Fate: Player Online Redux Chapter 32: Madness (Part 3), a fate/stay night fanfic

DISCLAIMER

The following is a fan-based

FICTION

F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.

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Chapter 28: Madness (3)

The small crossroad before the gate that led inside the Matou's manor was deserted considering the early hour. Shirou was mostly unsure as to why Francesca had decided to push him to quickly counter the assault that saw him yanked away from home, but he wasn't certainly going to refuse an offer he had wanted to go through with.

Zouken, he could've have already taken Illya, Rin, and Caren. The very thought was enough to shatter any doubt of the plan proposed by the strange white-haired woman.

The 'Witch' had been clear with her words, explaining with extreme perfection the use that those special papers she had given him had.

The decaying corpse was nigh-impossible to destroy because of his natural state, a Wraith that survived through the use of his Crest Worms and that tampered with the World. Normal attacks wouldn't work, and that was the same for the basic offensive Magecraft available to almost every Magi.

And so, to make some legitimate harm upon his existence, the redhead had to employ the use of these special seals that Francesca had prepared in bulk for the occasion. The Baptism Spell was a depowered version of something that the Church was supposed to be capable of using in case of exorcism, the Baptism Ritual.

[Object: Baptism Spell: Paper]

The paper was imbued with half the power of a true Magical Miracle born from the knowledge in God's miracles. 'Kill. Live. Harm and Heal. I am Light and relieve you of all your burdens.'

The major difference between the two was that the former favored quantity compared to the impressive quality of the latter. Yet the reason why he was given this weakened spell rather than the original was correlated to magical theory over the old man's soul.

With the pseudo-immortality draining his soul to sustain the entirety of his essence in this world, Zouken would've eventually run out of his 'lucky streak' as Francesca had defined it. His mind and his body were close to collapse, and those would by the very moment his soul was finally depleted.

It was disgusting to hear the entire explanation, with gritty details and the giddy tone of the girl turning the whole experience somewhat unnerving. Yet he was provided with a reason for having the Baptism Spell for this specific situation.

The Baptism Ritual would've sublimated Zouken's body and mind, but failed to reach out to find where his soul was. The young woman was certain that the tricky elder had somehow managed to move his soul in a safer place, and the fact that there was a high chance that it was one of the two children that had been sleeping while he had discussed with Francesca was a good enough reason to go hastily with the Witch's plan.

And while he had been so certain when the girl had given him directions over where Zouken was hiding, Shirou couldn't help but think that this was going to be the greatest ordeal to face yet. He felt rightfully nervous and uneasy as he looked for any entrances from where he could infiltrate the place, knowing that going directly through the gates would have ended up with unwanted ambushes.

But just as he started to shift away from the main side of the gates and seek some other entrance by the lateral section, he noticed two individuals patrolling around. His eyes widened in recognition as he spotted both Sella and Leysritt silently running around the entire structure, with the former taking the lead with a determined and serious look, and the latter looking tense but… also calm. Coldly so.

Before he had the chance of actually try and catch their attention, he took notice of Liz's stare having reached right to the corner from which he was peeking from. She blinked, her composure easing a little in the middle of the paced run, and she offered a brief wave.

The Gamer blinked at the stoic, but relieved expression on her face, and he waved back. The action failed to grab the attention of the clueless maid, which prompted Leysritt to yank a little at the fellow Einzbern's sleeve.

Both were donning some maid-like clothes, just like the ones used by the Battle-Maids from the Einzbern Castle in Germany. It was quite the sight to see the usually lazy young woman drag around a blunt-looking battle-axe around, especially with how calm she was looking right now.

At first, the attempt to get Sella to pause seemed to draw only irritation from the fellow maid. The serious girl tensed up, almost huffing at persisting attempt, and ultimately turned around to inquire loudly about what was going on.

Liz didn't respond verbally, but rather pointed her index finger right to where Shirou was. Quietly following up to the direction aimed by her 'pest of a companion', the fellow Einzbern paused in shock at the sight of the boy waving back at her.

Surprise swelled, confusing following shortly after and… She bolted.

The young Emiya couldn't help but panic as he saw the woman rushing so quickly towards him, with a confused Leysritt trying to keep up with that sudden burst of speed. Before he had the chance of greet Sella properly, she proceeded to aim her now-glowing fingers at him.

