Fake Familiar Reborn Chapter 22: Holy Sword Part 2 (Patreon)

Fully beta read by Paragon of Awesomeness, Shigiya and Maglad.

So there will be another chapter of Fake Familiar after this. Double update, yes. Thanks to SZL and also to get things rolling into the next arc.

Already started to work partially on Fate Coiling Sword and hope to update Snafu, An Archer's Promise and Broly before the 10th. Hoping to fix my updating schedule asap.

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-Kuoh Academy-


"The Familiar Forest?" Standing near his Master's side, Archer repeated these words with a hint of curiosity.


Seeing his expression, Rias held a smile on her face as she nodded with enthusiasm. "Indeed, the Familiar Forest is an important place, and contracting a familiar is a significant ceremony for all Devils and even reincarnated Devils to go through. Basically, during every full moon, a specific peerage is chosen to head over to that place in order to find themselves a new familiar as a companion. You can find creatures from all kinds of legends there, from harmless fairies to the infamous hydra, whose poison can kill even an ultimate-class Devil.”


“A hydra… you're serious?” A magical beast whose poison, while not enough to instantly kill most Heroic Spirits, was still enough to heavily weaken them. The fact that the same entity in this reality most likely held similar potency was impressive.


“Yup! I've heard rumors that there was once even a Nemean lion spotted in that region, and others even proclaimed having seen a blue dragon wandering the area as its territory. No one really knows what the truth is, but given the nature of that place, it's very likely that the dragon really does exist."


“A dragon…” The more he learned about this world, the more impressed and also worried Archer became. “I find it worrying you are so chipper and excited to venture into such a place despite it being home to a menagerie of dangerous creatures.” 


Once again he had to remind himself that this place still revolved around the equivalent of the Age of Gods in his reality, though there were also plenty of differences — many of the parallels in certain entities often seemed to be in name only.


The mere thought of people being able to make a contract with a dragon as a familiar was a terrifying notion. Having fought such creatures in the past as a Counter Guardian, he knew how formidable they were as opponents, where oftentimes even a Broken anti-dragon Noble Phantasm wouldn't be enough to kill them. 


He didn't need to look far to get an idea for just how resilient they were, as a certain purple-haired Heroic Spirit currently disguised as the school librarian was capable of riding into battle atop a Pegasus, whose defenses equaled that of a dragon.


"Let me guess, as the younger sister of Lucifer himself, you have an equally powerful entity under your command. A true demon perhaps? I must admit, that is some tough competition I have," he joked, aware that the likelihood of his Master having ownership of such an entity was close to none, as she would have told him long ago or brought it into battle against Riser, or even used against him during their training.


All he got was a gentle punch on his shoulder as the redhead pouted. "You don't have to say it like that, meanie. This is my familiar," she said as a small magic circle formed on the palm of her hand before a small bat-like creature with an impish face emerged from it. "You already know her."


Indeed, he had seen this creature the day Rias sent it over to Issei to deliver the summoning pamphlets.


"As for you, Archer, you may think of yourself as just a highly powerful and intelligent familiar, but I find that term degrading. 'Servant' and 'summoned Heroic Spirit' sound far better than 'familiar,' don't you think so? And seeing as you’re clearly not a monster, I’m not sure you’re even a familiar at all, if we go by the definition that the people of this world tend to use. Honestly, classifying you Servants as such almost sounds like a joke made up by whoever created this system. Not to mention you all were originally meant to be around for a very short time, while for us Devils a familiar tends to be a contract spanning for many years or even a lifetime."


At that, he raised an eyebrow, "Are you calling me a fake familiar, Master?"


"I'm calling you a Servant, Archer. My Servant, to be precise. You're far more to me than just a… familiar," the girl remained stubborn in her words, Archer was unable to hold in a sigh at this, and decided to simply move on from this topic His Master was never willing to back down when it came to the things she saw as important, no matter how driven by pure sentiment they may be.


"While I am happy to have a Master that cares about the dignity and respect of those she commands, I'm more curious about the reason why you are bringing up matters related to the Familiar Forest. Given that Issei and Asia just joined your peerage, are you perhaps bringing them over to have them get one?"


It was the only explanation he could think of at the moment that made sense.


She smirked, "You are correct, but that is not all. It is not just Issei nor Asia that require me to go to the Underworld for such a thing. Rather, a third member who just joined our ranks very recently." 


Her chest puffed up in pride, looking at him with her nose held high as if expecting some kind of praise from him. But all the white-haired bowman gave her was a look of confusion, waiting for her to further elaborate.


"So, the one we spoke about previously is finally here huh…”


"See for yourself," Rias said. As soon as she said that, as if on cue, the door was slammed open with a great amount of force, followed by a gust of air filling the room and tossing every piece of paper and item off the redhead’s desk.


“Wah!” The action was so sudden and intense that even Rias was taken aback. She hadn't expected it at all and could only watch in despair as her cup of coffee spilled onto the documents she had been working on, ruining them completely. “No! All my hard work!”


"Finally, I get to properly meet you!" the new arrival said with pure excitement in her voice, leaving Emiya stunned not by her approach, but because he recognized this person from his own class.


“Hello, Kiyome. Hmm… I see you’ve already been reincarnated.” Archer observed neutrally.


Seeing his reaction, the individual quickly composed herself and gave him a rather sophisticated salute with a slight bow. 


"Indeed! It's great to finally meet you as your true self, Tojou-sensei. I'll introduce myself once more. My name is Abe Kiyome, I’m excited to join you as Rias Gremory's newest Pawn and expert Beast Tamer, at your service." 


With light brown hair styled into familiar-looking drills, Abe Kiyome presented herself with a large smile on her face that refused to die down as she looked at him. 


"I’ve been wanting to get to know you ever since you arrived, Archer, familiar of Rias Gremory! Unfortunately, I didn't know how to approach you during class and didn't want to overstep my boundaries. Would you mind if I took a closer look at you?" 


Well, she certainly was an energetic type of person, already moving around and circling his body, doing her best to get a look at every inch without any hint of shame or hesitation now that she was in the peerage. Completely engrossed in her little world, even going so far as to take notes about every little detail. 


"A humanoid spirit in physical form, apparently bound through a familiar contract, and yet holds so much energy within them. How odd! Wait, it's not demonic energy, nor holy energy, and it’s not light energy, or even regular mana if I'm correct? Gremory-senpai mentioned it was something you call magical energy. I don't see how it would differ from regular old mana, but since you're the one who said so, I'll believe it—Ouch!”


