(Y/N)'s POV

Kuoh Academy Archery Range

"Why the sullen look, my dearest sweet best friend?"

"One: Don't call me that. Two: You've got a lot of nerve showing up given what you've been up to." I kept my Dying Light aimed right at Shinji's seaweed hair-covered forehead.

"Oh come on, don't look at me like that. And lower the gun would ya?" Shinji pleaded. "I'm just here to talk."

"Just talk, huh?" I nodded my head, referring to the giant sigil on the wall behind him. "That seems like you wanted to a little more than talk."

"You were always such a joker, (Y/N)!"

I really wasn't.

"I mean really, can't you trust your BEST FRIEND when he tells you he would never, EVER try to kill you? Especially after becoming such good friends with Rin Tohsaka, which I'm NOT jealous of." He said, with clear jealousy in his tone.

Is he serious? That's pushing it, to be honest...

"In any case, it seems like you've been forced against your will to participate in this Holy Grail War too, right?" He asked. "Guess we're in the same boat then. I couldn't give a rat's ass about any of this. I really couldn't care less." He assured.

"Again, that giant ass sigil says otherwise." I remind him. "Don't give some bullshit lie when you put up a giant kill-box trigger like that."

"I simple precaution, I assure you. There's another Mage in your school. A visitor from Homurahara like myself. A girl by the name of Rin Tohsaka? I thought that with someone as dangerous as her hanging around, it'd be best to take some defensive measures."

"Again...Giant...Kill-box!!" I reminded, growing irritated. "That seems more than a defensive fuckin' measure!!"

"Oh, come on, (Y/N). I hate to fight. I mean really, I came out of hiding just to talk to you. Completely unarmed and everything. So why don't you do the same and just come chat with me a bit." He seemed very persistent to talk. "I know a nice place we can chat. It'll be populated if it'll make you feel more comfortable." He assured.

Time Skip

I've known Shinji Matou since I first enrolled at the same school Kazuki, Issei, and Irina went to. When he first came up to me, he seemed nice. But there was always something about him that put me on edge. I tried to keep a distance from him as time went on. Kazuki even told me to not trust him. She felt something wrong about him too. And after I met Sakura, he became more unhinged and spiteful.

I didn't even know Sakura was his sister until the sixth grade...after everything fell apart. An incident involving a falling bookcase in the library resulted in me breaking my arm. Thanks to my healing factor and Chisato's treatments, I was able to heal rather quickly. But Sakura still came over to help around the Sunohara house. After I went to London to study magic, I didn't have a way of keeping contact with her. She seems to be doing well. Wish I could say the same about her brother.

The second I saw Shinji, I sensed this overwhelming sense of evil from him. A vile, twisted, and perverse aura seeping off him. He's clearly changed, and not for the better. And yet, I'm following him to some meeting place. Looking around, there are a lot of people nearby. Even if he wanted to try something, he wouldn't be able to get away with it with all these witnesses. Then again, he hasn't really been known to play nice or by the rules.

"Nightlife sure is bustling here, isn't it?" He asked, looking back at me with a grin.

"Yeah." I simply reply.

"It's not much further. We're almost there." He assured.

I simply hummed in response. Whatever this dick is planning, I won't let him have the upper hand. 'Saber! Are you there?" I tried to reach out to Artoria telepathically.

"I'm here, (Y/N). What's wrong?" She asked.

'I found out who Rider's Master is.'

"Who is it?"

'I'll fill you in later. Right now, I need you to come to my location in spirit form. Don't let your presence be given away. He says he just wants to talk, but my lack of trust in this guy goes about as far as I can throw him. I'll need you to watch my back in case he tries to pull something.'

"Understood. I'll be there momentarily." She replied, quickly falling silent as she disconnected the mental link.

"You okay back there?" Shinji asked. "You don't look too good. Why don't we stop by somewhere and get something to eat?" He suggested.

"I'm fine. Let's just get this over with." I glared at him, letting him know I'm not going to play nice.

He simply clicked his tongue and glared. "Fine. Have it your way. Try and be hospitable and this is the thanks I get." He muttered as he proceeded to lead the way.

Loud Sound Karaoke

"We're here." Shinji declared.

I looked up and saw the sign. Now I'm even more skeptical. "A karaoke shop?"

"The noise will block out our discussion. And no one will disturb us." He assured, walking inside.

"(Y/N), I'm here." Artoria spoke mentally. "Is that him? What's wrong with his hair?"

