AN: I'M BACK, rather long AN at the end for explanation.

The Abandoned District

A torn up area littered with pieces of buildings from an age long forgotten. Pillars resembling those from ancient temples could be seen sticking out with pieces of roofs and tile still hanging on their side. This sight stretches for miles and occupies a small portion of space near the city walls. An area declared too troublesome to be cleared due to the sheer number of debris occupying it. Not much is known about this area.

Documents lacked official records about this area's past, and officials from the guild

won't disclose information about it apart from the knowledge of a once strongest familia once lived in that area.

Due to the absence of humans, this area is mainly used by young aspiring mages that did not come from top familias. The area itself goes by the rule of first come first served basis. If you manage to find a good spot, that area will be yours for the duration of your stay. This is one of the many rules that has been set in place by the gods. However, it doesn't stop those from powerful familias to mark some areas as their own. The guild also recognizes it as a training ground for newcomers; they regularly recommend them to cast their spells here without worries. It is for that reason that you wouldn't be surprised to see an elf and a human sitting by the entrance.

Riveria sat gracefully on a bench, her back set on a straight position with legs kept close together. Her arms rested on her lap while slowly flipping the pages of her book. Overall, this scene is definitely something you expect from someone of noble status. On the other side of the bench, there's a beautiful blonde sleeping peacefully. The sight garners a lot of attention from both civilians and adventurers alike. However, none of them dare to approach them due to their status. It does make them wonder though, 'Why are there two high ranking adventurers sitting near the abandoned district?'

Oblivious to what other people thought, Riveria continued to read silently, fully engrossed in her own book. Due to some mishaps that had occurred in the library, she had to cut her reading time short. While waiting for the arrival of Shirou, Riveria used the time wisely by continuing her reading session.

After 5 minutes, the elf's ears perk up to the sound of footsteps coming toward her direction. Looking up from her book, she could make out a familiar silhouette from the street in front of them. After making sure her eyes were correct, Riveria closed the book in her hands while mentally taking note of where she left off.

"It's pleasant to see you again, Shirou." Riveria greets with a nod. Looking at him, he appears to be dressed presentably for this occasion.

"It's good to see you too, miss Alf," Shirou replied back.

"Please, spare me the formal greetings. It would feel too stiff for me if you will always call me that. You may simply call me Riveria."

"Haha, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Still, I certainly didn't expect you to come here this early." Due to his Japanese upbringing, he always made sure to arrive earlier than the expected time of meeting.

"That's to be expected, it is unbecoming of me to be the one to arrive late when I'm the inviter." Riveria stands up, picking her staff in the process. "Now, let's skip the pleasantries for now. We have a lot to go through today."

Aiz, as if someone woke her up, slowly lifted her drowsy eyes to greet the world. She began to scan the surrounding area before laying her sight on a familiar person. "Ah, Shirou.. you're here."

"Hello Aiz," Shirou let out a small smile, "did you sleep well?"

"Hm, satisfactory." her choice of words is as short as usual.

"I see, well, it's certainly a surprise to see you here."

"You do not have to worry about this. Aiz is here just so I can keep an eye on her." Riveria said. Judging by the pout on Aiz face, it is evident that Aiz herself is not enjoying this. "Come, let's not waste more time."

"Haha," Shirou lightly laughed, " I guess she must have done something to warrant this."

"What's the problem with just training…" a small murmur manages to escape from Aiz's mouth. Unfortunately for her, the street is quiet enough that both Riveria and Shirou managed to pick up from it.

"Hahh…" Riveria released a long sigh," It's for that reason that I'm not letting you push yourself over your limit. You've been blessed with a perfect body but even it has limits on how much it can work. Fatigue is by no means a weak enemy. if you leave it uncheck, even it can have the might of a goliath. Just this morning, I needed to use extra measures just to get you out of your bed because of how tired you are."

Aiz, who couldn't find fault in her statement, could only obediently follow them as they started walking through the abandoned district.

'How nostalgic…' The sight of the abandoned district brings back some memories from the depths of his mind. They're always there, lurking beneath the shadow, never intending to leave him. Shirou manages to show no outward reaction other than a slight twitch of his eyebrows. The past is already behind him, along with that ideal…

Shirou squints his eyes for a bit, noting a particular detail regarding their journey.

"It's surprisingly well kept." The road they've been walking on is much flatter compared to the rocky terrain beside it.

"The path here is created more out of convenience than practicality. Piles of stone are just swayed to the side until it looks acceptable to trudge upon." Riveria said.

"That's… not efficient." Although it makes sense to him why this place is called the abandoned district.

"I can't blame them, This plot of land has been stripped from anything valuable after several years of scavenging and treasure hunting. It used to be much more chaotic and disorderly compared to now."

That brought Shirou's curiosity "Oh, how can you tell?"

"It's because I was there when our useless goddess decided to join the bandwagon and raid this place, the guild was also unusually cooperative with this event. Those treasures that the finder deemed useless can be sold to the guild in exchange for valis. It was a pretty big competition. Many familias worked all day rummaging through in the search for valuables." Riveria's face turns slightly grim as she recounts those events.

Shirou frowned a little at the implication, "There must be a lot of infighting and stealing during this scavenging hunt."

