A/N Was reading the AoT/SnK manga then I stopped to watch the Fate/Stay Night, Unlimited Blade Works movie when I was hit by inspiration. I expect this fan-fic to last roughly 3-5 chapters or 30k to 50k words. That is taking in to consideration if I actually finish it. As a side note, I'm not sure the Emiya in this story is one of his possible outcomes from any of the 'Fate's'. I am using this setup for him because I want to. Do me a favor and help point out any inconsistencies I may have failed to notice.
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!
Remember to R&R
Chapter 1- Sword
...Before this tale begins, I offer you a question. "What is despair?" I'm sure that if you ask a hundred people that you would receive a hundred different answers. Most of which revolving around some concept of loss. Allow me to enlighten you...
Despair is crushing, overwhelming, absolute... it is not something that can be overcome easily. Most think that if you pray long enough or fight hard enough that you can best despair with sheer willpower alone. Those who believe that are fools. One does not simply 'pray away' despair, nor does one surpass it with adrenaline. The only way to overcome it is to be strong, so strong that it does not even stand a chance against you.
Life is not like a story... witnessing your allies get harmed does not allow you to draw upon hidden strength through anger, it simply makes you reckless. Praying to some higher power does not mean a miracle will occur. The more you struggle against despair, the more it will crush you beneath its influence. Having faith in others, praying to for a savior, hoping for a miracle... All foolish endeavors. These are simply the catalyst from which despair forms.
So I ask you again; "What is despair?" Despair is hope, faith, and other fine delusions.
(-)
It was late one evening in a rural village in central Europe. In this modern age, it was rare to encounter a village such as this. Had someone from a more urban area visited this village, they might mistakenly think that they had stepped back in time. Roughly a dozen houses were scattered about the village. The walls were built from cobble-stone with wooden roofs, and from the looks of it they were all built by hand. A single poorly maintained dirt road that lead from the center of town and winded its way across a nearby field was the only noticeable connection to the world outside the village.
On the opposite side of the village was another field that was topped by a small hill. The field played host to an almost innumerable amount of red and white roses, white being the more prominent color. With the sun setting on the horizon, it painted the sky a beautiful hue of pink and orange. A brisk evening breeze floated across the flower field and crept its way up the small hill where a lone figure stood tall. The breeze however, did not carry with it the sweet fragrance of the roses. Instead it carried a more sickly scent, the metallic aroma of blood. The roses were not red of their own volition, they had been forcibly dyed with blood, the source being the scattered bodies that now lay hidden beneath the cover of the flowers themselves. Each prone body had a large sword protruding from them. They each stood tall in the ground, acting as gravestones for their unfortunate victim. Approximately twenty-six bodies, man, woman, and child, all lay dead in the field.
The lone figure stood atop the hill with his back to them. In front of him -on the other side of the hill- lies another field. This one however was barren of life. Instead of numerous flowers, this field had weapons sprouting from the ground. Swords of all kind, katana, scimitar, claymore, rapier, saber, khopesh, broadsword, short-sword, if it was a sword it was there. This did not concern the man as they were there from his own actions, the man currently had his attention focused on the other individual who was kneeling before him. The standing figure wore black armor with a red shroud, his skin was tan and his hair was white as snow. Steel grey eyes gazed upon the the hooded man before him. Blood was flowing out of his mouth and his eyes became increasingly cloudy. Stuck in the mans chest was a slightly curved blade of Chinese origins. The white haired man pulled on the swords handle and ripped it free from the dead mans chest. As the sword disappeared into motes of light, the body fell over. Counter Guardian EMIYA did not care to remember what the poor sob's name was, as he was just another in a long line of many who have died at his hands. Another magus who was getting a little too close to the Root for Alaya's comfort.
Having completed his duties as a Counter Guardian, EMIYA was granted a few moments of true sentience before he disappeared. "Just another body on the pile..." he sighed disdainfully. EMIYA has long since cursed his fate, forever in service to Alaya. He wished for nothing more than freedom from his eternal hell, freedom that he very well knew would never come. He had one chance to end it all, and he failed. Summoned as the Servant Archer during the fifth Holy Grail War, he set about trying to kill his younger self. This only ended in failure and thus led to deeper despair.
'I would give anything to be freed of this torment, but I've nothing left to give.' he thought as he turned his gaze to the setting sun. There was once a time that he would be able to find joy from observing such a beautiful sight, but that was a long time ago.
"Anything huh?"
"Who's there?" EMIYA quickly spun around in search of whoever the voice belonged to. It was an unnatural distorted voice that sounded both young and old, male and female, kind and wicked, all at the same time. As he scanned his surroundings he saw nothing.
"You wish to know who I am?" the voice asked inquisitively.
"Where the hell are you hiding?" EMIYA demanded of the seemingly disembodied voice.
"Perhaps you should wait for me to answer one question before you ask another. It is quite rude you know." the voice replied back.