The girl flinched backward, the expression of pain overtaking her face as she attempted to grab onto his arms. However, she quickly found herself regretting her action as Emiya had his holy shroud on. A faint trace of smoke formed upon their contact, as if she had touched a scalding iron pan. 


Though it only distracted her for a second before she shortened the distance between them once again.


“Right, I forgot I can no longer touch light-based or holy objects. But this only makes you even more interesting! A familiar contracted with a Devil wearing a holy shroud of all things. Can I get a sample of your blood?"


Her response came with Archer's hand lightly grabbing her face and pushing the girl away slowly, her body sliding a meter away from him. 


“No.” He spoke in a dry tone, "I would prefer some personal space first. And second of all, can you explain to me what exactly is going on here, Rias?" 


The man looked at his Master, neither angered nor disappointed about her newest choice of servant since he knew about her from their previous conversation, just wanting more information about why she chose this individual in particular.


“Like I said before, since Abe Kiyome comes from a renowned line of tamers, skilled in the art of training a wide variety of magical beasts, many of which can be found in the Underworld and contracted as familiars. She possesses unmatched expertise in this field, and her own familiar is particularly formidable, known for its mastery over water surpassed only by the likes of a Sitri. Having her join our peerage is akin to gaining two valuable assets in one individual. Also, she was the one who approached me first, not the other way around.” 


“I see,” replied Archer with a look at Kiyome, wondering what could have pushed her to do such a thing. “I’m still curious as to why you wanted to join my Master’s peerage, though.” 


“It's because I wanted to learn about you, sensei!” Her response was not what he'd been waiting to hear. “It's the first time I've ever seen a familiar like you, and I had to know more!” 


“You see, Kiyome here, from what I've learned, still believed we Devils were using people's souls as payment for contracts. This misunderstanding is apparently the reason why she never approached me or Sona before. But with you here, she worked up the courage to finally talk to me, and I filled her in on how different real Devil society truly is from the image she had in her head. From there one thing led to another, and here we are!” Explained his Master, though he felt like there was a lot of information she was leaving out from that conversation. 


It sounded a bit too convenient for his liking.


“I see.” 


Still, he had to admit, this was not a bad move on her part. If having an individual like Kiyome with them meant they had the ability to summon multiple familiars during a battle — who it sounded like would be able to command even more familiars in the future — then having her as part of the peerage would be a great advantage that could not be ignored. Even if she only had the powers of a single Pawn, it would matter little if she would one day be able to command a veritable army of monsters. “Let me guess, she is the real reason why you are so adamant about going to the Familiar Forest tonight?”


“Indeed, there is a person who will welcome us as we arrive in the area, but he only serves as a guide to keep us away from the more dangerous parts of the forest. It is completely up to us to interact with the creatures there and find a familiar suitable for us. So, with Kiyome there with us, not only will we have a guide to show us the path, but also someone well-versed with each creature who can help both Asia and Issei to make contracts with powerful creatures that ordinarily they wouldn't have been able to approach.”


“I must admit, Master, I am impressed.” He was genuine with his words, his response having gotten the reaction that Rias wanted as she couldn't help but giggle like a loon. “Wait, you said that it happens once every full moon, but since Sona also has a new peerage member, wouldn't she contest for a spot as well?”


"Ah, that? I've already taken care of that. Since Sona almost got you killed because she went and summoned her Servant without even discussing it with us, her apology also includes her giving up her reserved slot to us this month, and she’ll just have to try her luck again next time."


The man raised his eyebrow. "Do you mean you guilt-tripped her into doing so?"


Rias gave him a cheshire smile.


"Who knows."


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"Achoo!" Inside the student council office, a certain Sitri heiress sneezed out loud, startling those around her.


"Did you catch a cold, Kaichou?" Saji asked, looking worriedly at his King, who hadn't been very talkative in the last few days. 


Sona shook her head at his question, waving her hand to dismiss his worries. "I'm fine, I just feel like someone is talking about me," she answered.


"Wait, so the urban legend about a person sneezing because someone on the other side of the world is talking about them is real?" Momo asked seriously, which earned an eye roll from Sona.


"That's just an expression. I didn't actually sneeze because someone is talking about me," she replied, her tone stricter than usual, causing the other peerage members to immediately quiet down and resume their duties.


"What's up with her?" asked Momo to Tsubaki, clearly noticing something odd about their King. 


The Queen sighed, shaking her head as she whispered back, "She's just irritated that this month's reservation to visit the Familiar Forest had to be given up to Rias as part of her apology for the chaos that was caused by Rider’s summoning because we didn’t tell them about it. She had plans to go there and pick up a powerful familiar for Saji and possibly herself, but now she has to wait another month," the message was whispered between them, with Momo now understanding why Sona seemed to be in such a no-nonsense mood. 


"Ah, I see. Well, nothing we can do over spilled milk. And it's not like we lost anything substantial; we'll just have to do it next time." 


"I know, but you know how she can be at times," Tsubasa remarked as she entered the hushed conversation. 


Tsubaki found that she couldn’t deny the sentiment. For Sona, it wasn't just a matter of feeling that she’d fallen behind Rias. The two heiresses had always been naturally competitive, and if one of them ever had a clear advantage over the other, then the other would not rest until the score between them was settled. While Sona had caught up to Rias in terms of having a Servant, she’d gone about it in a way that forced her to make concessions to her rival as an apology, and that rankled her pride no matter how necessary she knew it was.


Meanwhile, Tsubasa continued, "I mean, just think about it. Even if I will admit that we were a bit hasty in our attempts at summoning a Servant without consulting the others, we still won the lottery given who we summoned. Like, did you see how powerful Rider is? She actually managed to push Archer into a corner! We summoned THE Gorgon." 


There was a clear hint of admiration and awe in the tomboy Rook’s voice, her opinion of Sona’s Servant sounding far more positive than it had when they all learned her true identity a couple of days ago. 


Tsubasa had never imagined she would see such a heart-pumping fight between two entities of such overwhelming skill and power. One of whom she’d been starting to think could never be beaten in hand-to-hand combat — a person who’d trashed her and everyone in the peerage again and again, to the point where she’d had a couple nightmares of being back at the training field deep within the mountains before waking up covered in cold sweat. 


It wasn't that she did not enjoy getting down and dirty in a fight, but that did not mean she liked getting her own ass handed to her with strikes powerful enough to shatter even her formidable bones multiple times a day. “Now that I think about it, Archer truly went easy on us back then. It kinda pisses me off how much he was holding back.”


