Chapter 10: Survive

Rui Kanoya watched the battle below with gritted teeth. Checking the explosion had been pointless. Nothing there but a wasteland when this fight was the one that mattered.

Kikuchihara's restrictions were difficult to swallow. The collateral damage would've been too great. Invisible chains gnawed at his wrists, keeping them useless. The Refractoral microphones were able to pick up the conversation ten thousand feet below.

"Allow me to make matters more expedient for our knight." Altair appeared in a flash of light.

She was the one who pulled him to this world. Trigger finger was itching. From this height, it'll take a few seconds. Back in Energia Ichihara, he hadn't been able to hit her. Annoying as it is, he waited for valuable information.

Three vehicles stopped by the parking ramp. Soldiers jumped out of green jeeps with guns raised. Rui spotted Kikuchihara, Matsubara and his Creator exiting a police car.

The crowd below stared at the swordswoman. "Selesia." Sota whispers were loud and clear. Blood spilled onto the ground. Melee was brutal, the spear had punctured through the woman.

Even from this distance, Rui could see how bad that injury was. Kikuchihara's instruction were to stand back. They were still evacuating the area. He hated watching from the sidelines as they finally arrived onto the scene.

The Creators left the safety of the cars towards the fight. Kikichihara called. "Matsubara, stay back."

Matsubara turned around. His eyes glinted with a tight jaw. Determined. Rui respected that guts. The Creator nod before continuing towards Selesia with Nakanogane trailing behind.

Selesia screamed as she pulled the spear free. She leapt back, hand clutching a bloody mess. Matsubara said. "Selesia, your wounds."

"Blood." Nakanogane said. The shirt grew cherry red.

"I'm fine…so." Selesia grunted before collapsing onto her back. Her breaths were ragged. She's in bad shape.

Altair smiled. "I apologise for my prompt delay. I had a few obstructions to resolve elsewhere. Some people are playing too much to change fate." She turned her gaze. "To the one watching us right now, how does this fare for entertainment? You try to craft everything into perfect fitting blocks yet you did not consider about me. How telling."

Rui was confused. She wasn't looking at anyone in particular. Who was she referring to? Figure that out later, she needs to be taken down.

Altair smiled. "Well then, the stage has been set." She gazed at the bloodied Alicetaria. "Knight, behead her. Her death is the herald of the revolution." Alicetaria was impassive. Seconds went by before Altair commanded. "Blitz."

The gunman sighed. "Dear, Dear. The dirty work is my job now?" Blitz aimed the gun. Rui raised his cannon.

LOCKING ON

Blitz fired. A crack as metal pierced the ground. "Hey." Mirokuji said with a smoking sword. Cheeks stained with tears of blood. "Don't forget about me." Rui held back the trigger. Nice save.

"You." Blitz's face was hard stone.

"You pathetic old man, attacking a girl when she's down," Mirokuji said.

Blitz chuckled. "Enough with the insults. You look like you can barely stand."

"You never know until you've tried." That grin from Mirokuji. It wasn't a good one.

"Then let's do that." Blitz raised his pistol again. Mirokuji deflected the shots before leaping away from the group. The swordsman raised a hand and gestured, Bring it. Blitz the gunman pursued.

Altair turned towards the knight. "Unfortunate. Alicetaria, you have the honours."

"Like hell you won't." A Humvee skidded in across the road and shielded the downed warrior. "Open fire." Bullets struck at the knight's armour to no effect. The situation forced the woman to raise her gauntlet to shield her face. The next barrage towards Altair were repelled.

The Major climbed out of the jeep before firing his own rifle. "Civilian, we'll keep them pinned here. Get her out of here."

The deep fire inside burned. It raged and screamed. Selesia, Meteora and Mirokuji were injured. What kind of hero is he just by standing here and watching them throw their lives at the enemy?

FULL THROTTLE

ENGINE POWER 100%

Gigas Machina's engines roared within its dive. "Kanoya. This isn't the plan." Kikuchihara said as he heard the muffled roars.

Rui replied. "I can't stand here watching. If I wait any longer, everyone's going to be killed." He nearly failed once a moment ago, there won't be a second time.

Altair noticed him with a smile. "The time is ripe to test the pillar." She pulled her weapon and rested it against her neck. A gun as a violin? A swipe of the sword sent a chill.

"Holopsicon, Twentieth Movement of the Cosmos, Factor Mimic."

A blue portal appeared behind her. What is she doing? A large metallic hand emerged. What on Earth? Gigas Machina?

WARNING

TARGET LOCK

Rui twisted, dodging the Particle Beam meant for his face. That copy even has my own weapons. The city below prevented a return shot. Gigas Machina raised a fist, slamming into the chest of its alternate. Gigas Clone spun a few circles before stabilising. The surrounding skyscrapers are amidst them. Too close to the city.

"Gigas Machina, this is Bravo Two-One, JSDF. We are lending assistance." Four friendly signals appeared on the RADAR to his left. Five thousand feet higher in the air.

IFF: JAPAN SELF DEFENCE FORCE

UNIT: APACHE AH-64

Rui closed in towards Clone. "Thanks. I got this."

"We will support anyhow we can, Gigas Machina."

"Fine. I will create an opening. Make good use of it." Reaching level airspace, Rui fired the Particle Beam. The Clone dodged before throwing a punch. Rui countered with his own. Fists, twenty tons of metal jarred against each other. An equal match. Rui body slammed into Clone, sending it higher into the air. Never imagined I would fight against myself. It fights the same way I would too.

A few thousand feet higher and it would be safer to use the particle cannons. He gave the alternate the finger. "Come on you hunk of junk." Clone accelerated, using the cannons in both elbows. Rui fired both cannons to fire. Purple beams clashed, burning a smokescreen. Now. Gigas Machina dived through the cloud and kicked it up into the sky. "Fire now."

"Engaging." Missiles shot forward. High calibre rounds stabbed into to Clone's armour. Clean strikes for a few moments before the Clone stabilised its flight vector. "Minor damage. I repeat, minor damage."