EMIYA took a deep breath and started over. Whoever this voice belonged to didn't seem to be hostile, just annoyingly smug. "Very well, would you mind telling me who you are?" he said with all the composure he could muster.
"Ah, that's much better. Politeness is such a rare commodity and it is quite a treat to encounter someone who is familiar with it."
EMIYA simply remained quiet, waiting for the voice to continue.
"As for who I am, that's quite a complicated question to answer. I have been referred to by many names over the course of time. Some call me God, others call me Devil, some think of me as a savior of life whilst others believe me to be Death itself. All of them are wrong. I am but an observer, one who watches over all of existence." the voice elaborated rather eloquently.
EMIYA was not amused by the voices rambling but payed attention nonetheless.
"Hmm, you're not going to interrupt me? Stop me and call me out on what I just said?" the voice asked curiously.
EMIYA merely remained impassive in his response. "Is there a reason for me to interrupt? Am I supposed to?"
"I suppose not, it's just that every time I converse with your kind they can't help but demand I clarify just who I am. Hahh, it truly has been quite some time since I spoke with someone as civilized as you. I find it to be rather enjoyable. In the beginning I would find amusement from the over the top reactions of your fellow man, but as the years went on I got bored with that. Forgive me if I seem to prattle on, it seems to be a habit of mine." the voice said apologetically.
EMIYA was internally withholding his agrrevation at the mysterious voice but he didn't let it show. He just wished the voice would get to the damn point.
"Still nothing to say? You really are different from all the others. I think I'm starting to like you. To answer your other question, 'where the hell are you hiding' as you put it, I am not hiding."
"What do you mean by that?" EMIYA finally spoke up.
"As you can no doubt tell I am a rather unique being. I have no physical form. Since the beginning of time itself I simply 'was.' My own existence is a bit of a paradox. I am everywhere and nowhere, forever walking up and down the corridor you mortals call the 'passage of time.'"
"So essentially you are able to perceive us although we are unable to perceive you?" EMIYA asked so as to clarify.
"There is a bit more to it than that, but I suppose that's what it all boils down to. The only people who are aware of me are the ones I choose to be aware of me."
"I'd wager that you didn't reveal yourself to me just to talk." EMIYA then narrowed his eyes in the direction of the voice. "You want something from me."
"Picked up on that didn't you? Yes, I just happened to be watching your fight earlier and when I listened in on your thoughts I heard you say that you would give anything to be freed of your torment. Does that offer still stand?"
"What's it to you?" EMIIYA asked with a touch of hostility in his voice. Last time he agreed to to something like this was how he ended up in his current situation.
"No need to get hostile. I'm quite sure that you'll like what I have to offer."
EMIYA was cautious of the mysterious voice, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to at least here him out.
"I am offering you an out, a way for you to be freed from your eternal suffering. All you have to do is agree to my offer."
EMIYA was a bit apprehensive at the thought, but if this was truly a way for him to escape from his servitude to Alaya he couldn't pass it up. "I'm sure that there is more to this offer of yours. You aren't going to free me just out of the kindness of your heart."
"Perceptive aren't you? Yes, there are a few details about this offer you should know about. In order to free you I am going to send you to a different world. It is a similar concept to what you refer to as the true magic Kaleidoscope. This world in particular I have taken a keen interest in. It is a very cruel but beautiful world that is on the brink of destruction. Although I am but a humble observer I do not wish to see the light of this world snuffed out. If you agree to my offer then I will transport you to this world where you will spend the rest of your life, outside of Alaya's reach."
"So basically you are sending me out on another quest to slaughter all those who threaten humanity. How is that different from my current situation?" EMIYA growled out in disgust. This... observer, was no different from Alaya.
"The difference is that the enemies you will be facing are not human's. They are giant humanoid creatures referred to as Titans. They are merciless bloodthirsty monsters that want nothing more than to feast upon the flesh of man. The other difference is that with my offer, if you die you stay dead. You will still possess all your powers as a magus, but you will now be rendered vulnerable to death be it from age, illness, or injury. So, do we have a deal?" As he finished talking a collection of motes of light began to form around the voices position. They combined together until they formed the figure of a human. Emiya instantly recognized the bright figure as being a silhouette of himself. The figure of light then held out its hand.
EMIYA took a moment to think over the observers offer. If he was telling the truth then this was the escape that EMIYA had long since desired. After what seemed like an eternity the Counter Guardian raised his hand and grasped the hand of the observer. A thin smile formed on the observers face as they shook hands.
"Excellent choice, I'm sure this is a decision you won't come to regret." at his words EMIYA's body began to glow and become transparent. "One last tip, aim for the nape of the neck, the won't stay dead otherwise."
And with that, as the sun set on the horizon turning the world to darkness, Counter Guardian EMIYA disappeared from the world entirely. The only one left atop the hill was the observer. "Good luck kid, I'll be watching, eagerly waiting to see if you can overcome your new despair."
(-)
"Fire!" Captain Woermann ordered. Following his command, the soldiers who were operating the cannons fired directly at Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. As they did Eren quickly bit down on his hand, but just as he did he was blinded by a flash of light in front of him.
