regret it.” Faced with both sides, her uncertainty broke and she found herself walking inside the place. All the plans she had prepared for the rest of the day were thrown right out of the window. ‘... I'll call Nanoha and Hayate later. They can manage without me for a day.’ After setting aside such worries, she closed the door behind her. If there was any urgent matter then Hayate would have called her a long time ago.  ...Chapter 14: Off Guard-Midchilda- (A few days later)If there was one thing Shirou had come to learn in the past few days, it was that appearance proved to be very deceiving. This end of a variety of other thoughts formed his mind as soon as he opened his eyes and he immediately got hit by a terrible hangover. “Urgh…” He was not one to drink often, or even at all for alcohol in general did not suit his taste, unlike a few people he knew in his life. But that did not mean he never partook in any events whilst drinking a few of these. The effects were not that strong for it required several bottles of them to get him tipsy, or at least that was what he thought. Yesterday he had truly discovered his limits thanks to having faced the last person he ever expected to be a heavyweight when it came to drinking. “What time is it exactly?” He said to himself, taking a few seconds to gather his wits and slowly get up. His muscles felt sore for some reason and his throat was raspy, dry as if he did not drink anything for days. “It's almost morning.” The birds were already chirping and sunlight crept through the windows to illuminate the apartment. Making him gaze in shock at what was once a neatly organized space into a complete mess currently. Blankets, pillows, glassware, clothes, and several objects littered the ground all around him. In the middle of the living room, a certain blue and light brown-haired duo could be seen slumbering whilst the former kept holding the latter tightly like one would hold a stuffed bear. Subaru's peaceful expression made it clear that she was having a pleasant dream, which could not be said for Tiana who kept changing her facial expression through several grimaces and painful winces. Struggling to set herself free and whatever dream her current position conjured up. “They did not even clean up the bottles,” Shirou commented, His eyes twitching upon seeing the number of empty cans and beer bottles surrounding these two. The one who had consumed most of them was none other than Subaru of course, the girl having started a pointless drinking competition last night after the two young girls went to sleep.“Urgh!” The alcoholic sent reached his nose and forced a wretched sound out of him, gagging by reflex and barely able to hold himself back from emptying the content of her stomach. “Never again will I allow them to do this. Getting hit by dozens of Rin’s Gandr is not this painful.” Unfortunately, somehow he allowed himself to get involved with the game and was forced to compete against a certain blonde. The memories were faint, but he clearly remembered the unbothered smile Fate had on her face despite having drunk several bottles. ‘They will wake up in about an hour. Guess I should prepare breakfast until then. Cleaning as well, damn it, never again.’ The rest of the house thankfully had remained untouched by last night's chaos, other than some bits and pieces of food scraps lying about which could be cleaned up rather quickly. He let out a long yawn while walking to the kitchen and halted in his steps the moment a savory and sweet fragrance reached his nose. This along with the sound of something sizzling made him hurriedly go over to the kitchen, fearing that perhaps someone left something cooking on the stove and went on to forget about it. “Huh?”But as soon as he reached the area, his prior thoughts were immediately thrown out of the window when his eyes came upon the sight of Fate wearing his apron making breakfast while also humming a pleasant tune. Her hair was undone, no sign of any fatigue or hangover on her face despite having drunk more than him. Perhaps his hasty footsteps managed to garner her attention, tranquilize her staring back at him with a beautiful smile blooming on the woman's face. “Oh my, I see that you're finally awake, Shirou. Don't mind me, I took the liberty to take over your kitchen for a bit, hope you don't mind. I think I got a good grasp on where you keep everything after seeing you work here for these past few days.” “...”The redhead did not provide her with an immediate answer, instead going to visually check every corner of his holy sanctuary. Checking for any mess or places he would need to clean afterward. But much to his relief, the place was absolutely prim and proper. “I… didn't know you could cook.”“Well, I don't do it often given that I mostly have my meals at the cafeteria or delivered to my room. But it is essential to know a few basic survival skills, and have a taste. I want to see you judge my cooking.” She said whilst placing a plate of what appeared to be fried eggs, sausages, and a bit of pan-fried vegetables. The plating itself was not very striking, but the aroma certainly made his mouth water a bit. Taking a bite, he was pleasantly surprised. “It's very good.”“Fufufu, hearing that from our very own chef Emiya is an honor.” She gave him a quick exaggerated bow, acting as if this were some kind of trial she went through. “Unfortunately, I could not remake it to the same level as your dish from last night. So it is clear that I have a lot to work on in order to impress Vivio and Lutecia.” She had a point, he was happy to see how dedicated Fate was to becoming a better caretaker for both girls. But instead of indulging himself with the food, there were a few things he needed to handle first. “I should go wake them up first,” It was already quite late, best to avoid them sleeping past lunchtime. “I will wake up Subaru and Tiana.” With that said, both went to different areas of the apartment. Even with his foggy memory from last night, Shirou was still certain he brought those two to bed the same as usual. Walking across the hallway, He reached his bedroom and quietly opened the door handle — walking in to find a rather interesting scene. “Mmm…” Lutecia was obviously deep in her slumber, humming in her as her hands grabbed onto Vivio in a similar fashion to Subaru and Teana. Funny when he remembered how stoic and quiet the purple-haired girl behaved around their newest friend. “I kind of don't want to wake them up, oh wait, I should take a picture first.” He blamed Nanoha for such a habit, for she had taken plenty of Lutecia pictures recently as well. Giving him the idea to try it out as well when presented with