I'm compiling a collection of all the Nasuverse Infinite Loops. All credits goes to their original authors.
burningclaw2
-Meeting with Gods-
Shirou Emiya blinked as he once more awake to another repeat. He stiffened as he immediately noticed the two additional people with him. A boy and a girl, both in a Homurahara Gakuen Uniform. The girl he didn't know, though for some reason he thought of her as his sister. Likewise he didn't know the boy, but for some reason thought of him as a brother.
The girl was nervous probably due to the new environment and being around to strangers, both of whom happen to be male. The boy also appeared shocked, his eyes roaming the area around him.
The boy opened his mouth to ask something when they heard a knock at the door, however it was the massive amount of power coming from the front door that caused the current inhabitants of the dinning room to stiffen.
Shirou and the boy nodded to one another as the stood up to go check who was at the door. The girl also standing up even though it was obvious that she didn't want to meet the source but felt it was better to stay grouped together, even with perfect strangers.
When the had gotten to the door and opened it they saw the source of the power they were feeling. It was a pair of foreign young men looking to be in their late teens-early twenties.
One had tan skin, spiked black hair, and amber eyes. He was wearing a business suit and had what appeared to be golden lettering on his neck and hands, with blue markings on his face. This would lead people into thinking he was with some Yakuza gang.
The other possessed mid length sun-kissed blonde hair done in a low ponytail, golden eyes, and a tan like his companion. He too wore a business suit but also possessed blue marks on his face.
Shit! Two Servants,' was the initial thoughts the trio of human mages had. They began to blink as they saw both of the 'Servants' bowed their heads lightly, the blonde even holding out a bag to Shirou.
The blonde one then introduced himself politely, "Hello Shirou Emiya, Hakuno Kishinami, Ayaka Sajyou. I am Shamaash, Category 1 Class 1 Unlimited. God of the Sun, Law, Justice, and Salvation. I am also one of the two admins' for your timelines."
"And I am Ahura Mazda, Category 1 Class 1 Unlimited. God of Creation and Good. I the other admin for your branches. We are sorry it took us this long to get to you three." The black haired man followed up just as politely.
This introduction shocked the three mages, they were standing in front of not Servants but apparently two gods. They where brought out of their shocked when Shamaash had asked, "May we come in, so that we may inform you what is happening."
The trio looked at each other and nodded. Moving out of the way in and welcomed the two gods in.
"Our thanks," said Ahura Mazda entered. Shamaash handing Shirou the bag, which contained some rare herbs and spices he read about to his shock.
Once everyone was comfortable and served some tea, the two gods from differing pantheons explained what was going on and what took them so long to contact the trio. Apparently the Holy Grail Wars and EMIYA's backstory caused a lot of problems early on that they had to deal with, they also had to make sure they could iron out as many safe guards for their Loops. The fact that the Multiverse was on the verge of collapsing and the supercomputer of heaven was causing various worlds to loop in order to protect it was very shocking. They also were shocked to find out how many close calls there have been for some worlds, and how one ended up removed from Yggdrasil's database.
"Is there anything else you got for us?" Asked Hakuno quickly coming out of his shock before asking another question that's been bothering him, "And mind telling us why two gods from differing pantheons are our admins?"
"Indeed," replied Shamaash before pulling out three books from behind himself and handing one to each Anchor, "This is a manual concerning the Loops we figured it would be a good idea to give you each one as both a safety precaution and to help you in your own personal endeavors. We had gotten the idea to give you three a manual from Saraswati who made one for the World she is admin of."
"As for why Shamaash and myself are your admins it is simple," stated Ahura Mazda, "It's generally based on the theme of the world or sometimes the ethnics of the gods in question. Shamaash and myself were made your admins simply because we are generally fair and the fact that to major problems in this world are based around tales from our respective cultures. Thus making us the most knowledgeable on the subjects."
"With this I wish you three the best of luck until this situation is resolved," said Shamaash as he stood up. Ahura Mazda also performing a similar action. They then left out the door before disappearing the door closing itself once they were gone.
"Um, well they were rather polite considering most of the tales concerning gods," said Ayaka as she looked at the manual in her hands.
"Indeed, though it probably helps that those two were gods of Good and Law," replied Shirou.
-Fin-
burningclaw2
Shiki awoke far earlier in his timeline then he was used to. Usually he would wake up during his second year of high school. This time though he woke up eight years before that.
'This!' Shiki thought eyes widening with realization when he saw he was outside and in a set of blue hospital pajamas, 'This is the day I met Sensei.'
The woman he called Sensei, Aoko Aozaki, was also nearby her eye's also widening with realization.
"What is going on?" Aoko asked wondering why she was back to the day she first met Shiki.
"I can answer that, Aoko Aozaki, Shiki Tohno," said female's voice. Shiki and Aoko started turning towards the source. Aoko was preparing to blast whoever it was in case she turned out to be hostile while Shiki pulled out a plastic knife that was nearby.
They looked wearily at the woman wearing a white toga, next to her was a large German Shepard. The woman then handed both of them a card while saying, "My name and credentials."
Shiki and Aoko both took the presented cards before their eyes widened in shock at whom the woman was claiming to be.
On the cards were the words, "Hecate, Goddess of Crossroads, Entrance-ways, Moon, witchcraft, sorcery, etc."
Aoko was the first to recover watching the woman and prepared to fight as she asked, "How do we know that you are who say you are?"
"Other than the fact that I know the reason behind why you two are Looping in time and that I was not here in your baseline?" Hecate responded an eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face.
"Looping?" was the only thing Aoko could ask.
"Ah. Forgot this is your first time awake since we just got done repairing your own baseline Aoko Aozaki, while Shiki has been Looping for a while as we work on correcting all the damage to your timeline's which accrued thanks to various forces." Hecate said before continuing, "Alright I'll give you all the low down. Welcome to 'The Universe and You 101' if you managed to pass I'll give you both a gold star."
With this Hecate proceeded to go into detail about the Loops, using various examples. One such example was the time Shiki was so deep in thought that he ended up accidentally planting his face into Acruied's breasts instead of his baseline of slicing her up seventeen times.
"Hahaha! You landed in her breasts!" Aoko laughed as Shiki flushed. He had been very distracted that Loop, so much so that he hadn't even attack Arcuied as he generally ends up doing instinctively and face-planted into Aruceid's chest. The result had not been pretty.
Hecate smiled as well. "So, do you understand all of that?"
Shiki nodded seriously. "Many worlds are Looping in time, like ours, but that Crash you mentioned did even more damage to our universe, so it took some time for you to straighten it out. However, we shouldn't worry about all of that, and we should just live our lives. Right?"
Hecate nodded. "Yes. Though I want to make doubly sure that Ms. Aozaki here doesn't do anything to try and damage the Loop through the excessive use of her Magic."
Shiki turned to look at Aoko, who looked uncharacteristically solemn. She nodded slowly, and Hecate smiled and stood.
"Well, then I will leave you to it."
"So Sensei," Shiki started causing Aoko to look at him, "What do you want to do?"
Looking at the sky as the wind blew at her hair Aoko replied, "I don't know Shiki."
-Fin-
burningclaw2
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure – King of Swords Part 1 Revamped!
Jotaro Kujo could honestly say that so far this Loop was an interesting one.
First because while one the plane to Egypt they had run into a woman who went by the name Saber. While she did not possess a Stand of her own, nor did she seem to be Awake she had managed to backhand the Tower of Grey out of the air, not that it did any damage other then let the rest of them crush the bug.
Saber's speed an instincts were truly first rate if she could knock that annoying insect out of the air, if she had a Stand she'd have probably been able to kill the thing.
The next thing that happened was that instead of meeting Polneroff in Hong Kong like standard, they had instead got a note saying to come to the Tiger Balm Garden's.
When they got there they saw the sender of the note, a young Japanese High Schooler with red hair.
"Hello, my name is Shirou Emiya," said the youth as he took off the uniform coat he was wearing, "I was sent by Lord DIO to kill you all."
"First though let me introduce my Stand, King of Swords!" As Shirou called out the name of his Stand, a pair of blades erupted in a splatter of blood from the outer sides of his forearms.
"OH! MY! GOD!" Joseph screamed out as he recoiled back in his usual exaggerated motions, "So not cool, kid! Seriously did your Stand have to resemble Kars' ability!"
It was Kakyoin who asked the question on his and Shirou's minds, "Who is this Kars guy, Mr. Joestar?"
Joseph just kept looking freaked out as he sandwiched his face in between his hands as he replied, "Kars was a super vampire who had the power to sprout blades from his arms and legs when I first fought him, he became a lot creepier after he got a power boost but is no longer a problem, still gives me the jeebus though."
"Anyways which of you will fight first, or would you prefer to fight me all at once?" Shirou asked, calling their attention back at to the situation at hand.
"My, my quite the cocky bastard you are, saying you could fight us all on your own." Commented Kakyoin as Hierophant Green appeared next to him, "Care to back it up?"
"Wait Kakyoin." Said Abdul as he walked forward, "I'll fight Shirou first, not only will this allow you all to see what his King of Swords can do exactly but the Tiger Balm Gardens are the kind of place that my Magician's Red is strongest."
Kakyoin nodded at the points Abdul made, best not to rush in after all.
As Abdul's Magician's Red materialized, Shirou took a loose stance but everyone could spot the various weak points in the young man's stance.
A breeze suddenly blew by and Shirou charged forward blades at the ready, Abdul had answered by sending a blast of fire towards the sword Stand user, however instead of dodging Shirou shocked them all by slashing the blast of flames in half with his arm blades and continuing his charge.
"Woah!" yelled Joseph once more drawing a connection with Kars given.
Abdul barely reacted quick enough to prevent a beheading by summoning a wall of flames which forced Shirou to back off in order to prevent damage to his body which would affect later fights. All throughout Shirou's actions, the young man's eyes bore a look of cold steel in them.
"Your Magician's Red is truly a versatile Stand, Mr. Muhammad. However let's see just how much it can handle." Said Shirou as he quickly dashed to a nearby tiger statue and proceeded to carve it into chunks before using the flat of the blades to send the chunks flying towards Abdul.
Abdul in turn responded by having Magician's Red send out a barrage of fireballs to melt the chunks. Abdul's eyes narrowed as he realized what Shirou was doing, the chunks were just tests. Shirou was hoping to identify the limits of Abdul's Magician's Red.
Shirou and Abdul stared each other down both planning their next course of action.
It was Abdul who broke the staring contest as he said, "I suppose it's my turn now, eh Shirou."
"Let us see how you deal with this! Crossfire Hurricane!" Abdul commanded his Stand to unleash its signature attack in the form of three giant blazing ankh's all flying towards Shirou who squared his shoulders in preparation. However Abdul had other plans as he yelled out, "Special!" leading to Magician's Red to split the three ankhs into countless smaller ones in a wide spread that would keep Shirou from dodging them all.
Shirou had reacted by charging forward using the King of Swords to cut a path for him towards Abdul.
As Shirou closed in he slashed at Abdul's head once more, he however missed as Abdul rolled out of the way in order both get some distance and evade Shirou's lethal attack.
As Abdul stood up he felt pain emanating from his shoulder looking at it, he saw a small trail of blood starting to form from the light wound that had happened, even though Shirou's blade hadn't reached him when he started his roll.
"Hmph," grunted Abdul as he stared at Shirou, "You are someone who is truly worthy of possessing the Stand, 'King of Swords'."
This had gotten everyone's attention as Abdul continued, "The King of Swords in the tarot often means clear thinking, truth, authority, and intellectual power. You are clearly analyzing your opponent, you also hold knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses and compensate for them with your fighting style which lets you predict where your opponent will attack. But that's not all your Stand is like a finely crafted and cared for blade, possessing an edge sharp enough to cut through the air giving your attacks a slightly longer reach then one would expect, and even letting you cut through my fire with less risks to yourself."
Kakyoin and Jospeh both blinked at the conclusions Abdul was drawing up about Shirou, meanwhile Jotaro, Saber, and Shirou all narrowed their eyes. Jotaro because he knew Abdul was going to try and finish the fight now and the meaning of truth about Shirou's Arcana. Saber had also felt the climax of the battle approaching. Shirou however was preparing for whatever Abdul was leading up to with his speech.
"However thinking you could beat a fortune teller at his own game is fool hardy." Abdul said with a smirk as he held his arms crossed out in front of him, "Now eat this! Crossfire Hurricane Special Variant!"
Shirou leapt back as the ground below him had erupted as a giant flaming Ankh burst out from underground, however he yelled out in pain as he was hit from behind by another hidden Crossfire Hurricane due to Abdul's earlier barrage. However that wasn't the end of Abdul's attack as six more flaming ankhs came crashing down onto the high schooler. It was this bombardment that took Shirou out, Abdul having predicted that a single Crossfire Hurricane wouldn't have been enough to force Shirou out of the fight.
-To be continued-
Stand: King of Swords
User: Shirou Emiya
Nature: Symbiotic/Possession.
Power: B/Speed: C/Range: E/Durability: A/Precision: C/Potential: D
Description: King of Swords is a Stand that literally is inside of its user, when active King of Swords turns the flesh around its User's arms and legs to possess a similar quality as steel though he can still move the limbs as if they were flesh and blood. King of Swords can also manifest a pair of arm blades on the outer sides of Shirou's arms though this has the problem of being slightly damaging to Shirou's arms, though only to the point of several light cuts or a single large cut deep enough to draw a small amount of blood. If the blades are broken a new pair needs to be made and will result in further damage to Shirou's arms which can stack up causing even more severe wounds than it would otherwise originally do. The blades manifested by King of Swords are sharp enough to generate razor sharp winds around the blades as they cut.
AbZHz101
Xover with Digimon
Takato paused in moving new loaves from the back to the store counter as he Awoke. Looking back over his Loop Memories they were Baseline other than the fact that the he had created Guilmon five years ago and the D-Reaper incident had ended four years ago. He never liked these kinds of variants. Not only could he not predict the problems until they were dropped into his lap, the digimon either never came back so he had an unspecified amount of time in High School, yay, or when they did the world tended to get strange and his friends all tended to act weird. It didn't always happen, but it was common enough to have turned him off to the entire thing.
Still, this Loop he was fifteen. After saving the world with Guilmon, Ruki, Jen, Renamon, Terriermon, and the others as preteens and waiting fruitlessly almost a year after that for their partners return, his parents had made the decision to move out of Shinjuku... To make a fresh start, they said. To forget about Guilmon, Takato had silently corrected. While his parents had been very proud of what he had done, they felt that he had been focusing too much on the past... and perhaps, the now Looping Takato conceded they might have had a point. He still kept sporadic contact with his friends back in Shinjuku, though nothing had happened on that front.
The move had taken the family to Fuyuki City, which had recovered from a fire that had swept through the entire area five years before the Takato learned of the existence of Digimon. The plan seemed to work, certainly Takato hadn't been occasionally stared at by random passerby on the street in the last couple of years. ...Still... 'Fuyuki,' the name had a significance to the Looper that it hadn't had to his baseline self. "So this could be a Fused Loop," he muttered. Putting that aside for the moment he had to finish his chores, Takato began to plan. If this was a possible Fused Loop his best defense was to be with his partner, which meant punching a hole in the barrier as soon as possible. Then his D-Arc, for the first time in-Loop in four years came to life. It seemed Guilmon was of the same mind. Seeing that his parents had control of the store for the moment, Takato walked out the door and around the nearest street-corner before breaking into a run following the Arc's directions. "Don't worry, Guilmon," Takato said to the air. "I'm on my way."
The Arc led him to the soccer field of Homurahara, the local high school. Turning to see where the Barrier was weakest, he saw a girl jump from the roof of the school only to stop falling about three feet from the ground, a slight disturbance of dust the only clue as to why. It was almost as if an invisible person had caught her. Then Takato saw why she jumped as a man in blue armor and wielding a red spear appeared before him. Blood pounded in Takato's ears as he looked at the spear. He had no doubt that if the man attacked him and landed a blow that he would die. And that no mere human could dodge the man's attack. And beyond that, even though the spear was howling like a cursed thing, it still seemed so familiar for a reason that Takato couldn't place.
Takato could tell the man was saying something but the strangeness of the Loop had left him deaf. He knew the man was coiling the muscles he'd need to strike. The blow wouldn't be anything that the man was truely capable of, but it would be more than enough to kill a normal teenager who had never seen combat before. But that was where Takato, even if he had still been Baseline, was different. He had seen combat before. He had stood on the Battlefields of those who were as gods and remained standing after all his foes had fallen, granted that was as Dukemon, but the point was still valid.
So he leapt back, and evaded the strike. The man in blue watched in amazement as Takato's jump carried him back out of his weapon's range. Takato was breathing hard, this guy... he was on the level of a Ultimate Digimon easily! And there was no way he'd let him get away from his strikes a second time. Having no more time to search Takato felt for the Metaphysical barrier that separated the Digital World from the Human one. As he did he felt Guilmon moving to strike the exact same location from his side. A fog began to emanate from where Takato's fist had ended, quickly subsuming the field; Guilmon was coming home.
Guilmon returned to the human world as the fog disappated, it's work having been done. The two could see the blue armored man staring at them, his spear in an attack position, as the gears in his head turned. Obviously, he was trying to figure out two things, what Guilmon was, and why Takato hadn't used the fog bank to run. 'Was he so sure in what he had brought forth that he felt no need? Could he not?' Whatever the case both sides acknowledged each other as dangerous foes.
Takato and Guilmon knew that as things were one good hit on either of them would kill them both. Thus it was necessary to change the current state of affairs. Takato pulled his D-Arc off and initiated Biomerge.
Lancer glared at the light the mysterious kid and his summon had set off with their spell. He knew he shouldn't let it go through, but right now it was taking all his strength to remain upright, no to mention that for the first time Gae Bolg felt heavy in his hands. What was this kid?
As the light began to die, where two had stood, there was only a single being... an almost perfect characture of a late medieval knight, slightly larger than life with disproportionate legs and arms that were too long to be normal for a human. A mantle set just so, perfect for billowing in the breeze and making for an impressive sight. Gleaming white armor with highlights of gold, red, and on certain pieces of armor, it seemed, pearl. But Lancer recognized the being before him from the memories granted to him by the Holy Grail. A figure of recent history, a heroic "Digimon." While the Grail didn't get into specifics on what Digimon were it had shown Lancer that they were the only thing in this day and age that could fight on par with a Heroic Spirit... a worthy challenge.
He smirked as he said, "First the Servant of the Bow and now the another worthy opponent appears before me! Must be my lucky day!"
The knight creature, for its part did not visibly react. However inside Takato and Guilmon compared the fighter before them to the Digimon of the Southern Quadrant, always so willing for battle. 'Well, if battle is what he wants,' the Ultimate thought. 'I shall happily oblige.' With that he called forth his weapon, Gram. and leveled it at Lancer.
