A Fake Familiar Reborn Chapter 51: Chaotic Date (Patreon)

Not beta read yet.

Next update is Wrought iron Taimanin. Also, I'll be posting something related to Danmachi soon.

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-Kyoto-

Finding a good restaurant in Kyoto was not a hard task, but one large enough to accommodate several classes of hungry high school students certainly could be. Thankfully it did not take so long to find an appropriate place that the students risked becoming ravenous. Right around noon, a large group of students had gathered around several tables large, naturally drawing the attention of nearby patrons. Most of the group consisted of girls dressed in expensive-looking outfits that stood out against the otherwise casual atmosphere of the restaurant. 

The Servant of the Bow observed them from his seat, already familiar enough with the students to recognize the differences in their backgrounds. Most came from rather wealthy families, while only a few, such as Issei and Asia, had more modest circumstances. Even their choices from the menu reflected that difference. Some opted for simpler dishes, while others ordered more expensive meals, some of which even had multiple courses. 

The various dishes filled the air with the smell of spices, sauces, and cooked meats, though something else caught his attention. A faint trace of alcohol lingered somewhere nearby. 

“I should have known.” He narrowed his eyes and briefly looked around, but the source remained impossible to pinpoint. Eventually, he exhaled and glanced down at his wallet. "At this rate, my entire salary as a teacher will end up being used on this one occasion." 

Working as a teacher technically existed more as a disguise than anything else, but his position at Kuoh Academy had its own benefits. He received the regular wages and benefits given to teachers, and while the school's staff earned considerably better than ordinary high school teachers, the salary hardly qualified as extravagant when faced with a gathering this large. Normally, such expenses would barely concern him. He had little need to eat, sleep, rent a place to live, or spend money on most of the things ordinary people considered necessities. 

A feast involving this many students, however, could still put a noticeable dent in his savings.

"Cheer up, Toujou-sensei! This may be costly, but you've earned the admiration and benevolence of every girl in the school." Aika gave his shoulder a friendly pat, more amused by the situation than concerned about his wallet.

"Does that translate to anything significant compared to what I'm about to lose?" As much as he appreciated her words, he gave her a flat look.

A small laugh escaped the bespectacled woman. "Soon your admiration level will climb from 'teacher we admire' to 'teacher we have crushes on.' If you keep going at this pace, I guarantee in a year or two they'll reach 'teacher I want to marry' and possibly yandere level of lov—ouch!” 

A wooden spatula gently hit her head before her imagination went too wild. 

"Stop thinking about random and ridiculous things. Such predictions are more like curses than blessings, you know? You wouldn't want something tragic to happen to your teacher or else no more free meals." 

“She's not wrong, sensei!” From across the table, Murayama and Katase both nodded along. "If you keep being this good to us, some might start having strange thoughts. You're right. When girls get obsessive, they get scary real quick." The brunette said with a stern expression. 

"I second that opinion." Next to her, Katase nodded vigorously. “It's like a horror anime, but we aren't those stupidly dense protagonists.” 

Oh? Now that sounded like it came from personal experience, enough to make him curious about the story behind it.

“Speaking from experience?" 

"Well, we're captains of the Kendo club. The Kendo club has plenty of female members, actually, they're all female members. It just so happens both of us are figures they look up to in admiration." Murayama mumbled while munching on a piece of wagyu beef.

"I thought that Gremory and Himejima were seen like that," he pointed out. "Along with Sitri and Shinra."

After all, the four had effectively earned the unofficial title of the Four Great Onee-sans of the Academy, making them far more recognizable among the student body than most other club leaders.

"It's a bit complicated." The brunette continued, resting her arms on the table. "Aside from those four and Kiba, most girls in the academy think they can never really reach them even if they hold genuine affection. So they settle for the next best thing, which happens to be either us or any other captain or leader of their club. Though I'm not speaking as if I've dealt with dozens, just one or two at most." 

He nodded, "Even if you say that last part, it sounds like it was quite the hassle.” 

“One or two was enough for us to be extremely wary of obsessive lovers or obsessive fans." 

Part of him wanted to point out that these two were part of the group that also used to worship both Akeno and Rias. But then again, he figured they changed enough from their past self to be over that. 

Several people were following the conversation, one of them being a third year he remembered called Hase, turned toward him with an amused expression. "While you're pretty handsome yourself, sensei, didn't you have a similar crowd around you in high school when you were young?" 

“Ah!” 

“That's true, why didn't I think of that?”

“Toujou-sensei as a high school student… For some reason it's hard to imagine.” 

“Just replace his current clothes with a uniform with your imagination.” 

The question immediately drew the attention of several girls nearby who had been listening to the conversation without openly admitting it. A few shifted their focus toward Archer, waiting to hear what he would say.

"Well, I wasn't actually that popular in high school." An awkward grin appeared across his face. There wasn't much he could honestly tell them. Admitting that he couldn't remember anything from that far back would only raise questions he had no intention of answering. At best, he could make an educated guess about the sort of student the younger Emiya Shirou had been. His recent summoning memories had allowed him to observe the boy from a distance, filling in a few of the gaps in his knowledge and giving him a better idea of what his younger self might have been like.

"I was your typical student. I focused on my studies and did my best. I didn't really have admirers and secret fans like what you may be thinking." 

“Eh?”

The revelation made several of the girls around the table gasp, not out of shock but confusion and disappointment. Their attention immediately shifted toward him. He continued eating for another moment before looking around at them with a puzzled expression. "What? Is it that surprising? People around me were pretty normal and I was just one regular student out of several hundred." 

“As if we'd believe that!” 

“You're lying to us, sensei!” 

The reaction from the table only grew stronger, while Rider, seated beside him, calmly sipped her soup. She had been sitting there quietly enough not to attract attention, but the faint look in her eyes made it obvious that she found his statement amusing. Of course, he noticed it immediately and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"If you really insist on anything that stood out about younger me. I was actually known as the janitor. I would go around fixing the equipment in each room and club room because the school was too cheap to hire mechanics or buy new equipment." 

Hearing that, Katase stared at him for several seconds before tilting her head. "Nobody was admiring your muscles while you were doing so?"

