A/N: Hey Peeps, Here's the next part of the Monkey King Arc. And I gotta say, Nearing a Thousand favorites, and over a thousand followers...I must really be doing something right. Now for a quick Reviewer Review:
1.) The whole thing about Shirou being irresponsible and gambling their lives, yeah, no. My Shirou isn't going to baby his companions, but he won't exactly leave then in a situation where they will die without him being able to intervene, either. Simply put, he has faith and trust his companions are not completely helpless, but at the same time, he will be keeping an eye on them in case they need his aid. Keep in mind, Shirou made those rings he gave his girls to track them in the event they were ever in trouble. I never revealed what else they can do yet. *Hint Hint*
2.) The comment about Bellerophane and Bellerophon, to my knowledge, there was only three peple with any connection to the Pegasus in Greek Mythology. The First one was Medusa, whom the winged horse was born from the blood of when she was slain by Perseus in her legend. The Second, obviously was Perseus himself. The third was a lesser known Grecian Hero by the name of Bellerophane. Bellerophon was the name of the bridles he used to mount the pegasus he rode as his mount. In my Fic, I use this as a means of differentiating the two. So no, that wasn't a typo on my part, it was deliberate. One was the name of a pegasus ridden by a hero as well as the bridle he used when mounting it, and the other was a person as well as a lesser known Grecian Hero.
3.) No, if Reki killed a weakened god, it would not count as Shirou slaying it. Also, Reki's RM is basically only a partial one. Think something similar to Gilgamesh's Gates of Babylon, only instead of ancient and valuable swords, it manifests as a wall of barrels made of iron and steel firearms. I have a plot reason for his RM and will have more details about it in a later chapter, but more than that, I will not say.
4.) Lastly for now, the whole summoning servants thing, yea, not gonna say whether or not it would actually work. It may or may no, but it depends entirely on what that particular Heroic Spirit's circumstances, who they were, so on and so forth. More than that, I will not say, lest I ruin the plot fodder I have going on. At least for now, anyway.
Now, onto the disclaimer:
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own 'Campione!' or 'FATE', or any other franchise referenced, as they are the respective properties of their respective creators. This story is an AU of Marcus Galen Sands' 'God Slaying Blade Works', with a heavy emphasis on 'WHAT IF' using elements of other fanfics credited as referenced, the 'Harem Ending' of the Nua Realta route, a meshing of Canon lore from both Campione and Nasuverse in a manner to make sense, and a few of my own original ideas thrown in. This is a FREE FAN-FIC of a FAN-FIC, meaning an UNPAID, FAN-MADE FICTION of a FAN-MADE FICTION. If you paid to read this, then you were ripped off, and anyone who does not like this, you do not have to read it. Nobody is making you.
And now:
Story Start
God Slaying Blade Works: The King of Wrought Iron
Seventeenth Blade: The Maddened Protector, A Treacherous Arrival, and A Humbled God-slayer
Nikkou National Park
Illya P.O.V.
As I was walking up to the Divine Beast summoned by [Sun Wukong], I could not help but think back to just a few days after being kidnapped by the Circle and the conversation I had with Shirou…
Flashback Start
'...hey, Illya...there's something that I need to talk to you about..." Shirou asked me in private and out of earshot of the others. I was actually surprised when he discretely asked me to meet him for a private conversation in the dojo away from the others. What was it he needed to speak to me about...was it about Shizuka-chan's latent talent…
"...what is it Shirou...you are being a bit too secretive right now...what are you thinking about?"
That seemed to get the sword incarnation to suddenly stiffen for a brief instant before he visibly relaxed. It seemed whatever he wanted to talk about was something he was worried about. Sighing in slight resignation, he opened his gold and silver gaze to look at me, his face set in a mask of absolute seriousness as his shoulders squared as he seemed to come to a decision to some internal debate he was having with himself...
"...what if I told you it might be possible for Servants to be summoned here in this world without needing the support of the Grail?"
...the bombshell he dropped in that instant led to a series of questions that resulted in the two of us going straight to my workshop to test the theories we came up with and prepare for the experiments to test them...
End Flashback
...taking a deep breath, I simply say a single word, not very loud, but the sheer power behind it echoes throughout the world itself...and called forth the result of these experiments we had performed…
"Berserker!"
...and a giant, massive hulk of lead-gray muscle appeared behind me. His body was not something any mortal human could ever attain, not even if they abused all the performance enhancing drugs and steroids in the world to the absolute obscene limit. He stood towering behind me at an inhuman two-meter-height, the weight of his sheer muscled bulk actually leaving a permanent impression of his bare feet in the petrified ground of [Sun Wukong]'s domain. The colossal beast in the mockery of a man, as no man could ever be that monstrous in size, had a mane of black hair that wildly draped behind his head like a fur carpet, with hetero-chromatic eyes, one blood-red, the other molten-gold, and a face with veins bulging from the sheer rage he currently seemed to exude perpetually in the murderous glare he seemed to be directing towards the Divine Beast before me.
He wore an armored shoulder guard on his right arm with a matching armored kilt and bracers on both his wrists and ankles. Hanging from his shoulder opposite from his armored side is a lions pelt, much like a mantle, as it was far too short to be a cape, but covered his upper torso enough to show some modesty and nobility as homage to his legend as a famed Grecian Hero, yet was practical enough to be worn into battle without being out of place. In his hands he carried a massive metal buster axe-blade matching his arm guard in design that was far too big in size for anyone to possibly carry, much less wield, in such a mockery of an axe-sword that no weapon smith would dare call it a proper weapon, for it was such a mockery of their craft with how seemingly inelegant and with how crudely it was forged as to be an insult to their craft to call it such. He had a massive bow as big as a grown man was tall and a couple of quivers of arrows the size of spears strapped to his back in a manner ready to be drawn and unleashed upon any and all foes before him at a moments notice.
He takes one glare at the Divine beast before me, then he unleashes a fearsome battle cry in the form of a primal roar with a rumbling, gravelly voice like a series of boulders scraping and smashing against one another in a manner no human could or should ever be able to make…
"RROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGH!"
...this was the end result of these said experiments; it had resulted in an astounding success. With Shirou's help, the [Berserker] of the [Fifth Holy Grail War] was not only re-summoned back from within the Throne of Heroes to serve as my protector, but he was even fully resurrected with the help of Shirou's use of the First, Third and Fourth Magics. Shirou used his sorcery to help shape the vessel we started to create for his soul, while I used my knowledge of his spiritual body to shape it more accurately into his image. While it may not have been perfect, we also set it up so that the artificial body could alter itself over time to fit the soul placed into it. I used what limited knowledge I had on the Einzbern Family Homonculi production process among our other signature mage crafts to the absolute best of my ability. I wanted it to be as perfect for him as we could get it. Afterwards, Shirou used his magic to try and fix any structural issues he could find while he was making any adjustments to make his body as close to how it was when he was summoned the last time we had seen him. Then we performed the spell to try and recall his soul from within the Throne of Heroes…
"That giant monkey is your target. Kill it. Don't let it get past you, BERSERKER!"
...when he realized I had re-summoned him, he looked at Shirou confused by what was going on and how he was fully aware and free of the curse of madness before we explained the situation to him. He was not just summoned back into another container in the form of a servant class for the [Holy Grail War], but actually recalled from within the Throne of Heroes into as close to perfect a recreation of his original body as we could have made for him. Shirou explained this was not the same world he was summoned into by me previously, the circumstances of what happened after he had died protecting me, and how I wanted to give him a second chance to live his life as he wanted. I personally felt he deserved better than what he had gotten, and while I knew he would have probably been content with it, I was not happy with the way his life was snuffed out in such a degrading manner by [Gilgamesh] when I last saw him…
"You will not touch my charge!"
