My hair flew rather violently even inside the generated atmosphere within my Bubble of wind as I hurried along to the Tohsaka Residence in a rapid sequence of Gust Steps.

It was already after dark and I had been too preoccupied with my thoughts to even pay attention to the scolding that the teacher gave me at school for not paying attention in class. The thought of a Philosopher, who excelled in stitching abominations together, emptying out a whole zoo had been a daunting thought. How did the bastard even do that?

When I saw a clear shot straight to the front gates of the Second Owner, I changed the shape of my Bubble and folded another layer onto it.

Bullet Pass, the variation of my Gust Step Spell that would shoot me out of a Tunnel of Wind like a cannon from a World War 2 ocean Warship. There was no way stopping my speed using a regular Exit Portal with it, and it was disorienting to experience when your mind was too slow to process the things passing by. It was a long range, straight-through travel that was faster and less Prana Consuming than a sequence of Gust Steps to the same destination.

But then it lacked control.

Thus why, instead of gently touching the ground like in my usual Gust Step, I crash landed on the pavement, both feet firmly planted into the ground. It was only the combination of my Heat Raiser and the Layered Bubble that prevented me from breaking my legs, with also the quick response of my Resistance skill. The wind dissipated as it was crushed under my heel and cushioned my excess momentum.

I did feel some fractures forming, though, but my Passive Regeneration was already working it's magic.

I got myself out of the indents that my feet made and started using Alteration to lift some of the cement and press the cracks together. Even though it would have been amusing to leave a mark that practically said 'Minato was here', I didn't think the Second Owner would have been very keen with that.

Which was easily proven when the girl stormed out of the front door of her house and made a beeline towards her gates, the Edelfelt and her butler close behind but with a more elegant stride.

"HARBOR! What did you do this time?!" came her exclamation when she saw me kneeling on the ground.

"I wanted to imitate what Hollywood actors did back in the West, you know, the Walk of Fame." I said with an even tone. "So I asked Captain Jack Sparrow to shoot me from a very far away place to make a sizable indent on the ground. I hope I made an impact to last in you all."

"If impact you meant ''An Earthquake felt by the Whole Neighborhood'', then yes." The Tohsaka deadpanned with a twitching eye. "It made an impact, alright."

"What ever were you doing, boy?" the butler asked, shaking his head in mild exasperation. The Edelfelt Heiress was still giving me the stink-eye after me and Tohsaka agreed to help each other out in out Thaumaturgy Practice.

"I was on my way here in a hurry." I admitted. "I couldn't really come here while the sun was up since people might start talking about a devilishly mysterious, and well-dressed individual flying through the air."

"If by 'Devilishly Mysterious' you mean, 'Horrendously Creepy', then yes." Tohsaka nodded to herself. "That does fit you to the tee. And I don't know anyone who would wear a trench coat over their formal clothes."

""You'd be surprised."" Me and the butler said at the same time. Emiya Kiritsugu, the infamous Magus Killer, wore a trench coat to hide all of his firearms and make it easier for him to hide it in plain sight. Then there's also the mystic code that all Magi fear, yet know so little of. The Thompson Contender.

That thing still gave me the hibby-jibbies. But this time, it was no longer from creeping out. It was more of 'The things that Bitch could do would utterly Fuck up anyone'. I would probably inherit the gun if I ever go into the War. But the Bullets, I'm not so sure.

"Anyway." I started. "I'm here to talk about our resident Sealing Designate"

"You've seen the news, then." the butler muttered, his tone grave.

"What about it?" Tohsaka asked. Then three sets of eyes went to her and stared. "Father never approved of such things. He said it would rot my mind."

"For good reason." the Edelfelt huffed, glaring at me at the corner of her eye when she said it.

In response I gave her a pose while declaring: "I will punish you in the name of the Moon." then I went for a peace sign and held it over my visible left eye.

Tohsaka and Edelfelt both shivered in revulsion and tried not to gag. The pose and the actions beforehand were very girly, and I manipulated my voice to make it squeaky and Shoujo-ish. Evgeny Simonov the Combat Butler merely looked away and decided that it drained his masculinity just by watching it.

"Enough!" Tohsaka exclaimed, pushing away the ugly picture of Sailor Hyde in their brains. Though I could probably pull it off since I am pretty androgynous as a child. "Let's discuss more pressing matters."

"Like which planet I should represent and what color should my Sailor uniform should be?" I swerved to the side and dodged the kick that Tohsaka sent me and flipped over the blonde heiress when she tried for a German Supplex on my back. I landed, sitting, on the Butler's shoulders and stayed there as the two girls gave me an ugly look. "God, you two are so up tight. It's not like you two could do anything concerning the situation."

The butler held my legs to keep me balanced, but didn't seem to mind my invasion of his personal space. "I'm afraid he's right, Mistress. Until the unit of Enforcers arrive, there is nothing we can do but sit and wait."

I patted the butler's well groomed hair and leaned forward to give the girls a rather impish grin under my mask. "All except me."

I felt the butler look up to give me a curious look, but the two girls didn't look happy at my declaration. "And what could you do?" Edelfelt asked, with a rather disbelieving tone.

I leaned back and tumbled off the butler's shoulder, slipping out of his grasp when he tried to catch my legs. I landed on my feet and dusted off my legs. "Simple. I have a spell that allows me to detect movements in an area, while at the same time, give me Intel of the item present in said area."

"And this spell would be?" Tohsaka edged.

"Sonar." I answered confidently.

The butler blinked, looking surprised as he stared at me. "Wind Craft?"

In response I simply grinned. The butler looked as if he knew of what I was capable of with the wind element, but the two girls didn't. They both looked confused at the information.

"What do you mean, Evgeny?" Edelfelt asked her butler.

The old Russian tapped his chin for a moment, looking deep in thought. "There are... cases where some magi have specialized abilities where they are more attuned into their elements." he began. "In most cases, Hermits, who have isolated themselves, use a type of bounded field that helps them detect intruders in their areas. Some of these bounded fields generate wind that is connected to the Magus and it tells them if someone is nearby."

"I'm not seeing it." the Tohsaka confessed.

"He means that they can more of less 'Feel' the disturbance in the force." I explained, then added. "Force of Wind."

Evegeny nodded, confirming my idea. "Wind travels in one direction, often times they turn when another draft connects to it. But when wind passes an object in its way, it does not push through but merely goes around it."