“Ugh—cough!” The question nearly made him choke on his food. A cough escaped as he hurriedly swallowed before glaring across the table. "You really have an over-glorified image of me! In my younger days, I really was ordinary-looking…" 

As genuine as he sounded, it did not work. The girls exchanged amused looks, unconvinced by his explanation. Hase leaned forward with a curious expression.

"Do you have any pictures of your younger self?"

"I want to see!" The other girls immediately joined in, their voices overlapping as they started pressing him for an answer. Archer shook his head firmly and returned his attention to his meal as though refusing to acknowledge the request could somehow make it disappear. "No way I'll ever show that part of my life to any of you. That's confidential."

"You're no fun!" Murayama complained together, with her and the rest’s disappointment obvious enough to make him glance around the table.

“I won't be falling for your pleas or begging.”

"What if we all ace our exams?" 

"That would require a miracle. Still, I'm not taking any chances. You'll just have to imagine it yourself without any pictures from me or anyone else for that matter." 

He really hoped that to be the end of the discussion, but his hopes were set too high when it came to a bunch of overly curious girls with a lot of imagination. 

"Just imagine a boy version of Koneko."

"That looks so cute! I bet he was such a cutie pie!"

“I want to squeeze young sensei.” 

The sudden enthusiasm made his eyelid twitch. For a brief moment, he considered simply tracing a portrait and showing them exactly what he looked like back then. The temptation lasted only a few seconds before he decided against it. Once they saw it, he would never hear the end of it and even ruins his cover up story of being related to Koneko. Keeping his mouth shut seemed like the safer option.

"Jokes aside. It's really hard to believe you were just a regular student," Murayama muttered. “Aside from the janitor stuff, was there nothing else?”

"Yep, regular and not really popular at all." Archer mentioned as he continued eating his good, but another scoff from Rider beside him immediately sounded across the table. This time, the reaction drew the attention of everyone around the table. Several pairs of eyes turned toward their teacher, curiosity spreading through the group.

"Teras-sensei, do you know something?"

A smile appeared on the woman's face. "I'm only a bit familiar with his younger self."

“Hold on!” The revelation produced another collective gasp. "You knew Toujou-sensei for that long? Are you two childhood friends!? That's so romantic!"

Rather than answer the question, Rider maintained her amused expression and took another sip of her soup before adding, "He had a few girls who had a crush on him."

“I knew it!” 

"How many?" Murayama and Katase asked in unison, their interest doubling.

She hummed, tapping her chin while he tried to figure out what she was going to say as an attempt to tease him most likely. "Hard to tell. I guess three or four?"

Oi… four?

Katase slapped both hands against the table. "I knew it, again! You were popular!"

"That's not true. Where did you get that number from?" He was quick to act on that statement, turning toward Rider with an irritated look. “Don't give them ideas, their gossip will get out of control.”

"Eeeeeh! That's mean, sensei! Besides, Teras-sensei Were you one of those people in his class?" Hase’s curiosity shifted toward the obvious possibility, but Rider shook her head.

"No, I came later on. But that's a story for another time." 

They immediately began pleading with her to continue, throwing questions at her from different sides of the table, but she refused to elaborate. Watching this scene, he could only roll his eyes at the entire exchange, letting the commotion continue around him.

Even if there had been someone in his heart during those years, whatever emotions had once existed had long since been discarded along with the rest of that period of his life. After so much time, he couldn't even say for certain who that person might have been in the first place. Most likely there hadn't been anyone at all, considering what he had been like back then. How could someone as foolish as his younger self have recognized that others cared about him when he barely knew how to care about himself? So focused on saving people and becoming a hero, romance would not have been that relevant. The thought lingered for a moment before he shook his head and pushed it aside, returning his attention to the feast as the conversation gradually shifted elsewhere.

…

Eventually, the group finished eating and left the restaurant, continuing their visits around Kyoto. Archer stopped at the reception desk to settle the bill while the students gathered outside, already discussing where they would go next. The final amount displayed on the receipt contained enough zeros to make his teeth clench slightly as he handed over the payment, but seeing how much the students had enjoyed themselves made the expense feel worthwhile. At least they were smiling, satisfied, and making the most of the outing, which mattered more than the damage to his wallet.

“The hard life of a teacher, huh.” 

Just as he finished paying and turned toward the exit to catch up with the others, a familiar hand suddenly grabbed him. 

Oh?” Before he could even ask what was happening, a redheaded figure pulled him away from the group and into an entirely different street, disappearing from the students' view before anyone had a chance to notice. “We'll get separated from the main group, Master." He glanced toward Rias while allowing himself to be led along to this sudden detour.

The redhead turned around with a sheepish grin. "I was trying to find a good opportunity and figured now would be better than any time soon, since we'll get very busy." Both hands wrapped around his arm as she gave him an eager tug. "Let's just explore Kyoto with just the two of us." He had to admit, the enthusiasm in her expression made it difficult to object.

"You want to go on a date?" He teased with a light smirk, rather than becoming embarrassed, his Master looked back at him with an almost seductive expression.

"Maybe there will be a prize at the end of the date if things go well." 

"You are quite bold today I must say, Master. Have you forgotten that each teacher has their own room?" 

“Fufufu~!” The remark brought a giggle from her as she pulled him along again. "As if that'll stop me! Regardless, that's a matter for another time. Let's go over there! It has the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest!" 

Her excitement practically increased with every word, and before he could make another comment, she was already leading him toward their destination.

Rather than walking towards their destination, a quick teleportation got them to their destination within seconds. Surprisingly, the bamboo grove wasn't nearly as crowded as he had initially expected. Only a handful of people wandered along the paths between the towering bamboo, leaving plenty of room for the two of them to explore without constantly weaving around other tourists. Considering how popular the location remained, the lack of visitors seemed unusual. After looking around for a while, he began to suspect that their relatively private outing had something to do with Rias's meddling.

"Did you reserve this entire place or something?"

"Not really. I didn't ask for anything and just told my parents that I would be coming here and for them to not cause any trouble for me by reserving an entire neighborhood. I think it most likely has to do with the yokai accommodating us." 

