Chapter 6, Back to School.

Shirou was with Kiritsugu in the car. He was stroking PM, who was sleeping on his lap. It had been almost a week since the entire operation at Aylesbury. Thankfully, his father had gotten him out of there before anyone could ask questions...

He had stayed in the apartment he shared with Kiritsugu for the entire week along with PM. Kiritsugu didn't want Shirou to come out knowing how agitated the moonlit world was after the rumors spread. Also, Shirou was concerned as Avalon had run out of mana in the middle of healing from the last attack he received from Altrouge. She told him that some blades came out from his body and sealed his wounds. But, when he woke up, his wounds had healed, and there was no trace of the blades.

Obviously, this was Altrouge's doing, and he couldn't help but worry, knowing that he was unconscious with the eclipse princess. Since she could do whatever he wanted with his body during this time.

Kiritsugu turned on the radio, the station was reporting about various news...

The first news was a statement from the Harwey family, where they explained how dangerous the Moon Cell could be and how they still did not know how to use it properly, but they assured that they already had a specialized team working on it.

The second news was somewhat disturbing, especially since he now knew the inevitable fate of the world. In South America, several decades ago, a really terrifying being had been discovered, nobody knew exactly what it was, so they decided to call it Aristotle-ORT. This one, for now, seemed to be hibernating and only attacked whatever attacked it. Every attack against him had failed, but humanity was preparing a new series of humans who could fight this being, in case, in the worst-case scenario, it would wake up.

This concerned him for two reasons:

The first was because, to create these so-called warriors, they were experimenting with a substance called Grain. This was a toxic particle that had been discovered in the year 1970. To Shirou, this sounded ridiculous. Using a substance that was killing humanity, and no one knew how to stop. Who was the idiot who came up with that this could also be used as a weapon to kill a life form totally unknown?

Be that as it may, the redhead prayed that ORT would not be awakened early. Since, in the moonlit world, it was well known what its true nature was: An Ultimate One, as well as one of the 27 dead apostles, in summary, Type Mercury. Fortunately, the Grain particle was still rare on the planet. So it would take researchers years to investigate it. Also, it would take them much longer to perform experiments on humans with it. Or so they had said…

The latest news, before they reached his bedroom, seemed to be more hopeful, unfortunately, this really was nothing more than a panacea. If the degradation of the planet was totally irreversible and it was not discovered how to use the Moon Cell in time, a plan for the colonization of the moon had been initiated. But this was but a patch before humanity suffered the wound. This plan would not solve the problem, it would simply evade it momentarily.

"Are you sure you can go alone?" asked the freelancer while, at the same time, he stopped the car in front of the bedroom.

The redhead smiled, "Clear. It's not my first day, do you remember?"

Kiritsugu frowned, "Yes, it is. They will no longer see you as Muramasa Shirou, from now on, they will see you as Emiya Shirou. To them, you are the heir to the Emiya family, the son of the magus killer, and the grandson of Emiya Norikata, a magus who received a sealing designation."

"I know, calm down, I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

Shirou nodded.

"In that case, have a good year," said the freelancer smiling slightly.

Shirou also smiled, "Equally, old. Make sure you don't get into anything too dangerous, or, if you do, make sure you take me."

Kiritsugu waved his hand goodbye before getting into the car and leaving.

Shirou turned around, there was his new bedroom, the principal bedroom of the creation faculty, Valuay bedroom. This was a gift from Lady Valualeta, thanks to his actions at Aylesbury. Inside this, Shirou also possessed a private room, and this one was much larger and more prepared than the previous one.

The redhead entered the elegant building and spoke with the secretary to inform her of his arrival. She nodded and gave him a key so that he could enter his room, not before warning him that the queen of the Tower was expecting him in her office in two hours. The apprentice magus nodded and thanked her. He went up to his room and was impressed with the new amenities it offered him, including his own bathroom.

Without waiting, he prepared the ritual. This took several minutes...

"Creation of territory: the Muramasa workshop."

When it was ready, Shirou settled down to rest. He observed his schedule. Starting in his sophomore year, he would not only have the required classes by his curriculum, but he would also have electives. In his case, he had chosen to study runes, this was, literally, the only type of magecraft he could use, aside from Reinforcement and Gradation Air. He had also planned to enter curse classes, not because he could use them, but because Muramasa could create cursed swords, so he wanted to know as much about them as possible.

There was still an hour and a half left before he met with the queen. He planned to wait until the time came, but...

Top! Top!

"Hmn?" Shirou went to the door and opened it, "Rin?"

The Tohsaka heiress stood at the entrance, "I see you really changed rooms, Shirou-kun. So, you will invite me in?"

"Oh, sure," opening the door, Shirou allowed his partner in, "How has everything been around here in the last two months?"

"Relatively 'quiet' as always…" She said, sitting down on one of the pieces of furniture in the room.

"Alliances, conspiracies, and betrayals, then..."

"The normal inside the Tower. Although, thanks to a certain boy who pretended to be a nobody, and it turned out that he was not, and who also ended up going to a large joint operation between the association and the church, killing a son of a candidate for member of the 27 and, managing to survive a fight against the mongrel princess of the apostles ... Well, you can imagine how the situation is ..."

"Many eyes on me?" The boy asked, concerned.

Very seriously, Rin said, "You are in a very delicate position, Shirou-kun."

"I see…"

"So, what are you waiting for? You should start to explain yourself."

"Okay, make herself comfortable because this can be a bit long."

She nodded.

Shirou told her how he was orphaned, how he was found by Kiritsugu, in the middle of the fire, and, finally, how he was reunited with Muramasa and his past, in this way, becoming his apprentice. He avoided the more private parts, such as his and his father's joint plan to rescue his sister. He also talked to her about Caliburn and what happened in Aylesbury, of course, hiding everything Altrouge spoke about the fate of the world and, also, as she had promised to help create the ultimate sword.