such an opportunity. “It's time to wake up, both of you, Fate made breakfast for everyone. So get up.” Grabbing the curtains and pulling them swiftly to let in the sunlight from the outside, he watched in amusement as the first one to be pulled awake by the light shining on their faces was none other than Lutecia. “Five more minutes…” she mumbled, burying her face onto Vivio’s back to block out the sun. Going still for a few seconds until something grabbed her attention. “... Why… are you wearing a dress… Shirou?”Oho? What an interesting opportunity, seeing as how her eyes were still closed and she was going with the sense of touch alone — the girl had not realized that it was not him by his side as usual. Not rejecting the opportunity that presented itself to him, the redhead kneeled right next to the bed behind the girl and whispered. “It's just my regular sleepwear, the same as always.” Going a step forward by gently caressing her hair. “Is it uncomfortable? I thought you would be more bothered by the hair covering your face instead of myself being small enough for you to hold me like that.” “E-Eh?” Finally starting to figure that something was off, she slowly opened her hazy eyes to see that the person she was holding was in fact, not him. “...”“Got yourself a new friend to keep you company, I see.” His grin could not be any more obvious, especially when the person in front of him immediately got back up and glared back at him. “What is… this one still doing here?”A bit cranky, a genuine yet subtle flash of anger that even he spotted and found hilarious more than anything else. She always hated his method of waking her up after all, coupled with something that definitely put her on the edge. “Don’t tell me you already forgot her name, Lutecia.”“Remembering matters of lesser importance is to be expected.” “She's Vivio, your new friend.”“I never agreed to that.” She had a quick response, barely any hesitation in her voice when she answered him back. “Why is she in our bed?” “It's technically your bed now since I sleep over the—”“That's not what I asked.” “Sure did sound like it.”“I'm not in the mood for your jokes this early in the morning with what I caught when fishing here.” “I'm still impressed you were able to pull someone across the water without any help given strength isn't really your strong su—”“—Shirou!” Unable to keep her anger at bay, she cutely hit the mattress with her fist. Giving him the look to stop messing with her and be serious. Hard to do so since her reactions such as this were so rare and few that his desire to keep on teasing her to see more of them grew by the day. “Do not pinch my face.” Did she develop the ability to read minds now? Terrifying. In the end, he relented and raised his hands. “Okay, okay calm down. I just wanted to give her somewhere comfortable to sleep for the night away from all the noise and this was the ideal place you know? Plus even if I wanted to bring her somewhere else, you were holding onto her too tightly to do so.” A small blush crept onto her face, especially when he showed her the pictures he took as proof where shown. Moving the device away the moment she tried to get her hands on it. “This is blackmail.” “I didn't even ask you for anything.” She scoffed, “You will ask for me to allow Vivio to live with us.”“Not a bad idea. But I wouldn't need to ask, since why would I even need your permission to bring in someone else under my care?” In reality, he would indeed ask for her opinions on the matter first and foremost. If the girl did not agree or vehemently refused the idea then he was willing to respect it. The only reason he did not say so was mostly just to see her reaction once more.“W-Well… a-about that… that…” she struggled to find a proper reason, thinking hard for a few seconds yet unable to come up with anything. “... It was only supposed to be Zest, you, Mom, and I here. You promised.”That he did, getting up, he once more ruffled her hair. “I know, I'm just messing with you for a bit. Vivio will most likely be staying with Fate at her apartment. This place is quite small and I don't think she would want to leave Fate or Nanoha in order to live here with me. We just managed to get her released from the orphanage, it wouldn't look good if they learn that Fate has her stay somewhere else than her own house.” Her gaze lowered back to the sleeping Vivio, he guessed several thoughts went through her mind concerning that girl thus he stayed quiet. “Alright, but don't try anything stupid, Shirou.” He let out an exasperated chuckle, “Where did that even come from? I am not going to do anything dangerous you know.”“No, not that kind of stupid. Just keep your guard up, don't try to help everyone you come across without hesitation.” “Wait,” it took some moment to figure it out, but the realization finally came to him. “Don't tell me you're afraid that I will replac—” His words got cut short when a certain blonde-haired girl woke up from her slumber. Yawning she pushed herself up and looked around the room until her eyes fell upon Lutecia and him. “A-Ah… g-good morning…?”  Hesitation and shyness filled her tone upon seeing him specifically, trying to grab onto Lutecia's sleeves for some form of assistance maybe.Only for the person she was trying to lean on hopping off the bed, grabbed the hem of his shirt. Pulling him forward hastily away and giving the going one her standard stoic expression. “No.” “Eh?” “Good.” Nodding her head, the young summoner went to the bathroom, leaving him to handle the awkward situation by himself. At least she was beginning to warm up to Vivio, even if it was not much of a progress. “You don't need to be afraid of me, you know? I won't hurt you.” “O-Oh, sorry! I'm not afraid of you!” She quickly shook her head, looking quite embarrassed. She hesitated at first and gave him an uncertain look, “Are you… and Mama close?”“Mama? You call Fate Mama?” “Because she is my mama! I have two mamas!” She said it proudly, puffing her chest as well. ““I see, I suppose there is nothing wrong with calling her that. To answer your previous question, I'm not Lutecia's father.”“Her brother?” “No. I'm here…” What was the best way to describe his role in her life? He was not sure about it himself honestly. “Something like her protector, I make sure she does not end up meeting bad guys like she was before.”