The table was full now—seven Servants seated or standing close, steam rising gently from bowls and cups. The warmth of the kitchen, still scented with food and tea, softened the sharp edges of divine presences and deadly auras.
Shirou leaned back slightly in his chair, fatigue clinging to his shoulders like a weighted blanket, but his mind was clear. Now that they were all here, they deserved to know.
Romani was the first to speak.
He looked to Florence, brow furrowed in thought. "I've been holding the question back out of respect, but… how are you alive?"
Florence glanced at Shirou, then gave a small nod.
Shirou reached down and pulled open the wooden box that had sat at the end of the table. Inside, nestled in dark velvet, were the fifteen white Evil Pieces—now reduced to just fourteen.
He held one up between two fingers. "This," he said, "is an Evil Piece. A magical artifact used by devils in this world to reincarnate others into their kind—or to restore them if they're close enough to death."
Yan Qing raised an eyebrow. "Like a second life?"
"Exactly," Shirou nodded. "Or a second chance. I didn't fully understand them until today, but they're connected to something called the Peerage System—a structure devils use to form their houses, their servants, and allies. It's how they maintain balance."
Florence sat quietly at his side, her tea untouched. "Shirou used one on me. I was like you when he summoned me, so I wasn't alive—not truly. Now I am."
Romani frowned, deep in thought. "So these pieces… bypass the Throne entirely?"
"More like reroute it," Florence replied. "But yes. I'm no longer tethered to the Throne of Heroes."
Sigurd stared at the box with mild fascination. "And this is… common?"
Shirou shook his head. "Not at all. The King Piece, the one I used on myself, isn't supposed to exist. But the Goddess who reincarnated me gave me a full set—including that one."
Karna finally spoke, his voice calm. "A goddess?"
"I don't know her name," Shirou admitted. "But I remember her smile. She reincarnated me into this world and gave me the cards. Seven Servant cards—one for each class. She also gave me this Lesser Grail, which I think is what stabilizes you all."
He looked around at them slowly. "I was reincarnated a few hours ago. And right after that, I saw someone about to die and helped him."
Arjuna's gaze sharpened slightly. "You moved without hesitation?"
"I did what I always do," Shirou said quietly. "I saw someone about to die, and I ran in."
He looked down at his hand, scarred and tired. "I didn't know if I'd survive. I still don't. But I couldn't do nothing."
There was silence.
Then Romani leaned forward. "You said 'goddess.' Does that mean this world still has divine influence?"
Shirou nodded. "Yes. The Age of the Gods never ended here. My father of this world—Kiritsugu—told me that this world is full of supernatural races. Angels, fallen angels, devils, and more. Magic is still alive. So is divine power. This world didn't fall into stagnation like the one under Gaia did."
Florence added softly, "Even I could feel it the moment I came into being. The rules here are different. Magic flows easily. Ether is thick in the air."
Shirou continued, "There are two high-class devils who govern this town. Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. I met them earlier today."
Romani's eyebrows lifted. "High-class devils… you're telling me there's a political hierarchy here too?"
Shirou gave a tired smile. "Of course there is. And I probably already broke a dozen rules by putting the King Piece inside me and summoning you all."
Achilles chuckled, lifting his cup. "Good. Rules are boring."
Florence shot him a look. "Not when they decide who tries to kill us."
Romani nodded seriously. "We'll need to prepare for diplomacy. Or conflict."
"I know," Shirou said. "That's why I wanted to summon all of you before explaining. I need your help. And your trust."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was thoughtful. Each Servant processing, each in their own way.
And then Karna spoke, voice like sunlight. "You wanted to give us a choice, I get. You acted not out of power, but out of compassion."
He met Shirou's eyes directly. "That is more than enough for my trust."
Florence looked at him. "Mine was already given."
Yan Qing gave a two-finger salute. "You're a weird one. But I've followed stranger."
Romani just sipped his tea and smiled. "You've earned it."
Achilles grinned. "We're not leaving now. You cooked."
Arjuna didn't speak. But he nodded once, slow and deliberate.
Sigurd stood, silent as ever, and bowed. "I stand with you, Master."
Shirou looked at each of them—tired, but steady.
