Shiro woke up to an empty wooden house. He wasn’t even awake and his hand had touched the side of the bed-

-32 years of usage, 2432 people have been on this bed. Pillow bought at-

-where it was bare and very, very cold.

The door slammed open moments later sending him into battle mode when, “You're finally awake!” Miso exclaimed.

Grabbed Shiro before he could react and dragged him from the bed. Shiro managed to stop her before she dragged him by foot and slammed his head onto the floor, “Hey wait, I, uh, need to change!”

She made an impatient face and told him to hurry up.

He took a second to get reacquainted with his surroundings. Checking himself most of his wounds had been bandaged and taken care off. The window outside showed heavy rain and thunder clouds rattle the windows.

He opened the door to find her balancing on the balls of her feet before eyes widened in exasperation. She grabbed and drags him down the hallway to a kitchen counter with two tall stools which she threw him onto and then joined him.

Two steaming hot bowls of... Something that looked like molten magma. It even bubbled the same.

Miso didn't even think twice and started chugging it down before she spit steam and drained her glass hanging her tongue outside her mouth as she put her head down on the table and moaned in agony.

Shiro recognized the immense danger in his food and on reflex touched it. He was surprised to find it wasn't poisoned or anything. It…just was naturally a danger to one’s health.

“What…is it and who are you?”

“Kirei Kotomine. It’s my special Mapo Tofu…give it a go.”

He picked up a spoonful and stopped to see the man behind the counter giving him a wide-eyed smile. Something about it…

He decided to go for it and take a sip, and his face immediately crumpled from regret. It... Was horrible, but amazing. But horrible.

Kirei did seem to find some horrible enjoyment out of his and Miso’s misery. It looked like the priest was a cook that enjoyed Schadenfreude.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” He asked curiously.

Shiro opened his mouth to respond-

“It sucks! But it's amazing!” Miso overrode him, bringing genuine laughter from the priest.

“Miso, that's…” he wanted to say rude, “Accurate.” He shook his head, “No wait, I wanted to ask who saved us?”

“That’s this guy! He was so cool, he threw three big swords right into its back and it just fell over.”

Shiro’s heart twang, “…I see,” he lowered his head, “Thank you.”

Kirei seemed to enjoy their blunt honesty, but his smile seemed to be missing several things that made a smile a smile. Setting Shirou on edge, “It’s not everyday I see Mage, and halfbreed Kitsune fighting together. Especially considering how rare it is to find one this young.”

There it was, “What do you mean ‘Kitsune’?” Miso took Kirei’s bait.

“Oh?” He seemed surprised, but then accepted, “Ah yes, most of the pantheons you have ever heard of, all the mythologies are true. At least to an extent.”

Shiro knew this was where he should be shocked but he couldn’t bring himself to be. It was a strange sense of, everything suddenly clicking.

Miso on the other hand, jumped up and shouted, “Ha, I knew it!”

Shiro looked at him, “How did you know Miso was Kitsune? And what Magus?” Something within him started to churn.

Kirei stared him down blankly, before raising his eyebrows, “You’re a Magus young man rather adept at your craft, don’t think you can fool me. You have an unusual way of conducting mana but you are using them nonetheless. As for her, she has a very different system of energy, the largest chakra coils of anyone I’ve seen to date.”

Miso said, “Ha, of course I do, I’m the best!”

Shiro replied, “I don’t think this is a good thing.”

“Ha, you’re just jealous.”

“I’m not-nevermind.” Shiro shook his head, Miso was acting unusually childish, “I lost my mem-Master a while back before he could teach me anything.” He managed to force out a name someone by the name of Kiritsugu was what he wanted to say, but there was something in him it was a bad idea to say anything at all to the priest, “So they’re all real? Every single one?” It was strangely mind boggling to him, something that didn’t seem quite correct.

Kirei looked amused, “Most of them, I haven’t traveled all over the world for nothing. They generally stay within their respective countries or nations of origin, some die out, some just disappear altogether. Others evolve, change or merge with nearby ones. The strangest would be the Greek, Romans and the Egyptians. While the Greek and Romans have tied themselves to the concept of the ‘Western Civilization’. Egypt has partially spread to this continent, with its history more ancient the former it has its branches in a variety of places.”

Shiro asked, “But then what is a Magus?”

“Ah yes those. They’re are a few that tend to be outliers or something different entirely. You fall into them. Magus, mages or wizards come in some shape or form throughout many of them and you have a special exception of falling into that category. Unlike Miso here who has her ties in the Asian myths which is quite unusual to see in North America, if any which are located along the west coast.”

“What are you then?”

“I’m much like you an exception, part of a group of people that hold back the tide of monsters that threaten to overwhelm everything you hold dear. To put it into perspective, a dam. One that holds back the ocean.”

Shiro’s eyes narrowed, “Like a...Hero?”

Kirei smile turned unreadable, “I assume you mean the layman's term and not those of the 'Greek Tragedies' variant. I can say for certain we are something similar.”

He didn’t know why, but he needed this, “Can...anyone join you?”

Kirei looked at the two, “Not anyone, as long as they meet the requirements.” At Shiro’s downcast expression, he smiled and continued, “Fortunately, for the both of you, that isn’t an issue.”

Something within him stopped churning, and he could feel a ray of hope and Shiro’s smile lit up the room.