Gigas Clone turned around, showing its elbow. Rui yelled. "Get away."

Purple beam fired. The flash swept clean through the two aircraft. There was nothing left. Rage climbed into his gut. Gigas Machina wasn't meant to kill humanity. What travesty. He screamed, preparing to fire the Particle Cannon. "I won't let you get away with this."

Matsubara paused. Why on earth didn't he bring a first aid kit? How thoughtless. You'd have brought something to help for a fight. Clearly common sense. Frustration ate at him.

That Altair. So small and young yet carrying such a disposition to kill. No, he had to focus on Selesia. Treat her wounds or something.

Right, first apply pressure onto it, stop the bleeding. Matsubara gazed at the wound. The hole was so big. He balled his fists and applied pressure. Selesia grunted against the idea. Darn it, had he been too forceful? How did those paramedics work on such a thing? Reading it wasn't the same as experiencing it.

His hands were stained red. What the hell is he supposed to do? He heard Nakanogane calling for an ambulance. Such an injury, it's a surprise Selesia is still alive. The soft moans, closed eyes and gritting teeth tug at his heart. Was it so wrong to put such painful battles in Vogelchevalier?

Hiss of metal flew around them. Pieces of the Humvee cracked as swords stabbed into them. Men dived for cover. One screamed as it stabbed through his arm. The torrent of swords stopped, letting Matsubara to raise his head from cowering.

Meteora groaned before saying. "She's planning to start the collision of the worlds." They turned to see Altair raising a sword into the air. A blue platform formed at her feet, pulsing into the sky. A magic incantation or something. Meteora's right. That was a bad omen.

Meteora said. "You all have to get away now…"

Leave them? How could he leave them? Where could they go? They were the good guys. They can't afford to lose.

Selesia croaked. "Yes, run away now before it's too late." Not even you. How could she say that? Selesia, his creation telling him such a thing. Madness.

Selesia tried to get up. "Even if you can save only yourselves… We'll buy some time…" A grunt before collapsing. Her face was growing pale. She can't fight yet she would try to save them. Ridiculous. Suicidal. Stupid, ignorant.

That was entirely unacceptable. The way she's going about was against everything he'd written for her. How dare her to try changing everything he had put into her just because of something like this? Enough was enough. "You stupid idiot."

"Telling us to run away. Telling us to save ourselves, anyone could have written a line like that." He built Selesia who had the pride of a warrior to keep fighting but never stupid to throw her life away. Lose a battle but win the war. Always fighting. Never surrender until the end.

Matsubara never created her to be this way. "I didn't make you into a character that say such useless lines." He leaned over towards her ear. "Selesia, listen to me and listen closely. The Selesia Upitiria I created, she's not going to die from something like this."

He gripped her hands with an iron grip. They were growing cold. "I would never let her get killed by some sketch that a nameless person made." That is his pride. The countless hours spent to image and plot every detail within his story. To lose to such a hack is an affront. The biggest insult one could scoff at him

He squeezed her hands. "As long I am your creator, I'm never going to let you die a stupid death." If she won't give up then he won't either. "Never." Never to her and never to him.

A glance towards his friend and Nakanogane took over. Instinct grabbed the phone and his laptop. Muse on its haunches, ready at his beck and call. A weapon loaded within his mind. "Marine, can we talk now?"

Marine said in panic. "I got the message from Kikuchihara. What's going on over there?"

"I'll tell you the details later. Give me the drawing from the other day." Matsubara instructed. He opened the short story he wrote the other day. A story constructed of three thousand seven hundred words. Think. There must be a reason why it didn't work. The laptop chimed. Marine's artwork. All the pieces were in place.

"Matsubara…" Selesia wheezed. The pool was growing. Time is essence.

Meteora struggled to rise. "It's impossible. We've tried revising the story."

His eyes were unmoving from the screen. "Nakanogane, where's the ambulance?"

"It, it's on the way but I don't know if it'll make it."

The stakes were now. Hot fire inside Matsubara intensified. "I know but you said there was a chance. Something that we missed out." Was there a problem with the scene or something else entirely? How did imagination become reality?

Matsubara didn't know how to think. He wasn't much of a smart person. Hardworking sure but in a panic situation like this, trusting himself would've been the last option in mind. Muse barked in his mind. It knew something.

Matsubara placed his fingers onto the keyboard and let his mind dive into the world beyond. "I'm still going to try."

The moment was growing tighter. The walls of the tomb drew closer to form a coffin…

A word, a sentence, a paragraph. Fingers continued to speak on their own. The desire to save their child was growing stronger. The Writer's Muse would lead him through the maze, even as the keyboard grew slick with blood.

Crimson flames burst around Selesia. Carrying her rage, they burned everything within their path…

Muse barked another direction and he followed. Weaving words through the path and paragraphs. Time felt nonexistent as the words scrolled down along the screen. Everything was coming into place. They failed for a reason. That reason wasn't far from reach. One reason. Muse, Selesia's mother affirmed. Burning fingers stopped. The revision was complete and all it needed was a spark. A light in the dark before it became truth.

That's it. It had to be the difference. Matsubara prepared the artwork for departure. "I'm going to bet everything into this moment." He written his hope within. A second before it was ready for send-off. Pray be that it's the answer.

"I'm counting on you." He pressed the key. In seconds, a plea had been sent across the world.

Daichi pressed a hand to the chest burning for air. How far had he run? Three, four hundred metres? Was that enough? Leaning back against a wall, he glanced at the hand. It was shaking after seeing blood burst from Archer's arm. Useless once again.

The droning got louder. Four helicopters flying in the sky in the far distance. Two stopped to hover above while others continued on. The JSDF are here. Emiya Alter was strong, arguably stronger than Archer. Their lives would be wasted.

But they're doing more than you. A useful weapon or at its worst, a distraction. Instead he sabotaged Archer by being a target.

The speeds that these warriors were fighting are beyond his capability. The battle was almost invisible to the naked eye barring clashes of light. I can't even see them properly.