"Tell me something only Shirou Emiya would know about us!" She ordered, a little bit of nervousness filtering through her words but failing to replace the sternness of her voice.

Gulping nervously, the redhead's eyes widened at the sudden development, making him take a step back at the impetuous query. "I- Wha-What?"

"I said… tell us something only Shirou Emiya would know about us," Sella repeated with the same intensity. "And I will not offer you any chance of leaving until you confirm that-"

There wasn't much to say or offer about the stuff he knew about Sella and Liz. Sure, he could offer a lot about kitchen-related stuff… but nothing that would work well in convincing them about his knowledge about Leysritt.

She was incredibly reserved despite her blunt and outgoing personality. And there was hardly something that he knew about these two that wasn't about their…

Bickering.

He merely blinked at that realization and then he started to talk. "W-When you two first woke up, one of your first reason to bicker was about how I should be addressed. Liz wanted to keep it 'Shirou', while you, Sella, wanted to continue addressing me 'Shirou-sama' when I said that no honorifics was needed-"

He didn't have the chance of concluding that the serious maid dispelled her concentration over the spell and proceeded to lift him up for a hug.

"Shirou-sama! I- We thought that the Matou had captured you and-" She stopped, drowning in a quick sob. Shirou blinked as he felt something wet fall on his face as she squeezed him close to her neck. "A-And-"

Leysritt took a few steps closer and looked at the scene with quiet curiosity and sadness. The young Emiya stared up and saw Sella's eyes were looking at him, her sight blurred by the tears falling down.

"Sella..." Shirou muttered quietly, trying to hold himself composed at the sight. It was the first time he saw Sella react this badly at a situation about him. It was the first time he saw the usually strong-looking woman break down to tears, because… of his attempted capture. "I'm sorry."

She squeezed closer, but carefully so as her sobs intensified at his apology. But instead of hearing a response from the crying woman, it was the other maid to reply.

"We know it… it isn't your fault," Leysritt remarked quietly, her tone failing to address the degree of somberness born from the situation. "But… but our role is guarding Lady Illya and… Shirou-sama."

The Gamer blinked in surprise at the fact that Liz had just addressed him with the formal honorific, but his attention didn't stray away from the main issue here. He knew that the two Homunculi had been awakened through the input of Archer, but since the 'helpful' voice had disappeared as per Merlin's decision, the overall explanation of what the man had done to the minds of the two women was… mostly unknown to him.

He perfectly knew that they were devoted as servants to Illya… but it never was mentioned as to why they were considering him as important as the white-haired girl considering his lack of connection to the Einzbern family. It just felt… strange.

Silence reigned sovereign for a couple more of minutes, with the sobbing slowly subsiding as the grievance was all stalled and lessened by the young woman herself. Soon, only a couple of sniffles were there to dignify her past self-disappointment.

"Sella," Shirou finally decided to speak up. "You… It wasn't your fault. Nor was Leysritt… or anyone but Zouken."

Her hug grew softer and softer… until she finally let him down and away from her hold. The two stared, wide red eyes were met with convinced amber ones.

"I can assure you of that," He added with a nod. "And… I want to end this threat once and for all."

The little change of topic served to bring a confused and worried look in Sella. "Shirou-sama, you just avoided being captured from the monster- surely you can see why attacking him now could be problematic, and we should retreat before-"

"I-I can't let Zouken continue to be without making sure he's dead," Shirou interjected with a serious tone. "He can attack again, with more strength. And he would be serious because he wants me."

"Imprudent. You can't hurt him," Leysritt pointed out calmly and mechanically, to which the redhead nodded while bringing up the seals to sight.

"Normally it would be the case. But I have these," The boy muttered. Sella frowned at the papers, picking one and starting to study the magical seal in it. Slowly, her eyes started to widen in surprise and awe.

"This- This is something that the Church would usually use… but it's structure is different from what the Einzbern family is accustomed to. It's refined," The young maid commented with a nod. "But… Shirou-sama, I have to ask. Where did you get these seals?"

The question had some tension and hints of uneasiness, which the boy picked up almost instantly as he looked at Sella.

"Someone I think I can trust," He replied with a quiet tone. "She hates Zouken, and she seems willing to form a temporary alliance to see him dead."