Aside from the ridiculous mention of wealth, the explanation made sense given they were important guests. The local supernatural community also had to make sure that their visit went smoothly without requiring an official request.

"At least they're welcoming." He commented as they continued along the path, taking in the towering green stalks and the narrow trails winding through them. 

During his long existence, he had seen plenty of mystical sights across regions that no longer existed, along with landscapes so beautiful they could easily be described as divine. Compared with those memories, there was nothing particularly supernatural about simply walking through a bamboo grove, yet that simplicity gave the experience its own appeal. Sometimes there was something pleasant about being able to stop and admire an ordinary place without having to worry about a battle, a crisis, or some world-ending threat.

While they walked, the redhead slipped her arm around his and quickly raised her phone. The light from the camera flashed and captured the two of them together. 

"For now, this will be my wallpaper." A pleased smile appeared as she finished the change, while he glanced toward the screen and noticed what she had replaced.

"For you to replace your old wallpaper of your favorite anime with a picture of us, should I take this as a great honor, Master?" 

A small pout formed as she gently smacked his shoulder. "Don't call me Master when we're together like this. It feels weird. Just call me Rias. By my name. It feels more genuine and romantic." 

"As you command." The attempt at teasing her earned an immediate eye roll, although she didn't bother arguing further. Instead, she kept her arm linked with his as they continued through the grove, allowing the rest of their walk to proceed without the usual interruptions from the larger group.

Their next destination took them to Kinkaku-ji, where the famous golden pavilion reflected across the pond surrounding it. The sight held his attention longer than expected, and eventually the two found a suitable rock where they could sit and enjoy the view. The sunlight reflecting from the golden structure, though the evening light had yet to come — this place still managed to be quite beautiful. 

"You really do enjoy such things. Aside from doing chores and torturing us during your training sessions, I've never seen you smile like this." 

"When you've lived for so long, you tend to appreciate the small things." 

Under an optimistic light, being a Counter Guardian did allow him to see plenty of scenery both beautiful and breathtaking. He recalled in one of his deployments, entire lands began to separate from the ground and float up in the air. While the cause behind did potentially lead to a major threat to humanity as a whole, thus requiring him to be summoned, it didn't stop him from admiring the scene of giant waterfalls from floating islands and castles in the sky. 

Small moments like made just a bit more bearable.

"You speak like an old man."

Well, that was quite an accurate description. 

"I'm taking that as a compliment. I'm an old man who just never ages physically." Both let out a small laugh before his attention shifted back toward their original group. "Speaking of which, won't the others get curious about where we went?"

"Oh, I already told Akeno to keep them occupied. And the members of the peerage will also handle this matter. The teachers were informed that both of us went to speak with a tourist agency to plan out the next step of the trip."

Tourist agency? Not really the kind of cover up he expected to hear.  But as long as it worked then he had no issues with that. "You have planned this in advance quite a bit." 

"Of course! I will not let this date be ruined by anything!" 

"And I'll do my best to entertain you." Before he could continue, Rias pointed a finger directly at him.

"No, that's not the goal!" She exclaimed, catching him momentarily by surprise by what she meant by that. "The goal of a date is to entertain both sides. You also need to have fun!" 

Hoh, looking at how serious her face was, she was not kidding around. "Trust me, I am already having fun." The reassurance softened her expression, and for once there was no need for either of them to argue over the matter.

Their presence at the temple did not last long, barely half an hour of watching her taking pictures, reading about some of the history and talking to some of the monks. After leaving Kinkaku-ji, the pair continued toward another of more famous sights, Kiyomizu-dera. The temple attracted plenty of tourists, making it a much busier destination than the bamboo grove had been. Emiya couldn't help finding the situation somewhat ironic as he watched his devil Master prepare to pray at a shrine.

"As long as it's not the Biblical God, then I shouldn't be feeling any headache or pain. The Shinto Gods are pretty neutral when it comes to the devil faction and the Biblical factions in general." Rias pointed out after noticing his reaction. Though her look soon turned to curiosity. "What did you wish for? Hold on, now that I think about it… you never mentioned your wish to me! Or did you?"

"Oh? Do you think I have a wish in the first place? I'm curious to hear what you believe I would wish for after knowing me for so long, mast—Rias.” He asked, almost slipping back to calling her master due to pure habit. Also, he was curious to know the answer she would give after knowing him for so long and experiencing the dream cycles.

“To be brought back to life?” She answered after a bit of hesitation, eyes staring at her feet for several seconds. “After all, I won't have to worry about you disappearing if I used up the command seals and could just turn you into a devil. T-That is if you want to! I don't want to make it sound like it's a forceful act, you can choose to be whatever you want… I'll stay by your side.” 

To be brought back to life, huh. “I can see why you would think that, it's a good guess. Heroic Spirits, no matter how great they may seem, are still people who have their regrets. It's easily the most sought after wish within the Throne. But there are some exceptions of Heroic Spirits just not having any wishes, or their wishes simply being to fight a worthy foe — something that gets granted the moment they are summoned in most cases. Others just do it to help people, others to keep order and so on.”

She nodded, but then had her eyes narrow. “Didn't you say that all Heroic Spirits who get summoned by the Grail always have some sort of wish or regret. Doesn't that contradict the requirements for being summoned?” 

She was not wrong and he did give her that explanation in the past, but never really went into the details given it was not required. "Because the system does not specifically choose an individual who has regrets. It's random at times and someone with no wishes can be chosen." 

As for his wish, he… was not sure. The uncertainty in his thoughts wasn't an act. He genuinely had trouble putting his own desire into words.

This wasn't Fuyuki, after all. He didn't have to worry about the consequences surrounding a certain red-haired boy or the choices that version of himself had made there. Even when he had tried to escape the fate he got himself chained into, he had never truly managed to break free from his predicament. The Grail might have been capable of granting wishes, but even an all-granting device could not necessarily break him free. 

Then again, breaking free was also never really his true desire anymore. He had long since accepted it. 

“Hey… Archer.” She called out his name, with him even feeling her grasp on his hand tightened ever so slightly. Looking to the side to find blue-green eyes staring at him with a bit of trepidation. “You… Y-You didn't say anything about my answer. Is that… is that not your wish? To be alive once again?” 

