A/N: More butt kicking action… nice. I guess a bit of fluff, depending on how you look at it.
CH.36: Power Field
Ilya mentally cursed all while she was being driven through the tunnel, the shadow pushing her with little effort. No matter how much she hated it, her strength did nothing to make up for her light weight. Grunting from a sudden impact to her back, Ilya figured it was time to use her weight to her advantage. She immediately bent backwards, flipping upside down with her feet firmly against the chest of non other than Slade. She pushed with her legs, driving the demon into the ground and sending herself high into the air. Skillfully, Ilya timed her descent perfectly, landing right on the broad shoulder of Berserker when he burst into the chamber.
A hollow chuckle escaped the unseen lips of Slade, the trench-coat wearing General standing up among the active dust and broken tile. He cracked his neck and jumped into the air, a spire of earth suddenly shooting out below him. He sat upon the sharp spire, eyes focused on Ilya and Berserker, "Very interesting." He slithered to his feet, "I wander how well your strength will serve you in this environment."
Ilya smirked devilishly, "Just fine, more than what I can say about your brains Slab."
Slade glared at the snow-haired mini-titan, "You will rue the day you mocked me woman." He growled, more spires shooting out randomly from the wall. Just when three spires shot out, the one under Slade retracted, "As I'm sure you can see, this room is quite dangerous. The Tectonic Plates in this realm were mutated by the battle that took place long ago, causing them to do what you see here." He twirled, a spire missing him.
Berserker ducked, feeling the wind from the spire that just formed over him, "Ilya, do not focus solely on Slade, if you do, you will not be able to sense the spires around you."
Ilya nodded, thanking Berserker's DNA for heightened all around senses. She suddenly leaned to the side, dodging the first spire she sensed. Immediately after, she dropped to her knees dodging another. It didn't end there, she then leaned forward, dodging yet another, now in a crouching position. Like a nimble feline, Ilya sprang forward, her axe-club in hand.
Slade's eyes thinned from behind the spire formation around him, "I see, the child wants to play first." He suddenly disappeared, reappearing further back, "Then let us play!" He swung his arm, the sleeve of the trench coat stretching out. Like a sick mixture between a whip and a liquid blade, the sleeve cut through the spire and went directly for Ilya. To say she was surprised was an understatement. Frantically, Ilya twisted in mid-air, dodging Slade's arm by a hair. However, she did not escape harm, as she was thrown back by an unseen force.
Three of Slade's six eyes widened, the others thinning, as he felt a towering figure behind him, "Fool," Slade raised his other arm, the sleeve morphing into a giant claw. The sleeve shot into the air and rocketed back to the ground, gripping both of Berserker's axe-club bearing hands. Heracles fought against the claw's hold, trying to bring his axe-club down on the General right in front of him. Slade restored his other arm and simply held Berserker in place, "This place is very convenient," His shoulders relaxed, "I don't even need to attack you in order to kill you." Slade suddenly disappeared, releasing Berserker.
"Berserker!" Ilya sprang for him, praying she would get there in time. Without warning, she tucked her legs in, her knees centimeters from her chin. When she was close enough, Ilya kicked Berserker with both legs, sending them both flying in opposite directions. Ilya ignored the three spires that suddenly sprang up where Berserker once was, focusing on the demon in her path. Slade was too stunned to react when Ilya put him in a headlock with her legs, gripping his head with one hand. While her hold of steel was on Slade's head, she delivered a Herculian punch to his head, using the same fist to back-fist him. Slade coughed at the sheer force of the blows, but Ilya wasn't done there. She leaned down to him, her crimson eyes glowing, "I'll kill you for hurting Berserker." She hissed, her grip increasing.
Berserker watched with a strange mixture of surprise, pride, and fear as Ilya did the unthinkable.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
xxx
Shirou's eyebrow rose when the door before him clicked loudly, the lock disengaging, 'Wow, Gallium works pretty fast.' He waited for the door to open enough for him to go through, 'I wander if he met any opposition?' Shirou took one step through, ignoring the steam from the door. As soon as he took one step inwards, Shirou felt the presence he was hoping not to face. He could easily swallow his fear to fight Lucifer, Gamorah, or even the mysterious Slade. However, this opponent would take more mental strength than Shirou thought he had.
