Disclaimer: Listen well and listen all, I own Jackshit. Meaning no property of J.K. Rowlings, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books or Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Fate/Stay Night or High school DxD, just the original concepts and plot in this story. This Crossover is a complete AU
Summary: No matter what he does, no matter what universe he is in, Shirou Emiya has always and will always give everything he has to protect his loved ones. Even if it means taking up the life that he gave up in his previous life. BAMF Shirou
Chapter [12]: Step In Light
(Shirou POV)
My mind was jump started, the moment that the smell of prana hit my nose. Paranoia came and sleep went away.
Trace On: Structural Analysis
Faster than my eyes, I felt more than saw the humongous mass of ice descending upon the Mansion.
Targeting me precisely. I would be too slow as I am to dodge it.
I am the BONE of my Sword
I took a step back into my soulscape, the world seemed to slow down. Just a stopgap but not enough.
Chidori
The sword of a samurai that split a thunderbolt in two.
World seemed to slow down to a standstill. My body as well. Any movement would be greatly came enhanced but the bones would rupture, and ligaments would tear.
But my mind was strong.
The spell completed itself and fed me information.
Jubstacheit was suspiciously absent from the Mansion. Somehow, I am not surprised. The question was how he had escaped the contract.
I made a mental note to do so after I took care of the current predicament.
With its size and mass, I had little in way of options. Pure firepower was out. A bit of trickery was needed.
Ice was Water.
Staff of Moses
I was not Moses and the staff weren't a sword, but the iceberg wasn't a sea either.
Smoothly under the influence of the staff, the iceberg split cleanly in two. I dispelled the Noble Phantasm quickly.
"Is that alchemy?" A voice came from outside semi-wondering.
A single opponent.
Trace On
My circuits triggered and fire was my body. Reinforcement came and protected me as I rushed through a window.
Either the opponent was absurdly strong or absurdly arrogant to attack a mage on his territory. Guess we will find which one.
(Outside)
"Serafall Leviathan." Of all the people who I had expected, she was somewhere on bottom of the list.
In lieu of answering, she merely stood analysing me. The prana seemed to fill the air to the very brim. My nose burnt at the arctic smell.
"I am sorry."
She fired an even thousand spears of ice in my direction. Fast and disposable, an effective technique.
Einzbern Alchemy: Sword
From the grounds came slabs of steel that protected me. I saw her faint surprise before the thick swords parted me from her strikes.
"Might I know the meaning of this attack?" I inquired.
A moment of ensued as the steel easily stood the brunt of her attack.
I was running through my list of Noble Phantasms when her voice rang out.
"Your life is a blight upon my sister's honour."
With nothing more than pure ice magic, she froze solid my steel defence making it fragile and weak.
It collapsed upon its own weight.
In the ensuing moment as she approached me, she looked nothing like the pink magical girl that I had heard about.
She looked like someone who would do anything for their sister. Even kill me mercilessly.
I should hate her.
Yet nostalgia is all I feel.
We live in a cruel world.
(Play Fate Zero- Time Alter)
"It is all your fault." I mentally raged at the dragon in my mind.
Serafall had unleased another salvo of ice spears. This time an order of magnitude more and know coming at me from all directions.
"How so?" The Great Red asked.
"You knew this would happen when you helped me win the match."
"I did."
Maybe it was the simple admission that enraged me so much as I reached for the Invisible Air.
It was more of a magecraft than a Noble Phantasm but it would be more than sufficient as I let lose an omnidirectional burst of the compressed air.
An offensive technique used as a defence.
The multiple compressed air technique functioned like a barrier and broke the spears in fragments.
"Why?"
I took offensive both mentally and in real world. Magic came in existence in my hands.
"To protect a dream."
Swords came in two, four, eight and sixteen.
Yet all I through but two.
Black and White blurs that had followed me from one world to next.
Kanshou, the black sword in my left attracted all the white Bakuyas while the sole Bakuya in my right did the converse.
A practiced technique made a cage of unpredictable net.
Serafall formed a simple barrier of ice and began casting anew, Mistake,
A Noble Phantasm no matter how degraded couldn't be hoped to be stopped by a mere barrier. It was evident that she hadn't expected as the barrier was easily ripped through by my swords.