Momo scoffed, “Unlike you, I'm just happy he didn't go too far when sparring with us, I very much like being able to walk on my own two feet rather than rolling around in a wheelchair, thank you very much. But other than that, I have to agree with Tsubasa. We gained an incredibly powerful ally with Rider, all things considered.”


Tsubaki shrugged. It was clear that even with all the punishments, Sona had still gained far more than whatever she’d lost from the summoning debacle. The girl in question just couldn't acknowledge the matter, as her pride just wouldn't completely allow such a defeat.


Far too competitive, both her and Rias.


"Not like she has a choice. Even if we summoned someone like Rider, we are still responsible for the battle that ensued afterwards because of a failure to communicate. It didn’t end up being the end of the world, thankfully, but we should still learn such lessons now rather than at a later time. Or need I remind you all that Rider was apparently about to release her Noble Phantasm when Kaichou stopped her?" Tsubaki's words once again reminded everyone of their mistake.


She had been as panicked as anyone in the Gremory group during the battle between both Servants. 


Unlike the rest of her peerage, Archer wasn’t just her teacher, but also a kind of mentor to her. It was thanks to him that she was genuinely seeing great improvement in her spearmanship, and he was even willing to help her out with her situation with Yuuto. Having done so much for, she felt guilty that there didn’t seem to be much she could offer him to show her gratitude. To top that off, she felt guilty for the role she’d played in him nearly getting killed by Rider. It was no different than backstabbing him.


"Speaking of Rider, have any of you gotten to know her better in the last few days?" the bored Bishop asked. "I tried to find some time to talk to her, but you wouldn't believe how crowded the library has otten ever since she started working here. Even the girls wouldn't let me pass so easily. I think we should create a rank above the Two Great Onee-samas to properly express just how popular she is… Any ideas?"


“Oh! Oh! The Grand Goddess?” Tomoe suggested, to which Momo gave some thought before shaking her head. 


“No… sounds too corny. I'll ask some other students and see if they have any suggestions.”


"You actually want to have a one-on-one conversation with her?" Saji asked incredulously, only to instantly get a weird stare from the girls. "D-Don't get me wrong, she's an incredibly beautiful woman, but it's kind of scary being around her. Like, that's the freaking Gorgon from the myths who was infamous for eating men, killing many people, and turning others into stone!"


“She is from another reality, so I don’t think we can really do a one-to-one comparison of her to the Medusa of our world.” Reya joined the conversation, feeling as though it was unfair to hold such beliefs based on what she’d actually seen of Rider. “She hasn't turned you into stone, and it's clear that even Kaichou doesn't think she’s a danger to us.” 


“I know, but imagine what will happen if her blindfold ever comes off by accident!” 


At his response, the others just sighed, not providing any answer, while a few of the girls suddenly went still — their eyes staring at a figure behind him. 


Their reactions went unnoticed by the boy, who continued his spiel.


"Maybe I'm being too harsh. I will admit that I was really taken aback at how beautiful she looked in regular clothes. No wonder she was known as one of the most beautiful girls in ancient Greece. Perhaps I can try to approach her with some gifts, but what would she like? What do gorgons like to eat in the first place?"


"As a Servant, I don't need to eat, though I will admit to being more partial to meat," came a sudden reply.


"—!"


Saji's body froze in fear at the sound of a familiar voice behind him. Seeing expressions of sympathy and pity flash across his peerage members' faces, the boy immediately knew what was going on. ‘She's right behind me,’ he thought and gulped.


Turning around mechanically and deliberately slowly to face the Servant whom his King summoned, he saw that she was no longer wearing her tight battle dress, but a long-sleeved sweater and pants. His blood turned cold as there was no longer a blindfold hiding her eyes; now she had a pair of clear glasses through which he could see everything.


"Wah!" fearing for his life, he scrambled on the ground before backing away in fear. "I didn't mean anything I said! It was just a joke! A joke!" he repeated hastily, quickly looking over at his arms and legs to see if he was turning into stone, only to get a swift whack to the top of his head by Tsubasa.


"Oi, stop being so rude and making yourself look stupid," Tsubasa thankfully managed to calm him down, looking awkwardly at the tall woman who was no longer paying any attention to him, instead going over to where Sona was.


"I don't think she likes us," said the Pawn, getting up on his feet before clearing his throat. "I felt my heart stop there for a minute."


"Correction, she doesn't like you, most likely. I don't think she has any opinion about the rest of us. She rarely talks to anyone, not even the students who go to the library. She never utters a word to them unless it’s to point out a certain book, and just mostly gestures for them to stay quiet."


Ignoring the conversation going on behind her, Rider reached the other end of the room where her Master was busy handling a mountain-sized stack of papers. Her eyes were sunken, as if she hadn't slept for a couple of days, her hair was slightly frazzled, and her general aura dimmer than usual. The Servant had heard from Archer about how his Master had Sona take care of even more administrative duties to add to her punishment, which included taking over some of her own paperwork. 


Archer mentioned it was mostly because the girl had been using a pen he’d Projected to fill out all of that paperwork, and after their battle, he accidentally dismissed it when getting rid of the many weapons he’d launched at her, along with its ink. Truth be told, that was the first time she ever heard someone use Magecraft like that. She wondered why he would have let his Master do such a thing, though he did seem oddly happy about it. As if he was deriving some amusement from the entire affair.


"Master," Rider called out, the latter turning before freezing up and reacting similarly to how Saji did at first. Though unlike him, she quickly calmed down and rubbed her temples and eyes. 


"Rider, what happened to your blindfold? And where did you get those glasses?" Sona did not question her Servant's statement about how dangerous her Mystic Eyes were. The blindfold itself was a Noble Phantasm she used to keep that power sealed. 


There was little to no chance that a Servant like her would wander around wearing regular glasses and risk everyone's livelihood with such power. And she was pretty certain that the glasses she ordered had not yet not arrived, so it meant whoever gave her these glasses also made them able to seal off that power.


"They were a small gift," Rider said without missing a beat. She would admit to having taken a liking to her new accessory, as they fit her perfectly. How that man knew the exact size was just another question she added to the ever growing pile, but it could wait. "Archer gave them to me this morning."


"Him? But what about those earrings I gave you?" A small artifact made to create an illusion of a normal face, she recalled giving those to her Servant so that she may use them until the real pair of glasses arrived. "Did something happen to them?"


Rider shook her head. "No, he just came to the library this morning to see how I was acclimating to my new role as the school librarian, and also informed me that the illusion created by those earrings was not perfect. Later I found a small case on my desk and these glasses were inside. They are effective in blocking off my eyes’ powers."