"The Disturbance, or Resistance." I carried on. "Would then be felt by the magus attuned to the wind, and they will be alerted that there's someone or something close by."

"But this type of control is not something Magi could do easily." Evgeny added, his tone going serious. "It takes years of experience to get the feeling of ones element and gain such a control." then he turned to look at me, eyes squinting in caution. "And its a craft that's far too complex for a child not even two decades old to learn."

There was suspicion in his eyes. If from what I've gleamed in his words, it takes a long time to even grasp the wind like I do. And in this world, there were things that could look human, appear as a child, but be a vicious creature that's a danger to humanity.

I could be an apostle playing role of an innocent magus child. It wouldn't be too hard to imagine. With the level of my Elements and the power they hold behind, it could be one of the most likely possibilities.

I didn't let the idea bother me. If I had lived a life of an Enforcer, eradicating Magi who have delved into the research of the dead apostles, and probably cleansing towns and cities just for the sake of containing the out break, even I would be paranoid enough to not trust a child.

But being looked at like that, with extreme suspicion and distrust, from a man who I've grown fond of. It hurt.

A lot.

I gave the man a smile, one subdued and less playful. There was a bit of sheepish emotion that got mixed in. "Fate plays great many pranks on some people in the world." I said. "They give you something big in exchange for something priceless."

Both girls were on guard as they felt the tension between me and the retired Enforcer. They held their tongues at the exchange, but the Edelfelt could not help but ask a question to the person her butler seemed to suddenly be wary of.

"And that would be?" she asked, gulping as a bead of sweat rolled down her neck.

I brushed my hair down to cover my eyes. Thanatos slid himself up front in my psyche and effectively killed of most of the strong emotions that were bubbling inside me.

"I'm an Orphan." came my simple answer. "I lost something priceless to get to do the things I do."

We moved our conversation into the Tohasaka household as the evening chill was starting to bother the people present. With the current mood that was around us, it wasn't hard for the weather to affect our bodies.

I sat in one of the plush chairs and took a sip of the offered tea through a slit I made on my mask again. The tense silence was a bit bothersome, but even that feeling was rather numbed once Thanatos was active as my Mask. This was probably how I spent ten years of my life after my parents' death. I don't even remember their names of faces anymore.

Both girls tried not to look uncomfortable, but I could guess that my sudden change in personality threw them off from what I would say as our usual routine. Evgeny was back into his butler role and it was hard to read the man. Whether he was apologetic from setting the mood or not, I couldn't tell.

I sighed inwardly before clearing my throat to gather their attention. Though the refreshments were fine, the company's mood really puts a damper on it's taste. "I suppose I should be going now." I said, standing up from my seat. "I'll just inform you if I find something."

"Wait!" Tohsaka said quickly. "Do you even know where to start looking?"

"The Sewers." I answered.

The child blinked before putting down her tea and rubbing her brow. "Wait, how can you even be sure?"

Seeing that conversation was starting to gain momentum, I chose to sit back on the chair now that the Second Owner had started to interrogate me.

"I've seen a man that could probably be Macus Felix." I said, "He reeked of death and decay, with an appearance of someone who fell from the edge of sanity."

"You've seen him?" this time Edelfelt chimed in, her expression surprised.

I crossed my legs and shifted slightly for more comfort on the chair. "Who I saw may or may not have been the person we are after, but I am positive that the one I saw was far from normal."

"Why?" Tohsaka asked.

"You know of the Central Park, yes?" I asked, though mostly to confirm if the two foreigners knew of the location.

"The place where a memorial was built for the people who lost their lives in the fire five years ago?" Edelfelt inquired.

"That's the place." I nodded. "I saw someone digging dirt there the other day."

Both girls blinked, looking confused. "What's so weird about that?" asked the Second Owner.

I felt compelled to answer the question, but held myself back. I sat still and allowed someone else, with more experience, to perform the explanation for me.

"Apparations."

Two heads snapped over to the butler, his visage deep in thought. I glanced at him, only for a moment before going back to my tea.

"Leftover thoughts in the environment." Evgeny continued for the sake of the two girls. "With the amount of people who died in the fire, a Magus could more than likely use something from the area as ingredient for a ritual."

"But that can't be." Tohsaka piped in. "Kotomine already exorcised and Baptized the place after the reconstruction was finished."

"True." The old Russian nodded. "But some of the more potent thoughts may leave some form of taint in an area if it is strong enough. You would need some sort of complex ritual in order to fully cleanse it. You could hardly do something like that with only one person."

I took a cookie from the table and put the whole thing in my mouth before I chewed. I copied Kiritsugu's usual expression as I crunched the cookie in my mouth, deadpanning at the air in front of me.

"Is that why he was digging for dirt?" the blonde heiress asked.

"Most likely." Evegeny nodded before giving me a quick glance that I caught from the corner of my eye. "He could be using it as some sort of material for a spirit ritual. After all, it is a requirement in order to create Artificial Chimeras."

Spiritual Surgery, I think it was called. The practice of stitching together two uncommon spiritual bodies. But the resulting operation would always kill the patient because of the Rejection of the two component's incompatibility.

"But that still doesn't answer why he would be in the sewers." Tohsaka pointed out. The three of them looked at me for answers.

"To cover his smell." I said, taking another sip from my cup. "And also, there's a possibility that he may have found Servant Caster's old Workshop in there."

The Second Owner made a sharp intake of breath as I finished my sentence. She looked positively shaken from the revelation. Her back went rigid and her form sat still. Her hands were clutching the hem of skirt and was squeezing her palms shut.

"Servant?" Evgeny muttered before his eyes widened as he looked at me. "You mean from the War?"

"The bodies of the children that were taken were never recovered." I informed them, taking the teapot and refilling my cup. "Apparitions may also linger in there, and maybe even stronger thanks to the type of old Magecraft that the Servant practiced."

"This is bad." The butler muttered, a finger tapping his chin in thought.

"What is it, Evgeny?" the blonde asked.

"The reports say that Marcus' previous experiments were failures because the locations did not compliment his practice." the man started. "With the material from the park, the old Workshop of a Servant-"

"-And the leylines in the city, and possible undisturbed residue of the practices in the location." I added.

"-Marcus may finally succeed in whatever it is he's attempting." the old Russian finished.

"Evgeny" Luviagelita started, her tone full of authority. "How long till the Enforcers arrive?"