'That's him. As for his hair, I don't know. It's gross though, huh?'

"Indeed. How should we proceed?"

I enter the building to follow Shinji, I feel Saber's presence by my side. 'We're just here to talk, or so he says. So stay hidden. Repress your presence as much as possible. I'll have it seem like you're not here, keep him from trying anything. But if he does, we'll get the jump on him.'

"Understood."

'Starvlador, you awake?' I tried to reach, telepathically.

<I'm here. What's wrong?> He asked, only to apparently sniff something. <Why does it smell repugnant?>

'Shinji Matou's near.'

<The bad-sounding joke is an actual person?> Starvlador suddenly fell silent. <Let's kill it.>

'Okay, just calm down!' I urged. 'Look we're just going to talk. But I want you to listen to what he says. Find out if what he says is the truth.'

He simply chuckled. <I can do that. Leave it to me.>

Following further into the building, turning multiple corners before Shinji finally stopped at a door. He simply opened it and walked inside. "Come on in."

We entered and blaring lights danced all around the walls of the room and dance music bumped through the speakers. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. We take our seats on opposing sofas to talk face to face.

Rider suddenly appeared, standing behind Shinji's couch with her head hung low and spiked chains in hand.

"If you don't mind, I'm more comfortable if she stays. But I understand, I'm afraid of your Servant too." He claimed.

"If you're trying to create some trust between us, you're not doing a very good job."

"If you want to summon your Servant, go right ahead." His face lit up at the idea. "Actually, that's a good idea! Why don't we put all our cards on the table and show each other what we've got? I've shown you mine, least you could do is show me yours."

Little does he know I already called Saber here. Her presence is still very much detectable, but I'm surprised neither one had reacted or noticed. Maybe spirit form Servants are only detectable by their Masters and not by others. Still so much about Servants I don't know. "Your poor choices aren't my problem. She stays away, you don't get hurt. I assume you'd like to keep it that way?"

He glared at me. "You're just as useless and stubborn as ever, (L/N)."

"The fact you're still breathing and I'm here talking to you should be signs that I'm being rather cooperative. So say what you want to say while I'm still feeling that way."

"I'm thirsty. I'm going to get a drink." He said, grabbing the menu to peruse. "Do you want anything?"

I just look at him. "...No."

Shinji released an annoyed hiss. "I'm trying to be a nice host, here!" He slammed his fist onto the table.

"And I want you to start talking. So stop beating around the bush and wasting our time trying to play nice. You can have your drink later. Talk. Now."

"Fine then. I'll cut to the chase." He tossed the menu away. "I think you and I should work together-"

"Pass."

Shinji just looked stunned by my quick decline. "W-What? But why?!"

"You haven't given me any reasons to join you. Need to list those first." I've been in meetings with some of the head Operators for Gen Ops. I know full well how these things need to go down.

Shinji chuckled and recomposed himself. "Fair enough. Now, I may have become a Master, but in all honesty, I'm far from experienced. So I'd like to join forces with someone I can trust."

The fact he trusts me is honestly stupid on his part, but this might be a good chance to get some information. If he has any worthwhile information to begin with. 'Starvlador...'

<I'm ready. Ask him.>

"I've got some questions. First: Why did Rider attack Aiyako Mitsuzuri?"

"Yes." He quickly looked apologetic. "I heard about that little altercation. After Rider had been summoned, I didn't have the means to supply her with magical energy. So I had her go out and find ways to replenish it on her own. I had no idea she would attack someone. I've reprimanded her and I assure you, something like that will never happen again."

<A lie.>

'Figures. Chances are he knew about different ways to supply his Servant and had her attack people.' I replied. "Really, because she attacked a student at Kuoh the other day."

Shinji looked shocked by this. He looked back to Rider, furious. "We'll talk about this later!" He growled.

"All that matters is that they're fine now. Next question: How did you end up becoming a Master?"

"The Matou Family is a Mage family." He informed.

I had no idea. But I don't sense any magical energy coming off him. So how? "Seriously? Since when?"

"A long time ago. Our power's dried up, though. No one in our family is currently a traditional Mage. We study the lore, but that's about it."

<He's not lying. But he's not being honest either.>

If that's the case, then what about her? "What about Sakura then? She's not involved in all this, is she?"