"That is a long story, but at least I understand many more things thanks to this one," the magus said after pondering for a bit.

"What do you mean?" The redhead asked, confused.

"Don't get me wrong, Shirou-kun. I was angry that you had lied to me, but if I had been in your case, I would have done the same."

"Seriously?"

She nodded, "Of course. Coming here as Emiya Shirou is the same as asking someone to kill you. Literally, you were unlikely to finish the first year. Your father's decision was the correct one."

"I guess so…"

"However, one thing doesn't change the other. You know that, right?"

He nodded, "Do you want compensation, right?"

She nodded with a smile.

"I'm very sorry, but there's not much I can give you," at that moment, Shirou opened his eyes, "Wait, Rin! You won't ask Neocaliburn, will you?"

"Well, for a moment, I thought about it…" She whispered.

"Rin!"

"Relax, as I told you long ago, my magecraft does not require weapons, and although I can defend myself in close combats, I have never used a sword."

"However?" Said the redhead, knowing there would be a, but.

Rin smiled, "Remember when you offered to forge something for me?"

Shirou nodded.

"Well, I want you to forge something for me..."

This piqued the young blacksmith's curiosity, "What?"

Rin took something out of her bag, "This…"

Shirou analyzed it and saw that they were blueprints, "This is ... A sword?"

She nodded, "It is known as the Jeweled Sword Zelretch."

"W-Wait Rin, this, this is far from my current level."

She looked at him confused, "What are you talking about? You reformed Caliburn, right? You are a prodigy, without a doubt, this should not be a problem..."

Shirou fervently shook his head, "I think you are misunderstanding some things: Reforming and forging from scratch is not the same thing. The second method requires a lot more work. Second, when I reformed Caliburn, I had the advantage of I could use the structural grip. I know how it was created, and what I did was copy the method. I just added some alterations to it."

"And you can't use the structural grip on the plans?"

The redhead denied, "No, at least, I can't do it. For me, it only works on already created structures. I need to see what I am analyzing if I want it to work. A few schemes are not enough," Shirou continued trying to dissuade the magus, "Third, since I got the fragments, I have spent almost two weeks trying to reform them, and I failed miserably almost every day. I only did it at the last moment of the last day. Right before I have to go to the ritual. And…"

"And…?"

The redhead sighed, defeated, "And fourth, my hands and arms got really messed up after I reformed it. I probably tore some ligament while doing it, although I never checked it. I had to use phoenix tears to heal myself. And, with everything and that, I still think that something superior to me was helping me to reform it because it really was far from my level. The only reason I tried was because of the ritual."

She sighed, somewhat defeated, "I guess it was too greedy of me, right?"

Shirou nodded, "I am not a prodigy, as you say. Unlike you, I am not an Average One like you are who can use all five elements. In fact, I can't even use elemental magecraft, and I can't cast curses either. My magic circuits are normal at best, and, to be honest, I couldn't even use the Emiya magecraft if I didn't have the crest. The best thing you can say about me is that I am talented in one area only. I can't go any further."

"I get it. I was only excited because if we could create it, maybe, the Old Marshal would accept me as his apprentice," she said understanding the situation and feeling somewhat flattered by the boy's words.

"I didn't say we couldn't..."

"Huh?" She asked, confused.

"I said it was out of my level, but…" Shirou smiled, "Like a blacksmith, my only pride is my swords. So, if we work together, hmm... Maybe in a few years, we could create a prototype. Although I do not promise anything."

The girl seemed to want to jump for joy and hug the boy, but, as a worthy heiress of the Tohsaka, she, with a big smile, stretched out her hand, "It's a pleasure to work with you again, Shirou-kun."

"You can just call me Shirou, no need to use honorifics. After all, we are going to work on a project that will probably take years. So, Shirou is better. Anyway, I've been calling you Rin for a year now," stretching out his hand, Shirou took hers, "So, it will be my pleasure, Rin."

She nodded, "By the way, Shirou, I need to talk to you about something..."

This attracted the boy's attention, but sadly, "Does it have to be now? It's that I'm late," he said when he saw the time.

"Late? Where are you going?"

"The Queen requested that I come to her office and meet with her."

This confused and surprised the girl, "Why? Did you get in trouble!?"

"No, it is probably due to the return of the Emiya crest. It was supposed to be being discussed during this week. Shirou took his swords, along with the Black Barrel, and started to leave the room, leaving Fou inside.

She nodded, "Then you better hurry. The Queen is not known for being tolerant. We'll talk later…"

The boy nodded, "Thank you."

"See you tomorrow then," she said, leaving the room with him.

"Tomorrow…" He said, looking down.

"Worried?"

"Yes. I don't know how others will treat me, and… I don't know how to talk to Luvia either."

The mention of the heiress Edelfelt soured Rin's  gaze, but, seeing the boy's worried look, she decided to give him some advice, "She will probably try to push you away, and she will try to see you as a member of a rival family. Do you want some advice?"

"It would help me a lot."

"You have to accept it."

"Huh?" He said, not understanding.

"Accept that you are the son of the magus killer and that she can't just forget everything your families have been through."

"And so?"

She frowned, "I can't give you all the answers."

Sighing, he thanked her, "I understand. Thanks, Rin."

"You're welcome," Rin pointed in the direction of the main Tower building, "Now go quickly. I don't want to think what will happen to you if you make the Queen angry."

With this, they both parted ways. Shirou ran towards Mystile, being tempted multiple times to use the temporal alteration magecraft to get to his destination quickly, and he would do it if it were not because, every time he used it, he ended up suffering the rebound. He arrived at the main building of the Tower. He did not care about the multiple looks they were giving him, full of emotions from hatred to astonishment, and headed towards the queen's office.