However, unnoticed by both the circle of light that had hidden the transformation into Dukemon had not fully vanished. A faint outline remained. Then Dukemon, spoke one word, "Come." And with that one word the state of affairs again changed. The tone had informed all who heard it that the digimon was speaking to Lancer, though it had far greater consequences. A geometric, eight-pointed star made of pure light inscribed itself in regards to the circle already surrounding Dukemon And among the lines, other shapes formed of their own violation. Then complete, the circle split into three, one rising above the digimon's head, one to his waist and the third remaining at his feet. A summoning ritual. Lancer knew that it was already too late, the call had already been made and if he lashed out now, another unknown Servant would likely circumvent his attack, to say nothing about the possible effectiveness of his spear against the "digimon's" armor.
And so, with a grimace, he followed the directions of the man who had killed his fist Master, and disengaged, silently vowing to meet the digimon on the battlefield.
Before the Digimon, proudly stood a man clad in black armor that left his back exposed. His long grey hair swayed slightly in the breeze the magical summoning had kicked up. Standing at rest, was a broadsword, one that gave Dukemon that same feeling of familiarity that the spear had. "In Accordance with the Holy Grail, I, Servant Saber, have answered the Summons. I ask of you, are you my Master?"
The guy that showed up in the last paragraph is an actual Fate Character, though he appears in Fate/Extra which are kind of like Omakes. That being said, I would not be surprised if someone identified him without looking on the wiki.
wildrook
Cross-Posted from the Doctor Who thread.
Yes, I know the rules of the Nasuverse, but Shirou's seen FRAGMENTS of Excalibur in other Loops...and Excalipoor involved a DIFFERENT Gilgamesh:
Never in this loop had all the Servants gathered...well...all of them except Assassin...but if they had, it would have been a free-for-all, not something akin to a high-school reunion. Especially since in place of EMIYA, a familiar man with a bow tie and suit had replaced him as the Archer of the Fifth War.
The scene was night in the woods away from Fuyuki and the Einzbern Compound. Berserker's Mad Enchantment had worn out due to the utter shock of the man in the bow tie (Illya was more concerned on why), Lancer was just smiling as if he was looking at a good friend of his, Rider had the urge to go and hide in someone else's workshop at the mere sight of the man, Saber's kingly mask looked like it wanted to break down, and Gilgamesh looked like he wanted to stab the man as well as the rest of them right then and there...yet couldn't due to curiosity.
The reaction that caught them off-guard, however, was Caster. As soon as he had shown up, she had embraced him in a manner that would make a Chinese Amazon proud. Shirou had seen variants where Caster was nicer than her baseline and had been her Master where she was decent to be around...not to mention the Carnival Phantasm loops where Kuzuki proposed to her. But having Medea, the Witch of Betrayal, and in one loop, complete pain in the rear end due to her obsession with Saber, put the Doctor in a mad embrace that would have River Song a little jealous (and silently, he was glad she wasn't looping yet) was the craziest thing he had seen. If it wasn't for the plan both of them had thought up in order to take out Kotomine AND Zouken while reconstructing the Grail System from scratch with a Loop-Aware Zelretch and saving Sakura and Illya, he would have been literally thrown for a loop.
Shirou then cringed. "Rin," he said, looking at the Summoner of Archer, "I think you have this in the bag."
The confused look on Rin Tohsaka's face was priceless. "And that would mean..."
Then Shirou face-palmed as he remembered her tendency to not get involved with technology as a whole. "You summoned the Doctor," he said.
That just made her even more confused. "Archer's a Doctor? If so, then Doctor who? And why are most of the other Servants reacting like that?"
"Exactly," Shirou muttered as he saw the spectacle before him. Then again, Rin couldn't handle CELL phones. Still, Shirou did some research. One of the dangerous things about the Doctor in the Grail War would be his EX Charisma Stat...another would be the Fury of the Time Lord, which is on Overdrive after hearing about what would happen in Baseline. Two such times were the incident with the Family of Blood, another was Demon's Run, which was something he looked up during one visit to the Hub World. And Shirou knew that Demons Run when a good man goes to war. And he knew good men don't need rules. Today was not the day for Zouken, Kotomine, and Gilgamesh to find out why the Doctor has so many. "You're looking at the reason why, Rin."
"Now that I have your attention," the Doctor muttered, "and Medea, please get off me. I know it's been a while since I've seen you, but I've got others to meet." Caster complied, begrudgingly. "Now, ah, Chu Chulainn, it's been a while."
"Years," was what Lancer replied. "Truth be told, I still owe you a drink for that one time you came to visit."
"Indeed. Luckily, one of the masters is a good chef. Hope there's no hard feelings when you got stabbed."
Shirou was almost indignant. "I may be angry, but poisoning my guest's dinner?" he asked the Doctor. "I can't believe you'd think I'd put dog food in his meal!"
Lancer cringed. "It was just business, kid!" he yelled. "You witnessed me fight this guy, and there were rules to follow."
"That reminds me," the Doctor muttered, "I have to visit this Clock Tower. They're not as bad as Hogwarts, but their rules are strict. Nice seeing you again, by the way." He then turned to Rider. "And hello, Medusa. You look lovely as ever."
"You're not going to kill me, are you?" she asked him. "Keep in mind your name is in the cascade named after me."
"That I'm aware of, but rest assured, I'll find a way to save your true master from his clutches. I've saved the world with only a computer virus, a phone full of disguises, and memory. I just need co-operation and some muscle...which brings me to Heracles here."
Illya was surprised. "You know Berserker?" she asked him.
"Know him? Really, during the era of Gods, I was known as the Oncoming Storm, Miss..."
"That's Illya von Einzbern, Doctor," Shirou replied, Rin almost panicking at the audacity.
"Shirou, what are you doing?" Rin asked him. "Are you trying to get us killed?"
The Doctor was amazed. "Oh, your sister," was what he said. "Well, Stepsister, but yeah, I did hear stories. Which reminds me...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. But rest assured, I WILL find a way to keep you alive."
"Oh, you know about her status as the Grail," was what Gilgamesh said, interjecting. "And of all my years of being alive, I would NEVER expect YOU to show up...Doctor."
"And the King of Heroes speaks," the Doctor said, keeping a straight face. "Tell me, how many children will it take to satisfy your hunger?"
Gilgamesh growled. "You may have stopped my reign back then, but right now, I'm ready to end your life."
"You will do no such thing," was what Caster replied, most of the other servants catching their attention.
"And you're going to stop me, Witch?"
"Not just her," was what Saber replied, taking her blade out. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but...the Doctor was right back then, and it cost me my chance for the Grail."
"Oh, you are kidding me," Rin muttered.
"Yeah," was what Shirou muttered. "Everywhere in time. Even in the time of King Arthur."
The Doctor was surprised. "You remember?" he asked her.
"How can I not? You were there that day when Mordred attacked...and it only took six words to end my reign before the final battle. You were angry that day."
The Doctor gave her a look. "I had good reason to," he replied, "and I know you had to keep up public appearance...I'm just sorry Gwenivere and Lancelot had to pay the price from it."
"I'm the one who should apologize, Doctor," Saber said.
"Tragic," Gilgamesh said, sarcastically. "Still, what's to stop me?"
"Let's see," Shirou muttered. "Well, the Doctor's Charismatic to the point where he can gain allies from just talking and saving their lives. Heck, Berserker here is dealing with a clear mind. Rider feels obligated to help him due to the fact that his true name is in HER Cascade, but he HAS met her sisters before. Lancer had fought the guy once and owes him a drink. Caster...don't know what her story is, but it may have involved him safeguarding her from the Gods, especially Aphrodite."
"Close," Caster replied, "somewhat."
Shirou nodded. "And Saber here needed some things to let out."
"And if I should slay the masters first?" was what Gilgamesh asked him. "What would he do then?"
"You're bluffing," was what Lancer said, speaking up. "Because my current Master happens to be the so-called NEUTRAL Party of this war, Kirei Kotomine, and YOU know this!"
Rin cringed. "Say what!?" was what she yelled. "That's against the rules!"
"I AM THE RULES!" Gilgamesh yelled, focusing on Lancer. "And you just earned yourself a trip back to the Throne of Heroes!"
"So much for getting that drink," Lancer replied, "but my testimony is enough, wouldn't it, Doctor? Kid?"
"You two PLANNED this?" Rin asked them, smiling sweetly.
Shirou then cringed. "We're still working on the second part," was what he replied, "which involves a raid on the Matou Manor."
Gilgamesh was growling. "DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU MONGRELS!" he yelled, opening the Gate of Babylon.
"Doctor, I'll handle Gilgamesh," was what Shirou replied, stepping in. "You guys go over to Zouken's place and save Sakura."
"Shirou, you moron!" was what Rin yelled. "What the heck..."
"GATE OF BABYLON!" was what Gilgamesh yelled.
"I'm with Shirou on this one," the Doctor said, grabbing Rin. "Heracles, protect Illya!" The beast nodded, carrying Illya away from the battlefield as the other Servants followed them.
Shirou, however, was ready. "RHO AIAS!" he yelled, using seven-layered shield that has the petals disintegrating.
"You're either very brave," Gilgamesh said, "or very stupid to let your comrades go like that. Too bad they'll be dead before they get...wait...what's that chanting?"
Indeed, Shirou was muttering a familiar Aria...one that has evolved since his first Fused Loop.
"...UNLIMITED BLADE WOOOOOOOOOORKS!" Shirou yelled, the area changing into an eternal hill of swords.
Gilgamesh was growling. "I should have figured a Faker would have his own collection of swords," was what he muttered.
Shirou ignored the contempt and killing intent. "King of Heroes," he said, spawning Kanshou and Byakuya. "I can say this...you don't have enough blades."
"You think mere copies can defeat the original, you faker!?" was what Gilgamesh yelled, grabbing a blade from his collection.
"I don't think," was what Shirou said, throwing the twin blades as he spawned another with a bow. "I know." He then launched the blade towards Gilgamesh as he was distracted by the twins.
The blade became fragile...deadly...and broken as it smashed Gilgamesh in the face. Shirou, going through different blades brought up copies of Durandal and Ardonight in order to counter against Gilgamesh's weaponry.
The collection of blades didn't matter as Shirou was skilled enough to wield them all...and that made Gilgamesh very angry.
"DAMN YOU," was what Gilgamesh yelled. "DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU TO THE PITS OF HADES!" That made the standoff even worse. "You smash the king's Face in with a shoddy version of Excalibur and..."
"Excalipoor," was what Shirou corrected. Gilgamesh was confused. "It's called Excalipoor, and it's not best used for sword combat, which is why I used it as a Broken Phantasm. Not the point, but right now, you're fighting a losing battle, Your Majesty."
Gilgamesh growled. "I'll show you losing battle," was what he muttered. "EA!"
That made Shirou move quickly to sever Gilgamesh's arms with Cloud's Buster Sword.
Indeed, through the fused loops, Shirou had expanded his collection to include swords from other series. Excalipoor and the Buster Sword were two such items as Shirou might need them in future loops.
He just didn't think that he'd sever Gilgamesh's arms with the Buster Sword...or unconsciously channel Cloud Strife using Omnislash.
Gilgamesh growled. "How are you able to wield something that heavy?" he asked him.
"I don't just copy swords," Shirou replied. "My Origin IS the sword!" That's when he brought up a blade that he wouldn't think of copying without brain damage...one that he needed a few seconds to unleash as it had glown within the desert like a Beacon. One that took several fused loops to understand...and to complete.
Gilgamesh was furious as not only did he lose his arm to this faker, but he had managed to craft a perfect copy of the blade of his "beloved."
"EX-" was what Shirou started.
"Enuma..." Gilgamesh growled in order to unleash his second Noble Phantasm, but it was too late.
"-CALIBUR!" he yelled, using a sword wave that cut the King of Heroes in two.
Even HE couldn't believe it.
"How did you...how is it possible..." Gilgamesh muttered before his body started to wither.
Shirou then gave him a look. "It just came to me," he replied. 'That, and I'm amazed my mind's still intact...'
As the Hill of Swords faded with Gilgamesh's body, Shirou then collapsed.
Imagine his surprise when his Reality Marble didn't drain him completely.
"Now to help out Sakura," Shirou said, snapping himself out of it as he ran towards the Matou House.
Much later...
"Sakura Matou!" the Doctor yelled. "GET YOUR COAT!"
wildrook
Seriously, now we have the loop idea of Shirou using Excalipoor on the Enemy Servants.
"Oh, you are kidding me," both Servant and Past Self muttered as they shared the exact same Reality Marble.
Normally, this would be similar to Baseline, but this confirmed to Shirou that EMIYA was Looping...because the collection of swords had EXPANDED to match his own.
Archer, on the other hand, had recognized the weapon Shirou was about to launch and decided to bring out Rho Aias to counter the fractured, dangerous, and broken Excalipoor.
"You beat Gilgamesh to death with that thing?" Archer asked him, switching to Squall's Gunblade.
"First time," Shirou replied with the Mechon Blades, "the Doctor was in your place, and I noticed how much damage I did the first time, so I figured...why not challenge myself with it. I just didn't think YOU, of all people, would be Looping."
"You should have expected that," Archer said, using the option to strike with the Gunblade and a copy of Red Queen.
"Yeah, I forgot that I don't get along with myself," Shirou said, switching to the Levan Sword as soon as the Mechon Blades hit. "But really, you're the only challenge unless the OTHER Servants decide to loop!"
"Then let's see how many blades we can use!" Archer yelled, swinging Red Queen at Shirou. "SHIROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!"
"ARCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!" Shirou yelled, clashing the copies as they switched back to Kanshou and Byakuya.
wildrook
Excalipoor is useful when it's thrown. When used as a Broken Phantasm, it's one of Looping!Shirou/Looping!EMIYA'S variation of a Patriot Missile.
The sad part is, it's no Mikasa Glitch if the both of them show up. It IS if they both show up as Dual Servants in EXTRA.
Archer's brain shut down because of one thing...Rin actually recognized the Blu-Ray Recorder.
"What?" she asked him.
He then realized something. "You loop in as your Moon Cell counterpart?" he asked her.
Rin then gave him a smile. "Archer...no, Shirou..." Again, a twitch was heard. "You have five seconds to explain to me why you mentioned the Loops..." She was ready to activate the Gandr curse. "I have plenty of time to record the thing...so choose your next words wisely."
Archer then groaned. "Well...it's complicated to explain..."
(One arrival of Shirou Emiya later...)
"Rin knows how to operate a Blu-Ray Recorder?" Shirou asked Archer, who nodded. "And she interrogated the both of us in order to find out if this is one of Zelretch's plots." Another nod. "Then you explained why Akasha isn't the Yggdrasil tree and Ascending is a BAD thing." Another nod. "And she's now Looping because the BOTH of us are close to her."
"In a nutshell," Archer replied. "Third Magic plus a malfunctioning Yggdrasil equals possible looping Servants, so we'd better watch out for Gilgamesh."
Shirou nodded. "Still...that means we share memories," he said. "You getting the time where I launched several Excalipoors on the King of Heroes?"
"That reminds me," Rin replied, "you guys have a recording on a couple previous loops?"
Archer and Shirou looked at each other...if they were both looping, they had to deal with 'bonding time' as a punishment.
"I still have a recording of the time you summoned the Doctor," Shirou replied. "Archer wasn't there. You won the war, technically."
"What do you mean by the Doctor?" Rin asked him. "Doctor Who?"
"Exactly," Archer and Shirou said, simultaneously. They have got to stop doing that. Looping or not, they did NOT like each other. They're just in a neutral zone.
wildrook
As for Dante, well...Devil Arms aren't able to be copied. He DID, however, copy Nero's Red Queen.
Still, Archer and Shirou are an odd case of Anchor...they can be one or the other, and sometimes they overlap, but when they weigh anchor, he finds a treasure trove of swords.
Off-topic...my last snip before sleeping...Saber's Awakening.
Lancer was confused at the sight before him. The summoned woman had instantly embraced Shirou, and she had a royal visage before she found out.
"Uh," he muttered, "excuse me, but can I..."
"Hold on a moment," the blond haired woman in the blue knight outfit replied. "I'm in the middle of a reunion here."
Shirou blinked. "Saber?" he asked her. "You're...never mind. Right now, the Hound's getting a little impatient...and probably wants a drink."
Lancer was surprised. "Oh damn, now I WISH you stayed dead," he said. "And at this point, my Master's calling me back because I don't know HER Identity, so watch your back, pal!" He then dashed off, leaving the two alone.
"He's gone, Arturia," Shirou replied, noticing Lancer's scent fade. "And really, I'm glad you're Awake."
"I can understand that," Saber said. "First, I see you in Avalon, now I find myself back here, when you first summoned me. Is Ayala playing tricks on me?"
"Well, if we can get Rin and Archer in here, and they should be coming in right about now, I can explain that, no, Zelretch isn't involved."
Rin then smiled. "Saber, it's been a long time," she said.
"Too long," Archer added. "And before you ask, I'm technically in a similar position, so I won't kill Shirou...this time."
"That's good," Saber muttered. "And nice to see you too, Rin. Still, if Zelretch and Ayala aren't involved, what's going on? I still remember both the time we shared AND the time I was with Kitsurugu."
"You know Shirou's Father?" Rin asked her, Archer's eyes widening.
"Yeah," Shirou replied, "can't exactly discuss this on an empty stomach. Better give you a brief summary on what's going on, then Rin and Archer will fill you in on another area."
"Much appreciated," Saber replied.
"And that's why we're repeating time over and over again," Rin replied, her and Archer using the trademark pose as they brought out Diagrams.
Saber couldn't exactly throw this out the window. Between the stuff Merlin showed her and now this, it was a new thing to her.
"So, we're dealing with a malfunctioning tree and several different sections of this particular branch having their own loop sets," she replied. "What's the one with the blond in the white gown."
"Oh, that's Shiki Tohno's part of this universe," Shirou replied. "He and I share the same quadrant due to being Anchors of our own section, and sometimes, a Carnival gets involved. Usually, he and I don't get along, but when we do, it involves a Zany Scheme."
Rin then sweat-dropped as Archer was stone-faced. "How you two won with the lion, I'm STILL trying to figure out..." Rin muttered.
"Hey, Gilgamesh came in with a motorcycle," Archer replied. "You have any idea how hard it is to concentrate with your driving and HIM trying to counter our moves?"
Saber then sweat-dropped. "Well, now what are we going to do?" she asked them.
"One of my loops involved a mockery of your blade," Shirou replied. "Normally, it would only do minimal damage, but when thrown, it was a beast...even more-so when I used it as a Broken Phantasm."
"That was before we fought," Archer said, "and I used the same thing with swords he collected. What shocked me is that he actually managed to re-create Excalibur without losing his mind."
"You're kidding," Saber said, in shock.
"That's the same reaction I had," Rin replied. "Apparently, there were OTHER Excaliburs...oh, by the way..." Rin then made a familiar face. "Don't run into one that has a tuxedo and a cane."
Archer and Shirou made the same face...and Saber was trying to comprehend the implication.
