Steel Beyond The Gods

Summary: Memories are fickle things. So easy to lose, even easier to discard. But sometimes memories are things best left forgotten. But when Percy refuses Godhood and the Olympians try to force him, he remembers…and that is not good for anyone. Shiro Emiya…has returned.

Shiro is Percy fanfic

Pairing: Shiro x Saber (possible Harem?)

AN: Another story I wrote in a fit of inspiration awhile ago. Still working on Ashes to Ashes, just a tiny bit of writer's block, though I am working past it.

I: The End of Fate

Something was wrong.

As soon as I, Percy Jackson, took a step forward towards the Gods after defeating Kronos, I could tell something was wrong. I didn't know what it was that was throwing me off. Was it the air? Was it the sudden tension that had arisen as soon as he stepped forwards? Whatever it was, I couldn't shake the feeling that…something was wrong.

"You have performed great deeds to protect Olympus," Zeus' voice boomed. "You have protected our thrones. You have defeated Kronos. And as reluctant I am to admit, you have indeed earned your name as a Hero. And so we give you the ultimate gift, Percy Jackson. Godhood."

My eyes widened in shock as I heard that. It sounded too good to be true. Godhood? Who wouldn't want that? "A…God?" I asked, clearly disbelieving that I would be offered such a thing.

Zeus' rolled his eyes. "Yes, a god. You will become your father's immortal lieutenant, and then I shall have the displeasure of dealing with you for the rest of my immortal life."

"Which means I can fight him and he'll keep coming back," Ares grunted. "I like the sound of this."

"I'd have someone who could ride with me in my Chariot," Apollo said gleefully, his eyes seeming to actually sparkle a little…something I, truthfully, found rather disturbing.

What really tempted me was the look of pride that my father held. Pride that his son would be joining him forever…but something felt off to me now. Before, that look of pride was something I'd always wanted…but now it felt hollow. I didn't know why that was.

In the back of my mind, I felt something like a nagging itch. I didn't know why but…looking at the pride in his eyes, it just didn't seem to measure up to expressions I'd seen before…why though? I'd never been looked at with something like that since my mother…hadn't I?

I tried to clear my thoughts, and was seriously contemplating the offer…before my gaze shifted to Annabeth. That wonderful blonde hair that seemed to glisten like sunlight. The beautiful smile upon her face he'd see when she spoke to him. Her gorgeous green eyes that sparkled like emerald-

Wait…green? That wasn't right…Annabeth's eyes were grey, not green. How could I have forgotten that when Iwas looking right at them? What was on Olympus was wrong with me…?

Looking back to the gods, I knew my answer suddenly. If I couldn't recall something like the eye colour of the person I loved, what right did I have to become a god? "I thank you for the chance, Lord Zeus," I said as politely as I could. "But…I'm afraid that someone like me is not someone who should become a god. So I…I must decline the change you have offered me today."

Suddenly, the air grow even more tense. My muscles locked up as I felt my hairs starting to stand on end. The smell of ozone was beginning to fill the Throne room. The looks of surprise on the faces of the Olympians had turned into something Percy instantly recognised…disappointment.

"You seem to misunderstand, Perseus Jackson," Zeus said coldly. "This is not an offer…it is an order. You are going to become a God. Like it or not. Hephaestus!"

As soon as Zeus yelled the name of the smith god, I instantly knew that I was out of luck. I hissed out as Celestial Bronze chains shot from the God's throne and held me in place in a matter of moments.I could feel my eyes widening, and I looked at them all disbelievingly as they prepared to force me into Godhood without even giving me a choice.

That was when I felt it again. The nagging in the back of my head…and why was my left arm suddenly so…itchy? It didn't feel natural any longer…it felt like it belonged to me, but it wasn't mine at the same time. It was foreign…but helpful. What was going on!?

"Athena," Zeus' voice boomed throughout the throne room, bringing me back to my senses. "Delve into his mind, and change his memories so that the boy believes he accepted Godhood, eager for his new position. It will help keep his loyalty in tact, we cannot have him turning rogue because of this."

"Yes Father," Athena said as she stepped towards me. Those stormy grey eyes stared into mine, and I struggled in the chains desperately. I couldn't let them do this! I couldn't believe they'd do this! They were going to twist me, make me their obedient servant! They couldn't do this! I saved them! I did everything for them! I became a Hero of Justice for-!