Thunder drilled into his ears. The other pair of helicopters fired a long barrage of bullets into the distance. Two gunshots were the reply. The flying machines spun out of control and disappeared behind a building further down the street. Shrieks of metal cracked before silence. A purple beam engulfed the other two, leaving nothing.

was fate of the ones powerless to fight against super heroes. Well trained men with modern machines disappeared in a blink. What more would a boy like him? Every part of his body felt so cold. Unmoving and frozen in the pits of fear. Useless, powerless, meaningless. A Magical Circuit, that's all he had.

A man fears not for the sake of himself but for the sake of those who stand behind his shield

The world. The people. His parents. Shizuka. All of them standing behind him. Archer and the others are the gatekeeper against the villains of the world. They can't afford to lose. Else everyone would die. Seeing Sota and himself fall under Magane's traps. A hypocrisy to give up. It was absolutely wrong. Never, again. The freezing warmed up a little.

Think. Think of a solution. Grabbing the phone, he called. "Kikuchihara. Where's our help?"

"I'm sorry. More were coming but the JSDF aren't keen to risk anymore men against such odds. Kanoya's trying to bring down the problem now."

"What about the other Creations?" Archer needed help. Especially with one arm. A blue light reached for the skies in the near distance.

"They're injured. Altair and her forces are making it difficult. She started the collision of the worlds. I'm not sure. If we can win this fight." The uncertainty was leaking through.

"Then there is no one coming." Daichi ended the call. Alone. Archer would not survive fighting Alter at full strength. There would be no help. Except him. A useless boy that nearly got the Guardian killed.

If you cannot defeat it, then imagine something that can

Daichi steeled his body.A whisper. "Trace on." Nothing. Right. Every person's aria wasn't the same. Archer's was the firing pin of a gun. What was his? Of all the times.

The circuit activated once. Remember it. How the little thing behaved. Running through his nerves, like an engine. Closing his eyes, he shut everything to reach towards that moment. Twist the ignition and press the accelerator. "System start."

The Magical Circuit burst to life, humming quietly in power. More power. The circuits roared louder, revving faster. The core pulsed faster, louder, stronger with each heartbeat. Prana coursed along the body, a swirl of fluid energy. Visualise it. Follow the seven concepts.

Judge the concept of creation

Hypothesise the basic

"Owh." His fingers stung from the Circuit. Pausing, he tried again before feeling the jab. Each time he tried, his nerves would flare up and hurt. A headache was growing as he bit his lip. It would not be enough. Projection wasn't working. Fists squeezed into a shaking ball. What are his options? A Magic Circuit useless for fighting or making weapons. What the bloody hell can he do? Am I just that useless?

It clicked. One way, done on another's behalf. The conditions are hard. He might not have the power to do it. The world would reject the idea. The risks were high but so is the reward.

If the rules of this world go against the concept, I just have to do it somewhere else!

Feet set forth. Instinct warned. You've made enough mistakes. Don't risk yourself getting killed. Archer was injured as consequence. If this failed, he's going to die. No way in hell. Everything is on the line. Even if the price is his life, he has to try.

Minutes passed, running back to the battle. The battlefield was raked with fragments of metal. Swords, scattered and shattered to pieces on the ground. Two blurs of motion, red and black constantly about. Daichi stood behind a pillar and screamed. "Archer."

Archer's yell was laced with fury. "Kid, are you trying to kill me for the second time?"

Daichi sprinted between the can't afford to cost Archer another mistake. "Use UBW!"

"Why the hell should I?" Archer projected a wave of swords and launched them. "Wouldn't it destroy this world?"

"Altair's started the world's destruction and the others need our help. There's no time." Archer's reply was a tingle along his nerves.

I am the bone of my sword

Alter turned his guns towards Daichi. A wave of broadswords slammed into the ground, shielding the attack. The large bulk of steel held. Archer stood on a roof, a hard gaze at his opponent.

Steel is my body and fire is my blood

I have created over a thousand blades

Another wave of swords counterattacked from the skies. Gunfire and blades swung to deflect the rain of metal.

Unknown to Death

Nor known to Life

Have withstood pain to create many weapons

The Circuit inside him stirred. It hummed to every line.

Yet, these hands will never hold anything

So as I pray

Archer landed on the ground as Alter raised his guns for the shot.

Unlimited Blade Works

Blue flames burst from below. Daichi raised an arm to shield his face by reflex. A second's pause before he saw. The world of swords. Red sands. Smell of sulphur. Rumble from the gears in the sky. The most important aspect, the hill of swords. Unlimited Blade Works. It's so real.

Alter's smile felt disturbing to the core. "Ah, it's been a while."

Daichi stepped onto a flat plain. The soft winds dusted the sand along his feet. He picked up a random sword. "Archer. I can get help but I'll need a few moments. Can you buy me that time?"

Archer's look understood his intention. A grin formed on his lips. "I don't intend to let you finish." The Guardian turned back towards Alter. "One word of advice. Speak from the heart." Swords rained from the sky. Dust clouds gathered, shrouding the two combatants.

There wasn't time to waste. Daichi carved into the sand. A circle before fitting the pentagram in the middle. Five swords mark each point of the anchor. Crude but it'll do.

The conditions are set. The time is now. Focus. Daichi thrust a hand forward. The Magical Circuit activated. Warmth flowed through his veins. Power, unimaginable strength, a euphoria. Can he do it? Can he achieve the right one? The sound in the throat, an echo within the hum of energy.

Let silver and steel be the essence

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation

Let the four cardinal gates close

Let the road from the crown reaching the Kingdom turn

Gusts of wind whipped into his face as it roared alongside. Nothing. Everything counted on breaking that rule. "If you can hear me. Give me a hand so that this world is saved." Silence. "If you won't lend a hand, everything is going to be erased. You included."

Even if the world won't help, he can't afford to give up. The nerves pulsed. More. Core revving, drawing more power from within. Feet grew cold. His back jolted with tingling, beyond control. Standing up was tough.