"Who is 'she', Shirou?" Liz inquired with a note of curiosity, drawing a nervous look on Shirou's face. Francesca had been quite insistent about keeping her identity a secret, just for the sake of avoiding any 'unwanted home invasions'.

It had been the only request forwarded by the young woman, and he had no reasons to break it with how helpful she was being. So he merely sighed and shook his head. "I can't say."

"Shirou-sama-" Sella tried to press on the matter, but the redhead shook his head again.

"I can only say that I trust her. She asked for her identity to be kept secret and I will respect that wish."

There was some uneasy silence, but eventually both maids nodded at the boy's stubborness.

"Still, Shirou-sama, I think it would be best to regroup with Kiritsugu-san and form a better plan-" The Einzbern tried to plea, but those words fell deaf to Shirou's ears.

"The more time we spend hesitating, the more Zouken will make plans to attack us. I bet he has something planned to attack where Kiritsugu had taken the others and… wait, do you two know what happened to Illya and-"

"Lady Illya, Caren-san, and Rin-san are safe and with Kiritsugu as we're speaking," Sella interjected, bringing relief to the boy but not before continuing with this thought. "And this is why I suggest we return back to Kiritsugu-san and prepare a combined attack. While you're strong, Shirou-san-"

"Two."

…

"What?" The young woman asked with confusion over the sudden word.

"There are two individuals that could die if I don't act now, if I wait for too long," The redhead insisted with utmost seriousness. "They- I might not know them, but I'm sure they are innocents. I can't just let them die because- because I hesitate."

The two maids shared a nervous look, with Leysritt actually appearing a little concerned by this development.

"Can you explain more, Shirou-sama?"

"I think- I think Zouken might have hidden his soul in one of his two grandchildren," He answered readily. "They are safe right now, but I know that he's searching them. And the one that is currently keeping them away from him had mentioned that she can't keep them around for too long."

"Is 'she' the same person that gave you these seals?"

Shirou nodded, but now he was focused on the mansion once again. "And I think I should be going. I took too much time talking, and you two should return to kiritsugu to tell him that-"

"We're coming too," Liz interrupted with a solemn tone.

…

"Leysritt-"

"We will come with you, Shirou-sama," Sella interjected, agreeing with her 'sister' for once. "And that's not up to debate."

The sheer determination from the duo made the redhead concede that their support would actually reduce the risks of getting hurt or killed during the attack. Yet, the worry of the two getting hurt was there to keep him wary about accepting at once.

Yet, with the odds stacking against him, Shirou decided to accept begrudgingly the offer from both maids.

"Still, we need to find a way to enter inside," The boy muttered, switching the topic elsewhere and on the main problem. "The main gates aren't viable as far as-"

"There is an opening through the wall on the left side. It was hidden with a bush," Sella interrupted again, this time sighing as she remembered about it. "Leysritt and I have been circling the district for some time now and… that spot was one of the few things we noticed."

"I noticed it," Liz corrected with a hint of smug in her tone. "You just wanted to find Shirou-kun."

The teasing managed to snatch a blush out of the serious maid, which subsequently saw the two women bickering one against the other as they all started to make their way where the 'hidden entrance was'.

But while Shirou and the two Einzbern seemed so sure that their conversation had gone unheard, one of the Crest Worms that had been patiently waiting by one of the bushes nearby ended relying this new information to the owner of the house.

Ten minutes.

[Warning! You are entering a Special Area!]
Enemies in this Area: Burrowing Worms, Bladed Wing Insects, (Unknown).
Rank: C+/A-

That's how long peace had lasted by the time the three had stepped within the perimeter of the manor. Tension had reigned for some time as they had started to make their way towards the main entrance, expecting some attacks to happen quite soon because of the light boundary fields being triggered.

So when the waves of worms started to rush towards them from the near trees and bushes, Shirou's projected blades quickly started to sever the first round of insects that were unfortunately close enough for the boy to intervene.

+1200 EXP!

DING!

+1200 EXP!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 22 – Exp: 12,79%
Health Points (HP) : 1050/1050 (+50)
Mana Points (MP) : 2080/2100 (+100) (90 (+5)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 38+1
INT: 39+1
AGI: 42+1
WIS: 36+1
VIT: 43+1
CHA: 31+1
LUK: 32+1

Sella kept away from directly engaging the small creatures, leaving the close encounters to Leysritt and Shirou as the spell-specialist offered long-ranged support with her basic Einzbern Magecraft. Silver constructs formed, some resembling closed fists slamming onto multiple fiends at once, while others were bird-like figures that rushed to explode onto the flying monsters.