Staying silent would not help, the result would only ruin the mood and he suspected she would not accept his answer. Thus, he just smiled. “Come now, Master. I never said no, didn't I? I'm sure the future still has a lot to offer to me in this world, and it would be a shame if things ended so early. I still have to look after you, your peerage, those financially illiterate nuns, and my students. I still have a lot to do before you all become capable people who won't need a Servant to protect them.” 

She quickly nodded her head. 

“Y-Yes! Hahah, I just got worried for nothing. Don't worry, you'll be able to do all that for as long as you wish! And we'll celebrate with everyone the day you get a living body and become human again! And I'll always need you, not just as a Servant!” 

As soon as she said that, the girl walked in front of him, raising up to her toes as her hands cupped his face right as her lips pressed against his. 

The kiss lasted for several seconds, until she pulled away on her one. “Not that I don't appreciate, but any reason for that, Rias?” 

“It's… another promise from me. To tell you that we'll get your wish granted.”

He rustled her soft hair. Having not given any confirmation for her prior question, she did not need to hear that. But after that kiss, he just decided to enjoy the present. 

Though for a moment, he recalled his conversation with Rider during their stay in Romania, on who he cared about most. He was not sure why that propped up at this moment but… he figured the question started to become a bit more clear. Rias, Akeno, Koneko, even Issei and every other member of the peerage had already managed to worm their way inside his heart. Stubborn type. 

He could not deny that he could just treat both King and Queen the same way with the others given his previous intimate actions with them. They were not a spur of the moment feeling nor something he regretted afterwards. With Rider too, he could not just treat her as someone who knew him from the past summonings.

‘Humph, could this be seen as a cruel act? To let these attachments continue to strengthen when in the end, nothing would await but tragedy?’ No matter what world, a relationship between Master and Servant was destined to bring forth countless challenges and a bad ending. 

He tried to think of a few exemptions, Rider being one, or at least that copy of hers still in Fuyuki more accurately. But… his situation differed from her and she knew it. No matter how beautiful they wrapped this current relationship with him and the others, the truth would just end up souring it. 

Rias would never be willing to accept to leave the true him to his fate. 

He could not let her fall into a path of hopeless obsession over saving him. 

‘I am thinking too much. Just… just focus on the present for now, I'll deal with those matters eventually, she'll find out the truth with the dream cycles as well. Before that happens, I'll do my best to keep her happy and hopefully dissuade her from doing something stupid.’

…

The two continued visiting different spots around Kyoto as their date went on, taking their time instead of rushing from one place to another. “Hey, look over there!” While walking along the street, Rias suddenly pointed ahead, drawing Archer's attention toward a roadside food stand. It looked like a traditional yatai, a small restaurant built around a portable cart that could be set up along the street, and this particular one had attracted a surprisingly large crowd. "Let's go check it out, I know we just ate but a snack wouldn't hurt. Look at just how many people there are, it must be delicious." 

Not the best benchmark for judging the quality and taste of any place. The best way to judge was always having a taste first rather than checking out popularity. Still, she was right, this area happened to be too crowded. At least a hundred people had gathered around the stand, many of them holding bowls or small plates while enjoying whatever food they had received. The sight alone made it obvious that the place had become one of the busiest spots in the area.

He raised an eyebrow. "Ice cream?"

"It looks like they're serving more than just ice cream." Rias grabbed his arm and pulled him along before he could offer much of a response. A few moments later, they joined the line and got a much better look at the food being served. Sure enough, the selection included everything from ice cream and udon to mochi, dango, and several other traditional Japanese snacks. Despite the cramped space available behind the cart, everything looked freshly prepared and surprisingly well made. Even the smell drifting through the air impressed him.

‘How can they make so much in such a small space? It looks like there's a lot of variety of hot and cold snacks. Doesn't look like it's pre-frozen. Strange.’ Of all things that caught his interest, this one easily climbed to the top. He examined the setup while slowly moving along with the line, trying to figure out how the people behind the stand managed to prepare so many different dishes without needing a much larger kitchen. 

"Thank you, come again! The Mikon cart is only open for today, and everything is free~!" A cheerful voice rang out from the other side of the stand, loud enough for the customers further back in the line to hear.

Emiya's eyes widened. "For free? Definitely a special event, maybe something organized by the nearby temple. No wonder there are so many people." Though if the crowd was due to it being free, his confidence on the taste took a nosedive. “Hopefully I'm wrong.” 

"Ooh, free? Now we have to give it a try.” Rias immediately looked delighted, her attention shifting entirely toward the food.

A faintly amused look crossed his face. "Since when did you care how expensive an item is? Do I need to remind you who recently ordered dozens of figurines that cost enough to buy an entirely new car?" The reminder instantly made her cheeks turn red.

"That was something else worthy of a bit of spending and would have gotten sold out if I wasn't quick enough! Also, even if I'm rich, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate free stuff." The point itself wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Emiya nodded. "Fair enough." The line continued inching forward, bringing them closer to the stand. The longer he waited, the more clearly he could hear the woman working behind it. Judging by the voices and the constant movement, it sounded like only one woman and perhaps a helper were handling nearly everything. Preparing such a large selection for so many people would have been a considerable task for even a full staff, yet the cheerful worker continued serving customer after customer without showing any sign of slowing down.

Eventually, their turn arrived, giving him a proper look at the woman behind the stand. Brown hair framed a bright, pleasant face, while brown eyes reflected the same cheerful energy heard in her voice. Her long hair moved behind her as she worked, yet Archer found himself staring for a moment longer than intended. Something about her face seemed familiar. He couldn't place it, however, and eventually dismissed the thought as his own mind overthinking things. 

Maybe due to her resemblance to some other person in his past most likely.

Then a blur of short blonde hair moved behind the counter, darting from one task to another almost twice as quickly as the woman beside her. His attention shifted toward the smaller figure just as she placed a bowl of ice cream in front of the customer ahead of them. Recognition immediately struck him.

"Kuno?"

The blonde girl looked up, then broke into a smile. "Oh, you're here! That sensei from yesterday!" Her surprise quickly turned into excitement as she recognized him.