"Tomorrow at the earliest." the butler answered. He grabbed the opening of his gloved hand and pulled. An unconscious gesture as I noticed his distracted feature. "But they would need a connecting flight from Tokyo to Fuyuki after arriving, so it may be after tomorrow, past midnight."

I sucked my teeth at the mention of the schedule, tapping a finger on my temple. "Two days." I muttered. "Right at the night of a Full Moon."

The Tohsaka heiress turned to me just as I shifted in my seat. "Something the matter, Harbor?" she asked. The two foreigners also seem to be giving me their attention as they noticed my concentrated expression.

"I don't like full moons." I muttered dispassionately. "They're ill omen for me."

"Something about your past?" the butler asked, his eyes sharpening at my masked face.

I shot him a sharp glance before ignoring him. "Something like that."

"What should we do until the Enforcers arrive?" Edelfelt asked the Retired Enforcer himself.

I pushed off my chair and stood up, walking towards one of the open windows. "I'll perform recon until then." I said.

"By yourself?" The twin-tailed magus asked, standing up from her seat just as I have.

"I know a spell." I muttered as I shook my head.

"That would be unwise, child." said the butler. "You don't know what he is capable of and you lack the experience to even hope in succeeding."

"I'll manage." I muttered ducking through the window and prepared myself to leave. But as I was just about open my Circuits for my Gust Step the Edelfelt stopped me when my body was halfway out.

"Hold it!" She called out before looking at her butler. "Evgeny, prepare the car, I wish to see how this goes."

"But Mistress-"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Evgeny." Luviagelita said sternly before looking my way. "I also wish to have a private conversation with Harbor."

I pulled myself back inside and regarded the blonde a raised brow. "You want to talk?" I asked.

"Yes." She nodded, standing up from her own chair then turned to the other girl in the room. "I suppose this will be all for tonight, Tohsaka."

The twin-tailed girl sighed, shaking her head from both exasperation and surrender. "Just please don't get yourself killed." she muttered. "It wouldn't do to have another family's heiress get killed in my territory."

"Why Tohsaka," the blonde smirked, giving the girl a smug look. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were worried."

Then both girls looked at me. They held their stares for a long moment and ignored the sigh that the butler exhaled.

I blinked. "What?"

"Aren't you going to say something?" Tohsaka asked,

"Say what?" I blinked again.

"Like a parting jab?" Edelfelt clarified, her expression looking almost too hopeful.

I tilted my head and stared at the two. "I'm not in the mood."

With that, I headed made my exit out the window and sat by the gates of the Mansion. I could almost hear the growl that Thanatos made inside my mind, from both impatience and uncertainty.

"Don't worry, Thanatos." I whispered, patting my chest where I had once placed the Compendium. "I'm alright. I'll be fine."

There was another growl before I stayed silent, waiting for Edelfelt's car to park by the gates of her rival Magi.

Riding inside an obviously expensive vehicle was a new experience for me. Though it wasn't what you saw in Western Movies, where the body would be a few extra meters long, it was considered as a 'Limo' here in Japan. With it's more compact spaces, there wasn't much you could do to the length of the car, but you could refurbish the inside.

I was currently leaning on what I've analyzed as a very well made leather, and high quality to boot. It makes for a great base material, if I ever wanted to make a coat out of it. It was warm, and the air condition made it more comfortable to lean on.

Edelfelt sat beside me. Ever since we left the Second Owner's home she hadn't said a word. I threw her a glance and noticed how skittish she was in her seat. I stretched the silence as I thought of what I could possibly encounter in a mad man's lair.

The man, Marcus Felix, was a Magus who focused on the mythical creature known as Chimeras. Although, what he makes was a far cry from the real thing from Greek Mythology.

Chimeras were considered as Phantasmal Beasts, creatures of Mythology from the Age of the Gods. Phantasmal Species was a general term used on monsters and beings from back where Magecraft was at its peak and Mysteries were thrown like cafeteria food in a food fight.

It doesn't translate into any specific creature, but was the term used to classify different kinds of races as a whole. They range from animal types of Dragons, Pegasi, Hydra; to demi-human types like Fairies, Giants, Succubi, and Werewolves.

What they are, are creatures from ancient time, with stories told through the generations. Their legends and myths never really dying, and they grow more powerful through age.

But most of them were already hunted down, while the rest simply hid in places where no mortal could ever hope to reach.

Now, a Magus was actually attempting to create one of these beasts. But even if a human tries, it would be nothing but a cheap copy of the original race.

Unfortunately for me, though, is that Chimera is a rather simplified term for "Living things stitched together and miraculously lived through the unholy matrimony of physical and spiritual bonding of the amalgamate from different types of creatures that should not go together".

Bad enough that it had to be animals, now I have to take into account the missing families that he probably used as base ingredients for whatever creature he's cooked up.

From what I've gathered of Chimeras made with human beings, they're intelligent, but were driven by the instincts of the creature that they've been bonded with. I've seen video games, cartoons, and anime that used the same context, and most of them were rather a tedious chore to handle.

But unlike some of the PG rated creatures that I've seen, this guy probably went over the friendly rated and shot straight to 'Sick and Wrong' Rating. I should prepare myself for something from Silent Hill or one of those horror mystery games.

"Harbor." Finally, the heiress began.

"Yes?"

I slid my eyes over her once again and found the child shifting rather restlessly in her seat. Her eyes darted from me to the window beside her, and her calm exterior looked forced.

"About earlier." she said. "What you said about your progress in Magecraft... is what you said about your impressive abilities true?"

I blinked at her once before looking back outside the window again. "I suppose you could say that trauma has a way in unlocking hidden talents." I said.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked.

My mind flashed back to the time when the accident happened in my own world.

I was in a car, with two people who were probably were my parents. I didn't know what expressions they had back then, and I don't remember why we were driving over the bridge at the time. I remember the lights passing the windows and looking forward in the car, but I don't remember what I had been doing.

Then I remember everything changing, everything stopping, the people who were my parents disappeared and changed into coffins. The car made an abrupt stop and I hit my head to the back of one of their seats.

I was dazed, and I remember my face wet from tears. I remember walking out of the car, but I don't remember why. Was it because I wanted to look for my parents? Was it because the green tint of the world fascinated me? Was it because of the river of blood that replaced the water under the bridge? Or was it the gigantic yellow Moon, hanging fully in the foreboding night.