The horde was merciless, but surprisingly enough not as aggressive as the young Emiya remembered it being from the previous experience.

+1200 EXP!

DING!

+1200 EXP!

DING!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 24 – Exp: 1,54%
Health Points (HP) : 1100/1100 (+100)
Mana Points (MP) : 2064/2200 (+200) (95 (+10)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 39+2
INT: 40+2
AGI: 43+2
WIS: 37+2
VIT: 44+2
CHA: 32+2
LUK: 33+2

The more he fought, the stronger he got. The stronger he got, the more easily he could deal with the obstacles between them and the entrance of the house.

The logic was something he had got stuck in his mind since the attack, and it was driving him to slay as many monsters as he could in this peculiar situation. He knew that Zouken hadn't shown his full might yet.

He had read about this in that videogame magazine. Bosses tended to show a fraction of their power when they encountered the protagonists early on, and their full power was sometime difficult to match even with the highest level attainable in that specific area.

Grinding became a secondary priority, one that served to aid the completion of the main mission against the final evil hiding within this building.

Some Bladed Insect Wings rushed from the flanks toward him, soaring around Liz to rush the boy.

+1800 EXP!

DING!

+1800 EXP!

+1200 EXP!

+1800 EXP!

+1200 EXP!

DING!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 26 – Exp: 7,22%
Health Points (HP) : 1200/1200 (+100)
Mana Points (MP) : 2021/2400 (+200) (105 (+10)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 41+2
INT: 42+2
AGI: 45+2
WIS: 39+2
VIT: 46+2
CHA: 34+2
LUK: 35+2

Faster, harder. He needed to be quick with his footing and merciless with his strike. He was making progress, and the distance left to reach the front doors was quite abysmal.

+1200 EXP!

DING!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 27 – Exp: 0,22%
Health Points (HP) : 1300/1300 (+50)
Mana Points (MP) : 2003/2600 (+100) (115 (+5)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 43+1
INT: 44+1
AGI: 47+1
WIS: 41+1
VIT: 48+1
CHA: 36+1
LUK: 37+1

Leysritt slammed the doors open, with the rest of the group rushing inside before the woman closed those onto the approaching bugs.

The loud noise of the resilient doors closing, with various critters slamming uselessly onto those, granted the group a brief moment of reprieve before they turned their attention to the inner sections of the building.

…

There was an eerie silence that kept their guards up as they explored the seemingly desolate house. The place just looked in a decadent shape. The color of the walls had faded in darker tones, with the old furniture bringing up a taste of rot that just rouse uneasiness over the overall sight of the nearby room.

Shirou blinked, his tense stare scanning around as he expected for Zouken to make use of the small indoor to make a tough last stand within his own home. Yet the quietness survived for much longer… and the noise that interrupted it was even more unexpected.

A distant cackle echoed deeper in the main hallway. It seemed to come… from very far. The odd phenomenon got a shiver out of the Gamer, but the boy didn't falter as he started to take steps toward the end of that corridor.

He couldn't see Liz's and Sella's faces since both women were keeping close behind and away from his sight. Yet he was already expecting some reluctance from the latter at the thought that this sounded more like an expected 'visit' from the old Matou.

Eventually they reached the small staircase section that led upstairs… and downstairs. There was a basement.

Mustering up every single hint of courage left within his mind, Shirou resumed walking shortly after the little discovery. The path downstairs proved to be as quiet as the previous moments, yet the even more closed space was incredibly unpleasant to go through without fearing for the worst.

The walk was quiet, yet the weight of their steps broke any possibility of gain some proper peace in that interlude between them and the final deed. The noise interrupting the cacophony of insects buzzing around, waiting patiently to finally strike.

Yet none attacked just yet, and they waited even when Shirou and the two maids arrived in the middle of the basement. The room was humongous, seemingly having been built with the very stone of the underground section. It looked empty, it felt dull.

The cackle resumed, this time focused in the dark figure forming by the multitude of Crest Worms intensifying into forming the decaying form of Zolgen Makiri.

He smiled deviously. "Shirou Emiya. I suppose I should've expected a little earlier than I did that you wouldn't have resisted attacking me once again."