"What are you doing here?" He glanced between her and the woman running the stand, the other one did not share much similarity for him to think of her being the mother. Maybe a family member? 

"I'm helping her out! I was bored. Where's Issei?" Kuno looked past him as though expecting to see the familiar boy nearby. 

"Oh, he's just hanging out with his friends and the others." 

"Oh, is this the date?" The question immediately earned an amused smile.

"You can say so." He glanced toward Rias, who seemed perfectly happy with the answer.

The brown-haired woman watched the exchange with sparkling eyes. "Oh my, oh wow, such a beautiful couple. You two look so precious together." The compliment immediately made Rias blush, her expression brightening as she looked toward the woman.

"Thank you! Is this something organized by the nearby temple?"

"Yep! I always wanted to give it a try, and given Kyoto is the best place for it, why not? What do you want? Everything is for free~!" Her enthusiasm made the offer sound almost impossible to refuse. An infectious personality most definitely. “Everything made by me and dear little Kunou over here!” 

Rias looked over the selection, apparently struggling to choose between the enormous variety available. "What about a bit of everything?"

Hearing that, he immediately gave her a sideways glance. "Don't waste food, Rias."

"We will share it together! So it's not a waste." She quickly defended herself.

"All right, a bit of everything."

"All right, give me a bit of everything, um, miss…" Rias glanced toward the woman, realizing she hadn't actually asked for her name.

"You can call me Haku! Nice to meet you!" The cheerful introduction accompanied a burst of activity behind the counter as she and Kunou began gathering the various foods. From behind, the two almost looked like a mother and daughter working together, again, he doubted they were actually related. 

Within moments, Haku had assembled an enormous assortment for them. Bowls and plates filled with ice cream, mochi, dorayaki, taiyaki, dango, and several other Japanese treats covered the available space. Rias's eyes lit up as she took out her phone and immediately began photographing the spread from several angles.

"Wow, this is so much, and it looks so beautiful!"

"This is nothing. Only the best for Miss Rias and No Name over here." Haku gestured toward Archer with an amused smile.

“...Excuse me?" 

For a brief moment, he got confused by what she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, sorry, you didn't tell me your name, so I just went with that as a joke." She said with a genuine looking embarrassed face, it didn't look like she was lying for that matter as well. “So what should I call you?”

"Oh, you can just call me Toujou."

"Mr. Toujou?" Kuno tilted her head, repeating the name to make sure she had heard it correctly. “Doesn't sound right. Are you new to Kyoto?” 

"Yes. Toujou Shirou. I'm a teacher from a nearby town," he introduced himself, giving the proper name and occupation. There wasn't much reason for concern about anyone recognizing it. As a Hero without a legend, the name carried little significance to most people, and only those who knew about Shirou Emiya would have any reason to associate it with anything unusual. Even then, Shirou was a pretty common name and no Tojou Shirou existed in the Throne.

"Nice to meet you too! Hey, I have some other snacks you might want to try. Want to give it a taste? It's an experiment of mine~!" Haku reached for another dish, her curiosity about the recipe evident.

"Why not?" Archer looked around before accepting it. The line behind them had already cleared, leaving no other customers waiting, so there wasn't any reason to keep the conversation brief. A small plate of mochi soon appeared in front of him, though the pieces looked noticeably darker than the traditional variety. The slight fragrance threw him off a bit until he managed to recognize it.

"Papaya?"

"Ding! Ding! You got it!" Haku looked pleased that he had figured it out so quickly.

He picked one up and took a bite. His eyes widened slightly as the flavor spread across his tongue. "It's quite good." Papaya certainly wasn't the most traditional ingredient for mochi, but the combination of two sweet ingredients worked surprisingly well. He took another bite, chewing more carefully this time, and that familiar sensation returned. 

"So how is it?" She watched him expectantly, waiting for his verdict.

Archer considered the mochi for a moment, turning it slightly in his fingers as he thought about the flavors. "It's quite good. It would pair well with some plum tea. And in the filling, if you're going with papaya, why not add some fresh lime or lemon too? Maybe mixing something a bit sour to fight back against the sweetness." The suggestion immediately caught Haku's attention, her eyes widening as she considered the combination.

"Oh, that works perfectly! Wonderful idea! Are you a chef, or do you have experience behind the kitchen?"

"I'm average." 

“Pft, as if!” Rias scoffed beside him. "Don't take his word seriously, he's the best! I haven't yet eaten someone who could cook better than him!" Her praise earned an amused glance from Archer, though he didn't bother correcting her. 

"Oh, that sounds amazing. Why not just join me over here and we can experiment with one of your ideas? All the ingredients are provided by the temple, so no need to worry about running out of anything or it being too expensive." 

Emiya had to admit, the offer sounded tempting enough, and part of him genuinely wanted to see what he could do with the ingredients available and see what else this person was capable of making. Possibly even learn something new, it was not everyday he met someone whose skills impressed him to such a degree. Still, after a brief consideration, he shook his head.

"I really appreciate the offer, but maybe next time. Today I want to keep company with this one." A hand reached over and gently patted Rias on the head, earning a bright smile from her as a faint blush spread across her cheeks. The gesture made the decision clear without requiring any further explanation.

"That's all right. I'll be here for a while, hopefully. Maybe we can meet again." 

"Hopefully." Archer returned the sentiment before accepting the drink she handed him. A moment later, the two of them left the stall and continued walking away from the cooking area, carrying their food and drinks with them as the sounds of the temple grounds gradually faded behind them.

"While she's a wonderful lady, and the food is actually quite good, almost better than yours." Rias took another bite as they walked,  enjoying herself despite the small comparison.

He turned his head toward her. "Is that a challenge?" The question earned an amused look before he sampled more of the food himself. After another bite, he had to admit that the praise hadn't been an exaggeration. 

A drink from the cup washed the food down, and his eyes briefly settled on the small drawing printed against its side. The design almost resembled a fox's head. "Mikon… hmph, a strange name," he muttered to himself before taking another sip and continuing along. “There was something strange about her, I admit. Could have been a Youk—Hm?” Upon finding a place to sit, Rias suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring down at her phone with a deep frown. "Something the matter?" 