"Excuse me, I'm ..."

"Emiya Shirou. The Queen is waiting for you. Enter quickly," said the secretary.

Shirou nodded, "Thank you."

The redhead walked into the office, and he really couldn't believe his eyes. The size of the room had increased with the use of the magecraft. It was crammed with bookshelves, artifacts he couldn't understand, and expensive furniture. At the back of it, at an elegant desk, was the deputy director of the Tower. She was wearing an outfit similar to the one she was wearing from hers when he first saw her.

"Emiya."

"Lord Barthomeloi."

She narrowed her eyes, analyzing him, for a moment, her gaze lingering on Caliburn, "Is that the sword you used to wound the princess of the eclipse?"

The redhead nodded.

"Show me it."

Shirou unsheathed it and showed it to her, hiding the side of the sheet that contained the scriptures.

"Hmm... what's the sword's name?"

"That is a secret, Lord."

She looked at him like an eagle looks at a mouse, "You know it's up to me if the Emiya crest is returned to you, right?"

He nodded, "I know, but families have to protect their mysteries. Otherwise, they lose their value. Don't you think so too, Lord Barthomeloi?"

"Hmm…" Lorelei crossed her arms, "At least you think like a true magus, unlike your father's heretic."

Due to my limitations, I will never be a decent magus, but I do what I can.

She nodded, "As you should know, a few days ago a meeting was held to decide several things, among these, if the Emiya crest should be returned to you."

"Yes, I know."

"Surprisingly, there were several Lords in your favor: Lady Valualeta, Lord Trambellio, and, surprisingly, Lord El-Melloi. Although, of course, there were also Lords against it, like Lord Sophia-Ri, who accused your father of being a heretic."

Shirou nodded, "I expected it. My father killed his daughter, as I understand it."

She nodded, "Although she died in the middle of a pre-arranged war between magi, so she shouldn't have the right to complain. Although, if I were you, I'd be careful," as she spoke, she also sorted out some documents, "Of course, some Lords refrained from voting for or against."

"Considering you called me here, rather than just sending someone, may I assume you have the final vote, Lord?"

The Queen smiled, "Of course, my decisions can only be countered if the other two factions act together."

"So, what is your verdict?"

"Half of the crest," she said as she finished organizing her documents, then, she stared at him, "The Emiya crest is very dangerous, thanks to your grandfather. So you will receive half now and, depending on your achievements, and how I judge you, maybe you will receive the other half when the year is over. If you meet my expectations..."

"I greatly appreciate your vote in favor," he said, leaning down.

"You are an interesting experiment, Emiya..."

"Experiment?"

"Although your grandfather was a genius and received a sealing designation to "honor" him, we both know what he really was. Your father, on the other hand, is directly a heretic. Through you, I am testing whether a family of heretics can become a decent family as long as they have the right heir," Lorelei smiled, "I am the head of the Policy Department, for me, this is an interesting experiment. Don't let me down, Emiya. The day after tomorrow, in the afternoon, you will be able to recover half of the crest."

"I understand. Thank you very much, Lord Barthomeloi," he said, bowing once more.

"Now, you can retreat."

He nodded and proceeded to leave her office. The redhead walked through the corridors, again, the boy ignored the stares, as well as the whispers, and proceeded to leave until he reached the outermost part of the main Tower facilities:

Walking through the streets of the "city", there he saw her.

Luvia He thought as he watched the Edelfelt heiress head toward a limousine. He thought about getting her attention, but he knew she was likely to ignore him. So, he walked quickly towards the girl, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her butler saw him, but the boy begged him with his eyes to let him reach her.

The butler seemed to understand what he was begging for, and, fortunately, he was understanding enough not to inform the girl.

He held her hand.

"Hmm?" The girl exclaimed when she felt that someone had grabbed her hand. She turned, and, seeing who the person was holding her, she narrowed her eyes at her, "Emiya, please let go of my hand."

Seeing her harsh tone of voice, as well as her way of calling him Emiya instead of Shero, he could easily see that what he had believed turned out to be true.

"Forgive me, Lady Edelfelt," the boy said, withdrawing his hand.

"I have nothing to talk to you about, Emiya."

"I understand ... But I do have something I need to tell you, Lady Edelfelt."

She looked at him confused, "If you are talking about the concealment of your lineage. I have nothing to say about that, except that it was a good move."

"I am flattered, my lady, but I hope that what I am about to propose seems like a better move."

"What do you mean?" She said, being cautious.

"I propose an alliance, Lady Edelfelt."

"Excuse me?" She was surprised and confused.

He tried to explain to her, "I know that our families have had friction in the past due to our mutual field of work. But, after knowing her for a year, I have decided to end this. So, I propose an alliance."

She stared at him, "They are great statements, but they are exactly just that, mere words, Muramasa."

"I never lied to you about my lineage, Lady Edelfelt. I just couldn't reveal my other lineage back then. Unlike you, I did not have the capabilities to protect myself if someone tried to assassinate me."

She narrowed her eyes, "Rumors about your performance at Aylesbury say otherwise."

"You overestimate me, my lady. Rumors always exaggerate things, my father was by my side, and I barely got out of that hell alive. I was lucky and was only able to achieve everything I did thanks, in part, to the year I studied alongside you and the others," to demonstrate his intentions, he even went further, "And if you still doubt my intentions, I'm willing to sign a Geis."

"A Geis?" Luvia thought about it for a few moments. Finally, she sighed when she saw the boy's determined look, "Well since you seem to want to be serious about this, I am willing to negotiate and give you a chance. I will inform you of the date when we will meet to discuss the clauses later," Before retiring, she said goodbye, "See you tomorrow, Muramasa."

He smiled slightly, "It will be a long time before you can call me Shero one more time, won't it?"