Young one, you would not succeed.

Whoever this is, if you can talk, you can lend a hand instead.

You are not someone of value.

That doesn't mean I should give up and die.

Many men tried and died. You are nothing.

I know. Save this world, please. Even if my soul is the price.

A foolish one to follow his path.

He'll hate me for sure but a man's got to do what he has to do. I beg you.

Very well. Know this that our might shall not be underestimated.

His left hand burned. A red diamond. Yes. The pain arched along the back, travelling into the spine. Stung like jolts of lighting. Prana burst from the sigil, flooding into the circuit. Teeth grit, Daichi pursued.

I hereby propose

Thy body shall be under my command

My fate shall be determined by thy sword.

Follow the call of the Holy Grail

If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason, then answer my call

The thorns of pain tightened. A hungry monster underneath flesh. Skin grew red as an inferno raged. Gasps of pain. Burned and eaten alive. Mind called for the pain to stop. Logic called to cease and desist. Mouth screamed as he held on.

Something shot out from the smoke. Alter aimed his guns from the sky. Another flash of red. Archer stood between the attack. "Rho Aias." Seven petals bloomed, absorbing each strike. The barrage persisted, eating away at the petals one by one. I have to finish this!

I hereby swear this oath

I shall attain all virtues of Heaven

I shall conquer all evils of Hell

I shall deliver Justice to restore right over wrong

I shall protect the innocent, the helpless and the devoted

Senses were numb. Black spots shrouded the eyesight. Throat hoarse and dry. Breathless, feet barely standing. Fading closer to black. The fifth petal shattered. Two left to go. I can't…give up. Cold fingers tightened around the wrist. The final stretch. The last push.

FINISH IT

From the Seventh Heaven, attended by the three great words of power

Come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!

He squeezed his fist, every ounce of strength left. The last voice, a scream to the heavens.

COME

SABER!

A flash of blue light. Legs gave way, dropping him onto the knees. A long-held breath let go at its apex.

White hair that stretched down the neck. Righteous green eyes. The glowing sigil on his chest. Bright sheen of steel armour. The Holy sword that created the legend of the Dragon Slayer. The man's voice commanded with humility. "I am Servant Saber and I have answered your call for the Holy Grail. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Daichi smiled. The right choice has been made. "Yes, Siegfried."

"What are your orders?"

His voice was just a whisper. "Save Archer." He fell and all went black.

Selesia could hear Matsubara begging to the machine. "Come on, I beg you. Please…" Breathing was getting difficult. A slow suffocation backed up with the sharp pain from the stab wound. A bad way to go.

He did something. Whatever it's meant to do. But what's the point? What could it do? Yet she can't refute him. Her Creator didn't give up against the odds. Unlike her dying self. You're doing your part of a hero.

The glance of the screen. The artwork Marine drawn. A line of words below the picture.

I created this new design for Selesia with Marine. If you guys like it, I'll add it to the story.

Selesia rested back against the rock. She can't hold out long now. "Wow, it's spreading."

Nakanogane showed the page on his phone. "It's on the news site. Sky's the limit." The numbers on the page was growing. Hundreds, thousands, dozens of thousands. Astounding.

A flash. She wasn't on the floor anymore. Standing onto her feet. New clothes. The blood disappeared. Her wounds nonexistent. Pristine and fresh from the drawing board. Ecstatic. She reached for the sword. The sword expanded to its full form, a thin line of fire along its edge. "It worked." Inside it stirred. Strength, hot and powerful like molten flame. Rising up, eager to be unleashed.

Selesia cried out as the blade slashed reality. An inferno surged forward, melting through rock and metal. The air cracked as fire fed upon it. The torrent was strong, ravaging at the knight's armour. Wisps of steam hissed as Selesia regained her breath. The strongest swing sapped at her stamina. Most important was she could fight.

One more. Another slash of the sword burned up towards Altair. Swords formed a shield, protecting its master. Nothing got through but the pulsing light reaching the clouds vanished. Altair's figure was… buzzing blue?

The girl in question stared at her own hand. "The physical image is tearing at its seams. A pity." Altair addressed the group. "Just as I thought, once it reached its limits, I'd be the one repelled by the world."

Selesia tightened her grip around the sword. That could be a good chance to attack. She stepped forward before feeling the pain inside her gut.

Altair addressed. "Blitz, Alicetaria. The stars are not aligned. This is enough for today. A splendid performance." Selesia felt strength sap from her arms. Altair flicked her fingers. The large clone robot disappeared into blue pixels. "When the time comes, we shall meet again." Altair vanished in similar fashion.

A small human shape flew away from the other side of the building. They held their ground, keeping a tense gaze. The knight was the last to leave. Contemplation. Reflection. Truth. Her expressions twisted to meet those emotions. Alicetaria mounted her horse and withdrew.

The soldier behind her lowered his weapon. "Men, stand down." Sighs of relief came from others under his charge as the end was certain. She turned around towards Matsubara who gave a thumb up. Reality returned. Her grip faltered as energy vanished. The last she knew was feeling the ground with echoing yells as the world turned black.

Rui Kanoya stretched his stiff arms against the uncomfortable bench. The hospital was quiet as the people from the government cleared out the visitors from the place. Gigas Machina had been stuffed quickly into a nearby warehouse to avoid suspicion but not that it matters since the place was so empty. The hospital didn't feel far off from his world though the equipment looked closer to being antiques.

He leaned for a closer look as Kikuchihara talked with the doctor. "Please make sure the results of the examination aren't leaked."

"No one except the doctor in charge is allowed to see it. You have my guarantee, Director Kikuchihara." The doctor tapped at the report he carried. "Honestly, these Creations have a similar composition like us but their ability to recover is amazing." A swell inside his chest.

"Even so, they still feel pain just like us. We should help them more," Kikuchihara said. The doctor prompted a nod before leaving. Kikuchihara turned towards Nakanogane. "Did you say his powers were taken away?"