...my newly revived protector, the former Berserker of the Fifth Holy Grail War, ex-Servant of Madness of the Fifth Heavens Feel Ritual, the Strongest Hero in all recorded Human History, and the Son of Zeus, Heroic Spirit [Herakles], was now back among the living, and given the chance to do as he saw fit with his new lease on life. Instead of leaving me, though, he chose to continue serving me as my protector, but while he was now fully cognizant of his actions and no longer bound by the master-servant contract he was under previously, he still felt loyalty to me enough to remain as my protector for as long as I lived. We even made his body so he could enter an astral form, yet still be capable of living without needing me to sustain his physical form and having another family again one day if he so wished when he found someone to settle down with. But his actions are now still all his own without a master forcing his obedience, and while I may direct his attention to specific targets to attack, he can and will choose for himself whether or not to act upon them as a situation demands.
With yet another battle cry, Berserker charges around me, heading forth into battle once more. He charges up to the Divine Beast and begins to swing his massive weapon which Shirou had been carefully forging for him as a gift and a congratulatory present for his resurrection after we brought him back. He knew it would be better to get him something practical, but at the same time something that would not require him to remake it over and over to replace it. So he took to the forge he had set up to make it, along with the battle armor Berserker now wore for him. When Berserker saw the gifts, he had actually grinned in approval, saying he wouldn't mind having a friendly spar with him to test them. Considering how well Shirou stood his ground against the former Servant of Madness during the Grail War, we decided that was a spar better done out on the Emiya Ranch to prevent any damage that could not be easily covered up or repaired. Shirou just barely managed to match Berserker physically back then, and he was still only a normal human at the time, not a Campione and a Sorcerer like he is now.
The massive weapon cleaved through the air, and the Divine Beast was actually stunned for a split second by the sight of such a thing screaming towards it before self-preservation instinct kicked in and it hastily raised up its arms in defense…
*Slshh* *Splooooooosh*
"UWAAHAH-GOOUGH!"
...only to have it's right arm severed from the elbow down, a spray of it's divine blood raining down upon Berserker's form as his power is unleashed upon his foes in battle once more. The Divine Beast's scream of pain and fury at being literally disarmed was only cut off painfully as the former Servant of Madness followed through with the blow by punching the overgrown primate with his free hand, the force sending the Divine Beast flying back about thirty feet into the treeline, and landing on it's tail in the most painful way imaginable with an obvious wet crunch of bone as it's tail was crushed and ripped off by the force during its landing.
The whole thing only happened in less than thirty seconds, but one of the Divine Beasts was already short an arm, missing it's tail, and suffering an obviously distressing amount of painful injuries. But in a fit of rage-filled howling, the overgrown primate pulled itself back up with one of the trees that broke its landing, then ripped it right out of the ground, as though by having an improvised weapon would help it out with slaying its new enemy. The wounds it had suffered suddenly steamed before closing shut, leaving quite a few nasty scars scabbing along it's flesh before it glared at Berserker with its intentions clearly written on its face for the petrified tree it had uprooted.
Berserker simply snorted at the sight, as though he felt the monkey was trying to insult him. Considering that was something he would do in his legend, it wasn't surprising to me at all if he felt slighted by the Divine Beast's choice of actions. Picking up any weapon he could find and get his hands on in a battle was how he bested a good number of his foes, after all. It was a simple enough strategy that even an untrained monkey could do it, but it was an insult to him when he had actually created a technique to use with any weapon he could get his hands on in such a scenario; this Divine Beast didn't even have any training with weapons in the slightest. It was merely imitating him, nothing more than a case of 'monkey see, monkey do'…
...and that was precisely what had insulted Berserker just now, who growled a bit in angered annoyance at the blatant mockery of his combat style...at least Shirou makes it a point to take any combat style or techniques he imitates and works hard in his training to make it comparable to its originals...
Running back towards him from the treeline with the improvised weapon in it's remaining left arm, the Divine beast howled in rage, swinging it at Berserker in a manner which would have been worrying to me for any one else. But I knew Berserker better than that, after all, Berserker is the strongest, and nobody can ever defeat him in an upfront fight or head-on battle of pure brute strength. The only reason he even lost to the [King of Heroes] during the Grail War was because he couldn't fight him without endangering me to the crossfire. When he found out what happened afterwards to the fallen Servant of the Bow, he actually laughed and said he approved of giving him a taste of his own medicine as someone who was too cowardly to actually face him in a fair battle as a fellow warrior like Shirou had done against him, despite being a human. He actually respected Shirou for that…
Berserker got into his signature stance for the technique in which he developed in his battle against the Nine-headed Hydra during his Twelve Labors, using his right hand instead of his left as Shirou's bastardized version of the technique does. As the Divine Beast charged forwards towards its perceived greater threat, it finished its final insult against him by attempting a half-baked imitation of Berserker's earlier attack which he crippled it with. But the second it got close enough to even try it...
"...[Nine Lives: Shooting Hundred Heads]!"
...Berserker countered it with his signature technique, the one Shirou created a bastardized version of from the memories he assimilated from Archer. The fight was over before it even started, as there was no way this Divine Beast who simply copied whatever it saw its opponents doing would ever be capable of matching Berserker of all people. He slew the Nemean Lion with his bare hands, killed the Nine-headed Hydra by creating the very technique he just used, and even managed to capture the Erymethian Boar. This overgrown monkey was nothing to him…
"Weaklings imitating without understanding what they see will never beat me with my own technique. Only one person ever managed to do just that, and he's currently been imprisoned away by your master. May you find penance in death for your insults to warriors everywhere..." Berseker said his parting words to the Divine beast right before it faded away, as he entered his astral form as well…
"...just what in the fucking hell was that..." came Kusanagi-san's rather shocked voice at Berserker's seemingly sudden appearance and disappearance, not that I can blame him. I might tell him later, but right now we have more pressing matters to deal with…
During Berserker's Battle-at the same time
Aya P.O.V.
As I drew my new [Delphine] and prepared to use it's special features that I had noticed when I got it, I sensed a strange sensation of murderous rage and certain death coming from behind Illya-san. I knew that presence, as I had the good fortune to meet him earlier when she had brought him out of her workshop. Needless to say, when she told me just who he was, I was absolutely shocked. At least until they explained the whole 'Throne of Heroes' thing to me. That was an eye-opener, especially when He told me that my big brother technically qualified to enter the very same plane of existence, due to the way big brother lived his life and the circumstances of his death the first time.
Pushing these thoughts out from my mind, I focus back on the Divine beast in front of me for my brother and I to deal with. While big brother fired a few rounds to draw its attention, I would harass it, drawing its ire and forcing it to try to go all out in a single strike. When it finally took the bait, the over-sized monkey lunged at my brother, rearing its fist back to punch him…
"...[Negation Absorption]..."
...I used the first special feature of my gun-blade's design, a special enchantment that takes the attacks of my enemies up to a certain level, nullifies the force behind them, then absorbs it for later discharge as a blast charge.
While not a perfect ability, it still takes a lot of force and power to overwhelm the damage absorption threshold limit. Even though it may not be able to absorb a God's overwhelming power very much, it can still take on anything of the level of a Divine Beast, though if its a strong enough one, like a dragon or something of comparable power, it can still inflict harm to me when I use it. Any excessive force it can't absorb is immediately suffered by me as the damage that was intended, but it would be reduced enough to allow me the potential to survive unless it was an absolutely lethal level of power and strength bleeding over. But this overgrown monkey isn't nearly that powerful enough.
*BA-BANG* *BA-BLAM*
"UWAAAAUUGH!"
My brother peppered the over-sized target that was its face with four exploding rounds each, causing it to start clutching its face in a pain-filled and reflexive grab. The stupid primate left itself wide open in the worst way possible for it to do so…
"...[Counter-charge Release]!"