"Gilgamesh-bad?" she asked them.
"Worse," all three of them said.
"Off that subject," Shirou muttered, "it wasn't easy, and it took a Loop-Aware Zelretch to show my flaws."
"Yeah, you mentioned the Loop-Awareness of certain individuals," Saber replied. "One of them was The Blue?"
"Don't call her that in public, but she's one of them. Ayala, however, I'm a little iffy on."
"I'm thinking she's aware," Archer replied, "but until I managed to meet her, I told her every time that she can't work on the system or else she'd be hurting it more than helping it. So the Counter Force is on standby when a Malicious Looping Entity shows up."
"Speaking of which," Rin muttered, "our Gilgamesh would be one if it wasn't for the Variation in the Moon Cell."
"Now I'm lost," Saber said. "There's a non-malicious Gilgamesh?"
"Two, last I checked," Shirou replied. "Ayako's the Proto-Verse Anchor. She'll tell you about him. The Moon-Cell one, however, once apologized to Elizabeth the Lancer. The one with horns, a tail, and bathes in blood."
"Must be from my homeland," Saber muttered, wondering if you can be conscious in the Throne of Heroes. "Anything else?"
"Want to tell her about Nero, or should I?" Rin asked Shirou, who flinched.
"You've met her," he replied. "Seriously, how was I supposed to know she wasn't the Saber I knew?"
"The panty shot would have been your first clue," Archer replied.
"Shut up, you...me...whatever." Saber then gave him a look. "Let's just say that I've met other Sabers. One of them was Caesar Nero. Another was...your daughter, Mordred." Saber noticed Shirou's hesitation, but knew she would be involved...just a little in shock. "Ayako's King Arthur was more of a battle fanatic...I don't know...and yes, he was male. One of the stranger Arthurs, however, was a blue hedgehog named Sonic."
"A blue hedgehog?" Saber asked him, sweat-dropping.
"Zelretch is Loop-Aware, so he may or may not have had something to do with that one. His had a talking sword named Caliburn, but Gilgamesh...hoo boy, he knew you were in the last war, but when he called him the King of Rats..."
"I think I was Awake that loop," Archer replied. "I had no idea an Alter form can be gained out of pure hatred."
"That was mostly the blade he had plus the corruption of the Grail," Rin replied. "And that's the weird thing...it's happened to him BEFORE."
"So...yeah, sometimes the Loops can throw us a curveball," Shirou said. "Sometimes we get different Servants, sometimes we get Masters, other times, my identity before the Fuyuki Fire rears its ugly head."
Saber nodded as she finished her meal. "So, there could be something completely different," she replied. "That, I can get used to. Now...I'd like to ask whether or not you've improved over the years, but it looks like a given for all three of you. However..." There was a ghost of a smile on her face. "...I consider it a relief that I don't have to wear the kingly mask around friends."
Shirou smiled. "Welcome back, Arturia Pendragon."
"It's good to be back, Shirou...both of you." Archer nodded. "Same to you, Rin."
"It's hard to keep two different Shirous in line," Rin replied. "But he had been waiting for us to come back."
The peaceful moment, however, was shattered by a yell.
"SHIROOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" a sing-song voice said. Archer decided to go Astral at that moment while Rin, Saber, and Shirou sighed. "FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED MEEEEEEEE!"
"Taiga?" Saber asked them.
"Taiga," Rin, Shirou, and Archer replied.
Never a dull moment. Now that she's Awake, things will be interesting.
wildrook
Alrighty.
Other than that, anyone want to write Awakening snips for most of the others?
Because I have this strange idea of Shirou asking Kitsurugu what a Hooker is...and Kitsurugu's freaking out.
Kitsurugu Emiya was a dying man.
After the fourth Holy Grail War, he ended up being poisoned by the essence of Angra Mainyu and kept trying to find his daughter, Illya. However, he ended up adopted a younger brother who he feared would be caught in the crossfire of the Magic World.
"Dad?" Shirou asked him, "can I ask you a question?"
Kitsurugu then sighed. "Sure," he said. Kitsurugu was bracing himself for the question.
"What's a hooker?"
...one of the upsides about the Grail tainting you is that you don't have the energy to face-fault.
"What did you say?" Kitsurugu asked him.
"What's a hooker?" Shirou replied.
"Where did you hear that word?"
"From Grandpa Fujimara's associates."
Kitsurugu face-palmed. He expected a talk about magic, not explaining the habits of some of the mobsters!
"You want to know about hookers?" Kitsurugu asked Shirou, who nodded. "Well, before that, I'll explain to you about the inner workings of Clock Tower..."
(Years later)
"He did not," Saber replied, Rin matching Saber's "WTF" look while Archer was trying hard NOT to laugh his ass off.
"They didn't want him alive," Shirou said to them. "So he figured his last words were to make them out as ladies of the evening, just as a large screw you to them. Zelretch was amused and Waver Velvet has a good sense of humor."
"What about Lady Barthelemoi?" Rin asked him.
"That, I'm still feeling the after-effects of." He then glared at Archer. "On the plus side, Clock Tower doesn't send any more Enforcers out of fear of Fujimura Taiga and Torashinai."
(within the Shrine...)
A man sneezed as he kept guarding the temple.
"Servants don't get colds," Caster muttered.
"I know," he replied. "I'm thinking someone's talking about me."
wildrook
"Oops," Illya muttered at the crater that was once Fuyuki City. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
"Ya think?" was the simultaneous voice of Shirou, Naruto, and Kurama.
Rin then face-palmed. "Might as well call in a favor," she said, looking at Shirou.
"What?" Shirou asked her, then was reminded what she was referring to. "Oh, no. Absolutely not. I refuse to shack with the Death Seeker!"
"Shirou..." Saber said, "she wiped out my dinner."
"Please, Onii-chan?" Illy asked him, puppy dog eyes active.
"Don't make me Gandr you," Rin said.
Shirou then looked at Naruto and Kurama, who sat up a Kotatsu, making him face-fault.
"Shiki," Shirou said, "it's been a while...can we stay here with you? We got marked as Sealing Designates." He was twitching. "Illya summoned Beast and is Awake...actually, more than awake. She's Illya Emiya, not Einzbern."
Shiki noticed the annoyed look on the fellow Anchor's face. "What happened to Fuyuki?" he asked Shirou.
"It's no longer on the map."
Shiki groaned. "Make yourself at home. Aruceid is visiting. Kohaku's planning something. Akiha, Aruceid, and Ciel are Looping. Watch out for Roa."
"I'm cooking," Shirou replied. "Keep Kaliedostick Ruby AWAY from Kohaku and Hisui. Don't bug the giant fox or the man he's bound to or else we've got a second crater. Remember, if any Enforcers show up, call them 'Hookers' and the girls will take them out faster than Saber goes through seconds."
Shiki had to stumble on that last one.
"I know, but it works for Taiga, and Illya's the one from the Prisma Universe, so she's overly protective of me."
"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight..." Shiki replied. "You know how much of a pain you are?"
"Same to you, Tohno."
"That's how they greet each other?" Akiha asked Rin.
"This is tame compared to their usual clashes," she replied. "It's even worse in a Loop where they DECIDE to get along."
(Yeah, that's my Tsukihime/Fate Crossover. And for the record, don't Bijudama Angra Mainyu at point-blank range...that was only one tail.)
wildrook
Implied considering I mentioned she aimed at the church. NOT Shirou.
And for some odd reason, Shirou had to summon Aegis and Rho Aias at the same time. And I mentioned Kaleido Ruby.
Oh yeah, this is what happens when Shirou loops into Prisma.
'Mother of Akasha,' Shirou thought, looking at Saber Alter. 'I knew she was strong, but...damn...guess I'm going to have to activate it.'
Before Illya could bring out the Archer Card, Shirou brought out said card from a Gender-Reversed Prisma Loop he kept.
"Onii-san?" two voices asked him.
"Trace on!" Shirou yelled, spawning a Rider belt...specifically one that looked like Chalice's as it appeared on his chest. "HENSHIN!" He then slid the card through the scanner.
"Install," was what the belt said, changing his appearance into a familiar trenchcoat, only with a mask that signifies a warrior and a helmet that matched a certain Servant's White Hair and Gold Eyes before Kanshou and Byakuya had appeared on his arms.
Saber Alter was curious at this new warrior and brought out Excalibur. It had noticed him stand up and looked at his visage.
Illya knew that Shirou was Looping. But she didn't expect him from the OTHER Timeline...and with a Rider Suit?
She then brought out the Archer Card of her own as she placed it down. "INSTALL!" she yelled, feeling the aura similar to EMIYA's as she looked at her brother.
"TWO!?" the Kaleidosticks yelled.
Now, Saber Alter was interested.
"Illya," the new Rider said.
"Onii-san," Illya replied, "I'm not a mistake."
"I know, Nee-chan. I know."
They then brought out their weapons as Saber Alter brought a wave...Illya bringing out Rho Aias...Shirou...or Kamen Rider Archer...charging in as he clashed with Saber...Illya double-teaming her.
From different timelines, they both share the same bond as siblings. Two beings that are fragile, siblings that are dangerous on their own, and broken when they decided to team up against the Sword of Promised Victory.
Watching from a distance, however, was a black-suited male with semi-dead eyes...and a belt similar to that of Shirou's, only with a card of that of a black knight with a blade that was mastered by a skilled swordsman...but when he looked at this...something that he felt should have happened back home...it brought both fear...and pride.
Pride that he had managed to witness both of them working together.
"And to think," he muttered, "I wanted this to happen as I planned it. But sometimes, what comes up in Fate might be the one I needed. Shirou. Illya. I'm coming. Arturia...we'll meet again soon."
"TURN UP!" was what was heard as a black barrier had shown up...encompassing him in a black suit that looked like a medieval knight's, but with the Rider Motif.
The Magus Killer was Awake.
The Emiya Family was whole for that one loop.
If only they could have the same kind of unity in BOTH timelines with Arturia and Heracles.
wildrook
His Origin is Sword.
He's been around the Multiverse.
He'd probably bring copies of non-mystic blades and learn how to make a rain of swords.
Alternate Summoning-Saver Class 1
Every time Shirou summons Arturia, it's always in the same place, being attacked by Cu Chulainn, get revived by Rin, and abrupt summoning.
This time, he's going to summon early.
As he had finished the ritual, the glow was strange...and it stopped.
Instead...
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
That was heard outside the workshop as Shirou noticed someone...or something...falling onto the area...and managed to land on the roof.
"You okay?" Shirou asked him. "Hang on, I'll get you down!"
"It's okay!" the voice yelled. "I'm used to long falls! I just didn't think I'd get summoned again!"
'Wait, again?' Shirou then took a good look at the figure as it managed to land down...gauntlet on hand.
"Sorry if I haven't introduced myself," he replied. "I'm usually of the Saver class, but my friends call me Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."
Now Shirou wondered if Zelretch added a few twists in the system.
"Shirou Emiya," Shirou said, "Anchor of the Fate Branch of the loops. Sorry if I don't have any Chili Dogs."
"It's okay," Sonic replied. "Right now, I'd like to explain my loop...which has no baseline, unfortunately."
Shirou then sighed. "Well, a transfer of info is necessary. The upside of Rin learning Technology is that she knows how to use a cell phone. You'll meet her and Archer later on."
wildrook
It DID become Canon during the Bar Scene. I just felt like I wanted to bring in their first meeting.
Other than that, Oath, you think we can collaborate on a Shirou/Louise vice-versa summoning?
Oh...and there's a lot of likes on my "Gabriel Iglesias" skit of the Nasuverse. It's the one where Shirou, at a young age, asks Kitsurugu what a Hooker is...and the response is "Clock Tower Enforcers." Here's how it would go.
Shirou then blinked as he looked at the emblem of the men (and women) there.
"Shirou, who's at the door?" he heard Fujimura shout.
There was a devilish smirk. "Hookers are here!" he yelled, making the assassins go "What."
Minutes later, Torashinai was calling for blood...except for Waver, who was spared.
"Lord El-Melloi the Second," Shirou replied.
"Son of Kitsurugu," Waver said. "Zelretch laughed when Kitsurugu mentioned his latest...crime."
"Yeah, that would be my fault. Waver, thanks for coming over, although I might want to ask for the Fraga User sometime later. Just for her safety...and you for Sakura's."
Waver nodded. "When will you ask for said favor?"
"Sometime in the future...when you start feeling Loopy."
(Several loops later...)
"Shirou, who's at the door?" Taiga asked them.
"An old friend of Dad's," Shirou said, Waver smiling as he looked at the younger Third-Rate Magus. "I'm going to start cooking for our guests."
Bazett was confused. "Why'd you bring me here?" she asked Waver. "And isn't this..."
"I know," Waver replied, "but we're here for dinner, then a meeting. Oh, and don't mind Fujimura. She only acts that way because of an inside joke."
"Feeling Loopy, Lord?" Shirou asked him.
"Yeah, and I need an Anchor to stabilize me for the Fifth Grail War," Waver replied. "And an alliance in case I summon Iksander again..."
Shirou nodded. "Anything to keep Sakura safe," he replied. "Oh, one more thing...Alexander's Noble Phantasm. Remember it."
wildrook
Shirou then cringed.
"Now I know how Ranma felt as the lone male Mithra," he said to the redhead who was chuckling at his predicament.
Marche was surprised.
"A Male Viera? I've heard of male Mithra," he muttered.
"Marche, right?" he asked him. "One question...why the heck are the Viera after me women I know from my home universe?"
Marche and Ritz were surprised as they looked at the Viera horde.
"I didn't know they had different ear colors," Ritz said.
"They usually don't," Marche replied.
wildrook
(One loop later...)
Shirou can be seen in Eden's Hall.
"We never speak of this again," he said to Marche and Ritz.
"Agreed," they both replied.
That's when Fran decided to walk in.
"Evening, Dr. Frank-N-Furter," she said.
There was a face-fault from Shirou, Marche, and Ritz. Fran gave out a chuckle.
(I had to. Ivalice is also in FFXII...and Fran should be registered as a Looper.)
wildrook
"What's so bad about a small carnival?" Huang Rin asked.
"Obviously, you've never met Shirou Emiya," Ichika said, Tsukune nodding. "Or Shiki Tohno. Heck, I'm surprised Tsukune's got the stable relationships."
"Still," Tsukune said, "where else are we going to have a non-lethal Fifth Grail War or Human/Demon War? You know the bodies that pile up?"
"Is that Medea in a tennis outfit?" Kurumu asked them.
"Oh yeah."
Charlotte and Laura were surprised. "Doesn't the guy look like he's on steroids?" Charlotte asked them.
"That's Heracles...and he's supposed to let the ball bounce once," Laura replied.
"At least Rin and Shirou don't have to team up," Ichika replied. "Guy does more destruction than Dan and Honne when they're in a relationship."
Wildrook
"OH MY GOD, THAT MAN JUST CRASHED!" Outer Moka yelled.
"No, he's still alive," Houki said.
"Never mind..."
"Whose idea was it to put a dragster in race that requires turns?" Cecilia asked them.
Kotomine was just whistling innocently...then a golden motorcycle revved past him.
(Three guesses on who that is, and the first two don't count.)
Other than that, this was the song I was referring to. All of them require connections, especially in different scenarios: And for all I know, the arm Saber's reaching out to is Illya's mother, who's connected to Kitsurugu.
wildrook
"MOTHER OF FREYA!" Outer Moka yelled.
"Saber should have brought the Suzuki Hayabusa," Inner Moka muttered within the Rosario.
"DAMN THAT GRANNY BIKE!" Gilgamesh yelled.
"SHE'S FAST!" Tsukune and Ichika yelled.
Then she ran off the area.
"Now I'm reminded of a classic," Cecilia muttered.
"Shin-ji," Shinji muttered, "phone home."
Third Fang reference...because that was a present from Shirou to Saber...if ANYTHING could be Saber's Steed in the modern world, it's the 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa.
Speaking of...
"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" Saber yelled, holding Shirou close.
"No problem," Shirou replied. "I thought I'd get you something nice after the pot you saved up for that one time, so I asked some of Fuji-Nee's associates to find the perfect bike for you."
"I forgot you were the one with connections to the mafia," Rin said, sweat-dropping. Another reason why the Assassins stay AWAY from Shirou...they owed his Dad FAVORS.
What did Shirou get that made Rin, Sakura, Illya, and Medusa envious of Saber for different reasons?
Let's just say that while Arthur was a good horseman, one thing she and Mordred would bond over in the modern age are motorcycles. And if there was a motorcycle that would be well-deserved to be a Noble Phantasm to the King of Knights, it was the 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa.
And while Sakura DID appreciate her Awakening with Medusa showing up AFTER the Heaven's Feel Route, she couldn't help but be a bit jealous. Rider, however, had to use the Granny Bike Pegasus-Ko...and can match that speed with her A+ Rank. Shinji was mistaken as E.T. once, but that's another story.
"I should have thought of that," Archer replied.
"And you did," Rin replied.
Illya, however, was surprisingly silent.
"Well, he made it possible for Tou-San to show up," she replied. "I REALLY didn't like my Grandfather this loop..."
"Avalon can do so much," Shirou replied, "but I had to make it look like he came back strong for that one moment. Why else did I use my origin to save you? Also, be glad he was Awake, or else I wouldn't have brought you and Heracles here."
wildrook
It's said that Riders were known for their A+ Rank in vehicles, modern or otherwise. Saber's known as the Jack of All Stats, so Riding is covered for Knights of the Round Table. One such loop had Medusa challenge Arturia for the fastest ride between vehicle and stats, Saber bringing the Hayabusa out of her Subspace Pocket while Medusa brought Granny-Ko.
And when they had the Hayabusa vs Granny-Ko race, Arturia and Medusa TIED.
They were both that good, stats or no stats.
Shirou and Sakura were amazed.
"I take it we're just sitting here and goofing off due to whole looping Multiverse thing?" Archer asked the others, who nodded. "Right. At least you tell me it's pointless to kill myself with that logic."
"I think we've been over this," Waver said, Iksander cheering for Arturia. "By the way, thanks for inviting me over again."
"No problem," Shirou replied. "Be glad Zelretch was able to bend the rules on Summoned Servants and Returning Masters this Loop. I'm still surprised that he created KaleidoDrivers while just being AWARE that one time, and I thought...well...you should be around just to counteract Mr. Golden Ego."
"Still not used to talking with other mages about certain subjects," Bazett replied, "but Lancer seems to be enjoying himself."
Indeed, Cu and Heracles were attending, and Lancer was Awake.
"You kidding, Bazett?" he asked her. "These guys are GREAT when we aren't fighting against each other."
Bazett then sighed. "Take it you couldn't record this and send it to Zelretch?" she asked Waver.
"Clock Tower doesn't have a DVD Player," Waver replied. "Outside myself, at least."
"It was a good show," Iksander said. "Maybe next time, I'll bring my chariot."