"It's fine, Those kinds of things rarely happen during an event overseen by The Guild unless you want to earn their wrath. While you may paint this as a happy-go-lucky event, it was actually quite depressing. Most of what we found were works of literature that would rile up the men. It was even written on top-quality papers that were enhanced for longevity and ink that came from rare monsters. All of those materials… wasted on those books."

While Riveria recounted those bad memories, Aiz could only look at her mentor with slightly curious eyes. "Ah… I remember that."

"I'm surprised you remember that, considering you were around 9 years old at the time."

"Hmm."

BOOM

"What's that?" Shirou instantly raised his guard.

"You don't need to spare your concern for it. That's just one of many mages that practice their magic here. They already exercise caution when casting their spell so you won't get hit by anything unless you're actively seeking it." She took a few steps forward before finally coming to a stop, " We've finally arrived."

Shirou realizes that they have strayed from the original path a couple of minutes ago; the area they're standing is smoothened with a concrete floor that was flatter compared to the area around it. There was a bench right across from them that bears an insignia of a joker bowing with a sinister smile.

"Welcome, Shirou, to the Loki's Familia mage training ground. We usually use this area as part of our recruitment process so it's generally well kept. You should feel the level of mana in the air to be higher compared to the rest."

"Ohh, I didn't realize it." true to Riveria's words, Shirou could feel the increased density of mana in the areas around him. The magus wouldn't say that there's a huge difference between here and other places; but, there's a noticeable contrast between the two.

While Shirou began marveling on the subject, Aiz silently walked toward the bench and gently rested on it. She appears to be a fast sleeper, something he didn't expect to be possible unless you count a certain tiger. Riveria waited for a moment before lightly coughing to call back Shirou's attention.

"Ah, sorry about that," Shirou said, embarrassed by his behavior.

"No worries. Now, you must be wondering about the purpose of my invitation."

"Can't say I'm not."

"During our little talk in the library, I've become intrigued by the method you use in regards to your magic. As far as I've lived, I have never seen a mage who powers their magic using a draw method."

Shirou is surprised by this revelation. He didn't know that his own magic is that big of a difference compared to other people. It's almost fitting for him, Illya and Rin always used to mention how much of an outlier he is from the common magus. Unaware of Shirou inner talk, Riveria continued with her explanation.

"Of course, I can't say that I'm knowledgeable on how magic works for humans. However, for elves, we have records of multiple methods we have used to practice magic. Your method is one of many which we attempt to do." Her face turned a little grim as she uttered the last part.

"Judging by your words, it looks like it didn't turn out well."

"As you know, Mana has always been in the air for a very long time. While it may sound biased coming from me, Elves are known as the first creature to access this strange power through the use of incantation. Then, as the world evolves, other species have begun to tap into this power as well. All of them require a chant to activate."

"During a chant, your body opens up a passage for the mana to fill in. The amount of space open up is correlated to how long the chant verse is. This is why magicians are usually on the backline. Any interruption during chanting could disrupt the spell and cause your body to naturally reject the mana, leading to an Ignis fatuus. Fortunately, the presence of the gods falna significantly reduces the chance for it to happen."

"Uhh, I heard you use the term 'Ignis fatuus' before. Could you perhaps tell me what it means?" Shirou could only scratch his head awkwardly for his question.

"Huh?" Riveria is bewildered, " Shouldn't you know what this term is during your magic study?"

"My dad wasn't really the best at teaching me magic."

A sigh could be heard from Riveria, "Alright, Ignis fatuus is a term associated with the violent reaction from magic-users when their incantation or magic is interrupted or their own magic goes out of control."

That term reminded Shirou of what his father used to say when he started learning magic. "To become a magus is to walk with death." During his work time in the Benevolent mistress, Shirou sometimes struck small talks with customers and got to know those who use magic. It is surreal how different they are compared to what his father used to say of magi considering how similarly dangerous it is for both of them.

"There have been instances in the past where other mages tried your method. Yet, all of them ended up destroying their bodies after the mana they took goes beyond its limits. For thousands of years, it is believed that that method is simply useless and too dangerous to master, until you came in."

"Me?" Shirou points at himself.

" Yes, you. As I stated previously, you're perhaps the only living being I have met that manages to use that dangerous method without significant consequences on your body. After some thought, my hypothesis is that your body has some kind of mechanism that prevents overuse of mana."

"That's… an interesting theory." Shirou couldn't just say that he came from another world. It would simply be too crazy for others to believe. All he could do is just nod his head and go with the flow.

Unknown to Shirou's dilemma, Riveria started to get to the main point. "Now, before we delve deeper into this, I propose we have a deal."

"Oh? What are you proposing?"

"A trade-off. As an elf and a magic caster, I seek to better my craft and skill regarding my magic, both for my own gain and for the lives of my familias members. That means the method you have to achieve such a thing has the potential to help me grow stronger." Judging by her voice, there's no trickery behind it. She really wants to be stronger to protect her allies, something Shirou can respect her for. "Of course, you will be compensated for this as well."

"Ah, you don't really have to compensate for that." Knowing that she's doing it to help others is enough reason for the magus to lend his aid.

"I cannot in good conscience request a deal from someone I know without an equal exchange with the other party. It would be an insult to my status and pride as a royalty."