And for the first time, truly, he felt it.
He wasn't alone.
However, as the silence settled into something warmer—mutual, respectful, almost peaceful—Romani gently tapped a finger on the side of his cup.
"So," he said, tone light but probing, "do we… have to become devils to stay like this?"
Shirou winced slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kind of. That's the only method I know to make your existence stable here."
Romani blinked. "So this isn't just a temporary spiritual anchor?"
"No," Shirou said. "Florence is fully alive now. I think that's what the Evil Pieces do when used this way. You'd gain a physical body that isn't tethered to the Throne or spiritual systems. You'd be real. But you'd technically be a devil."
"Technically," Florence added, sipping her tea. "Not religiously."
Yan Qing leaned forward on his elbows, curious. "What does that even mean, becoming a devil here?"
"Longer lifespan," Shirou explained. "More magical potential. And you'd be officially registered as part of my household—my Peerage. Each Piece has different effects."
He gestured to the open box and tapped each label one by one.
"Knights get speed. Rooks get raw strength. Bishops get increased magic. Queens get a bit of everything. Pawns are flexible, and can promote during battle depending on the situation."
"Sounds like a deck of magic chess," Romani muttered.
"It basically is," Shirou admitted. "But I don't want to force anyone. This is your choice. I summoned you, but I'm not going to bind you."
Florence gave him a side-glance. "You're also assuming the system will work on everyone."
"Well… yes," Shirou said with a sheepish smile. "We'll find out."
Achilles grinned. "I call one of the Knights! I'm a Rider, right? Speed's kind of my thing."
"I'm a real knight," Sigurd said with a perfectly level voice, sipping his tea calmly.
"I'm faster," Yan Qing cut in, smirking. "Agility's my main stat. Maybe I should take the other Knight."
"Doesn't it mean that you should get a Rook, then? To get a strength boost to go with your speed?" Sigurd set down his cup with the air of a man accepting a tragic fate. "Otherwise, I will take a Rook."
Yan Qing hummed. "You're right. I'll take the Rook, then."
Romani raised his hand lightly. "Can I take one of the Bishops? Magic's kind of my entire thing, and I wouldn't mind being a little more... grounded."
Shirou nodded. "Of course."
"I'll take the other Bishop," Arjuna said simply, gaze steady. "I would prefer to remain focused on control, not physicality."
Shirou turned to Karna. "That leaves one Rook."
Karna gave the barest hint of a smile. "That suits me."
Florence nodded approvingly. "No drama. That's rare with this many egos."
Achilles pointed a chopstick at her. "That's because we haven't fought over who gets the bathroom yet."
Romani raised his cup. "I will schedule rotations."
Yan Qing grinned. "Spoken like a real housewife."
Shirou let out a soft laugh. Tired—but genuine.
"I'll prepare the Pieces," he said. "Tomorrow. One at a time."
He looked up again.
"Thank you—for trusting me."
The chorus of nods and quiet affirmations that followed was more than he expected.
.
The group had mostly relaxed now. Food was being picked over, tea poured again, and the air in the Emiya household was something close to comfortable. The moment felt almost surreal, considering the power gathered in one kitchen.
Achilles leaned back in his chair, stretching with a loud yawn before lazily glancing around the table. "Okay, so now that we're all here and nobody exploded, I've got a question."
Shirou paused mid-sip, already feeling a twinge of dread. "...What kind of question?"
Achilles grinned. "Why did you specifically ask for all of us to be guys? You made it weirdly specific every time."
Shirou froze.
Yan Qing perked up, elbow propped on the table. "Oh, that was deliberate?"
Romani looked intrigued. "Now that you mention it…"
Even Arjuna gave a sidelong glance, while Sigurd adjusted his glasses silently—but attentively.
Florence, ever composed, sipped her tea calmly—except for the unmistakable smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Shirou flushed instantly, ears turning red. "I—It wasn't like that! I wasn't trying to avoid girls for—look, okay—there's a reason."
Karna tilted his head slightly. "A logical one, I hope?"
"I have a curse," Shirou muttered.
That got everyone's attention.
Achilles blinked. "A what now?"