I savoured the moment of panic in her eyes, even as her body visibly charged with prana.
Prana Burst
Technically it was far from Saber's unique technique. Anyone can release prana in explosive burst but most people have neither the reserves nor the endurance to control the technique effectively.
But for the privileged few, there is no greater instant defence as attested when Serafall's technique easily broke my swords.
Destroying multiple C-rank Noble Phantasm with such a crude technique was a testament to her talent. I am impressed.
Ice came and froze my shoes solid to ground. I didn't care, my spell was almost over as well.
Einzbern Alchemy: Sword Trap
Another of Archer's tricks that I had ripped off him but, in my argument, I had improved it.
The fragments of the noble phantasm transmuted with the ice from her attack and launched at her. She was awfully rusty for a supposed Satan.
There was enormous power but if I was able to corner her and hammer her this easily, her reflexes must be poor as all hell.
No matter her stamina, at the rate we were fighting, I would simply outlast her as show couldn't hope to keep overpowering my attacks with make shift techniques without exhausting her reserves within minutes.
As I wondered whether to keep up the pressure or mount a stronger attack, Serafall took the moment to disagree.
Temperature fell rapidly. I now had to actively pump prana to keep my body temperature functional and still frostbite was claiming my extremities.
Steel is my body, FIRE is my blood
The world of blades came closer to the realty and the heat from the forges of my soul warmed my body. The cold resistance was greatly appreciated.
It was costly for me, but it had to be much costlier for Serafall.
My attack had stopped in mid-air, without touching anything.
It took me a moment to wonder how and then the answer came.
Motion required energy and by approaching the temperature close to Absolute Zero, Serafall had halted all the motion.
It was a devasting technique. To stop all motion in her reach, I would die if I was in range while also defending her from most conventional techniques.
If that wasn't enough, it probably boosted her already master level ice works to borderline divine.
"She fights like the Leviathan of my old world."
"Agreed." The Great Red probably had seen my memory of THAT.
Alas she was nothing like the Leviathan of my old world that I had encountered during my missions in the Other Side of World and hell itself. I doubted she was immortal.
Somethings were best left forgotten.
"You are credit to your family." She said breaking me out of my thoughts.
"As are you." I replied.
"Even some Ultimate Level Devils can't force me to use Absolution of Zero, yet you did. I commend you."
"And I commend you for the spell you just completed, might I know its name."
She smiled softly at me and called out its name.
Empress of Wonderland
"It is a fitting name is it not?" I asked out aloud as I took in its effects.
"Indeed, it is." Through my eyes, the Great Red saw the deadly yet alluring visage. It seemed like a final gift for one who was about to die.
A world of snow and ice raged at earth with its empress as its centre and I knew her wrath as it descended upon me.
It was beautiful.
(POV Sona Sitri)
How in the world did I always land in these situations?
"Well Sona, here I thought I was the slutty one."
Idly I wondered if drowning Akeno in few litres of Holy water help some but I gave up realising that there wasn't enough Holy water in world to help the bitch.
"Akeno, Sona is a true friend. To sympathise with my betrothal, she got herself one as well." If only Akeno's big breasted King wasn't being a bitch as well.
"Go Fuck Yourself, Rias." Devil damnit I was having a bad day, okay? If anybody was having a problem with my cursing, well they could go fuck themselves too.
"Regardless, he would make an excellent knight. With the betrothal he just might join a peerage." Rias' knight interjected.
"Speaking from getting your ass kicked around the dojo?" I was grateful for Saji stating the obvious but not grateful enough to try and protect him when my peerage members ripped him a new one for insulting their target of affection.
Kiba for his part looked sheepish.
"Yeah I would apologize for that." Kiba promised.
"He rejected my offer fairly firmly, I am afraid. I will continue to pursue him to see if the betrothal has changed anything." I couldn't afford to have a human husband as the heir of Sitri.
"If reincarnating him is the issue, I would be happy to help." Rias offered her 'help'
Oh, you would like that, wouldn't you? Somehow, I knew this moment would come. Just not this early.
While I could understand Rias' need for getting out of the arrangement with the Phoenix family regarding her own betrothal, having my husband in Rias' peerage would put the entire Sitri household in Rias' control. Not to mention the prospect of a knight who could defeat her already existing knight as a human.