After some thought, an idea struck Shirou, "How about the price for this is to be formally introduced to your method of magic. There are some questions I would like to ask regarding your previous explanation."

"...I shall take that as compensation. However, I shall give you a favor in accordance with the mentioned price. That is simply too low compared to the knowledge I will gain from this. If you plan to use that favor, simply go toward the twilight manor where the Loki familia reside. Is the exchange satisfactory?"

"Very well… you're a good person, Riveria."

"As someone who holds responsibility as a leader, it is my duty to be as fair as possible." Riveria nodded, " Now, let's first begin the lesson of our version of magic."

What follows next is probably one of the most eye-opening experiences in Shirou's life. How to channel your magic more efficiently, the breathing technique to lessen the strain, and much more knowledge behind the magic in this world. He is far too engrossed in the lecture that he hasn't even realized that 2 hours have passed. The only clear indication of it is when Riveria announced a break after finishing her lecture.

"This should be enough to cover the basics."

"Yeah, I believe I learned enough from your lesson, thank you."

"It is of no concern. You could repay that gratitude back when you uphold your end of the deal. But, let's take a break before we can dive in with your explanation." Riveria continues to talk while walking toward the bench. Aiz, hearing soft footsteps coming in her direction, slowly opened her eyes. When her sight caught the figure of Riveria, her droopy eyes stared for a moment before she went back to sleep.

"..." Due to Shirou's positioning, he couldn't really see Riveria's face. However, judging by the slight tremble of her body, he could tell that she's annoyed by this.

Bam, a fist landed on Aiz's head, effectively waking her out of her slumber.

"Ouch… why did you do that?"

"Blame yourself for your own actions."

"Ughh…I just want to sleep."

"Sigh, I told you that pushing yourself too far isn't worth the risk."

"I.."

That intrigued Riveria, "hmm?"

"I'm…"

"OI…" Now even Shirou is growing more concerned from her voice. Her eyelids slowly flattered as her consciousness came back to her. Riveria put her hand on Aiz shoulder, attempting to lightly shake it. But, before she managed to do it, a loud guttural sound entered their ears in succession, causing both Riveria and Shirou eyes to widen.

While their reactions were the same, the reason behind them were somewhat different from each other. Due to her being present in most of Aiz's childhood, Riveria motherly instinct came in as she instantly knew the source of the sound. For Shirou, his mind came to a complete halt as the image of a tiger and a lion entered his mind.

"I'm… hungry." The sword princess hand unconsciously laid itself on top of her stomach. Her head lifted up and sent it gaze toward the one person in her mind. While her expression remains the same, the meaning behind it successfully transferred to Shirou.

Shirou let out a sigh; however, he felt strangely content with the current circumstances. 'No matter where I go, there's always at least one foody sticking near me.' He proceeded to take out the box he had been carrying. It was a simple box, it's surface made from wood without any decoration. Yet, all of them knew what's inside the box.

"Shirou." Riveria said, "You don't have to inconvenience yourself with this."

"You don't have to worry about it, me and a co-worker created too many sandwiches this morning. Since it would go bad if we left it alone, I brought it along with me. Please, help yourself with it."

"If you say so…" Shirou slightly opened the box and a wave of fragrance assaulted both Riveria and Aiz nose. Due to her hunger, Aiz took severe critical damage from it.

"Oh my, I didn't expect the scent to be this fragrant."

"Thanks for the compliment." He laid the box on the bench so all could take the content.

"Then, don't mind if I do."

Riveria slowly took one of the sandwiches out from the box and inspected it for a second. Shirou twitch a little at her gesture, 'Does she find it unappealing?' that would hurt his pride as a chef if that were to be the case. Fortunately, the elf took a bite of it. after several more seconds. Her surprise face made all of this worth it.

Aiz, having seen the food being taken in front of her eyes couldn't hold back any longer and stretch her hand toward the place of her desire. The sandwich is lined up perfectly bar one of the spots that Riveria took. It appears that the sandwiches are organized by columns based on their insides. The sword princess could still remember how the Jagamarukun Shirou made taste heavenly inside her mouth.

With slight hesitation, Aiz reached out her hand and grabbed one of the sandwiches in the fourth row. Its filling looks to be primary consists of a well balanced meat and vegetables. The fried meat plumply laid over a smooth fresh Lettuce, the bread softly compressed those fillings without hurting their original aesthetic. If Aiz didn't know any better, she would believe this to be a food serve for in the gambling district.

Bite

The first thing that hit her tongue is the taste of meat. The salt inside it blends well in chemistry with the Tomatoes juice. The lettuce helps mitigate the sourness of the tomato while bringing a fresh breeze of coldness into her mouth. The sword princess was instantly enraptured by it and she couldn't stop eating.

Her manners of eating would most of the time earn a scorning from Riviera. However, the mind of the elf is fully focused on the half bitten sandwich in her hand. Due to her status as royalty, her tongue has been subject to many high quality meals made by her own chef. While the sandwich taste couldn't go up to the level of those who spent thousands of years perfecting their craft, it is still much more than what you would expect from a human.

She went for another bite, only for her to taste nothing but air. Now, her sensation of her hand starts to register the lack of object on it. It appears that during her musing, she must have finished her own meal.