"I'll look forward to it, Alexander," Arturia replied. "But only if we find a way to destroy the Grail WITHOUT suffering from the taint."
Medusa then smirked. "Someone's got a bit of adrenaline in her," she noted.
"I was forced to act like a King. These resets give me a chance to break loose once in a while."
At least Shirou doesn't have to worry about Zouken this loop. Gilgamesh on the other hand, had YET to show up after seeing Iksander talk with at LEAST Five of the other contestants in the Grail War.
"WHAT MOCKERY IS THIS!?"
Oh wait...there's the golden b stard.
"All in favor of overkill on the Golden Ego say aye," Shirou said.
"Aye," everyone (Awake or otherwise) said.
wildrook
Shirou didn't know who to blame for this one. Maybe it was his Administrator screwing with him, the Root playing a sick joke, or Zelretch exploiting the Servants.
But whatever the reason was...
"Mongrel, I ask of you," the man in Gold said, "as a Servant of the Archer class, are you my Master?"
...now he know how EMIYA felt when he wanted to kill himself, only this time, it was the Master killing the Archer.
"Apparently," Shirou muttered, keeping a straight face. 'No one should have this problem...'
"Praetor, I've got you out," the red-dressed woman said, carrying Sakura out of the area. "No one should have to spend an eternity in that hellhole."
Sakura was confused. She was trying to summon Medusa, as usual, but ended up getting what happens when you clash Gilgamesh's Ego with Arturia's looks...and can she see her panties?
"Thank you," she muttered, looking at Not-Arturia. "Now, I know this place down the block we can hide out in. Can you take us there?"
"At once, Praetor Matou."
"Master, how much further?" the pink-haired servant asked Rin, tails flapping in the wind.
"Not much further, Caster," Rin replied. "And seriously, we can't make the cosplay excuse because it's night."
"Mou..." For some odd reason, Rin found Caster's pouting quite adorable, but since she learned how to STOP the Gandr, she can't use it anymore.
"Wonder if Shirou's had to deal with something this frustrating."
Minutes later...all three Masters were confused.
"How in the name of Akasha did you get HIM as a Servant!?" Rin yelled.
"I should ask the same question," Shirou replied. "And Sakura...did Nero really destroy Zouken?"
"She had a Reality Marble," Sakura said.
Shirou then sweat-dropped. "And...where did Tamamo get the maid uniform?"
"I'm more wondering how we didn't attract perverts when she changed when we arrived," Rin replied, "but back to the matter at hand. You have GILGAMESH. As a SERVANT. You've REALLY got Archer's bad luck."
"Don't remind me, Rin," Shirou said. "And worst of all, this isn't even the Gilgamesh we're USED to, so I can't kill him."
"Could be worse," Rin and Sakura said simultaneously.
"No, I've already summoned myself once before. Loop crashed instantly."
(Someone add to that because I only got Nero and CCC!Gilgamesh's personality...And really, there ARE Two Gilgameshes, but only the CCC!Gil is Looping and is MUCH aware of how he's an ass. And...don't ask how that happened.)
Still asking for more Nasuverse-writers.
Terrance
"One thing I don't get" Shirou looked up from his preparations.
"What's that, Ichika?" The visiting Anchor grimaced.
"Why are you still helping that Shiki guy with his 'date all the girls on the same day and don't get caught' plan? He isn't Awake, is he?" At this, Shirou grinned.
"He isn't Awake, but the thing is, his plan never works. Now, I admit I was a bit of a cad the first time this thing went into effect, and I got caught in the crossfire as well, but even when I refused to help or participate he still got caught. Nowadays, Shiki and I generally save this for Loops where one is Awake and the other isn't. You see, the Awake one offers genuine help to the two-timing non Looper, while not making any effort for their own 'dates'. No, we mostly spend our time setting up hidden cameras and get lots of snacks ready to watch the inevitable train wreck."
"Ah," Ichika nodded. "So when the two-timer is caught, all the blame for the failure lands on their heads."
"Exactly. Now pass me that cable and the zip-ties."
wildrook
"I'm in deep trouble," Waver Velvet said, looking at a smirking Francine Drake.
"Oh come on," Francis replied. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"WAVER VELVET, REPORT TO MY OFFICE!"
That wasn't Zelretch, but a VERY angry Vice-Directer Batholemoi.
"You used the Vice-Director's personal account..." Francis Drake chuckled. "God, you're worse than Iksander."
Luvia, however, just face-palmed as she and a little girl were walking by.
Man's in hell. Oh, expect Luvia to loop later.
Love your snip, Terrace. Anything from when Shiki and Tsukune go for the OTHER side?
Still...kind of wish there was a King's Game. Even with numerous ones.
Other than that, anyone doing Tsukihime?
Because I've got something...
(Madoka Magica x Nasuverse as a whole)
If there was a reason for Kyubey to be afraid, it's because of the beasts trying to hunt him down.
One, he had met up with the local Dead Apostle Ancestors. More specifically, Aruceid Brunestud, in her Magical Girl phase, too.
Two, he p*ssed off Nero Chaos.
Three, Roa was next in line.
Four, Zelretch may be a prankster, but he knew Kyubey was bad news, so the guy had moved him to Sealing Designate. Waver Velvet, Sion, and Bazett followed.
Five, Ciel and Akiha Tohno were Looping, as was Kohaku and Hisui.
Six, The Anchor for this particular branch took off his glasses in order to negate his existence.
In other words, the Incubator was f**ked six ways to Sunday.
Then he heard the sound of a dog growling...then looked up...and mentally thought, 'Beast of Gaia in the vicinity.'
...Actually, make that SEVEN ways to Sunday. Because Primate Murder's the Beast of Gaia...and Altrouge Brunestud may not be as immature as Aruceid, she usually follows behind.
"This universe isn't worth it," Kyubey said. "I'm going to a place without vampires...to Mercury."
As he teleported, Aruceid then realized something.
"I forgot to tell him about the TYPEs," she said to Shiki, who put his glasses back on.
"Well, it's out of our hands," he replied. "But...did he say Mercury?"
(On said planet)
"...whoever's administrating this branch must have a sick sense of humor," Kyubey said before being destroyed by TYPE-MERCURY.
(Back on Earth...)
"If it wasn't for his reputation, I'd almost feel sorry for the hive mind for stumbling upon ORT," Zelretch said to Waver, Bazett, and Sion. "Still, we've got ONE annoyance out of the way. There's no way the Earth would survive if he turned Aruceid into a Witch."
Sion then sweat-dropped. "I was off," she muttered. "I thought it would show up in Venus."
"Oh, V/V's there," Waver replied. "Still, surprised we got YOU here."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, El-Melloi. Do you have any idea what that furry nuisance would do to the Magical Community and Dead Apostle Society? Heat Death means we'd invoke the wrath of Gaia...and we're pretty sure Primate Murder would LOVE the thing as a chew toy."
"You forgot about Ayala."
"Her too...but really, we bring out word of this guy before damage could be set and the Counter Force gets involved, THEN we're in deep trouble."
Waver, Sion, and Bazett nodded. Preventing Heat Death or not, Kyubey making a contract with a Dead Apostle...not one of his smartest moves.
By the way, yes, I just remembered Phantas-Moon. Kyubey approaches anyone in the Nasuverse, he WILL be Sealing Designate before the Loop ends. Zelretch IS Loop-Aware. The Dead Apostle Ancestors hate him. The Church thinks along the same line. Gilgamesh considers him an annoyance. SHIKI Tohno wants his blood. Shiki Tohno and Shiki Ryougi know how to tear his link to Earth apart. Touko and Aoko WILL work together in order to kill it. Shirou will turn it into a pin-cushion. Rin and Luvia don't trust it. Illya's already one. Kitsurugu will shoot it with an Origin Bullet. The Einzberns don't want that thing running around. The Servants already have problems.
So yeah, Nasuverse is a no-go for the white ferret thingy. Did I mention that it got eaten by ORT? On its first entrance?
Shirou then groaned as he went to class.
"Well," he muttered, "another loop, another scenario. My arm didn't bleed, so that meant there's no Grail War. Fuji-Nee was acting as her usual self, and for once, I'm having a stable family with Illya, Israviel, and Kitsurugu Tou-San."
He then realized the severity of the situation.
"Hey there, Sword-for-brains," Shiki said, catching him by surprise.
Shirou then sweat-dropped. "Death-Seeker," he said. "I take it we're sharing the same class?"
Shiki nodded. "And I'm getting a weird feeling of Deja Vu," he said. "It's like that time Aruceid registered herself for class. With Human Rules, too."
"Dead Apostle Ancestors can do that?"
"Didn't last a day, though. Must be the intense sunlight."
Shirou then noticed the classroom up ahead. "Brace yourself?" Shiki nodded as they opened the door, bringing out swords and a knife.
"SHIKI! SHIROU!" Ciel yelled. "Is that any way to greet your classmates!"
"Hey, Shiki-san!" Aruceid yelled.
"Shirou," Arturia replied...in a school uniform?
"Eh!?" both Shiki and Shirou yelled.
Indeed, they were in a classroom full of Servants and Mages...and...
"ALTROUGE!?" Shiki yelled.
"MEDEA?!" Shirou yelled.
Altrouge just nodded.
"Hi there, Shirou-san!" Medea said, cheerfully.
"SETTLE DOWN!" Waver Velvet yelled. "I'm as amazed as you are about this turn of events, but this is the classroom for Dead Apostles and Servants to learn about humanity."
"Then why are we registered!?" Shiki and Shirou yelled.
"Because Zelretch thought it would be funny," Sion said, appearing. "Now take your seats, please. We don't need a re-enactment of the two times you tried the Badump Date Plan."
"YOU'RE AWAKE!?" Shiki asked Sion.
"TAKE YOUR SEATS!"
Shirou and Shiki sweat-dropped.
(One class over)
Nekonome-Sensei heard the commotion.
"Must be Velvet-San's class," she said to Chifyuu.
"Indeed," the human replied.
Ichika and Tsukune then looked at the class name and both sighed.
"Who do we blame for this?" Ichika asked him.
"It involves the meeting with Mikogami-Sensei and that weird German vampire," Tsukune replied.
"And why am I involved?"
"Probably because of our involvement with Battle Harems..."
"I'm not complaining," Issei said. "By the way, I'm surprised the Vampires aren't reacting to the Brunestuds."
Tsukune blinked. "Brune-STUDS?" he asked him. "As in...Aruceid and ALTROUGE?"
"Yeah, why?"
Ichika face-palmed. "Issei, you moron," he said.
Oh, one more Servant Roulette. And...Luvia's got Jack the Ripper. From Acrophya.
Illya was amazed at the devil-themed Servant...especially since she was bathing in the blood of the Einzbern Servants...and the Patriarch.
"As much as I appreciate you killing off Old Man Einzbern," Illya replied, "is the bloodbath really necessary?"
"It's a must," the Servant replied. "But I digress. I am known as Servant Lancer. Are you my Master, little one?"
"I'm technically 23 years old," Illya replied. "They stunted my growth, but usually, we tend to fix it. Imagine my Nii-chan's reaction when I have an adult body in these loops. Splitting image of my own Mother, too."
Lancer giggled. "Is he cute?" she asked her.
"We can go visit him...but first, get some clothes on, Lancer."
Bazett was flabbergasted.
"You're Frankenstein's Monster?" she asked Berserker.
"In a way," she replied.
"I'm just shocked. You look like the Bride of Frankenstein..."
"Miss Shelly never got my appearance right for culture's sake," Fran replied. "For good reason...a rampaging female monster never appealed to sales back then."
Bazett then sighed. "I got a call from my superior, Lord El-Melloi the First. He, Luvia, and their servants are headed towards a place in Fuyuki City...all I have to do is avoid Kotomine, but this is the only way out."
That's when Fran smashed the wall across from the door.
"Or that can work," Bazett muttered. "Let's move before Gilgamesh finds us."
"So, let's recap," Luvia muttered, in the Loop...so to speak. "In baseline, these are not our original servants."
"Apparently, we had a roulette," Shirou replied. "Still, this is the first time I met you, Edlefelt-san."
"Call me Luvia. If we're going to be meeting, we're going to know each other."
"Enough, you two," Rin replied. "The only one that's consistent is Waver Velvet's Rider..."
Waver groaned. "She spent all the money in Clock Tower," he said. "Seriously, Iksander wasn't this much of a big spender...what did she spend it all on?"
Rider then chuckled. "Well, I am a Pirate..." she said.
"I thought Francis Drake was a man..." Gilgamesh muttered.
"Not the point," Rin replied. "Sakura, you managed to get Nero..."
"My Praetor needed better living conditions," Nero replied. "I had to eradicate every single one of those slugs."
"...Waver got Francine Drake, I got Tamamo-no-Mae..."
"Wait...the servant of Amaterasu?" Sakura asked her.
"And the Maid Dress..." Shirou muttered, blushing.
"What, you don't like it?" Tamamo asked them.
Rin had an anger point. "...Luvia got Jack the Ripper, and is clinging to her..."
"She's clinging onto me and glaring at the young men here..." Luvia said, Jack restrained.
"...Illya got Elizabeth Balthory...explains the smell of blood..."
"I wanted to make a good entrance," Elizabeth replied.
"...Bazett somehow got Frankenstein's Monster..." Rin said, "and finally...Shirou's got a different version of Gilgamesh. That's LOOPING."
Looping Gilgamesh is something they had to avoid in this universe, but SOMEHOW...this one was Awake.
"So, other me's a prick?" Gilgamesh asked them.
"You have no idea," Shirou replied. "But really, all seven of us meeting here...I get the meal thing from Waver Velvet's last run with the war, but most of us are Awake, and we seem to be the Seven most common Masters to Awaken...or the ONLY ones in this part of the Giant Tree. So...anyone got a plan that doesn't get Ciel on our backs?"
"Leave Ciel to me," Gilgamesh replied. "I've got a Noble Phantasm that will knock her into submission."
"Not kill her?" Elizabeth asked them.
"Last I checked, Ciel can't be killed," Rin replied. "But..."
"It turned Fujimura Taiga into a drooling mess," Shirou replied, looking at Fujimura. "Or rather...she ran into him in the shower. I was shocked, too. I kept calling the Assassins at Clock Tower 'Hookers.'"
"YOU DO THAT ON PURPOSE!?" Luvia yelled.
"Oh yeah," Waver replied, chuckling. "Kitsurugu was always one for Audacity, even in his killing methods. Iksander and I thought it was funny when we first heard it."
"Back to business," Shirou replied. "Considering Nero already took care of Shinji and Zouken, we've only got Kotomine and Gilgamesh to worry about...after I help fix Illya and Sakura...again. Seriously, I've repaired their bodies so many times, it's almost like riding a bicycle. One that's cursed and tainted."
"You do your best with your hands, Senpai," Sakura said.
Rin then sweat-dropped. "Well, we DO have Gilgamesh," she said. "All we have to do is stop Angra Mainyu from being released..."
However, that's when Shirou's alarm was tripped.
"BATTLE STATIONS!" Shirou and Gilgamesh yelled, noticing what burst in.
"Oh, you are KIDDING me," Shirou muttered. "I thought that thing was destroyed!"
"It was," the voice muttered. "As soon as I felt the disturbance, I came...here..." The Golden Prick then found the other Gilgamesh. "WHAT MOCKERY IS THIS!? A FAKER SUMMONING A FAKE KING OF HEROES!? I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS!"
"FAKER!?" Shirou's Gilgamesh yelled, causing an Oh Crap among the Looping Masters. "I'm starting to think YOU'RE the Fake one here. Your battleship isn't even in prime condition! You comparing yourself to me? You're not even PURE enough to be my fake!"
There was a face-palm from Shirou.
"Why you..."
"I am the bone of my sword..." Shirou muttered.
"That's our cue before they unleash the Anti-World Noble Phantasms," Rin said. "Caster!"
"ON IT, MASTER!" Tamamo replied, Nero taking positions.
"Time for my ship to take center stage!" Francis yelled, summoning her own ship.
"UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!" Shirou yelled, the Hill of Swords that's bigger.
Kotomine!Gilgamesh was seething...while CCC!Gilgamesh was just curious.
"A collection of copies," the latter Gilgamesh said. "Yet...they seem fairly used. You know how to wield the sword?"
"I AM the Sword!" Shirou yelled.
"AND YET YOU ANNOY ME WITH HERESY!" The Gilgamesh with the dented Battleship yelled.
"That's the difference between you and me," CCC!Gilgamesh said. "Master, get ready!"
Shirou nodded as the other Mages got their spells ready. Bazett was charging her Fragarch, Frankenstein's Monster arming herself. Tamamo was bringing out her curse, Rin readying her Gandr alongside Luvia. Illya brought out the Kaleidostick, Elizabeth bringing out her spear. Jack was nowhere to be seen. On Francis's ship, Waver got his spell out.
On the front was the Allied Gilgamesh and Shirou, bringing on a Rain of Swords.
Unknown to them, nor known to Yggdrasil, they had NO idea what they would Awaken.
Cue Tiger Dojo after the crash.
Shirou then groaned.
"What hit me?" he asked himself.
"Shirou," a female voice said, wearing a knight armor and him...holding Coconuts. "What did you do?"
Then Shirou recognized the loop.
"Am I Patsy?" he asked Arturia, who nodded. "Well...you're not going to believe this...but we went through a Servant Roulette...and then both Gilgameshes clashed."
Arturia then groaned. "Well, if you're going to screw up," she replied, "congratulations. Really, I'm just about to go through the Holy Grail quest...but where'd you get the Coconuts?"
"They were just in my hand..."
The female King Arthur groaned. "I am NOT facing that rabbit alone, Shirou. Come on...Gawain and Lancelot are here, and we might run into Galahad and Bedivere."
Shirou then groaned. "Why couldn't I get Eiken like the NORMAL Loopers?"
wildrook
In all honesty, I think I over-did it on the snips.
I got bored, over-did it...and now, Shirou and Saber are dealing with Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a punishment loop.
AFTER the Tiger Dojo.
Anyone willing to help me separate the snips into posts? I write more snips than I do the Admin Activation things...
Speaking of, this is a Reunion/Summoning Snip Cross-Posted from the MLP Thread.
Alternate Summons: Saber Class One.
The redhead with yellow streaks was surprised as she looked at her uniform.
'Well, I've replaced Arturia,' she thought. 'Might as well play the part.' "I am known as Servant Saber. I ask of you, are you my master?"
Shirou then sighed. "Nice to see you again, Sunset," he said. "And yeah, I am."
"You two know each other!?" Lancer yelled.
"Back off, or else I use your real name and force a death-match right here and now," Shirou replied.
Lancer glared. "You're bluffing," he said.
"I can not only memorize your spear, but learn its history. The spear aimed directly at my heart, and it's cursed. From the name, I'm guessing you're from Ireland, and...you smell like dog."
There was a glare. "Hound," he said.
"And you just screwed yourself over," Sunset replied, bringing out a Keyblade known as Realta Nua. "Hound of Ulster."
