Hello everyone! Happy Christmas! It's me, Gunmare, back from the dead. You must be wondering what happened to me all those years ago, well the short answer I can give you is life happened. Yeah, I went through a lot of stuff over the years and couldn't get back to writing fanfic. Now I'm in my junior year in college, but I still felt like writing again. I just want to post this to apologize to everyone who waited for me to write against after leaving Fanfics for almost three years now. Note: This shorty is a one shot and it's a crossover between High School DxD and the Fate series, so anyone interested, please let me know. This is just a preview of the story. The full version will be called Fate/Infinite Zero. Hopefully, if God allows it, I can continue writing again and find the time between college and work. Happy holidays and hope to hear back from you all.

"Have you accurately memorized the incantations of summoning?" Zouken asked.

"Yes," Kariya responded.

The basement in the Matou mansion never looked so vacant as it was tonight. There was no trace of a single crest worm lurking in the Matou's dark green cellar nor did Kariya picked up any of presence of one hidden in the shadow. It was as if they have never resided here in the first place, making it more eerie than usual. The only ones present in the basement were him, Zouken, the intended elaborate magic circle used for tonight's summoning ritual.

"That's good." Zouken's wrinkled face cracked a wicked grin. "Only, midway through the incantation, add two more lines of incantations."

"What do you mean?" The crest worms residing in Kariya's body pranced through his body, nibbling in parts of his internal organs as his blood boiled in frustration.

"It's quite simple." Zouken turned around to his malnourished son. "Because of your short time in training, Kariya, your rank as a mage is lower than that of the other Masters the grail had summoned. That will affect the servant's base abilities."

The ancient magus was only speaking the truth, but Kariya knew he was throwing salt to the wound from how delighted his tone was. After spending months of enduring endless torture in the worm pit, Kariya was nowhere near the level to the other mages competing in the Holy Grail War. His skills paled in comparison to Mage's Association's Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, the church's Kirei Kotomine, the hitman the Einzbern had hired, or even to... Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"This means we have to boost the servant's parameters by attempting to modify the servant's class by much as possible," Zouken continued. "Kariya. To that end, I want you to add the affinity "Berserk" to the servant you summon today."

Damn you, old man. Kariya clicked his tongue, the crest worms pattered across his entrails eagerly as his frustration boiled. You're trying to make me lose, aren't you?

The Berserker class are the most troublesome to maintain among the seven servant classes. Heroic spirits summoned in this class have their consciousness and sanity rip from their body as they gain an insane power boost known as Mad Enhancement. It's difficult for a regular mage to utilize a servant that lost their rationality, but for Kariya, in his state, it's almost impossible.

The Berserker class are the most troublesome to maintain among the seven servant classes. Heroic spirits summoned in this class have their consciousness and sanity rip from their body as they gain an insane power boost known as Mad Enhancement. It's difficult for a regular mage to utilize a servant that lost their rationality, but for Kariya, in his state, it's almost impossible.

"Ise-kun, stay here."

Why does this haunted memory assail me in my slumber? I can still picture him, my brother in law, Sirzechs, in his body enveloped in his power, the power of destruction, placed his hand on the core of Trihexa with a magic seal. Then the rest of his servants appeared and reported to him on the situation with the other Trihexa's cores. A small communication magic circle appeared on his ear.

"We need to implement the plan. Is this okay?" No, it's not! I wanted to tell him. I know this is the only resolution we have to handle the situation, but if you and the other go there...

Just like I remembered the first time, Sirzechs called his wife. He held his palm out to her face, casting the hypothesis spell on her. The married couple shared their parting words before passed out. Two more magic circles appeared and projected holograms of two of the other Satans, Serafall Leviathan and Falbium Asmodeus. The trio spoke about preparations and their loved ones before I managed to muster my voice.

"…Sirzechs-sama…? …What is happening…?" I murmured.

"This is it. This is the final means of those of us in the top brass. According to our calculations, defeating Trihexa will require an enormous amount of time. Of course, being able to completely seal it would be best, but…it is unfortunate that that will also take a lot of time and is not the conclusion that we need."

His servants gathered around the core and slowly drift up in the air together. "Regardless of whether we defeat it or seal it, either method is extremely time-consuming. And Trihexa will continue its destruction in the meantime. If that continues, the world will be completely destroyed. Our combat strength is also limited. Once, or twice, we may be able to hold it back, but there will come a day — when our strength is exhausted. Just like before, you saw what kind of a monster the opponent is, Ise-kun. It is a true monster that will completely regenerate no matter how you try to defeat it."