I came to the understanding of her desires.
Rage came and vitriol as well.
"Mind your own business, Gremory."
Devils matured faster than humans did but they did mature along the same lines. Friendship had no place in a war of ambitions. Devils took their ambitions very seriously.
And if Freedom isn't an ambition worth fighting for, I don't know what is.
Understanding seemed to flash in Rias' eyes as she seemed to realize that the time was finally upon them.
It was every devil for themselves now.
"So, it is like this." In what seemed like first time in forever, Akeno was serious.
"While all this is very interesting…" A familiar voice came.
I turned around and found a sight that caused my words to fail me.
"We have more matters at hand." Grayfia Lucifage concluded. My parents were with her but it was the people with them that were of concern.
Three of Four Satans stood with their peerage flanking them. The crest of Lucifer stood hauntingly on the armour of Rias' brother.
The King of Devil had come and he did not look pleased.
(Rias POV)
I had never seen my brother like this.
There was simply no trace of the familiar face that I had come to love. Sirzechs hated the armour yet for him to dawn it? Unthinkable.
"You need to work on your magic detection skills." Ajuka was never one to mince words.
"I am afraid I do not understand, Lord Beelzebub." I offered.
In lieu of an answer, Ajuka switched on the television and fiddled with the channels till an array of weather reports came forth.
'Hurricane in Japan…'
'Unprecedanted snowfall across Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima…"
'Heavy hailstorm in….'
"Weather manipulation? Who could be doing this?" Sona was always quick on uptake.
"Impossible for a single person at this scale, even a Satan can't manipulate weather of an entire country. This has to be a multistep ritual." I concluded.
"Normally you would be right." My brother's interjection caused me to wince, it was sharp.
"But there is a spell that can do so."
"I have never heard of a spell that can alter an entire country's weather." And if Sona hadn't, I had no chance either.
"It is called Empress of Wonderland."
I took a moment to take in the ludicrous name for a spell that powerful. I wondered if Sona's father was taking the mickey.
"It sounds like something my sister would come up with." I agreed with Sona's statement. Serafall was weird like that.
"That is because she did." Words seemed to get stuck in my throat at Lord Beelzebub's word.
"What?" To be fair, Sona's question was better than what I could manage.
"Empress of Wonderland is the manipulation of thermal energy at highest levels. Every bit of heat is denied. A centre of absolute zero that causes even the very stream of time to come to a halt. An absolute protection of time. Any and all motion unauthorized by Serafall is forbidden. Ice magic is greatly accelerated where even a novice level spell has the power of a master level one. The master level spells are practically single shot god killers." He explained further.
"An army killer?" Sona ventured.
He nodded.
"But what would cause her to use something like that in middle of Kuoh?" Akeno asked.
"Emiya." Sona's horrified voice resonated in the air.
Like I said, Sona was always quick on uptake.
(Emiya Shirou POV)
"This is ridiculous." I said out aloud.
The seven-layered shield of Noble Phantasm Rho Aias came at my command. I pumped more and more prana from the air till I broke it. A single moment of protection but absolute.
"I agree." The bastard dragon in my mind chimed.
My 'absolute' protection lasted few moments but soon cracks began to develop under the tornado that the crazy women had set on me.
"Is there no way we could talk this out?!" I screamed at the overpowered Satan who had set a fucking twister on my Noble Phantasm.
She set forth another eleven tornadoes, making an even dozen.
…
"You are fucked."
I agreed as the shield as strong as entire fortresses failed me and exploded in my face in a titanic explosion.
…
"Hey, Red." I was laying on the ground taking in the beauty of the weather that seemed hell bent on killing him.
Which to be honest was the case.
"Yes?"
"Now I am pissed."
(Cue Naruto Shippuden OST 1 - Track 01 – Shippuden)
My core is twisted in madness.
In this prana filled world, my Noble Phantasm fakes were not as costly and it showed.
"Brahmastra." The bow of the Hindu Legend Karna, any and all arrows might as well be nuclear homing missiles.
"Caladbolg II, Trace Alter." A sword twisted into an arrow. Thank you, Archer, for this one too.
TRACE: BREAK PHANTASM!
"Overkill." The dragon in mind criticized me.
"I am just getting started."