Lancer growled. "Guess I've no choice," he said. Before he could stop, he flinched. "I can't. Rules of the game dictate that I have to fight to the death."
THere was a bit of silence.
"What do you mean...ugh...luckily for you, I'm going to retreat. My Master's a coward."
"Tell Kotomine I'm coming for him for what he did to my Dad," Shirou replied. "I was in the fire. You think I DON'T remember what happened?"
Lancer then sighed. "Again, luckily for you, I'm a nice guy. Next time, find me a pint, then we talk." He then dashed out.
Sunset was surprised. "Is he..."
"If he was, he'd signal me," Shirou replied. "But now, you've got a chance to meet Rin this time."
wildrook
"RIN! RIN, LET ME IN!" Shirou yelled. "CODE ORANGE/BLACK! I REPEAT, THE TIGER IS AWAKE!"
Rin flinched...as did Archer, who crashed in there.
"Fujimara's what!?" she yelled.
"The Tiger is Awake," Shirou replied. "I repeat. The Tiger of Fuyuki is AWAKE!"
"Oh, dear Mother of Ayala," Archer muttered. "You mean...Taiga knows?"
"SHIROU!" was heard from the area. "COME BACK HERE! I KNOW ABOUT YOUR NIGHTLY ACTIVITIES! AND DON'T TELL ME IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! I KNOW THOSE GAS EXPLOSIONS ARE CAUSED BY MURDERS!"
Rin and Archer flinched.
"Pardon my French," she said, "but...F**k all kinds of duck."
Archer then growled. "How?" he asked Shirou. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
"Because she knows about you being me, too," Shirou replied, causing Archer to freeze. "And that was the first thing she asked me that night."
Archer then groaned. "And Fuyuki's not a giant crater...why?"
"I don't know," Shirou replied. "Besides, when it comes to the Enforcers at Clock Tower, they consider this place backwater. I'm not exactly expecting the Spanish Inquisition."
And that's when Kotomine had entered the area, Ciel, Nanako, and Gilgamesh dressed in orange robes...much to the confusion of everyone.
"NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!" Kotomine yelled.
"THERE YOU ARE!" Fujimura yelled.
Rock. Hard Place. Shirou, Rin, and Archer mentally swore.
One, Taiga was Awake.
Two, Loopers are immune to hypnosis.
Three, and the most important one that stuck out in their minds...how in the name of the Kaleidoscope did Kotomine convince Gilgamesh to wear that outfit and go along with the Spanish Inquisition gag? WITHOUT Command Seals, too?
That last thought had haunted them even when the Loop Crashed prematurely into a Tiger Dojo Session.
AbZHz101
A Duke and his Saber pt 2
It had taken two rounds of double talk for Archer to convince Dukemon to return with him and the girl, who was soon identified as Rin, back to her home. Saber had been skeptical of the idea, but Dukemon simply noted the disagreement and stated that should Saber be right he would be able to say "I told you so" for as long as he liked. Seeing as most Loopers did not enact elaborate pranks on those Loopers they had never met previously, this Archer had little reason to do them harm. And it was incredibly unlikely that Archer was not Awake considering the diction and methodology of his word placement. Dukemon was unsure if "Rin" was Awake, but Archer seemed sure that he would be able to handle her either way. The discussion that resulted ended in a rather broad overview of the Grail War from Archer, who seemed to be one iteration of one of the Local Anchors. When asked to be more specific on that he had simply groaned. He had also been forced to show his "from the future" card to explain his knowledge without divulging the Loops. While sometimes Non-Loopers could understand and take the information with decency and respect it depended on the person, the time, and the variant... and apparently Rin had responded less than positively on more than one occasion when she was not-Looping and had the situation explained to her, as Takato later found out.
Explaining what was going on to his folks had been low maintenance on his part, he simply pulled out a cell phone, snapped a picture of Guilmon, and texted it to his parents with the legend, "Guilmon's back. Something big is going on. We'll be safe. Should be done soon, but we need a couple of days." And with that and the proper ending, Takato sent it off, feeling he had fulfilled his role as a dutiful son for what seemed like it would be a short Loop.
Saber had also had questions about the nature of Digimon, which given his Master's ability to become one was relevant. "Digimon are... well they're life forms created by the collective wishes, hopes, and dreams of Mankind, more specifically children. We don't know why exactly, perhaps the hopes, dreams and desires of children are stronger than that of adults. Perhaps they are more 'pure,' but for whatever reason, Digimon are more drawn to children than to adults. Though while Digimon might be created of wishes and dreams their lifeblood is information. Digimon are often created from lost or partially corrupted files on computers or that make their way to the internet. Because of this, they tend to take the forms and abilities that humans are in some ways familiar with though there are often changes that are unexpected. So it is often quite easy to draw parallels from a Digimon to a historical figure, a legend, a place, or even an event. Though, there tends to be at least one strange detail."
"That actually sounds similar in many ways to Heroic Spirits! Our powers and form often depend on the stories that are told and passed down, even if the information is less than factual, we are said to be created from the ideals of Man. In fact a Heroic Spirit can come into being from someone who did not exist at all."
"So Digimon and Heroic Spirits might be born of the same source?" Takato wondered. Well that was certainly unexpected. He wondered if that was always true or just for this Fused Loop.
"That might also make it possible for a Digimon to be a Catalyst in summoning a Servant," Archer interjected. "Though whether or not that happened here is unknown."
wildrook
Shirou couldn't believe it.
"I think I may have over-done it on the prana," he muttered, looking at the scene before him.
"You THINK!?" three of the women in question yelled, the one in red smirking.
"Nice to see you again, Shirou," she said, smiling while Shirou was confused.
"FOUR!?" a certain Hound yelled. "WHO THE F**K SUMMONS FOUR!?"
Shirou then groaned. "Mikasa Glitch," he muttered. "Seriously, I summoned four Sabers...the Grail War might be mine, but I'm just here to live."
"Then let's see how good we can fight," the black one replied.
"We'll talk as soon as Master of Archer gets here," the white one said. "Right now, we have a dog to corner."
Arturia rolled her eyes. "At least I don't have Archer's envy," she muttered. "Still, how'd you summon Nero?"
"Same way I summoned you," Shirou replied. He then rolled his eyes. "And I might need to stock up on food."
Still, the Grail War may be his...for a time...
Detective Ethan Redfield
Different loopers period, or different loopers with the same name (Spyro for example)? Either way, might be interesting.
As for me, I have a different loop idea in mind. Early loop:
Shirou cursed to himself as the world around him seemed to be erupting in a maelstrom of black magic. Kotomine had managed to subdue him through the use of his black keys, one even now jammed into his shadow. He could do nothing but watch as the massive...thing took form in front of him. It was eldrich in nature. Later on, he'd describe the...thing...as a lovecraftian alter, with tentacles and eyes in the shape of a massive tower to a ball of black over the top. The black ball shifted around, slowly taking form.
Kotomine's ecstatic expression shifted to a scowl. The black sphere drifted to the floor in front of the fake priest, then ejected its contents. The creature was equine, midnight black in color with cyan eyes and a violet mane. She sported a pair of wings and a unicorn horn. The equine looked to herself, then Kirei and Shirou, scowling, "Finally! Do you know what it's like being stuck in the grail for over a hundred years? So, yeah, I'm Nyx, the embodiment of mankind's evils."
She sighed and gave a half-lidded expression, "So, after all that time, I'm feeling a bit loopy. Anyone know where I can rest to anchor myself?"
The priest gruffly replied, "You're Angra Mainyu, the persian god of darkness?"
Nyx glared at Kotomine, then shook her head pityingly, "That's a common misconception. I was originally born of a dark ritual to resurrect an ancient being of malice...but I was saved from that fate by my mommy."
She stepped around the false priest and looked at Shirou, gasping, "Your magic is running out of control! Let me help you."
Her horn touched the boy who's body was half composed of metal blades. Her magic flooded his body and entered his rampaging magic circuits. To Shirou, it felt like his body that had been on fire had just been drenched in water. Nyx looked into his eyes, "Sorry I cannot do more at the moment. I'll need to take a closer look at your arm, but I should be able to keep it stabilized."
Kirei's eyes never left Nyx as he chuckled, "So that's it then. Not even the Grail can answer why a being like myself was allowed to be born."
The false priest, held up by his will alone to see his ultimate question answered, felt himself begin to fade his the ground rose to meet him, his eyes closing.
The false priest never expected to wake up. It was no surprise that he was tied down, and with a material strong enough to completely resist his attempts to escape. His eyes scanned the room, a more traditional Japanese estate with the works. Off to the side, the pegasus...unicorn servant was resting while Shirou was waiting with a food tray. Kirei looked at Shirou, "Why?"
Such a simple question, but Shirou knew he was asking why he was alive, "I asked her to save you."
Kirei blinked, then looked at the creature. He slid his fingers through the servant's mane.
*End Snippet*
I have absolutely no idea where I want to go with this at this point. I just figured Nyx would probably appear as Angra Maiyu/Servant Avenger at least once, but she'd never be materialized except in a royally botched Heaven's Feel Route. If anyone has an idea how to continue, let me know. Could be a jump off point for Kirei to start looping...MUCH MUCH later on. Personally, I'd still oppose it out of principle. Kirei is kind of a monster, plus he has...a bucketful of issues that would need sorting out. However, that can be addressed by other loopers. Plus, his looping adventures probably revolve around him trying to find why he exists, why he was allowed to loop, etc. That would be interesting.
AbZhz101
A Duke and his Saber pt. 3
Dukemon and Saber stood on the steps to the shrine. Archer had said something about dealing with Hercules and Ilya, which no one else seemed to understand the importance of, but were willing to let the local Anchor do. The others had been warned of the fact that there were two Servants, Caster and Assassin, on the mountain as well as what would happen if they left the two alone. So, not wanting such things to come to pass Saber, Takato, and Guilmon had decided to take care of the problem. Though neither class was meant to be as dangerous in direct combat as Lancer had been, even E ranked power was supposed to equate to the power of ten men. Given that Takato was perhaps the most vulnerable piece of their team and they were expecting to fight two Servants anyway, it would be best to meet that force with the equivalent power of two Heroic Spirits as well. Also because this was a Fused Loop it might be that there were different Servants and Masters or that the Servants had different abilities. It wouldn't do to grow overconfident on what knowledge Archer had given.
Currently, Saber and Assassin were dueling on the steps, Archer's information on the fictitious Servant holding so far. Dukemon held back, watching in amazement as the two swordsmen dueled. It was an interesting conundrum, Saber could close even the largest gap in an instant, but Assassin's blade could strike three times in one blow from three different directions. And with the vertical differential that came from fighting on a hill made the battle the more balanced.
Dukemon could feel his right arm ringing as Saber's powerful greatsword clashed with Assassin's own sword, a far too long to be practical weapon. They hadn't been sure why, but they thought that perhaps Dukemon's digital lance recognized it's legendary brother. As far as anyone was aware, this would have been the first time that two legitimate copies from the same timeline were brought together by two who had mastered the weapon. What would come of it was unknown. Unconsciously, the Ultimate clenched his fist, fights of that level, especially when the wish promised by the Grail was false... this was all Saber had to look forward to. It wouldn't do to take that away without reason. Thankfully to this point, Assassin had not seen hide nor hair of Saber's back.
Then the world came into full focus. Dukemon could feel his own heartbeat ringing through his skull. The motion of the world slowed. And there was a tugging on the back of his skull. Turning to find the source, it was Lancer, Cu Chulainn. That spear... It howled. Why did this happen? Assassin's blade did nothing, nor did any of Archer's reproductions... The only thing similar was his reaction to Saber's blade! But compared to this, that reaction was a stream's babble compared to the Ocean's Roar in the fury of a Winter Storm. And even now he could feel his weapon coming to the fore. But as he chenched down, something was different. This was not his usual lance. That wasn't to say that it didn't belong to him, but this wasn't the weapon he normally used. The weapon was almost made of pure light, a double-lance with a wide circular guard to protect from attacks from the side. This was the weapon held in his strong hand while in Crimson Mode.
Dukemon took a steadying breath and readied himself. Lancer's eyes widened at the new weapon, no great surprise as the only time he normally used it was to destroy the "brain" of the D-Reaper. Then to both their surprise, Dukemon's weapon turned the same blood red as Lancer's spear. What was going on with this loop? But the strangeness did not end there. The double spear seemed to unravel, becoming a much more simple weapon, but no less deadly. The haft was made of a simple wood, "Needle Ash" it was called. And the world around the two fighters seemed to change. A Gale whipped between them as the scent of icy sea water assaulted their nostrils. There was frozen ground beneath their feet. There was no incline, their footing was sure.
"I think I get it now," Lancer said, his eyes locked on the weapon in Dukemon's hands. "Two Users of the same weapon, the same Noble Phantasm, meet on opposite side of a battle. What can the Phantasm do but see who is right in trail by Combat?"
"But I do not wield the Gae Bulg," Dukemon replied.
"No, that is Gungnir," Lancer said with a slight smile, "which begot the Gae Bulg. The weapon in your hands is mine's parent one could say. But here and now, for this, I don't think that will help you. Or else, how would the true victor be known?" he asked with a smirk.
"But really I do not wish to win. I have been told that whatever wish I would take would only cause the death of as many people as possible. So truly, my wish... is to end the Grail if possible, or if I cannot then I will prevent a genocide either by ignorance or by malice," the Ultimate stated.
"Really, I don't give too much a shit," Lancer replied, a familiar grin forming over his face. "I'm more in this for the fights, than anything else... and even then, your advice is suspect. And here, I don't think it matters here. This is to the end, nothing to interfere." Dukemon chuckled in response, oh yes, Lancer would be right at home in the Southern Quadrant.
Then as one they brought their weapons into position. The wind continued to howl. Then, as one, they struck, offense and defense, back and forth. Just when the Gae Bulg would have landed a blow, Gungnir swayed to intercept. And when Gungnir would have stuck Gae Bulg jinked into position for a block. The two fighters jumped back to assess what had transpired. Two spears, who reversed Cause and Effect, neither would allow the other to wound their master.
Lancer narrowed his eyes. Dukemon knew what that look meant. Lancer would be calling his spear's Name. There were only two defenses: being out of the Gae Bulg's range or being able to defy Fate. And Lancer was hoping that he would do the same, betting it all on his Battle Continuation. And Lancer wanted him to do the same. Behind his helm, Dukemon smiled. Fine. He pulled Gungnir up and set the but in the earth. But he would not steal his victory through trickery. "Dukemon, Shinka!" His armor became crimson, wings of energy erupted from his back. Mode Change. "Dukemon Crimson Mode!" He waited for a moment, allowing Lancer to analyze his new form. The Irishman nodded, understanding the meaning behind the gesture. "Where will you run? Quo Vadis?" He pulled back and threw.
Lancer rushed forward with a battle cry.
"Gungnir!" "Gae Bulg!"
Gungnir pierced Lancer's armor as though it were rice paper, it then struck his heart fulfilling Gungnir's conditions. But Lancer did not stop moving. And his own weapon shot through Dukemon's chrome Digizoid armor. Then Dukemon felt the head expand. So many barbs through his core. But he stayed standing, he stayed as Dukemon. He would not cheat an enemy of this battle.
As they waited for one to succumb, Dukemon began to speak. "Where I come from, the Southern Quadrant of the Digital World, it is considered honorable to take what remains of your foe. To use their power even after they are gone, to prove that their life had worth. Would it be insulting to you, if should I survive, if I kept your weapon?" It was unsaid that if the opposite held true Lancer would be free to claim Gungnir.
"Yeah," Lancer wheezed. "I think I can get behind that. You know, I really enjoyed myself." He was fading fast, his Master obviously not trusting Lancer's ability to survive. "I'd love to do it again sometime."
"I will remember that," Dukemon said as Lancer faded back into Prana. When Lancer had fully faded and the wind began to die, only then did Dukemon begin to pull the weapon from his chest.
Dukemon came back to the steps carved into the mountainside, with only Saber to be found. Saber's eyes were wide, but Dukemon was not too worried, his own weapons would not be the ones to strike him down. It still wouldn't be too smart to fight another Servant this night.
So... I do have a question with this one, but it applies to the Natsu side, not the Digimon one. If you had two people who mastered the same Noble Phantasm fight each other do you think that the situation I described would occur? [EDIT: Also the location can vary, I just tried to pick something that dealt with the locations of the Gae Bulg and Gungnir, eg. Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea... that area.]
Note, Gilgamesh merely Owns most of his Phantasms, including Gram/Excalabur. He hasn't mastered them. Considering that I was of the mind that no other Phantasm can be used during the match, it ironically might have made fighting him easier.
wildrook
Oh my God, that shouldn't be adorable, but it is.
Archer was flabbergasted at this turn of events.
For one, Shirou had managed to tame something known as a Stand...and not just any Stand. One that's named after an Egyptian God. And it had a relationship to him similar to Altrouge and Primate Murder.
Gar as he was, Shirou also had a Stand known as the King of Swords. And it fit his origin perfectly well...but the astral dog tends to weird people out.
Rin was just rubbing her temples. "I don't even want to know HOW you managed to pull this off, Shirou," she said. "You managed to get a pet...sword...dog...thing? Given the rules of the Loops, I'm surprised that...well...you managed to find a loophole concerning...THAT!"
'Nopenopenopenopenopenope' Archer thought. 'SO MUCH NOPE!'
"Well, Heracles seemed to like him," Shirou replied, "so it got Illya off my back. Then again, funny story on how we met...the last user was pretty weak..."
'Primate Murder 2.0,' Archer thought. 'Dear Ayala, I did NOT sign up for this!'
wildrook
...
At this point, it's treated as the Mikasa Glitch (for now).
When looking at the Holy Grail, you tend to think of Seven Servants fighting to make a wish for it.
Instead, you've got NINE classes on either a Red or Blue team...Scout, Heavy, Demoman, Engineer, Sniper, Soldier, Spy, Medic, and Pyro...and customization was quite the thing, especially when it came to the hats. And there are SEVERAL different methods involving hats.
The good news was that Kotomine was banned from playing, so that fixed the problems Shirou had involving Gilgamesh.
The bad news...an unAwake Illya summoned the Pyro of Blue. And even Kitsurugu, the Sniper of Red, was shaking.
"She's going to kill us, isn't she?" Kitsurugu asked Shirou, who nodded. "Well, we're definitely going to need some help."
"How Rin summoned myself as Soldier of Red is baffling, too," Shirou replied. "Still, what the heck is causing the Holy Grail to act like this, Dad?"
"Might have had something to do with Avenger in the Third War. Or Zelretch got bored." Both of them cringed.
A Looping Zelretch...the consequences of the Oldest Troll being Awake would make even the worst of MLEs a preferred death.
"SNIPER!" Archer yelled. "Get down!"
Both Kitsurugu and Shirou dodged the shots.
"Who the hell summoned the White Death!?" Kitsurugu yelled.