“Oooh!” Her eyes started to gleam with pure splendor. Looking at him in a completely different light. “Does that mean that you are a hero!?” “Eh?” That certainly caught him off guard, this being the last thing he expected to hear from the child. “But wouldn't a papa also do the same thing?” “I agree, but I really am not her father. Do you really want me to be her father that much?” “Yes!” She answered confidently, jumping excitedly on the bed. “If you are her papa, then Lutecia and I can spend more time together if you marry my mamas!” “— !” He finally began to understand why some people would mention children having wild imaginations. For her to want to be around Lutecia so much that she hoped he would get together with the two girls was hilarious to think about. He did not have it in his heart to say no to her words and tried to think of some other way to answer her. “Unfortunately, I can't do that since the three of us are not in a relationship or close to being married. Nanoha and Fate are my friends, it would be awkward if I tried to be your father.”“—Why not?” “Wah!” The sudden voice behind him caught him by surprise, startling the man who almost fell to the ground. Vivio let out a small yelp at his reaction but immediately got overjoyed when she saw the person behind him. “Mama!” The girl jumped from the bed onto the blonde woman's embrace, giggling. “Why didn't I hear you coming in…” Shirou said dryly, certain that he would have sensed or even heard her coming in. A part of him wondered if she had done so deliberately just to mess with him. “I was curious to see what you two were talking about~!” She answered coyly, showing him a small smirk. “And what is this about being a father I just so happen to overhear?” Vivio answered before he could, excitedly tugging Fate's clothes. “He agreed to become my papa so that Lutecia and I can spend more time together!” “Oi, I did not say that!” This little mischievous girl, he had been fooled by her innocence and now she was spouting nonsense to fate potentially creating a misunderstanding! But rather than being confused or even displeased, Fate instead showed an expression of amusement as she stared at him back.“Oh my, You're quite bold aren't you, Shirou? Here I thought you were aiming for Nanoha-chan, but you're so greedy that you want both of us? Wait… is this why You invited both of us to your house on so many occasions? Is that why Subaru and Teana are also here~?” “... No, they just come here for the food.” “You didn't deny my previous words about myself and Nanoha.”“Because I know you will twist my words into something else.” For the past couple of days, he discovered that Fate, of all people, had a habit of teasing him from time to time. These attempts had grown more frequent recently and now she was not even afraid to do so in front of everyone else. She rolled her eyes and showed a fake hurt expression to Vivio. “Looks like Shirou does not want to be with us after all.” “You're making it worse, Fate.” At this point, she was going to confuse the child with their relationship and spread misinformation to everyone they knew. “Fufufufu, I am just messing with you, Shirou~! No need to make such a sour face.” “I am not making a sour face.” “You are,” Vivio answered, laughing at his expense. Not good, she was starting to take certain traits after Fate. Then again, he doubted it would be better with Nanoha, both women were similar in many ways. In the end, he understood why Vivio would want such a thing. It made sense why someone as young as her would consider either Fate or Nanoha as her mother rather than guardian or caretaker. A young child like this would be starved for parental relationships and both girls were capable enough to give her that in his opinion. “I suppose you can call us friends.” “I suppose we can settle with that for now.” Fate thankfully didn't go further with her jokes. “Does that make you Lu-chan's papa?” She asked cutely, Lu-chan? He might use that. “All right, let's go and have breakfast. I made your favorite, Vivio.”“Yay!”Definitely more happy to speak with Fate than himself. How's those two left the room, he heard the door slowly open behind him and turned to find a seething glare coming from the gaps. “I only left you for five minutes… and already you are…”Oh, she heard everything.The rest of the day went as usual, with Subaru and Teana woken up by Fate, they all had breakfast and got ready to leave. Since Vivio could not be brought along with them to the main building, Fate went ahead to bring the girl to someone she trusted. There was some unwillingness on Vivio's end, having grown attached to Fate and Lutecia she was a bit hesitant to let them go, nearly crying; were it not for a couple of promises to bring her somewhere nice afterward amongst other things. The scene of Fate trying to calm down the child made the others chuckle at how much she resembled a mother or a big sister. “Being a guardian is harder than I imagined,” Fate mentioned in the car, leaving the place where they dropped off Vivio. “I was prepared for there to be a few challenges along the way, but this is different than what I imagined.”“What part exactly?” “To always worry about her.” She answered with an awkward smile. “The child has gotten attached to me and Nanoha thankfully enough. But we both have different ways to care for her, I feel, just yesterday during one of our training sessions with some of the Riot Force 6 members. Vivio came over and happened to fall, I wanted to go over and help her but Nanoha’s approach was for the former to get up on her own instead.”That was a surprise, Nanoha as far as he knew always gave him the impression of being someone very gentle. So this kind of approach to raising a child certainly seemed a bit out of place. “Do you disagree with her?”Fate struggled to answer at first. “I don't know. I understand what she wants to accomplish, to not shelter the girl too much and make her strong. But just how strong does she want Vivio to be? We're not hoping to force her into a mage and work for the Time-Space Administrative Bureau and be on the field.” “...”These last few days, he learned plenty of other things about Vivio in particular. Her unknown origins and how Erio along with Caro happened to find her within the rubbles of the underground space after the attack. Upon bringing her to the orphanage and doing a quick check-up on her, several concerns were raised concerning the girl. Discoveries that led many to conclude that she could be one of his creations, a homunculus, just like the ones he fought briefly before.