Hero of…Justice?

Before I even had time to process that thought, Athena grabbed my head, seeming to be disgusted just from needing to touch the son of her enemy. She glared into my eyes, and I felt the mental probe hit me…and that was when I saw it. Something so unfamiliar, so unusual…and yet it was a place I also knew very well, a place that I instantly found solace and sanctuary in.

I found myself on a hill of swords. Before my eyes, swords of all kinds were stabbed into the ground as far as the eye could see. The sky was a shimmering gold in colour…and colossal gears hung suspended in the air, as if the Gods had placed them there and ordered them to never move from that spot. Only to spin eternally within this strange place.

But what caught my eye was the man bearing white hair standing atop that hill. I couldn't clearly see his face, but I could see the clothing he wore. He was clad in red, wearing a strange body armour. He had dark skin, and though I couldn't see his eyes, I knew he was looking at me, judging me. I don't know why, but this man of all people judging me felt…strange. It ignited a feeling within me that was all too familiar, something I'd felt hundreds upon hundreds of times…determination.

To his left, Athena was wrapped in chains. They weren't Celestial Bronze, but despite how she struggled she couldn't break out of them. Yet even her struggling was minimal as her jaw was hung low, gazing over this world that only she and I could see at the moment. It was like she couldn't believe that a place like this could exist. And if I was honest, nor could I.

"Can you keep up with me?" the man spoke words that echoed throughout this world, and they shook me to my very core. In that moment, there was no Athena. There were no gods. It was just me, and this man. And as he said those words, I felt something within me click.

"It's not can I keep up with you," I said the words before I even realised they were coming out of my mouth. I stormed up that hill, straight past him and Athena as I grabbed two swords from the ground, Kanshou and Bakuya, and continued to march onwards. "You can keep up with me!"

Memories.

As soon as I spoke those words, I felt memories bombarding me, flashing before my sights. The crying but joyful face of a broken man who failed to save anyone, no matter how hard he tried. The cries of a grown up woman who begged me to cook. The smile on a purple haired girl who was dear to me. The annoying but amusing form of a girl obsessed with jewels.

But the thing that stood out most to me was the regal stance of her. The woman who had taken my heart within such a sport span of time, and mine became hers.

How had I forgotten her? How had I forgotten any of this? My dear friends…my closest comrades…but most importantly, I had broken my promise to her. I'd forgotten that I was in love with…

"Saber…" I whispered out, and Unlimited Blade Works was covered in a golden light.

The first thing I registered as I was forced out of my mind world was that Athena was screaming. She stepped back from me, holding her head in pain, and I couldn't help but feel a little pleased that she was in such pain for trying to twist my memories. She completely deserved it, after all.

"Athena!" Zeus said in concern, and within mere moments, Apollo was by her side, checking on her to be sure she was alright. As soon as Apollo was by her side, Zeus glared at me with anger…but I didn't feel fear any more. I nearly felt complete for the first time in so long. "What did you do, Jackson!?"

"My name isn't Percy Jackson," I denied immediately, a small smile on my lips. "Perhaps it is the name I held for awhile, but that is not who I am. My name is Shiro Emiya. And…My body is made of swords."

The words held power, as if I were swearing on the River Styx. Everyone in the room could feel the power in my words as soon as they were spoken. Zeus' stepped back in shock, Hephaestus looked with widened eyes. Ares looked somewhat weary. Artemis looked stunned. My father looked hurt. Aphrodite was staring at me with…was that lust? Hera looked furious, and Demeter stared with Pity. Dinoysus stared with a little indifference, but I could see his unease.

"Iron is my blood, and glass is my heart," I continued my Aria. I needed something unbreakable…something that could cut through the Celestial Bronze chains that were binding me. I needed something stronger and more holy then they were…

Something within my world answered the call.

Behind me, a single sword was traced. It was the sword of Hector, which was converted into the spear Duridana. But once it lost its features as a spear, it returned to being a sword. It was then later granted to King Charlemagne of the Frankish Empire by an angel, before it was then awarded to Roland. It was said to possess three miracles within it. The blade would never dull, and the blade would never break, said to be able to cut through anything. The Peerless Sword: Durandal.

With two swings, it cut through the chains binding me in place were broken, and I found my fingers curling around the Noble Phantasm. It felt right to hold one of my traced swords again. Perhaps it was because it had been so long, but holding this sword, I felt pieces of himself that I didn't know were gone as Percy returning to me.