Shirou for most of his own part doesn't see this as out of the ordinary. There's multiple instances back in fuyuki and hear where people took a liking to his food to a rather worrisome degree. Even the resident tiger couldn't hide her small scowl when they went out to eat together as part of her whole bonding time. Remembering this memory causes a pang of guilt within Shirou. The destruction of the holy grail war consumes buildings and people alike within its wasting fire. 'I hope you're still alive...Fuji-nee.'

" Is there something troubling you Shirou?" a question brought his mind back into the current situation. A quick glance toward the source shows a slight worrying gaze of Riveria. Her hands have rested on her lap with another half eaten sandwich within its grasp. Aiz for most of her part aims her expressionless face toward him; however, her lack of action in consuming food is more than enough indicator in her current state.

'Hah,' Shirou let put a sigh, 'It seems I can't get away with my tendencies to cause other people to worry.' Lightly shaking his head, Shirou began to assure them that it was nothing. Both of them are still skeptical from his reassurance but decide to trust him on that. After that, a comfortable silence fell in their little lunch together since neither of them appears to be the talkative type. It is during this silence that Riveria decided to break the silence.

"So Shirou, could you enlighten us on how you managed to raise your culinary skill to this degree?"

"It wasn't as great as it appears to be. Most of the skills I learn are just self-taught."

"Don't sell yourself short young man. The level of taste within this meal is already above our familia's cook. While they don't dedicate their entire lives in the pursuit of culinary arts, their skills are nothing to scoff at." Riveria words cause a small uncomfortable feeling within Shirou. He was never good at accepting compliments from others. However, a small feeling of satisfaction swells inside on the thought of bringing happiness to others with his cooking.

"Sorry, I'll be sure to take it into consideration." his answer seems to be the right one as Riveria nodded before resuming with her meal. "Still," she added, "for how long have been practicing creating food to raise your skill to this degree?"

"Haha, It wasn't that great of a reason as it is more out of desperation rather than a hobby."

"Oh, are you comfortable sharing the story behind it?"

"I don't mind. It's not like I was captive against my will. It's mostly how my dad can't cook anything without burning the house down. For example…." and there, Shirou starts talking about random moments within his childhood about his father and Fuji-nee. Some info has been kept a secret like technologies and the place he lived in so as to not make himself look suspicious.

Aiz appears to be quite interested in his story, her eyes never left his figure except for the occasion of getting a sandwich. The elf only asks some questions for clarification but for the most part keeps herself quiet as the story goes on. This serene atmosphere continues until all of the entire sandwich batch has been eaten. Noting the sun's presence in the sky, Riveria felt they already wasted enough time in lunch.

"I propose that we should head back in training. I have a meeting appointment with someone scheduled about two hours from now. While my words may sound selfish, please bear with me." She wipes her mouth using a napkin before standing up.

"I understand, I've already dragged this long enough as it is." Shirou wrapped up the box, pointedly ignoring the small crestfallen face Aiz made. He stretches his limbs as he stands up.

"Alright, i guess it is my turn." The magus took several steps in front of them before turning around. " Let's get the lesson started."

"To start it off, I just want to say that I'm not the best person in teaching this stuff. The things I've learned are only superficial at best so take everything of what I'm about to tell you with a grain of salt." Shirou is already aware of his lack of knowledge in this field. God knows how many times Rin and Illya lecture him about the fundamental stuff.

" It's fine. I know what I'm getting into after the brief interaction back in the library. As a high elf mage, I'm confident in my skill to grasp and learn the basic concept. So, feel free to explain it in a way you think suits best."

" I'll take your word for it. By the way, are you sure Aiz would like to join in on this lesson?"

"I don't mind. She may have learned something from this as well."

"That's good then. Let's start with the basics." What follows next is only what you could call an intermediate understanding regarding the essence of thaumaturgy, the lifeblood of magus in the moonlit world. Shirou isn't kidding when he mentions his lack of knowledge; if Ilya or even Rin were to sit right here and listen to his lecture, they would launch a never-ending tirade while nitpicking on every sentence that comes out of his mouth.

For the most part, Riveria appears to be taking the influx of information with ease. Sometimes she would ask a question during the lecture and Shirou did his best to answer it. After some time covering the basics, Shirou finally decided they had enough.

"I think that should be enough, I don't think Aiz could handle more explanation before her brain shut down from a lot of information."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Can you perhaps show a demonstration like you did in the library? I believe I got the basic idea but a demonstration would help solidify it."

"I don't see why not." Standing up, Shirou stretched his muscle for a moment before closing his eyes. He held out his right arm forward, motioning his fingers and palm into a grabbing position. While he could do this with just a will of his mind, a more direct method is much more explainable and easier to see.

He focuses on the depth of his mind and recalls a perfectly normal kitchen knife back in the benevolent mistress. With the image set, he began his magic.

"Trace on."

To Riveria amazement. There are many parallels that could be seen between Shirou's unique magic compared to how the system of magic works in Orario. His magic has a more in-depth thought behind it but is limited to their mind while her magic follows the flow of the world and offers possibilities.

What she's currently seeing right now is the application of Shirou's own magic system at work. Although she did manage to glimpse back in the library, it wasn't in full detail so there's some spot missing in her knowledge regarding this. And the surprising part, this method doesn't seem to utilize the Gods falna. This only piqued her curiosity more.