"S-Shirou?" Dark Saber looked down from the chair she was sitting in, her usual cold eyes warming slightly. She could feel a faint smile forming, but upon seeing the expression on Shirou's face, her young smile died prematurely, "You don't seem happy to see me." She looked down slightly, seeming harmless in her normal clothes. It was just like Arturia's, accept black where it was blue and the stockings ended at the middle of her pale hips.
Shirou felt his mouth drop open, hearing the strange tone from, what he thought was, the physical manifestation of Arturia's hate and sadness, "What the… how the… what is going…" Shirou's mouth flapped open and shut like a fish, dumbfounded by the situation. He immediately shut up when Dark Saber looked down sadly, "U-Um, it's not that… it's just… uh."
Dark Saber sighed deeply and sat back down, "You're here to stop the Ten Commandments aren't you." Her voice lost what little emotion it had before, sounding like the uninterested question of a bored royal. Her gold eyes slowly focused on Shirou, seeing him nod with determination.
Shirou watched her as she stood up and made her way down to him, her movements smooth and elegant. Shirou's eyebrows furrowed when he noticed the very slight, almost invincible, hesitation, 'She's scared of me?' Shirou analyzed her movements, trying to use all he's learned of Arturia to read Dark Saber, 'No, she's scared of something, but not me.' He waited for her to speak as she stood two feet away from him. Suddenly, she closed the distance, leaning up so that they were only inches apart, "Will you get in my way?"
Dark Saber glared at him much like Arturia does, "Is that all you see in me, an enemy?" She leaned back, as if hurt by his words.
Shirou was really taken back, but didn't show it. What was wrong with her? He'd only recently seen her in person, but judging from he had observed and heard: this was definitely strange, "What are you talking about? We are enemies." His serious face faltered, "I think,"
Dark Saber immediately looked away, as if disgusted, "Why, why do you hate me and not her?" She glared at the ground, eyes growing furious with frustration, "She was willing to let you go, but I protested." She looked back at Shirou, "I was the one demanded to stay with you."
Shirou stepped to the side, Dark Saber following and stepping closer to him. Her eyes showed way more passion than he expected. Suddenly, Shirou's eyes widened with realization, "You're her raw emotion, your not just anger and hate." He bit back a yelp when Dark Saber hugged him tightly, 'Alright, this is just getting strange.'
Dark Saber looked into space, "I am all of her emotions. I am more so the darkness in her heart than anything else." She immediately looked up at him.
"So her evil half?" Shirou felt her grip tighten painfully, her eyes glaring up at him with a mixture of hurt and rage.
"I am not evil,"
"Then why are you with Satan?"
"I AM NOT EVIL!" Dark Saber jumped away from Shirou as if burned. Her eyes shook, forcing her to close them and face away, "I'm not,"
Shirou sighed, "Listen, we'll talk this out after I shut this thing down." He stepped towards the large machine in the center of the chamber. Pistons and gears turned and pumped with fury, steam spewing out periodically. At its center, a sphere of white energy pulsated in time with his heartbeat, rectangular sheets of metal circling it. Shirou neared the machine, but Dark Saber grabbed his arm. Shirou looked back, seeing her blonde locks veil her eyes.
Out of his sight, Dark Saber's eyes grew cold and emotionless, "Fine," Her grip strengthened, "enemies we shall be." Displaying inhuman strength, Dark Saber threw Shirou back towards the door, the mighty entrance closing just in time for his head to slam against it.
Shirou looked at her in shock, seeing her body glow and become covered in her black armor. Her golden eyes gave him one last soft look before a black visor blocked them from view, the shadow of Excalibur and Caliburn forming on her body. Reaching for Caliburn on her hip, Dark Saber started for Shirou, her body outlined by crimson mana. Shirou rolled to the side, dodging the first strike. Unfortunately, the door suffered the impact, Caliburn cutting through the thick blockade like a knife through paper.