I don't remember.

Then there were noises coming from one of the side of the bridge. It came closer and closer, and two figures become more vivid as they reach to where I was.

I hid behind the car that I had been on, and risked a peek on the two creatures battling.

One of them was a girl, her face flawless and almost inhuman. Her body was made from the most advanced technology in the era, which was more than what I could say to ones of this world. It was ten years later that I came to know the artificial girl's name: Aigis.

Her opponent was a cloaked figure, a... thing with a metal helmet crossed between a hawk and a tyrannosaurus. The creature that was the fragmented Thirteenth Arcana, the Harbinger of the Night Queen's coming, The God who, myth said, had introduced the system of Death, and a dear friend of mine ten years later who I killed to avoid facing his mother: Mochizuki Ryoji, Thanatos himself.

The two of them fought, with Death on the retreat. Aigis peppered him with bullets from the installed guns in her hands, unmindful of the coffins that were once human beings in the immobile cars. Soon after that, Aigis summoned her Persona, Palladion, and rammed the cloaked figure into one of the vehicles.

The car where my parents were in.

I was thrown back when Death crashed, and the car ignited into flames. I stood back up and looked at the fight, only to see Aigis looking at me, straight in the eyes. It was then that she made a decision.

The fight renewed, but Aigis was herding Death closer to me. I stood in my spot, frozen and rattled from the car's explosion, shaking from fright. When the two combatants were close enough, Aigis used the last of her energy to shove Death towards my seven year old body, sealing it away inside the child who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

My memories after that became blurry. Nothing stood out, and nothing caught my interest.

Back in the present, I looked into Luviagelita's eyes and held my stare. She looked away after a few seconds and I went back to looking out the window.

"Let's just say that I was never the same after that." I said. "Cherish what you have, Edelfelt-san. You never know if it'll just be taken from you."

She cleared her throat to shake away some of the awkwardness after that. "I'm sorry to hear that." she said. "I also wish to apologize to my butler's earlier conduct towards you."

"It's fine." I said. "I can understand his paranoia. He's been through a lot in his life and he's seen things that aren't what they were at first glance. You should practice caution when you can, Edelfelt-san. Sometimes, it might just save your life."

The girl grimaced. "You have a very... morbid way of thinking, Harbor. This is the first I've ever seen you so... dark. Most of the time you try to be playful."

"People have their ways to cope after a trauma." I told her. "Paranoia, for instance." I nudged my head towards the tinted glass that separated our side of the car to the driver's side, pointing at the man currently on the wheel. "Or the urge to put any and every type of humor you could find in a conversation or situation."

Though my current personality isn't a result of trauma. It was because of more than one hundred beings representing different kinds of facet were shoved into me all at once. Even after gaining control of myself, they left an impression that would last a lifetime.

"How about now?" she asked. "How would you turn this situation funny?"

"Which one?" I asked. "Us here in the car, or Marcus down in the sewer?"

She tapped her chin in thought. "How about both?"

I shrugged. "Not really much humor in this vehicle." I said. "And I've still yet to converse with our Mad Magus to make fun of him."

"That's not very funny." she said.

"Humor is hard." I told her. "Unless you give me a good material, all you'll get is just me, here, sitting quietly, until you give me an opening for a jab."

"Your humors lean more on double entendres."

"I like double meanings." I nodded. "They confuse people. You could say one thing, but people interpret it differently."

"They also have a way of evading a question and hiding the truth." the girl suggested.

Yeah, she's got me there. In return, I went back to looking out the window and tapped the cloth that hid the lower part of my face. "A mask is there for a reason. Whether it's to hide or protect the person behind it. Or... to protect those who look at what lies within."

"And what of you, Harbor." she asked, her eyes glinting with intent as she focused her attention to me. "What is the purpose of your mask?"

A small smile crept on my lips. "Mostly the former, with a bit of the latter." I said. "But to me Masks hold more meaning. They're are more than just cloths and porcelain, I see them more than just that."

Edelfelt went silent after a few seconds. I could tell from her face that she's mulling about something. The rhythmic taps of her finger on her bicep told me of eagerness, the furrows of her brows told me of deep thought, the small smile on her lips told me that she was getting closer to what she was piecing together.

What a devious little girl.

"Tell me, Harbor." she said. "Are we friends?"

"Less than friends," I said. "But more than acquaintances."

"I didn't know you thought so little of me." she said, though she had a smile on her lips, taking no offense at all as I told her that we weren't friends.

I shook my head. "It's not that, Edelfelt-san." I told her. "Friendship goes both ways. We give, we take, but we also give while expecting nothing in return. We share our help, knowledge, experience. We spend time together, having fun and just simply to pass time. We smile, we laugh, and we enjoy ourselves. We tease each other, get under each other's skin, but all in good fun."

There's more to it, though. There were some aspects of it that I can't just put into words.

"You were raised as a Magus, Edelfelt-san." I continued. "Thus, you make decisions that would benefit you most. With the way you're probing me right now, I could tell that you are turning out into a magnificent practitioner."

I saw her flush and turn towards her window, trying to hide her fluster in a satisfied huff.

"But then, it's because of that that we may never become True Friends." I told her. "I've been working with Tohsaka-san for a while now, but we are still nothing but colleagues. We're more like students in the same school but with different Major Courses. Until we break that barrier of taking advantage of the other, we'll never see eye to eye."

From there on the silence stretched all the way to our destination. We drove over the bridge located in the center of Fuyuki. The massive steel construct was impressive, but it was hardly like the Moonlight Bridge back in my world. It was also one of the places where they had to re-patch after mysterious gouges appeared on the road five years ago.

It had probably been where some Servants had their final battle, but Kiritsugu had no reports on it.

We stopped nearby after we were over the bridge. I wasted no moment and opened the door immediately after the car made a complete stop. I flared my Circuits up and slowly started to raise my body's temperature. The cold winds from the air conditioner stuck to the fabric of my clothes. I still felt them even though my coat had another layer of cloth under it.

"You wanted us to drop you here, yes?" Edelfelt said from behind me. She walked towards where I was after waiting for her butler to open the door for her. "Where will you go now?"

I pointed over to the side of the river, where sewage waters trickled out of. "There's a web of tunnels under the city made for water passes in case of heavy rain. I'll move from the middle going inwards to the city. If I find movements inside, I'll follow the source and trace back where it came from."