This revelation made Sona both impressed and frustrated at the same time. It showed her that Archer was able to predict her actions in advance and go so far as to prepare a better item for Rider to use. She still intended to order those glasses for Rider though, as these ones were clearly one of Archer’s constructs.


‘Not only did he figure out that I would have Rider pose as a member of the academy’s staff, but he also prepared these glasses in advance and mocked my own attempts at hiding her blindfold with those earrings,’ she thought. ‘Going so far as to berate their use to Rider, knowing full well she's going to pass on his words to me.’


That man… At times it felt like he was reading her like an open book, making Sona want to play another round of chess with him just to see if she'd made any progress at all.


She wanted to disregard the apparent flaw about those earrings, but after hearing Rider’s explanation, Sona couldn't help but agree, further irritating her as it made her prior choice seem full of errors and hastily made. 


Then again, such a notion wasn't completely false, as she had indeed been pressed for time. 


"Ah, nevermind. As long as they are working, then I have no problem with you using those glasses. While Archer can prove to be rather vexing at times, he’s proven himself as someone we can trust, he won't play a trick on us with something as important as the safety of the school populace. If possible, can you ask him how he made these glasses so quickly? I doubt he'll reveal his secret, but it doesn't hurt to try." 


There were many aspects to the man she'd found, and Sona had a feeling she’d only scratched the surface. One example being the fact that he could apparently create almost anything. No matter what he needed or any kind of tool, it would always be in his hand. For now, she hypothesized it to be some sort of spatial storage ability, but without confirmation from either Rias or Archer, she couldn't be certain.


"How are they?" Sona asked with curiosity, wondering if these glasses were better than what she initially believed. In response, Rider nodded her head once again. 


"They are of acceptable quality. The lenses block off the more dangerous of my Mystic Eyes' abilities without interfering with my sight."


"That's good to know, but as your Master, I’d still prefer for you to have another alternative that I’ve been able to provide for you. I don't know when the glasses I've ordered will arrive, but until then I'm happy to see you have something to use in the meantime." If possible, she wanted to know more about Archer's ability and knowledge in such things. Thankfully, with Medusa here, maybe the latter could fill her in about the details on Magecraft and how Archer was able to create those glasses, or any of his other creations. 


"Alright, it's best I return to my work for now," Sona said while looking at the pile in front of her with a sigh, seeing she had barely made a dent in it. There was just too much, and she feared that it would take at least a week before she would be able to put all this behind her.


Noticing her Master's complexion and situation, Rider contemplated her next action for a couple of seconds before grabbing one of the stacks of papers in front of Sona. "Let me help you get through these, Master," she said, earning a surprised look from Sona, who wanted to say something but found no words coming out of her mouth. With the pen in her hand being tapped against the table, she didn't have it in her to object to the offer of more assistance, and let Rider do her thing. 


"…Thank you, Rider. My peerage is already occupied with taking care of other matters regarding the academy’s various clubs and this term’s budget and they all have requests for contracts that need to be addressed as soon as possible. The student council can't put them on hold, so I gave them the power to make all the necessary decisions while I handle this paperwork. Having you here to assist me in this is most welcome. But are you sure you can handle it?"


"Yes," was all she said before going through the papers one by one. "I am able to read and write, Master. And my connection to the Throne allows me to comprehend every language throughout history."


Sona  looked back down at the document she’d been working on awkwardly, feeling as if her previous words were misinterpreted as questioning Medusa's intelligence and knowledge. She admitted to herself, there was some doubt about whether or not Medusa could read and write, as in her legend, the Gorgon was mostly portrayed as a cursed monster trapped on a secluded isle. Even if she knew how to read and write, it would have been in the alphabet used by the ancient Greeks. Though her words just now did also explain how she was able to fluently speak Japanese with them all.


“Thanks.” 


The minutes ticked by as the two continued their work, only the ruffling of pages and the scratching of pens filling the air. Sona felt herself become more at ease as she slowly but surely saw her workload shrink at a visible rate, and most of it was not because of her efforts. She found herself impressed at how efficient Rider turned out to be, and even slightly stunned when looking at the woman. If she had no knowledge about her origin and nature, she would have honestly looked like a genuine young school teacher with a talent for handling such things. Bit by bit, the clock ticked by until finally, Sona let out a sigh of relief as the massive workload had been handled in its entirety, mostly by Rider. 


"You, dear Rider, are a lifesaver."


Unfortunately, Sona’s good mood was not meant to last, as there remained one final matter for Rider to bring to her attention. "Master, I found this letter amongst the pile, and thought to bring it to your attention once all else had been complete once it became apparent that we would finish before nightfall," said the woman as she revealed an envelope. 


This letter was adorned with stamps indicating it originated from another country and even had a wax seal on it. “I cannot claim to recognize the seal, but the return address shows that this letter originated from the Vatican.”


“—!?” 


A chill crept up Sona’s spine as soon as she heard that, and a bad feeling started to rise within her heart as Rider showed her the seal, which she instantly confirmed as that of the Holy Church’s headquarters. 


"…It must have been amongst the pile where my club requests and the letter must have gotten mixed up. Give it to me; I'll read it," she extended her hand, doing her best to pretend it wasn’t shaking, and Rider passed it along after tearing the envelope open with a nail.


“With the letter now in hand, a bead of sweat dripped down Sona’s forehead as she read its contents.


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To the Devil overseer(s) of Kuoh,


We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. Allow us, on behalf of the Holy See, to extend our regards to you and the residents of Kuoh.


It has come to our attention that certain matters requiring ecclesiastical attention have arisen within the vicinity of Kuoh. In response, the Holy See has dispatched two highly trained exorcists to investigate and address these issues in accordance with the teachings and directives of the Church on the 24th of this month.


It is imperative that the esteemed exorcists, whose presence embodies the solemn duty of the Church in combating spiritual afflictions, be received with the utmost respect and be given full cooperation. Their expertise and guidance are indispensable in ensuring the spiritual well-being of the community and safeguarding against any malevolent influences that may threaten the fabric of faith and morality.


We trust that you, as the custodian of Kuoh and direct relatives of the Satans, will extend your hospitality and full cooperation to the exorcists during their tenure within your jurisdiction. It is incumbent upon you to heed their counsel and follow their directives diligently, as failure to do so may result in undesirable consequences with the Church.


While we appreciate your cooperation in this matter, let it be known that the Church does not take lightly any impediments to its sacred duties. Therefore, it is in your best interest to comply with the directives of the exorcists without reservation or delay.