Dark Saber pivoted to face him, readying Caliburn for another swipe. Shirou, on the other hand, got over his shock and rolled to his feet. Dark Saber charged for him, but he back-stepped, the tip of the mighty sword leaving a scratch on his chest, "The day I decide not to wear any armor." He sighed, swearing never to ignore his gut feelings again. He rolled to the side and back-stepped dodging a two-piece strike, "If you're going to fight me, at least try." He yelped when Caliburn whizzed past his head, cutting off a few strands of white hair, "Dumb Shirou, dumb."
xxx
Slade was knelt down on the ground, gripping his face in disbelief. He looked to Ilya with enough hate to fuel Hell itself, seeing her callously twirl one of his eyes by its vein, "I will enjoy choking you by your own innards you ignorant child." He stood up, cracking his neck. Black blood oozed from the socket where his eyes once was, the other five glaring cold death upon the still grinning Ilya.
"Don't worry Slade," Ilya smiled as sweetly as she could, "I'll be ripping out the other five soon enough." She continued to play with Slade's eye as Berserker surged ahead of her.
Slade weaved between his mighty grip, eyes still glaring at Ilya. However, Heracles demanded his attention when a field of purple energy electrocuted him, "Gaaaaah," He was flung from his spot and into the wall, a still grinning Ilya looking down at him.
Ilya grabbed him by the head and slammed him into the wall, face to the rough wall of the chamber, "Berserker," She looked back at him, "you want to take this one?"
Heracles stomped on Slade, making sure to put his weight into it. The slim demon wheezed under the pressure, but his torment was not yet over. Suddenly, Berserker's foot left his chest, but a spire took its rightful place. The sharp spike of earth shot through the back of his skull and out through the back of his second eyes, dragging him outwards when the spire grew too thick. Writhing in pain, Slade reached for his skewered eye, his own blood painting the floor under him. Suddenly, the spire retracted, dragging him back to the wall. With a sick slam, he was right up against the wall again, now only four eyes remaining.
"Before the day is done Slade," Berserker loomed over him, "we will blot out all of your eyes and rip out your tongue." Berserker growled dangerously when a choked gurgle came from Slade, the strange sound changing into a sick chuckle.
Slade's shoulders shook, his head snapping up to look at Berserker and Ilya, "Fools, I have been fighting a war beyond your imagination for centuries, millennia even." His chuckling grew to full blown laughter as he sunk into a pool of blackness. Ilya and Berserker looked to the very center of the chamber, seeing Slade levitating in midair, arms twisted to a needle-sharp point, "Die," He hissed, driving both arms through either side of his neck. Black blood flooded out of the wounds, splashing the walls and floor. As if it were alive, Slade's blood began to combine, delving the room in complete darkness, "Demonic Ascension, Cage of Damnation."
Ilya stepped towards Berserker, the darkness completely blinding her, "I can't see anything." Her eyes dilated, hoping to catch some light, but only met more darkness. Suddenly, a pattern of red lights appeared in front of her followed by another and two more, "Berserker,"
"Stay calm Ilya, he's hoping to scare you enough to force you into making a mistake." Heracles positioned himself so that his bulk protected his smaller companion. He raised his axe-club, broad weapon blocking a strike from the shadows. He suddenly shoved Ilya back, the sound of flesh ripping filling her ears.
"Berserker," She jumped, feeling warm liquid drip onto her face and shoulder. She felt around, feeling a spire and then another, both slicked by blood, "Are you alright?"
Berserker groaned, "I still have lives left, I only need time to heal." He growled when the spires retracted, allowing his ripped flesh to mold together and scar over.