"And you are sure this will work?" she asked, standing beside me with her butler close behind.

"Yes." I nodded. "We'll need the location of his base for when the Enforcers arrive. We can't have them skulking around the city while police and local Yakuza patrol the streets at night. It'll make them look suspicious."

"Yakuza." Edelfelt repeated the word. "That is your country's version of the Mafia, yes?"

I nodded. "Something like that." Though Raiga-jii might have something to say to that.

I prepared my Gust step to begin my search, but a call from Edelfelt halted my preparation.

"Harbor." she said. "That offer to help each other with our crafts, is it still open?"

I blinked once and repeated the words again in my head and looked back to the young heiress. She looked serious, but also had a face of resigned amusement.

I smiled under my mask. "Yes." I nodded. "But you'll have to tell Tohsaka-san about it as well."

"Tomorrow, then." she agreed.

"Tomorrow."

"And you may call me by my first name."

Finishing the Bubble and the Tunnel, I launched myself to begin the search.

"See you later, Luvia."

I grimaced under my mask as I trudged over the sewage water and felt another splash on my Projected rubber boots. The Prana construct reached high on my shin and just a few inches below my knee. I tucked in my pants, and Altered the size of the boots so that it was a snug fit and doesn't slow me down if I needed to run.

The tunnels under the city were dark, no lights. I had to use Heat Riser early just to be able to see a few feet ahead of me, but I was relying more on sound than sight. I've been slowly leaking Prana into the air, but only enough to make it undetectable by whatever sense Magi can do to feel it.

I changed the Prana into Garu (Wind) and turned it into a gentle breeze, spreading out about a hundred feet inside the tunnels.

I frowned as I could hardly detect the walls with how thin I've made them. It looks like spreading my wind too far and too wide weakens my sense of connection to my magic.

I tried fifty feet. It was better, but hardly covered the forked paths ahead of me. Looks like this is the limit of my sensitivity to my Wind Craft. I just hope it's enough to find the Philosopher.

The Sewers of the city was connected to large chambers meant to hold vast amounts of water. Since the city was located just by the sea, there were precautions taken in case storms tried to splash a tsunami's amount of water on the city and drown it.

That's probably where I should begin my search, but spreading out my senses till I get there wouldn't hurt.

Now I really wish I had a Sonar ability, like what bats use. But then again, human ears can't pick up that kind of sounds without help. And even with help, I need practice.

Still, with the type of enemy I'm facing, that wouldn't work. He has Chimeras' with senses of an animal. They'd probably hear my Super Sonic and warn the Magus before I get to him.

Although, I do have an advantage over him. He can't leave the workshop and abandon it. It's the bast place he has to make progress with his work and running away from an eleven year old kid would surely deliver a blow to his Magus Pride. If it had been Enforcers, that would be a different story.

I created a Bubble around my feet and kept the sound of my footsteps muffled. That's another thing about tunnels like these; they echo. I couldn't really put up a whole Bubble around my body, 'cause that might disrupt my sense to the Garu that I've spread around to help me find Marcus.

I started walking to the side, close to the walls, as I noticed a canal system with walkways. At least the sides were dry and the canal directed the water's path.

My steps on the concrete were uncomfortable. There's a bit of resistance before my foot hits the ground, and I almost fell sideways more than once. I got frustrated and changed the shape of the Bubble. A flat, spinning plate under my foot, while a dome stretched over it, twisting inwards towards my shin.

Aero Boots, my newest creation. Bow before my genius.

Now I have to find another way to make it useful other than muffle sound and keep muck off my shoes.

Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud.

The sound echoed in my hearing and vibrated the Garu infused air around me. I stopped in place and cupped my ears.

Sound was nothing but vibration in the air. Our eardrums were meant to catch those vibrations for us to hear. The eardrums then sends the rhythm to the brain to figure out the pattern and make sense of it.

Air vibrates to deliver the sound in a rippling effect, sending out waves in response to the source. Thanks to the Garu that I spread in the air, it acts as an extended part of me. They catch the vibrations and send it to me via magic link between me and my craft.

I was close. The tunnels screwed up my sense of direction, so I don't know which way was north and which way was south. All I know was that the sound came from the next fork, right side.

Whatever the source of those footsteps wasn't human. The rhythm was too fast for any bipedal creature, so the only explanation would be an animal on fours or more.

Thud, Scrape, Thud, Scrape.

Yeah. It was definitely an animal. There was a feint scraping sound after the step that could only be claws. It sounded like nail scratching on concrete. Thanks to the sound bouncing off the walls, the echoes magnified the scraping sound that shouldn't normally be heard by human ears.

I better be careful from here. Animals have better senses than humans, so it's safe to say that whatever it was that I was detecting could hear me just as I could hear it.

If I hadn't made precautions to muffle my steps, that is.

I'd better arm myself just in case it catches me.

I closed my eyes and focused. An imaginary Evoker twirled and pointed itself to my head.

"Sword of Arms, Rank V: Project Mental Image."

I had a picture of a Katana in my head. A regular, Japanese styled sword. I stayed on the image and focused.

"Retrieve Analyzed Blueprints."

Information surfaced from my subconscious. Data from one of the Japanese Swords that I analyzed back in Raiga-jii's mansion. It showed me what I learned and what function it has.

Retrieving the data was easy enough, as I wasn't limited to my five senses when I learned it. It's like how you recall something from your sense of smell. Something you smelled from a very long time ago came back to you, but the item that jogged your memory was different.

It's with subconscious effort that you recall these things. I've learn the data of a Katana using mystical methods, thus information was sent straight to my brain and stored in a part that I rarely use. They didn't pass any sensory organ, but the result of the analysis was downloaded straight to my central hub.

All I needed was a stimuli to nudge my brain to fork up what it learned. In this case, it was an image and focusing on it.

"Gathering Necessary Materials."

Steel, Wood, Leather. Blade, Handle, Wrap. It's normally what's used for a sword.

"Duplicating Material Quantity."

Mostly the steel. I re-examined the metal and increased it's volume to match the measure in the Blueprint, doing the same for the Wood and the Leather.

"Recreating Individual Manufacturing."

This step is the tricky part. Each components have separate ways in preparation. The metal is forged, the Leather is cut, and the Wood is carved.