“Since she probably has some connections to Jail, we don't know if he might come after her like he tried with Lutecia. Speaking of which, any ideas of what his connection might be with her?” He asked the purple-haired girl who was quietly sitting in the back the entire time. “No, I don't remember the doctor ever saying anything about her.” She shook her head, looking up with guilt at not being able to help much. “Matters that were not linked to me or Zest were never discussed in the open. He is someone who works on many different things at the same time, so it's hard to tell.” “Not to mention, if he was after her then why did he not go after Vivio first rather than Lutecia?” Shirou added, “No one was aware of her existence and he could have done it discreetly even.” “I suppose you are right, maybe I am overthinking this entire thing. But still, it is my duty to keep her safe, in any case, we're here.” Soon the main headquarters came into view, after the attack, the place had become more fortified with several agents checking anyone going inside and outside of the building. Though many doubted that Jail would try such a stunt once again, they still felt safer taking more precautions.“I have a few things to handle with some of my superiors, Hayate is waiting for you, so You will have to go without me I'm afraid.” Fate shared this as soon as she parked the car, giving him a slightly guilty look. “It's fine, I know my way around so you don't have to accompany me every time. This is not the first time I have been here after all.” “Good, see you soon, Shirou.’ waving each other goodbye, each went separate ways with him taking a familiar path to the Riot Force 6’s office. Looking around, it was at such moments that he was reminded of how advanced humankind was in this world. The futuristic architecture, flying vehicles visible in the distance, and floating screens everywhere in the lobby. Both he and Lutecia made their way quietly with several curious eyes gazing at them from different people. While he did not mind them, the girl next to him had become a bit more wary, her whole hand tightening. “You don't have to be worried about anything, no one here is going to hurt you.” “I know,” was all she said, there clearly being more behind her words but he did not feel the need to force her. “Now that I think about it, you barely interacted with anyone outside Subaru and Teana, right? Last time was not exactly the best moment to socialize given the attack. But I really do think that you will get along quite well with Caro and Erio. They are around your age, I believe you spoke to them in the past?” “The summoning girl, I remembe—”“—You, hold.” Who was cut off by a stern graph voice from behind? Both halted in their steps and he immediately felt Lutecia growing very tense in a single moment. Her other hand pulled up her hood to further hide her face while he turned to look at whoever was talking to them. “You…” A man with a large presence, tall and quite robust with a protruding belly. His face is a bit square-ish but further emphasized by that prominent glare on his face. Looked at him with clear dissatisfaction as if he had insulted him before. “Who might you be?” Unfortunately, the person's name did not come up in his mind. He definitely looked very familiar but Shirou did not remember speaking to him in the past. “Agent Emiya Shirou. Temporary mage assigned under the command of Hayate Yagami. Origins are officially recorded as being a citizen from the planet Earth but in reality, it is something else entirely. Type of magic: unknown. Reasons to work with us, to find a way back but through what means remains unknown.” Out of nowhere, the man started to give him a brief resume of his record for some reason, after each word that left his mouth, his tone kept getting audibly more suspicious and angrier. As if he could not believe what he was saying out loud. “I am Lieutenant General Regius Gais, I believe this is the first time we are meeting face-to-face.”Realization soon dawned upon both Shirou and Lutecia, The latter of which had their eyes wide opened and showed a trace amount of fear when looking at the man in front. Her reaction would not go unnoticed by the redhead who walked in front and hid her from view. “It is. I remember Hayate speaking about you in the past. You don't seem to like me very much from what I gathered.”There was no point in acting polite with him when the man himself approached him with clear hostility. “Humph, you speak as if there is no reason behind my behavior.” Even Gais himself did not bother with any kind of pleasantries, “I won't waste my time with you, so I will say it just once. You are an unknown liability to the Time-Space Administrative Bureau. Your origin leaves more questions than answers which cannot be tolerated. Your affiliation with several high-ranked members is in itself suspicious as well along with the usage of magic that cannot be properly classified.”“I wonder why, oh wait, does it perhaps have to do anything with the fact that I am not from here? You wouldn't happen to believe that magic works the same way everywhere now do you? Also, I do not see any reason for you or anyone else to be that bothered about knowing the details of my magecraft.” He nearly spat out sarcastically but held back his tongue, not wanting to cause any trouble for Nanoha and the others. “Also, I fail to see why you think me being friends with a few members is seen as suspicious. After all, they were the ones who came in contact with me when I was stranded first.” “Stranded you say.” Gais scoffed, treating his words as if they were a joke. Fortunately, that was not enough to break Shirou's calmness at the moment, for this man was nowhere near as annoying as a certain archer-class Servant. “That is another point that needs to be investigated further. How can anyone be stranded on a habited planet, especially during an invasive species attack? Only a fool would believe such a nonsensical thing, especially when you have not given any proof to suggest you truly are not from here.” Had he not known better, the first thought in his mind would have been that Gais was attempting to intentionally get a violent reaction out of him. Get him to do something that would only invite trouble for Nanoha and Hayate. A frown presented on his face, “For some reason, I doubt you will accept it even if I were to bring you enough proof. You know what I think? I think you're just trying to use me to invite trouble for Hayate and the others.” “Watch your tongue, boy.” He warned, lowering his gaze over to Lutecia behind him. “Don't think you are able to keep a terrorist mage away from facing the consequences of her actions just by hiding behind Hayate Yagami. Not even allowing us to extract any crucial information about Jail Scaglietti from her is bad enough as it is.” His fists clenched, it was bad enough that these people were searching for trouble with him. But to now aim for Lutecia as well was going over the line and he could not allow that.