"RHO AIAS!" Eren heard someone call out just before the cannonballs exploded from the impact. However they didn't collide with Eren's half formed Titan skeleton, rather... something stopped them before they reached it. Whatever it was no one yet knew as there was too much smoke and dust obscuring their vision.
"Tch, me and my damn E-rank Luck. Of course the first thing that happens when I arrive is that I get shot at."
Eren heard an unfamiliar voice coming from somewhere in the dust cloud, but he had no idea who it could be as the only people who were near him were Mikasa and Armin.
"*cough* All this smoke is getting annoying."
"Trace On"
What followed was a sudden and powerful gust of wind that blew away all of the smoke. Everyone present had to cover their eyes from the sheer force of the wind. When the smoke finally cleared everyone was surprised by 2 things. One, the rather large Titan skeleton centered on Eren and company, and two, the presence of a new arrival who seemed to appear out of thin air. Aside from his sudden arrival, his attire was quite unusual. He wore black metal armor that was covered in a red shroud. In his hands were a pair of ornate matching curved swords.
Woermann was the first to regain his composure... to a degree. "Who the hell are you?!"
(-)
EMIYA was not off to the best of starts. The first thing he sees when he materializes is several cannonballs flying straight towards him. He managed to project Rho Aias for defense but now the smoke was starting to bother him. "*cough* All this smoke is getting annoying." He casually waved his hand to dissipate the shield before uttering the most common pair of words he ever speaks.
"Trace On"
Light began to gather in his hands and after a moment a pair of swords appeared in his grasp. They were his go to weapons of choice, a pair of falchion styled Chinese blades called Kanshou and Bakuya. EMIYA quickly swung the blades to his sides, whipping up the wind with his strength alone, causing the smoke to clear.
As the smoke cleared he began to take in his surroundings. He was in some sort of courtyard surrounded by four stone walls. EMIYA quickly took note of all the armed soldiers that were dotted about the area, all seemingly focused on him. There were a handful up on top of the walls operating the mounted artillery while the majority were standing across the courtyard with blades drawn. They all wore the same uniform, a brown jacket with white pants and they had some sort of contraptions strapped to their waists. A patch with an emblem of roses on a shield was on each of their uniforms. All it took was a glance for EMIYA to grasp the structural concept of their swords and add them to the Blade Works. They were segmented break-away blades that were designed to flex and bend so as to make them less likely to break.
"Who the hell are you?!" In the center of them was the man EMIYA presumed to be the one in charge. He was the only one without his weapons drawn, indicative of someone who would not be participating in combat, and as such likely meant that he was the one to give orders. However his own demeanor was that of a frightened grunt straight out of boot camp. It was only subtle but given EMIYA's trained eyes, he was able to notice all of the man's nervous tics. Dilated pupils, slight shaking in the hands, and the faint bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. EMIYA could only sigh in response to the man.
"Lay down your weapons and identify yourself or we will open fire on you!" At his declaration the soldiers up on the walls began reloading the cannons.
EMIYA decided that it would be in his best interest to not make an enemy out of this worlds military. He was about to toss his weapons on the ground -he figured he should keep his magic hidden for the time being- when he heard the shuffling of footsteps coming from behind him. He spun around quickly, thinking that maybe a soldier was trying to sneak up on him, but was greeted by a surprising sight. It was a giant half formed skeleton of some sort with bits of flesh attached to it. EMIYA gazed up at its massive frame. 'How long has that been there?' he thought to himself. His gaze then traveled down as he saw three people taking shelter in the rib-cage of the skeleton. From their appearance EMIYA estimated that they were roughly in their mid-teens. They had the same look of confusion plastered on their faces as everyone else.
"Did you not hear me the first time?! Throw down your weapons and identify yourself or we will simply continue with the execution with you as an added target!" The timid captain ordered again, this time with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Execution?" EMIYA asked, having finally gotten some much needed exposition. It seemed that the observer had dropped him right in the middle of a Root damned firing squad.
He gazed back at the three teens taking cover in the giant skeleton. Aside from one of them, they wore they same military outfit as the rest of the soldiers that surrounded them, save for the emblem being crossed swords instead of roses. "Why the hell are you bothering to execute a bunch of brats?" EMIYA asked, his voice filled with contempt. EMIYA was not a very big fan of the killing of kids and from what the observer told him, humanity was at war with giant mindless Titan's, not their fellow man. So why were they trying to kill their own kind?
"I have no reason to answer you! This is your last warning! Now drop your weapons and identify yourself or we will kill you!" The captain shouted as he raised up his arm.
EMIYA merely let a smirk creep across his face. "Do you really think you can?" he asked, his voice filled with arrogance. EMIYA could easily think of five different ways on how to deal with cannonballs being shot at him just off the top of his head.
"What did you say?!" The captain bellowed in response, sweat rapidly forming on his brow.
