Fate/Magus Path

It was late into the night when the door creaked open.

"I'm back..."

Aoko Aozaki's voice was drained of energy as she trudged inside, her exhaustion evident after a long day.

"Welcome back, Aoko." Roy greeted her, rising from his seat. "How did it go? Any progress with today's mission?"

"Ask Shiki about it. I'm taking a bath and heading straight to bed."

After spending an entire day bickering... and occasionally sparring... with her sister, Aoko's body was nearing its limits. Rest was no longer a luxury but a necessity.

"Shiki, what are you up to?"

"Ah, enjoyed your day strolling around outside, didn't you, idiot?"

Shiki Ryougi's voice came from behind Roy. Before he could respond, he felt a slender arm snake around his neck in a playful chokehold.

"Cut it out, Shiki." 

"Shut up. This is your punishment." Shiki grumbled as she ruffled his hair in mock annoyance. "I've been out all day fighting Dead Apostles, risking my life, and here you are, leisurely enjoying dinner."

Her gaze fell on the stack of empty sushi trays on the table, clearly devoured by Arcueid.

"You've got the nerve to relax like this while I'm out there fighting." Shiki continued, her irritation barely masked.

"But I did ask if... "

"Hmm?"

Before Roy could defend himself, Shiki's sharp glare silenced him. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright. My bad."

"Still, it's not like Arcueid and I didn't accomplish anything. We managed to gain a valuable ally this time."

Shiki raised an eyebrow. "Another lost girl you've lured in?"

"What do you mean 'lured'? Is that really the image you have of me?" Roy retorted, exasperated.

Shiki smirked. "No self-awareness at all, huh? First, you picked up Fujino back in Misaki Town. Now, barely a few days in this new place, you've already dragged Arcueid along."

She glanced at Arcueid, who was still nibbling on the remnants of her sushi.

"What? Want some, Shiki?" Arcueid asked innocently, holding out her last sushi tray.

Shiki shook her head. This golden vampire didn't count.

Roy sighed. He couldn't refute her words.

"Forget it." Shiki muttered. "I don't care anymore. Anyway, I'm starving. Make me something to eat. I've been chasing monsters all day and haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Of course. Let me... "

As Roy stood to prepare food, he paused, catching sight of Shiki's disheveled appearance. Her once-tidy kimono was now torn and tattered from the day's battles. Dust smudged her face, and while her wounds had mostly healed, the marks hinted at the intensity of her fights.

Looking at her bedraggled state, Roy felt a surge of gratitude for entrusting her with Avalon.

"Did you run into trouble?" 

"No, just a trap. I got ambushed in a confined area by a group of Dead Apostles. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"I see. Be more careful next time." 

Still, only an ambush?

"What about Aoko? With her around, you shouldn't have ended up this injured." 

Shiki shook her head. "This time, I didn't let Aoko or Touko help. I wanted to test my own limits."

When they stormed the Dead Apostles' lair earlier, Aoko was ready to unleash a devastating magic bullet to wipe out the entire group. However, at Shiki's insistence... and with Roy and Touko standing by to provide support... Aoko eventually relented and let Shiki take the lead.

The result? Shiki's current battered appearance, while the enemy Dead Apostles were completely annihilated.

It wasn't reckless bravado, though. Shiki had grown confident in her use of Avalon, the divine construct Roy had entrusted to her.

Despite her tattered state, her wounds had long healed, thanks to Avalon's regenerative powers, combined with Roy's earlier lessons in basic healing magecraft. Endurance battles were no longer a concern.

Aoko had been astonished watching Shiki carve her way through the lair. She'd thought Roy was extraordinary, but even the women around him turned out to be monsters in their own right. Shiki had methodically slaughtered everything in her path, leaving Aoko with little to do but mop up the stragglers trying to escape.

Within just two days, Shiki had mastered Avalon's capabilities so seamlessly that it was hard to believe.

It really was a treasure.

Satisfied that Shiki was unharmed, Roy checked her condition one last time. After admonishing her to be less reckless in the future, he turned to prepare her meal.

"Any special requests?"

"Just don't make any of that bizarre magic cuisine you used to serve." Shiki replied with a shudder, recalling her earlier experiences.

Bone broth soup, magic dust rice, grilled dragon scales... his previous creations were nightmares on a plate, no matter how beneficial they might have been.

"Alright. How about some egg fried rice? We've got eggs but not much else." Roy offered, ruffling her messy hair.

"Sure. I'll take a bath and change clothes first." Shiki said, heading for the bathroom. She paused to add, "And don't even think about peeking. Whether it's your eyes or your familiars."

"Need help scrubbing your back?" Roy teased.

"If you're willing to gouge out your own eyes, I might consider it." Shiki replied with a smile, twirling the dagger Roy had gifted her.

"Relax, I'm not desperate enough to prey on middle schoolers." Roy quipped, heading to the kitchen. As he walked away, he added one last jab.

"Besides, given your current... assets, there's not much to peek at. Maybe in a few years, there'll be something worth seeing."

"You bastard!" Shiki snapped, hurling a pillow at his head before stomping into the bathroom.

"Just being honest." Roy muttered, catching the pillow and placing it aside.

Once the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut echoed through the house, he closed his eyes, severing his connection to his familiars. While he'd stationed many around the base for security, he wasn't shameless enough to place one in the bathroom.

To avoid any misunderstandings, he even disabled the ones near the hallway leading from the bathroom to Shiki's room. He had no desire to be labeled a pervert.

With that sorted, Roy turned his attention to cooking.

Except…

He picked up an egg and frowned.

They had eggs, but where was the rice?

...

"It's truly unbelievable. Who would have thought that Nrvnqsr Chaos, ranked tenth, would meet his end in such a place?"