...and gave me the perfect opening for the second special feature of my [Delphine]. While the first special ability allows me to nullify the attacks directed at me by absorbing them and converting them into blast charges, the second special ability releases the built up charges, unleashing the very power of my opponents right back at them. The real kicker is, the more blast charges I store, the greater the output of the released discharge. Since I only had one charge built up though, it was only the exact same force as the Divine Beast's punch...but the place I was planning to unleash said discharge was the one place any man should know better than to leave wide open in a fight against a woman…
*BOOM* *KRNCH*
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUGGHH!"
...in that exact moment, every now-monkey turned away from watching the Divine Beast battling the Kurogane siblings and simultaneously grabbed their crotches and screeched shrilly in sympathy and primal terror of what their widening, horror-filled eyes just saw...as the force of the Divine Beasts own attack had just been redirected, destroying its man-card and crushing the proof of its masculinity into a bloody sausage paste...and even Commander Kurogane Reki winced slightly in absolute sympathy for what his sister had just done to the poor beast, as that is by far the worst fate for any man to suffer…
"[Burst: Desperado]!"
*BOOOOoooomm*
...before firing a powerful enough round from his [Desperado] to put the poor giant primate out of its misery via a bullet to the brain, causing the Divine beast to fall dead on the ground, still grasping its ruined manhood in a dead man's grip before fading away...
*WHUUD*
"...did you really have to aim there with the counter-charge blast, Aya?" my big brother asked me in a slightly broken voice with a rather sickly face and complexion. He was twisting his shoulder as though to work a kink out of it from the backlash of using his [Desperado]. I simply looked at him as though he were being an idiot.
"It was the one who left the opening there constantly. I was simply teaching it a lesson about what not to do in front of a female opponent." I responded flatly, only for his face to turn even paler at my rather flippant response. King Kusanagi also seemed to pale a bit at my rather brutal method and way of thinking, but hey, it was constantly flashing that thing around without even bothering to defend it properly. If a nail sticks out, you hammer it back down. That's all I did just now…
"...[Nine Lives: Shooting Hundred Heads]!"
...it looks like Illya-san and Berserker are both finishing up their end as well. I saw him fade away after he slew his opponent, and the state it was left in was most certainly even more brutal than what I did, so just why was my big brother so disturbed by how I got the thing to stand still long enough for him to finish it off? Just what is it with men and their obsession with their own ding-a-lings that they see attacking there as a taboo to commit in battle? 'All is fair in love and war', as the saying goes. And He even said there was no such thing as an underhanded move in a battle while we were at our training camp, so why is my brother seeing this as taboo?
After the two Divine Beasts were slain, all the remaining not-monkeys fled back into the forest as fast as they could swing, run, and jump through the branches of the petrified trees. Not that I could blame them. I am pretty sure they realized that trying to attack us was a bad idea on an instinctive level now. And the fact I just mercilessly turned one of them into a eunuch right before my brother finished it off by killing it probably only enforced that opinion in their primitively reduced state of mind. If there was any semblance of the humans they once were still in there, then that remnant probably screamed at them to run as fast as they possibly could to avoid a fate worse than death for any male of any species…
"I am ready to get us out of here, come here and I'll use my [Flight] spell."
...taking our cue, Illya-san, my brother and I all got close to Kranjar-san as she used her magic to get all of us to somewhere safer to rest and recuperate. Hopefully wherever she found, there will be at least a decent place to rest for a while. Erica-san looks about ready to drop to the ground from exhaustion, Hikari-san needs a place to rest until she can wake up, and King Kusanagi is extremely weakened and injured. If not, then there will hopefully be something we can use to get to somewhere safe…
Scene Change-with Shirou and Luo Hao
Shirou P.O.V.
Well, this was probably something that would seem irreverent to some, but frankly there is also most likely a joke being made about it somewhere...
I made the solutions to the three big issues via my [tracing] of a lack of light, water, and air in this little stone prison via the use of four Noble Phantasms, a few lengths of traced wires, a traced metal tub, and a bit of creativite ingenuity. While the majority of the weapons in my [Unlimited Blade Works] were mostly for combat purposes, they could be used in other ways for things they were not quite intended so long as you were creative enough to find them. The manner of which I used these particular four weapons was a prime example.
The first Noble Phantasm I had traced was the D-ranked [Sword of Yao], the 'Banisher of Darkness', and while it may not have had much special traits for combat, as it's owner was a scholarly and academic emperor instead of a warrior, it did have the useful trait of dispelling any darkness passively and instantly on contact. This trait solved the issue of light by stabbing it into the ceiling, thereby acting as a magical light bulb...maybe a little irreverent, given it was the sword of an emperor, but then again, I don't think [Emperor Yao] would have minded so much, given how he was a scholar, not a warrior. So he probably would have even laughed at the idea of his sword being used in such a manner in this kind of situation.
The second Noble Phantasm I traced was one of the B-ranked [Wind-and-Fire Wheels], the 'Wheels that flash through the Sky' of the Chinese deity [Nezha]. While the wind wheel of the two had the power to decimate entire armies by using it to create tornadoes, I simply used it to create a steady air flow by stabbing it into the wall nearby. Unlike the first weapon, this one's ability wasn't passive, so I had to feed it a steady stream of prana to keep it spinning to produce the circulating airflow, but it wasn't a problem given my practically limitless reserves as a sorcerer.
The third Noble Phantasm I traced also helped solve the air problem by tracing a length of wire stabbed into the ceiling above the wind wheel and hanging this C-ranked sword from it right in front of the air flow. This noble phantasm wasn't much to look at, as it appearance was that of a crude iron sword, but it's powers of purification was no joke. It's name was [Ionu Domhanda], the 'Purification of the World', and it was a sword of purification with the power to purify poison, toxins, contaminants, even prana, as it was considered a poison to the body. If it was used by a skilled wielder, it could actually purify the prana of a magus to cancel out any attempts at mage craft. In this instance, however, it was being used by me to purify the air being circulated by the wind wheel, thereby removing the threat of suffocation due to bad air.
The fourth and final Noble Phantasm I had traced was the one I had placed into a metal tub I had traced, and just like with the [Sword of Yao], I found I was beside myself in slight amusement at having done it again to be irreverent of yet another sword belonging to an emperor. This sword was the A+-ranked [Thuan Thien], the 'Will of Heaven' which for all intents and purposes, was the Vietnamese version of [Excalibur]. But unlike it's British counterpart, this sword didn't really have any tremendous cost to trace, despite its rank. It was only if I used it's active ability that it would really give me any serious dent in my reserves, which would summon a massive torrent of water in a blast that would have flooded an entire area. While frighteningly strong an active ability, I merely needed its passive ability for this particular instance. Whenever it was unsheathed, this sword would passively produce a steady and thin stream of water, hence after placing it in the tub and letting the steady stream of water collect for a while in the tub, it would solve our water problem.
All in all, despite the rather seemingly irreverent misuse of these weapons, I have to say, it was a rather creatively imaginative use of the magical abilities of weapons meant for war in a manner to make this stony prison a bit more comfortable. I reiterate my earlier thought: There is most likely a joke being made about this somewhere. Taking a moment to look at the cave itself now that I can at least be sure I will not suffocate first, I notice the cave itself is about the size of a classroom, with a few boulders here and there, but that's it. Then again, I doubt the Monkey King would have been so kind to give us any means of entertainment, when he wouldn't even give us fresh air to breathe.
"I have to say, when you told King Kusanagi you had a few tricks in mind, this was not quite what I had expected. This Luo Hao is impressed. If you do not mind me asking, just what God's Authority did you usurp to be able to create so many weapons? I do not recall any deity capable of such..."