"Do you? Really think? You can?" EMIYA asked again this time more slowly as he put extra emphasis on his words.
"Grr, enough of this nonsense! Fi-" The man was about to lower his arm to signal for his men to shoot but was cut-off. It took a few seconds for everyone to figure out why he stopped. As the soldiers turned their eyes to their captain, they were greeted by a surprise. The mysterious man who had shown up out of nowhere, was currently holding his blades to the captains neck. No one present had seen him move. "Captain Woermann!" several present shouted in concern.
"If you want your captain in one piece I suggest you lower your weapons." EMIYA said to the soldiers who were slowly surrounding him. They all backed off and returned their blades to their sheathes. EMIYA then turned his attention to the man in front of him. "What's the matter Woermann? You're shaking like a leaf."
Woermann couldn't even muster a response. He was afraid for his life. This unknown stranger was currently holding him hostage, swords pressed so close to his throat that every time he took a breath he could feel their sharp edge graze against his skin. "Now I'll ask again... For what reason are you killing a bunch of brats?" his voice full of contempt.
"T-The dark haired boy is Titan. He's a t-traitor to humanity." Woermann managed to stutter out.
EMIYA gave a quick glance back at the would be executionees. In the center of the three stood a dark haired boy who looked like an ordinary teenager, nothing Titan-like about him. But then again EMIYA had yet to see one of these Titans for himself so he had no way of knowing for sure. Then again the large skeleton was rather suspicious. EMIYA was quickly plotting his next move when his train of thought was interrupted by the teens.
"He's no traitor! He may be able to turn into a Titan but he was fighting the other Titan's, not us!" the girl among them shouted.
"Yeah, just because he can turn into a monster that doesn't mean he is one! He's fighting for our side!" the blonde haired boy called out as well.
'Hmm, their response looks to be honest enough. And this 'Woermann' character seems to be the type to overreact out of fear, so maybe they are telling the truth. If that's the case then they have no reason to be executed.' EMIYA thought to himself.
"I'm not quite sure why, and even though I've never met them before, I trust their word more than yours." EMIYA stated calmly as he stared directly into Woermann's eyes.
"S-Siding with t-them will do you no good. All that you w-will accomplish is making an enemy out of all of humanity. Just like them." Woermann tried to threaten EMIYA but his nervous attitude made it completely ineffective.
"You know I would be a lot more intimidated if you could say that whilst maintaining your composure."
"You'll have to forgive my subordinate for that..."
EMIYA quickly turned his attention to the owner of the new voice. Standing roughly twenty feet behind Woermann, emerging from the building interior was an elderly man. He was bald, his face was covered in wrinkles, and he had a thin mustache above his lips. He wore the same uniform as the rest of the soldiers but he exuded the aura of a true commander. Clearly this man was Woermann's superior.
"He has always been as timid as a kitten and although he lacks the ability to fight on the front lines he still has what it takes to be a leader." The newcomer calmly explained as he approached EMIYA.
"And who might you be?"
"You know it's rude to ask a stranger their name without giving yours first." the older man countered.
"It seems that you are much more reasonable person than this fellow." EMIYA stated as he glanced at Woermann. "If you would be willing to call off your men then I'd happily comply." On the outside EMIYA was acting compliant but on the inside he was plotting his next moves should things go south.
"Very well then" the man replied as he raised his hand. "Everyone stand down immediately." At his orders all of the soldiers eased up and turned the cannons away. "Now if you wouldn't mind..." The man continued, gesturing towards Woermann in an unspoken request for his release.
"Sorry, but until I'm sure you guys aren't going to turn around and try to kill me I'm going to hold on to my little shield here. But I do suppose that you have at the very least earned something befitting of my trust."
"Then perhaps we could start with a name, what is yours?"
EMIYA quickly racked his brain. Over the years he has been called many things. Some more than others and even a few he had long forgotten. Shirou Emiya, Archer, faker, Servant, hero, villain, traitor, monster, fake janitor, Counter Guardian, the list goes on. After much deliberation he finally settled on one. "Emiya... my name is Emiya."
"Just Emiya? No last name?" The aged commander asked with a puzzled look on his face. Not only was it an unusual name, but to not have a last name either? The man's curiosity was peaked.
"I have been called by many names over the years. Emiya however, is the one you may refer to me as." Emiya did his best to remain somewhat mysterious so as to make himself seem imposing. This way even if he was to cooperate with these military types he would still garner caution from them. "Now then, do you plan on telling me what your name is?"
"Hmph, very well. My name is Dot Pyxis and I am the commander of the Garrison Regiment. Now let us move on to another question. How did you get here? This entire building should be off limits to civilians." Pyxis politely asked as he began to approach Emiya.
"I can't go into the exact details, but for now, let's just say that I was sent here by someone." Emiya replied cryptically.
"And just who exactly would that person be?" Pyxis questioned as he maintained his lax attitude.