"That sword…" Hephaestus looked stunned at the sight of it, and I couldn't blame him. As the god of blacksmiths, he likely could tell what the weapon was just by looking at it. It was an unbreakable sword, made of none of the godly metals that they used. It was crafted by humans, so it was no doubt something that baffled Hephaestus. A sword made by humans that could rival the creation of Godly weapons.

I noticed something too. The weapon wasn't being affected by Gaia. It wasn't deteriorating. It wasn't weakening. It simply…existed, as if it had always been. And that was when I realised it. Without Gilgamesh, with the age of the gods still present, Gaia didn't exist, And neither did Alaya. It meant all of my Projections were real. And it was something that would be very useful against the gods right now.

"You made a mistake, Zeus," I told him calmly, resting Durandal on my shoulder. "Though I suppose you never learned the meaning of the word 'no' if some of the myths are anything to go off of. But let me remind you. When someone tells you 'no,' it means you shouldn't do that. So let me tell you again…" I began to trace various blades behind me. Clarent, Aestus Estus, Caladbolg, Gae Bolg, Hrunting, Rule Breaker…and many other nameless weapons hung in the air behind me. Before I even realised it, the weapon that had become so beloved to me in this life, Riptide, was held in my other hand. Durandal left my hand, floating up to join the other weapons in pointing at Zeus.

"I will not become a god. And you will not force me into it. If you try…" I left that thread handing, more then ready to speak the third line of my aria. Truly, how had I forgotten all of things? Why had I forgotten everything? But more importantly, why had I ever forgotten her? How could I? I broke my promise, and I didn't even know how or why.

"You arrogant…" Zeus growled, raising his Master Bolt and pointing it at me, clearly changing his mind about me becoming a god.

"I have overcome countless battlefields," I spoke the third line, hearing the gears grinding within my mind, and that was when I traced yet another sword, that landed in the hand Durandal once lay. It was a sword so precious to me. More so then Kanshou and Bakuya. More so then Riptide. What I held in my hand was the sword that chooses Kings, Caliburn. And within my hand, it glowed in all of its glory. "Do you know what this is Zeus?" I asked, raising the holy sword for all to see. "This is Caliburn, the sword that King Arthur pulled from the stone. The sword that chooses kings. And I know that it would never choose someone as vile as you! Because you are not worthy of being a king. You are worse then Gilgamesh. You are arrogant, egotistical, childish, and so many other things that I just can't find the right words for right now. So just try me, King of the Gods."

And it was at those words I busted out my trump card. The Anti-Divine noble Phantasm capable of subjugating and binding the gods. The more divinity a person held, the stronger it would be against them. And if it took Heracles surpassing his own legend to break them, then I doubted that the Gods before me would be able to break out of the Chains of Enkidu. In fact, with their 'divinity' the chains would never break once they were wrapped in them.

I was prepared to fight for my life, to fight to the death, but I was stopped short when the three fates appeared. The appearance of them finally seemed to snap the demigods out of their stupor, and I noticed they all paled at the sight of the three fates. Even the gods froze at the sight. But I kept my cool as they looked straight at me.

"Well if it isn't the three old windbags," I said mockingly, and I could tell that was from my time as Percy Jackson. It was going to be difficult to separate my new self from my old self. "Have you come to tell me that I'm not following Fate? Have you come to tell me 'this wasn't supposed to happen?' Because if so, you can blame good old thunder crotch over there," I pointed at Zeus as I said those words.

At that point, the gazes of the Fates shifted from myself to said King of the Gods. And I couldn't stop myself grinning as the 'Great King' found himself paling under their glares. Even I could tell, Zeus had just royally messed up some of the plans of the Fates through his actions, and now they were furious.

But right now, they had turned their backs on me. And that would be their greatest mistake.

The chains of Enkidu lashed out, wrapping around the three Fates and binding them, even as they shrieked and struggled. It was no use. Even against a mere copy, these chains wouldn't break under their grasp. The chains wouldn't so much as shudder with the amount of divinity the three of them had.

"You don't have time to be angry at Zeus," I told them, stepping towards them and glaring at them heatedly. "I will ask you once, and only once. Fail to answer, and I shall just end your lives without a second thought. Does she still wait for me? Does she long to see me again, in that ever distant utopia?"