The question of the other occupant of this prison took my attention from my thoughts. She has been nothing but rude this whole time since I've met her, and she requests information from me without offering something in return first? Okay, since she seems so interested, maybe I can teach her a bit of humility and proper etiquette which she seems to lack for someone who claims to be a master of martial arts…
"How about this then: I'll answer your question, but then you have to answer one for me in return. You can ask me a few questions, but then I get to ask you a few of my own in return. Equivalent exchange. Does that sound fair?"
Luo Hao actually seemed a bit surprised by my offer, but then she seems to come to a decision. "Very well, it is the duty of the ignorant to gain the knowledge of those who are enlightened. This Luo Hao can see the fairness of the offer. I can accept such terms."
...there it is again...unbelievable...she simply sounded as though there was nothing wrong with such an arrangement, yet she still seems to have such an arrogant innocence that is clearly different from that golden bastard's, but she still manages to irritate me with it for some reason. Maybe by asking her a few of my questions I can figure out the reason for why that is…
"Alright, to answer your question, it's not an authority. But rather, it's my own original spell I created, though to be completely honest, and much to my own embarrassment, my [tracing] was something I stumbled ass-first into by complete accident. I was trying to use another more basic form of mage craft from the school of magic I practice, only to have screwed up somewhere along the way for so long, I had accidentally created an entirely new spell altogether."
And wasn't that the truth...in reality, [projection] really only was supposed to be a two-step process, but by using [structural analysis] and adding a few extra steps into the process, I had accidentally did more work than I had needed to, but had managed to create a completed form of the spell all other magus deemed useless and incomplete. I could not help the rather embarrassed blush to make its way up my face as I admitted this, though my tone was rather shameless as I admitted my embarrassment and I resisted the urge to rub the back of my head.
Luo Hao actually seemed surprised by my response, as though she had not expected a mortal magic to be capable of such a feat as creating weapons from practically thin air, much less created by complete accident. If anything, she actually looked a bit contemplative all of a sudden, before I decided to ask my question.
"So then, I think my first question is the one I had asked you earlier, but you seemed intent on refusing to answer me then, so I'll repeat the question: What is your excuse for the disaster you brought down upon one of your fellow King's territory, never mind the fact it was a shared one, or that it was Godou-san and my country you pulled it on. We may be rather laid-back and reasonable by Devil King standards, but the second you do anything to threaten the way we wish to live our lives and force us to act, that's when we have a problem. So, what's your excuse?"
Luo Hao seemed to find my question slightly surprising that the question I would ask has been the same one I essentially grilled her about earlier, but I think she was caught flatfooted that I would use asking questions in turn as a way to force her to answer my earlier question. Don't look down on a guy who basically has centuries worth of life experience compressed into a seventeen year old's mind.
"...I once fought the Great Sage Equaling the Heavens a long time ago, but I wished to have a rematch. That battle was never settled, so when I found out he had been sealed here for the last few centuries, I decided to use it as a chance to finish the fight we had so long ago."
...wait, what?...that's her excuse….that's it?….she had fought him in the past but it was interrupted and she wanted to settle it? She caused such a disaster all for the sake of her pride? I could feel the Asura begin to form again behind me, only it was beginning to fully manifest in my rage right now at such a stupid reason as what she just said…
"...you mean to tell me, you broke the seal on a most troublesome deity, unleashed a disaster upon two of your fellow King's territory, blatantly disrespecting the both of them in the process, and costing who knows how many people their lives in the process, and all of it was for the sake of your damned pride as a warrior?!"
My words seem to shock her at the wrath-filled accusatory tones I directed at her, my words growing colder and sharper with each one spoken. She made to say something, but the words seemed to die in her throat when she saw the sheer rage in my eyes, and then she realized just how much she had disrespected both Godou-san and myself with her transgressions, before she hung her head in shame when she finally understood just why I was angry with her actions.
"I didn't care that you were blatantly trespassing on your fellow God-slayer's domain uninvited or even unannounced. I didn't care that you simply wished to have a rematch with the Monkey King. I didn't even care that you had insulted both Godou-san and myself with your actions. No, what made me angry with you was the fact you had dragged innocents and people who had nothing to do with your desire to battle [Sun Wukong] into this whole debacle, when a true warrior would never drag any who were not involved into a personal duel between warriors!"
At least she had the decency to appear ashamed of her actions when it had finally sunk in just what she had done. I decided to finally drive the point home for her. "I didn't want to hear a word about proper manners about duels between warriors from someone who seemed to hypocritically disregard these very same notions when it comes to practicing what you preach. And while it was true that people had sometimes called me a hypocrite in the past, at least I didn't drag people who had nothing to do with it into my hypocrisy."
That got her to understand what she had done wrong, and she was ashamed when it fully sunk in for her. But then there is the other matter of what I wanted to ask her. Letting the Asura fade back into nonexistence, I forcefully calmed myself down and decided to move forward. "So, what is your next question. Since I technically asked you two, you now get two. So, ask away."
She seemed to be a bit surprised by the fact I was willing to let it go so easily. But she seemed to decide to just let the subject change occur. Oh if she thinks she's out of the woods for this one, she has another thing coming. I will have her do something for both Godou-san and myself as her apology for her actions later. Right now, I am simply passing the time while she recuperates so we can get out of here.
"...very well, King Emiya, there is something I wish to ask you then that has been plaguing my thoughts about you for a while now. You certainly seemed angry at me for endangering the local populace's safety, but that isn't all that angered you about it. There was more to it than that. To find out why, I ask you this: What is the path of kingship you seek to walk?"
Now that was a good question. What did I want to do with my unwanted position and power as a King. Despite how much I didn't wish to, I had essentially become a power player in the mystical community. The assets I obtained when I had taken over the Circle was revealed to have been far greater than expected, they just haven't been properly managed, and under Renji's rather scrutinizing watch, will only increase my wealth further. Though it might not have been how I wanted my life to go, I had a few examples to call upon for a rough idea of what to use my position for. There was an instance in Archer's life when he had met up with the sole living veteran of the [Fourth Holy Grail War], Lord El Melloi II, Waver Velvet. In exchange for future favors, he was allowed to see a few of his memories his time in that Grail War, as well as of his Servant, the Rider of that war, Alexander the Great, otherwise known as Iskander, the King of Conquerors. While he was able to get quite a few new Noble Phantasms added to his arsenal, he also got an idea of the King of Conqueror's ideology, but it wasn't exactly for me.
The King of Conqueror's wished and sought to rule alongside his people, and though commendable, wasn't exactly what I wished to do. While he sought to rule alongside his subjects as a Human King, he also created an empire which was made up of everything from Rome to even parts of India, and I have no intention of making my domain anything like that in scale, preferring to remain more modest in comparison.
The King of Knights, while she might have been unwilling to turn from the path she led, had essentially forced herself to cease to be human, shutting out her own emotions and her heart in order to do what she had to in order to protect her people and unite them under her banner. However, she also sacrificed entire villages in order to defeat her enemies if she had no other choice. That was something I wasn't exactly approving of, but I could understand why she had done it. She at least made sure to get the villagers evacuated first whenever she could, but she wasn't always able to get word to them in time. While I love her for the way she may have stood by her decisions, I know that it also isn't the path I wish to imitate. There can only be one King of Knights, and it isn't me.
The last one I could reference is that golden bastard's, as much as I hate to admit it. He was essentially a cruel tyrant of a despot, who could even be called evil for the things he has done, but his rule wasn't one without some merits. While he may have been a tyrannical despot with an ego bigger than the world itself, he at least had the power to match it and back up his arrogance during his reign. But even so, the path of a despot is also not what I seek in my way of kingship. Instead, I think I will use aspects of all three, while still remaining true to who I am and what my ideals are.