We trust that you will act in accordance with the principles of goodwill and cooperation, thereby facilitating a harmonious collaboration between Kuoh Town and the Church in pursuit of spiritual rectitude and moral integrity.


Wishing you continued blessings and guidance in your stewardship of Kuoh Town.


May God's light find you.


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Beneath the letter were the pictures of two girls around her age, one with blue hair with green highlights, and another whose hair was chestnut brown.


"Wait, isn't today the twenty-fourth…?" the heiress hastily grabbed her phone before checking the date. "It's today!?"


This…


This was bad.


Did Rias know about this?


{Break}


-Familiar Forest-


"Aaaaaargh! My eyes! They burn! Get that macho drag gorilla out of my sight!"


Deep within the forests, a certain Pawn knelt, his entire being crying out towards the very heavens. An ear-piercing scream of despair echoed as he fell onto his knees, clutching the grass with his hands as tears streamed down his face. Archer would have felt bad for him if he didn't know the context behind his reaction, but since he did he just found the boy’s reaction ridiculous and embarrassing to even be around.


“How rude! My previous undine is amongst the fairest of maidens among her species! You should be most respectful to her and appreciative of her graceful nature!”


"What about that thing is at all beautiful or graceful!? This is just a macho gorilla!" Issei screamed with vitriol while pointing his finger at the entity before him, a seven feet tall creature with a body that could best be likened to a hairless gorilla, along with muscles rivaling that of any top-level bodybuilder, and had long drill-locks of golden hair. For some reason it was also wearing a dress that frankly did not suit it at all.


Indeed, the group had teleported into the Familiar Forest. The moment Archer set foot into that place, it being part of the Underworld and his first time arriving in such an area, was nearly overwhelming for him to comprehend. His senses picked up the seemingly endless levels of mana in the air, surpassing even what was in the human world in this era where gods and dragons still lived. A single thought ran through his mind as he gazed through the surrounding trees.


’The vast majority of Magi from my world would die the moment they set foot in this place. This goes well beyond anything their bodies would be capable of handling,’ he realized. The humans from his reality were adapted to an atmosphere with only scarce amounts of mana, their bodies made to maximize what little there was available.


But here, it was the exact opposite; there was just far too much to even be able to make sense of it. It was honestly safer for an average Magus to go up against a Servant than to try to use Magecraft in this place. At least with the former, there was a chance of survival if the Servant was feeling merciful.


"Tch, you reincarnated Devils have no taste to speak of. How could you ever call such an awesome creature ugly?" spoke a temporary addition to their group, the guide Rias mentioned, who turned out to be a one-to-one copy of a certain character in a game his master liked to play almost constantly in her spare time. Archer didn't really have any opinion on him; for all his eccentric behavior, the guy seemed reliable enough and clearly had a deep knowledge of the forest’s layout and the creatures to be found in it.


"Yes, she's my precious familiar and the most beautiful creature in the world!" exclaimed Kiyome as she consoled the now depressed undine next to her, having brought up the familiar in order to show off. “Don’t you worry, sweetie. Issei’s just jealous he doesn’t have a familiar anywhere near as amazing or stunning as you.”


"Jealous how!? The only thing to be jealous about is how big those muscles—" Instantly, the boy was hushed as Archer decided to save him from any future pain and covered the boy's mouth.


"While I cannot pretend to care about either of your contributions to this embarrassment of a conversation, we should really hurry up here," Archer interjected. Honestly, he did not like the place one bit. He felt as if he was being constantly observed by… something. He didn't know if it was one of the creatures inhabiting this forest holding hostile intents against them, but he was not willing for them to stay too long and find out.


"I'll have to agree with him, Buchou. I want to remind you that we are very behind with our contracts. Some of our clients have begun to complain that we are purposefully ignoring them, and I don't believe this will be good for our image if we keep them waiting for much longer," Yuuto chimed in.


"Ah, that's fair. We already had them wait patiently so we could make it through the training period free of distractions, so it's understandable if some of them are getting impatient. Though thankfully, Asia already got her familiar," Rias stated, the blonde now holding a blue sprite dragon, humming cheerfully while playing with the small animal. Archer was especially interested as it resembled a dragon and also held the name of a dragon, but nowhere near did its power nor presence come close to that creature he had in mind. 


A phantasmic entity for certain though, with a small amount of control over lightning and it had a fiery temperament. Both of which it had displayed with how it attacked Issei on its first appearance and even tried to do so with him as well, only to back away the very next second, as if it had sensed something dangerous. 


"He's very cute!” Even Gasper found himself completely entranced by the creature, which despite being stated to despise male creatures showed no hostility toward him. 


Asia couldn't agree more, “I promise I'll take good care of you every day, Raizoku!" 


An odd name for certain, one that the blonde mentioned to be a combination of the words for ‘lightning strike’ and ‘family’. 


"I would have already gotten my familiar if this asshole hadn't cut it down without any hesitation or mercy!" Issei shouted, glaring hatefully at Archer, to which the Servant just rolled his eyes. 


Almost immediately after the sprite dragon began to get comfortable in Asia’s arms, a slime of all creatures began to drip down from the surrounding branches onto the clothes of every woman in the group, with adverse effects to said garments. Fortunately, Archer managed to get Rias and Koneko out of the way in time so they wouldn’t end up naked again, while the sprite dragon was doing an admirable job of protecting Asia. As for Akeno and Kiyome, Archer acted quickly before their clothes could suffer more than superficial damage from the slime’s acidic properties, and cut the creature into tiny little pieces in an instant with Kanshou and Bakuya — their anti-monster properties proving highly effective against the monster despite its liquid body — while Akeno shot a bolt of lightning at the must scattered pieces. 


The final remnant of the slime had been a small blob that crawled towards Asia, only to be killed by a bolt of blue lightning from the sprite dragon.


"He came to me so soon, yet was gone in an instant; I didn't even have time to give him a proper name!" Suffice to say, Issei was disappointed by the results of their time in the Familiar Forest. Though Kiyome’s proposal for him to have the same kind of familiar as she did had piqued his interest. Her description of an undine made him more and more excited about getting one. Yet the moment she brought her familiar out to show it off… that was what led them to their current situation.


"What about you, Archer? I'm sure there is something out there you'd be willing to have as your familiar," Rias suggested, which he instantly shot down with a shake of his head. 


"I'm afraid I will not be taking any familiars, nor forming a contract with any of this forest’s inhabitants anytime soon. To put it simply, I do not require the aid of a familiar, so they are pretty much useless for me." He also did not want to form a contract with anything else, even if it was a nearly sentient creature like what he heard from the other members of the group.


