The sun was shining in Fuyuki city in the morning. It gave some warmth after a whole night of snow falling.
The weather became slightly better as the snowstorm stopped slightly which allowed the acc.u.mulated snow in the surrounding to melt a little.
On this 'normal' day, Fuyuki citizens regularly started their day, completely forgetting the 'secret' battle that took place here.
The church and magic association didn't waste any time as they got the closet magi and exorcists in the next town to help in Fuyuki condition.
After a few operations, most of the citizens' memories were deleted as the magi left the city immediately after.
The magi, even if they are a part of Clock Tower, they don't want anything to do in this death zone of a city. Usually, they won't mind risk in the path of magecraft, but the risk is simply too large and they didn't lose all their brain cells... yet.
The exorcists didn't leave like the magi, they stayed in the town to check the situation while supervising the Holy Grail War. For this to happen, they had to go into the church of Fuyuki first because one of their priests was a supervisor on the war from the start.
The situation didn't leave much to do anyway. Both the Church and magic associations are suppressed by Zeltrech, which doesn't give them much room to interfere.
However, the exorcists arrived at the church only to meet a man with a red lance.
At that moment, before even entering the war, those exorcists became victims to a 'random servant' and Kirei had to make a call after a while to inform the church about their terrible loss.
Meanwhile, away from the bloodshed, a young man was walking on the street.
He wore a school uniform with a scarf on his neck as he was holding a bag in his hand.
His hair was auburn while his eyes were brown-golden. He seemed a little listless while walking before he sneezed because of the cold weather.
"I shouldn't have slept on the floor" the young man wiped his nose as he attempted to forget the weird feeling he was getting lately.
Shaking his head, Emiya Shirou continues on his way towards the school without knowing the reason behind the odd feeling.
However, on top of a building on the other street, a group of people were watching the young man walking.
"So, as you see. He didn't die" Merlin said to the group before he looked at Shirou.
He can feel it from here. A mana so familiar for him, even if it was weak, Merlin can be sure it's Avalon.
"Hypocrite" Leo said one word about this guy, who breaks his words about people dying when they are killed.
"That look… what??" Ritsuka looked at Shirou as she was confused about why he looked very similar to her.
"Hmmm…" Nero looked at Shirou before looking at Archer as her artist's mind told her that they are very similar.
"...." Archer didn't say anything as he looked at Shirou, especially those eyes that made him remember his past and his forsaken dream.
"Emiya Shirou? Is this who you were talking about, Archer?" Rin recognized Shirou immediately before she looked at Archer.
"He's just a normal student that is no way he's a…" Rin didn't finish before Archer said " He's a magi. A weak one, but a magi never less"
"Emiya… A magi" Rin was really surprised because someone like Emiya Shirou was a magi.
For her, someone who didn't refuse to help anyone or show any qualities as a magi, couldn't possibly be a one, especially with Shirou's personality.
"Now… What happened, Merlin?" Leo leaned on the rooftop railing as he glanced at the partner of justice.
"I was taking care of my own business…" Merlin smiled as he wanted to tell his story in Fuyuki's city, but then he met everyone's eyes that didn't believe in his first words.
"*Cough* *Cough*..." Merlin cleared his throat before he started to tell the whole story without caring about everyone's eyes.
After three minutes, Merlin finally entered some important parts. Basically, he passed by this location as he sensed a familiar mana.
Much like Lancelot's accident, Merlin knew immediately the source, but that was where the problem began.
If Avalon was there, then there was a big chance to meet his king, Artoria Pendragon, which isn't a really happy event for Merlin.
After hesitating for a while, Merlin chose to… Not to go. As a smart magus, he can't make such a stupid mistake! What if he was shot by an Excalibur?.
Proud of himself, Merlin wanted to leave the place, but then, he felt that Avalon's mana became weaker suddenly, which picked his interest.
If it was Artoria, this wouldn't happen like this, but Merlin was still hesitating as he picked a flower from under his feet and started to pick off its petals while saying 'I'll go' and 'I'll not go'.
Leo stared at Merlin telling his story and even took a flower to demonstrate his actions as he felt that if the edge won't kill him, then this story will.
Archer and Rin were in the same condition as they even forgot what they were talking about. Their expression became of disgust when Merlin spoke about the couples he saw in the night.
Ritsuka was speechless while holding Fou, who wanted to rush and kick Merlin.