"While I may feel that a King does have a few privileges as a result of their position, to simply take advantage of those privileges without doing anything to earn them is simply the path of a tyrant, not a true king. I also know that in order to rule a kingdom from my own past knowledge of famous examples, one must be prepared to make hard decisions, but should also know to remain open-minded of the people and to not shut them out from ones own heart. But I also do not wish to expand my domain any further than it already is, as that would not be something of interest to me. So, Luo Hao, my answer to your question is this."
She simply nods as she listened, and when I prepare to tell her what my answer is, she looks at me in curiosity…
"What I seek is not the path of expanding conquests like the King of Conquerors, nor is it the path of noble sacrifices like the King of Knights was constantly forced to do in defense of Camelot, or even that of a cruel despot like the ancient tyrant and selfish thief that was the King of Heroes. The path of kingship I choose to walk, is one that takes traits from all three of these examples in a way that it suits me and my ideology. I will simply protect those who live under my domain, and punish those who seek to do wrong upon them. I will live among my people, but will not force them to do anything unless I have to. I will protect them, but I will also not sacrifice the lives of those who live under me who do not volunteer and are able to assist in this endeavor. And I will not be a tyrant who simply seeks mindless slaves and takes what he wants without giving something in return or earning it first. I seek to aid my subjects in times of great need, and act as a beacon of hope for them in the darkness to guide them back into the light of salvation. The path I walk, is that of a Just King, Luo Hao. That is my answer."
The Empress of the Martial Realm actually seemed taken slightly aback by my response, before she asked me a her next question. "So then, King Emiya, you seek to be a King of the Forsaken, ruling over those who have lost themselves to despair so deeply, they see no way out of it, and seek to guide them from their suffering in a manner to help pull them from the edge of the abyssal darkness that is their suffering and back into the light of salvation and hope. Acting as a champion of the just to help when you need to do so, while also making it a point to let them govern themselves while only ever using your authority when you absolutely have to. Is that about right, King Emiya?"
Her words were actually a pretty spot-on summary of my intentions. Frankly I could not help the wry smile on my face at the thought of how accurate such a description was. "That is exactly what I seek to do with my position, Luo Hao." I answer her with nothing but absolute determination in my chosen path. She actually seems to chuckle slightly at my response.
"You have most certainly chosen quite the interesting path in life, my fellow Rakshasha Rasha..." she chuckled in amusement.
"'The key to immortality is to live a life worth remembering'. If one is going to live a life of power and influence, then they may as well live it in a manner in which when they finally die, they won't regret a single choice they made when they look back and have a smile on their face when their death finally comes for them, don't you agree, Empress of the Martial Realm." She probably did not expect a response to her statement, and was apparently surprised by my words. She actually smiled when she seemed to recall the reference I had made just now, before she nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you are most certainly correct about that. And that was most certainly a quote I recall hearing once, but didn't think anyone outside of the martial arts community would even know how to apply it in such a manner as you to an everyday lifestyle. Though I cannot help but wonder, between the two of us, whose training methods are most effective."
I could not help the bemused grin tugging at my lips at that. "If it makes you feel any better, how about once this is all over, we can have a friendly spar sometime. No authorities, no magic, just pure martial might and skill. We can see who has the better training between us then. What do you say?"
"Yes, King Emiya, that sounds like it would most definitely be something I would enjoy. We'll have to see once we get out of here and after we have dealt with the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, though."
I nodded in confirmation before I turned around and traced both a futon and a sleeping bag. While normally tracing things other than weapons would not work very well without some obscene prana cost, my near infinite reserves as a sorcerer along with the circumstances in this world make it easy for me to do so. The fact that these were simple objects that were not overly complicated in any way also helped. Before I got too comfortable though, I turned around and asked her politely though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer to that question was. "Would you like one too?"
"No need, I am fine as is with what I already have right now." Nodding at the exchange, I tuck myself into the improvised bedding to sleep for a few hours. I didn't really need the sleeping bag, but I traced it simply for more cushioning. I pretty much know I am going to probably be getting chewed out by the girls for this, but frankly, right now, I cannot leave Luo Hao here with the Monkey King causing trouble. She could most likely get out on her own, but she would have to waste a bit of her own strength to do it. Besides, this helped get a few of my questions answered. And I can still sense the fact that the others are alright for now. Time to get some rest…
Scene Change-Nikkou National Park
Sun Wukong P.O.V.
That damned God-slayer! He completely made a fool out of me! I am the Monkey King, and he made a damned monkey out of me! I fully understand the pun, but right now, my wrath is too great to find it the least bit funny. Nobody humiliates me in such a manner and gets away with it! I should have killed him when I had the chance!
"Thou looks as though thine hath need of aid, Great Sage Equaling the Heavens. Mayhaps this knight can be of aid."
Turning around to face the God behind me, I find myself facing a God dressed in an obvious foreign warrior's armor, covering himself from head to toe in black steel. But his voice most certainly does not match his appearance. One way or the other, I was in a very foul mood, and not having the patience to entertain visitors right now.
"What do you want? In case you didn't notice, I am not in the most pleasant of moods right now. So if you have something you wish to say, then you'd best make it quick. Old Sun here won't tolerate you if it's merely a waste of my time."
Instead of taking offense to my enraged tone, he seems to chuckle a bit in response.
"Mine allies are interested in capturing the Child of Pandora you had imprisoned. They needs him for a particular ritual they have been preparing, and I've been sent to bringeth him in for it, alive."
That got my anger to suddenly dampen. They needed a God-slayer alive for some reason, to perform a ritual…oh, I see. So that's it…
"And you want to cooperate with me in order to bring him in? And just why should I go along with this plan of yours?" I ask him, but don't really see the big deal in forming an alliance in order to capture a Child of Pandora.
"...this Child of Pandora possesseth a connection to Artus, and to that place..."
All thoughts of rage and mischief suddenly froze within my mind completely. This God-slayer has a connection to the King Who Appears at the End of Eras...that was a frightening enough thought...but to that place as well...this just got complicated…
"...alright...this [Sun Wukong] will agree to work with you and your allies, but the other God-slayers are mine and my brothers. You can take him, but on one condition..."
The Black Knight before seems to find it interesting I would make a request of him in order to get me on board. But considering just how dangerous that place is for us deities, I wasn't going to be the one to fight him.
"...make sure to give him a beating for Old Sun here. That bastard Child of Epimethius rendered me in such a pitiful state for a short while with the last act of defiance he did right before I finished sealing him. Do that for me, and I will let you do whatever you wish with him afterwards."
"I accept thine request, [Sun Wukong]."
Oh, this fool has no idea just how badly he screwed himself over. There is a reason why we gods cannot defy the legends which spawned us, as they define our existences. And here is a God who thinks to do just that? It's plain foolishness. Well, if he wants to die so badly, then who is Old Sun to stop him? I have no obligation to help him when he is dead set on such a suicidal course of action. All I can do is not hinder him. After his piece is said, he leaves just as quickly as he came. Heh, the stupid idiot...he has no idea just how short of a stick he's drawn...and he doesn't even seem to realize he was underestimating the God-slayer he was meant to capture…
Laying back down, I start to resume my nap. Hmm, just what are they thinking, trying to take that kind of power on? Idly, I cannot help but think that Black Knight is doomed to fail. After all, he made the same mistake with the King of the End when he tried to fight him during his infamous betrayal so long ago…
"...and just what makes you think this will end any different than last time for you, underestimating your opponent once again, [Mordred]..."
...right before I finally dozed off to sleep...
A/N: And that's the chapter. Just to let you guys know: No, Shirou does not plan to let Luo Hao off, he simply plans to have her pay both him and Godou back for what she did by doing a few things for the two of them later. Simply put, he's putting her punishment on hold for now. Also, to anyone who asks, There will be just one or two more Chapter's before this Arc finishes, meaning the harem listings will be done in one or two mre chapters. To anyone who noticed what Noble Phantasms were used in this fic, yes, they were the same ones used in Marcus Galen Sands' GSBW.