"I don't think these familiars even want you," Zatouji, their guide, mentioned as he looked at Archer with great interest. A similar kind of look in his eyes as what Kiyome showed initially. “Like seriously, some of them are openly afraid of you,” said the man while glancing at the sprite dragon within Asia's grasp.


”…” 


Emiya didn't say much, merely looking at the blue dragon-like creature who was warily staring back at him before it resumed purring in response to Asia’s affections. 


‘Is it scared of me? Given that it hasn't attacked me so far, it is a possibility. I wonder if it’s able to instinctively get a feel for something about the level or nature of my power, telling it that picking a fight with me would mean its death. Then again, it shows nothing but contempt for Issei despite the powerful dragon sealed inside the Boosted Gear…’ 


The little sprite dragon’s animosity toward him was a curious thing, considering the comparison to the other male members in the group. Gasper didn’t seem to register with the little creature as male, a subject he wasn’t going to delve deeper into. As for Yuuto and Zatouji, the sprite dragon seemed content to ignore them both, With Issei on the other hand, Asia’s new familiar seemed to look for chances to shock him with its lightning breath.


"I don't know whether I should be offended that it sees me in the same light as him," said the Servant, keeping his distance and just having his arms crossed the entire time.


“Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?” 


“Don’t worry about it.” No point in starting another pointless argument, especially here of all places.


"Just what the hell are you? You don't feel like a Devil to me," Zatouji asked, evidently having not heard of him, nor seen the Rating Game for that matter. The famed familiar master was quite the recluse as far as Devils went, it turned out.


"You don't need to concern yourself with that," Archer answered before Rias could, knowing full well the type of reaction such a person would have upon learning of his nature if Kiyome was anything to go by. He'd rather not poke the wasps' nest and have another person want to examine him closely all over again.


"So should we get going?" The red-headed Devil sighed, seeing how little time was left. "It is unfortunate that we did not get to find Issei a new familiar. If we can’t find him anything soon, we’ll just have to try our luck again in a couple months; if he truly can't find anything, then it was just not meant to be."


"Alright, Issei, come on. I want you to answer me seriously, what type of familiar do you want? Don't answer me with something with big boobs because you already said no to the undine. My reputation is on the line, and I refuse to have you go back empty-handed!" Kiyome exclaimed excitedly, her enthusiasm affecting others as well. 


They all marched forwards as Archer watched their backs with a neutral expression, his gaze turning around to peer into the forest’s depths, his eyes meeting those of a large avian. A creature that resembled a hawk with a metallic tint to its feathers. Standing nearly as tall as Koneko, it remained perched on the branch with its sharp claws glinting under the moonlight.


A whistle sounded beside him, the familiar master holding a pair of binoculars, observing the creature in the distance. "Well I'll be damned. That's a rare kind of creature to see around this part of the forest. Not many of them around to begin with, nor are they social enough that they typically want to show themselves."


"Is it dangerous?" He inquired cautiously, wondering whether or not to shoot it down if it held any hostile intentions or just scare it away.


"That beauty over yonder is a razor hawk, a silver variant on top of that. I wouldn't exactly call them hostile per se, as they don't just blindly attack on sight. So long as you don't go into their preferred hunting grounds or near their nest, you'll be fine. Seems like the guy is looking at you pretty intently, friend. I’d even say he’s very interested, in fact. Might be a possible candidate for an ideal familiar. I don't think I've had anyone so far be approached by one of these creatures. This is so exciting!" exclaimed Zatouji, his excitement evident.


Unfortunately for him, Archer was quick to shoot down his idea and walk away.


"Hey, wait! You're not going to make it your familiar? This is a rare opportunity!" pleaded Zatouji, hoping for the man to let him see a razor hawk become part of a familiar contract.


"The only reason I came here is to keep my Master safe, nothing more, nothing less. I have no interest in forming any sort of contract with any creatures of this realm, regardless of what they are. One of the others can have it; I'm not interested," replied the Servant firmly.


"It does not work like that! This familiar obviously chose you; you can't just throw it at someone else and expect it to accept someone else as its master. Just look how beautiful its form is, those silver feathers! Oh shit, it flew off!" cried Zatouji, watching the beautiful creature fly off into the distance. Archer, on the other hand, felt no regrets over his decision. 


He didn't need to acquire a familiar, and even if it was a powerful one, he would not want to form any more contracts. That was just not for him, and he honestly just wanted to go back to the human world and continue his work as a teacher or his Master’s butler.


"That was a waste," remarked a monotone voice beside him. Looking down at his side, he saw the speaker was none other than a small-statured Rook, looking into the distance where the razor hawk flew off. "It looked very pretty."


"I'm not arguing against its appearance. If you want to make a contract with it, I might even be able to help you with that," offered Archer. He did not know why the hawk had been interested in him in the first place, but perhaps it wouldn't mind having someone like Koneko as its master. Of course, there was the matter of her not being compatible, which could make it slightly aggressive or wary, but he was confident that a few rounds of persuasion and some treats would change its mind. At the end of the day, it was still an animal. 


"No, I already have Shiro with me," she said, alluding to her cat familiar that had a name almost identical to the fool Archer had been in life. "I just think you would have looked cool with a hawk sitting on your shoulders; its feathers even matched your hair color," she remarked, almost as if she was trying to convince him to reconsider his choice.


"I'm happy that you're thinking about me and my appearance when it comes to such things. Perhaps next time we come here, I'll reconsider getting a familiar. And if I'm lucky, perhaps this particular hawk will fly by again and try its chances a second time," said Archer thoughtfully. Having learned how she operated, Archer, without saying a word, rested his hand on top of her head before gently ruffling her hair. "Now, don't make such a long face. I'll make something for you to eat when we get back. Do you have something particular in mind?"


The girl visibly brightened up, though her expression quickly turned serious as she started to think hard about his question. 


"…How about some mochi? No, I already had that last week. Cake is always good… but there is also that flan you made… tango would be good as well… but I also want to try that ice cream you made a while ago again," she mumbled, bringing up a wide selection of sweets she wished to try without stopping for the following minute, many of which he’d made for her in the past or recipes he’d mentioned in passing knowing how to make before changing her answer again as she jumped from dessert item to another. 


Koneko’s attempts to answer his question had her showing an impressive emotional spectrum of confusion and frustration. Aside from that, he found it particularly amusing and just kept quiet and continued to observe it.


"Alright, I’ve got it!" she said resolutely, looking back at him with an expression that mirrored Asia's with large eyes that looked at him pleadingly. 