"Actually I'm not quite sure myself. He didn't exactly give me a clear name, he just referred to himself as an 'observer.'" Emiya began to apply more pressure to his hostages neck so as to warn Pyxis to back off, which also elicited a quiet 'eep' from Woermann.
"Given your demeanor am I to assume you are an assassin of some sort?" Pyxis was now getting progressively more worried for his subordinates life. Whoever this Emiya fellow was, he wasn't the trusting type and that meant his actions were unpredictable.
Emiya gave a slight chuckle at Pyxis' hypothesis. "I suppose there have been times that I was called that, but that's not exactly a good representation of who I am." Emiya had to choose his next words carefully. If he was going to gain the trust of this Pyxis fellow he needed to seem sympathetic to his cause. A cause he was already familiar with thanks to the observer. "I am but a sword, a blade to be wielded against the enemy in the name of justice."
Pyxis narrowed his eyes as he let Emiya's words sink in. He could tell just from a glance that Emiya was a strong individual, unruly but strong. "And who might that enemy be?"
"Whoever it is that threaten's humanity's existence." Emiya stated coldly.
Pyxis could see the conviction in the man's eyes. As a veteran soldier who has seen much conflict, Pyxis instantly recognized the look Emiya gave him. He was a warrior, one who had seen countless battles. He was a man who had strength that well surpassed his own. In that moment Pyxis decided to make a gamble. "Humanity is at war, and we could certainly use someone like you on our side. How would you like to join us in the fight against the Titan's?" He asked as he held his hand out to Emiya.
Emiya gave a smirk at that. "Hmph" he grunted as he lowered his swords from Woermann's neck, causing the man to dash off as soon as he did. "All that fool wanted to do was shoot me. It's nice to know that someone among you is open to negotiation." Emiya stabbed his swords into the ground before reaching to shake hands with Pyxis.
"It's always nice when we can resolve conflict peacefully."
"Sure, but what are you going to do about them?" Emiya asked as he jabbed his thumb behind him, pointing at the three teens.
"Hmm, what to do indeed..." Pyxis pondered how exactly he should handle such a delicate situation. He glanced to his side and noticed Emiya giving him a fierce glare. "Oh don't worry, I won't be killing them. No, I have a better idea." Pyxis began making his way over to the teens when he stopped and turned back to Emiya. "You coming?"
Emiya simply crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "As long as you aren't going to harm them then it is none of my concern. The only thing I wish to concern myself with is disposing of the enemy. Just point me in their direction and I'll do the rest."
"Point you in their direction?" Pyxis asked confusedly. "Did you come here unaware of the fact that the town is currently under attack?"
Emiya's eyes widened at that. "What?! Do you mean to say that the enemy is right outside these walls?!" Emiya asked, his voice a mixture of concern and irritation.
"We may be towards the rear of the battlefield, but yes, the enemy is currently at our doorstep. If you'd just wait for me to finish up here we will get you properly equipped and then send you someplace where you can be of use-" Pyxis barely managed to finish his sentence when Emiya took off.
Emiya cursed himself under his breath for not noticing sooner. He quickly reinforced his body and began to jump and climb his way up the nearby wall. His impressive feat was noted by all those present. The wall was easily fifteen meters tall and Emiya managed to make it halfway up with a single leap.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Pyxis called out to Emiya who was already on top of the wall.
"My job" he simply replied before leaping to another nearby building, out of sight from those in the courtyard.
"Damn" Pyxis cursed lightly.
"Should we go after him sir?" one of the female soldiers asked. The soldier had cheek length, light blonde almost white hair, and was wearing glasses.
Pyxis scratched the back of his head as he tried to devise a plan. "Rico, see if you can catch up to that Emiya fellow and keep an eye on him."
Rico gave a quick salute before engaging her ODM gear and chased after Emiya.
"Now if you're interested, I have a plan that will allow for you to avoid military execution. As long as you are still willing to fight for humanity that is." Pyxis stated as he turned his attention to Eren and company.
(-)
After reaching the rooftops, Emiya decided that it would be best for him to reach a high vantage point so that he could determine just how serious the situation was. He noticed in the distance that the city was surrounded by walls that towered over all other buildings. Figuring that that would be a good start he made his way to the nearest wall. As he leaped from rooftop to rooftop he eventually happened upon a fifteen meter tall Titan. He skidded to a halt at the edge of the current rooftop he was on as he saw the large creature slowly stand up to greet him.
Emiya gave the Titan a quick look-over. It's arms and head were both disproportionate in size, it's body looked emaciated, and it's eyes were dark and cloudy. However what caught Emiya's attention was the dead human body hanging out of the Titan's mouth.
"Tch, despicable creature." Emiya already had Kanshou and Bakuya traced in his hands, ready to dispatch the disgusting beast. The Titan brought it's hand up before swinging it down in an attempt to flatten Emiya. Right before impact Emiya sidestepped the attack and then hopped on to the Titan's arm. He then proceeded to run up the arm as he made his way to the shoulder. The Titan brought it's other arm up in an attempt to smack Emiya off of him, but Emiya simply swung his swords and lopped off all of the Titan's fingers causing steaming hot blood to spray everywhere. Emiya just shrugged off the heat as he had felt blazing fires of far greater temperature in the past. As Emiya reached the shoulder he stabbed Kanshou and Bakuya into the Titan's neck before dragging them across its nape.