Shinji just sighed in annoyance. "You really don't know anything, do you? When a Mage family has two children, it's the eldest son who becomes the heir. The general rule is that those not chosen as successors are either raised ignorant of magic or adopted out."

<Yeah...That's not true.>

'I think that's just how some Mage families operate. Trying to stick to traditions. Then again, there were a lot of siblings at the Clock Tower, so maybe someone just told him that?' Either way, I'm still concerned. While I can't sense anything from Shinji, I can still feel a faint presence of magical energy from Sakura. If Starvlador didn't sense Shinji lying, it's possible he might just not know the truth himself. "As long as she's not involved in any of this, that's all that matters."

"No, but that does mean I can't use magic and you don't know its history. Which makes us the perfect partners." He smiled excitedly. "Together we can take out our most imminent threat; that being Tohsaka."

Rin? Why her? I mean, I know she's batshit, but why is he going after her?

"First of all; she seems to trust you, which is good. Secondly; I'm lacking magic circuits, which means I can't be detected by other Mages..."

Yet, I managed to locate you rather easily from your presence and aura alone. Even if it was disgusting. Just remembering it sends shivers down my spine and makes me feel gross. Still, it wasn't HIS magic I was sensing. So what was it?

<He's telling the truth. I'm not picking up any magical energy from him.>

"So, if the two of us join forces, taking out Tohsaka will be rather simple."

While it could be easy to take her out, I don't have a reason to at the moment. Paying her pack for the students she endangered, sure, but she hasn't given me a reason to kill her. Besides, Archer is always with her, going through him will be difficult, especially if he's able to just launch tactical nukes with ease. But, just going off of what Shinji said... "Hold on, there was another presence of magical energy at the school, completely unknown and foreign to me. If it wasn't you..."

"Then there's a fourth Master hiding somewhere in your academy." He sounded intrigued by the possibility.

"Another one to deal with."

"Honestly, I think you're kind of crazy to team up with Tohsaka of all people. Especially since she tried to bomb your classroom and set up all those traps all over your school. I found a few while I was visiting and disarmed a few so no one would get hurt." He said.

<A lie.>

'Yep. Instantly picked up on that. If he can't use magic, then he wouldn't have been able to disarm the traps. Now he's just trying to look good.'

"You know, I've been hearing the reports of multiple gas leaks across the city. I think Rin might be responsible for them. She's probably trying to make her Servant stronger."

I've heard enough. I got enough information I wanted out of him, not that any of it was worthwhile. I rose up and prepared to leave.

"(L/N)?"

"I think we're done. I know full well I'll need to deal with Rin at some point. But for now, she's an ally, and I don't betray my allies."

Shinji's eye twitched, most likely in annoyance. But he covered it with a pleasing facade. "If that's your choice, I'll just sit back and watch things play out then."

<BIG ASS LIE!!! THIS LITTLE SHIT'S PLANNING SOMETHING!!!>

'I had a feeling.' For now, I'll just let him think I have no interest.

"You know what? As a sign of good faith, let me give you a bit of info I happen to come across. Now, I don't know who this person is, but a Master's set up shop at one of the temple grounds in this city. I believe it was called Matsuda Temple."

The second I heard that, my whole body stopped. The idea of Matsuda's family temple being the base of operation instantly worried me. It couldn't be Matsuda himself...could it?

"According to my Servant, there's a witch up there that's been gathering magical energy from the life force of people in large quantities. I have no intention of making a move on her, you have my word."

<Man, this guy just lies as easily as he breathes.> Starvlador sighed.

'Yeah, kind of second nature to him. Little rat.' I reached for the door, eager to leave as quickly as possible. "Thanks for the heads up. Just don't do anything crazy and put a target on your back. I'll be going now."

"Actually, now that you mention that..."

God damn it...

"Think you could do your BEST FRIEND favor and talk to a certain woman about potential murder? Maybe convince her to...NOT do that to your BEST EVER FRIEND?" He asked eagerly.

I just stared at him through the corner of my eye. "Shut down that giant barrier root sigil. Do that, and I'll consider it."

"And maybe tell them they think she has beautiful eyes~" He said, a lustful hunger in his eyes and tone

Right, because that's not creepy or anything.

<I'm getting a lot of "unconvicted rapist" vibes from this guy. Can we go now?>

"I'm feeling very uncomfortable myself. Please, let's make haste!" Saber clearly sounded in a rush to leave. Can't really blame her.

"...Sure."

Shinji smiled, pleased. "Good."

"Yep."