"You want me to make everything, don't you…" 


He didn't even need to be a mind reader to see  that answer coming, but Koneko eagerly nodded in response all the same. He wasn't even mad nor disappointed; quite the opposite. Archer realized that it had been a while since he had given the girl any kind of real attention with all the mind-numbing events that kept occurring around him. And it was clear to even Rias, who mentioned early on this morning, that Koneko had been behaving more quietly lately.


"I don't mind, but I’m going to have to make them one by one over time so you don’t find yourself waiting a very long time while I gather all the ingredients and make everything. Also I’d rather that you not overdose on sugar, I'll make half of them this week and the other half the week after. You’ll still be receiving multiple sweets a day this way, so I’m going to have to ask you to not eat everything in one sitting," Archer suggested with a chuckle.


On one hand, the girl was devastated, but on the other, she couldn't help but have a small smile bloom on her face as her mouth started to water at the image of being provided with a surprise selection of her favorite treats and sugary snacks every day for the next two weeks, all baked by Archer himself.


"Oh, I almost forgot about the one condition I have for this. I'll only serve them to you after you're done with your contracts. I cannot mention how behind all of you are on your duties that even some of the customers started complaining. So think of it as a reward for your hard work in the future, I'll wait until you’re finished with your work," Archer added. And just like that, Koneko’s joyful look immediately disappeared, fusing with the prior devastation into one of resentment as she silently glared at him.


"Your glare has the misfortune of appearing more adorable than threatening, Koneko. Much like that of a newly born kitten if I’m being honest," he smirked, a certain idea passing within his mind which he didn't waste any time wording out. "But of course, the longer we spend time in this familiar forest, the longer it will take for you to go back and complete your contracts. I wonder how long it will take until we manage to find a familiar for Issei," he said casually, glancing at her with one eye as his words immediately had an effect on the young girl who rushed towards the main group with a furious gaze.


"Wah! Koneko-chan! What are you doing!?" Issei exclaimed loudly as he found himself hoisted upwards by a tiny pair of strong arms that gripped the back of his shirt and lifted him off his feet. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! You're grabbing the skin on my back!"


Unfortunately, his plea was summarily ignored by the white-haired girl whose eyes were intently scanning the forest as her nose twitched ever so slightly. "Target spotted, there’s another slime a few hundred meters over there. Make a contract with it or else I'm going to kill it," she said before disappearing, leaving behind a large cloud of dust. Her speed nearly matched that of a Knight while Issei's desperate cries resonated among the trees.


Both Kiyome and Rias, who had been discussing the many different kinds of familiars in this region and what would be the most suitable for someone like him, were left speechless at Koneko’s sudden action. Both of them were frozen in place with their mouths hanging open. Akeno and Archer walked past them casually, the former giggling as her hand covered her mouth.


"You used the promise of delicious food to motivate our precious Koneko-chan into being more proactive, didn't you?" teased Akeno.


"Guilty as charged," Archer admitted. "I figured it was our best shot at wrapping up our business here and ensuring that Issei also gets himself a familiar, even if it’s one I’d rather never see again if the first one is any indication for how their species act. With our current rate, he would have returned empty-handed."


A look of amusement flashed across Akeno's face. "Well well, look at you being such a caring person towards him," she remarked with a smile. "He should be lucky that he has such a caring mentor or guardian angel watching out for him. Then again, I believe that everyone in the peerage has at least a few reasons to be grateful for your presence, Emiya. Myself included. I suppose I should expect nothing less from a Saint, fufu,," Akeno smiled.


"You're not going to stop using that term anytime soon, are you?" A sigh escaped his mouth at that darned title being brought up again, knowing full well Akeno's nature making it impossible to let it go anytime soon.


"Nope, I will not," Akeno replied with a mischievous grin, more than willing to use it as many times as possible in the future. "It fits you better than you realize, and more importantly it never fails to bring out the reaction I want to see from you."


"My oh my, what could I have done to earn the ire of such a sadistic woman? My luck truly is abysmal," With his stats, especially that of Luck… he wasn't exactly lying. At least now he had Rider who also suffered from a similar level of Luck as himself, so perhaps it wouldn’t be so focused on him going forward. 


All he got for that was a gentle poke from Akeno, who pouted. "Some boys would be counting themselves extremely lucky to have a beautiful woman like me tease them even once."


"Too bad for you, I'm not them," Archer retorted with an eye roll, unfazed by Akeno's teasing.


“…”


“…”


As the Queen and Servant continued to have their little exchange, Rias and Kiyome did not fail to notice that particular scene, and each had a different reaction. 


“It's kind of odd to see Tojo-sensei behave so casually and trade jokes with Himejima-san of all people like that… It's even more unbelievable that she's so talkative. Usually she remains quiet and only speaks to you in public. They certainly do get along quite nicely.”


Rias squinted her eyes, “Yes… they certainly do get along quite well…”


.


.


.


-Occult Research Club-


Soon, the group returned from their trip, all of them satisfied with how things went down. Asia and Issei had both obtained their respective familiars, and Koneko had secured the promise of a steady flow of sweets.


"I'll be back," Koneko said to Archer before hastily summoning another teleportation circle and disappearing from sight. 


"Ara ara, someone is very motivated to earn those sweets and snacks. I too want some rewards, so I can't fall behind," Akeno remarked with a playful smile. “Gasper, you shouldn't be falling behind either. One of your clients contacted me to ask about you.”


The little Dhamphir gasped, “The game tournament! I completely forgot!” Quickly, he scrambled out of the room and returned to his with hurried steps to respond to the request remotely, as was his custom. 


“I too should focus on my duties, I will return later for our next training session, Archer.”


And just like that, both Akeno and Yuuto also teleported away to take care of their contracts. Rias mentioned that she had to look after some paperwork, and Kiyome left the club room to begin compiling multiple reports on the different familiars they had encountered. Archer walked outside, having his own work as a teacher to attend to, and this was a perfect opportunity to catch up. However, on his way, he noticed a certain Pawn standing outside the old school building near a tree, holding onto a tiny blob of slime so small it fit inside the palm of his hand.


"You don't seem thrilled about your new companion," Archer observed.


"Ah, Archer! Don't scare me like that, I didn't see you coming. I almost dropped Slime-taro!" Issei exclaimed. “It may be weak for now, but he'll grow into one of my greatest allies and help me create a wonderful harem of nude girls!”


"Couldn't come up with a particularly original name, I see. Well it’s your familiar, so you have that right. Just keep it under control, as I’d rather your companion not have to meet a similar fate to that larger version of its kin. But I digress. There seems to be something weighing on your mind?" Archer inquired.