"Don't talk so loud Kikuchihara." Rui raised his hands in a shush. He glanced over his shoulder towards Yuya. The Arajin leader remained seated on the bench, both hands pressed onto the sword. Bandages had been wrapped around his head but it didn't hide the sullen eyes and tight lips. "Magane Chikujoin beaten him. I don't know the details." He wasn't there yet by then.

"At least she isn't working for Altair," Nakanogane said. From what he managed to review from the videos recorded in Gigas Machina, that school girl was scary. Life in Energia was so much simpler.

The assurance failed to lift the director's mood. "There's no guarantee that will stop the situation from getting worse. We can't control her so it's harder to deal with her."

"Over there." Rui heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Marine with Suruga in tow. She asked as her footfalls moved in a nervous pace. "Where's Selesia and Meteora?"

"They're both fine. They're asleep now." Nakanogane answered.

Marine sighed in relief, losing the excess energy. "I'm glad. I was so worried what if -"

Nakanogane smiled. "It's all thanks to the illustration that you drew. Without it, the world might have ended." That comment surprised the artist speechless. I guess that's a good show.

Kikuchihara turned towards Suruga. "Where's Yatoji?"

Suruga reached for her drawing board "He's at home. Said about a deadline to meet." Thank goodness his Creator wasn't that bad of an ass. Yuya definitely had it tough on the other end.

"I'm going to arrange for some guards just in case. Excuse me." Kikuchihara stepped aside to make a phone call.

Nakanogane sighed. "I wonder if Yatoji knows what's going on."

Suruga started to sketch on the board. "I doubt it. He breaks into cold sweat whenever a deadline is coming. Anything else is out the window."

"Me too." Marine chipped in.

"Except for the extinction of mankind, deadlines are the scariest things in the world." Nakagone chuckled in agreement.

When Rui thought the Creators were being cool, now they've ruined their moment. "You guys have no sense of urgency. Are all Gods like this?"

Nakanogane wrapped his hands together. "Even if the world ends tomorrow, we still have to plant the apple seeds today."

Rui mimicked his Creator. "That's rather optimistic when the world was nearly destroyed."

Marine giggled. "We have you to thank for that. You all are our hopes and dreams after all."

Rui rubbed the back of his head, trying to keep the warmth from rising too much. "I guess that's right."

Emiya glanced out the window, staring at the hospital garden in the morning. The machine beside the patient beeped on a regular basis, keeping himself grounded to reality. The bandages didn't carry any more bleeding barring the dull pain that throbbed in annoyance. A week would be sufficient.

He wasn't alone in the room. Silent to his eye, invisible and patient, the Servant Saber was somewhere but he had a good idea. The Servant's actual existence has led to a horrible conclusion. Other worlds could interfere with dangerous risks.

The Kid collapsed from Od exhaustion. Saber arrived and with the numerical advantage fended off the anomaly called Emiya Alter. Altair's forces had attacked the other group and been subsequently fended off. That hadn't been without cost.

Emiya took a breath of the cool air. The world felt abnormal. The coherence of reality was weak that night. It's strength flickering off balance like a dying light bulb. When the morning arrived, it had stabilised into a sharp but short rhythm. Like a person out of breath. Funny how reality takes itself after a living being.

If a Holy Grail war were to happen here, it would decimate the fabric of reality faster than anything happening here thus far. That lead to another possibility. More Servants appearing in this entire war and the image of Alter came to mind.

Unlimited Lost Works. His younger self had a different aria to call upon the Reality Marble. The projection of the man's weapons didn't reveal everything. The blurred images of horror, screams of loss did clue in on the man's suffering. Was he similar, condemned to hell?

The bed shifted before a groan. "Where am I?"

"In the hospital." Emiya kept his gaze outside.

A tall man in silver armour appeared out of thin air by the bed. Saber took to a knee by the bed and asked. "Master, are you still feeling ill?"

Kid lifted a hand, probably seeing the red symbol etched into skin. Emiya had confirmed them to be Command Seals of a Holy Grail war. Similar to a bird stretching its wings within a diamond cage. The Kid smiled before nodding. "Ah, Siegfried. I'm okay now."

Emiya snorted. "You pulled it off despite the fact that it almost killed you."

"Thanks, I guess." Kid leaned back onto the bed with weary eyes. A growl from the stomach before a chuckle. "How did the battle go?"

Emiya explained. "Siegfried helped to ward off my alter ego. Kikuchihara had you sent to the hospital alongside the others injured during the battle against Altair's forces."

Siegfried added. "Your friend was stubborn to rush to the next battle despite his injuries."

"It was necessary. The fight would not be in favour for them when Altair is there. I had first-hand experience."

Kid nodded. "I see." He pointed at the arm. "Does it still hurt?"

"Nothing a few days won't get rid of. I've taken the liberty to explain the situation to Siegfried."

Kid turned towards his Servant. "Okay. Siegfried, I hope you aren't too mad about the truth."

Siegfried nodded. "It is fine Master. There is no difference in my eyes to which reality the war is happening. The fact remains that it needs to be fought and while I am not forced to do so, it is a hero's responsibility to attend to it."

The boy bit his lip. "Don't you have a wish? That is why you answered the call for the Holy Grail isn't it?"

"As long I am alive here, it is still possible to achieve it. Do not worry Master." Siegfried said. The Saber's answer kept the boy puzzled.

The Kid gave a faint smile before leaning back onto the bed. "That's great to hear that." They noticed something large flew past their window. "Where is Gigas Machina flying to?"

Emiya couldn't care less. "Don't know. It doesn't matter." The Guardian stood up, an obligation completed. "Congratulations on your new role as Master. Now get some sleep."

Matsubara listened to the machine speak. Clockwork beep every few seconds without fail. A steady rhythm of life as Selesia continued to breathe through the cold mask. The Creator continued watching her, eyes unmoving.

The wounds she suffered had been dire. The doctors took great measures to get her treated and that by itself was another miracle. The gaping hole in her shirt caked with dried blood attested to it. Meteora was unconscious in the room next door but she will survive. Selesia was in a critical condition and was on a slow progress towards recovery. If things go for the worse… Hopefully the gifts he bestowed would be enough.