“She already shared everything she knows, there is no need to push this matter.” “Or what?” Regius challenged, raising an eyebrow and standing his ground. “If we have a sufficient belief that she is hiding something from us, then I can have enough of my colleagues to agree to a temporary question. Given the recent attack, not everyone is as much on Hayate’s side as you think. If you truly believe that she is innocent of still colluding with Jail or withholding information — then surely you would not get in the way.” “...” Distrust was the primary emotion he felt when looking at the man before him. Unlike Hayate who genuinely had Lutecia's best intentions in mind, the same sentiment was not shared with the person in front. The fact he was being so adamant did not sit well with him at all. Something did not seem right here. “Try.” “Is that a threat? Are you presenting yourself as a possible enemy of the administration?” He took a deep breath, No wonder neither one of the girls had anything good to say about him. The animosity this person showed made it hard to think of him positively in any way. Not that the details behind his reason for his behavior mattered to him. “I'll tell you the same thing I mentioned to Nanoha. Lutecia is under my care, so that means I will be making sure she stays safe regardless of who is putting her in danger. Whether it's Jail or TSAB itself.”Gais’ eyes widened, most likely having not expected to hear such a thing from him at all. The tension in the air grew thick enough that even some of the passing people in the background could not help themselves but cast a curious glance.“You have a lot of nerve to say that to a Lieutenant General, I hope you understand the consequences of those words.” Rather than entertain him with another response and escalate things further, Shirou turned his back to the general and beaconed the silent Lutecia to follow him with a gentle smile. “Let's go, we can't keep Hayate waiting for long.” “I don't remember giving you permission to leave, Emiya Shirou,” Regius exclaimed, only to be ignored by the duo. “Humph!” His entire temperament grew cold, glaring at the boy with several thoughts going through his head. None of which Shirou was interested to know the details, fully focused ahead till he read another corridor with a person standing at the corner. “That was not smart on your end, making enemies with a Lieutenant General will only invite trouble for you.” A beautiful-looking woman with short brown hair, sharp eyes, and glasses that reflected the light around her. Wearing a similar uniform as the rest, another individual he was certain to have never met before. “Lieutenant General Regius Gais has been working for more than forty years, having garnered enough trust from the higher-ups to one day take on the title of General. You would be wise to not simply ignore his words whenever you can.” Walking forward, the woman showed no hostility or any kind of animosity like the man and instead kept a perfectly neutral face. Holding out her hand for a few seconds he returned the gesture after a moment of hesitation. “Third Commander Major, Auris.”“Emiya Shirou… I suppose you can see me as a freelancer working for Hayate? Though I believe I have a rank.” “I know, you caused quite a bit of stir around the place and a lot of headaches for many.” He chuckled awkwardly, “Sorry about that, I'll try to not cause any more commotions in the future.”“Your own uncertainty does not give me much confidence,” Auris said, though he could not tell whether she was amused or not by his words. “As for what you have mentioned before, I know that he is someone with a high rank here, but I meant everything I said. I won't be handing Lutecia off to anyone I don't trust and your Lieutenant General has very much given me enough reason to not do so.” He watched the woman tilt her head slightly, humming slowly before nodding in understanding. “I suppose I can understand your reasoning. But does that mean you trust Lieutenant Colonel Hayate?” “She along with everyone under her command has gone to great lengths to accommodate me.” Unlike Regius, her approach was not laced with animosity at every syllable, making his answer sound more calm and collected. “Also, she did not give me any reason to not trust her, unlike a certain someone.”“He can be pretty aggressive with his approach, but he always has the safety of Midchilda in mind. It does not change the fact that you may be putting too much trust in people who will not be able to accomplish what they promised.” It was his turn to look at her, confused by what she meant at all. “Hayate Yagami has been here for ten years at most, while it may seem like a lot to you, she still has a lot to prove given her past criminal record using the Book of Darkness. The only reason why she got this rank in the first place was due to the possession of a powerful Lost Logia.” Right as he prepared himself to give her a reply, she stopped him by raising her hand. “I know what you are going to say and it is not my goal to change your mind in just a single conversation. I only came here to remind you that despite what you may believe about the lieutenant General, he is most definitely your true ticket back to your world instead of putting your faith in someone who does not possess the same kind of connection and resources. That is all I had to say.” Auris walked past him, leaving him and Lutecia all by themselves in the corridor. There were mixed feelings within his heart but nothing to make him doubt Hayate's sincerity. Instead, he turned his attention to the young summoner next to him, “What do you think?” “I don't trust both sides equally, so it does not matter to me.” She shrugged, being genuine with that answer. He shows a wry smile, such nonsense should have been expected in the first place. “But I don't trust that man even more, Zest told me to stay away from him many times in the past. Be careful around him, he will not let this go.”“He can try, Also, the others won't let him just do as he pleases. There is a reason why I was able to keep you with me rather than have the others take you to be imprisoned or locked away. So don't put his words to mind, mostly just big talk or a way to scare me. “You say that, but what if the next day he sent an entire battalion against you?”That made him laugh, earning a cute pout from the girl. Gently ruffling her hair much to her dismay, it was the third time it did so in a single day but they were quite soft and nice to do so. “I don't think he is petty enough to do something like that. Even if it turned out he was, I don't think any one of the girls would let this happen.” He said with a chuckle, sounding confident enough for the young girl to believe his words and feel a sense of relief for a brief moment.