I each have to look into how they're made. The Blueprint may have the instructions, but I'm the one who has to recreate the process using Alteration.

This is where I spent most of my time back when I was just in my second year of Magecraft. I spent hours, Days, Months, then Years, just to increase the speed of this step. Even with the subconscious help from my brain, it still takes me a few seconds to follow through the instructions.

It's slow, but I've managed to cut down my time on small items to three seconds, while bigger ones take five to fifteen seconds, depending on how many processes it went through before finishing.

"Assembling Components."

Now all that's left is putting the parts together. A sword is easy since it only has a few pieces, but a Gun is a whole other thing entirely.

"Actualize."

I opened my eyes and grabbed the newly made Katana in my hand. I swung it a few times to test out the balance in case I had to make a quick Alteration. I nodded, satisfied with my creation.

Projection is a difficult art to practice. I don't think I'll be able to fully grasp it's full potential until another decade or two. Maybe even more. The more details inside the Prana construct, the more it becomes Real. The more Real it is, the longer it took for Gaia to correct it.

Sword of Arms allow me to easily create near perfect base materials, which makes the Projection easier to make and more authentic. The process was just there to fool the world that the Projection was part of it.

I walked quietly ahead and felt vibrations bouncing off my Garu infused air. Whatever it was, it was walking at an even stride.

I hugged the wall closely and moved my head slightly out of a corner I hid behind. What I saw would have made my stomach perform backflips if I didn't have Thanatos repress my emotions.

It was something you'd definitely see from Silent Hill.

It had a body of a dog, and ears stitched on it's neck, but it was either shaved or skinned. I couldn't see well in the dark, but there was no mistaking the shape of ribs on it's side. It's eyes glowed in a malevolent light, the only thing that would have been visible if I hadn't used Heat Riser to augment my senses. It stalked the tunnels and breathed out harshly, as if the mere action needed conscious effort to do. But the face...

It was the face of a human child.

I couldn't tell if it was male or female, but I knew that the child was somewhere around my physical body's age. The bastard Marcus must have created this out of one of the families that he abducted. The body could have been a pet or a stray.

Just to be clear. The Chimeras seen in Full Metal Alchemist didn't do justice of the horror that came with it. This thing was an abomination, and the humane side of me was screaming that I free this creature's torment like how Scar would do in the anime. You do not do this to a human being, or any natural creature of this world. This thing should not exist.

But I steadied my hand.

I couldn't take the risk. If I kill this one, it might set of some kind of alarm. These things could be connected to a system of sentries. Though I had no proof of it, there was no reason to risk detection before I even complete my objective. That would be a dumb move and might make me a live prey for every Chimera the Philosopher was able to put together in the time he was here.

I let the creature pass its route and waited a few seconds until the vibrations stopped bouncing off my sensory field. I released a shuddering breath and pushed down the urge to destroy the thing with extreme prejudice.

This was feeling more and more like Tartarus again. Recon and extermination, just like old times.

Walking out of my hiding spot, I went further into the tunnels of the city, moving in the opposite direction of the Chimera.

How long have I been walking around? It seems that time drags on when you walk aimlessly in the unknown.

I've encountered twelve more Chimeras since the first one. And I think some of them were the first Chimera's family members.

I shook my head as I suppressed yet another desire to destroy the creatures that I've encountered. It was awful. They were awful. Demented parody of Cerberus using human heads was one of the worst ones I've seen so far.

But it looks like my long night was about to end as my sensory field felt more vibrations rattle the air. This time, though, it was constant and there was more than one rhythm.

Multiple growls, meows, roars and howls entered my area of effect. Amidst the cries of the animals was laughter, a mad hysterical laughter.

The closer I got, the clearer the words were spoken. He was speaking in English, which was odd since he was from Greece.

"YES! More!" I heard the voice scream. "Pull out more of your emotions! Let your feelings bleed into my next experiment!"

Cliche, mine name be Marcus Felix.

Mission Accomplished. Bad Guy found, Workshop located, Identity Verified.

I walked into a well lit room, ceiling higher than the tunnels, and pillars stood tall to hold the city on the surface. It's one of the flood chambers. Littered around were severed body parts, human and animal alike. Cages were in corners, filled with animals, but there was no human in sight. They howled and screamed, making noises that was deafening as they bounced off the walls.

A small Chimera beside the Magus turned its head and Marcus whirled, his hands bloody and behind him was another Chimera, but this one was unresponsive.

"Who's there!" he called out.

Slowly, from the shadows of the tunnels, I walked out into the light. He gasped as he saw my suit and trench coat.

"An Enforcer!"

Then he saw my face.

"A Child!" he raged with glee. His eyes danced in the tune of insanity, and a wicked smile split his face. "Come, no need to be afraid."

"Pedophile." I said in the same language, tapping the Projected Katana on my shoulder.

The expression on his face never wavered, not even from my insult or the sight of my weapon. He threw his hand forward as six Chimeras rushed out from behind him.

"Bring him to me!"

I guess I was right in one of my guesses. Being in a body of a child makes people underestimate me. The man was also too far gone to even question my presence in the tunnels or my weapon, that raises the chance that he won't make a break for it after I leave.

The abominations stalked slowly towards me, taking careful movement like predators on the prowl. I observed them carefully and noted anything important for the raid tomorrow, keeping my sword pointed at them just in case of an preemptive attack.

I could tell from the chamber that it was used by someone powerful. Dark and Nauseating Prana lingered and twisted in the air, followed by the stench of corpses and blood.

Blood was nothing new for my senses, I've seen it running down walls and replace rivers back in my own world. The Chimeras, however, were new and frighting. They emitted killing intent the same level as the ones back in Tartarus. Maybe somewhere just below middle class.

It was nothing compared to The Reaper, but that wasn't really a fair comparison. That particular Shadow exuded Death that would make even the most hardened veterans want to lose their bowels in their pants. That wasn't to say that these things were losing in the Scary department. They still disturb me.

I calmly backed away into the darkness of the tunnel, minding the way the creatures moved. Thanatos hissed in my mind and crushed the rising fear inside me, then chomped on what was left of it. One of them snarled and growled, which was my queue to turn around and make a break for it.

"You idiots!" I heard the mad magus bellow from the chamber. "You scared him away!"

I ran as fast as I could through the tunnels, turning left and right for any manhole I could find while also freezing the floor after my footsteps. The four-legged beasts slid at the first corner and smack into the wall, yelping out a whine when they crashed together.