Before closing the door of her car, Luvia replied, with a slight and fleeting smile, "Do your best."

With that said, she departed.

"Well, that turned out better than you expected," his ancestor spoke to him.

The redhead nodded, "I have to thank Rin... again..."

His ancestor laughed, "If you keep piling up debt, then you will end up becoming their butler or something."

"I'd rather not think about what it would make me do if that's the case," Shirou sighed.

"Are you tired?"

He nodded, "I've lived here for a year and still can't get used to this whole thing about the different Lords or the manners I have to maintain. And all these kinds of things..."

"I understand. I moved to a remote area of Ise because of that. And, in the end, I ended my life on a mountain, living quietly."

"Sounds good."

With that said, the two smiths set off back to their bedroom. What they found there, although, in a way they expected it, they did not expect it to be so soon...

"Fou, I'm here."

"It took you quite a while, you know," there, sitting on one of his furniture, was the princess of the eclipse, along with Fou on her lap.

"A-Altrouge? Did you really come?"

She looked at him like he was saying incongruities, "I told you that I would help you, didn't I? How will I do it if I'm not by your side?"

"B-But how did you come here? The delimiting barriers? The bounded fields!? How did you manage to sneak around and get through all that without making a fuss!?"

She cracked a smile, "I repeat myself. I told you, didn't I? I just had to talk to old Kaleido."

This surprised Shirou, "Kaleidoscope, how did you convince him? No, more importantly, how is Barthomeloi not trying to cut off your head or something?"

"Don't you see something different, Shirou?"

"Huh?" Shirou stared at her for a few moments, "Did you grow a little?"

She smiled, "Jackpot," Altrouge now looked to be the age of a fifteen-year-old girl, "You really like that phrase, don't you?"

Altrouge nodded, "I've heard it a lot from Enhance."

"Another of the 27?"

"Yep, although he may be demoted soon, there are rumors that he is hunting down other dead apostles. He is a dead apostle with white hair, and he is quite young in appearance, he has a large sword with a skull and a pair of pistols, one ebony, and one ivory, and he wears a red coat. He's quite funny compared to the others..."

The apprentice magus nodded, "I see, but you haven't told me yet: How did you get here?"

"They can't easily identify me. They cannot perceive me as they do with the other dead apostles, thanks to the other half of my blood, like when you tried to smell me. Also, the only thing that is known about me in recent decades is that I have the appearance of a 14-year-old girl. And this is no longer entirely true because now I have the appearance of a 15-year-old girl," Altrouge took her dress and spun around to show her new look.

"Can you change your appearance at will?" The curious boy asked.

She shook her head, "Not, unlike the other apostles, I cannot recreate my body at will. But, as long as I keep my base appearance, I can modify it at will," seeing that they had strayed from the topic, Altrouge returned to the main topic, "On how I convinced Kaleido, well… I didn't need it," she said, smiling.

"What do you mean? He is one of the Marshall magi, along with the queen. There is no way I would have let you stay inside the Tower."

"Yes, he is. But he is also a millennia-old apostle. The moment I told him that I wanted him to help me get around here because I'm interested in a human, he said something like, 'Sure, it looks interesting.'

Shirou couldn't believe it. Was magician Marshall so irresponsible?

"So, from today, I am Crimson Rouge, the magus' 'apprentice', Emiya Shirou, who was able to bring me thanks to the patronage and recommendation of Lady Valualeta."

Oh God, I think I'm starting to understand what the master feels when he has to deal with Flat.

The redhead thought with a slight headache, "By the way, you told me you will help create the ultimate sword, but ... How will you do it?"

"I will help you develop your reality marble."

He looked at her confused, "You said I had one, but I've never been aware of this. Also, reality marbles are the taboos of taboos. To have one is directly to get a ticket to a sealing designation."

"Well, just don't get caught."

"It's easy to say..." Seeing how late it was, Shirou prepared to cook dinner, "Do you think owning a reality marble will help me?"

She nodded, "Oh yeah. If what I saw when we signed the contract is true, then your reality marble will be your best weapon."

That stopped the boy, "Contract? What contract?"

"Oh well, you were half dead when I took you out of town, so I had to create a contract between us to keep you alive."

"I don't remember signing any contracts!"

The girl started to whistle, "Well, you know, if someone moves your hand while you're unconscious, it also counts, you know..."

This caused a nervous tic in the boy, "Altrouge, what does the contract imply?"

She smiled, "You'll find out with the time..."

The boy sighed. He knew there was no way he could make her change her mind. Shirou served dinner for the three of them and decided to try to continue the conversation...

"When we talked in the cave, you told me about the Aristoteles, the box, and the star."

She nodded, "Wow, this is extraordinarily good. Maybe I won't need to suck blood for a bit..."

"You're welcome," Shirou replied, accepting the compliment while continuing the conversation, "I've come to understand that Aristotle and Types are the same things, haven't they?"

She nodded again, "There are eight Aristotle in all. One of them is already on earth."

"ORT."

"So is. This is an advantage."

He looked at her confused, "What do you mean?"

"If all the Types attacked at the same time, there would be no way to win. But the fact that the Mercury-type arrived much earlier means that they will not attack together."

"Still, simply facing just one Ultimate One is a near-impossible challenge. They are monsters with the ability to destroy all civilizations on other worlds. Maybe they can even destroy worlds themselves."

"Yes. But every enemy has a weakness, and the Ultimate Ones should not be the exception. They are merely so powerful that no one has found a significant 

weakness in them."

He nodded, "And the star, and the box?"

"When I refer to the box, I speak of Pandora's box. Do you remember the myth?"

"Yes."

Enjoying the food, she continued with the explanation, "The myth was wrongly told. The box was opened and closed before the last thing came out..."

"You speak of Elpis. In the Greek myth, it is the spirit of hope."