"Wonderful."

"Uh huh..."

"Fantastic."

"Yeah..."

"Sweet."

"...Okay, we're done here."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME THAT WA–"

And with that, I slammed the door behind me and finally left.

Time Skip

Jesus that took for-freaking-ever! 'Thanks for your help, Starvlador.'

<Of course, son! Still, that kid gives me lots of "Brutally Murder ON SIGHT" Vibes.>

'I know what you mean. He's a very uncomfortable guy to be around. But, he was useful. Even if every other thing he said was all bullshit.'

"How much of what that Shinji said do you trust?" Asked Saber.

'Oh, not a damn thing. My lack of trust in that guy goes about as far as I can throw him. And given whatever state I'm in, it's still pretty damn far.'

Still, what he said about Matsuda Temple, I can't help but be worried. There are lots of students and monks residing there, who knows how many she's feeding off of. Why there, specifically? Wait, it's possible it's because of the leyline underneath. That thing is a constant stream of pure magical energy, she could be using that as a way of gathering more power. But that begs the question, why haven't I sensed anything from it? Or anyone else for that matter.

<So...Are we just going to ignore her the whole way or...>

So it wasn't just me then. "This is far enough. I can make it on my own from here."

Rider suddenly appeared from thin air. Seems like she was following us since we left. I was wondering what was watching us this whole time. Seems like my sensory skills are getting better. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

She silently stared at me. At least, I assume she was. It's hard to tell with the blindfold.

"Is what Shinji said about the witch at Matsuda Temple true?"

She remained silent. Just...standing there staring at me. There was this weird menacing aura about her as she just stood there. Then again, she's probably kinda spiteful towards me, seeing as how we beat her twice already.

"Nevermind. We never agreed to work together, so I'm still your enemy. Forget I asked anything." I let my curiosity go and headed home.

"What he said about there being a witch on that mountain is true." She spoke. She actually answered me. "If you choose to go up against her, be careful. She's exceptionally well versed in the workings of a man's mind."

That's a shock. She actually gave me useful info and warned me about the enemy. She's a strange one this Servant. But for some odd reason...I feel I could trust her. While she has the smell of blood, her aura is warm, calming, honest, kind, compassionate, and strong. A small darkness lingered within, maybe due to her methods? "Thanks for the warning, I appreciate it. Do me a favor and keep his sister safe, yeah?"

Rider seemed shocked by my request.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't give a rat's ass about whether he lives or dies. He's been a shit since we were kids. I know what he's capable of. So...if he does anything to her...please protect her."

"...Despite what you are, you have a very kind heart. Don't you?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I try." I looked back and Rider was gone. I hope she does protect Sakura if Shinji goes unhinged. Next I see her, I should give her my address in case that does happen. "Saber, you can come out now."

Saber appeared, dispelling her spirit form, and donned her new casual clothes. "That Rider is an odd one."

"Yeah. Something about her seems off. But not in an odd way."

"What do you mean?"

"Just a theory. I'll explain once we get home. Might as well share with the others to keep them in the loop."

Time Skip

3rd Person POV

(Y/N)'s House

"We're ho-" The moment he stepped into the house, (Y/N) was immediately grabbed.

"YOU!!!" Rias shouted as she judo threw him into the house.

Tohru caught her master with a spinning lariat. "ARE!!!" She flung him into the living room.

Isabela grabbed the flying and confused devil from behind, wrapping her arms around his abdomen, and lifted him up into the air. "LATE!!!" She slammed him back with a german suplex.

Artoria stood speechless and shocked beyond belief at what she witnessed. Once she came back, she ran inside to check on her Master. "(Y/N)!!" She entered the living room, seeing the young devil on his back, his lower half in the air as he just lied there.

"Well? Got anything to say for yourself?" Siris asked, coming from the kitchen.

"Do you have any idea how worried you've made us?" Rias asked, scoldingly.

"Are you okay?" Asia asked as she knelt down and began healing any injuries her friend may have sustained.

"When Artoria disappeared from thin air without a word, we got worried something happened." Informed Rias. "We tried calling you, but you never answered."

(Y/N)'s daze finally lifted. 'Probably because it's on silent...' He lowered his legs and dug through his pockets. Pulling out his phone, only to see twenty-five missed calls from Rias, Asia, and the house's landline. "Yep." He simply accepted as he sat up. "Look, I'm sorry if I worried you. But we did get some good information."