Having finished his cut, Emiya kicked off of the Titan's head in order to jump to another roof. Moments later the Titan fell over dead and began to dissolve. "Well that wasn't so tough." Emiya said as he gripped his swords. Something felt off about them. 'What is this? They feel stronger than usual.'
"Ah, your perception never ceases to astound me."
Emiya's ears perked up at the familiar voice. "I take it you know why that is." he responded dryly, not even bothering to search for the voices origin.
"Why yes, you see, in this world the weapons you trace never existed in the first place. As a result their existence cannot be rejected for being copies. Those are actually perfect replicas of Kanshou and Bakuya. This means all of the weapons you project will retain their original strength and they will only disappear if you so desire them to. Are you not pleased with this?"
Emiya gave a wry smile. "Well I'm certainly not complaining."
"As I expected, now you better hurry. Every second you waste talking is another second the Titan's use to kill more human's."
Emiya did not respond this time, he simply dashed off into the distance.
After about a minuet of running and jumping he finally arrived at the top of the wall. Emiya gazed out over the city from his vantage point. Normal human's would have been unable to see the exact details of the unfolding chaos, but Emiya's Clairvoyance ability allowed him to accurately view each and every Titan within a four kilometer radius. It was an ability that would allow him to make the most of his bow.
"I suppose now would be as good a time as any." Emiya held out his left hand to his side.
"I am the bone of my sword."
In his hand appeared a large steel bow that was black in color.
Rico had finally managed to catch up to him and she was rather livid. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! How did you get up here so fast without ODM gear?! And is that a bow?! Do you plan on shooting the Titan's with measly arrows?!"
Emiya simply ignored her ramblings as he continued his chant. He took note of every Titan that was in his line of sight. He counted twenty-seven in total scattered about the city.
"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."
"Are you ignoring m-" Rico instantly stopped her questioning when she noticed the large sword that suddenly appeared in Emiya's right hand. "Where did that sword come from?" She asked nervously.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
Suddenly the sword warped and twisted until it formed into the shape of an arrow which Emiya then notched in his bow. Rico was beginning to think she lost her mind at the sight.
"Unknown to death, nor known to life."
At his utterance dozens upon dozens of swords began to appear out of thin air. All of them just suspended in place above Emiya. Each one of them was a broken phantasm. Nothing overly destructive, but they would have a large enough blast to blow apart the neck of any Titan that they hit.
"Trace bullet, fire."
And with that he let fly his arrow, followed by the numerous blades that hung in the air.
Cold steel rained down upon the Trost district on that fateful day.
(-)
Throughout the city the Garrison Regiment was making a desperate stand against the attacking Titan's. They were putting up a good fight, but it was still one that they were losing. So long as the breach remained in Wall Rose then the Titan's would continue to flood into the city.
Just when all hope seemed lost, Titan's began to drop dead all over the city. Their heads and necks just suddenly exploded in a bright flash of light, killing them instantly. No one knew who or how it was done. All that could be said for certain was that all of the Titan's died at roughly the same time and that odd looking swords impaled them just before the explosion. In an instant, every single Titan in the Trost district was killed by an unknown third party.
(-)
"I think that's the last of them." Emiya stated plainly, a slight smirk plastered on his face. He felt content with his work, finally being able to play the part of a hero again.
"What... what the hell was that?"
Emiya turned his head to see the bespectacled blonde girl standing beside him, eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Hmm?"
"That!" Rico yelled, pointing at Emiya's bow. "And all those floating swords?! What the hell did you do?!" she quickly reached for her blades in an attempt to threaten him in to talking.
However the threat was not necessary as Emiya easily complied. "All I did was rid the area of those Titan's." he answered nonchalantly, as if what he did was no big deal.
"Wha- you mean all those explosions..." Rico trailed off.
Emiya, picking up on what she was implying. "Yes, those were the swords I fired. Each one hit and killed a Titan and from what I can see the area is clear for now."
"How can you be so sure?" Rico asked as she narrowed her eyes. Part of her was cautious of Emiya but at the same time she was curious.
"I'm sure, because I can see clearly for up to four kilometers. Unless there is a Titan hiding somewhere, I can assure you I got them all."
"But how did you do... that?"
Emiya let a mischievous grin across his face. He simply raised a finger to his mouth and softly replied. "That is a secret." Emiya wasn't to keen on having to explain how magic worked, especially if it wasn't present in this world. The locals might be a little apprehensive of it and he would prefer to explain it as few times as possible, so he didn't want to waste his breath giving a long explanation to a single person.
Obviously Rico was not amused by his antics as she drew her blades on him. "Answers, now." her voice was deadly serious.
Emiya simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "Would you believe me if I told you it was magic?"