Her sense perks up as she hears two words coming from Shirou's mouth. The mana of the world starts flowing toward the body of the young magus at the speed unnatural for the average mage. Riveria eyes analytically process the information in front of her. The teaching of the forest elf help guide her sense into spotting unnatural behavior in the flow. 'The mana appears to be sucked in from all spots within his body. Those energies were then transferred through his arm into the palm before it began its reaction. It is safe to conclude that this magic circuit is a metaphysical nerve within a person's body that acts as a pathway. These circuits may appear in all parts of the body judging from the sheer surface area the suction occurred. Testing would be recommended after initial demonstration is finished.`

Soon as she finished her thought, Shirou felt that enough time had passed before finally willed the knife into existence. Blue lighting flash as the mana began reacting in full force, creating a perfectly ordinary knife with all the intricate details within it.

"Quite an impressive magic you have there, Shirou."

"Haha, it's a shame that it comes with limitations."

"So, could you elaborate on what you feel during the process of your magic?"

"As I told you before, Using an image helps regulate how much mana I'm taking from my surroundings. Breathing is probably the closest feeling I can describe it. Mana is non-tangible, there are no feelings inside the process than the subconscious knowledge of how much mana you manage to store."

"I see, I apologize for imposing a difficult question for you."

"It's fine, I felt a little ashamed that I couldn't give enough help for it."

"No matter, I've already gained insight from this conversation alone. Although, I would like to try this method of yours. Would you like to serve as guidance, young man?"

"That, I could get behind that." With that, Riveria went and grabbed her staff. In the company of her usual weapon, Riviera assumed her normal stance; both of her hands held firmly onto her staff. She began to expand her senses and start the normal procedure.

"Dance around spirit of the atmosphere, lord of light."

Her words thrummed with power. The process of rewriting the law of the world stems from the spiritual strength behind this word.

"Contract with the guardian of the forest. "

The process has gone naturally without fault. The mana is slowly stockpiling inside as it fused with her falna, enhancing it by the goddess's blessing. Riveria almost let out a small sneer at the thought of it. For all her uselessness as a goddess, her blessings are not to be underestimated. Now, the crucial part. Using her own experience, Her mind starts to picture herself as a cup while tea is being poured into.

"and envelop us with the song of the land."

Her connection started to fluctuate. Now, Riveria knows that she needs to be meticulous in her implementation. The mana her body is currently holding is almost the same as what a normal mage is capable of holding. If handled poorly, then the consequences will be fatal. Focusing her mind, she began to imagine the pot slowly pouring onto the cup. She began to use it and started siphoning the mana in relevance to the image. The result… was beyond her comprehension.

"Surround us becomes a great barrier of forest light and protects us ."

Mana starts flowing like a torrent of water. Riveria senses almost went out of control from the sheer amount of it. The situation is bad, horrible even. Yet, even so, a sense of excitement began to well up inside her. A wide smile slowly spread across her face.

"my name is Alf"

The aria is approaching its end. Her stave trembles under the pressure as it never released that much energy since its creation.

"Via Shilheim"

Shirou started to realize how grandiose magic seems to be in Orario. Granted, the rate of encounters he has with magic is only limited to the Holy Grail War and some street trick during one of his groceries run. The magus knew that this a world not limited to the constraint like the moonlit world. What he didn't expect is something of this magnitude.

What lays before his eyes is a semi-translucent wall similar to Rho Aias. Its yellow-ish light shaded the scenery like sunglasses. Turning his head around, Shirou could see it covering all sides of the training ground in the shape of a dome.

"Oh my…" His ears perked up from the voice, prompting Emiya to turn toward the source. What surprised him is that the person behind this display obtained a disbelief expression. Shirou couldn't help but do a double-take on her face. During previous conversation, he didn't delve much into the green-haired elf in general. But now, his eyes are entranced by her regal beauty. Shirou remembers how Saber had a shocked expression when he let her taste his cooking for the first time. Somehow, both Riveria and Arturia manage to never let any embarrassing face out without a sense of regality on it. Any further musing he had were cut short when the next thing he saw was her tumbling down in her steps. Luckily, Shirou managed to prevent her before making an embarrassing faceplant. Aiz also came rushing in to help Riveria.

"Urghh…" Shirou could hear her groan. "This feeling… I must have strained my body too hard from this." Somehow, her face is the opposite of what she's saying. "To think a mage of my level would overstrain herself just from one spell, this is quite an amusing experience." A small laugh accompanies it that is music to his ears.

"Riveria… super cool." Aiz word manages to bring a small laugh that is music to his ears.

Shirou gently helped her walk toward the bench before letting the elf sit and rest. After a quick administering of a mana potion, her face has recovered some of the brightness back.

"I have to thank you once again Shirou. This new knowledge from you has opened up a new way of magic to keep me busy for a while. However, I must tell you to take caution in teaching another magic-user about this method."

"Why is that?" That got both Aiz and Shirou confused.

"The fact that I've been afflicted with mind down says a lot of the risk in using this spell. While I dislike the idea of bragging, my body can handle the strain of magic usage far more than what a normal mage can normally handle." She began to laugh bitterly, " If that method had reduced me into such a state, I dreaded what could've been afflicted to those common mages."