“What if he does and the others can't help us?” “Unlikely, I trust them. But if things are pushed to such an extent, then I suppose we can always just leave.”{Break}-Riot Force 6 training area-“Hayate,” after his interaction with Gais, thankfully no one approached him and both headed to where everyone was. The same area where he remembered fighting Subaru and Teana for the first time, the prior concrete jungle now having turned into a lush green forest with a giant clearing in the middle where several figures were gathered — spectating a fight between two individuals. “Oh, Shirou, Lutecia, glad to see you here. We were just talking about you, eh? Fate is not with you?” The brunette greeted him as he approached her. Signum stood beside her, paying close attention to the fight in the distance. Focused enough that she did not notice his arrival until Hayate spoke. “I hope you have recovered sufficiently during this period.” “It's fine, I heal quickly and I was not that hurt to begin with. I should be worried about the others, they were the ones handling those drones.” Hundreds of drones along with those numbered women, while he did fight them for a brief moment, it was not enough to put him in much mortal danger. Their priority back then turned out to retrieve Lutecia while distracting everyone else. “You wanted to see me?”Hayate nodded, “Yes. You probably don't know but during the attack we had several agents working with us to take down the enemy forces. One of them is currently going up against Subaru. Why don't you take a look.” As she mentioned, in the distance the two people fighting against one another were none other than Subaru and another woman who looked very similar to the latter. Same colored hair, the same gear, and fighting style. Went around in rollerblades with two large gauntlets releasing a large amount of red energy as it struck a shield generated by Subaru’s device. Bang!The impact spread this far, practically causing him to feel tiny vibrations on the ground itself. ‘Whoa…’ Just the sheer thought of getting struck by such an attack sent shivers down his spine, his shock further enhanced when the force field practically shattered in an instant. The armored fist digging into her opponent's guts, even with the barrier jacket, it did not seem as if it reduced the amount of force behind it. “Ah!” Her figure went flying, crashing against several rows of trees, shattering them into splinters until she managed to gain a foothold for a brief moment. “Above you!” The onlookers shouted, pulling her back from her dazed state. Shirou watched in all as the opponent had created a platform circling from the ground to the air above, rolling at great speed and certainly Subaru without giving her an opportunity to gather her wits.Even from here, he saw the exact moment she started to panic, quickly loading her device and momentarily leaving herself open for her opponent to attack. “Ah!” A stomp descended from above, using the accumulated momentum and a powerful spell to push herself downwards with incredible force and strike Subaru as the latter tried to counter the attack with a half-finished spell using her fists. A brief standoff occurred, though we became obvious in a matter of seconds who was at an advantage. “She's going to lose.” Hayate mirrored his sentiment, Lutecia agreeing as well. “While she has definitely gotten better compared to her past self, Ginga is still far more experienced and faster.”“I can see that… she's more aggressive.” It was strange to see someone like her get overwhelmed by an opponent using the same style of combat. Whenever she would make a move, Ginga would counter with a more powerful one that would break her opponent's guard. Leaving Subaru with little time to actually counterattack, getting further pushed back with each attack again and again till her back was against a boulder.“I don't think she will be able to hold out much longer.” Just as he said that Ginga went in for a final clash, this time using her roller blades to strike Subaru in the head, avoiding a punch to the face at the same time. Taking her completely by surprise and following several gut punches till the indigo-haired girl crumbled to the floor. “That was quicker than I thought.”Several members from Erio, Caro, and Teana went over to check on her. Hayate chuckled, “You shouldn't be too surprised, Ginga is the one who taught Subaru everything about her fighting style. She is an A-Rank mage and Ground Sergeant with plenty of years of experience under her belt. During the invasion, she alone was able to clear a large quantity of Type I drones all by herself. She got curious to know about Subaru's progress and came over today to test her out.”“She's one of the best in her rank,” Signum added, finally breaking her concentration from the duel. “She gave me quite a challenge in the past, even Vita had trouble against her. Her style, though similar to Subaru, is very versatile in both close and mid-ranged combat. I'd say she's the worst kind of opponent you'd face in combat.”“I don't know if you're underestimating or overestimating me,” Shirou commented with uncertainty.“Projectiles won't do much against her, she has shown enough knowledge to either dodge or break them entirely with her fists.” For a brief moment, the face of a certain Enforcer he crossed paths with in the past during his time working with the Clocktower in certain missions. A formidable whose punches could obliterate an entire boulder to dust — and she was not even using a gauntlet. Though they barely interacted with one another outside of those moments, her feat of strength remained engraved in his mind. As he listened, a particular point came to his attention. “Are they related?”