"No." Rico deadpanned instantly.
"Then I suppose this conversation is over." Emiya turned to survey the town again and noticed in the distance that there was a hole in the wall in which more Titan's were coming through. "Shit, do you guys have a plan to deal with that breach over there." Emiya asked as he pointed to the massive hole.
Rico, realizing that she wouldn't get anywhere with him, and that closing the hole was a priority, decided to put her questioning on hold till later. "We have a giant boulder that we can use to block it, but no way to move it to the breach. Although I believe I know how Pyxis plans to deal with it now."
"Well if that's the case, then I shall defend the entrance until the boulder arrives." and with that Emiya began his dash along the wall.
Leaving nothing but dust behind him, Rico remained frozen in shock at how fast Emiya could move on foot. After managing to regain her composure she decided that it would be best if she returned to Pyxis to report what she just witnessed.
(-)
Emiya soon arrived at the point in the wall just above the hole. Tracing his bow again, he repeated the earlier process of raining death down upon the Titan's. He then proceeded to jump down to the streets below, whereupon he stood in the center road with Kanshou and Bakuya in hand. He was eagerly waiting for the next Titan to step through the breach. It didn't take long for the next Titan to arrive. It was rather short compared to the rest, only about 5 meters tall. It had an enormous head and stubby arms. Emiya had to stifle a chuckle at how ridiculous these creatures looked despite how dangerous they were. Emiya quickly kicked off the ground towards a nearby house. He landed on the wall where he kicked off again, this time flying right behind the Titan, allowing him to easily slice at the nape. The Titan fell with a thud and began its rapid decomposition.
"These 'Titan's' are quite weird." Emiya stated aloud. He was curious as to what exactly caused their bodies to react in such a way. He then turned quickly to the sound of stomping feet. this time a slightly larger Titan had made it's way through the hole. Emiya then remembered what the observer had said. 'Aim for the nape of the neck, the won't stay dead otherwise'. So Emiya decide to do a little experiment to see what he meant. He quickly dash underneath the new Titan and sliced off its legs. Emiya then jumped to the roof of a nearby house to observe the creature. After the initial splatter of scalding blood, soon steam and smoke began to pour out of the Titan's stumps, followed by a new pair of legs.
'So that's what he meant, they regenerate.' Emiya thought it would be worth it to have a body for study, and it would have to be alive seeing as how fast they decompose. He then traced several dozen large blades in the air and impaled them in the Titan's arms and legs, completely immobilizing it. Having a captured Titan would certainly get him on the military's good side as he assumed no one had been able to capture one alive before.
A familiar stomping caught Emiya's attention again. This time three more Titan's of various sizes and appearance came flooding into the city. However one of them seemed a bit... different from the rest. It's movement's were quick and erratic, almost like it was unsure of what it was doing. Emiya thought it was rather abnormal compared to the majority of the Titan's he faced so far. Emiya quickly lunged forward, intent on cutting off the creatures legs. But just before he struck, the Titan jumped up to avoid him. Emiya was momentarily caught off guard as he then looked up to see the Titan, its face no aimed downward in an attempt to bite at Emiya as it fell. However Emiya was fast, he quickly rolled out of the way and as the Titan crashed into the ground he threw Kanshou and Bakuya at the back of the Titan's neck. The blades -because of their attraction to one another, not that unlike magnets- spun around each other like a whirring helicopter blade and sliced through the Titan's nape.
Emiya was then quick to dodge the grasp of another Titan that came from his right. Emiya quickly traced his signature blades again and stabbed them into the Titan's hand. The Titan recoiled in pain and threw its hand up, with Emiya holding on via his swords. As the hand reached the apex of its ascent, Emiya released his grip as he was flung high into the air. He then noticed that he had an audience. Roughly a dozen soldiers were watching from nearby rooftops and their numbers were steadily increasing. Emiya paid them no mind as he traced his bow again.
"I am the bone of my sword."
Emiya reached into the air and grabbed at the newly traced arrow. It was black with edges that curved inward and outward along its length. All in all it hardly looked aerodynamic. Emiya then notched it in his bow.
"Hrunting!"
As he released the bow-string the arrow flew forward at an unbelievable speed. It pierced straight through the Titan's neck, killing it, but what surprised all of the onlookers was that it then made a bee-line for the other Titan's neck, killing it as well.
As Emiya landed he was awarded with scattered cheers and gasps. Obviously no one knew quite how to react to him. He let slip a smile but was interrupted by an even louder THUMP of footsteps than he had heard before. He turned back to the hole to see a large Titan with short white hair and a muscular body covered in what looked like some kind of chitinous armor.
"It's the Armored Titan! Everybody run!" one of the weaker-willed soldiers screamed and then he and several others made to leave but stopped when they saw what was behind them. A large muscular Titan with shoulder-length dark brown hair. Emiya took notice of this as well, but there was something strange about it. The Titan was carrying an enormous boulder on its shoulders.