To tie you guys over, I will now show you all an updated version of Shirou's Servant Stat Sheet. This includes his new authority he will get at the end of this arc, and yes, it will be similar to the one he gets in GSBW. Here it is:
Base(Reinforced){Dragon-slaying Hero}[The Cursed Martyr]
Name: Emiya Shirou, the Eighth Campione
Official Titles: The King of Wrought Iron, The Living Blade, All-wealthy One, Ultimate Faker, Champion of Justice, The Living Jinx, The Divine Chef Unequaled Beneath the Heavens and Peerless Above the Earth, The Sixth Sorcerer, ?, ?
Unofficial Titles: Ultimate Stud, Ultimate Badass, The Love Guru, The Ideal Knight, Devil Tamer
Strength: B(A){A+}[A++]
Agility: B-(B++){A-}[A+]
Endurance: A-(A){A++}[EX]
Mana: A+{A++}[EX]
Magic Resistance: Ex
Luck: E++
Noble Phantasm: A~EX
Noble Phantasm List:
Excalibur: The Sword of Promised Victory
Rank: A++(Ex with Avalon) Type: Anti-fortress Range: 1-300 Target: 1-999
Given to Shirou as a gift from his beloved Saber, he essentially will only pull the strongest sword if and when against an enemy he feels the sword is appropriate. It has adapted slightly to him, allowing it to possess purifying qualities, as a reflection of his nature of opposing All the Worlds Evils. While already a powerful weapon, if and when used against those of evil or dark alignment, it will gain a boost in power output. It is currently locked, as it has not fully acknowledged Shirou as it's current owner, but it will give him access to its power in an emergency situation, such as against threats to the world itself.
Current number of Locks in place: 27
Current Number Unlocked: 11
Avalon: The Everdistant Utopia
Rank: A+ (Ex with Excalibur) Type: Barrier Range: Self Target: 1-5
When Saber gave Shirou Excalibur, he was automatically recognized as the true second owner of both legendary Last Phantasms, however he still has yet to fully unlock the seals restricting Excalibur's usage. As such, the sheath has been altered slightly to reflect his nature, allowing Shirou to protect anybody nearby him with the sheathe, and even use it's healing properties by channeling them without needing to remove it from his body. It also gives high speed regeneration that is only getting stronger over time. While he will never be truly immortal, his aging rate will slow down to the point he essentially stops aging the moment he hits twenty, making him only able to die in battle.
Unlimited Blade Works: Infinite Creation of Swords
Rank: E-Ex Type: World Range: 1-300 Target: Infinite
This is Shirou's Reality Marble. Yeah, you all know what it does, but his authorities have various effects on what he can and cannot do with it when activated. There is however, a connection to it that the Gods who have been watching him have noticed but fear speaking of it, that has yet to be revealed...
Shroud of Martin: The Seal of the Heretical Saint's Arm
Rank: A+ Type: Seal Range: Self Target: Self
Yes, this is the sleeve that Shirou got when Archer gave him his arm from his holy shroud. While Shirou doesn't need it to suppress the encroachment of Archer's invading influence anymore, he still wears it to act as a seal on his ridiculous reserves. It acts as a seal of suppressant, in conjunction to some other mystic codes he uses in combination with it. If he ever takes it off, the sealed power he's locked away would essentially explode from out of its confined state, and he'd unleash such dense prana that it would shred anyone or anything just from being in his presence for too long, and not even his fellow Campione would be completely safe from being shredded.
?: ?
This one has not yet been revealed.
Current Authorities:
Gates of Babylon: Vault of the World
'I who am King of the World, shall never find myself without riches. My Domain is everywhere, so too is my treasury, for everywhere in my domain my Vault will always be with me.'
Yep, he got Goldie's' Gates of Babylon. Altered to suit his nature, this authority gives Shirou full access to all the treasures Gilgamesh did, and even put some of his own in there. I have a plot device for this one, but other than that, the only thing I can or will say is that Shirou has the power to enter the vault, but doesn't like to do so, as it pisses him off just how many weapons the 'golden bastard' as Shirou calls him 'collected' from around the world only to sit and gather dust within this space. Shirou's Gate and Gilgamesh's are also two separate ones. While Shirou can access any treasure Gilgamesh stored within it, The two are essentially two different vaults, with Shirou's just having perfect copies of all the treasures contained within, just like a 'Faker' to have 'fakes' that surpass the original. Just another way for Shirou to piss off the King of Heroes, and not have a damn regret over it.
Ea: The Sword of Rupture
'Sword whose might split heaven and earth, and ruptured creation itself, the King calls forth to unleash the right of Enuma Elish.'
Gilgamesh's ultimate trump card, slightly weakened and altered to suit Shirou's nature. While in Gilgamesh's hands an Anti-World class weapon, in Shirou's honorable hands, it is but a powerful Anti-Unit to Anti-Fortress class weapon, due in part to Shirou's altruistic nature and extreme dislike for killing. It has basically altered to become an Anti-Evil weapon as well, due in part to Shirou's nature as the opposing force to All the World's Evil. It also has a restriction of what it can be used against.
Enkidu: The Chains Holding the Heavens
'I am King who Defied the Gods, the Divine Bull Slayer, and you who bears the beast's divine blood, I hereby bind you.'
Yea, he got Enkidu, and although it's technically the ultimate Anti-Divine class weapon, it's effects are only most effective against divine beings with the traits of beasts, or could at least be described as such, Like how Herakles was bound by these chains, as he could be considered a maddened beast. Slightly altered to Shirou's nature, it had the restriction of matching how Goldie used it in his legend to bind the divine bull to place the Anti-beast trait upon it. While it can still be used against those with divinity, or even used against normal mages, it will be reduced in effect unless the divinity in question was of the beast trait, and against mages will just be a giant magic siphoning chain. If they are strong enough, they can break it.
King of All
This is a passive Authority, stolen from Gilgamesh, which is born from his arrogance in being the first 'King of the World.' It gives Shirou a Passive ability to literally bear the trait of King, which he will abuse the Hell out of in order to use several weapons in UBW that requires being a king to use, not just the traits. It also gives him a Charismatic quality when he wishes to persuade someone in negotiations, or if and when he needs to strategize will give him a slight boost in his ability to plan things ahead. In other words, Rin can no longer call him a 'reckless baka,' but he's still a 'baka.' Also, as the embodiment of Goldie's concept of [Wisdom], it augments his structural grasping, upgrading it quite well.
The Cursed Martyr
'The Mother watching her child in anguish. The Brother witnessing his sibling in agony. The Saint weeping tears in despair for those he fails to grant Salvation. I take their pain, their misery, their burdens, and turn them to strength, for I am The Cursed Martyr.'
This Authority is a reflection of how Angra Mainyu was an unwilling martyr, forced to bear the suffering of an ultimate sinner, unable to take his own life, cursing the cruelty of the Gods for their unjust treatment. He abused the hell out of this authority, as it turned others suffering into his own power. It slightly altered to fit Shirou's nature, as when Angra used it, he simply relished in their suffering, While for Shirou, he actually takes their burdens upon himself, converting the negative energy into a source of strength for positive use. He essentially takes their suffering and pain, absorbs their negative energy, and avenges their pain by unleashing it upon the one who caused it in the form of a massive power boost. The more suffering caused, the greater the boost. However, this authority has the condition that it can only be used against one he truly hates with absolutely every fiber of his being. It gives a slight transformation, but it can be used to a lesser degree without transforming, but will only give a slight boost. The lesser use lacks this restriction of hatred, but is also incapable of being used in combination with Never Ending Vengeance as it would with its full use.
Never Ending Vengeance
'The parents watching their child die. The soldier cut down in the middle of battle. The pauper in the alley stabbed. The beggar in the ditch looking to the lord's palace. I take from them their grudges, their hate, their malice, and unleash Never Ending Vengeance.'