"Men believed that by keeping hope locked up, they would always have it with them. But that was a mistake. By keeping her locked up, they let infinite evils roam the world, sealing man's fate, with nothing to stop them."

"And Pandora, what happened to her?"

"Zeus was angry that Pandora did not open the box thanks to Prometheus' warning, so he cursed her with immortality until she opened it. Once he opened the box, she became 'relatively' deadly. After all, she was a creation of the gods. When she realized what he had done, she tried to reopen the box. However, the humans prevented him from opening it. They believed that if the box were opened one more time, they would lose hope too. Thus, Pandora died without being able to reopen the box. Although, she lived an extremely long life. Being the only key to the box, in the end, she could do nothing but entrust her wish to an unknown magi family."

"And hope was locked in a prison for eternity. Evils populated the world, and now we are here. That's what you want to say?"

She nodded, "Yep. As for the star, it's called Velber. Charlemagne discovered a mural showing drawings of what it looked like, although who made them is not entirely clear. Long story short: Velber is an alien threat that appears within the Milky Way every 14,000 years. Its purpose is to destroy all intelligent civilizations in its path."

"That ... is crazy ..." said the incredulous boy.

"Now you understand why I told you that we have destiny against us. Now that you know the whole story, will you give up?" She asked as seriously as when they had first spoken on the subject.

"No, I won't. What's the use of giving up? If we do, we will all die. Even if it's useless, I'd rather keep trying to find a solution than just sitting around doing nothing."

She smiled, "Stubbornness is not wrong sometimes..."

"We better go to sleep. Classes start tomorrow, and it will be a long and hard day."

"Agreed."

Shirou walked to his bed and noticed a little problem.

"What's going on? Why are you stopping?"

"There is only one bed..." said the boy remembering that, originally, it was a room for one person.

"I do not see the problem…"

"I guess you're right. You can use the bed. I'll use the sofa."

But before he could withdraw, the princess threw him onto the bed.

"A-Altrouge, what are you doing!?"

"If you sleep poorly it will affect your performance. The bed is big enough for both of us. I may look your age, but I'm centuries old, remember?"

"That is precisely why I am leaving the bed to you!"

She laughed and, scoffing, said, "Oh quiet, maybe in a few more years, but if I wanted to eat you now, it wouldn't be in that sense..."

How the hell can she go from an innocent girl to a mature woman in a matter of seconds? The redhead thought worriedly.

"I don't know. They have always told me that I am somewhat unstable..."

"You read my mind!?" He asked, concerned.

"Not exactly. It's part of our contract," she smiled.

Restless, the boy whispered, "I feel like I don't win anything with this contract..."

"Oh, don't worry, there are things you win, but you still don't know what things are..." Then she smiled ghoulishly, "By the way, when you thought about that, two girls briefly appeared in your mind..."

"P-Please stop..."

"You did put me before them, so you have good taste, I will not deny it ...

"A-Altrouge!"

The eclipse princess laughed, "Sorry, it's fun to bother you. If you make me breakfast, I'll stop…"

And, thus, it returns to its infantile form.

Tired, and knowing that he would not be able to win against the woman in front of him, he decided to go to sleep.

The next morning. In the bedroom patio...

"You are being very rigid!" said his ancestor.

"I understand, is this way better?"

"A little…"

Shirou was in his morning training with his ancestor. He was brandishing the katana, trying to improve his technique.

Spread your legs more," Said the voice of his teacher and, at the same time, his apprentice.

"Thus?"

"Better than before…"

Altrouge was not the biggest fan of using swords. However, during her long-life span, she had faced several swordsmen. So, she could point out his flaws to the redhead.

In this way, with the advice of both masters, Shirou continued to swing his sword for a few more hours...

"If you are a blacksmith, why do you wield a sword?"

They were both walking towards the main building of the Clock Tower.

Grandpa is not only a great blacksmith, but he is also a great swordsman ...

"Seriously?" Altrouge asked curiously.

"I'm not that amazing. But I got to the point where I was able to cut causation.

"The kid will be the only one who can wield the last sword. That's why he has to become a decent swordsman."

"Hmm... That's impressive, although Shirou still has a long way to go to reach that level..."

He nodded.

At this time, they were walking through the magi excavation city fair, the area outside the Clock Tower.

Shirou...? Altrouge asked telepathically. By the way, he uses your thoughts to answer me.

Is this part of the contract too?

She nodded. Why does everyone look at you that way? I would understand if they knew who I am, but…

It's not because of you, it's because of who my father is. He's, how to say, well, let's say he's like Enhance, in the sense that he goes around hunting magi.

She slapped her hands, implying that she knew what he was referring to. Does he also go around on a motorcycle with guns and like strawberry ice cream?

Shirou shook his head quickly. No, no, no. They are only the same in the part where they hunt at their own species.

I understand, by the way, where do we go now?

To my General Fundamentals class, won't you get bored going with me?

She shook her head. On the contrary, I have always wanted to see what the Clock Tower is like, also the Holy Church, but there I have no contacts.

You live on the edge ...

Neither of them realized that people no longer viewed them strangely for who they were. Instead, they looked at them that way because of the strange gestures they made for no reason.

Shirou came to the auditorium, and the reaction was as expected: looks, whispers, the occasional insult spoken in whispers. Fortunately, thanks to his involvement in Aylesbury, it seemed that no one wanted to confront him directly.

He sat in his usual position, surprisingly, Ayaka was unaffected and greeted him with a nod, just like she had done all the past year. After a few minutes, Lord Trambellio entered the classroom.

Again, with Lord Trambellio? The curious redhead wondered.

He is important?

Shirou nodded. He is one of the three kings of the Clock Tower, just like Barthomeloi. Do you remember her?

She nodded. Of course, she has an absurd hatred for us, just like the rest of her family. A troublesome brat, in a nutshell...