He turned around to face the window. Staring too long would make him face the horde of demons within the mind. The black clouds of a dull morning mimicked his sentiments. Matsubara blinked the weary from the eyes. Sleep eluded him with occasional jolts of paranoia kept him company through the night. There was nothing he can do except to wait. Just like a father for his own daughter.

Meteora had pointed it out before during an argument earlier. It felt ridiculous but now, it just clicked. Selesia was his Creation and in a way, a being given birth through him. Thinking about it made it feel so silly. Yet he could not stop the emotions that ran through him the night before. Selesia bleeding on the floor was rending through the heart.

Always be prepared to kill your characters. That was part of the road that an author had to take. 'Kill your Darlings.' It made complete sense. Nobody should have plot armour. Every character has to live and die by their own actions. That was the rule of life. Seeing Selesia on the bed made him balk at the thought.

It was correct but was it the right thing? Is he such a cruel murderer for killing his own children? The Muse of the mind could only reason logic. Muse understood that it was expected for him to be emotional. It didn't stop them.

Someone stirred behind him. Matsubara returned his attention to the angel. "Are you awake?"

Selesia reached to the mask at her face. Her voice was hoarse. "Where's Meteora?"

Just like her as always. "She's fine. She's asleep in another room." Matsubara said. Selesia glanced around the room. "This is a hospital. You have a stab wound to your stomach remember?" His shoulders felt much lighter. "You worry about your friends before yourself even when you almost died."

"You're the one who made me with a personality like that." Selesia's frown was comical.

When did he put that bit in? Ah, he couldn't remember. "You don't have to point it out. Anyways, I'm glad you're alive."

A pause from her before saying it in a whisper. "Thanks."

That's new. "What're you saying? That's not like you. Humility isn't part of your character description."

She turned her face away to the other side. "I got a new weapon thanks to you. That's why I was able to protect the others."

Matsubara scratched the back of his head. "That's natural. If you die then I wouldn't know how to write the rest of the story. You're an important character after all." God forbid for Charon to be here, then that man would probably skewer him with a big stick.

"Yeah, still I want to say thanks."

"Your thanks don't belong to me. It is to the readers. I was able to help you only because everyone accepted that new design." Matsubara said. If the miracle hadn't pull through, the world might have ended.

Selesia stared at the ceiling. "It won't become a story unless people accept it. I think I finally understand the power of this world." Her eyes met his. Such optimism. "I never thought it'd appear. For it to happen so fast, your story must have been very popular."

Matsubara stood up and faced the window. "My story isn't the only one. I'm just one out of many others trying to write their own story after all. Everyone in this world likes stories. Do you dislike them?"

"I don't dislike them. We just didn't have many stories in my world."

"That's because I didn't write them in." Matsubara admitted. Excessive worldbuilding would hurt the story. They called it akin to a writer's disease.

"Tell me about it."

Matsubara took a deep breath. Something grew from within. A sense of duty. A mission to achieve, the way for his pride. "Maybe I'll try putting in some. Although I need to be careful not to mess up the story's tempo." The clouds were clearing. He heard uncertainty behind him. "I said I'll put some stories in starting with the next volume."

"Everyone will be happy to hear that." Gratitude. The warmth felt great along his back. It left him to wonder about another thing.

"Do, do you want to go back? To that world." To return to that world of war and battle. Bleed and suffer to achieve the final victory.

"Yes." Just like her.

"I see." Matsubara turned back to sit on the chair. "Sorry. It must have been hard to live in that world." He couldn't get his head around Selesia's frown.

"We get by. You're the one who made it so." She closed her eyes. "Sure, it'll feel weird when I go back. They'll think I'm nuts if I tried to tell them that our world was made for entertainment of other people.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it. You're right, there might be people who think of it as entertainment. For me though, I didn't write it just for fun." Not fun, money or glory. "It's proof that I've lived in this world." A regular man without any special talents. This was his way, his legacy.

Selesia smiled. "Please do write more nice stories then."

A smile returned. "You can count on it."

Today was cold. Rain poured. A large portion of their hideout had been destroyed. A new place need to be found but later. Blitz surmised the cause of the destruction. What a pity.

Blitz had chosen to appropriate a bench for a nap. He noticed the knight sitting at the shaded corner. "You surprise me, sulking here by the corner."

"I am not." The voice cracked. "Get out of my sight."

Blitz lit a cigarette. "The young girl's death is regrettable." Silence. "I heard that it was from the sage."

Alicetaria snapped. "That isn't any of your business."

Blitz shook his head. "She's still an ally despite what you may say. Can't I not feel disappointed that we have lost a valuable hand?"

The knight stood up and turned around. Her eyes glaring for fiery death. "Do you not have any thoughts for Mamika?"

"I've seen enough death in the world I came from. Isn't it the same case for you?" Blitz said.

"Too much of it. That doesn't mean their deaths cannot be mourned."

"If you become too sentimental, it would eat you alive. You may not like it but take it to heart. It will help you." Blitz took a whiff. The smoke was warming against the cold. Despite how strong she can persevere, taking every loss personally would eventually consume her. For him, once was enough.

Alicetaria met his eyes. "Your words are too cold for someone who lost his daughter." She took his silence to continue. "Just as you know of my past, I had the time to investigate yours."

Blitz stamped out his cigarette. "Miracles might really exist in this world. However, I'm too old for the wishes that would never come true." For they were always twisted beyond hope.

"Do you mean you have no intention of changing or returning to your world?"

"Of course, I do. That's the reason I am here in the first place. I will achieve my goal here and return. Otherwise Ryusuke would probably suffer without me. That's right, the rent is due soon."

Alicetaria said. "Those words are empty. There is no longing for your world as I've seen from Mamika." Blitz chose not to answer.

Spatters of rain filled their conversation. Blitz taken the time to think in peace. Hard to get some these days. The search had met a wall. His Creator Shunma Suruga was nowhere to be found. Seeing the use of the police and military, he assumed Suruga had been taken away under their custody.