Shirou sighed and slouched into his chair. "When the goddess reincarnated me, she gave me boons. The cards. Avalon. A Lesser Grail."
He buried his face in one hand. "And also… a flaw. She called it Eroge Protagonist EX (Corrupted)."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Romani choked on his tea.
Yan Qing burst out laughing, slamming a fist on the table. "No way! That's a real curse?!"
Florence, deadpan: "It is. He told me while cutting vegetables. Nearly nicked the onion when I processed it."
Arjuna raised a single eyebrow. "Explain it."
Shirou groaned. "People... fall in love with me. Stupidly fast. Like—within a few minutes of talking sometimes."
Romani wiped tears from his eyes. "Sounds like a doujin curse. You sure she wasn't just messing with you?"
Shirou continued, resigned. "It gets worse. I… can't reciprocate unless I already liked them first, and if they're of my preferred gender—"
He paused, color creeping back into his cheeks.
Florence helpfully finished, "—they go yandere. Emotionally unstable. Possessive. Possibly homicidal."
Sigurd looked… politely horrified.
Achilles blinked. "Wait. So you summoned all guys because…?"
"I didn't want to risk summoning a female Servant who already had romantic tendencies!" Shirou blurted, flustered. "A lot of heroic spirits are like that! And I didn't want to get stabbed in my sleep!"
"Reasonable," Karna said with grave solemnity.
Romani was still laughing. "I'm sorry. It's just—that name. Eroge Protagonist EX. That sounds like a joke stat from Chaldea's HR files."
Yan Qing leaned in with a devilish grin. "So what happens if a guy you do like gets too close?"
Shirou immediately looked at his tea like it held the secrets of the universe.
Florence's smirk widened just a bit.
"Not. Talking. About. That," Shirou muttered.
Achilles clapped him on the back. "You're fun when you're miserable."
"I hate you all," Shirou said half-heartedly.
But even he was laughing by the end of it.
.
The laughter had finally begun to die down, replaced by quiet conversation and the soft clinking of empty dishes. The mood had shifted again—lighter, more familiar. The tension of divine introductions had given way to something almost domestic.
Shirou stood, stretching out the stiffness from his body. "Alright. Let's get you all settled in. Thankfully, the Emiya house is… bigger than it looks."
Romani raised an eyebrow. "Bigger how?"
"You'll see," Shirou said with a tired smile. "Follow me."
He led the seven of them through the sliding doors into the hallway, barefoot on polished wood floors that creaked with faint familiarity. The Emiya estate, traditional on the outside, had been built with both function and space in mind—courtesy of the previous Kiritsugu, who always seemed to expect guests. Or backup plans.
"The house has four wings," Shirou explained. "The east side is mostly empty now. It has four rooms. You can claim whichever."
"Is there a room with good ventilation?" Florence asked immediately. "If I'm staying in a new body, I want a window that opens."
"North-facing," Shirou replied. "Gets a breeze all day."
Florence nodded and peeled off wordlessly, already in logistics mode.
"I want a room with a view," Achilles said, arms behind his head. "If I'm going to stay here, I want to see the sunrise and pretend I'm poetic."
"You'll want the far west room," Shirou offered.
"Mine," Achilles declared instantly.
Romani chuckled. "I don't need much. Something near the bath, so I can soak and disassociate."
"That's... specific," Yan Qing muttered.
Romani just smiled.
Arjuna looked around with faint interest. "I'll take whatever is furthest from the others. I prefer silence."
Karna, beside him, gave a faint hum. "Then I will take the one closest to the garden."
Shirou blinked. "Why the garden?"
"Sunlight," Karna said simply.
Sigurd hadn't spoken, but when Shirou looked at him, he adjusted his glasses. "Something with open floor space. I will need room to train."
"East wing it is," Shirou said.
Yan Qing grinned. "I just want one with a good lock."
"You don't need a lock," Florence called from down the hall. "You need judgment."
Shirou led them room by room, the sound of sliding doors echoing quietly through the halls, mingled with the murmur of new voices in an old house. Soon, doors were chosen, corners claimed, and quiet unpacking began—not with suitcases, but mental acceptance.