"You are a monster, Zouken," The boy yelled back, straightening his guard at the incoming fight. "And I will make sure that you pay for your crimes."

A malicious chuckle was his reaction. "Truly childish. But what was I expecting from a spoiled brat?"

Various Blade Winged Insects rushed from the various windows and openings by the walls, busying the group almost instantly with how close they got to the trio.

+1800 EXP!

DING!

+1800 EXP!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 28 – Exp: 31,66%
Health Points (HP) : 1350/1350 (+50)
Mana Points (MP) : 1976/2700 (+100) (120 (+5)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 44+1
INT: 45+1
AGI: 48+1
WIS: 42+1
VIT: 49+1
CHA: 37+1
LUK: 38+1

"To think that you seemed to have a good head on your shoulders. And yet you fail to see the futility of this little endeavor," The dangerous elder stated with some mirthfulness. "Right now, you're the greatest of fools."

At first the redhead considered those insults to be picked on the moment. To hold no major meaning within the real fight.

Yet there had been something odd about the behavior of the winged insects. They weren't outright trying to attack him. It had been a subtle twist that hadn't reached him up until this first swarm had been annihilated, but now he couldn't help but feel that there was something 'wrong' happening as they fought.

Before Shirou could've pondered more about this circumstance, his thoughts were interrupted by a wave of worms rushing his way. Memories of the previous case of getting overwhelmed were still fresh in his mind and soon the boy was delivering quick strikes at the approaching wave of worms.

+1200 EXP!

DING!

+1200 EXP!

DING!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 30 – Exp: 31,66%
Health Points (HP) : 1400/1400 (+100)
Mana Points (MP) : 1976/2800 (+200) (125 (+10)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 45+2
INT: 46+2
AGI: 49+2
WIS: 43+2
VIT: 50+2
CHA: 38+2
LUK: 39+2

Once more, the young Emiya noticed that the speed of the rushing insects wasn't as vehement as the attack at his home. Something was indeed wrong with what was happening, and the widening smile on Zouken's face told much about the predicament.

"I think this will be more than enough," The old Matou ultimately proclaimed with a happy sigh. "I think you're ready to be taken over."

...What?

Just as the old man finished with these words, the boy saw him vanish in a blink of an eye. Surprise and panic swelled at the same time as he tried to find where the bastard had gone. It was in that moment that Sella's voice gained his attention.

"Shirou-sama, to your left!"

Amber eyes snapped at the direction mentioned by the young woman and… Shirou felt paling before the sight of a humongous worm trying to pounce at him. It roared monstrously, trying to rush at him and push him to the ground.

But before the horrible creature had a chance to actually go through with these plans, the redhead pulled out one of the papers with the Baptism Spell and slammed it in its exposed torso.

The effect was immediate as the paper brightly exploded and corroded part of the large worm's body. It started to shriek in pain, rushing away before Shirou could've prepared a second paper to use.

It took it some moments, yet it slowly morphed back in the angry form of a certain old man.

"You- You got some dangerous artifact on you. Who was it? Kotomine?" The elder snarled in a mix of agony and fury. But Shirou was unable to fully understand why the deranged priest would have anything to do with this.

"A-As I've said. I'm here to end you once and for all, Zouken Matou!" The fact that the seal was working was undeniable, yet his bravado faltered a little as two notices popped in Game Boxes.

NEW MISSION!

-Grand Finale-

Time Limit: 1 Day

The last major threat within the city is before your sight. Zolgen Makiri, former head of the once great Makiri Clan, is now facing you seriously. Beat Zouken to save Sakura and Shinji.

Objectives

Kill Zouken Matou!

Hints

Conventional Warfare doesn't work. Use the Baptism Spells to end the threat once and for all.

Reward

-ARC 1 is Concluded-

-Sakura Matou is saved-

-Shinji Matou is saved-

-Obtain New Secondary Title: Fuyuki's Youngest Protector-

-New Skill: (?)-

-Relationship with ? is elevated to 'Favorite Step-descendant'-

Name: Zouken Matou (Full Power)

Title: Head of the Matou Family

Age: ?

Level: 50

HP : 16000/16000

MP : ?

The real battle started now!

More bugs rushed towards the trio, but Shirou decided to not let Zouken get away from close confrontations. The boy rushed as fast as he could and, surprisingly enough for both the elder and the boy, the redhead's speed had increased a lot since the last time he had engaged in a quick-paced brawl.