"Not someone from here," Rin replied. "And White Death?"
"Not all heroes are ancient," Shirou said. "This guy has quite the reputation as a One-Man Army. My question is who SUMMONED the guy."
(Anyone up for finishing Nasu Fortress 2? Rules are simple...the "Heroic Spirits" can be Historical Figures or other Loopers...for example, Benjamin Franklin as an Engineer...and they must fit the classes of Team Fortress 2 in the form of a Grail War. The Masters, however, are native to the Nasuverse, making this a massive internal Fused Loop between the different Nasuverse characters summoning others. And yes...there are hats. And there ARE penalties on cheating...I'm looking at you, Kotomine.)
Known Classes:
Sniper of Red (Kitsurugu Emiya)
Soldier of Red (EMIYA)
Sniper of Blue (Simo Hayha)
Semi-Known Classes:
Pyro of Blue
Demoman of Red
Known Masters:
Red Team:
Shirou Emiya
Rin Tohsaka
Sakura Matou
Blue Team:
Illya von Einzbern.
...Is this an ungodly stupid idea or what? I can barely remember Sniper of Blue and I thought Kitsurugu Emiya would be a better choice instead of Arturia in this kind of scenario. And there are people forced to be on TEAMS. In the NASUVERSE. The only idea I can think of for this Loop to happen is that Zelretch Awakened after the Third Grail War and got bored.
Ergo, the universe where hidden plots and backstabbing spawned an eighteen-Master Grail War that...acts like an actual War. With TEAMS. Off-topic, the odds of the Spy of Red sleeping with the mother of the Scout of Blue are astronomical in that scenario.
Oh, and the Pyro being feared...well...one of the things that was KEPT from the original Servant classes was Mad Enchantment. Guess which of the Nine Classes has it now?
wildrook
(This is set within the same Loop as the Grail Fortress 2 snip...)
"By the way, you and I are going to have a talk as soon as we survive this," Kitsurugu said to Shirou.
"If this is about the time I asked what a Hooker was," Shirou replied, "I honestly thought you would be more relieved that I didn't ask about magic and it got the Clock Tower Enforcers off my back..."
Kitsurugu was blinking at Shirou's confession...and how he envied mundane families when it came to "The Talk." "Not about that," he said. "I mean how we're going to destroy the Grail. Although..." He then knew where this was going. "Taiga?"
"Taiga."
That, Kitsurugu understood. "Wish I was around to see them try to outrun Torashinai," he said.
Call-back to one of my early snippets. Thought it would be appropriate in a case where Shirou summons Awake!Kitsurugu.
Although I'm going to agree with Oath on this one. People are going to expect Gabriel Blessing-based Shirous if we separate Archer and Shirou Emiya as different Loopers.
Speaking of...
Alternate Servant: Caster Class One
There was an explosion that shook the Workshop as soon as Shirou used the Summoning Circle, blinding him and knocking Lancer unconscious.
Where he expected Saber to be was, instead, a pink-haired woman with a school uniform using a wand as she looked around the area.
Shirou recognized her immediately as he remembered the time he replaced Saito Hiraga. "Louise," he said. "Nice to see you again."
The pink-haired woman blinked as she turned around. "Shirou?" she asked him. "It's been a long time." She then looked at the area. "And...I take it the explosion isn't natural?"
"Well, it managed to knock Lancer unconscious, but it's not the worst summoning reaction I've endured." He then realized something. "I pity the poor sap who managed to summon Saber and uses up his Command Seals just for one order."
"Magic Resistance," she said. "Bit of a nightmare for the Nobles in my home world, but it has its uses."
That's when Lancer began to stir, prompting Louise and Shirou to cut the small talk.
"As you may have guessed, I'm of the Caster Class," Louise replied. "Now, I must ask you, are you my master?"
"Yes, I am," Shirou replied. "And right now, we've got a Hound to deal with."
Lancer then growled. "What the HELL kind of trap was that?" he asked Shirou.
"That 'trap,'" Louise said, angry at his tone, "was my summoning ritual. And right now, you're in no position to make demands. Leave now before I aim at a place you will miss."
Lancer cringed as his legs unconsciously crossed themselves. "Very well," he said. "I'll be heading off to warn my Master about you." He then sped off...and Louise dropped her stance.
She then gave Shirou a look, who face-palmed.
"He thought you were going to neuter him," Shirou replied. "I know he's the Hound of Ulster, but he should have noticed you were bluffing."
"I know," Louise said. "I just didn't think he'd be more of a dog than Saito."
That's when they heard rustling...and Rin was face-palming as she walked out.
"Hey, Saber," she said, calling someone. "I think I found your old Master."
That's when a young man wearing blue came out and was relieved. "I knew she'd be around here somewhere," he said. "Louise!"
"Saito!" Louise said, walking towards him. "Didn't think you'd be summoned first." She then looked at his condition. "You okay?"
"Let's just say the whip is quicker," Saito said, sheepishly. He then looked at Shirou...and was surprised. "You must be Shirou Emiya."
"Saito Hiraga," Shirou said. "Saber...Class...wait...Rin, how many Command Seals did you use?"
"Oh come on, Emiya," Rin said, huffing. "Do you really take me as the type to use them recklessly?"
There was a deadpan stare from Shirou as Rin was flaunting her "mage status."
"You used two at once, didn't you?"
Rin gave him a glare. "Yes..." she muttered.
It was Rin and Shirou's bickering that had Saito and Louise have an odd bit of Deja Vu.
"I think we should take this inside," Saito said. "That way, we can settle in."
Louise nodded. "Good idea," she replied. "Is your house nearby?" Shirou nodded.
This Grail War was going to be...interesting.
Yes, Lancer thought she was aiming for the crotch. Actually, she'd be aiming for the head on his shoulders before the man's E-Ranked Luck would kick in.
Detective Ethan Redfield
Shirou stumbled through town, his clothes torn and himself not giving a care in the world. He had just finished taking out a dead apostle by the name of Dio Brando. The vampire was a looper who killed just about everyone he cared about, and all his enemies to boot. The Grail War was in ruins, with every servant including Saber now trapped as vampires in Dio's subspace pocket awaiting his orders for whatever task the psycho had in mind. Secretly, Shirou suspected he had been cursed just before dying and was suffering the effects too. Now he just wanted the damn loop to end. Suddenly, the air shifted around him as fire engulfed his world, but did not burn him. His surroundings were replaced by a simple one room bar with a Japanese tender in a uniform more appropriate for France. The Tender gave a kind grin, "Welcome, valued customer, to Eden Hall."
His eyes scanned the room as he muttered, "Reality Marble? Who are you? Have I finally gone loopy?"
The bartender bowed, "My name is Ryuu Sasakura. I, too, am a looper. Please, have a seat."
As Shirou sat down, the man continued. "As you know, Bartenders are not allowed to serve minors."
He slid the boy a potion he recognized from the Harry Potter Universe, one that would age him to legal status. The swordsman shook his head and downed it in one gulp. After his body finished adjusting, he asked. "Do you have a recommendation?"
The bartender put his hand to his face, then snapped his finger. He pulled out a bag and put a sugar cube on the center. He held up a bottle and replied. "This is an elixir called Eve. The drink is far too strong to be drunk by itself with an alcohol content of 71 percent, but if you pour but a drop on the sugar and drink it as the sugar melts..."
He let a drop fall on the sugar, which absorbed the liquid. Shirou picked up the cube and dropped it in his mouth. Ryuu smiled, "It's said that this method was used by monks in the Alps during the middle ages to revive sojourners. The high sugar content revived the body, the alcohol rejuvenated the spirit and the herbs healed the soul."
The bartender gave a wink. "I added a bit of a secret ingredient to further help restore your spirits."
Indeed, new life flowed through Shirou as his torn clothes mended themselves. His spirits rose as whatever curse plaguing him and all feelings of hopelessness faded. Shirou looked at his hand, "That was amazing!"
The two started sharing about their own universes into the night as the loop drew to a close.
Detective Ethan Redfield
Heh, I can see Shirou giving other loopers fits trying to experiment with creating legends about them:
The pleasant aroma of Soba Noodles drifted through Eden Hall. "Shirouuu, when are we going to eat!"
A familiar brown haired woman wearing a yellow and black t shirt under a green dress rested her head against the counter. Shirou gave a long suffering sigh and scooped a bowl out for her erstwhile sister, "Fujimara-sensei, shouldn't you be at class right now?"
As soon as the bowl hit the counter, the "tiger" of Homurahara attacked it with the intensity of her nickname. Even through the gulps, Shirou could still make out what she was saying, "You should be attending school, like all the other boys your age. And then, maybe you'll find the woman of your dreams."
Shirou shrugged, "I've already tested out of high school and college. I prefer the simple life sometimes."
Besides, he had found the girl of his dreams...many times. He still couldn't decide between Saber, Rin and Sakura. He just wanted to make them all happy, but sparks were constantly flying between the three of them. He'd be lucky to survive the infinite loops at this rate. Taiga gulped down the last of her soup. After finishing her meal, her brain finally registered her predicament, "Oh crap, I'm late!"
Immediately, the teacher was off, screaming about how late she was. With Taiga gone, the restaurant was already too quite. Ryuu stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to Shirou, "You have quite a lively companion."
Shirou gave a rueful grin. "She's like a sister to me, always worrying about my well being. She's not even looping."
Ryuu patted the teen on the back, "Takes a special person to worry about those stronger than her. I think she can tell something's off, even before you started working here. You should tell her about the time loops. I feel it won't be long before she'll join us."
Shirou's eyes turned serious, "Yeah. She'll probably replace Naruto one loop and become a epic ninja."
The door opened, issuing forth a new customer. Shirou blanched as he recognized Rin, and a black aura was hovering around the magician. "Shirou...have you been spreading rumors about me to the other loopers?"
Shirou blinked and flinched backwards, "Ah, what rumors are these?"
A second Rin appeared, wearing a similar holy shroud to baseline archer. One hundred crystals appeared around the mage, each one shimmering brilliantly like it was a firecracker about to blow. Undoubtedly, this was a servant Rin, Mikasa glitch, probably archer class. Servant Rin replied with a deceptively sweet grin, "Oh, just a legend that says I wield a thousand gemstones that shimmer with enough magic to level a city. Her 'wrath' is easily kindled by the slightest provocations."
Shirou recalled telling a couple new loopers about her as a joke, though he might have failed to tell them it was a joke. He muttered under his breath. "I didn't know they'd take it so seriously."
Unfortunately, Rin, heard every word. Her head turned to Ryuu. "Master, I need to borrow your chef for a minute. Let's step outside, Shirou."
Ryuu chuckled. "Make sure I get him back in one piece. And don't damage the bar outside, got it?"
Rin nodded. Shirou ran, but didn't get far as several rapid fire gandr shots slammed into his back. The Rins carried him into the alley out back as Ryuu gave a silent prayer for the doomed boy.
BIOS-Pherecydes
Shirou Emiya Awoke not in his workshop as was typical for the start of his Loop, but sitting on the porch of the Emiya household staring out over the moonlit yard. Processing his Loop memories, which revealed that he had Awoken roughly three years before the Heaven's Feel Ritual, he quickly sent out a Ping. When he didn't receive a response his expression darkened and he quickly stood from his favorite place in the household and hurriedly began preparing for war.
He would be the first to admit that his mind didn't work the same way other people's did. Hell, his abnormal way of thinking had actually been the source of his Baseline abilities. Where others would place their own safety, happiness and above all survival first and foremost in their life, he... didn't. To be more accurate he honestly couldn't, even after untold ages spent in the Loops the best he had been able to do was raise his own importance to that of equal to anyone else's.
He still would gladly sacrifice himself though if he thought that it would help someone, although as a result of the Loops that someone usually had to be a Looper or his status as an Anchor forced him to reconsider. Not that he would ever allow someone to suffer knowingly if he could help it. Which was why he was currently preparing to siege the Matou Manor.
As one of his best friends, and main love interests, Sakura Matou née Tohsaka was one of the three people he would willingly crash a Loop for without hesitation. And he had on occasion, Admins be damned. Whenever Shirou Awoke his first actions were to check to see if Sakura was Looping. If not then without fail his second action was to attack the home of a centuries old monster in human skin which had helped design a Magic Ritual which was intended to recreate a True Magic; a Mystery as high above typical Magecraft as Magecraft was to tinker toys. He literally could not understand how any other option could be considered.
In all of Yggdrasil there were only two creatures which he could honestly say that he hated; not disliked, not didn't get along with but actively and intensely hated. The being known as Kyubey, and the monster known as Zouken Matou. When Awake Sakura was more than capable of dealing with her 'grandfather' and Shirou was willing to let her. Sakura could be rather scary when she wanted to be. When she was Unawake however, Shirou refused to rest until he was certain she was safe. As a Hero of Justice he couldn't do any less.
His first action upon reaching the Matou home was to fire a rain of projected Rule Breakers, neutralizing the Bounded Field surrounding the estate as well as several of the secondary traps. His next act was to activate his Reality Marble, an endless amount of practice having allowed him to convert the Unlimited Blade Works into a Single-Action Spell where no Aria was required. Once he had imposed his personal reality upon the World his third act was to blow the gates to shreds with a targeted Caladbolg II, fired at almost a thousand paces effortlessly.
It was only once he had charged into the building itself that he realized that something was wrong. First of all the house was in good repair, with wood paneled walls, working light fixtures and a kitchen that at any other time he would be tripping over himself to familiarize himself with. Secondly was the music playing gently from downstairs, a hauntingly beautiful refrain on violin and piano. Lastly, and surprisingly not the first thing he noticed, was the screaming. Not Sakura thank Yggdrasil, but the familiar wheeze of the Matou patriarch. It was a testament to his anger that he found the second sound to be more enjoyable than the first.
Cautiously he made his way down the stairs, noting the distinct lack of rot on the walls. Finally he entered the antechamber beneath the estate. The sight which greeted him was... surprising. And more than a little horrifying. If it were anyone else he would have likely dedicated the Loop to taking down the person responsible. But, as he recalled the horrors which had been visited upon his friend and lover in the Baseline, he somehow couldn't find it in himself to be upset.
Glancing up from where she was currently dissecting one of Zouken's Crest Worms, Sakura Haruno Matou gave a surprised look at Shirou. The two stared at each other in silence, Zouken's whimpering providing background, before Sakura spoke. "I'm not apologizing."
Shirou continued to stare.
"I know this looks bad, but the bastard had it coming. The things he did to my Unawake self remind me of some of my... less controlled experiments."
Shirou continued to stare.
"I'm not going to relapse if that's what you're worried about."
Shirou continued to stare. Sakura growled angrily.
"Look, can you stop that. If it bothers you that much I'll just put him back together."
This managed to snap Shirou out of his shock. "NO! I-What I mean is I wasn't expecting to see... well, this. Why didn't you answer the Ping?"
Sakura blushed slightly. "I tend to get caught up in my work. I didn't even notice."
Well. Alright then. Shirou paused to consider the fact that Sakura Haruno was Replacing his Sakura. On the one hand she was a recovering sociopath with a history of uncontrolled expirimentation, manipulation and all around unethical behaviour so bad that there was a Syndrome named after her. On the other hand, she wasn't Zouken. "Right. Well I'm Shirou Emiya, the local Anchor. If you get hungry you're welcome to come to the Emiya residence. The Loop generally only lasts about two weeks, although occasionally it lasts for a few years after that. Welcome to the Nasuloops."
Sakura blinked. "Wait, that's it. You walk in here and catch me doing who knows what and you invite me to dinner? How does that even make sense?"
Shirou smiled. It wasn't a nice smile, almost razor-like. "I don't know you personally, only by reputation. I know him. The atrocities he committed in Baseline to the person you're replacing are unforgivable. You have my permission to do whatever you want with him. Except kill him."
Sakura took a moment to process this, before her eyes gleamed. "Deal. Just be sure and check up on me every other day or so. I don't want to go too far and lose any progress I've made. I only just managed to get Sasuke to stop flinching every time I enter the room and I'd like to keep it that way."
Nodding his agreement Shirou deactivated his Reality Marble and turned to leave, before Sakura spoke again.
"And Shirou... thank you. I'm sure you're aware, but I'm not generally well-liked by other Loopers. It's nice to be accepted."
Shirou turned back with a smile. "Like I said, I only know you by reputation. As long as you don't harm anyone, Zouken not included, I'm willing to give you a chance. Heck, even my half sister tries to kill me in Baseline and she usually ends up living at my place by the end of the Loop."
With a friendly wave, Shirou headed back up the stairs. Sakura watched him go with a considering gaze, before turning back to the Familiar she had been working on when he had come in. New ideas blossomed in her mind and she gave a grin. "I'm going to like this Loop."
Detective Ethan Redfield
Ok, before I begin, let me clarify one character's relationship - Rin loves her father. She really does. She hates that he gave Sakura to the Matou and will never forgive him for it, but she still loves her father dearly no matter how much she tried to hate him. Sakura, on the other hand:
Sakura awoke just as she was being handed over to Zouken. Her eyes narrowed as her hands reached into her jacket and into subspace pocket, gripping several black keys. The first time this had happened, Shirou had to save her. Luckily, he was awake that time, else she might have actually had to endure another 10 years of torture at the old demon's hand. That loop, she joined the church and became an executioner with the sole intent of obtaining the church's Babtism Rite.
"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight.
Be crushed."
She spoke quick, as Zouken might try to escape if given the chance. He had done so on at least one occasion before. Zouken didn't immediately realize the danger he was in, as Tokiomi and the old monster were chatting away.
"I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost.
Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me.
Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me.
I am light and relieve you of all your burdens."
It wasn't Zouken who noticed, but rather the one who birthed her. That man had the gall to look at with those kindly eyes, "What's the matter, Sakura."
"Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living.
Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark.
Eternal life is given through death.
— Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear.
— Kyrie eleison".
Zouken finally recognized it was an encantation of some kind. His eyes narrowed. Sakura recognized his stance, one to escape into the shadows. However, She was ready for that too. Sakura's hand whipped out five black keys and flung them at the old monster's shadow. The blade held it in place. Tokiomi started a small incantation of his own, before five more black keys appeared in the girl's hand, and ensared his shadow in the same.
" I kill, I give life. I injure, I heal. There are none who escape from my hands. There are none who escape from my eyes.
May it be so that you are shattered.
I welcome the defeated, the aged. Surrender to me, learn from me, obey me.
May you be at rest.
Do not forget the song, do not forget the prayer, do not forget me .I relieve you of all burdens.
May it be so that there is no deception."
Tokiomi shouted, "What are you doing, Sakura!"
Zouken gave a small chuckle, "It won't be enough to finish me, girl."
Sakura narrowed her eyes and thought, it'll be enough to escape you for now.
One of the only benefits of holding Zouken's primary crest worm was the ability to quickly and assuredly end the old man the instant she woke up. Though sometimes, she'd get creative. Her verbal response, however,
"Retaliation unto forgiveness, betrayal unto belief, despair unto hope, darkness unto light, death unto life.