It didn't take me long to find one of the manholes, only five or six turns before I spotted a ladder and a few rays of light coming from the holes in the cover.

I stopped directly beside the ladder and extended my senses to their full reach, just in time to find that two more were heading my way from the opposite end of the tunnel.

This would have been a good time to have my mp3 back and play Mass Destruction in my ears.

Alright, battle assessment.

Ground of Conflict? Space is about three meters from wall to wall, with front and back as the tunnel passage. Not enough space for any wide dodges, but I could use the walls for blunt force trauma.

Enemy units? Six from where I ran away from and two closing in from the opposite direction to box me in, so eight in total. They're animal types, four legged, the size of a dog or a monkey, which means that they may be quick and nimble. They have fangs and claws that may or may not have poison like in video games, but they might also have rabies and cause infections if I get nicked.

Estimated Battle Strength? Humans and animals sewn together using disgusting arts. They may have some form of intelligence and cunning, but I should expect more animal instincts since there doesn't seem to be anymore human consciousness left in those monstrous husks.

Possible Weakness? Instinct. It looks like they're more driven by their animal parts and they may be susceptible to high dosage of Killing Intent. It might give them a pause if I display that I'm the bigger predator.

Tactics for Foes? Touch and Go. Use all available skills and assess their effectiveness. Keep distance, and herd all enemies on one side to avoid getting mauled from both sides.

Probability of Victory? High, but I should expect a few bite and claw marks. They're fast and may attack simultaneously or systematically, but I expect them to be fast and unrelenting. I should watch out for pounces.

The first Chimera that I saw coming to my location sent shivers up my spine. Their glowing eyes marked me as their target, but the face of a child on the body of a dog running towards you on all fours was something you'd expect from a horror film.

Thanatos crunched that feeling again.

Luckily, the frozen floors gave me enough time find my escape route and distract the first six, but the two up front had no such obstacles. So naturally, they were the first to reach me.

My Circuits ignited and I pressed one hand on the ground.

"Bufula!"

I called out my spell for ice and spread a sheet of Prana on the floor leading to the two charging beasts. The ground flash-froze in an instant, and I waited patiently for the two to step on the ice.

As I expected, the claws on their paws couldn't get enough purchase on the ice. The two made a misstep and fell one the slippery floor, sliding all the way towards me with all the accumulated speed that they've gathered. They tried in futility to stand upright, but all they did was slip and fall while growling at me.

I reared my sword back with both arms, and stood in the path of one of the beasts.

It howled just as it came into my range, and I swung.

One head flew and bounced on the floor while the body slipped past me. The other Chimera reached the end of the ice and turned back to renew its charge. I blew it away with another spell.

"Garula!"

A concentrated force of wind smashed into its body and flung it further down the tunnel, yelping all the way.

Behind my mask I frowned. That was the strongest Garula I've used so far, but all it did was shoot an ball of air at the Beast. I think my practice of Gust Step made me unconsciously use the wind for other purposes than cutting and slicing. They've all turned into spheres after making my use of Garu like it was second nature.

The headless corpse near me twitched, but the Head remained still. I frowned at it and gathered Prana.

"Agilao."

The headless body ignited into flames, with an intensity that would leave third degree burns instantly. But the fire only lasted for a moment. I frowned at the scorched corpse and grimaced at the smell of burning flesh.

Thanatos ate the feeling of disgust inside me.

Note to self: Element tiers differ in both size and intensity. Agi goes for burnt roast, Agilao goes for Scorched Charcoal, and Agidyne probably goes for turning bones to ash.

Rapid steps entered my senses and felt the remaining seven Beasts Charging all at once towards me, though there was noticeable limp on one.

I focused my mind on Projection once again. This time, only a simple ball of steel, nothing more. I grinned under my mask as I created a powerful vacuum of wind and set the Projected Ball of Steel at one end. The shape of the Tunnel was that of my Bullet Pass, a slender and long tunnel.

"Avast," I said in an amused tone, Thanatos was pushing even that emotion down. "Non'o ye be takin' me booty this night."

I let go of my hold on the projection and let it fly straight into the tunnel, the vacuum of wind pulled it like it was shot from a cannon. Two wet squelches met my ear as the Chimeras entered my field of vision. Seven were reduced to five, and I still had a lot more skills to test.

I had no time to gloat as the fastest one pounced on me. I drew back and used a Gust Step to pull myself out of it's reach.

Another made it's move, howling as it opened it's human jaw and aimed for my jugular. I slashed at its face as a backed away, making a long gash from it's eye to it's mouth.

Ching!

I heard something inside me chime, a distraction that led the next attack to connect with my left forearm in the form of a hideous bite. The child faced thing refused to let go after it sunk it's teeth under my skin.

"Gah." I gritted out. "Zionga!"

My Resistance worked in overdrive as Gigawatts worth of electricity traveled all over my body. My muscles tensed and locked, while the other charging Chimeras yelped away. I gritted my teeth and grabbed the biting monster's head, dropping my sword on the ground, and ripped it off my arm. I swung it over to one of the monsters readying for another pounce.

I jumped back, palms facing forward as they all line up in front of me. "Garudyne!"

I called forth a concentrated amount to pressurized wind, propelling me backwards and sending the five monsters further down the tunnel. My back smacked against the wall with enough force to break a normal person's back. My Resistance and Heat Riser saved me from getting paralyzed permanently, which I am grateful for.

I grunted as I pulled myself upright, ignoring the pain until, "Diarama." My regeneration increased in speed and mended my injuries faster. My healing spell was always a useful asset in combat. Even better was that I could use it on another person as well.

Thuds from paws echoed in the tunnel again, but this time, they were slower and were taking their time to make their way towards me. My last attack must have injured them more and made the land badly, the only thing keeping them from stopping their attack was probably the command of the Mad Magus.

I saw all five of them. Four growled menacingly, with three limping, two bleeding, and one with a caved rib on one side.

I stood straight and went for a quick view inside my Persona Compendium. There was sudden influx of information that battered my mind, but I held steadfast and kept myself from showing any openings.

Sharp Student, my ability to sense a debilitating blow coming and increase my chance of avoiding that critical hit.