He couldn't help laughing. I think you are the only person in this place who could refer to her that way, except for the director and Kaleido.

Ah yes, the director, he is an old Solomon apprentice.

Merem?

She shook her head. No, I'm talking about the king of magecraft, that Solomon.

"We will now proceed to study the location and potential of the thaumaturgical lines. Join in pairs we will use the equipment provided by the astrology faculty..."

People began to form duos. The apprentices didn't count as class members, so the apprentice blacksmith couldn't team up with Altrouge. Shirou had managed to break the ice a bit last year with some other students. However, he came to understand why Rin had chosen to have him help her with jobs and homework. For some reason, there was quite a bit of xenophobia in the Clock Tower, though, not to the same degree as the mutual contempt that existed between various high and low-level families. Be that as it may, it seems that his efforts from the past year had been thrown away with the discovery of his lineage.

One weird thing about magi is that they always put their magic circuits ahead of their blood. In short, no matter who you are, as long as you can use the family magecraft, even if you are adopted, you are considered a member of the family. So, it was of little value whether or not he was adopted.

He watched as everyone got into a couple, and little by little, he was left alone. He looked to his side and saw Ayaka in the same position. This was not new to either of them, in fact, they had both been together for most of the class assignments in the past year. They were both Asian, so it was normal to be avoided by the local magi. Worse still, in the past year, he had noticed that Ayaka was a person who found it quite difficult to relate to others, and in an environment like this, it was two or three times more difficult for the girl.

They both looked at each other for an instant, knowing what the other wanted to say. He nodded, she nodded, and the two of them went to work together.

"Arigatou, Emiya-kun," said the insecure girl.

He smiled, "On the contrary, many thanks to you, Sajyou-san. If it weren't for you, I'd have to do the job alone. By the way, this is Rouge, my apprentice."

She bowed slightly in greeting, to which the princess nodded.

Since a certain event in her childhood, Ayaka had had a hard time socializing with anyone. In fact, she was a very insecure person, both of herself and others.

She felt bad, but she felt bad because she felt good. She wasn't someone to wish harm on anyone, but deep down, even if she denied it, she was glad the boy was forced to work with her.

And deep down, she knew it. In my own self-assessment, I really am the worst.

"Sajyou-san, are you okay?" asked the concerned boy as he saw how the girl had lost herself in her thoughts and, apparently, seemed to be sinking into a small "hole" more and more.

"Huh?" She wondered, coming out of her ramblings.

The apprentice magus was concerned, "For a moment, you looked like you wanted to be swallowed up by the earth. You leaned over a lot until you almost touched the ground."

Every word the boy said made the girl blush more and more with shame, "Gomennasai!"

"N-No! I didn't say it that way. I was just worried."

"You know, if you keep up like this, you won't finish the job," the princess told them with a smile upon seeing the two socially awkward teenagers.

Seeing that he was right, the two of them quickly got to work.

"Bright," Ayaka said.

A map of the world unfolded like a kind of hologram. This was an invention of the Animusphere family. These were just a prototype. The artifact, once completed, would display a more detailed map, with all ley lines specified. Instead, these did not have the ley lines and, much less, could measure the strength they had. That was their job.

"Ready, Sajyou-san?"

She nodded.

They both took turns locating and measuring the lines. When they were both going a certain line, the boy frowned.

Does something happen? Altrouge asked.

That line ... The one that goes through the bay.

Is quite weak.

He nodded. It was with it that I reached the reverse side of the world to obtain the fragments of Caliburn.

Wait, did you reach the reverse side of the world!?

He nodded slightly. Yes, I thought it was crazy when I analyzed it, but it happened. The fairy I met when I arrived said it could have been the will of the world.

Hmm… Interesting.

After half an hour, they both finished identifying the lines and measuring their power.

"Well, I guess that's it," said Shirou

Ayaka nodded wearily.

"For tomorrow, everyone comes with the contagious magecraft chapter already read. Above all, those that can be activated remotely, or those that have an incubation time," lord Trambellio said.

"I guess we'll see you tomorrow, Sajyou-san."

"In fact, we'll see you later, Emiya-kun."

"Huh?" He exclaimed.

She smiled slightly, "I got Lord El-Melloi to accept me into his class."

He smiled with joy, "That's fantastic, Sajyou-san! I'm sure the teacher will be able to bring out your full potential. Although, a tip..."

"Which?" asked the interested girl.

"II, never forget to refer to him as Lord El-Melloi II. He gets angry if you don't tell him."

She nodded, "What classes do you have now, Emiya-kun?" Ayaka asked to the surprise of both herself and Shirou.

"Class on curses. Although, I'm only going to enter as a listener."

The witchcraft apprentice nodded, "I have botany classes. So, we don't see later."

He nodded, and the two parted their ways.

Curses? The princess asked.

Grandpa was famous for creating cursed swords. I can't use any curses myself, but identifying them or learning how to place them on some object is something I want to learn.

I understand. I could create some for you if you want. I am not very well versed in the art, but I can do it through my contracts.

He smiled. Thank you, it would be helpful.

The apprentice magus entered the curses department class and sat in one of the vacant seats. Before class started, another boy came to sit next to him.

Before class started, another boy came to sit next to him.

"Hmm!? Why the hell are you here!?"

Hearing the annoying voice, Shirou wished it wasn't who he thought it was. Unfortunately for him, he was: Matou Shinji

Shirou couldn't help but act somewhat cynical with the magus, "Well, this it's a classroom, so I'll leave it to your imagination..."

"I thought you were useless with no talent for almost everything, am I supposed to think you can cast a curse?"

"First, I am here as a listener. And, secondly, if I am useless, then what are you that you lost against me?"