Sirzechs levitated up in the air and smiled down at me. "Serafall, Falbium and I, as well as my peerage will depart from here to the 'Isolation Barrier Field' that was created by Azazel and the others specifically for use against Trihexa. We will also seal the original body and the core within that field. And be confined together with it. The higher ups of the other factions have also agreed to this plan. Azazel, Michael-dono, Odin-sama, Zeus-sama, and other gods will also implement this plan in their respective territories at the same time."

Everything was getting hazy. My eyes struggle to keep open each time I blinked. Sirzechs continued to speak, but I barely understood what he said. "Rias, Millicas, and Grayfia. I leave them in your care for the time. Don't judge Grayfia by her appearances, she'll actually be very lonely, even more so than Rias. …When I'm not around, I hope that you can be her conversation partner. Ise-kun, the Underworld will be left in the care of Rias, Sona, Sairaorg, and the others. Next is Millicas' generation, and the generations which follow, so please look after them on my behalf. Well, goodb—"

"No stop!" I shouted out loud from the top of my lungs. I pushed back too far on my chair, forcing it to lean back and slammed down hard on the back of my head. "Ow..."

Rubbing the back of my head, I slowly rose back up from the floor. There were several desks inside the room I was in, on top of which were documents and computers, while file cabinets stood on the side along with a fax machine and a sofa for guests. The desk I used to support myself back up was the only large mahogany Partner desk in the room.

Wait, it's coming back to me now. I'm at the private cram school given to me as a base for my peerage. No one was around, not even Ravel. Did she go to attend a client's request?

[She did. Don't you remember, Partner?] A green orb of light appeared at the back of my sweat-drenched hand as a deep familiar voice echoed in my head.

"Ah, Ddraig," I sighed. "How long was I out for?"

[For about an hour.] Ddraig told me as I picked up my fallen chair.

"That long, huh?" I sat back down my chair and took a good look around the room. Hmm, this probably the only time I was alone in this room. After the Azazel Cup had ended, the participants of my team that weren't in my peerage showed up less frequently. Irina preforming her job as an angel at the church, Elmenhilde went back home to Romania to attend to family matters, Bova left to train with Tannin, Nakiri busy with the student council as he prepared himself to be the next president of the student council, and Roygun left to resolve her issues.

[Are you feeling are you alright? You had that dream again.]

Ever since my team won the Azazel Cup came to an end, I've been reliving the memory of the end of the Trihexa incident in my head lately over and over again. Every night I woke up douse in sweat, my aching heart beating rapidly as fast as my trembling body, and my lungs heaving for air as if I had just drowned in a pool of regret.

[Could it be the prize of the Azazel Cup the cause of all this?] Ddraig asked.

The prize of the Azazel Cup? The winner of the Rating Game received whatever they desired the most in the world as long it was reasonable. I already have what I wanted after winning the Azazel Cup. I've grown my rank as a devil into the high class. My future had been laid out for me. And I'm living the life I desired as a Harem King. What else can I ask for?

"So please look after them on my behalf. Well, goodb-"

Oh, that. The freedom of Sirzechs, Azazel-Sensei, and the rest of other trapped in the isolated barrier with Trihexa. Maybe my real wish was to relinquish them from spending almost eternity with Trihexa. But how can anyone fulfill that wish? It's almost impossible- no I shouldn't be thinking about it.

"What's Rias doing right." I pulled out my cell phone.

Hey Rias, how are things doing at you're end? I texted her. No reply. Maybe she's with a client as well, great.

The magic circle used to teleport to other clients were still there. I head over the desk Ravel used to find any requests for clients to pass the time.

"Ah, here we go." I found a clipboard with today's clients. There was one that no one attended to and a new one too. Good, I wasn't in the mood to ride my bike anyways.

"This will be the relic we'll be using to the summon the heroic spirit, Lancelot Du Lac." Zouken opened an old wooden box to Kariya. The pale Matou saw a yellow crack skull of a dragon.

"Alright, now we got the relic out of the way, how about telling me those extra lines I needed to summon him," Kariya demanded.

"Fine, fine." Zouken closed the box. "Here it is."

Zouken spoke out the words loud and clear for Kariya to hear, causing Kariya's only seeing eye to widen up.

"No. That can't be it." Kariya denied.

"But Kariya, whatever do you mean?" Zouken chuckled. "I promise you those are the right words you need to summon Lancelot."