"Damnit, why now of all times?" Her grip tightened around the phone.

"What happened?" His expression hardened as he waited for an answer.

"Issei was attacked."

Well… so much for a date.

{Break}

(An hour earlier)

“Aaaah! I'm stuffed!” 

On the other side of Kyoto, Issei stretched as he stepped off the bus, followed by Matsuda and Motohama. The former immediately slapped him on the back with a grin, although his face had taken on a slightly greenish tint that made it look as if he might throw up at any moment.

"That was good! I never ate that much in my life!”

The three of them had eaten enough to fill at least three times the size of their stomachs, and judging by the way Matsuda kept swallowing hard, the consequences of that decision might arrive sooner rather than later.

"Oh, come on, you two. Why did you have to eat so much if you can't handle it?" Issei mumbled, almost gagging in disgust upon seeing his friend start gagging himself. “Urgh, stop making that noise! I feel nauseous now too!” 

“Shut up man, it's the sake, it just won't go down!”

Remembering how these two secretly ordered alcohol without being noticed and not getting drunk somehow after finishing three bottles stumped him. “Again, you were doing too much. This isn't our last meal, you know?” 

"Well, first of all, because it was free and delicious." Motohama rubbed his stomach, seemingly proud of himself despite his bloated appearance. "And also because we have to bankrupt that bastard! Did you see how much the girls were falling over him? He was surrounded by so many beauties along with Teras-sensei too! Ugh, he can't keep getting away with this!" He pointed back toward the bus with an annoyed expression. "I put my best clothes on today to show off, and I didn't even get a single glance."

Issei couldn't argue with that. While they had been sitting at their table, there had been enough room for at least eight people, yet nobody had shown any interest in joining them aside from Asia, their forever kind angel. Every other student had avoided their table like the plague. It would have been a lie to claim he hadn't also tried to impress a few girls with his looks and new style, just like his friends, but the result remained the same. Not a single one had paid him any attention.

"We definitely added a big hole inside his wallet," Matsuda muttered, rubbing his shaved head. "There's no way that guy could have walked out of that without any damage."

Issei kept his mouth shut. There was no way Archer had suffered any real financial damage from the feast. The guy probably didn't even care about the cost, and Rias would likely cover everything for him anyway. A meal like that probably amounted to little more than a drop in the ocean for someone from a ridiculously, disgustingly rich family.

"What should we do now?"

"Isn't there a hot spring nearby?"

The suggestion immediately caught his attention, and an excited light appeared in his eyes. Hot springs always meant the chance to see wondrous breasts and much more!

"Really? Is it a mixed hot spring!? Are we even allowed to go?"

"I'm not sure. But even if there isn't, even if it's a male and female hot spring, what's going to stop us from peeking on the other side?" Motohama grinned, pushing his glasses upwards. "I'm pretty sure I heard a few groups of the girls planning on going there!"

The prospect immediately lifted Issei's spirits, then again… he was trying to change his image lately. But the opportunity was too tempting to deny as well! After seeing all that chaos in Romania and getting beaten by that damned Kiba during sword training — he needed an outlet! To have his eyes gaze upon heaven and remember his purpose of life! 

“Oh, and I heard Teras-sensei will be present as well!” 

“...”

And just like that, all of his earlier enthusiasm vanished into thin air and soon replaced it with dread. Even he was not suicidal enough to risk peeking on Rider naked, not matter how tempting that was… she would probably throw those needle daggers of hers straight into his skull. Aside from that, he remembered something important and looked around.

"Where's Asia? She was right beside me."

"There were a lot of people around, and it's several classes. She's probably already inside the hotel." Motohama reminded him. "Anyways, come on. Let's just change clothes and get a nap before we go to the hot springs. You might even get to see Teras-sensei naked!"

"Hell yeah! Quickly!" Matsuda suddenly looked far more energetic. "But first, I want to drop by our room real quick. I gotta use the toilet."

"Wait! We can't go to our room!"

"Why?"

Issei scratched the back of his head, his expression turning awkward.

"Because I gave our room key card to Asia…”

The other two stared at him in disbelief before practically shouting at him.

"Why the hell would you do that?!"

"It's because I was scared I would lose it! I gave it to her because she knows how to keep my stuff properly without losing it." He quickly defended himself, remembering how organized she had proven herself over the past few days. She had even reminded him about several things he needed to bring for the trip, things he would have forgotten otherwise.

The strange looks from his friends didn't disappear.

"What?"

"You bastard, trying to show off your little relationship!"

"Skipping the girlfriend stage and going immediately to a married couple, I see?" Matsuda shook his head in disbelief. "Damn bastard. I will strangle you tonight when you go to sleep.” 

A vein throbbed on Issei's forehead, having had enough of these two before raising both of his middle fingers  "Fuck you guys! You just go ahead. I'll find her myself!"

Before leaving, he remembered Asia taking a liking to the garden nearby and getting excited about returning to watch the koi fish. Maybe she had immediately gone there after they got off the bus. Leaving the other two behind, he jogged toward the area while calling out several times.

"Asia!"

Nothing.

Another call received no response either. By the time he reached the pond, his breathing had grown heavier from the short run, yet the area remained empty. He looked around the garden, checking the nearby paths before scratching his head.

“Asia!” 

Again, no answer came.

"Argh, I should have charged my phone. Maybe she's at the lounge."

Just as he turned around, a red flash filled his vision as a crimson and emerald gauntlet suddenly manifested on his arm.

[Watch out, you fool!]

Ddraig's warning hit his mind at the exact moment his instincts reacted. For an instant, his body moved as though he had returned to the forest in the mountain range, where attacks could come from any direction without warning. Goosebumps spread across his skin as he threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding a large rock that smashed into the ground where his head had been a moment earlier.

"What the!"

The sound of fabric flapping drew his attention upward. A figure stood ahead, its cloak obscuring its body and blocking part of the sunlight. There was no time to figure out who it was. A sword swung toward him, forcing Issei to raise his Sacred Gear and block.

Clang!

Sparks burst from the impact as the force nearly knocked him over. His knees buckled, but he managed to keep himself upright through sheer effort, gritting his teeth as the attacker pressed the blade against his guard.