At that, Issei released a sigh, taking a moment to play with his new little friend, watching the slime as it seemed to dance in his palm as Issei kept poking it gently. "It's not that I'm sad about my new friend here, it’s got nothing to do with him at all. But there has been something weighing on my mind lately…” 


Archer told the boy he was all ears, and after taking a deep breath, Issei continued. “To be honest, it kind of pisses me off how easily you've been able to get every girl to fall for you with that attitude of yours. It's not like that bastard Kiba where you're trying to be a perfect copy of a prince who keeps smiling, someone who is disgustingly handsome and keeps throwing around fancy flowery words to impress the ladies. You actively speak harshly to many of them, and you even kick all our asses in those training sessions, and yet they just keep coming back to you. But when I try talking like that to any of my classmates they just kick me in the balls."


Archer raised an eyebrow at Issei's complaint. “By ‘talking like that’ I take it you mean trying to peep on them while they’re changing and not respecting their privacy?"


Issei continued, sulking. “You wouldn't understand! The beauty of seeing all those naked boobs on full display at the same time is a magical sight that every man in existence deserves to see every chance he can get! It's the undisputed eighth wonder of the world that brings nations together and ends all war! Someone like you who’s basically drowning in tits wouldn't understand.”


Archer just raised an eyebrow at that description he gave, “No, I don't think I'll ever understand such a ridiculous obsession for breasts of all things.”


“And yet you get to touch them if you so much as ask any of the girls in class to feel — they'll be more than happy to show you, and that is just not fair.” Issei said whilst continuing to sulk.


A statement which Archer was very skeptical about holding any truth to it. 


He was admittedly taken aback by Issei's reasoning, unsure whether he was being genuine or just goofing around. But deciding to treat this as a genuine concern that the boy was feeling, he took it upon himself to offer some genuine advice. 


"If you want to be treated like a normal person and even be liked by those of the opposite gender, you could start by apologizing to them for all the sexual harassment you’ve subjected many of them to ever since you began attending this academy, While I’ll admit it's very likely they won't believe you, it's a place to start at the very least.”

 

Issei rolled his eyes. “As if that will work. Come on, they'll just beat me up like usual. And not go after boobs nor attempt to see them ever again? That's not something I can realistically do, it will kill me!”


“I can promise you that not peeping on girls won't kill you, idiot.” Though with how deep his obsession with them went, Archer could see the perverted boy experiencing withdrawal symptoms; but if it mattered that much to him, there were ways an individual could satisfy their carnal desires without violating another person’s privacy and peace of mind. Slowly but surely, Archer was starting to reach his limit with this boy and his eccentric personality despite his efforts to hear the boy out. He was not a stranger to extremely perverted individuals who shared similar tastes to Issei, but none of those he met so far were this extreme… Well, maybe one or two, but he’d never had to regularly interact with them. 


“Listen, if you genuinely want some advice from me about getting closer to girls or being liked by them, then listen closely as I will say this only once. Take a couple of steps back, put a lid on your desires and hormones, and channel them into something else that’s actually productive. I'm not asking you to give up liking breasts or whatever else, but take an approach that won't lead you getting punched or reported for sexual harassment. It's not something that can be brute forced just because you are now a Devil. And honestly Issei, if you can curb your desires at least somewhat and put in an effort to make amends with the girls here for your past transgressions, it might even let your positive aspects shine through. Which I know you have, having seen them myself during the training period and Rating Game; you’re a hard worker, persistent in achieving your goals, and you’ve put your own body on the line to protect your friends or just to help them out."


“…”


Never did Emiya ever believe that he would find himself in a position to give such advice to anyone. It made him wonder just what kind of face Rin or even his younger self would make even if they heard what he said right then. It was completely different from what he said and did during the Holy Grail War. But then again, life here had been almost entirely peaceful so far. He just didn't have the need to take any extreme actions yet — his brief battle with Rider being the sole exception.


"Hm?" He noticed someone rushing towards the building that caught his attention. "All right, that's all I have to say. If you're still confused or truly believe you can't follow such simple advice, then I truly am sorry, but I’ve done all I can for you. If you really want the way that girls see and treat you to change, then the first thing you need to change is yourself, or at least how you treat them. If you simply have no desire to do that, then I can’t help you."


With that, Archer's body disappeared into motes of light as he shifted into his spiritual form before reappearing a couple of seconds later right next to Rias, who was organizing her papers that had been in disorder from the morning's events.


"Archer? Is anything the matter?" Rias began, but her voice was soon drowned out by the door slamming open.


Startled, the redhead was surprised to see a tired-looking yet alarmed Sona walking inside the club room wearing a grim expression, with Rider following her closely.


"Rias, did you at any point in the past few days receive a letter sent to you by the Vatican!?"


"The Vatican?" Rias's voice contained only undisguised shock at the idea of receiving a letter from them of all places… or that she might have missed it. That entity was the face of the most prominent religion in the world, either outright controlling or wielding considerable influence over every church, priest, and exorcist in the world. For them to have sent a letter to a Devil was not a small matter, and dread filled her heart as she turned her attention back to her desk where she once again came face to face with multiple documents completely stained a dark brown from her coffee spilling due to Kiyome's entrance. Amongst the pile, her keen eye spotted one that resembled a letter.


"…Probably," she answered with a whisper, realizing a possible grave mistake she’d made. 


Instantly, both Devil heiresses felt a terrible chill rush up their spine, their reactions not missed by their respective Servant, both of whom instantly went on guard for any changes in the area.


"Holy energy. Someone holding a powerful holy weapon is standing just outside the school gates," Rias said with a quivering voice as Sona massaged her temples.


“We were too late, the exorcists are already right at our doorstep.”


--------

So yeah, didn't feel like there was any need to spend much time on the familiar forest part as honestly... It would have been nearly identical to canon. Archer just wouldn't take any familiar so easily, he doesn't have any reason to need one.

I did see some pms saying that his presence would have alerted Tiamat and thus following up with a clash between them.

Unless Archer is blatantly waving around a powerful Anti-dragon Noble Phantasm and turning it into a broken Phantasm which would possibly force to Tiamat appear. Other than that, the guy tends to stay pretty much under the radar... Most of the time.

The Command Seals also wouldn't play a part into attracting the dragon, they don't emit any kind of aura or energy that can be sensed from long distances.

So yeah, Kokabiel arc has basically started and both exorcists have come for a chat... What could possibly go wrong?