Only Nero was impressed by Merlin, not his story, but the flower garden under his feet. She felt this was very impressive and she should make something like a roses version of it.
Then Merlin talked about sneaking into Shirou's house with utmost care before he saw the young man lying on the floor with a hole in his shirt.
There was no wound, but Merlin saw some blood nearby, so as the great magus he is. He didn't waste time checking the scene, but he went straight into Shirou's dream and got the information he wanted.
Apparently, he was 'killed' by a bullet to the c.h.e.s.t before he fell down. The only thing he remembered was someone putting something in his body before losing consciousness.
"Putting?" Leo noticed this as he put his hand on his chin and started to think about something, but then, Merlin's story took a turn. He started to talk about the couples he found at night, which made everyone looked at him again.
Ritsuka held Fou as she was in the same condition before she saw something on her side. She didn't even have time to ask before she panicked.
Leo, who had enough of this story, raised his left hand as green lights manifested on it. The lines gathered in a particular shape of a rifle before a green brightness flashed on Leo's hand.
Waving his hand, Leo did a 180-degree turn as the green light broke and showed a sniper rifle with a silencer in his hand.
Without hesitation, Leo aimed at Shirou in the street and shot in the panicked eyes of Ritsuka.
Except Merlin, who was telling his story, and Nero, who was thinking about her new skill, only Archer and Rin looked at what Leo was doing.
Shirou was walking in the street before his scarf was stuck on something, which made him bend slightly only for the bullet to pass him and hit the wall.
"HEY! What are you doing!" Rin was shocked by Satan taking a sniper rifle and shooting Shirou.
However, she was interpreted by Archer as she looked at Shirou's location.
The wall where Leo shot didn't have a bullet mark, but there was a text that said 'People die when they are killed!'.
"Hah?!" Rin raised her voice in confusion as Ritsuka also didn't know what to say about this.
"I missed? The f.u.c.k?!" Leo cursed at this stupid accident in front of him. Is this plot armor he's witnessing? Can this thing exist now?! If so, then how did he got shot before?!.
He specifically made this rifle to write words when the bullet hit something. The bullet is completely silent and nobody will feel it, but Shirou dodged his own wisdom(memes).
Aiming again, Leo took two other shots at Shirou. The first one hit a cat that jumped from a wall and the other one hit the forehead of a man passing by.
"....." Ritsuka looked at the cat with 'Just because you're correct doesn't mean you're right!' and the man with 'When you have a birthday, you celebrate being born' on his forehead.
Shirou just passed normally even if he felt something weird, especially about the man with a phrase on his forehead, but he doesn't like to judge people's hobbies.
"I swear to the Roots, if it was you Root, then I'll just fix this world only to blow it up later" Leo fed up with missing as he said a very confusing way of swearing.
"Um... Don't you think it's better to focus?" Ritsuka chose not to comment on Leo's actions while looking at Merlin, who kept telling his story.
"I can multitask, you know?" Leo said without lifting his head. He was half listening to Merlin's story while ignoring all the other nonsense he's saying.
"I see…" Ritsuka said with a wry smile before she noticed something. It was something about his clothes.
For an Angle and the Devil, his clothes were surprisingly modern, even when she summoned him. He even took a sniper rifle now, which made Ritsuka ask " Don't you have other clothes, Lucifer?"
"Hm? I have a lot in the mansion, but why do you ask?" Leo looked at Ritsuka with puzzlement.
"I didn't mean that" Ritsuka shook her head before she said " Something like an armor or servant battle outfit"
"Oh, that? I have one, but I won't wear it" Leo waved his arm as he rejected the idea immediately.
He does have a servant outfit and Venom can become it at any moment. Although it doesn't have even a fashion buff, except looking cool, but also edgy.
"Is it a black and red robe?" Ritsuka couldn't help but to ask because she saw something in her dream.
"..." Leo raised his eyebrow as the sniper rifle in his hands disappeared into light spots before he said " It seems you saw something interesting, huh?"
"... Yes, I did" Ritsuka pondered for a moment before admitting it directly, which left Leo speechless.
{At least TRY to act mysteriously!} Leo felt that Ritsuka is breaking other rules like Shirou, who had the same hair color as her.
"*Sigh* Just say what you want before I knock Merlin and make him stop talking about the couples he saw at night" Leo shuddered as Merlin was saying poems about love or something like that. Only Nero seemed to be interested in those poems.
"Ugh…" Ritsuka looked at Merlin before she remembered something and said " What are the 7 ropes and the 7 knots?"