That revelation surprised Shirou. He always knew that to be a magus is to walk with death. The chance of them getting killed by their own magecraft is as high as any other death. The only mages that Shirou could think of are Caster, Illya, and Rin. However, Shirou knows that all of them are an exception from the common magus. It makes him wonder just how much different this world is compared to his own.

"There's a saying back in my place that applied to our magic. "To be a magus is to walk with death. My dad has drilled this into my head multiple times and it wasn't without a good reason. "

"Heh, what a dangerous profession you have chosen."

"I can say the same for you, adventurer."

"True." They share a chuckle together, unaware of their resident blonde woman who gazes filled with determined eyes.

"Shirou." She called out, pulling the attention of both mages towards her. Her face still retains an expressionless state, it's her eyes that show her burning desire. "I want you to teach me this."

"... hah." Riveria blew a sigh. With a tired expression, she slowly walks toward Aiz with a steady step. After getting close enough, her hand balled into a fist and lightly slammed onto Aiz head.

"You are still too early to start learning the method Shirou has used. Did you not hear a single thing I just said earlier? It's dangerous even for me to attempt a shield spell. How could you possibly handle the strain for your offensive magic?"

"uhh..." Aiz rubbed the part of her head that hurt, a small pout forming from her mouth. "You don't have to hit me for that…"

"I didn't know you're a mage, Aiz. I thought you're more of a frontline person than someone who gave support." Shirou said.

" That's because she is a frontline fighter…." Riveria hand found itself on her chin. She appears to be thinking something from his sentence. "Shirou, I want you to be honest with me."

"Alright?" her serious tone offset him a little.

"Have you ever heard the nickname 'Sword Princess' before?"

"I heard that nickname passed around a lot in the benevolent mistress." Most patrons usually talk about her in admiration so it's somewhat hard not to overhear their conversation.

"And do you know who she is?"

"I don't think so." Now that confused Shirou further. He is sure that he never met the sword princess before.

Whatever Riveria wanted to say was stopped after Aiz slightly tugged her shirt. They appear to be engaging in a silent conversation before a sigh escapes the elf lips. "...I think we should just leave it at that."

"If you say so.." Is there a correlation between Aiz with the sword princess? Maybe Syr would know of this. She always has a knack for gathering news around Orario.

Shirou looked at the sun, noting the change in position it had back when they first started the information trade. The magus felt that it was time to call it a day. He still needs to check if Syr manages to replace those ingredients. "I think it's time we should wrap things up."

"I concur," Riveria nodded, " As always, you have my gratitude for lending us your method of magecraft."

"I already said it's fine. Your help is more than enough to help with my predicament."

"Alright, well then, I will see you later."

"Same to you as well. I hope you have a safe trip." With that, Shirou began his journey back toward home.

Of course, things will never stay safe with his luck. The only good solace from it is that it occurred just 5 minutes into his walk back home. The walkway itself is operating as it normally should. People walking through it, Sellers advertising their products and kids running around playing with their friends. It is almost a textbook example of a bustling street. Yet, a certain sight manages to capture Shirou's eyes.

A kid, no more than 12 years of age, is being chased down by three men hot on the kid's tails. The peculiar thing is that those men aren't dressed like civilians. Their choice of clothing is too exotic to be considered civilian clothing. This detail immediately causes a single thought to pop on the magus' head:

Adventurers

But then there lies the question, why would adventurers target this kid. Judging by their grizzly faces, Shirou wouldn't be surprised if they were to be some thugs. Alas, no matter the reason, his mind and body refuse to not ignore this situation. His body refused to let someone get hurt even when he discarded that ideal. Shirou hopes this debacle will end just in time for his night shift.

"Trace on."

With a quick reinforcement on his legs, Shirou began to silently tail behind the ongoing chase. The kid appears to be a slippery one, always cutting corners through alleyways and paths in order to shake them off. Unfortunately, the speed of an adventurer is nothing to scoff at. After a minute of chasing, the group of adventurers manages to corner the kid into a dead end.

By the time the kid realizes this, his back is already up against the wall as his eyes turned towards his pursuers. Shirou just managed to hide at the entrance of the alleyway. Reinforcing his ears, he began to peak at the situation while listening to their conversation.

"There's nowhere to run now, boy." one of the three men began to speak. He seems to be the tallest of the bunch with a buff look accompanying it. His voice carried an arrogant tone similar to those of higher power. His lackeys appear to also share his sentiment.

"Yeah, you got some nerve operating on our turf." A small guy expands on his supposedly boss words. Shirou would mistake him for a child if it weren't for his crooked smile. Honestly, Shirou is willing to bet that this guy is a pallum.

"But, I'm not even on your familia turf!" That voice seems oddly familiar.

"Who's to say our border is limited. Anything that is inside the red light district will soon be under the command of the Ishtar familia. Who to say we couldn't get to know the area better." The leader shares a series of cackles with the rest of his group.

"Face it kid, you either hand over the money or we beat you up ourselves and take the money. You should understand which one is better." A harsh ultimatum yet details the reality they're in. Normal people couldn't hope to stand against adventurers due to the difference in strength. It's a wonder how Orario manages to survive for this long when it is built on this shaken foundation of trust. The kid appears to realize this as well; he shows a moment of hesitation before coming to a decision.