This Authority gives Shirou the ability to freely use Angra Mainyu's curses of All the World's Evil, essentially allowing him to curse you with any affliction from the source of the original curse. This essentially gives him the power to level the playing field,but Shirou absolutely HATES using this authority. While he may use it if he feels he absolutely has to, he does not like doing so, considering what happened when HE was on the receiving end, it's an understandable belief. This authority can essentially piggyback with The Cursed Martyr, but only if in its full use. This authority also has the drawback of causing Shirou a great deal of pain whenever he releases this particular authority, and the sensation of raw, absolutely DISGUSTING sewage flowing through his circuits when he uses it, so its extremely unpleasant when he does, and the stronger the foe, the more power he puts into it, increasing the backlash once he releases the authority. All in all, He WILL use it if he has to, but he prefers to avoid it if he can, as the memories of what he went through because of this power are not something he would want to use on ANYONE, not even Gilgamesh, and he absolutely HATES the golden bastard enough to wanna kill him for his attitude.
Dragon-Slaying Steel
'The Hero endures through adversity. The Hero stands tall in the face of impossible odds. The Hero never flinches, when wielding the Dragon-Slaying Steel.'
This is the authority Shirou got from Perseus, and which he abuses the HELL out of. This essentially is an authority which works well with his origin of 'sword' as it allows his weapons to actually take on an actually solid and real form. With this authority, every weapon he traces is essentially an exact, perfect copy of the one he traced. This also gives him a large boost when up against enemies with a Dragon or Serpent trait, and even stacks with the effects of Enkidu against beast type enemies of divine origin, so long as they bear the trait of a serpent as well as a beast. It is both passive AND active, but the effects are enhanced while active. While this Authority is effective against Serpents, it is best utilized against Dragons. Serpents will still be effected, as Dragons are the epitome of Serpents, but not to the same degree or level. As a passive ability, it allows Shirou to essentially become a Mass Forgery for Noble Phantasms, as they will be an exact perfect copy of the genuine article with NO degradation in quality. But to use as an active ability, he must first recognize the enemy as something with either the quality of Serpent or Dragon, but otherwise, its only real downside is the fact that he cannot use it in conjunction with magic or authorities of evil origin, such as Angra Mainyu's authorities, or swords with evil attributes.
The Hero's Charm: Privilege of the Hero
This is both a passive and active authority, but Shirou flat out refuses to use it in its active state. It does not actually force women to fall for him left and right, but it does make him seem a bit more attractive in their eyes. It has been altered to suit Shirou's nature, by only effecting the women he saves, essentially who are damsels in distress. However, those women are only effected based on how much he saved them. Minor things like helping them out will simply make him seem more appealing, while rescuing a damsel in distress will turn them into a blubbering, stuttering, flustered mess. This authority does not come without benefits to those under it, as it grants them a slight enhancement in vitality, as well as a regenerative ability to speed recovery. As an Active ability, he has the ability to compel 1 woman under it to do whatever he says, but he flat out REFUSES to use this, as he feels it is a disrespect to all women, and a disregard for their free will. As such, he will NEVER under any circumstances use its active effects, but unfortunately for him, but fortunately for us, Shirou's altruistic nature compels him to save others and help them. So he will definitely have some lady problems in the future. HEHEHE.
Mount of the Hero: Hero's Steed
'A Hero rides to battle in glorious fashion, mounting a steed of exeption quality. Come forth, Mount of the Hero!'
Yep, he got him a Pegasus. Shirou can summon this authority to his side whenever he wishes, but it does not require him to sustain it. He can essentially keep it around however long he wants, and summon up to 5 for him and any others he wishes to ride with him. He can also have this authority launch itself at the enemy, essentially self-destructing the enemy, like with a broken phantasm, but he flat out refuses to do so. He believes such a tactic is cruel, and goes against his nature as a hero of justice. As such, he will never use this method willingly, and the authority cannot summon the Pegasus again for a whole week once used in such a manner.
The Twin Clubs: Ayamari the Chaser and Yagarish the Driver
'Come forth Ayamari, Crush them Yagarish. The time for hunt and carnage is nigh' upon us. Do battle the likes befitts a warrior of Twin Clubs!'
This one is something Shirou absolutely LOVES for the simple fact that he got his very own noble phantasm now. Melqart used these clubs as part of a rather effective strategy, Ayamari, the Chaser, will follow the target relentlessly, while Yagarish, the Crusher, will literally crush down upon the target, while it's distracted by Ayamari. Shirou absolutely likes these clubs, as they work very well with his two sword style, albeit he will still prefer to use his go-to swords if the situation requires it. While he summon these weapons whenever he wants, he still would rather use his swords before he uses these clubs, as they have a proclivity towards crushing boulders to dust with how much power is packed behind each blow. While Melqart would use these two clubs to chase his enemy around, and fire lightning down upon their heads when they can't move, Shirou would only use them in such a manner in concert with his bow, but he would only do so if in a situation where collateral damage is not a concern, such as with wide-open areas, or those already destroyed, as he dislikes needless destruction.
God-Kings' Privilege: Divine Right of the Gods
This is actually a passive authority, a reflection of Melqart's nature as the God-king of Phoenicians, it grants one the power to wield any weapon or artifact of a nature which requires the trait of divinity. Basically, Shirou will abuse the hell out of this part as he has a shitload of weapons in UBW that required divinity to use, and has been altered to his nature to give him the ability to actually trace divine constructs, which opens a whole slew of opportunities for future battles. It also gives him the power to the divine right of the king of gods, allowing him the ability to literally fight on equal footing with a divinity by putting him on the same level as them. Suffice to say, both aspects of this authority are things he will abuse the hell out. When Shirou learned of this authority's abilities, he could not stop the very magus-like grin from splitting his face, making the girls start to worry, before they found out why he was, and started to react in very amusing manners. *hint hint* This authority also augmented his structural grasp, enhancing it into brand new Mystic Eyes that were practically his most abused spell. However, the strengthing aspect is something that only puts him at the same level as his opponent, meaning if he uses it against a weaker opponent, he too, will become weaker, as it altered to his nature to match his rather honorable principles.
Lord of the Flies: King of all Insects
"I am lord over plagues and sin, the King who commands insects. Come, Children of Echidna, for your King demands your fealty!'
This Authority is a reflection of Melqart's incarnation as Beelzebub, the lord of the flies. It gives Shirou command over bugs and plagues, allowing him to summon plagues of locusts or inflict pestilence upon his enemies. He doesn't like using this authority very often, due in part to what Sakura suffered at the hands of her 'Granfather,' but also because of the sheer danger of what it could do. The only time he would ever use it would be for using it for reconnaissance, to manipulate enemy gods who happen to possess insects they command as well to cure ailments, or to counter diseases and pestilence inflicted by a gods authority. Suffice to say, he will use it, BUT he will not unless he absolutely HAS TO. Shirou's altruistic nature will not let him do so otherwise.
Lord of the Dead: Ruler of the Underworld
'I am the Monarch who reigns supreme over the nether, he who commands the souls of the afterlife, and decides whether a death is Just. For I am the Lord of the Dead.'