Ilya bit her lip, 'There's got to be something we can do." She yelped when Slade knocked her aside, the wall hitting her suddenly. The pain was doubled now that she didn't know when she was about to hit something, let alone what. Ilya immediately rolled to the side, hoping to avoid any spires Slade planned to skewer her with, but it was fast enough. A roaring pain shot through her arm, a spire pinning her in place. Ilya cursed when the spire remained longer than the others. She gasped sharply when cloth rubbed against her cheek, her eyes widening in realization. The pattern of crimson lights loomed over her, six oval shapes glaring down demonically.
"I told you woman," Cold breath licked at Ilya's cheek, "I'd hang you by your innards." The cloth went into Ilya's stomach, blood splashing on her face as she screamed as loud as she could.
Berserker roared upon hearing the pained yell of Ilya, the field of energy pushing back three clones of the ascended demon. He surged forward, ramming Slade into the wall. The demon hissed and disappeared, leaving Berserker to calm the shaken and injured Ilya. He reached down and felt her face, feeling the warm blood droplets against her shaking skin, "Ilya, are you alright?"
Ilya struggled to her feet, feeling her knees shake one last time before becoming strong again, "Y-Yeah, I'm just shaken up that's all." She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the dryness in her throat. She was so close to dying that time, if Berserker had been any slower, she was sure Slade would have lynched her for sure. She felt her stomach wound begin to heal, utilizing the healing properties of Berserker's DNA, "What are we going to do? We can't see him."
"Ragnarok," Berserker muttered, feeling the hilt in his mighty hand already. Memories of Odin flashed through his mind, remembering the emotions he felt coming from the Norse god. He was feeling it right now, the drive to win, the absolute need to feel and taste victory between his teeth, "Ilya, get back." Berserker turned and slashed, the glowing sword, the physical form of the legendary battle of the end, roared in his fist. Like a proud hunter, the sword seemed to claim the blood that, instead of spewed out, seemed to be sucked back in.
xxx
Shirou stumbled back, the cracked sword in his hand falling to pieces after yet another meeting with Caliburn. His wrists whined from the impact, his bones moaned from the sheer force of matching Dark Saber blow for blow, 'She's so freakin' strong!' Shirou discarded the shattered remains of his sword and traced another, made solely for the purpose of fending off Caliburn.
Dark Saber reeled back and swung, shattering the blade easily. She reached out with her black gauntlet, the laws digging into Shirou savagely. Ignoring the crimson staining her gauntlet, Dark Saber shoulder checked him, knocking Shirou back into the wall he was trying to avoid. Pointing the sword at his throat, Dark Saber thrust forward. When Shirou's body turned to sand, she growled, "Where did you learn to make fakes like that!?"
Shirou traced two katana, one larger than the other. He surged forward, going on the intense offensive. Dark Saber tried to strike him down, but Shirou used the larger katana to deflect the strike, going in with the second to take out his opponent. However, Dark Saber jumped back in time to avoid a fatal blow, only getting a gash instead. Shirou felt a pang of discomfort as he watched Dark Saber hold the injury, blood dripping on the black armor.
"You've gotten skilled Shirou." She spat his name, but it was forced. She drove Caliburn into the ground, holding both arms outwards, wind whipping around unseen swords, "It seems sheer power won't do in this fight." She sprang towards him, two Invisible Air swords in hand. Shirou stumbled backwards, trying to measure out the dimensions of the swords, but between trying to keep from losing balance and dying, he couldn't keep up.
Boy
Shirou leapt backwards, falling to his knees as a voice boomed in his head. Resisting the urge to grip his pumping skull, Shirou fought on, deflecting and blocking the invisible swords.
You dare ignore me you foolish human!?
Shirou cried out and rolled to the side, dropping one katana to hold his head in pain, 'What is going on? It didn't hurt this much when the voice spoke to me.' He back-stepped and blocked, the impact forcing him aside.
The seal has been broken, but you are not ready to wield Einzheimer. My voice reaches you with more strength because the living weapon senses your danger.
'Who are you?' Shirou got to his feet and kicked off the wall, jumping over Dark Saber's head. He stumbled a bit when the ground shook, the phenomenon also attracting Dark Saber's attention.