In the opulent hall of the club, a white-haired boy with delicate features listened to Ciel's account before him, his expression betraying a trace of surprise.

"That's exactly what he said. After that, I haven't seen Nrvnqsr Chaos's beasts anywhere in the city. It's highly likely he really was killed."

"What's your take on this, Merem Solomon?"

"Hahahahaha, if that man is as formidable as you describe, I must admit I'm even more intrigued."

The boy called Merem, who looked like a child, was draped in pure white clerical robes. Each of his ten fingers bore a gold ring, his regal and elegant demeanor evoking the legendary King of Magecraft, Solomon.

"As expected, that's your reaction. However, I'd advise you not to act too recklessly."

Seeing Merem's attitude, Ciel couldn't help but sigh.

"The pressure I felt from that man was no less than what Narbarek, that lunatic, exudes... perhaps even greater."

"Thank you for the warning, Ciel-chan." Merem said with a light smile.

"If you're so insistent, I won't provoke him lightly. Especially considering the Magician of the Fifth Magic, Aoko Aozaki, and the White Princess of the Dead Apostles are both on his side. From a certain perspective, we could even call him an ally, given that we're all working to address the Dead Apostle issue."

Merem's carefree smile suggested he hadn't taken Ciel's words to heart. Ciel chose not to elaborate further, shaking her head slightly before getting to the point.

"Enough idle chatter. Merem, what intelligence have you brought this time? Have you identified the other Dead Apostle Ancestor heading to Misaki Town?"

"Patience, Ciel-chan. Since I'm here, naturally, such a trivial matter has already been handled."

Still smiling, Merem motioned for her to calm down. Then, he revealed the identity of the Dead Apostle Ancestor in question.

"Vlov Arkhangel."

"The nineteenth-ranked?"

"Exactly. A rather obsessive individual. It's not hard to guess he, like Nrvnqsr Chaos, is also after the Princess, likely under orders from Trhvmn Ortenrosse."

"Even the White Wing Lord is involved in this?"

"Of course. It's safe to say he's orchestrating the entire affair. After all, his ambition to eliminate the Black Princess and the White Princess and claim the throne for himself isn't new."

"But if the White Wing Lord truly wanted to kill the White Princess, wouldn't his chances of success be higher if he acted personally?"

Seeing Ciel's confusion, Merem offered an explanation.

"He doesn't dare act personally. Instead, he hires or manipulates other Dead Apostle Ancestors to do his bidding. The weight of the title 'Princess of the True Ancestors' is simply too much to bear."

"Killing the Princess with his own hands? The thought alone is enough to make him hesitate. Such an act would shake the very foundation of his claim to the title of King of the Dead Apostles. By employing other Dead Apostle Ancestors, even if something goes wrong, he can shift the blame and avoid significant consequences."

"I see. Then, Merem, where do you stand? Are you here to stop them, or are you..."

"Ciel-chan, let's stop this dull questioning. Don't test me like that. Even I have my limits when it comes to such matters."

Merem's tone suddenly turned icy, and his killing intent filled the air without restraint.

"My apologies. That was inappropriate of me."

"It's fine. I got a little carried away myself."

Merem waved his hand dismissively, accepting Ciel's apology and decisively withdrawing his killing intent.

When it came to Ortenrosse, the so-called King of the Dead Apostles, Merem's gaze held nothing but disdain.

Ciel had guessed correctly. Before Merem had made his way here, Ortenrosse had indeed reached out to him in secret, probing his stance and offering a tempting proposal. The old schemer had tried to bribe Merem into turning a blind eye and avoiding Japan to rescue the White Princess.

But was that ever possible?

He had long since pledged his unwavering loyalty and very life to Arcueid and was fully prepared to face the consequences of that devotion.

These treacherous, power-hungry fools dared to think they could command him? To plot against the Princess right under his nose? How absurd!

Merem was more loyal to Crimson Moon than anyone else, and so, he stood firmly by her rightful heir.

Now that Ortenrosse had brazenly made a move against the White Princess, it had crossed his bottom line.

If given the chance, Merem wouldn't hesitate to kill him with his own hands.

The Black Princess had two knights guarding her, making Ortenrosse reluctant to act against her. She was safe for now. The only vulnerable target was the White Princess.

Thus, after gathering the necessary information, Merem had rushed here with all haste.

Still, upon hearing about Nrvnqsr Chaos's death and the man Ciel spoke of with such awe, Merem couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity.

When had someone so formidable appeared in the world of magecraft? Was he truly as extraordinary as Ciel claimed? Though Merem trusted Ciel's judgment, for the sake of caution, he decided to test whether this man was truly qualified to become the White Princess's protector.

While both the Black Princess and the White Princess were True Ancestors, Merem Solomon's loyalty lay firmly with the White Princess.

If the day ever came when the two were fated to clash, Merem would unhesitatingly side with the White Princess.

As a True Ancestor more loyal to Crimson Moon than anyone else, he had even steeled himself to kill one of Crimson Moon's heirs if it came to that.

Toward the power-hungry schemers who targeted the Princess for their petty ambitions... who, even now, hid in the shadows, too cowardly to act openly... Merem felt nothing but boundless contempt.

"That man's name is Roy, isn't it?"

If so, he'd better not disappoint. After all, the real storm was only just beginning.

If he was nothing more than an empty name, he wouldn't be able to protect the White Princess. In that case, Merem himself would eliminate him.

With that thought, Merem's smile faded. He turned to Ciel and began inquiring about the details with greater specificity.

Little did he know that this forthcoming test would become one of the most unforgettable moments in his long existence as a Dead Apostle.

___

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