That statement annoyed Matou, but he was not that foolish to face someone he had already lost against, even more so if the rumors were true, "And who is the girl? Has she come with you?" He said, almost resigning himself to sitting in that place, not seeing any other void.

"Rouge, my apprentice..." said the apprentice magus without paying much attention to the boy, as the class had already started.

Instantly, he looked at her with contempt, "If she is the apprentice of someone without talent, I can imagine what she will be like..."

At this, Altrouge smiled happily. With a speed that Shinji was unable to follow, she grabbed his wrist and broke it...

"AAAAAHHH!" Cried the magus in pain.

"Matou! Stop making such a fuss. Even if your grandfather was one of the best students in this faculty, don't think that will give you any special treatment."

He was about to tell the teacher what the girl had done, but as soon as he went to open his mouth, his familiars fidgeted, warning him not to do it. They were afraid of Rouge.

"I suggest you don't do that again Matou. She is much less tolerant than me."

In the end, Shinji decided to go to the medical wing and ended up missing his first class.

On the other hand, Shirou focused on listening to his teacher...

Curses have many variations, and some are related to various other branches of magecraft, such as rune magecraft or witchcraft. Specifically, curses used on items are, mostly magecraft which gives certain effects or characteristics to said item, and the effects can be absurdly varied.

Who was the insect? The princess asked.

Matou Shinji, an heir to a magi family residing in the city where I live.

Did you fight him?

I defeated him in front of three Lords. Since then, I think he hates me twice as much.Still, I think he's gotten a little less cheeky since that day.

This surprised the princess. If he is like this now, I don't want to know how he was before.I'd rip out his vocal cords to not hear him speak.

This scared the redhead a bit, but after remembering the fight they had, and that it was also Shinji they were talking about, he did not object.

Now, where do we go? Altrouge asked as he looked at Mystile's style and decorations.

"Mineralogy."

They entered the mineralogy auditorium. There they saw Luvia and Rin, both arguing, as usual. Luvia was apparently showing off her accomplishments as the heir to the Edelfelt family, and on the other hand, Rin was showing off her improvements in magecraft. The boy thought this was normal, as they had not seen each other in almost three months.

When both were aware of his presence, the two reacted differently:

Rin was curious as she looked at the princess who followed him, however, she cared little and approached them both with a smile.

Luvia, on the other hand, seemed to have mixed feelings. On the one hand, she looked curiously at the princess of the dead apostles. On the other hand, she seemed to want to go say hello as usual, but she was holding back. And, finally, she found herself angry at the superior smile her rival was giving her. In the end, she could only give a small nod in the form of a greeting.

"Good morning, Shirou."

"Good morning, Rin."

"Who is your companion?" Rin asked curiously.

"This is Rouge. I brought her to the Tower as my apprentice."

"Hmm ... Delighted, Tohsaka Rin," she said, extending her hand to her.

In return, she also introduced herself, "Likewise, Crimson Rouge."

Hmm… The Eclipse princess exclaimed as she watched the girl.

What's happen? The apprentice magus asked.

When I told Kaleido about you, he told me that you spent a lot of time with the descendant of his 'mediocre apprentice.' It just seemed incredible to me that, in just six generations, the family of a mediocre magus was capable of spawning a monster like her. Then she put on a mischievous smile. It is also curious that she was...

Altrouge!

You make it too easy for me. It's okay, you're a teenager, after all...

Please just, stop...

His pleas only made the apostle happier, "Okay, I won't bother you with any of them, but, one doubt: Do you have a fetish for cemeteries? Or is it because of the style of the people who work on these?"

He decided not to comment. He knew that whatever word he used, she would use it against him.

"I also wish I could bring an apprentice..." Rin exclaimed.

He looked at her curiously, "Who would you bring?"

"To my sister. Although, at present, she cannot leave our home."

"Do you have a sister? I believed that most magi tried to have only one heir."

"Yes. In fact, my father was about to sell her to another family," Rin clenched her hands tightly for a moment, then sighed, "But some things happened, and she managed to stay with us. The only bad thing was that she ended up confined to our house..."

"Sorry for asking such private things," the boy apologized.

She shook her hands, "Don't worry, it was me who decided to answer..."

The teacher came to the class and ordered everyone to sit down. Unlike in his General Fundamentals classes, in this one, his teacher had changed.

"We will start with the class. Open your books in the energy storage section..."

After the theory class, the practical class came. As was common, Shirou and Rin were placed together, the activity they were given was to measure how much magical energy certain minerals and precious stones could support.

"Hey, Rin..."

"Yes?"

"If the energy in a receptacle is increased until it exceeds the allowed amount, it ends up breaking, right?"

She nodded, "I don't usually do it with my jewels because of how expensive it is to have to replace them, but, if I did, the spells released with them would be more powerful."

"Could the same operation be performed with objects created purely with mana...?"

"Your projections?" She asked curiously.

"Except for what I forge, everything I project is weaker than the original. Seeing your jewel magic, I thought that if I overloaded my projections, I could increase their power."

She nodded, "The theory is correct but in practice… Do you want to destroy your hands, Shirou? After all, these will blow up when you're using them."

"Yes, you're right. I was thinking of shooting the projections somehow..."

She looked at him in equal parts surprised and confused, "Shoot swords? Is that why you had a rifle in your room?"

This question scared several students a bit. After all, it was the son of the magus killer who had firearms in his room. Even if magecraft could be more dangerous, the way the magus killer worked was fairly well known, as well as the fact that he had used firearms to kill various powerful magi.

He denied with his head, "Not exactly. I wouldn't be able to modify their shape so much to turn them into bullets, but… Maybe into arrows."

"In that case, it would be possible, but you would have to get used to activating your Od from a distance. It is a bit more complicated than doing it while the object is in contact with your body," After finishing measuring the energy a pyrite sample could hold, Rin commented to him, "Today we will start with our little project?"