Emiya was about to take aim at it, but then he noticed the soldiers that seemed to be escorting it. It didn't take too long for Emiya to figure out what was going on. Large boulder, kid who could supposedly turn into a Titan, Pyxis' plan, Emiya put the pieces together and realized that the Titan was actually the kid from earlier and that he was going to use the boulder to seal the hole. All that was standing in his way was the Armored Titan.
Emiya turned his attention back to the Armored Titan. Judging from the reactions of those around him, this armored menace was quite infamous. This made Emiya all the more eager to test just how strong it was. He quickly materialized a couple dozen swords in the air, which he then proceeded to fire at the Titan. The Titan itself seemed to give a slight reaction of shock before swatting aside the incoming blades. A few managed to make it past the Titan's swing but they just shattered on impact with the Titan's armor. "Huh, I guess I'll need something stronger than just normal blades." Emiya began to formulate a plan. He reached out his right hand and traced another copy of the previous arrow he fired. As he did he attempted to circle behind the Titan so he could get a shot at his nape.
"Hrunting!"
The arrow flew forward, aimed directly at the Titan's weak-point. But the Titan quickly covered its nape with one hand. Hrunting simply ricocheted off the hard surface. "Hmm, you seem to be smarter than the rest." Emiya began to play at the idea that this Titan was fully sentient. The Titan then lunged forward and swung its fist down at Emiya.
"Rho Aias!"
At his command, a large translucent, flower shaped shield appeared before Emiya. The Armored Titan's fist collided with the shield and, much to every ones surprise -save for Emiya- the shield held.
As the Titan attempted to recover from the shock of its strike being blocked, Emiya was already preparing his counter attack. He held out his right hand, meanwhile the Titan began to apply more pressure to Rho Aias.
"I am the bone of my sword."
As he spoke, a menacing looking spear appeared in his hand. It was red like blood, had a serrated blade, and gave off an aura of bloodlust. Emiya dispersed Rho Aias, causing the armored Titan to stumble forward under the weight of his own punches pressure. As he did Emiya jumped up to be chest height with the Titan.
"Pierce the enemy's heart, Gae Bolg!"
And the spear did just that. As Emiya thrusted it forward, it blew a hole straight through the Titan's chest, completely shattering its armor and piercing its heart. This elicited many gasps from the onlooking Garrison Regiment.
However despite his best efforts the Titan still stood firm. Emiya did pierce its heart, but it was a small hole in a huge heart. Deciding it would be best to retreat, the Armored Titan turned and ran.
"You think I will just allow you to get away?" Emiya said with a sneer. He was beginning to enjoy toying around with these monsters, and he hadn't even used the better half of his arsenal yet. "Let's see how you fare against this." Emiya reached out his hands again.
"Trace on."
In his left hand appeared a bow, in his right an arrow. This arrow was different from the previous one. It was shaped like an elongated drill, the length of the arrow twisted like a spiral. He notched it in his bow and took aim.
"Caladbolg."
He released the bowstring, and the arrow flew. The Armored Titan had just made it beyond the hole when the arrow went straight for its neck. But just at the last second it twisted its body to the side to avoid death, however the arrow pierced straight through its right shoulder. As a result its arm was blown clean off leaving nothing but a stump.
However the arrow continued to fly forward through the air. It kept going and going, into the distance, before detonating on the horizon. A large explosion the likes of which no one had ever seen before. It was shock-wave sent a strong gust of wind ripping across the fields, uprooting some smaller trees. Then came the sound, BOOM! All present had to cover their ears in pain. The Titan carrying the boulder managed to stand strong, and good thing too considering if he dropped the boulder it would crush the soldiers.
The armored Titan was gone. It broke line of sight with Emiya and Emiya himself remained put so as to continue to defend the hole, despite how angry he was at letting an opponent get away. Seeing as how there were no more Titan's in the area, Emiya cast aside his bow and approached Pyxis who he saw standing beside the rock bearing Titan. Emiya remained impassive but inside he was a mix of frustrated and content. He kept his arms folded behind his back so as to maintain a professional appearance. "The enemy has been dealt with." He said to Pyxis. He then looked up to the Titan. "I suggest you deal with that hole now."
At his suggestion, the Titan began to make for the hole. Meanwhile everyone else was shocked speechless. Even Pyxis could only manage to stare blankly at the man standing before him.
"I have also managed to capture one of them alive." Emiya gestured to the pinned Titan down the road.
Pyxis finally managed to bring himself to speak. "I... I see."
Emiya heard a loud thud and turned to see the boulder was now blocking the hole. "I guess that means our work is done here. What's next?"
"What's next is an explanation."
Emiya heard a new voice call out from above. He looked up to see a short man with short black hair and a very menacing face standing on the roof of a nearby building. His eyes were narrowed at Emiya. He wore a similar uniform to the rest of the soldiers except his had a green cape and the rose emblem was replaced with a pair of wings.
Emiya could tell from a glance that the two of them would not be getting along.
A/N Tell me what you think.