"Tch, here, take your stupid valis." The kid threw a bag toward the 3 adventurers. The raccoon guy, the last of the three, moves forward and catches it. He starts checking the content before giving a quick nod.

"You may go, kid."

The kid stopped for a second, a look of suspicion etched on his face before he started sprinting for the exit. However, the kid immediately sidesteps to the left before a fist manages to land on his head.

"Ohoh," The attacker said, amused. "We have a smart one here fellas." The rest of them start forming a circle around the boy. "To be honest, if you were just some average street kid, I would have just let you go. But, you know, I've seen those clothes before." The boy flinched at this.

"I never saw those clothes, boss." The pallum called out. "Are you sure you didn't just misremember stuff?"

"Idiot, Look closely. Didn't you used to visit that chick."

"o...OHHHH, now I remember. You're that kid that follows that pros-" He didn't even manage to finish the word before a knife went straight for his throat. If it weren't for the killing intent the kid oozed before the attack, the knife would've already taken his life.

Everyone went into high alert. The raccoon person immediately pins the kid down. The pallum managed to wrestle the knife out of the kid's hand. He got a look of fury in his eyes as he took a few seconds to gaze at the weapon that almost took his life. Watching this, Shirou felt that this is the time to step in.

Clang

The knife was knocked out of the thug's hand by an object. This took everyone by surprise before turning toward the source. The boy looked at the newcomer with a shocked face.

"I think that's enough." Shirou looks at them with a slight frown.

"Get lost man, this is none of your business." The pallum said angrily.

"Yeah, We're from Ishtar familia and you're in our turf."

"That's interesting, I could have sworn that the boy mentioned this area is still on other people's turf. It would be a shame if I were to report this to them."

"Tch, what's with people being too smart for their own good." The leader cracks his neck. "Borris, hold down this kid." The raccoon guy nodded his head. "Tony," the pallum looked at him. " It's time to teach this man some lesson."

The two begin to ready their weapons. The recently identified Tony began unsheathing his twin daggers. His boss, the grizzly man, pulled a mace from his back. The scene coupled with their own crooked smile exudes enough threat to intimidate normal people. However, Shirou experienced from the Grail war distilled him from any fear.

"I give ya a last chance, lad. You can walk out and forget this event ever happens. or," the ruffian point his mace " We gonna make you regret it."

" My only regret…" Shirou closed his eyes for a second. His body shifts toward a combat stance. " Is that I have to resort to this rather than a more peaceful method."

"Heh, you are going to regret acting like the Astraea familia." They charged. Due to their status as adventurers, their speed slightly surpassed what normal humans could do. Yet, it still wasn't enough to cause a slight unease for Shirou. Strengthening his arms, the magus is about to intercept the charge when a mysterious voice comes from above.

"He won't need to."

Thus, like a gale of wind, a figure jumped down from the rooftop, landing squarely with a soft thump in between the charging ruffians and Shirou. Its green cape flourishes from the drop and is large enough to cover its entire body. Even though Shirou could only see the back of it, a slight hint of feeling instantly made him raise his guard.

'Killing intent… albeit a small one.' Judging by the 2 brutes rooted on their spot, they could sense it too. The leader looked at the hooded figure with shock before his face light up with recognition.

"Fuck, its Gale from the Astraea familia." The rhea exclaimed, harboring the same expression as his superior. "W-we should probably run boss. We can't handle her."

"Idiot, Do you think I don't know that?" The grizzly man cursed before turning and facing the person in question. A fake smile appeared on his face. "What a surprise to find you here, Gale. nice weather we have today isn't it?"

"I prefer If you don't waste any more of our time here."

"Yes yes, we'll get straight to the point." the man said timidly, " We know your track record against criminals and frankly, we would like to stay in one piece. So what about this? The boy for our lives, fair trade isn't it?"

The Gale lowered its head slightly, causing the man to sweat slightly.

"Get out of my sight."

"You heard her Borris." The lackey followed his word and released the kid from the hold. Before long, all three of them began to run from the alleyway, passing by the cloaked figure who stood still and Shirou. Yet, a passing remark manages to catch the magus attention.

"You're going to regret this." And then, they were gone. Off back toward wherever they went.

Whether the hooded figure heard the passing remark, it didn't show it. Instead, The figure strides toward the injured boy, briefly checking his injuries.

"You're hurt." The change of tone is surprising. Gone was the tough edge within its voice. What now there is a voice of concern. However, the most surprising fact was that its voice sound… feminine.

"I'm fine." The boy looked to the side. "Thanks... I guess, both of you, for standing up for me." Now that he looked at the boy closely, his feature made Shirou remember a certain boy. 'Michael.'

"Hold on," before Michael could run off, Gale stopped his movement by placing her hand in front of his path. Before the boy could question her action, his hand quickly moved and caught an item heading his direction. It's a flask of red liquid stored inside it. It took a couple of seconds before the boy stored it in his jacket and resumed his sprinting out of the alleyway.

"That's generous of you." Shirou's respect for the mysterious woman has gone up from her act. Healing potions are certainly a commodity those who lived in the lower end couldn't afford. There's an awkward silence between them as she doesn't seem to care about his praise. Seeing that he overstayed his welcome, Shirou began to walk back.