He nodded, "In your bedroom or mine?"

She thought about it for a few moments, "Since we are creating a sword, I think your room is better conditioned. If we need some jewelry, then I'll take care of it."

Immersed in their conversation, neither noticed Luvia's constant glances or Altrouge's laughter at the whole scene.

After an hour, the class ended, Rin, Shirou, Altrouge, and Luvia headed to Lord El-Melloi II's class. Upon reaching the auditorium, the first thing they heard was...

"Formalcraft…"

"Excuse me?" Ayaka asked, confused.

"Your talent lies in the Formalcraft although, you also have a slight talent for Witchcraft... However! Formalcraft is without a doubt where your potential lies.

She nodded, stunned.

Cheerful, Shirou walked past her and placed a hand on her shoulder in greeting, "I told you I would do it."

Noticing it was her partner, she smiled slightly, "I guess so."

Seeing that the class was starting, Shirou went to sit at his post, being followed by Altrouge, although not before greeting his teacher.

"Good morning, Gray," he said, smiling.

Seeing him, she also smiled, "Good morning Shirou, and…"

"Oh, this is Rouge. She came to the Tower as my apprentice."

She nodded, "Delighted."

The eclipse princess waved back, "Likewise."

Do you have some kind of contract with this girl?

Huh? Not because? He asked as Waver started class.

There is a kind of bond that binds you two.

I think I know it is, but I have yet to check. No, rather, I have to know why.

"Are you okay, Shirou? I heard about the rumors of the Aylesbury ritual," Gray said.

"Yes, it was really crazy, but I managed to get it right."

Well dead, you will mean.

Lord El-Melloi started giving his class, and Shirou couldn't speak to Gray anymore. Fortunately, Shirou did not have so many problems in the El-Melloi class. The class was not that big, and besides, it could be said that everyone in the class was peculiar:

He, Caules, and Ayaka were poorly talented in most areas, and on the other hand, Gray was not a magus in every sense of the word but had more potential than the previous three put together. Rin, Luvia, and Flat were monsters, but they had peculiar personalities. Svin was, in fact, the most 'ordinary' of all. Yvette was a supposed spy, and now that she looked at it, there were also two other new students in the class...

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong?" asked Gray.

"Gray, the girl over there. She is a member of the Ainsworth family, right?"

She nodded, "Yes. She, along with the boy next to her, her brother, requested to join our class. Do you know her?"

He nodded, "She was in Aylesbury..."

Be careful...

By?

You may not have noticed, but she has been giving you a look from time to time. Also, her brother has been keeping an eye on Tohsaka.

Rin? That's weird. I could understand why to me, but why to Rin?

Thus, the class began and, at the end of this...

"Shirou," Lord El-Melloi called him as the redhead walked past his desk.

"Yes, teacher?"

"At the weekend, are you busy?"

He denied with his head, "Not especially."

"In that case, I want you to come with me."

Confused, he asked, "Where we go?"

"Do you know the Fargo family?"

"In name only..."

"They asked me to investigate a case. And, I want you to come with me."

"Sure, but what kind of case?"

"A murder."

"Excuse me...?"

"Your father must have taught you how to track, right?"

The redhead nodded.

"Then it will be helpful for us to join us."

Of all the cases where he could need me, it had to be the one that starts with a dead. Thought the boy, resigned, "I understand, where will we meet? Front of the Tower?"

Waver nodded, "By the way, Shirou, is that girl really your apprentice?"

The redhead nodded, "Yes. She is Crimson Rouge."

"I see, in that case, take care..."

Waver was no genius at identifying people, but having survived a war against legendary heroes, he had acquired a certain sixth sense that warned him about dangerous people, and, despite her appearance, he was sure that this girl was, and much.

"Shirou…!"

The redhead turned and saw Caules greeting him.

"Caules!" Shirou returned the greeting, "Everything went well in Romania?"

The brunette nodded, "Yes. Fortunately, there were no major problems, although there was a small issue..."

This caught the redhead's curiosity, "A small one?"

The Yggdmillennia nodded, "Could you come to my room? There is something I need to show you."

"Something you need to show us?" Shirou watched as Flat and Svin were waiting for them at the door, "I understand. Rouge?"

"Just relax. I'll go wander around London. When I'm done, I'll go back to our apartment."

"Don't get into any trouble."

She smiled, "I don't promise you anything..."

"At least receive Rin when she comes..."

Caules looked at them confused, "Have they known each other for a long time?"

The redhead shook his head, "No, not at all."

"It's just that you two act like you've known each other for quite some time..."

"No, it's that she's just like that."

With that said, the three of them left for the bedroom where Caules was staying. On the way, the Yggdmillennia looked nervous, Svin looked calm, although, from time to time, he sent certain analytical glances to the redhead, although he did not notice it much, because, all the way, Flat was:

"So, is it true that he shot down a plane to take down a dead apostle?"

Shirou nodded.

"And, that time he put a bomb in the middle of a town in America to destroy another apostle, is it also true?"

Shirou nodded again.

"And the rumors that he took down a building to kill a rogue magus?"

"Yes, that one too."

Flat yelled like an excited child, "Your father is amazing!"

Shirou thought wryly. I believe that the old man thinks many things about the actions that he carried out, but that these were incredible, it is not one of these.

Caules stopped in front of his room.

"Well, here we go..."

The magus opened the door to his room and said, "Look, all three of you..."

The three of them peeked through the porch, and...

"Hmm?"

"Oh!"

"What?"

All three said.

Inside the room was another boy. He had brown hair, red eyes, and extremely white skin. He was dressed in a brown vest and pants, as well as a white shirt.

"He is Sieg, he is a homunculus that I met in Romania and, by certain twists and turns, I ended up bringing him with me without permission… Will you help me…?"