Options were limited. A Creation he may be. Flight and a good shot made great mileage in his story but here it would be challenging. Not that his Creator hadn't thrown enough to try killing him and Ryusuke. Wonder how's Ryusuke taking his disappearance thus far. Maybe a little panicky at the beginning to deal with the dog but he'll pull through.

Alicetaria's words pierced through his thoughts. "Do you trust the Princess?"

"Speak your mind." Blitz let her talk. It would probably help her.

"I find she is harbouring something back. Secrets of her own."

"We all have our own closets of bones. What's new about it?"

"All of that is meaningless." A third voice joined the conversation. "You speculate far and wide but there is nothing much further than the truth that you already see." They turned to see a dark-skinned man appear behind a broken wall. The white buzz cut hair struck a familiar resemblance.

Alicetaria narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

The man introduced. "Alter. Your Queen called for my service. I answered."

Blitz recognised the similarity. "Are you related to this Archer?"

The white-haired man huffed. "Yes, I am him. He is I. Yet I am far superior than that pitiful existence."

Blitz reached for another cigarette. "Good for us. You can handle your own self then." He heard the clink of metal into the mud. "Leaving so soon Ms. Knight?"

"Your business is not of my concern." Alicetaria answered as she walked away. He paid no heed to obstruct the woman. Cranky as she is, it wasn't worth the effort. There's enough as is it is, like a nice place to stay warm.

That left two men alone in the rain in the middle of concrete wasteland. At least the cigarette felt good. Blitz let the smoke wrap around the neck. "As for you, what do you want to find here?"

Alter spread his arms. "There is nothing much that a hero needs. I do all that is willed for by the Queen. Death and destruction is what I shalt sow."

That speaks of trouble. "Not to my taste but that is up to you." The fate of this world isn't any of his business. Blitz pointed to the broken ruin. "You can have your own quiet space somewhere in there."

Alter stared at the ruin. A moment before he walked towards it. "I must prepare for my ascension."

Blitz watched the man disappear as he took another pull of the cigarette. The smile on the man's face. Yes, bloody trouble.

Sota stood outside Room 5A. His feet felt giddy with a gulp in the throat. Tightening it down, he knocked. A voice called to enter. He entered and the next he heard was "I hadn't expected you." The host gave him a glare. "Why are you here?"

Sota closed the door before answering the question. "I want to apologise for what I've done. Some horrible mistakes were made."

Hideaki stared into his eyes. Sota kept the gaze, refusing to balk under the scrutiny. "Right. So say you're sorry, we shake hands and its done. Aren't we?"

Sota shook his head. "That won't be enough. I need to make up to it." After everything, he can't throw it under the rug.

"That's right, it isn't enough. Sure you had problems but you've done something wrong. You've put someone I cared for in danger. Did you think I could accept it just like that?"

"No." Sota stepped towards the front of the bed. "I don't expect you to. We both know I've done horrible things." He placed his hands onto the overbed table. "I understand that and all I want is to make amends for it."

"So you say." Hideaki leaned back against the bed. Silence as their eyes met. Time passed before Hideaki sighed. "Now I understand what she meant now."

She? Hideaki continued. "Selesia once told to me about the importance of trust. Sure, breaking it is bad but I haven't felt it this hard." He turned to the window. Was that regret on his face?

"We're supposed to be the good guys yet we argue and bicker as though we aren't."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"A lesson I learnt and thought maybe, just maybe that I should share it with you. That way only one idiot has to learn it." Hideaki met his gaze. "I don't know if I can forgive you. However, I will try to do my part."

"That, that's great to hear." Sota felt the heavy shoulders lighten. "In return you want something back, do you? Like how the whole mess began and everything."

"I'd like to know but for now, it doesn't matter. It's not about me now. Everything else is more important than that," Hideaki said. "If you want to make amends, then take action. Don't sit back by the corner and hope for someone to save you. However, that doesn't mean you can be stupid about it. I've… made that mistake."

Sota nodded. "I know. I'll prove it to you."

Hideaki returned the nod. "Good. I'll be watching."

The door knocked. Kikuchihara poked her head into the room. "Good that you are here Sota. Meteora and Selesia have woken up and would like to talk."

Creators and Creations gathered around the centre of the meeting room. Meteora, Archer, Mirokuji were on their feet despite the bruises and the cast. Selesia was resting in a wheelchair, bloodied coat draped over her shoulders. Sota pointed out. "You should be resting."

Selesia shook her head. "It hurts but I'll be fine. Just need a few days to recover."

Meteora placed a hand on her shoulder. "Our injuries will not impede the discussion." She addressed to the group. "We've seen how Altair is planning to cause the collision of the worlds. Previously I've said that if we could discover who created Altair we could make a lot of progress. However, it has become necessary to alter this strategy."

The others gave peculiar glances. Matsubara asked. "Why?"

It was time. "That's because Altair's creator is already dead." Sota interrupted. A horde of eyes turned towards him. "I'm sorry everyone. I knew about it all along."

"What do you mean?" Nakanogane asked.

Sota spoke. "I knew about Altair since the beginning. The reason for that is because Altair's Creator, Setsuna Shimazaki is my dear friend." His voice clamped up but he forced it through. "And I'm the one who killed her."

Silence. Cold heavy clouds over his shoulders. They waited for him to continue. His hands were shaking. Feet were feeling wobbly. He clenched his fists tight and stood ramrod straight. "Back then, I don't have a lot of friends. It's not that I didn't have anyone to talk to but they weren't close. People that I can watch the same shows and laugh together with."

"At the time, I was sharing fan art online. They weren't spectacular, hardly ever to get a comment or review. That's where I found her. A rising star. I loved Shimazaki's drawings. I'd be amazed every time whenever I see a new work of hers."