"Like what?"

"Like who put up the kill-box barrier, and who their Master is."

Everyone soon fell silent.

"Is that so? Please, do tell." Spoke a familiar voice.

(Y/N) looked up and saw Gilgamesh and Issei simply sitting on the couch with a cup of tea. "Gil? Issei?"

"Hey man!" Issei simply waved.

"Greetings, devil. I came for you to entertain me. Your women told me you were out and were unable to reach you. I have been patient for nearly two hours. You have a lot of nerve keeping the King of Heroes waiting." He scolded.

'Not like I knew you were even coming...' (Y/N) mentally countered snarkily.

"Well, it's no matter. This "barrier" and "Temple Master" you speak of has me intrigued. So do go on and tell us what it is you've discovered."

(Y/N) then filled everyone in on what happened since he was out. Needless to say, some were shocked and confused.

"So the one who put up the barrier was this Rider Servant you encountered the other night in the ally? The one that attacked the Archery Team Capitan from Homurahara?" Rias asked to simplify. "And her Master is an old classmate of yours and that Sakura girl's brother? AND there's another Master based out at Matsuda Temple?"

"That about sums it all up, yeah." (Y/N) confirmed as he sipped on some tea, only to have Tohru refill it. "Apparently the Master is a witch who's been stealing the lifeforce energy from the citizens all over town."

"That would explain all the "gas leaks" in the business district. The people there have been drained of their energy to the point of unconsciousness of comatic states." Said Siris.

"How much of what this..." Gilgamesh paused to remember, snapping his fingers to ponder. "Shitji Matou person do you believe you can trust."

"I asked the very same thing." Artoria said.

"And it's very damn little. But, I did trust his Servant, Rider. I asked her and neither Starvlador nor I detected any lies coming from her. Apparently, she knows the intricacies of a man's mind, and there are at least a hundred monks staying up there, last I checked. She could be draining them too."

"I mean, Matsuda hasn't seemed out of the ordinary recently. Maybe she's leaving them alone to not raise any suspicion." Issei guessed.

"How very astute of you, mongrel. That's a very well-put idea." Gilgamesh praised the Red Dragon Emperor.

"Hold on, if this Matou Family's Mage bloodline dried up, how is the son a Master?" Asked Tohru.

"It's very possible the mongrel acquired a grimoire." Claimed Gilgamesh.

Issei looked confused. "Um, that's just a magic book, right? How would something like that be able to make a person a Master?"

"You just answered your own question, fool! With a grimoire, especially one dedicated to forming contracts, if a simple human acquired one, they could bind the Command Spells to the book rather than the person since the book holds the power rather than the wielder."

"Oh...Oh!! Okay! I get it!!" Issei finally understood.

"This Shitji fool asked you to join him in this Holy Grail War. What did you say?" Asked the King of Uruk.

"I told him no. Said he gave me no reasons to. I got info out of him and just left. I've got Rin to worry about right now, and she's a loose enough cannon as it is. Besides, I don't trust the little bastard, not by a long shot. Which is weird, because I trusted his Servant far more."

"You mean Rider?" Asked Asia.

"Yeah. After everything that's happened, I kinda expected her to resent or be spiteful of me. But no. I sensed no hostility from her. Even when we fought in the woods the other day. She was a lot nicer than I expected. There's just something different about her, I can't put my finger on it." (Y/N) struggled to come up with anything.

"I don't really get it." Isabela admitted. "If she's not hostile or bloodthirsty like you said, then why was she summoned by this Shitji guy?"

"It's most likely he's noticing the disparity between the two. A Master and Servant are often cut from the same cloth, nearing the same or share similar traits or hold a connection of some kind. For example; if a Master is pure of heart, then the Servant they summon will be of a similar nature. If a Master is burdened by psychological traumas or scars, then their Servant will carry similar scars themselves. Or if the Master happens to be sick and has a twisted mind or was a bloodthirsty monster, they will most definitely summon a Servant with the same tastes and desires. This is but a simple theory." Admitted Gilgamesh, sipping on his tea.

'Simple theory my ass!' Issei mentally groaned.

"Yeah, that's probably it. I mean, I smelled blood from Rider, but it wasn't bloodlust. Her fighting style was very unique too. It was wild, but had a hint of elegance and power rather than just straight savage. The aura of her soul was...well...not what I expected. It was much brighter and warmer than I thought." (Y/N) explained.