" You even saw that, huh?... " Leo shook his head because things started to take a turn he didn't expect at all.
Something is weird about this 'master' of his. And he doesn't mean chaos or something like that, but now, Ritsuka seemed to be, even if it was weak, more pleasing in his eyes.
She even saw some of his memories in this world, which made Leo very suspicious of Root's actions. Was she fixing her world or giving her protagonist a charisma buff?.
Looking at Ritsuka that was waiting for his answer Leo sighed and said " Seven sins tying knots on seven ropes of virtues…"
Raising his arm, Leo caught the air around him before a thin green thread appeared between his finger before he said " Carrying a debt from the past"
"What comes and goes?" Ritsuka said as Leo smiled helplessly before he repeated the same phrase " What comes and goes"
"Hm?" Suddenly, Leo felt something as he glanced at the sky, but he didn't see anything, which made him frown before looking at Merlin.
"Okay, stop with this nonsense!" Leo finished his talk with Ritsuka as he had enough of Merlin talking about couples.
"But I'm almost at the good part!" Merlin said immediately as he refused to stop.
"Umu! This part is important!" Nero said as she was very interested in hearing Merlin's story.
Leo took a deep breath while rubbing his temples because of the headaches he suddenly got.
"What's wrong with them, Archer?" Rin couldn't understand what was going on and why historical figures were acting like this.
"Just go with it" Archer didn't have an explanation either.
"You said he put something, which assumes it's Avalon, so does he have Avalon now? Or did he even have it before he was… Killed" Leo didn't find a better way to phrase it.
"No…" Merlin pondered for a moment before he said " From the mana and his magic circuits, he had Avalon in the past, but it was taken from him, then it was recovered shortly at that night before it was taken again"
"Hmmm… Is this some sort of trap? Using Emiya Shirou as a trap to attract others?" Leo started to think about the possibilities of having Shirou as a bait.
Honestly, this isn't a bad plan. The protagonist can attract a lot of targets without having to look for them.
"Okay, this needs to stop! What do you mean Emiya-kun has Avalon?! He didn't even show qualification as a magi, even if he did, then Shinji should know" Rin had enough of being silent as she walked forwards and said her ideas.
However, to her surprise, Leo and Archer were looking at her weirdly like ' What the hell are you talking about?' was written in their gaze.
"What?!" Rin was confused by this reaction as she didn't know what to say.
"Shinji can know if Emiya Shirou is a magi or not?" Archer had a weird expression on his face.
"Are you okay? Maybe I scared you a lot yesterday" Leo felt sorry for the innocent girl, who couldn't handle his greatness and lost some brain cells.
"What with your look! Even if I didn't want to admit it, Shinji is a first-rate magi, which has more caliber than me" Rin said with some annoyance.
"..." Leo and Archer looked at each other as the surprise on their faces wasn't hidden from the other.
"It appears you found something interesting" Merlin looked at the reaction around as he picked his staff.
"Is this Shinji someone important?" Ritsuka asked, but Leo didn't answer her as he said to Rin " Rin, was it?"
"I want to ask you something… What is the hair color of your sister?" Leo said as everyone except Archer, who was waiting for the answer, looked at him weirdly.
"Hah? What do you want to do with my sister?!" Rin snapped immediately because Leo talked about something important for her.
"Just answer the question" Leo said with some seriousness in his tone, which made Rin calm down a little before she sighed and whispered "It's black"
"..." Leo and Archer looked at each other again before they nodded.
"That explains…" Leo said before Archer finished his words "... A lot"
Everyone was slightly confused by this rhyme these two achieved about something.
Meanwhile, at Ryuudou Temple. A man with long white hair was walking on the steps towards the temple.
The ten rings on his fingers were glowing slightly, but if anyone focused on them, then he'll see a slight crack on the middle ring on the right hand.
Solomon walked the steps towards the temple as his eyes didn't show what he was thinking about at all before he crossed some sort of a barrier.
"Boundary field?" Solomon whispered before he heard footsteps above him.
A young man with blue, seaweed looking hair, walked towards Solomon casually before he stopped at some distance.
"I didn't expect your presence here…" The young man said indifferently as he looked at Solomon
"Welcome… King of Magecraft, Solomon" the young man, 'Matou Shinji', said with a smile like he was greeting a friend.
However, Solomon didn't talk because he figured out the type of barrier he's in now... A reality marble.