She looked up with slight scowl, "I see, the Guardians are awake," She looked at Shirou, "I can see you're occupied with something, I have no interest in fighting an opponent who rudely ignores his enemy." As soon as she said this, three Guardians descended upon Shirou, five more following soon after. In seconds, Shirou found himself completely surrounded by Guardians, his head still feeling like it would split open.
Stop your doddling boy, release me, release your true self!
'What are you talking about!?' Shirou looked at the Guardians looming over him, all eight glaring down as if deciding how to kill him. His eyes stole a glance at Dark Saber, seeing her watching him closely.
Everyone has a destiny, a person they will grow to be. The difference, the only say they have, is the environment and the circumstances of their awakening. Now RELEASE YOUR TRUE SELF, THE ONE YOU ARE DESTINED TO BE!
Shirou screamed when he felt his body become engulfed in pain, as if fire were surrounding him. His golden eyes intensified, glowing a dangerous amber color. Outwardly, his body was completely covered in orange magic circuits, each one screaming with raw, unrestrained power. The Guardians were blown back by a hellstorm of fire that engulfed Emiya Shirou's body, encasing him in baptismal flames. Shirou took a large gulp of air, feeling the pain suddenly die and the cooling feel of peace wash over him. He found himself sitting among a field of golden wheat, the plants tickling his white-clad body and nose. He looked around in utter confusion until his eyes began to see the room where Dark Saber resides.
Dark Saber herself was in shock, not believing what she was seeing. The hell-storm had exploded into a field of flames, a Reality Marble forming around them all. The Guardians surrounded the one Dark Saber was gawking at, their minds not registering the vast change that just occurred.
In place of the young tracer, was an older man. This person stood well over six feet, his skin tanned and eyes amber with hidden fury. His hair was white, the hairs on his head buzzed. He also had a beard and mustache, the hair practically glowing white themselves. His armor was crimson, angelic in design. It was the same Archer had when his seal was broken. The man looked at each Guardian and grunted at each, a smirk playing at his mouth. The man was obviously in his mid to late thirties, for his skin was not yet wrinkled, but age was beginning to show.
"W-Who are you?" Dark Saber asked more to herself than this being before her. There was no way it could be Shirou, the power illuminating from him was indescribable, unbelievable, seemingly endless.
The man snapped his fingers, the Reality Marble taking full shape around them. It was the very scene Shirou's nightmares depicted, the burning Fuyuki ten years before he met Arturia. With a wave of his hand, various weapons sprang from the ground, each one with the same message inscribed on them. In all languages of the world, including ancient runes, one phrase was glowing on the blades of each weapon, "Emiya Slayer of Heroes." Dark Saber looked to the older form of Emiya Shirou, "It's a bit of an exaggerated title really, I don't really fight noble spirits myself."
"How is this even possible?" Dark Saber watched the Guardians descend upon this Slayer of Heroes, only to meet death in its quickest and coldest way. She watched this older Shirou rip the arm of one Guardian away, only to break it down into a flurry of swords and send it right back, skewering it. With another, he traced seven lances, each one with strange tips. He drove two into its eyes, the lances exploding to blow holes in its head. With the other five, he drove them into five key locations, the lances blowing the Guardian to pieces.
"Come now, don't let this old man beat too badly." The aged Shirou ducked through the raining shots from the six remaining Guardians. Sighing, he raised his hand, Rho Aias forming to protect him. Shirou kicked the spinning shield, watching as it crashed against three Guardians and pinned them against a burning building. Snapping his fingers, swords sprang from the burning building, skewering the three Guardians, "Only three left, any chance you will retreat?" His answer was the three beings taking out their lances, "Stupid question, of course you won't." He weaved between the strike, three buildings dissolving behind him. He chuckled as he dodged yet another barrage of lance strikes, "Gae Bolg," The crimson lance appeared in his hands. Shirou thrust it forward, a crimson beam bouncing off the ground and through the chest of the first Guardian. Nothing was left as the strike blew it to shards of scrap, surprising Dark Saber in the distance.