May you rest in my hands. Let there be mark of your sins. Eternal life is found only in death.
Forgiveness is before you, and so my incarnation vows.
"May God have mercy of this soul (Lord, have mercy )."
With that, the human facade fell into a wriggling mass of dying familiars. Tokiomi stared in surprise and shock. He knew the Matou family used crested worms as familiars, but for their head of family to only be composed of them. Sakura pulled out another pair of black keys and slammed them through her biological father's feet. She looked into his eyes. Her disapproving expression hid her fury. She said nothing and didn't respond to her father's pleadings for her to stop.
Before long, she couldn't hear his pleas anymore. Eventually, she ended up in front of what would one day be the Emiya Residence. She didn't know if Kiritsugu had already bought the place in preparation, sometimes he did. But she didn't even care at this point. Silently, she cast several Hogwarts spells that would prevent non-magical beings from approaching or even being aware the place existed. Several hours more work, and the place was warded against Jewel Users and Crested Worm users.
She would deal with anyone else who came through personally. Through it all, her anger never once dissipated, at Zouken or Tokiomi. She found herself thinking up new and creative ways to kill the two...only to discard them when her anger finally abated. Neither of them were worth the trouble. Only after her mind was quiet for a second and she wished silently for Sempai to be there did she notice her right hand was hurting. She looked down. There before her was a trio of petals on her visible skin. A moment passed as her mouth formed a grin. This would be perfect, the perfect revenge on Tokiomi and Zouken, prevent the first from getting the grail and to utterly wreck the grail system completely. She pulled out several catalysts from previous wars: Rin's ruby locket, Avalon, good old Medusa as Rider, or someone different...who to go with this time?
Andrew Greaves
As a magus, Tokiomi might not have seen the nature of the Matou crest to be a problem, whether he knew about it or not. They simply don't share the same outlook as mundane humanity, especially modern mundane humanity.
Consider what it takes to be a magus. Rin metaphorically plunges a knife into her own heart every time she activates her circuits. To such as those, the crest worms might very well be worth the price.
Which is where the real horror for Sakura was.
She wasn't a magus, and as such she didn't have the mindset of one.
And Zouken didn't care to properly train her as one.
As such, while a magus might not have considered the crest worms to be pointless torture, for Sakura it definitely was.
And that's ignoring the hormonal imbalances - was Zouken using her to incubate more worms each month?
wildrook
"You fought well," a golden-armored male replied, "for a Fake Servant. Heck, I should have taken you seriously to begin with, but right now, our game must end."
Yes, Ash was in the middle of a fight. Worse, he was up against the King of Uruk, the Archer Class Servant, and Golden Prat, Gilgamesh. And he was a Rider Class servant that's doubling as Caster at this very moment due to his Aura.
Even Waver, who had summoned him, was flabbergasted by Ash's Aura, but he then cringed.
"Remember when I said the guy's got a world-ending weapon?" he asked Ash. "Well...what you're looking at is Ea."
Ash then growled as he looked at the thing, almost feeling the power from the Anti-World Artifact.
"You really must see me as a threat," he said. He then growled as he waited for Gilgamesh to unleash his weapon as he started to chant.
I'm a trainer.
That means I work with Pokemon - as friends.
As allies.
As helpers, and as protectors, and as amazing creatures.
"It's really a shame," Gilgamesh replied. "You forced me to unleash this...but right now, it's time we ended this. Ea, STRIKE HIM DOWN!"
I chose them - and they chose me in return.
At that moment, Ash's eyes glowed with a blue aura. The moment Gilgamesh created the tear in reality, there was a cry as a creature with a white body had appeared with glowing red eyes. Next thing he knew, he felt pain.
"WHAT MAGECRAFT IS THIS!?" Gilgamesh yelled. "You...you summoned this...creature?"
"You must be Gilgamesh," a voice said, catching his attention as an Electric Mouse appeared on Ash's shoulder. "You must really be full of yourself if Punishment is on overdrive..."
"Considering you unleashed your Noble Phantasm," Ash replied, "I thought I'd show you mine: EX-Rank Master of Pokemon. Every single Pokemon I've befriended in my life comes to my aid when I say my Aria. And let me tell you...the one I'm riding...is their GOD."
Gilgamesh cringed. "You summoned their creator," he said. "You little...you were WAITING for me to summon my weapon! WHY YOU..."
At that moment, a mix of plasma and fire had struck Gilgamesh as two birds, one of silver design and aquatic while the other is rainbow-colored, appeared alongside Arceus.
And it didn't just end there. A purple being had arrived with a red dragon-like creature as the number of Pokemon increased, filling the marble to the brim with creatures that had appeared to support the Rider Class Servant as his hat now backwards...
Gilgamesh couldn't believe his eyes...and he started laughing. Not in a mock gesture, but in outright joy at the number of creatures that decided to join the servant in battle.
"It's not often that I'm impressed," he said to Ash. "Not only are you capable of befriending actual Gods, but you don't even have to LEAD them as I would with my own kingdom! If you and I had met under different circumstances, you would have had a powerful ally."
"Feeling's mutual," Ash replied, "but right now, our fight ends here."
"Indeed. You have won the battle. But pray tell...how many of them have you befriended in order to have an army that's not only vast...but supportive in your actions?"
Ash gave Gilgamesh a look, but took a breath as he said, in all honesty, "...All of them. ATTACK!"
A combined blast of energy had struck Gilgamesh as he went out with a smile.
Archer of the Fourth Grail War...defeated.
And Ash then sighed. "And to think," he said, "I was forced to show it off this early..."
Waver nodded as he looked at the man as he dismounted Arceus, all but the yellow electric rat fading away. "I take it the Pikachu's important?" he asked him.
"My best friend and my first Pokemon," Ash replied. "Pikachu, this is Waver Velvet. Waver, this is Pikachu."
"Nice to meet you, Waver," Pikachu said. "Hope the lug hasn't caused you any trouble..."
"Nah, he's been good. A lot of them were kind of annoyed they thought he was Iksander, but really...what kind of life DID you live?"
"Well, if I could ask Saber and her Master to show up, they'd get the full details. You DID send a ping, didn't you?"
Saber was surprised, almost trying not to show it as Kitsurugu was just as awestruck. "We managed to watch from afar," she replied, walking up to Ash. "Despite not having interest in the Grail, you managed to strike Gilgamesh down."
"Good thing he's on our side," Kitsurugu replied. "Seriously, I counted...how many species?"
"I lost count after seven-hundred fifteen myself," Waver said, sheepish. "There were extras of the same type, I don't know how..."
"Long story," Ash said, Pikachu giving out a similar smile...before frowning at the remains of the Red Chain. "Still, that takes a lot of mana...and really...I don't think I had a choice, if what this guy would try to pull off in the future is any indication."
wildrook
Because at the time, the NasuLoops were over two weeks old...
Being the Anchor of his part of the branch tends to give Shirou a LOT of time and energy in certain situations. What it doesn't give him is consistency on what he's contracted to during the Grail.
Saber was the majority of his choices, but they weren't always Arturia. There were times he summoned Nero, Mordred, or Siegfried. Others were fellow members of the Round Table.
Archer was a class that he usually doesn't expect to summon. His Counter Guardian self was a major headache ALONE (and the feeling was mutual), but when summoning Gilgamesh, he bangs his head against the wall.
Lancer, on the other hand, was bad luck on its own. Yes, he summons the Hound of Ulster, but there were moments where he swears the Grail is toying with him. Once, he summoned Vlad Tepes. Considering it was after a Loop where he was involved in the Hellsing Organization, they both agreed to never use the Vampire Form. Then again, better him than Elizabeth Balthory.
Caster was one of the few classes that he clashed with. It was a change of pace for him to summon Medea, but he would have preferred being paranoid to being smothered by an unAwake Tamamo-no-Mae.
Berserker...there were memories where he ended up on the wrong end of that class. And due to Avalon in his system, he was mostly attributed to Lancelot instead of Heracles like his older sister Illya or Frankenstein's Monster...or Fran, as he called her.
Rider, however, ended up with awkward silences. Especially since Medusa was Awake half the time, but one of the other Riders he tends to summon are kind of...quirky. For example, he had no idea that Francis Drake was a woman.
Finally, the Assassin Class was varied on its own. Despite the Hive Servant that is known as Hassan-i-Sabbah or the Fake Assassin that Caster Summoned, he had to save his own skin when the Assassin was Jack the Ripper. She did NOT like him for some reason.
And then there was the extra Classes. Avenger...well, crazily enough, Angra Mainyu took his form half the time. However, part of him had to make sure he didn't cause the world to end. Again. Worse, there was the Beast Class, which, in one universe, was the Devil. How the Grail was meant to summon THAT thing was something that rubbed him the wrong way.
None of them were what he summoned this Loop...which was a woman that resembled Arturia...but more...French.
"I am known as the Ruler Class," the woman replied. "Now I ask of you...are you my Master?"
"Ruler...class?" Shirou asked her.
"I'm just as confused as you are," Lancer replied. "How do you keep getting the WEIRD summons?"
Ruler glared at Lancer, Shirou face-palming at this.
How in the name of the Great Oak did he summon Joan of Arc when there aren't any TEAMS in his Grail War?
wildrook
"I knew there was a reason why Emiya and I don't get along," Shiki muttered. "I just didn't think it would involve...well...THIS."
And by this, he was referring to the 27 people sitting at a lavish table as well as the dog that was eating specialized Dog Food.
Or rather...the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors and the True Ancestor NOT turning the Tohno Estate (and by extension, Misaki City) into a giant crater due to infighting, Primate Murder included.
Rin face-palmed. "I'm still trying to figure out how he's managed to get them to behave," she replied. "They haven't gathered willingly since they all decided to turn Kyubey into Primate Murder's squeaky toy."
Zelretch chuckled. "Good times," he said. "Besides, how else was I supposed to introduce the others to your friend's cooking?"
Shiki and Rin tried their best not to face fault when they heard the Kaleidoscope say that.
"Emiya, how in the name of all that is holy are you NOT a Sealing Designate at this point!?" Shiki yelled.
"And for that matter," Rin said, "why isn't that Church Executor barging in with the Seventh Scripture by now?"
"Oh, you mean Ciel?" Shirou asked them. "Well...I may have...bribed her with home-made curry just to not disrupt the feast."
NOW the two managed to face-fault. They really shouldn't be surprised by that, but if it was enough to stop Ciel from disrupting the meal...
"Gram...masara," Shiki muttered, borrowing Ciel's swear language.
Yeah...am I the only one thinking that Shirou's cooking skills alone would make him a Sealing Designate, or am I overestimating that?
Detective Ethan Redfield
Rin's eye twitched as she stood, once again, in the defense classroom. Across from her was a blonde haired woman surrounded by an air of elegance, regardless of the workout gear the two were wearing. Luvia Edelfelt pushed back her hair and asked, "As the more civilized magus, I give you the first strike."
No matter how hard she fought her or tried to avoid her, the woman kept showing up opposite her in the loops these days. Fifth Holy Grail War? Summoned Medea in place of whatever sap originally summoned her. Whenever the fourth war didn't end in fire and brimstone? Her rival Apprentice under Wizard Marshall Zelretch. Replacing Arcuied? A female dead apostle foe. Running away from her? Always in class and always driving her up the walls. Fighting her? Rin gets declared her eternal rival.
Rin held her hand forward with her hands firmly gripped in a punch. Silently, she reached down and called forth her usual prana she used, plus an outside ability to end this quickly. Many of her fellow loopers used chakra based techniques for their ease of use. Rin, however, focused more on obscure type weapons and abilities, as to catch other potentially dangerous loopers off guard. Her eyes closed as a green colored 'flame' appeared in her mind. She had once looped in as Gokudera Hayato from Reborn's universe, meaning she was more naturally in tune with the destructive storm flames, but deep down she didn't want to disintegrate her rival. Instead, lightning flames would have to do.
With a burst of prana, she blasted across the clearing as she slammed her fist at her opponent. Luvia's reaction time was, as expected, perfect, allowing her hand to fully intercept the strike. However, Rin's lightning flame further enhanced her already reinforced fist, causing her attack to break through Luvia's own reinforced hand. She felt the bones give way, but that was only the beginning. With Luvia's guard broken, the momentum of the attack transferred into the blonde's stomach area, which to her credit she instinctively reinforced immediately. However, she barely stayed on her feet, until a second punch slammed into her stomach, sending her flying backwards across the room and into the furthest wall.
When the smoke cleared, Luvia's hand hung limply, her body covered in bruises and a small trickle of blood leaked out of her mouth, but she still had the air of elegance, "Excellent, you might be mistaken for a gorilla, Miss Gorilla!"
Rin spat on the ground and said, "Go ahead and keep talking."
With a swipe of her good hand, Luvia wiped away the blood, then performed a prana burst attack of her own, slamming into Rin's guard in a similar manner to the Tohsaka's earlier attack. Rin hardly felt the attack, but she did feel Luvia's fingers break just a little. Rin slapped her foe's hands into the air, preventing Luvia's chance for a recovery by presenting a perfect opening. With a slam of both her hands, she once again slammed Luvia across the room. This time however, she performed another prana burst, this time not holding back as she appeared on the opposite side immediately before Luvia would hit the wall again. She chopped the exposed magus' neck as she passed, sending the woman into unconsciousness and ceasing her motion in one move.
Undoubtedly though, this would lead to Luvia secretly declaring Rin her rival and challenging the Tohsaka mage at every opportunity to regain her honor lost in this match. But still, it wouldn't be good to leave Luvia in such a state. She picked up the fallen Edelfelt and carted her to Shirou and Rin's flat.
Shirou sighed as Luvia complained over and over to the boy at how awful Rin is. Shirou couldn't help but sweatdrop at the strange friendship Rin developed with the non-looper. Anytime he mentioned it though, he was in for a beating, so he just gave up and bandaged her wounds.
Drakohahn
So I've had a small snip idea for awhile now but I could never figure out some good context for it. At this point, I'm just going to post it and not care about the context. If someone else wants to establish some afterwards, then I'm fine with that.
Once again, Shirou found himself inside that spicy dungeon known as Koushuuensaikan: Taizan. There was Kirei, chowing down on his mapo tofu like it's the nectar of the gods. Their eyes met.
"...Do you want some?"
Before the Anchor could reply, an unfamiliar voice answered, "That sounds good."
Shirou turned around to find a young man with short brown hair and violet eyes sitting down at a nearby table. "I'll take three mapo tofu, please!"
Saber's master's eyes bugged out at the order. He turned back to Kirei, who was waiting for an answer.
"No thanks," Shirou managed. The shock that anyone else could want to eat that taste of hell took out some of the usual force he normally refused with.
He saw three plates brought to the violet-eyed young man. The spoon dipped into the hot contents. Opening his mouth wide, the young man took a bite of the food. After swallowing, the young man frowned.
"Is this really the spiciest thing on the menu?"
Shirou's mouth dropped open as the teenager just shrugged before shoveling the food into his mouth.
So yeah, that's a thing. I'm not really sure if I got Shirou right, though. I have no idea how he's changed from his Unawake self.
Chronopie
But Alaya isn't sentient, as such.
The triforce is conscious. The town Elmore (?) is conscious and self aware. Alaya is the collective unconsciousness of mankind. It would also deploy the counter guardians with far more freedom if it somehow became aware of the loops, in order to pre-emptively head off the grail wars.
Shirou and co shall remain Anchors, we don't need to change that.
As for Gilgamesh's armoury of proto-phantasms, I thought Shirou could trace them freely, with the exception of Ea. With the usual traced degradation ofc, but otherwise freely. Ea is forged with out-of-world materials, and untraceable. Avalon is only traceable because he carries it within him, otherwise it would cause mindbreak too, being Faery made.
Sacred gears are divinely forged, and the more powerful ones contain the souls of mythical beings. The Longinus class ones are said to be God-Slaying. (Presumably local level gods only, not Admin-tier)
And as such, untraceable.
And now a snip.
[Prisma Illya]
The alarm clock went off. Shirou awoke, in both senses of the word. In bed.
That wasn't a new sensation, but it did mean this wasn't his baseline. It wasn't his futon.
He felt a ping, most likely sent out by the local anchor of wherever this was. He replied in the same fashion, and felt four other pings within moments of his own.
He opened his eyes, regarded a ceiling almost as familiar to him as his own, and let the loop memories trickle in.
Ah. The Kaleidostick branch. That meant that Illya would probably be awake, though his own anchor status reduced that from certain to merely likely.
His loop memories weren't much help though. Since this was his most familiar loop outside his own tripartite baseline, it blurred together with all his other runs, and nothing stuck out as a major variant. Yet.
He got started on breakfast, just a simple Miso soup.
Surprisingly, Illya was next down the stairs, beating out even Sella (Leysritt hardly ever woke up before noon.)
"Morning Shirou-nii."
"Morning Illya. I've started up breakfast, but we don't have any fruit loops."
Two more sets of footsteps came down the stairs.
Illya was obviously quicker on the uptake of loop memories than Shirou, because she was the first to call them out. "Archer-nii! Kuro! Shirou's making Miso!"
Shirou nodded to himself. It was one of those variants where their respective Archer counterparts were instead siblings. It was by no means the first time, and he and Archer hadn't had a serious deathmatch in over a thousand loops.
"Shirou."
"Archer."
Twang
Dodging a thrown knife wasn't a serious attempt on his life, it was saying hi.
wildrook
Looping into each other's branches, however, is a possibility.
"Shirou Onii-chan," Illya said, "why is it that in this world, I'm older than you?"
"Probably because you should be an adult in this place," Shirou replied, smiling that Illya was Awake. That was one less person trying to kill him in the Grail War. "Still, it's weird seeing Berserker being used for menial tasks that DOESN'T take everyone else out in the Grail War."
"Same reason why you usually negate the Grail War before it begins."
Arturia was still surprised at the fact that Illya keeps cards of the Classes involved in the Grail War...and mostly uses Archer's. "That reminds me," she said. "Illya, I've been meaning to ask why the Class Cards can be used with the Kaleidostick."
"You know how I'm still part Grail?" Arturia nodded. "That's a factor involved. Archer's card is a personal favorite due to being Shirou Nii-san. Besides, it's the only way I can beat you in a fair fight..."
Shirou shrugged. "That," he said, "and despite not being part of the family, I feel like I'm at home. I get to meet Dad's partners, too."
Arturia then sighed...but smiled. "I start to wish I was that close with my OWN row of Knights," she replied. "Besides, Taiga doesn't seem to mind."
"Only because your association with Dad is real and...she's Awake this time." Shirou cringed. "She took the whole 'Dad being a Magus Killer' thing with stride, considering that Raiga's familiar with Magic in general. It's the fact that she asked for training from you and Archer that puts me in dread."
"Shirou," a voice said, looking at him, "I know you can take care of yourself, but the rest of us tend to not be as lucky."