"[Boost!]"

The Sacred Gear responded, but before Issei could make use of the increase, a foot slammed directly into his stomach.

"Urgh!"

The blow drove the air from his lungs and launched him backward. His body crashed into the pond with a loud splash before sinking beneath the water.

Ignoring the sting throughout his body, he kicked upward and broke the surface, desperately sucking in air before swimming toward the shore. “Cough! Cough! Argh… urgh!” Water streamed from his clothes as he hauled himself out, stumbled forward, and immediately summoned Ascalon. The sword settled firmly into his grip while he took the defensive stance Kiba had taught him, his eyes sweeping across the surroundings as he tried to find the attacker.

Nothing.

Then he heard pebbles shifting nearby.

Issei spun around and slashed.

"Go to hell! Trying to sneak up on me again!"

His blade struck another sword with a loud clang, the attack blocked before the cloaked figure shoved his weapon aside. A second strike crashed against Ascalon with enough force to knock the sword completely from his hand. Pain shot through his wrist as the weapon flew away, forcing him to raise both hands just as a fist slammed into him and sent him stumbling across the ground.

Before he could recover, something caught his eye above.

Ascalon dropped toward him.

"Shit!"

Both arms went up to protect his face, but the blade plunged into the ground beside his head with a hard thud. For a moment, he stared at the weapon before letting out a relieved breath.

At least Ascalon hadn't been destroyed or taken from him.

"[Boost!]"

The Sacred Gear's voice immediately snapped him back to reality. He grabbed the sword beside him for support and forced himself upright, pain spreading through his stomach and wrist as soreness settled into the rest of his body. Expecting another attack, he looked toward the cloaked figure.

Nobody stood there.

"Where is he?"

His head turned rapidly from one side to the other. After everything that had happened, he had no intention of letting himself get caught by another surprise attack. Then his eyes caught movement in the distance. Near the mountain stood the same cloaked figure, watching him from afar.

"You come back here!"

The figure didn't react. It didn't even acknowledge the challenge. Instead, it simply turned around and began walking away.

Issei immediately tried to chase after it, but only managed a few steps before pain tore through his stomach.

"Urgh!"

One knee hit the ground as his hand clutched his side.

[Are you alright?] Ddraig's concern reached him through their connection.

"I think something broke. She busted a rib? Or maybe one of those cases of ruptured organs? I don't know, it just hurts! It feels as painful as when Archer struck me like this back then." His breathing remained strained as he looked toward the distant mountain. "What the hell was that? They attacked me and then suddenly left?"

[I'm not sure, but I have a suspicion that they were probably just testing you or taunting you.]

"Is it one of those yokai?"

[I couldn't get a good feel of the individual.] The heavenly dragon mentioned, this being no different to bad news. [The cloak is magical and is hiding their nature. I can't even tell if it's a human or something else.]

"Ah fuck."

A familiar voice suddenly reached him from nearby.

"Issei!"

Relief immediately washed over him at the sound of Asia calling his name. For a moment, he had worried that she might have run into trouble as well.

“Oof!” His strength finally gave out, leaving him flat on his back as the blonde girl hurried over and dropped to her knees beside him.

"Are you okay!? What happened!?"

A tired smile appeared on his face despite the pain.

"Nothing, right. I just think I broke a bone. Can you heal me, please?" His eyes shifted toward the distance where the cloaked individual had disappeared. “I'll get my revenge, I'll bust two ribs in return.”

.

.

.

(Present)

As soon as they got details of the attack, Sona and her peerage had long since moved Issei somewhere safer. With Rias walking into the infirmary with Akeno and Archer close behind, followed by the rest of her peerage. 

Inside, they found Issei lying on one of the beds with Asia seated beside him, while Kiba stood guard near the entrance along with Saji. 

Sona and Tsubaki stood near the bed, talking between themselves only to stop as soon as the group arrived. “Issei!” The moment she spotted him, Rias hurried across the room and leaned over the bed, immediately checking him from head to toe for any remaining injuries.

"Issei! Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Did that person break anything? Are you bleeding?" Her hands moved over his arms and shoulders as she inspected him, her concern obvious from the way she searched for even the smallest wound. “Oh no, you weren't poisoned?” 

"I-I's fine! Asia healed my wounds, and I'm in top shape right now!" A grin spread across his face as he reassured her, apparently feeling well enough that the attack already seemed like a distant problem.

"We came as soon as we heard he was attacked." Tsubaki added, “we also searched the surroundings for the attacker but unfortunately came out empty handed. Momo is currently checking the surveillance camera for anything useful.” 

"Yeah, that bastard came out of nowhere and tried to sneak attack me first with a boulder!" Issei's enthusiasm returned as he recalled the encounter. "Had it not been for Ddraig, I would have been toast! Oh, and those sword training sessions really did come in handy. I managed to block off a few attacks!"

"Really?" Archer raised an eyebrow, waiting for the explanation.

"Well, it was useful to block only one attack, but even that made me nearly fall to the ground and lose my grip." He scratched the back of his head, his earlier excitement fading slightly as he admitted the rest. "But it was still something. That person was too fast, and I just couldn't keep up. Sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry. You managed to get out of this situation with harm mostly thanks to Asia, and you didn't lose anything significant."

His gaze shifted around the room as he considered what had happened. For someone to attack them here of all places, especially after they had arrived as guests, took considerable nerve. Whoever the assailant was, they had either been extremely confident or had a reason for believing they could get away with it.

"How dare they, are the Youkai faction looking down upon us!" Rias's anger rose again as she clenched her hands. "We came here as guests, and now they just ignore our protection, our safety, and let anyone walk in and attack my precious peerage members!"

"While this will cost the assailant, we should think about whom we're dealing with." His attention returned to the boy on the bed. "Did you see anything that could identify them?"

A shake of the head answered him. "No. There was some sort of cloak that was hiding their face and overall presence. I couldn't even tell if it was a boy or a girl. And even Ddraig couldn't sense anything."