This Authority is a reflection of Hades manifestation as the King of the Afterlife. This gave him dominion over death and all the riches associated with said souls. And because the souls of the dead are often buried or interned in underground tombs, He has full authority over their wealth, granting him all the riches he could want. Shirou can use this authority only on the condition he has something related to whom he wishes to raise from the dead, which they have some strong attachment to. It is similar to how a catalyst is required to summon a specific Heroic Spirit, but the big difference is that shirou only needs some piece of that object to summon them. And the best thing would be a bone, or piece of their body, but an object with a strong attachment to someone would also work. Shirou also has the abilty to pull the riches from the earth with this authority, allowing him to literally have a continuous supply of infinite wealth anywhere he is, and if he stores it within the Gates of Babylon, he will essentially be able to pull it out whenever he wants, making it seem like he was keeping a valuable gemstone in a jacket pocket. Suffice to say, Rin WILL abuse the hell out of this ability to get Shirou to provide her with so many valuable gemstones, she could practically start her own jewelers and never run out of quality stock. Hehehehe, poor Shirou. Also, this authority also has the power to reverse death, BUT it can only be used in such a manner within 30 minutes after the target dies, as the soul would only hang around that long. Afterwards, he could only revive them as resurrected souls. This ability can also be used by him similar to a manner as Godou does with his [Ram] authority to revive once a day upon death, but again, like Godou, he can only use it for this particular way ONCE A DAY. afterwards, he be screwed if he died again.
Regalia Of Champions: The Mantle of Heroes
'Clad in the steel of heroes of ages past, present and future alike, I hereby don my Regalia of Champions.'
This is the authority he claimed when he battled Mordred and defeated him. While it has slightly altered to his nature, it has also adjusted slightly to him by having it take different forms similar to those of the Servant Classes, with the exception of the Avenger Class, as that one was a form taken by the Cursed Martyr's form. He can currently take the forms of Armor reflecting the Servant Classes, in both their strengths and their weaknesses. He has one form for each with this armor, except for the Foreigner and Alter Ego Class servants, as he cannot fill those two classes, period. By Default, he's always in the Faker Regalia, which is his basically his normal battle garb and attire he wears everyday. He can easily switch the form with the 'regalia' of the class he needs most at that moment in a battle, but once he switches in this manner, he cannot change back for at least a few minutes or the battle ends. He can also combine this authority's various forms with his other authorities in various ways, and it also interacts with his UBW in various ways as well, depending on which Regalia he currently has equipped.
Skill List:
Projection: C-
One of Shirou's few spells in Thaumaturgy he can do. We all know what it is, but his status as a Campione has caused a few changes in his ability to use it, depending on just which authority he uses in conjunction with it. He can imbue them with the powers associated with said authority.
Tracing: A+
Shirou's original school of magic. Because he accidentally did projection wrong for so many years, he literally stumbled ass-first into making this particular mage craft. The same changes as his projection, but about two ranks higher.
Reinforcement: B++
We all basically know what this is. I won't even bother explaining, it would just be redundant, and you all can pretty much guess how his authorities will interact with this one.
Alteration: B-
Basically, just an extension of reinforcement, it's just taking it to the next level. Shirou can actually use this to modify the effects of some of his authorities, but only minor alterations to the 'concepts', and these are only Temporary, only lasting as long as he's using the particular authority, but if he trains and gets it right, he can use the altered authority's power and call it forth instead of the usual one, IF it's more effective for the situation. That is the only restriction for this particular use of it in this manner. He also uses this to alter his noble phantasms and to create his own original weapons based on the concepts he already has and obtains via his authorities.
Runecraft: B-
Yeeaaaaa, Since Shirou and Bazzet were *ahem* well, let's just say she REALLY took a shine to teaching him this. Basically, he can use these to mark a territory, imbuing them with particular effects, such as creating a few bounded fields with runes as a base. Though what runes he can use are still TECHNICALLY only those anybody can learn, him being himself, has found some rather clever and interestingly creative ways to use them. He can also make some weapons and place these on them, although using them on his Noble Phantasms is technically still not possible, as the concept behind a Noble Phantasm IS its power, thus trying to add additional concepts to something that essentially is a legendary concept is just plain impossible. He can alter them, he just can't add on to them.
Structural Grasp: Ex
This is basically the one skill Shirou has abused the hell out of so damn much, he practically turned it into a pseudo-Mystic Eyes for how much he uses it, capable of literally scanning anything with a glance at this rank. His status as a Campione has actually upgraded it. His King of All and God-king's Privilege authorities basically augment this, turning it from a pseudo-Mystic Eyes, to a true blue one, Known as the Mystic Eyes of All-Comprehending. He can literally look at any object, be it mortal, divine, mundane, or magical, and LITERALLY see EVERYTHING about it, even a few memories imbedded into some objects from their previous owners. Note for future reference in the story. *hint hint*
Wielder of the True Magics: A++
Due to the rather unusual nature of how he obtained his sorceries, Shirou has the power to wield all Six of the True Magics, though he can only use the Sixth Magic with any level of true Mastery. The first Five Magics he can only use to a limited extent, but will never fully master them. He is able to make up for this shortcoming by combining them into various ways, however, it will still only somewhat make up for their inferiority compared to what a True Master of one of the True Magics can bring to bear.
Personal Skills:
Innocently Charming Smile: Ex
This is basically Shirou's classic smile, the one that always seems to make the ladies swoon over him, and the guys just wanna be his best friend, by how innocent and pure it is. At this rank, it's sheer destructive power can essentially charm ANYONE, regardless of their magic or mental resistance. It's basically been enhanced by his authorities to make them turn his pure smile into a devastating WMC: a Weapon of Mass Charming.
Cooking: Ex
This is basically something I feel just HAD to be mentioned. Shirou's cooking was so good, that he literally could make any who eats it literally have a foodgasm at every bite, but he has stopped going all out after he did that ONE time and was left with a VERY awkward few days every time he met the ones who ate it. Even GODS cannot resist his cooking; it is basically a deterrent to those who wish to start trouble after they had a single bite, with the very thought of being denied enough to make them straighten up. Woe be any victim of the divine chef. His cooking is practically the one thing Shirou ever takes any pride in at all.
Feed the Harem!: B-
As the name implies, It is basically a skill in which Shirou must satisfy his harem, which is something you all will find rather amusing in the long run, but Shirou will repeatedly swear to the Root and curse his damned E-rank luck repeatedly, his status as a campione only just barely helping, but increased the effects due to a few Authorities powers. Root damn his E-rank luck.
Eroge Harem Protagonist: Ex
Let's face it, you all KNOW what this is about, you all KNOW there is no EMIYA SHIROU without EROGE HAREM PROTAGANIST. Suffice to say, he and Godou, will have a LOT of fun with their respective lady friends, though, it may or may not always be fun for them, but it will be for us. Their unfortunate situations will be your very fortunate amusement.
Blacksmithing: B-
Again, you all know what this is, but the reason you all may not know the WHY I put it here, it has to do with the subtle hints to Shirou's past I've been leaving. Suffice to say, he is so good at his tracing, he has an innate skill for it, but that's not the only reason. He has a connection to two famed blacksmiths via direct blood relations, as both a child of Muramasa and a scion of Masamune, his natural talent for crafting is beyond prodigious.
Mind's Eye: A++
Again, you all know what this is, but you all should know that thanks to a few of Shirou's authorities, as well as his status as a sword incarnation, it has been upgraded to the point that he can even perceive things that are not typically combat related, but could be considered 'battles' in a sense. Suffice to say, there will be plenty of amusing situations born from this skill outside of combat. At this rank, it is essentially a bastardized version of clairvoyance.
?:?
Yet to be revealed
And that's Shirou's updated Stat sheet. Also, yes, that was actually Berserker brought back to life, with new equipment. Think of what his new outfit looked like in FGO when you fight him while he was with Jason and the Argonauts in the Piracy Singularity. He has basically been brought back in a form that could be considered as a Guardian Spirit, similar to what Lancelot did for Godou's family in canon. And yes, the bow in question is the same one he had if he was summoned as an Archer instead of as a Berserker, Shirou simply worked to recreate it for him from the prototypehe had within the Gates of Babylon. Herakles could use either or whenever he needs to.
Until Next Chapter, which may be next week, as I need a bit of a break. PEACE OUT!