"For some reason, she liked my drawings too. We exchanged emails and started writing to each other. It took off like wildfire. We'd be sharing our experiences and good moments day and night." Sota felt the nostalgia before bile climbed to his throat. He clamped it down and continued. "I don't remember who asked first about where the other one lives. It might've been Shimazaki but it could have been me."

"She invited me to a Hakoniwa meetup, a social networking event for artists, animation and manga." Sota glanced by Hideaki's eyes. Quiet observation and judgement. Brushing it aside, Sota dived further into memory.

"That was the first time we've met." Setsuna was clear to memory to this day. Long blue hair with twin braids to the side. Round rimmed glasses. Inside his heart burned. "Despite so, we were familiar with each other."

Sota continued on about their adventure during their first meet. The time where they decided to head upstairs to get a better look at a talk show. The time they had a close call with Setsuna nearly falling off the upper stage. When she lost her glasses and put his on instead. An adventure that begun and also the start of the end.

"We continued talking to each other after that and shared new drawings. Mine didn't get any attention. However, her talent was noticed and she became famous on the site. Even her favourite video producer was interested."

"When she was known, everyone was paying attention to her. I've felt as though I've become nobody. A supporter in the sidelines." The distaste in his tongue. A feeling a long time ago. "I started to feel a lot of distance between me and Shimazaki. So, I stopped trying to contact her."

The pain in the chest burned. A refusal to speak it out. An old memory to left be to die. He pressed on. "One day, I saw a post on the net. About Setsuna being a fraud."

"Setsuna was accused of plagiarising people's artwork and proclaiming them as her own. Someone was probably jealous of her getting so much attention and started it." He remembered reading the three hundred comments within the post alone. "They were accusing her without proof, throwing baseless thoughts and insults. There's no way it can be true. I was with her since the beginning. They were all saying spiteful lies."

"I wanted to do something. She needed help. That's what I thought. However, I was scared of making things worse. Whenever I try to think of a sentence, it comes to my mind and I felt paralysed." His fingers were shivering, the very same as that night. "In the end, I couldn't do anything."

"And…and watching Shimazaki getting put down made me felt a little less lonely about being left behind." He didn't want to remember that sense of elation. "Somewhere in my mind, I felt such an ugly…sense of satisfaction."

"It wasn't long when I received a message from her. She talked about her pain. How the others were hurting her and the doubts growing inside. Shimazaki wanted my advice, whether she should continue to draw." Warmth filled his eyes. It was harder to speak.

"There was no reply." The right words were hard to find. The crowd continue to spectate the monologue. "After a long time, I realised that I got a message from her on the website." The deepest part of the Pandora Box was opened.

Dear Sota

I had a lot of fun at the event we went together

I hope you don't mind me saying this

That was the best memory from my life

I was really happy

Thank you

This is my new story. As I explained before, I named her after a star. This will probably be the last one.

I hope this girl will be loved

The last word freaked him out.

Good bye.

"I stopped contacting her after that. I didn't know what to say to her. Her words gave such an ominous feeling. I didn't have the courage." He felt the warmth in his eyes grow stronger. "After all this started, I remembered that I knew her. I know Altair, Shimazaki's last gift."

"It wasn't long when I found out, what happened to Shimazaki." Fear returned. The shaking wouldn't stop. "It terrified me. From my computer, from my phone, I deleted everything related to her. Her number, SNS address, logs, everything. My memories, the records, I wanted to make it all disappear."

The voice he had was suffocating. "I was scared of what I did and couldn't stand it. I ran away." Everything tore at its seams. Tears streamed down, freed from their binds. "I was just so afraid." Sota felt the eyes staring into him, a reflection to what they would do to him. It might be the time for judgement. There wasn't any more to say after all.

Matsubara was the first to speak, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll be honest. What you've been through is tough. If I was in your position, I might have done the same thing. However whatever that you've felt…I can't just say 'don't feel so bad about it'. Otherwise, you'd be someone without any guilt and I wouldn't want to talk to someone like that."

"Matsubara." Selesia said.

Sota agreed with the creator. "You're right Matsubara. What I did to Shimazaki was horrible. I think Altair was probably created out of her despair. And now Altair is trying to make Shimazaki's wish come true. So, I…"

Meteora interjected. "Sota. I understand that you regret it. Like I once said before, it doesn't mean everything ends at that point of time. There is always something more beyond it. You have explained what is needed, now are ... Are you determined to accept the responsibility?"

"Yes." Sota felt a weight lifted off his back.

"I understand. More than anything, that is what your soul needs." Meteora said. The others gave similar approval. Hideaki's eyes remained unmoving.

Sota wiped his eyes dry. Chains on his arms and legs cast free. "I want to stop Altair. I need to make things right."

"Of course, that is our role. We must stop Altair from destroying the world." Meteora said.

"How are we going to do that? Everything we had so far didn't work." Kanoya asked.

The sage surmised. "Altair is someone unnatural, even beyond our levels of abilities. She has said that this world is the land of the gods. Even if we face off against her using power that surpasses logic, the power of the gods would be the deciding factor."

"Power of the Gods." Selesia said.

Meteora nodded. "As it is, the way for saving this world is clear on one single path. Revision."

Author's Notes:

Thank you for reading Beyond Worlds.

Mr. I am sorry is now here in the story. How will our new Heroic Spirit handle this new world? The summoning part felt more finicky the closer I come towards submitting this chapter. Do let me know your thoughts about it.

A long time ago, some have suggested about alternative antagonists such as Ishtar and Muramasa. Now that I've reached here I am able to explain more about it for those interested. I felt that there were greater potential in Alter within this story due to motivation reasons and synergy from both Fate and Re:Creators. This is one of the main reasons Alter is given the opportunity for this story.

I appreciate the feedback about having more Archer. I was curious on how the balance between the character point of view since there are so many characters that are argued to be 'important'. I'll be nudging the story's camera in that direction.

Given the current progression rate, I'm getting close towards the end but unfortunately the chapters won't be out so soon as they follow the internal review and editing process as shown on my profile.

Hope to hear your opinions and reviews.

Regards

MarksmanKNG