“Yup, she's the eldest daughter of the Nakajima family! Ginga Nakajima.” No wonder they looked so similar. Having the appearance of an older Subaru with longer hair, he knew very little about Subaru's private life so this certainly came as a surprise. Upon the introduction, the group noticed both of their presence with Erio coming forward first. “Shirou! Are you here to train with us as well?” He said excitedly for some reason, taking the redhead by surprise. “You sure sound eager to duel with me. Is there a reason?” “Are you kidding? I keep hearing countless stories by Subaru about how she got so much better because of your sparring sessions! That's not fair, I also want to get better as fast as her. During the attack, I was barely of any use at all…” An expression of regret appeared on his face, feeling genuinely conflicted about that matter. “If I had been better, then not as many people would have been injured.” “Don't say that Erio-kun, both you and Caro played a crucial role during the attack. Without you, there would have been even more casualties and possibly deaths.” Though he nodded his head, Hayate’s words did not seem to reach him, for he continued to steroid him with clear intentions. “Oooh, nice to see you here, Shirou!” Subaru waved at him, being supported by her partner who kept scolding her to not move. “Sorry you have to see that, I was not able to show you and everyone else my cool side during this fight. But next time I won't lose, Gin-nee!” “It's probably because you drank too much yesterday, I can still smell the alcohol, idiot,” Teana muttered silently, eyes twitching when all she got in response was a laugh. Guess she hadn't fully recovered from her hangover after all. “So you're him.” No, it was Ginga who addressed him, looking at him from head to toe curiously a couple of times. “Strange, you look a bit different from what I imagined.”Shirou raised an eyebrow at that statement. “How so?” “From all the stories I kept hearing from my sister from the past few days, you look very different from the Juggernaut kind of person she kept describing who is good with everything he picks up and manages to make Teana jealous.” She said with a small smile, finding the entire description she gave, amusing more than anything else. The twin-tailed mage on the other hand did not appreciate the last part of her description and started to shake the person she was supposed to support. “What does she mean by jealousy? What exactly am I supposed to be jealous of in the first place!? It better not be something related to that session when he used a gun!”“S-Stop, you're choking me!”While those two were having fun in the background, Shirou focused on the person in front of him. “I don't know how to comment on the Juggernaut part. Subaru has a tendency to exaggerate things.”“I wouldn't say so, my sister has always been truthful with me so there should be some weight to that description. I saw both of your fights in my spare time, and I have to say, you are quite dangerous with the bow and in close-quarters combat.” Even though she was complimenting him, he felt something else from those words. And an undertone that carried a hint of competitiveness. The curiosity on her face very much mirrored the same kind of look he got from Subaru when they first had their duel. “He is!” Erio added, “You should have seen him going up against some of the drones and even being able to easily cut through those that had antimagic fields. Even during our second mission at the auction house, he is capable of conjuring force fields capable of blocking powerful beams of concentrated energy!”The boy was not helping, causing the eagerness on Ginga’s face to grow. “I have to admit, these last few days I have also been curious to cross blades with you, Shirou. As a fellow swordsman, I am sure we can exchange a few pointers and help each other.” Even Signum decided to jump in, making him look at her in disbelief. “Oh, me too! If you are willing, I also want to have a duel with you, Shirou.” ErioDid Hayate call him here to get challenged by everyone?He quickly brought his hands up and tried to calm the group down. “L-Listen guys, I am just one person and it would be unfair for me to go up agains—”“Wait, I want to join in as well!” This time a fourth voice shouted from above, immediately noticing who it was, Shirou went pale. She was the last person he wanted to ever engage in a fight, especially after hearing some of the stories of how… excessive she could get. “Would you look at that, even Nanoha came over to fight you, Shirou… I will admit it makes me want to participate as well.” “Please don't say such scary things, Hayate-san.”This day was going to be very long, wasn't it? {Break}(A few hours later)“Urgh… I feel like I am going to die at any moment.” To say that the day went horribly would be an understatement, from having a couple of spars against not just Erio, but also Teana and Subaru managed to deplete his tank completely. “It wasn't so bad, Shirou. You're just overreacting.” His only saving grace for the day had been the fact that Hayate came to his rescue and stopped Nanoha and Signum from participating. Ginga on the other hand requested for them to have a sparring session another day with just both of them alone, wanting him to fight her at his full energy without anything weighing him down. So their match was scheduled for tomorrow. “Not when you were so adamant in trying to fight me till the end. I am not an endless well of energy who can keep fighting forever like you, Nanoha.” He mumbled, feeling some soreness around his arms and legs. Overall, he had only used Kanshou and Bakuya the entire day. Fighting defensively against his opponents and using the opportunity to help Erio with his spearmanship. The boy was a fast learner and managed to experience progress rather quickly. Subaru was already tired from her prior dual so their fight did not last that long initially. But she just kept coming back after a short rest and he started to wonder where all of this motivation came from! Finally, for Teana’s turn, they practice together to improve their aim rather than having a sparring session. Using Lutecia's help to summon several flying targets to shoot as many as possible in a small window of time. “You're still bringing that up! I told you that this was just a false rumor both Fate and Hayate started for no reason! I am very much not an endless well of energy and I did not make friends by shooting a Divine Buster to their faces.”  So she said, but her track record said otherwise from what he learned from Fate. “You don't believe me! I can see it the way you're looking at me.” “You're just seeing things.”