A sphere of no energy zone came and seemed to protect Serafall. The sword-arrow hung in the air seemed to come at a halt as space-time itself forbid further movement.
She was far from the only one who could manipulate space-time.
I ran at her, my weapon of choice already clear.
She looked at me as despite the dangerous weapon closing on her, the weapon taking shape in my hand was far worse. It exuded bloodthirst.
It was an Irish legend of a spear which was a 100% certainty of hit through heart. Something that should give a 100% certainty of kill but I had survived this spear head on after all.
"GAE BOLG!"
The Lance of the Irishman was heavy and the technique harder as my muscles budged in mid-air. I reinforced my muscles beyond my upper limits. The muscles ripped them free as my tendons burst. The pain was excruciating.
But my aim was true.
In response to my attack, Serafall correctly abandoned her approach. She moulded her spell like a champion and the omnidirectional sphere of protection split into two stronger but limited shields.
One for Caladbolg and another for Gae Bolg.
But my aim was true.
The spear struck her right through her heart causing her to lose her hold on her spell. Caladbolg exploded in her face.
Far I was, yet the force was that of a nuclear strike and I allowed myself to be carried back.
Idly I reached for Avalon, I would need that to ensure that I didn't kill Serafall. That would be bad.
The weather seemed to clear as her spell was cleared.
I spied her motionless body falling and I sped in her direction. I might not make it.
Excalibur
I reached and took hold of the Sword of Promised Victory causing me to instantly speed up and my regeneration rapidly increased causing my arm to repair itself in mere moments.
I jumped.
Mid air I caught the Satan. She was surprisingly unharmed despite being centre of a city destroyer.
She was surprisingly strong too for her prana levels were higher than ever before.
She was surprisingly awake too as murderous ice blue eyes looked back at me. Weren't they supposed to violet?
I felt like I had just caught a triggered grenade.
Serafall transformed.
Fuck my life.
(Serafall Leviathan POV)
We live in a cruel world.
I had always known that. Yet, when choices like this came, why do I always forget?
I couldn't protect Sona forever.
I had always known that. Yet, when choices like this came, why do I always forget?
Emiya would have been an excellent husband. If only….
"Enough." Words came from deeper within. The source of my magics. Sirzechs had his power of destruction, I had my Absolution of Zero.
"No more if's, call me forth. I will deal with this welp."
Devoid of choice, I agreed. Instantly, my skin began to peel away as my very form couldn't handle my full power. Cruelty and rage came as the full force of my heritage stuck me like lightning. The power was intoxicating.
"Perhaps, I should thank you Emiya."
I stuck him across the chest. I felt it cave in and the skin flayed at coming in contact with absolute zero temperature.
He flew like a swallow before crashing like titanic.
It was fascinating to watch. I felt giddy.
"This is the first time, Serafall acceded to my demands. I must say the battlefield is quite a place to be in."
Arrows from all directions came and I idly swatted them away like flies.
"What are you?"
He didn't even stop firing. What a rude boy. I made a mental note to rip out his heart for that. Regardless, I had more than enough time in between his shots.
"I don't really have a name. Serafall calls me Absolution of Zero but you?"
"You can call me Leviathan."
My turn.
A cage of Ice came into existence encasing and frostbiting Emiya's legs. I savoured the look of pain in his eyes.
"Serafall was nothing like you."
I stabbed an ice spear through his lung for that. It was rude to enrage me further.
"Don't you get it now, Emiya?"
"I am the real deal. The weakling is unworthy of the title. Always being less than she could be. She could have been the King and yet she gave it all up."
"I gave her power."
The spear in Emiya's lung grew and began to consume him inside out.
"I gave her status."
A multitude of spears grew from the cage, stabbing Emiya throughout the body till he resembled a modern art piece.
He kept firing stronger weapons but I froze and broke them all.
"Yet she let me down."
In a last-ditch effort, chains encircled and actually bound me. I was mildly surprised.
"Oh, what are these?" I wondered.
"Enkidu, the chain that hold the heavens."
I took a moment to inspect them. They were beautiful but I quickly grew bored.
"But can they hold me? "I asked. The chains shattered.
I walked over and looked him in his eyes. He was handsome. I idly considered raping him before killing him but my lust for blood was greater than lust for his flesh.