Archer nodded, finding that part understandable. Considering how little information Issei had been able to gather, the boy had genuinely been lucky. Yet the details of the encounter raised another question. From what he had heard, the attacker clearly had the opportunity to inflict far greater damage but had not done so. It sounded less like an assassination attempt and more like someone testing Issei for some unknown reason.

"That seems odd, but we do know the assailant uses a sword since you blocked their attack."

"Could it be a Youkai?" Kiba asked as he came inside, closing the door behind him.

"Hard to say." He considered the possibility before continuing. "If they are willing to make such a move, especially after they invited us here, then they're damaging their image with the rest of the supernatural world by making this territory look unsafe. So I don't really think it's them."

"If it's not the yokai, it's still their territory." Akeno folded her arms. "They should hold some responsibility for keeping their territory safe from such people."

"We also have to put in mind the recent conflicts that happened here, it could be because of that.” Sona added, a sentiment he also shared, someone from the Youkai enemy side could have also attacked them just for the sole purpose of causing friction.

[I believe the sword was holy in nature.] Soon, Ddraig spoke, taking his user by surprise by joining the conversation. [I can't say for certain, given how brief the exchange was. Ascalon itself is quite a domineering sword, I couldn't easily look past it. So I could be wrong, my senses are limited, do keep that in mind.]

“A holy sword!?” Now it was Rias' turn to be freaked out, after what happened recently with the Kokabiel matter, he could not blame her. A rogue priest? 

It couldn't be either Xenovia or Irina, he already threw that possibility from his mind. They were allies and their weapons were easily recognizable. But it did not really reduce the amount of people he suspected, after all, there were a multitude of holy swords even in this world. Not just the Excaliburs and Durandal. 

Unfortunately, without him having personally seen the fight, he could not say anything much. “At least this removes the possibility of it being a Devil or a Youkai.” 

“A Youkai can wield a holy weapon.” Rider, who had been quiet for the most part, added. 

“I suppose so, but I still find it unlikely. Still, let's not dismiss that possibility.” 

Knock

Knock

A series of knocks interrupted the discussion before anyone could continue. Archer turned toward the door and found everyone else doing the same, then crossed the room and opened it. A tall man in a suit stood outside, his full, thick beard framing a respectful expression as he bowed to the group.

"Honored guests, I am a messenger sent here on behalf of Lady Yasaka."

The unexpected arrival caught the others off guard, particularly because the response to the attack had been so immediate.

"We have just received word of the attack," the messenger continued, maintaining his respectful posture. "Due to the nature of the emergency, our lady is urging you to ignore the time of the meeting and go to meet her as soon as you can. Your arrangements will be discussed, and we shall make our best effort to amend for our mistakes and oversight."

"That was fast." Rias glanced toward Archer, clearly surprised by how quickly Yasaka had responded. “I was half expecting for them to just send an apology letter and discuss this matter during the meeting.”

"They have no choice but to act quickly." 

"Should we all go?" Kiba looked toward the bed. "Or should Issei remain behind with someone else just to make sure he's fine?"

"I'm completely fine." Issei pushed himself upright and stretched his arms and shoulders before standing. "See? No pain left, so I might as well join as well."

Archer gave him a brief look before turning toward his Master. "It's your choice."

Both Rias and Sona only pondered the matter for a few seconds, giving each other a look before nodding simultaneously. “Alright, we'll go.”

Soon, the group left the infirmary together and followed the path toward the large temple visible in the distance. Several people stood guard throughout the area like guards, their presence becoming more noticeable as the group approached. Despite the number of people surrounding the temple, the entire place felt unusually quiet, leaving the atmosphere tense as everyone kept their attention on their surroundings.

"Where are all the yokai?" Issei looked around in confusion.

"They're here. You're surrounded by them." Rias gestured toward the people around them.

"But they're all humans?"

"They're disguised as humans to keep up appearances." Sona mentioned as she glanced toward several of the supposed humans surrounding the path.

The butler accompanying them nodded. "You are right, Sona Sitri." His form abruptly changed, feathers replacing his human appearance as he transformed into a crow. With a flap of his wings, he flew above the stairs before landing off to the side. “Yasaka-sama waiting for you inside."

The group continued into the temple, their attention immediately drawn to the beautiful architecture surrounding them. Along the way, he noticed Kiyome glancing toward him as they proceeded farther inside. "Do you perchance sense the presence of another Servant nearby?” 

“I don't sense any.” Rider mentioned, walking beside him in silence. Wearing her normal clothing with her eyes sealed behind the blindfold. He figured Sona did not want to give more clues to the Youkai about Rider's identity, but given she showed her face several times during their earlier activities — he suspected it must have been for another reason.

Perhaps to keep up her image? Regardless, he shook his head, this matter was of no concern to him and was between these two.

"Going by the rule of elimination, if the one we're dealing with is Caster, then there is no chance that I would be able to easily detect them unless Caster doesn't want me to." He kept his voice low enough for only the group to hear. "We are currently in its territory, that much is certain and inside its bounded field. That is why I highly recommend that none of you stray away or say anything that isn't needed. Let Rias and Sona do the talking, and unless you're asked directly, do not respond."

The others nodded in agreement and continued farther inside. Their path eventually opened into another clearing, revealing a beautiful garden surrounding a pond with a pavilion in the middle, along with a small house that completed the tranquil setting.

Seated within the pavilion stood a beautiful blonde woman with matching eyes, a multitude of nine fluffy fox-like tails behind her. Wearing a golden yukata that barely concealed her curvaceous figure, leaving her shoulders exposed and revealing a large portion of her cleavage.

‘So this is Yasaka. She really is a nine-tailed fox.’ Archer studied the woman carefully, taking in the significance of finally meeting the ruler of Kyoto's yokai faction.

"Welcome to Kyoto. I welcome the Gremory group and Sitri. And I also welcome the Masters along with their Servants." Yasaka smiled warmly as she lifted one hand, revealing the prominent red Command Seal on the back of it.

The revelation immediately surprised Rias, Sona, and even himself. Since most here expected this outcome, even he was not ready for her to just reveal this fact so easily. The case with Valerie he wanted to treat as an outlier, but clearly… that was not the case anymore.

"I am Yasaka, current ruler of the yokai faction and Caster's Master of this Holy Grail War."