"Fuji-nee," Shirou replied, looking at the woman in black-striped yellow shirt, "you know that Magic is a closely guarded secret that can backfire in the long run, but even with training with the King of Knights and...well...me from another timeline...I'm pretty sure that some of them are not as nice as Rin or Luvia."
Taiga gave him a look. "I'm well-aware of how ruthless they can be," she replied. "They're just as guarded as the local yakuza, so it's the same basic principle. Besides, you guys aren't around in certain areas and I'm aware of the Malicious Looping Entities. I just need to make sure that I can defend myself so you wouldn't feel guilty. Even if you are older than me and experience this more often than you should, you still have a hero complex just like Kitsurugu-san and get in over your head in certain occasions."
"She's not lying about that," Arturia replied, Berserker and Illya nodding.
Shirou just blushed. "Don't remind me," he replied.
"My point is," Taiga replied, "I'm making sure you don't worry about me when we're not in the same Loop. That's why I'm taking sword lessons from...better swordsmen and swordswomen."
"Just make sure your practice weapon isn't Torashinai," Arturia replied. "I've fought many things in the past, but the sword still feels off...even when Shirou uses a copy version of it."
Shirou cringed. "Agreed," he said. "It's like you're...well...given Mad Enchantment, no offense, Berserker."
Heracles gave out a grunt that translated to "None taken." Even HE felt the sword was off.
Taiga got the idea. "Good thing we have extra bokkens," she said, a little flustered. "But you get my point."
"I do," Shirou replied. "And I'm slightly relieved. I've seen a lot of people that can make even Gilgamesh feel like an amateur, and HE'S not exactly a pushover."
Taiga could agree. She felt if Shirou wimped out against him, she'd tear her "younger sibling" a new one for submitting to the Golden Ego. "Either way," she said, "the battles are for later. Right now, we may have visitors."
"That explains the other Pings," Illya said. "Shirou, should you..."
"I know," Shirou replied. "Swordfighting isn't the only one I'm known for when you've got all the time in the world on my hands."
And with that, Shirou shifted from "war veteran" to "iron chef" when it came to guests. Especially when the Emiya Residence is the usual meeting spot for Loopers in Fuyuki City.
Still, Shirou's glad that his family, as a whole, can learn new tricks. One man isn't a foundation, and it took him several Loops to realize that.
wildrook
Actually, here's the more likely scenario involving a potential Beast of Gaia.
Shirou just looked at the Dead Apostle Ancestor and the being known as Primate Murder treating Gilgamesh like it was a piece of meat.
For once, the Golden Ego was, despite the screams of agony, unusually light on the mongrel insults due to the presence of the Number 1 Ranked DAA in literal dog form ripping it apart.
Then he looked at Altrouge Brunestud, who was just watching this with amusement.
And for once, Shirou was torn between rooting for the Beast of Gaia or feeling sorry for Gilgamesh.
'It sucks being a hero,' Shirou thought, reason winning out. "Altrouge-sama, can you call off Primate Murder?"
The Dead Apostle in question looked at Shirou like he was batsh*t insane. "And for what reason do you have to ask, unless you'd like to try your strength against him. The Beast of Gaia IS known as Primate Murder for a reason."
'Yeah, maybe in a few thousand years,' Shirou thought, 'but not in THIS lifetime.' "Actually, no, this one's more of a personal hatred. As much as I dislike him, the thought of being saved by a 'faker who has stolen his treasure' is something he'd consider the ultimate insult due to our personal history."
Altrouge thought about it, then gave out a smile Shirou would call 'Tohsaka's Extortion Clause.' She then motioned to Primate Murder and got the beast's attention. "You can play with your new toy later. It's almost dawn and we've already gone astray from our usual walk."
Shirou cringed...less from Gilgamesh's death glare and more from how Altrouge considered this unusual for their standards. 'And at this point, I'm glad she didn't have me swear on my circuits,' he thought. 'But really...unusual doesn't begin to describe this situation.'
As they left, Gilgamesh gave out a whine in pain. He couldn't do anything but glare at Shirou.
'Then again, I have to tell the others about this.'
And the responses were expected.
"I don't believe you," Archer said, mostly out of disappointment for missing the scenario.
"I CAN'T believe you," Saber replied, angry at the part where Shirou saved Gilgamesh from Primate Murder.
"I don't care," Rin stated, her face betraying it.
Shirou gave out a shrug. "Yeah, figured you'd say that," he said, pulling something out of the pocket in question. "Here's the picture in question."
All three of them looked...almost surprised at the level of clarity involved in that photo.
After silence...Saber was the first to fall down laughing, Archer tried to keep his composure before doing the same, and Rin...didn't know what to think.
"Is this how Integra and Seras feel when dealing with the Abridged version of Alucard?" she asked Shirou.
"Well...there wasn't a trail of dead bodies at least," he replied.
ThanosCradik
God Dammit, Gil
Working at a relaxed pace, the Hero level Blacksmith was busy crafting a new sword for a dear friend. Shaping the iron in his hands was as easy for him as was Tracing, but it left Shirou with more satisfaction. It felt as peaceful as Archery was back home.
The sword he was making was from a recipe from the legendary blade Durandal, a talking sword embedded in stone hidden within a cave high in the mountain range. This branch's Anchor, Yuelia, had directed him up there when he became skilled enough to learn its secrets of Blacksmithing.
'Wish I could Trace sapient blades,' he mused.
Soon the sword Joyeuse was complete and ready to be presented to Saber, who had decided to become a Paladin. 'It's no Excalibur, but I think she would appreciate it.'
Yuelia, having transformed into a butterfly, was perched on his head. She was completely awed by the superiorly crafted blade. "Wow! That's so amazing! I don't think I've ever seen ANYONE make swords like you have."
The Blacksmith Master, Vulcan came up to his workshop to examine the new sword, "Ha! Another fine piece of work, boy! Seeing you work so hard is making me want to work even harder! BAM! SMASH! BANG!" After he calmed down a few minutes later, he continued. "You know, I think you should go meet the Legend!"
"The Legend? Who is that?"
"Why, he is the only guy who has mastered all Lifes and became the Legendary Hero! Old King Stone, King Erik's father! At least, he was a Legend until he retired. I bet he could give you and your little lady friend the motivation to become legends yourselves!"
Shirou thought about it, 'He sounds just like a Heroic Spirit. It probably would be a good chance to learn from him.'
Yuelia confirmed it, "Old Gladstone was a good source of advice, once you get past his eccentricities. He could even give Saber a few things to help her become an even better Paladin!"
Nodding his head, he turned back to Vulcan and said, "Yeah, that does seem like a good idea. It sounds fun!"
"I was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong."
Shirou could just feel his brain fry at the sight before him. Poor Saber was a blushing, shocked, and horrified mess of embarrassment; trying to cover her eyes without looking at the 'Legendary Hero'. Yuelia just looked like she went through this before.
"So, you mongrels have come to bask in the glory of the King?"
For 'Gil-stone' Stone, Tenth King of Castele, Master of All Lifes, rose from his throne to greet them.
And he was wearing very small skivvies. There was no room for imagination.
Saber screamed. "WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING ANY CLOTHES!?"
"I'm a Legend in all walks of Life, I think I should be entitled to a few quirks."
"SAYING 'NIPAH' EVERY OTHER SENTENCE IS A QUIRK! YOU JUST LACK ANY COMMON SENSE!"
"Eh, who needs that?"
"PLEASE PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON!"
Yuelia only had one thought before stepping outside. 'At least he's good looking.'
ThanosCradik
Shirou had Woken up kind of early this Loop. Sakura was also Awake, seeing as Shinji had a complete attitude adjustment. A not as important note was that it seemed to be the year 2014.
He was a first year student this time around, which meant the War wouldn't happen for a while. If at all. This time around the Fuyuki Grail War had a decisive end, ending the existence of the corrupted Grail. To celebrate, Kiritsugu had an acquaintance go and rescue Ilya and her two maids from the Einzbern family (he honestly suspected it was Lupin) and they managed to have a happy life until the elder Emiya's death.
Taiga had done her best to help around this time around, and had recently given the three of them right-off-the-production-line smartphones (probably with Raiga Fujimura's help) earlier this month. He had just the faintest idea how to operate it, not being familiar with the model, but funny enough, Ilya had become an expert at using it and similar technology. He suspected it was only to get one up over an Unawake Rin, though.
As he headed to the school he saw Sakura walking to him, with a hint of worry on her face.
"Hey, Sakura. Is there something wrong?"
"Well, I found this strange app on my phone and I can't seem to find out anything about it. Did the same thing happen to your phone?"
A quick check revealed that there was indeed a new app on his smartphone, labeled 'DSP'. Messing with it he found that he couldn't open it or remove the strange app. "If it's on our phones, then it's probably on Ilya's as well. We'll have to check this out after school."
Parting to reach their respective schools, Shirou made it to the gate when he saw his sister over with Rin. A new thing to this Loop was that Ilya had decided to enroll at his school as a second year, her excuse for her height and childish looks was an advanced state of pygmyism from her mother's side of the family. He knew the real reason for her being here was to troll Rin.
Getting closer, he could hear Rin whisper with a hiss, "A proper magus shouldn't be fooling around with technology anyway, so any point you make now is rendered moot!"
"Oh Rin, that is such an old-fashioned way of thinking. If we can't get with the times then we might as well be progressing backwards. Is that what you want? Backwards magecraft?"
"Why you little-" Rin's retort was cut off as the school bell rang. "Aw dammit!" Not even bothering to keep up her School Idol image, she rushed to her homeroom.
"Is any of that really necessary?"
"Maybe not, but it's rather fun acting my proper age." He doubted that. "Anyway, after school we need to talk about something, alright?"
Nodding in response, he left for his own homeroom, barely making it without being late.
After school, the two step-siblings met Sakura on the way home, discussing the new app.
"I've been fiddling with it the whole time at school, but I can't make heads or tails of it." Ilya had deleting it, passwords, everything to her knowledge. Nothing worked.
Shirou asked her, "Do you have any idea what 'DPS' stands for?"
"Don't know, it could stand for 'Doggy Pooper Scooper' for all we know."
"That's gross."
Further down the street they noticed that a purple-tinted haze was rising from a few blocks in front of them,and the people rushing by, screaming to get out of there.
"Senpai, what's going on?"
A bestial roar was Sakura's answer, followed by a wave of green light washing over the three. They could see a figure stalking out of the haze, revealing itself to be a giant dog-like creature with two heads with trails of fire leaking out of one head mouth and a frosty mist pouring out the other.
"The hell!? Is that a monster?"
"Nevermind that, just get ready to fight it!"
But when they tried to activate their magic circuits, they found that they couldn't draw anything from them.
"Senpai, I think that light may have blocked our magecraft!"
Before any other thought could be spoken, their phone beat them to the punch.
BEAST_ORTHRUS_DETECTED/ UNLOCKING_DEMON_SUMMONING_PROGRAM
"What?" At least they found out what DPS stood for.
Shirou's phone unleashed a bright light as it continued, stopping the approaching demon in its tracks.
ACTIVATE/ SUMMONING_FAMED_KING_ARTORIA
At that the demon sprung towards them before a golden sword Shirou recognized blocked its attack and flung it back down the street. He saw a figure's back in front of him, clad in a rich crimson cape fit for royalty, and the figure's features as she turned towards him confirmed just who had jumped out of his phone.
"Saber, is that you?"
Chuckling, King Artoria Pendragon of the Famed demon race replied, "Why Shirou, do you happen to know of any other King of Knights, I wonder?"
"Er, I-I had only meant-"
"Yes Shirou. It is me, and I am fully Awake.
"Hey, will you two knock it off! That thing's coming back!"
As Ilya said, the Beast Orthrus was back on its feet, ready to tear apart the one in its way.
Nodding to his new summon, Shirou said, "Alright, let's go!"
PeAcefUL dAYs haVe DieD,
LeTs SurVivE…
ThanosCradik
As Artoria clashed with the Beast demon, Shirou noticed two more shapes emerge from the haze. One was a hunched human shaped figure, with a curved horn sticking out of its forehead. It was clad in a tattered blue cloak and carried a large iron club. The other a mass of flames in the shape of a man. Fearing that Shirou's summon would become overwhelmed, Sakura looked at her own phone as it spoke.
BRUTE ONI DETECTED/ SPIRIT INFERNO DETECTED/ SUMMONING FEMME MEDUSA
In a bright flash, the legendary gorgon appeared in front of the fire demon. Her skin was pale from the waist up, her body clad in an iron chest piece. On her head was a mixture of light pink hair and iron chains shaped like snakes, or they were actual iron snakes considering the way they moved. Her eyes were covered by a blindfold adorned by a rune. From the waist down was a long serpentine tail that was covered in flexible chain mail and armor on top.
"Do not worry, Master. This demon will not harm you." And with that she rushed at the burning mass, her body covered with protective magic.
Ilya's own phone activated and began to speak.
SUMMONING DEITY HERACLES
And like the others before him, a giant of a man with bronzed skin stood tall before the three kids. He was the very definition of strength. A mane of wild dark hair framed his face as he glared at the oni who sought to harm his little master.
Without a word the Greek hero dashed forward and struck the Japanese ogre with a hard tackle, driving it farther back.
The three teens watched as their new summons completely wreck the attacking demons. Shirou summed up what they were all feeling.
"Technology is awesome."
"What the hell is going on!?" Rin hissed from her hiding spot.
She had noticed the two Emiya siblings acting odd at school, and decided that she needed to investigate as the Second Owner of Fuyuki City. They could be plotting some convoluted scheme involving magecraft for all she knew. It was a legit reason to snoop- to investigate.
Trailing them she found that they had met up with her sister, who was good friends with them for some reason. After that, though, they just started talking about those cell phone things. Seriously, those two called themselves magi, yet they fiddle with those stupid little things. She couldn't figure out how they got Sakura roped into their little group.
Then some freaky magic fog leaked out from the' street and a Phantasmal Beast showed up! Then Emiya over there summoned a SERVANT from his PHONE! She was pretty sure that phones didn't work like that. To top it all of, the other two did the same thing and summoned another beast and another Servant!
She couldn't figure out what the hell just happened. Are they using mystic codes, or-
That had to be it. The Emiyas had gained a new magecraft, and then they taught it to Sakura. She then thought of how to get them to teach it to her. It was obvious that she would also be able to learn it if her sister could. As she was schem-plo-thinking, she saw that the beat down was over.
As Medusa finished shattering the Inferno-turned-stone statue, the three demon summoners could see that the strange haze had dissipated and was no longer a danger. Artoria had slain the Orthrus just seconds ago, and Heracles… had basically made the Oni his apprentice in the ways of Greek wrestling.
"I honestly don't know how that managed to happen." Ilya was confused, but she wasn't going to question it. But hey, she just got a new demon contract.
Sakura was focused on another matter. "How do we hide them? We can't just let them be seen."
"We can always say that we're just really good cosplayers." Medusa suggested. Artoria looked down at her armor and nodded, she herself wouldn't look out of place at one of those Renaissance fairs.
"Yeah, no. The 'DSP' app says here that it can dismiss you until we need you again. We'll call you back out later so we can figure this mess out," Shirou had been checking his phone for anything new when he found a manual for the app on the menu.
After dismissing the newly summoned demons (and new Oni) they prepared to leave when they heard someone behind them.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
Turning around, Shirou saw Rin with one of her scheming smiles on her face.
"Here I was just walking down the street when I saw you two calling up Phantasmal Beasts out in the middle of the street in broad daylight."
'She wouldn't,' Shirou tried to convince himself.
"As the Second Owner it is my duty to report you two, but I think I could be convinced to look the other way this one time."
'Oh balls. At least she isn't targeting Sakura.'
"So, care to try and convince me?"
Shirou and Ilya shared a glance with each other while Sakura looked in shock by this version of her sister. This one seemed much more devious than baseline Rin. The two step-siblings nodded, and proceeded with their plan.
"Trace on."
Grabbing Sakura and pulling her into a bridal carry, Shirou Traced a pair of rocket skates on his feet. A benefit of the Loops was that he had enough practice Tracing things other than blades, though other things were trickier for him to craft. Ilya turned him around before jumping on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold on.
The second he blasted off he started shouting behind him, "SORRY TOHSAKA I GOTTA GO OKAY BYEEE!"
Standing in shock, Rin took a few seconds before she shook her head and gave chase.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE EMIYA!"
As the teens ran down the street, they failed to notice a figure in orange robes hiding behind the corner.
Shirou had managed to reach the Emiya residence with Sakura and Ilya, but Rin had also managed to follow them the whole time. Before they could open the gate, all four teens noticed Taiga standing by it looking serious for a change.
"Shirou, there's some people inside who want to speak with you and the others."
Blinking, Shirou couldn't think of who was looking for him right off the bat. "Uh… who are they?"
"Hookers." Ah, she found out about his and Kiritsugu's prank, then. Also the Association was here. Balls.
"You come in too Tohsaka, seeing as you are already here."
"Oh, yes Fujimura-sensei."
Shirou frowned, if his sister-figure was being this serious, then something big had come up.
Once they had all gone inside, Taiga led them to the dining table, where there were three people seated. Two were familiar to Shirou, being Waver Velvet and Bazett, but the last person was definitely new. He was young, with silver hair and a serious expression. He wore a black trench coat with emblems on it, one of with read as 'JP's'.
Rin was the first to speak after overcoming her shock. "Lord El-Melloi, sir! What are you doing here?"
The addressed man turned to her, "We are here because something has come up in Fuyuki City. Before I begin, let me introduce you to my associate, here.'
The stranger stood up from the table and said, "I am Yamato Hotsuin, the leader of a government group named JP's."
In the church, a person wearing an orange robe was on the phone speaking. When he finished the Father of the church, Kotomine, entered the room and asked, "So how was your little test run? Was it a success?"
The figure nodded. "Yes, we were able to bring a few demons into our world, but they were soon defeated. A minor setback, but soon we will be able to bring Lord Belberith to the city in time for the next War. Your cooperation is much appreciated, Father Kotomine."
Kirei smirked, already preparing his plans in advance. "Of course, Kuzuryu-san. Of course.
lord Martiya
Gilgamesh was being humiliated. And Shirou had nearly forgotten to take out the camera due HOW he was being humiliated.
"SHOW UP, MONGREL!" Gilgamesh bellowed as he turned around. "STOP HIDING AND FIGHT ME!"
Herakles continued tiptoeing behing Gil, easily moving away from his sight and invisible to his other senses.
Caster, who had just shown up, summed up everyone's feelings: "What madman so sick I can't find a word to insult him decided to summon Herakles in the Assassin Class?"
Then Herakles decided he could play with Gil some more later and kicked him to the next city, and went to greet his old friend.
Imagine Nasuverse!Herakles hiding around as large as he is... Then think how tough and strong the guy is, how much tougher he becomes due God Hand, and that the guy is a better swordsman than Assassin and the inventor of Pankration, and you can start crying in terror.