Begrudgingly, the Fate in the middle answered me. It was a short, clipped answer, but it told me what I wanted to know. "Yes…she still waits…"

"How dare you!" I snarled at them, my grip on Riptide tightening. "How dare you drag her from me! You dared to take away my chance to see Saber again! Give me a reason, any reason, that I shouldn't kill the three of you right now! I'm waiting!"

"Without us, Fate shall not be managed," the one on the left tried to struggle, and failed. "Humans, gods, titans, and the like shall be the masters of their own fate!"

"Wrong answer," I said coldly, as I began to search my armoury for something strong enough to be rid of them forever. Finally, I found just what I needed. I was uncertain of the effects it would have, but I was certain that they would never survive with having their heads cut off by this weapon.

It was a divine sword from Greek Mythology, fitting in a way, described as a monster-slaying holy sword with a special shape that resembled a scythe, so the cutting edge was on the inside of the blade instead. Its strength lied in the fact that it nullified all forms of healing, only allowing healing as far as the natural laws permitted. It was originally used to kill Medusa, but few realised just what devastating effects it had on immortal beings. I knew that this weapon would assure the Fates would stay dead for many millennia, or possibly for good if I was lucky. The weapon I traced before all of them was the Immortal Slaying Scythe, Harpe.

I heard gasps from the immortals as soon as I traced the weapon. No doubt they recognised it, especially Hermes. It was given to the great hero, Perseus and was used to kill Medusa. I marched towards the Fates, Harpe in hand, and nobody tried to get between us or stop me.

"You won't get any last words," I told them coldly. "For you shall not return after this day. We are the masters of our own Fate. And I will not let anybody be dictated by three manipulative witches who spin the threads for their own amusement." I swung Harpe before they could respond.

Shink! Shink! Shink!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

I watch without remorse as the bodies of the three fates didn't crumble into dust like monsters. Instead their bodies simply faded away, as if they never existed in the first place. And with that action, I could feel a sort of weight being lifted off of my shoulders, as my Fate was mine to control once again.

With no reason to remain, I turned and began to leave…before my instincts screamed at me and I jumped to the side, causing the bolt of lightning from Zeus' master bolt to miss me by only a few inches. I glared at him, and before I realised it, my aria continued. "Not even once retreating, not even once being victorious." The gears continued to grind and rotate within my inner world, waiting, almost begging to be released.

"You are too powerful," Zeus' changed his mind on making me a god like a finger snap. "You are too finicky, and I declare you a traitor to Olympus! I shall execute you myself, here and now!"

"Zeus no!" Poseidon roared at his bother, holding his Trident towards Zeus. Oh gee, thanks dad. A bit late now, Kiritsugu wouldn't have just allowed this to happen to me. But it was too late, I could handle myself.

"The bearer lies here alone, forging iron on a hill of swords," I continued the aria, undeterred from Zeus branding me a traitor. It didn't matter, the only people who held my absolute loyalty were people I would never be seeing again, and if I died here, then I would simply break out of the underworld and find Avalon myself if need be.

"Stop him!" Athena screamed, gathering everyone's attention. "If he finishes that Aria, none of us will be able to defeat him! He must be stopped now, while we still have a chance!"

As soon as she said that, my senses began to go haywire. My right hand shot up. "Rho Aias!" I roared out, the ultimate defence within Unlimited Blade Works forming as Artemis and Apollo's arrows slammed against the shield. But they were nothing compared to the spear of Cu Chulainn when thrown at full power. They barely penetrated the first layer with their shots. The only issue was the shots kept coming, and I could see Ares starting to charge.

Two more layers broke.

"Thus, my life needs no meaning!" I continued to chant, only one line away now as the blue light of my magecraft surrounded my body, all sixty-three of my circuits going at full blast as I prepared to unleash my-

Wait, sixty-three? At first I felt confusion, but then realised that this must be a new body, with fresh circuits. Sixty-three with great quality, and they were all about to see it. Ares got close, but he was too late. He was far too late to stop me from unleashing my power, and making them think twice about attacking me.

Three layers broke, and so the last layer was held in place.

"This body is made out of infinite swords!" The throne room was covered in a golden light as I dragged the gods and demigods into a world that would be beyond all of their comprehension. A world that only I and those closest to me would ever truly understand and appreciate.

It's easy to understand a building, but it is infinitely harder to understand someone's soul.