“No, I'm not.” Her eyes narrowed as he continued to deny her response. “If you don't tell me the truth, I will make tomorrow's match a team fight where you, along with your chosen partner, can face both me and Ginga.” A chill crept up his spine as soon as she said that and he immediately admitted defeat. “Fine, just a bit.” The way she threatened him did not help her case at all. You have to change the subject as soon as possible if she starts to have second guesses about the threat she made and makes it a reality. “It has been a while since both of us had a moment together.” She said, hands held behind her back while looking upwards. “You've been very busy lately, I can see why. Not to mention you have to take care of Vivio as well”“I suppose you are right, but still, I feel like things are not exactly the same. I cannot ignore my work but I also want to spend more time with my friends. Seeing you and Fate get along quite well recently made me realize that I can do better if I tried.” As they reached her apartment, Nanoha stopped in her tracks and did not enter immediately. “I got an idea. Come on. Why don't we have a sparring session together?” “Excuse me?” For a moment he thought he heard incorrectly. “I know what you're thinking, but I'm being serious here, Shirou!” She showed a pout very similar to Vivio. “It's not fair that you went up against almost everyone and even Ginga soon enough. It feels like I'm missing out and I know I can help you to get better in certain areas. Come on, it'll be fun!” She insisted, unlike previously he could tell she genuinely meant those words and was not joking around. For the first time, he pondered on the thought seriously. In the past, the only reason he avoided fighting her head-on was mostly due to the image of her blasting away everything in her path on the planet he first appeared in. A display of power that made it clear that she outranked him in terms of pure raw energy. Given her skills, you also never believed she even needed to spar with him and that his inability to fly or to properly use his newly acquired barrier jacket would get in the way and not give her what she wanted. Thankfully things were different, he had somewhat mastered the usage of his barrier jacket and got more comfortable with the people around him. Including her. The woman was right, it was not fair for him to keep ignoring her request for so long without any proper reasons. “Alright, we can have a sparring match. But nothing too extreme.” “Great!” Her actions were more jovial than he expected, closing the distance between him and wrapping her arms around him tightly. “You won't regret this, I promise it will be fun!” The tight embrace only lasted for a few seconds before she let go. He could not tell what was going on inside her mind but at least she was smiling. “See you tomorrow! Don't hold back against Ginga, you'll regret it!” She gave him these parting words and entered the building. Leaving him outside or by himself chuckling at those last words. “I don't plan to underestimate her. I never underestimated anyone for that matter.” If things went smoothly, then he hoped for a draw between them. From what he had seen today, the first thing the woman would try would be to close the distance between them as quickly as possible without giving him time to use his arrows for too long. He had already thought of a few counters that could work but for now, these ideas went to the back of his mind while he walked back to his apartment. “I should stop by the convenience store, I promise to make her strawberry shortcake for today.” Since this was the first time in a long while no one would be visiting his house, he decided to take this opportunity to make a few desserts for Lutecia. To spend some time on himself, cooking some familiar dishes using ingredients from this planet. A nice way to relax after all that happened today. “Ah!” A woman appeared from the corner of the street, walking dazedly and accidentally bumping into him. “Oh, sorry about that. I should have been looking better.”N-No, It's fine.” Stranger said quickly before leaving. A bit curious about the behavior, he decided, in the end, to not pay it any attention and continue on his path back home. As soon as he took a turn, something felt odd.“Hm?” The air felt different here, for some reason there was not a single soul in sight, the entire road empty with only the lights from the surrounding buildings barely illuminating the place. The lamb post flickered for a bit before turning dark. “...* Something definitely was not right, even though he did not know what was going on exactly, his guts were telling him that he was not alone at the moment. Something or someone in the shadows was observing him, yet no matter where he looked he could not find a source of this feeling. Woosh! “—!”A strong gust of wind came from behind and his body moved instantly, both blades slashing at the space behind him for in that brief moment, he felt an ominous sensation. The desire to kill was sparked for less than a second. Yet the Noble Phantasms cut through nothing but air, leaving him perplexed for a bit till his eyes widened. “Urgh!” A sharp pain came from his abdomen, a warm sensation trailing down his clothes till he saw droplets of blood falling onto the floor. “Shit!” His sense of urgency exploded, and several blades materialized in the air around him, raining down onto the area whilst he jumped away from his spot with his wound still bleeding. His fingers touched what seemed to be a small kunai-like dagger embedded in his flesh. The perpetrator behind the attack was seen running away in the distance, with several strands of white hair coupled with an eye patch which he managed to recognize. “The numbers!” The sensation returned and ignoring the pain, he jumped upwards to dodge the ground beneath his feet, caving at the last moment, a large hole appearing out of nowhere which nearly sucked him in. “Now!” A voice shouted, several shadows circling him mid-air, all of which he recognized being the numbers he fought before. Each one of them carrying some sort of device in their hands pointed straight at him. Yet as he tried to go on the offensive, his movement felt weak. “Poison!”From the moment he grabbed the dagger that was embedded within his flesh, he had known about the substance covering its edge, already taking an effect on him within seconds. “Don't let him use those swords!” His strength started to wane and his pupils grew heavy, several ropes had snared his limbs preventing him from swinging around Kanshou and Bakuya. “Hey there, we meet again! The doctor wants to meet you. Don't worry, the poison was made specifically for powerful mages, the doctor went through a lot of trouble to make it just for you.” He did not know who this was nor did he care, the only thought going through his mind was these people taking him would mean Lutecia would be in danger. Yet even as his vision started to darken, even as he circulated his magical energy around his body attempting to dispel the poison, it barely did anything. So gathering his last bits of strength, he slowly muttered the verse of his aria. “...Trace… on.”“Quattro! Behind you!” “Was the drug not enough!?”The air shimmered and he could already hear some of the girls shouting out loud. Something big and heavy struck the ground next to him, sending a miniature quake around the area. His fingers could barely hold onto the giant handle and he was not even sure whether or not he had the strength to lift it at the moment.“We need to restrain him all at once! Rip his arms if you have to!”But regardless, he could not allow himself to be taken so easily.