'Looks like he won't give the right incantation if I don't play along with this little game of his.' Kariya sighed. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

"Good." Zouken placed the box containing the dragon skull on its appropriate location as Kariya raised his hand out forward.

"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat five times but destroy each when filled. For the elements silver and iron..."

I stood in the center of the teleportation circle with a destination in mind. The elaborate design of the circle gyrated under my feet as its red light shimmered. I can feel my body enveloped in red light. I closed my eyes, briefly as images of Azazel-Sensei and Sirzechs flashed through my mind.

Sensei, Sirzechs, I want to save you guys, I really do, but I don't know how. I know you guys don't want me to fret over this but still...

"Do you seek the Holy Grail then?"

Huh? Who's there?

"I announce: Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword. In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer." The light of the emanating from summoning circle on Kariya's end had become bright enough to blind someone, forcing Kariya to close his good eye. Multiple veins popped emerged on his skin apply more of his magic to the chant.

[Partner! Something's wrong with the magic circle?]

"What the-?" I opened my eyes to Ddraig's warning. The color of the glow changed from a crimson red to a whitish blue.

"Fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat five times but destroy each when filled. For the elements silver and iron." I heard loud unfamiliar voice chanting out. "I announce: Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword. In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."

"Hear my oath: I hereby swear, that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat... all evil in the world!" Kariya was near his limit. His wobbling legs were about to given in, his racing heart was about to collapse, and his worms within him were gnawing deep into his body.

'No! Not yet!' Kariya persisted. 'I can't have my body collapse on this botch summoning. I just can't. For sakura's sake.'

"Then let thou's eyes be clouded with dirty thoughts of perversion and kinkiness. Though, wort art trapped in a life of a deviant, and I, the summoner, who holds thy in check! Seven heavens clad, and the great words of power! Come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of Scales!"

The ground trembled violently as a thunderous crack of an explosion was heard. When the white pillar of prana reached its peak, Kariya recoiled back into the ground from blasted winds caused by the summoning. Zouken remained grounded, his mouth hanging open. The summoning wasn't supposed to work, yet he can detect the presence of another within the thick dark smoke caused by summoning once light faded away.

"Damn it Kariya, get up!" Zouken jabbed the fallen master on the ground.

"Huh?" The malnourished master rose up in the ground, coughing. "I-It work? It actually worked?"

"Unfortunately," Zouken said, grinding his teeth.

"Damnit, I should've come here by bike" Both Kariya and Zouken directed their eyes towards the heroic spirit in the room. Once the smoke cleared, both of their mouths gaped at his appearance. The heroic spirit in front of him wasn't Lancelot Du Lac. He wasn't remotely even French, rather he looked no older than a... Japanese high schooler.

There was a thick cloud of smoke surrounding the area before I knew it. The last thing I can recall was a sudden change of the teleportation circle before being blinded by the whitish blue light.

"Damnit, I should've come here by bike," I coughed. The smoke finally cleared up and I was able to survey my surroundings a lot better. I arrived at what appeared to be some sort of underground dungeon that gave off this eerie green glow. I looked straight a pair of pale men gawking at me as if they were surprised by my presence. One of them is short and bald dressed in a black and green kimono while the other had a blue hoodie and a pair of black jeans.

Huh... I somehow ended up summoned in a sketchy dungeon with a pair of two grown ill men who probably never seen the light of day. Why do I always get the weird ones?

Again hello everyone. How have you been doing? Sorry, this one-shot preview seemed a bit rush. It was draft that I wanted to finish yesterday but couldn't do due to work and know that I'm free I hope to revise and publish the real first chapter of this story soon. Hopefully, it wasn't that too confusing for anyone to follow.

As I mentioned before I was going through a lot of things in my life and almost quick fanfic forever because of it. I want to try again, but hopefully, do it the right way. It may take some time as I focus on getting my diploma while working part-time and focusing on the actual writings that I do want to publish as an actual novel down the line.

Hopefully, by the end of January I can publish the actual real chapter of Fate/Infinite Zero, which I will publish here in this story here just to inform you guys as I put in the crossover section of Fate/Stay Night and DxD. The concept of the story deals with Kariya if he summoned Issei, who just finished the Azazel Cup and near graduation, instead of Lancelot instead and the two unlikely allies must work together to win the war and save Sakura.

If you any questions or want to help, just PM or leave a review. Take care everyone and hopefully, 2019 becomes a wonderful year for you all.