"Wait for a moment, Emiya Shirou." That stopped him on his track. While his name is no secret, it still felt off for a complete stranger to know his full name.

"I would like you to come with me. My goddess would like to ask some inquiry regarding what happened back at Daedalus street." Judging from her tone, she wouldn't take no for an answer.

sigh...Shirou could only hoped Sylvia managed to restock those supplies. He could tell that this is going to take a long time.

(Omake)

"Shirou, I would like to test something. Would you please fetch my bag."

"Uh, sure." Shirou didn't even realize that Riviera brought a bag with her. Looking back, he discovered a bag lying inconspicuously on the bench. 'Weird, I didn't remember it being there.'

Not thinking about it, Shirou went and retrieved the bag. It felt light in his hand, nothing heavy seemed to be within the large bag. After giving the bag toward the Riveria, the elf opens up the back and brings out…. a witch hat?

"Many Thanks, Shirou. Now, the time has come." With swiftness he never seen before, Riveria brought an eyepatch and cape and adorned it on herself, creating a comedic image.

"Now, with this method, I finally have the chance to witness the truest art of magic."

"Riveria… what are you talking about."

"Bear witness Shirou, to the strongest attack magic!" She pointed her staff toward the sky.

"Oh, blackness shrouded in light, Frenzied blaze clad in night,"

Soon, black tendrils of mana began converging toward her staff at a rapid rate. Causing multiple magic circles to appear in front of it.

"In the name of the crimson demons, let the collapse of thine origin manifest."

Those magic circles turned into a fiery red. Causing Shirou to start worrying about what it is to come. Even though Shirou could feel that the magic is reaching its limit, the torrent of mana doesn't seem to stop. Wait, don't tell me…

"Summon before me the root of thy power hidden within the lands

of the kingdom of demise!"

"Riveria, stop whatever you're doing right now." Shirou got a really bad feeling about this.

"You can't stop this Shirou, I've already set myself down this path. I would not let anyone obstruct me into seeing this with my own eyes. Now, Witness the power of the strongest attack magic!"

"Explosion!"

All Shirou could see is white.

.

.

.

.

.

In the record of the place once known as Orario, an unusual phenomenon occurred within its wall on a certain day. A pillar of fire shot from the ground up in the abandoned district whilst causing multiple infrastructure damage to the area surrounding it. It walk like a heaven judgment... albeit in the opposite direction. The aftermath of this phenomenon reveal a giant crater scorched beyond recognition. Luckily, there are no casualties from the explosion.

No one managed to find out who created the pillar of fire. Many suspects were questioned regarding their involvement yet all of them vehemently denied the claim. However, an interesting piece to note regarding the aftermath is the huge charity Loki's familia manage to give toward the reconstruction efforts. Yet, we may never know why the familia harbor a guilty face during the entire process.

(Omake end)

Rather long AN:

So…. how's quarantine been for you guys? I know I'm doing fine on my own. SO let's get right into the situation. Firstly, regarding my 8 months unexpected hiatus, all I can do is apologize for it. School has been hectic since I'm taking harder classes for my career and that leaves me almost no time to continue writing this story. Fun fact, I've been working on this chapter for almost the entire 8-month hiatus and just manage to finish due to the quarantine. Another fun fact, the appearance of Gale used to be at the end of chapter 1. However, I felt like its too soon for their meetup so push it back to this chapter.

Second point. Please do not worry about the intricacies behind the magic system here. I already wrack my brain hard and still couldn't find a good way to bridge to gap between Type moon and Danmachi magic. This is the best I could come up with so please bear with me. The folly of 8 months ago come to bite me in the ass today since back then I still have plot bunny stuck in my head. I already tried to patch things up but I know that some would get angry and frustrated by this. So, I wouldn't place any hard feelings if you guys want to drop this fic.

Thirdly, I'm thinking of starting a new fic. Its 25% done right now; Quarantine sure is a blessing in disguise to me. I won't say much regarding what it will be since I'm not sure if I'm planning to post it online. All I can say is that I just hope I manage to do this right.

Thirdly, regarding future chapters… I couldn't promise you guys anything. I may work on it or procrastination may come and took over my body. All I can say is that I will do this to the best of my ability.

So, time for answering reviews.

Tarrangar: yes, I know. Magic will not be the main focus of the fic so all i can ask of you is to bear with me on this.

MysticRising: Well then, being a hero who killed 'All The Worlds Evils' wouldn't be so bad right? As for your other suggestion, you just have to wait and see.

Peddy-kun: Magic my boy, or in this case an Authors force plot. They already spent nearly all their bread from last night and that place is a restaurant, not a bakery.

Googlemo: Oof, while your idea has merits, I like stories that the world builds first before diving toward the main plot. I just feel turn off when there's no build-up leading toward it. However, I do see a way to use your suggestion and I will think about it in future stories.

KitCat: Most cameo will be in omakes and such since I didn't see a need to change the world more. However, that could be subject to a change in the future.

Amir: Soon my boy, soon

And to all of you who compliment my fics, I couldn't do anything else other than giving my most heartfelt gratitude. As always, review and criticism are welcomed. I do not own anything apart from some OC's. I'll see you guys in the next chapter.