-678HP!

HP: 15322/16000

A red blur cleaved part of Zouken's torso, the decrepit corpse's eyes widening in evident fright as the pain made him hesitate in moving away from the youth. The paper slammed right by his left arm, the ensuing light burning into the Matou's side.

Baptism Spell's effects applied!

HP: 13322/14000

Shirou's eyes widened in realization about what the effects of the spell seemed to be. Zouken had lost 2000 HP permanently!

The development was greeted with relief and renewed intensity as the young Emiya rushed to press on the advantage.

The elder spawned a few Blade Winged Insects, but all of them fell before Shirou's quick swings.

+1800 EXP!

-692HP!

HP: 12630/14000

The final blow severed Zouken's scorching arm, sending it fly away and disintegrate as it fell ungraciously on the floor.

The pain looked unbearable for the walking corpse, but the paper that landed on his back was what made him snap out of his pain-induced hesitation.

Baptism Spell's effects applied!

HP: 11322/12000

More Blade Winged Insects, this time the swarm was far bigger and too quick to deal with as he was pushed back a little bit by the sudden appearance of so many swift and small enemies at once.

Some of the stingers cut through his clothes, landing some damage in the process.

-30HP!

-38HP!

-34HP!

HP: 1394/1500

He could feel some pain, but it was nothing to compare to Zouken's trembling form. The elder was showing utmost anger at the fact he was slowly losing to a 'brat', but he proved to be smart enough to not attack with ferocity by rushing the young Emiya.

Crest worms formed two large swarms, trying to pincer Shirou as the boy prepared to make use of one of the papers. Francesca had mentioned to him that the Worms were part of Zouken, so if the boy used one of the seals on the mass of Worms, it would end up having some retaliations on the malicious elder.

The swarm on the right was faster and the redhead rushed the closest possible to slam the paper on the large mass of insects, before then rushing to the next one to do the same.

+1200 EXP!

DING!

+1200 EXP!

*Ding*

[Status]

Name: Shirou Emiya
Title: The Gamer
Age: 7
Level 31 – Exp: 14,41%
Health Points (HP) : 1394/1500 (+50)
Mana Points (MP) : 1912/3000 (+100) (135 (+5)MP per Min)

Attributes

POW: 47+1
INT: 48+1
AGI: 51+1
WIS: 45+1
VIT: 52+1
CHA: 40+1
LUK: 41+1

The witch's theory ended up correct as both papers seemed to work on damaging Zouken even more.

Baptism Spell's effects applied!

HP: 7322/8000

The Makiri's body was burning, its state morphing before the boy's eyes as the elder attempted to stabilize the situation by switching tactics. Gone was the human-like appearance of the monstrous figure, now replaced with a creature beyond anyone's imagination.

A carapace, a large set of maws, insect-like dark-blue eyes and… two large bug-like limbs replacing the man's arms. Soon, the abomination leaped forward in an absurd increase of speed. The surprising action caught Shirou off-guard, making him fall on the floor as the big mandibles of the monsters tried to dive down on him to take a bite.

-800HP!

HP: 6522/8000

But before the creature had any chance of doing so, the redhead slammed his left blade up through the insect's chin, pressing it away from reaching down on him. The panic, the pain, and the incapacity to go through with this plan seemed to further anger the transformed elder, pushing it to press into the blade just to end this battle with its conquest.

Shirou's strength was high, but the creature seemed to be stronger with how the boy was starting to lose that immediate stalemate. Just as the young Emiya thought that this was going to be it, he saw a bright silver fist slam to the side of the monster, sending it flying away from him… with three papers pressing now onto it.

Baptism Spell's effects applied!

HP: 522/2000

And while fire erupted into the creature's entirety holding it from actually reacting at the sudden attack, The Gamer turned his attention to the general direction where the attack that had saved him had come from.

Sella looked fairly winded, the use of so much magical energy having taken a toll on her form, but she seemed to be faring quite well as she gave him a quick wave.

A loud and sickly cough urged Shirou to turn to see where the monster had landed, and once more Zouken Matou tried to stand up, bloody and burning, in his elderly form.

Standing up from the ground, the young Emiya advanced wit the last paper prepared to be used on the waning figure. Shirou felt lighter as his mind started to grow fuzzier the more steps he took towards the old man.