She watched as Shirou weaved between more, his face growing more serious with every strike. He threw Gae Bolg through the second Guardian, blowing it to nothing also, 'How can he wield these weapons with just as much efficiency as the ones who were gifted with them?' Dark Saber readied Excalibur, wanting to end this before it went too far. Just by looking at him, she felt her shell cracking, all the emotion she held trying to claw their way out.
The aged Shirou, the other hand, could sense Excalibur being readied and impaled the last Guardian. Detonating Gae Bolg, the Guardian was nothing more than added ash to the burning Fuyuki around him. Immediately he traced a claymore and blocked Caliburn, its user already preparing to use the Sword of Promised Victory, "Such hostility,"
Snap
That's all it took, one phrase is all it took for her to break, "Shut up!" Dark Saber summoned Excalibur, not even uttering its name as she held its black form in her hands. Caliburn was thrown to the side, the aura of Excalibur growing to sizes unseen, "How dare you mock me!"
Shirou watched Dark Saber swing Excalibur, quickly summoning the incomplete form of Einzheimer to block. Dark Saber fought against the large weapon while Shirou simply watched, holding Einzheimer to the earth. His amber eyes looked down at the growling Dark Saber, seeing the black visor shatter under the intense pressure of mana. He smirked softly when droplets of tears fell to the earth, evaporating in the flames around them.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE!?" Dark Saber roared, pushing harder, "I felt nothing when you held her!" She pushed harder, "Every caress, every kiss, every feeling was ripped from me!" Her hold weakened, the growling dissolving into powerful sobs. She released Excalibur and collapsed onto Shirou, pounding his chest with her gauntlet, "I was alone, all alone for so long!" She leaned into him heavily, reveling in the feeling of his chest against her. Unlike her other half, this was still new to her, the feeling of being able to feel.
"Ah," Shirou sighed and ran his hand through her light blonde hair, "it was cold in the darkness wasn't it." He took her increase in sobs and tears as a yes. His continued to stand amongst the flames, slowly breaking down the Reality Marble and returning them back to the Ten Commandments, "It's alright now," He rubbed her back, "you don't have to be alone anymore." His eyes went to the door when it opened, seeing a familiar person watching from the door in shock, "I promise, you'll no longer be alone in the cold darkness… Arturia."
Dark Saber held on tighter, still unleashing all that Arturia held back. All the pain she experienced from her family, from having to devote he life to an unforgiving position, telling herself she could never show love. She released the burden of the thousands of faces that haunted her dreams, that clawed for her and wished her to die for killing them on the battlefield.
As he allowed her to cry and felt the thoughts going through her, Shirou began to think that Dark Saber… wasn't so dark after all. She was a woman who could never feel from the moment she became one of history's greatest heroes. Through bottling up her feelings, the depression and happiness and all the other emotions began molding together. Then came Shirou, the person able to pierce the walls and allow the hero to… feel. Then came Satan. To be honest, Shirou thought, Satan did nothing more than give this lonely woman a chance to experience the only thing she yearned for.
Why did she help him? Well, that is a difficult question. Perhaps she was fed up with this world and wanted it all to end. She wanted the pain to end. A simple desire, one that can drive even the most sane to attempt the unthinkable. Yes, she didn't seem quite as dark as he first thought.
All these things ran through Shirou's head as he sat in the field of wheat, examining the scene through the eyes of his true self. Now he understood who he is, what he is. He was born to trace the ultimate weapon, born to trace the very object that will end the war raging in the world of angels, 'But to do so,' Shirou thought, 'would cost my life.'
A/N: Wow, that stuff was freakin' deep. I kind felt for Dark Saber though. I originally planned on killing her, but then I got to thinking. Just what did I make her to be? Was she just evil? I eventually settled on her being the result of Arturia's suppressed emotion, referring back to Gallium telling her that her heart wasn't meant to be as such. I figured it would round things off. With Ilya and Berserker, think blood splatter, only backwards. Please read and review!