I could always rape him later.
"You are just like her. Choosing to be beneath what you are."
Something shifted in his eyes.
"You have not loved." He seemed to state.
"What part of me screams 'love'?" I asked sarcastically.
"Then you can't understand."
My world flashed.
(Cue FSN Unlimited Blade Work- #19)
(Emiya Shirou POV)
I stood in my world of blades. The dragon watched yet didn't say anything. He didn't have to.
My blades came and joined as I forged a blade from my swords. From their soul and mine.
It was greatest of all Miracle.
I am the soul of my sword,
As I touch my soul, Dreams become Steel,
Heavens becomes within my reach
As I touch my soul, I feel the Heavens
Hope becomes Steel
Third Magic: Heaven's feel
A sword of soul pierce me and bound me to this world.
I spent prana recklessly on regenerating my organs and I finished it all. My prana burnt out and I died.
But the Miracle of Soul, kept my soul in this dimension. My soul was a machine in perpetuality. Eternal and Infinite, my body glowed with unlimited prana.
Now it was my turn.
Two swords of mere steel stuck the Leviathan. She didn't even bother defending. They cracked at contact.
Four followed. Same.
Eight. Same.
Sixteen. Same.
Thirty-Two. Same.
Sixty-Four. Same.
One Hundred Twenty-Eight. Same.
Funny thing, exponential growth. It took me doubling my swords a mere eight times (256) to force her to defend.
A mere doubling of sixteen (65,546) and I drew her blood.
And a mere doubling of thirty-two (4,294,967,296 or 4 billion swords) to injure a major organ. Liver in case you are wondering.
And a mere doubling of sixty-four (18,446,744,073,709,551,616 or 18 quintillion swords) to defeat her.
(Third Person POV)
"So now what?" Shirou asked lamely.
"Kill me." Her violet coloured eyes seemed lifeless.
Shirou took a moment to process that. He looked her in the eyes.
"No."
Serafall didn't know what to say anymore.
"Why did you try to kill me?"
Her heart empty, she explained. The consequences of betrothal for Sona and Jubstachiet's subsequent assassination orders. Somehow Shirou should have expected the later.
"There has to be a way out of this." Shirou asked.
"You think I wouldn't have thought of that before trying to kill you?"
"Did you?"
"Off course, the only way out of the betrothal is death, a formal dismissal, extenuating circumstances and…."
"And?" Shirou implored her to continue.
An evil smile came upon Serafall's face.
Somehow, it was Serafall and not the Leviathan, yet it was positively far scarier. And the later had tried to brutalize and murder him followed by raping his corpse.
Skill activated: Eroge Protagonist
(Occult Research Club)
(Third Person POV)
"So, let me get this straight." Sona said, speaking like she really wasn't being paid enough for this shit. Well she wasn't being paid anything but she really should be.
"You." She pointed at the scantily dressed Serafall who was far too exposed in her torn clothes for Sona's comfort (or pride as a woman.)
"You, had sex with him." She pointed at Shirou.
"To release me from the contract because of the virginity clause?" Yeah it was a pile of bullshit they were shovelling.
"Wait, isn't that clause only valid for females?" Saji interjected.
"Devils aren't sexist." Magic was a great equalizer like that, Ajuka Beelzebub left unsaid before continuing," More on the point, why did you transform?"
Oh yeah, the magnitude of prana released had been felt all across the globe much less across the city.
Serafall answered like the diplomat she was.
"I lost control."
Never mind.
"You mean to say." Ajuka interjected, "He." Ajuka pointed at Shirou, who had long ago receded back into his 'happy place'.
"He, despite being a virgin, was so great in sack that it caused you to lose control and transform?!" Ajuka didn't know whether it was the greatest lie ever told or the most absurd fact.
He didn't know which was worse either.
"Yup." Serafall answered causing Shirou to further recede in his happy place.
….
Ajuka took a moment to think things through and look for possible loopholes before looking at Issei Hydou, a newly reincarnated Devil in Rias' peerage
"Tell me more about this Anti-Excalibur club."
Issei for his part didn't know whether he should be happy at prospective new members or cry at THE ENEMY having won again.
Author's Note:
Thanks for the great reviews last time.
Till then, RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE!
It will be the last chapter for a while.