"That is rather surprising to hear, considering she's the one who's been draining people of their blood for power."

"Yeah, because Shinji ordered her to." He clarified.

"As I stated before, there are many ways for a Servant to regain their strength, and blood happens to be one of them, as unfortunate as that is." Admitted Artoria.

"So why did the Master on Matsuda Temple choose there? Is she holding them hostage?" Feared Asia.

"Not quite, at least, I hope so. But that temple is built on an old spiritual leyline. Whoever this Master is, she sure is overcharging herself."

"Seriously?! A place like that is built over a giant pool of pure magical energy?!" Siris asked in utter bafflement. "I wonder why no one's going for it."

"Because a barrier's been raised over the mountain. It has no effects on normal humans, but if we Servants were to set foot inside that compound, our abilities would decrease dramatically." Explained the King of Knights.

"This Mage sure has taken a lot of precautions to keep her base of operations nearly impregnable." Tohru mentioned. "Well now that we know there's a bad guy out there, why don't we go up there and take them out?" She asked eagerly.

(Y/N) sighed in thought, resting his head on his hands as he pondered. 'If normal people aren't affected but Servants are, who's to say devils or any other supernatural beings could be too? This whole setup smells like a trap just begging to be tripped.'

"(Y/N)?" Called Artoria.

"I think it's best if we just leave her alone for now."

The Saber Servant looked appalled by her Master's decision. "(Y/N), that's ridiculous! What have we been resting for if not for a moment like this?!" She objected.

"It's like you said, you step one foot in that barrier, and you're back to square one! And who knows how many other countermeasures she has in mind! We go in without a plan or any info about who she is or what she's capable of, we're pretty much screwed." He explained.

"Not a bad deduction at all! Well done." Gilgamesh praised his entertainment provider. "You should listen to your Master, Saber. If either one of you simply stroll up to that fortified temple, not knowing what lies inside, then you're most likely doomed to fall right then and there. And you wouldn't want that for either of you, would you?"

The eager Saber calmed her nerves and thoughts. Before, she would've gone headlong into enemy territory with the intention of destroying her enemy. But that was in the past. She had learned from her mistakes. She let her lust for battle get the best of her for but a moment, unsure herself where it even came from. "I suppose you're right. My apologies. I don't know what came over me."

(Y/N) placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know she's a threat, but we need to use caution. Once we get more intel on her, then we'll start forming a plan. Okay?"

Artoria looked to her Master, soother and assured by his words. She held his hand firmly in acceptance. "Of course."

"Well, this has been a most interesting chat. But I must be going now." Announced the Caster Servant as he began to leave.

"You're leaving?" Asked Rias.

"Indeed. There's a matter I must attend to before it's too late. Until next time all." He waved. "Oh, and thank you for the tea." He smiled before disappearing into golden stardust.

"He just freaking comes and goes as he pleases." (Y/N) sighed. "Now as for you..." He turned to Issei. "Why are you here, man?"

"Oh! Right. I was actually wondering if you could help me with something."

"I swear to god if you ask me to look at another rash, I'm going to hit you." (Y/N) glared.

"No no! Nothing like that! I was wondering if you could train me with magic!"

Issei's request somewhat surprised the Azure Dragon Emperor. "Really?" He asked, his (E/C) eyes widened. "That's it?"

"Yeah. I mean, I still haven't really gotten used to using magic. I have some control over my magical energy, but I want to be able to do more without having to rely on my Boosted Gear or Balance Breaker all the time! I wanna be able to fight like you do!"

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Issei! It'll help widen your versatility with magic, especially on the battlefield." Rias praised her Pawn.

"I'm so proud of you for taking the initiative, Issei!" Beamed Asia.

"Aw, come on. It's not that big a deal. We should all be looking to improve, right?" He said, embarrassed by the praise.

"I see." (Y/N) simply smiled. "Alright. I don't mind. Let's head to the shed and get started."

" HAHA YES!!!" Issei cheered.

"But just know, this could take a while, and you might be exhausted by the time we're finished." (Y/N) advised.

"I figured, that's why I packed an overnight bag!" He smiled, holding up a backpack.

(Y/N) smiled. "Look at you planning ahead. Alright ladies, the boys are gonna play in the shed. You all be good now!"

"Says the one who nearly dies every month." Smirked Isabela.

"Or exhausted himself to the point of powerless." Siris teased.

"Or breaks himself to the point of being bedridden and weekend-long unconsciousness." Rias playfully jabbed.