Dodge Skills and Evade Variants. Each Persona I had was weak against certain elements. Those weaknesses pass on to the person that wields them. But with a Dodge Skills, a Persona could sense the coming of an attack if their senses are sensitive enough to detect the build up. I had many of these Dodge Skills, and all of them cover all of my elements and attacks.

Now it looks like my battle with quick opponents forced me to fuse Sharp Student and all of my Dodge Skills. That was the chime that I heard inside me, the moment my skills fused together to make a new variant.

I could practically feel my sixth sense growing stronger and more sensitive. Any more and I might attribute it to Spider Sense.

Eye of the Mind. I snorted. A fake one. One that I got from my Personae. If I had developed it on real battles, it might have been True instead.

Apt Pupil, another sixth sense ability. A skill that allows me to sense opportune moments to strike and deal a critical hit on an opponent.

Rebellion and Revolution. Two more skills that covers my sixth sense. They make it more sensitive and shows all those affected the feeling of when to strike an enemy. It's a sort of field spell that doesn't discriminate on allies or foes. The spell hits everyone in an immediate area, no questions asked.

Apt Pupil, with Rebellion and Revolution, became a more potent skill in my arsenal. My ability to detect opportunities increased, and my 'Sense' became more powerful.

Instinct. The power to 'Feel' the most favorable developments for oneself during battle.

I stepped forward towards the human faced abominations, feeling more confident now that some of my locked skills became available and turned into something even better.

I smiled under my mask. "Let's finish this training session, shall we?"

I held out my arms and gathered Prana in my body. The Chimeras growled and snarled, hesitating in their advance. I breathed out slowly and calmed my body.

I am the Vessel of their Souls,

That was the trigger that sent the monsters on the attack.

Their hearts I carry, Their burdens I bear,

The never stood a chance.

I reared my arm backwards and swung it forward. I caught the hideous face of the Teen-faced Chimera. Prana gathered in my hand and exploded on contact.

"Garu!"

Concussive force of wind added to my blow and caved the monster's face in. The resulting shockwave blew the body backwards and tumbled into another Chimera behind it.

Two more pounced at the same time, but my new skills warned me of their attack. They were fast. Faster than any animal I've ever seen, but they pale compared to one dog that I've fought alongside with.

An application of Gust Step swallowed my body and shot me to the other side of the tunnel, just beside the ladder to my escape. Four were left, but weakened, one was on the floor with a face caved in, but still trying to stand on it's legs.

I trapped it in a condensed ball of oxygen and snapped my finger.

"Agidyne."

The monster ignited and howled as the flames devoured it's flesh. It's body was between me and the other four abominations, and the intense fire kept the others from charging in. I could even feel my skin drying from my distance.

Three seconds of intense flames fed by a concentrated amount of oxygen left nothing but bones and ashes. The ground where it laid melted and steamed under the crisped corpse.

The rest prepared another charge, uncaring for its fallen kin.

On the ground I picked up my fallen sword and channeled a spell through it. Four monsters charged at once and pounced at the same time. They went for different heights, but their only target was me. I swung the sword in an arc and released my control over the spell.

"Ziodyne!"

The conductive steel spewed out forks of lightning from the blade, spreading out like an untamed spider's web. They struck the walls but spread out like shotgun fire. Four howls bounced off the walls and echoed further away as I ducked under their paralyzed bodies and let them pass.

In mid-turn, I swung my arm on one of the twitching Chimeras head, smashing my fist on the human body part. Prana burst forth from my hand as I injected as much of it as it could inside the monster's body.

"Bufudyne!"

Prana transformed and ice blossomed from the body of the Chimera. Given the potency of the spell and the blow that disrupted the Innate resistance of any living thing from foreign Prana, the Chimera's whole body lost all bodily function as it froze like dipped in liquid nitrogen.

Three left.

They twitched and random muscle spasmed in their bodies. Their rise were slow and I knew the fight was close.

I closed my eyes and prepared another spell. Prana flowed within my circuits and slowly leaked out of my skin. I opened my eyes and unleashed my spell.

"Evil Smile."

Killing Intent washed over the bodies of the monsters and they fell back on the ground with a terrified howl. Spasms raked their bodies as they snarled in place. The creatures were completely terrified.

Another flow of Prana built up inside me. They gathered in my lungs, throat and mouth. Multiple Bubbles of wind manifested all over the tunnels, overlapping and interconnecting with each other. They vibrated and amplified all sound that traveled within them, but most had centered over the three beasts.

When air left my lungs, my spell triggered.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

A Ghastly Wail reverberated in all bubbles, creating echoes within echoes and amplifying the sound and effect. The bodies of the three Chimeras visibly shuddered from the force and started frothing in their mouths. I felt the ground shudder under my feet from the excess vibration of the Bubbles and the ones that bounced off the walls. There was no escape from this spell.

Five seconds after the maddening roar, all sounds ceased. On the floor were three Chimeras flopped on their sides, limbs rigid and locked, tongues lolling out with saliva bubbling from their gums.

Three monsters had a heart attack, and they were too scared to know that they were already dead.

Thanatos rumbled inside me as I looked up to the manhole on top of the ladder. I grabbed the first bar to make my exit, but stopped.

I looked at my hands and saw myself shaking. It wasn't just that, but even my breath came out as shudders.

Ghastly Wail. A hideous sound that attacks the brain of any who hear it with terror. Different sounds affect the body in different ways, like beats of a drum, clinks of wind chimes, whistle of flutes, strums of a harp and other instruments. But the spell releases something primal that strikes the brain through sound, like how horror movies time their scene with the right sound effects.

Ghastly Wail stimulates surprise while amplifying terror at the same time. Then the longer the sound is produced, the longer the action of surprise lasts. It strains the body and locks the muscles, making the heart beat at rhythms that it shouldn't make. Then comes seizure, and with it heart attack.

Back then, when the Persona was the one who performs the spell, it doesn't affect the caster, but here, since I'm the one producing the sound through me own body, it also affects me on a smaller scale.

I should be careful from now on, or else, one day, it might be my spells that kill me and not some random foe. That one more reminder that I hope to follow.

Now let's see where we are.

[WISE UP!]

Eye of the Mind (False): B Rank = from the combination of Sharp Student, 7 Dodge Skills, and 7 Evade Skills.

Instinct: B- Rank = Apt Pupil, the skill that lets Minato to sense an upcoming opportunity for him to deal a Critical hit, only made potent with Rebellion and Revolution spells.