"T-To think that you, a mere orphan from the Holy Grail War, would've gone as far to eliminate one of the remaining creators of the system," The elder mused quietly, then letting out more coughs as 'Shirou' shook his head.

"It would be wrong to consider you a creator with how disgracefully you've continued this travesty, Makiri," A stern voice erupted by the young Emiya. The familiar strictness was enough to make Zouken realize that instead of amber eyes, the boy now had a pair of dull red ones. "I suppose it's only retribution to see your disappointing self disposed in such a manner."

"I thought you would've been a little less… keen to accept something different than our traditions, Justeaze," Zolgen sighed tiredly, his body close to collapse together with his mind and soul. "You were always the more reactionary of the group."

"People tends to change when they are offered decades of silence spent thinking. I saw many mistakes being committed. Some from my own creations. And I think it's about time to start from zero," The 'Ghost' replied with a shrug. "And that means killing you and end the tainted traditions."

"It's kind of… ironic. I'm actually glad that you're the one putting me out of my misery instead of the brat you're using-"

"Controlling as of now, but no, I don't plant to meddle too much in the newer world," The 'Einzbern' interjected with a sigh. "To be fair, you were kind of a favorite of mine. You were goofy, but not too much and you did have a good dream to follow. Then… you went creepy with Crest Worms and shady basements."

"W-Worms are cool. It's not my fault you preferred doll to real beings."

Zouken was kind of impressed by the speed and might with which the final seal was slammed onto his forehead, killing him instantly.

"I should've expected that one. But… I think my work here is done."

'Shirou' turned to see both Leysritt and Sella pace towards him, making the 'Ghost' sigh at the situation it was now.

"A pity that Acht hadn't truly put these two to service. Sure, they weren't ready for the whole Heaven's Feel but… they did work well together," The voice mused as it finally dwindled out of the boy's bopdy. "Hopefully, things will fix up better once the last thorn is truly removed from Fuyuki's butt."

Without saying anything else, Shirou felt blinking as he fell facefirst to the ground, his mind going blank and unconscious almost instantly as both maids rushed at the sudden action.

Meanwhile, a certain old Einzbern woman couldn't help but ponder from her 'newest pedestal' if taking over Shirou's body counted more as possession or some advanced manipulation. In the end, she shrugged. Maybe it's both.

My hands and butt hurts. I really need to change the pillow that I use with my wooden chair (spoiler alert, I don't have a Gaming chair cuz I never felt the necessity to buy one.). And now… yes, Arc 1 is coming to conclusion.

And some would ask… and now? What about Grail wars? What about Kirei? What about Gilgamesh?

...There is still an inter-arc chapter (which is next one) that will try to deal with the issue with Kirei. Gilgamesh will be essential for the next arc as he will have an essential role in the next Arc with the whole HGW. There will be new characters joining in from out of Fuyuki and… a little time-skip between arcs.

Nothing too big, but something to handle the fact that time rn is sluggish as hell. The pace need to pick up instead of being drown in utter boredom. I feel ya all about it, that's why I will see a change to that.

Will the time skip make new changes? Not truly- not in the Game aspect at least. Something about house arrangement, some people's issues slowly being fixed in the background (but not outright fixed, just the process going forward).

Lastly, some updates over the 'Gaming System'. The 'Game' will gain an update next arc, I can't say how and why but… it will get an 'improving patch'. Also, to help some readers to understand Shirou's stats… 50 is E-Rank. I can't say where D-Rank starts, but I can already offer 'when' E-Rank begins.

And after this… off to bed~!

P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin

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REVIEW Q&A!

Deltadragon373: Francesca Prelati, or Francesco/Francois Prelati, was a heretic priest that was known for his thirst for Dark/Hellish Magic. In the Nasuverse, Francesca is one of the many reincarnation/resurrections of the man after facing several deaths against multiple high-tier individuals like Zelretch and Aoko Aozaki. The book Gilles (Caster) uses is hers (which is why it's called the Book of Prelati).

Toa Solaric: That and much more in the next chapter!

Rider126: Yes, she is meant to be like this.

LukeSky001: More like a low-key moron at understanding love. She isn't all about baka, but if someone/something catches her attention like that, she might try to bite those.

Shaqxcrafter: Not yet, but I will do it once I wake up from sleep~.