(Y/N) just stared blankly at them. "You do know I'm in charge of breakfast tomorrow, right? And just for those comments, the three of you will be getting nothing by miso soup and rice."

The three girls immediately shattered upon this revelation. They immediately began apologizing for the teasing.

"No! Please don't do that!!" Isabela begged.

"Your breakfasts are delicious!! Please don't punish us like that!! We're sorry!!" Siris cried.

"We were just poking fun at you! We didn't mean anything by it!! We're sorry, honey!!" Cried Rias.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." (Y/N) smirked, heading outside with Issei.

"Nice save." Artoria said with slight sarcasm.

"Well, now that's out of the way, why don't we finish your enrolment paperwork, Artoria?" Reminded Rias.

"I'd nearly forgotten. How much more is there?" She asked, returning to her seat.

Rias walked over from the counter setting down a small stack of papers, packets, and booklets. "You've nearly finished all the aptitude tests for classes. Just two more of those. Then we need to fill out your personal information paper. I'll help you with that if you get confused. We should also give you an alias when you enroll. We'll workshop some names."

"Alias?"

"A secret identity of sorts. Can't exactly go around school saying you're King Arthur from the legends. Plus, I already have a bunch of cute names I think you'll really like." She beamed excitedly.

"Very well." Artoria grabbed a pencil and nearly completed aptitude test. "Let's continue my enrollment process!"

Time Skip

Backyard Shed

"Alright, now that you've got a bit more control over your magical energy, it's time we find out what your affinities are." (Y/N) said as he opened the drawer of a small cabinet, pulling out a small brown pouch.

"Okay...How do we do that?" Issei asked.

(Y/N) joined his friend on the ground and opened the pouch. "With these." He emptied the contents onto the stone floor, showing seven different colored stones.

"Rocks?" He asked, confused, picking up one of the small shards.

"They're Spell Stones. They only respond and react when you release magical energy into them. If they don't react, then you don't have an affinity for it." He explained, grabbing the brown one. "Watch...Come forth, Earth!"

Nothing happened.

"See? Now, if I used a stone I have an affinity for–" He traded his earth stone for the red one. "Come forth, Fire!" A massive flame erupted from the stone in a quick burst, only to dissipate. "Then they'll react. And if you have a strong affinity for a certain element, then they'll react in a big way. Also, be sure to try to manifest some of the elements that derive from the origin. Like lightning from fire and wind."

"Is that even possible?" He asked, holding a green stone.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. Someone can have an affinity without having one from the progenitor. Watch." The Azure Dragon Emperor grabbed the blue stone. "Come forth, Water."

Nothing happened.

"See? Now...Come forth, Ice!" A crystalized burst of Ice erupted from the stone and encased the conjurer's hand, only to shatter.

"Woah!" Issei marveled. "That's so cool!!"

"Indeed. Well, get to it." He notioned to have Issei begin, curious himself to see what he could use.

"Right!" Issei channeled his magical energy into the stone in his hand. "Come forth, Wind!" A small burst of wind erupted from his hand. "Sick! I did it! I'm an air bender!!" He cheered.

'Not bad. Wind's pretty versatile.' (Y/N) nodded.

Issei quickly grabbed another stone, eager to see what else he could conjure. "Come forth, Earth!"

No reaction.

Issei whined in disappointment. "Ah balls!"

"Hey, don't sweat it man. You'd be surprised how many people don't have an affinity for Earth Magic. I only know of, like, three users. Maybe four."

"Alright." Accepted the Red Dragon Emperor, trading out stones. "Come forth, Water!"

No reaction.

"Come forth, Ice?"

Again, no reaction.

'Not surprising honestly. The Sky Dragons were rarely known for their use of Life Magics. We're more attuned to Destruction types. Still, Issei might be a rare exception. He was able to achieve his Balance Breaker before me, after all.' He pondered proudly.

"What's this one?" Issei helped up a purple stone.

"Oh, that's darkness." He answered.

"Come forth, Darkness!"

No reaction again.

"Darkness is kind of a tricky one. Not a lot of people have that affinity either." He assured.

"But, don't you?" Asked Issei.

"Yes. And I'm a monster. Keep trying out the different stones." He urged.

"Okay! Okay!" Issei grabbed the yellow stone. "Come forth, Lightning!"

No reaction.

"That's a light stone, bud." (Y/N) corrected with a light chuckle.

Issei, through his embarrassment, cleared his throat and got ready to try again. "Come forth, Light!" The stone in his hands shined brightly. "Hell yeah!!" Issei quickly traded and held up the red stone. "Come forth, Fire!!" A massive flame burst from the stone, thankfully not burning the Red Dragon Emperor as it slowly died out. "FUCK YEAH!!!"

"Three base elements. Not bad. Though, given your partner, that makes more sense as to why fire is your strongest affinity."

"I kinda figured when I started training and practicing new moves that it would be one, but now I know for sure and it's awesome!!" Issei beamed excitedly, now knowing his affinities for magic.

The door opened and Artoria walked in, a tray of sandwiches and tea in her hands. "Pardon the intrusion, gentlemen."

"Hey, Saber!" Issei waved.

"What brings you here?" Asked (Y/N) as he picked up his stones.

"I just completed the paperwork for my transfer and I wanted to come check on your progress. Tohru made these for you two. She believed you two would be hungry." She informed as she set the tray down.

The boys looked down and saw plates with hot sandwiches and cups of warm tea. Their stomachs grumbled loudly. They looked to each other, only to chuckle. "I could eat." They said in unison.

"Here, (Y/N). Tohru was insistent that I give this one to you specifically." Artoria handed her Master a thick sandwich.

"Um...okay?" He cautiously accepted only to furrow his brow upon closer inspection of the snack. It was a cut of her tail. "Goddamnit." He hissed.

"What's up?" Muffled Issei.

He simply sighed and placed the plate down. "I'm not hungry anymore."

Issei looked confused.

"It's from her tail...which is poisonous AND cannibalistic. No thank you."

Issei handed him the other half of his sandwich.

"Thanks."

The Saber Servant smiled as she watched the boys partake of their snacks. "So, if you don't mind my asking; What exactly were you two doing?"

"Just magic stuff." Issei answered.

"I see. Time Magic, right?"

"Nope." He replied.

"Familiar Magic?" She guessed again.

"Too complicated." Her Master answered.

She looked hesitant to take another guess. "...Gun?" She asked with worry.

"GUN?!" The two looked at Saber in shock and confusion.

"Gun...Magic?"

"...We were just figuring out what Issei's affinities were." (Y/N) assured.

"THAT'S OFF THE HIZZY; THAT'S WAY BETTER!!!" Exclaimed Artoria with massive relief.

Issei leaned over to his brother. "Is gun magic actually a thing?" He whispered curiously.

"I don't think so. If it is, I've certainly never heard of it." He assured, finishing his sandwich with a drink of tea.

"Wait, back up a sec. Did you say something about transferring? What's that about?" Issei inquired.

"I did. Starting next week, I'll be attending Kuoh Academy with the rest of you as a first year."

"Seriously? That's awesome!" Issei smiled. "But, why do you suddenly want to go to school with us? You know it's not going to be all action and battle there, right?"

"Can never tell, especially lately." Artoria claimed. "I'm mainly going to ensure (Y/N)'s safety."

"It took me a while to realize that her going wouldn't really be an issue."

"Seriously?" Issei looked at his friend, somewhat disappointed in him. "It took you THIS LONG to realize that?" He stared deadpanned.

"I suck, I know! Not a highlight in my life I'm proud of, thank you!" (Y/N) proclaimed back loudly.

Artoria couldn't help but giggle at the boy's playful banter. "I'll leave you gentlemen to your practice. Please be careful as you proceed."

"Will do. Thanks again for the sandwiches and tea." (Y/N) thanked his Servant.

"Of course. If you'll both excuse me." She bowed and got up to leave.

"Okay, now that I know my affinities, how do we channel them?"

(Y/N) smiled, reaching into one of the crates, and pulled out a lamp-like object. "You're gonna try and light this glass lantern. It's powered by magic. Be careful though, too much energy can cause it to explode."

Artoria halted, glancing back with concern.

Time Skip

Many hours had passed since (Y/N) and Issei began training with magic.

The two lay asleep on the cold, stone ground. Basking blissfully in the seeping moonlight and dreams. The gentle sounds of cicadas, wind chimes, and rustling trees soothed their tired bodies and souls.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Dead silence fell upon the workshop shed.

A mischievous chuckle echoed through the night sky, silver strings descending and dancing around the devils as they continued their sleep.

"Dear, sweet, sweet, boys~ Welcome to the spider's web."