A/N: Hey peeps1 Sorry for the late update. I won't give any excuses or details, but suffice to say a bit of writers block, some things I dealt with IRL, and even getting vaccinated for COVID caused me a few delays. That last one in particular, all I have to say is once the fever broke I was utterly miserable on top of being unable to move my left arm from how sore it was. Suffice to say if that was how it felt to be hung over, then I am NEVER drinking. Period.

Any references I use this chapter will be listed at the end in the ending A/N. Not enough reviews to warrant a Reviewer Review, so instead I'll just skip to the disclaimer...

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own any of the franchises referenced or used in this story, as they are the properties of their respective authors, publishers, owners, and creators. Any OCs used are either borrowed and credited to their creators or my own and stated as such. This fic is a continuation of an AU I wrote of Marcus Galen Sands' own fic 'God Slaying Blade Works' with references to other fanfics or franchises credited as used, a meshing of canon lore in a manner that makes sense without over-relying on plot armor, and my own original ideas thrown into the mix every now and then. This is a FREE FANFIC of a FANFIC, as in an UNPAID FAN-MADE FICTION of a FAN-MADE FICTION that I wrote for ABSOLUTELY NUDDIN'. SO if you paid to read this then you got ripped off. And if you do not like it, then you do not have to read this. Nobody is making you.

And now...

STORY START:

King of Wrought Iron Book 2: Guardian of DxD

Seventeenth Forge: Abyss of Despair's Dark Before the Light of Hope's Dawn

Hidden Safe House-Kuoh's Warehouse District

Third-person P.O.V.

In the numerous warehouses used by the small businesses of Kuoh's shopping district, the Gremory Peerage, Sitri Heiress and her Pawn and Queen, along with Shirou and Kurotetsu were hiding out. There were quite a few eyebrows raised when Shirou ushered them inside a rather plain-looking building, only to see a fully functional living space hidden inside with stocked amenities for daily life. Food. Shelter. Clothes. Daily necessities. Hell, they even had a bathroom and running water with a fully functioning shower and independent electric and water system from the city's utilities.

Griselda simply said nothing, having a sneaking suspicion what this was, but the Gremory and Sitri heiresses weren't having it. "Emiya...would you care to explain just why there is a fully-functional secret living space here...and why you seem to have access to it." It wasn't a demand. It wasn't a question. But Sona's tone stated he would reveal the answer one way or another. Kurotetsu simply looked away and raised his hands in a defensive gesture, as though to say 'you're on your own here', to which Shirou simply sighed tiredly at this situation.

"Well...this place is actually owned by a private security company to the mundane masses, for it's bodyguard details when they need to protect certain VIPs from potential hostile threats and need to be low-key...officially anyway..."

"...and the owners won't be upset at us for squatting here?" Rias asked, with an accusing glare, but Shirou simply smirked in response with a playful glint of mischief in his eyes as he responded while turning to Kurotetsu.

"I don't know. Do you mind if we squat here for a time, Mr. Black?"

"No, I don't. Do you, Mr. White?"

"Nope." Shirou then turned back to the two heiresses, gawking at the play-by-play in disbelief as he cheekily and flippantly answered them. "Whelp, there you have it. Mr. Black and Mr. White don't mind at all, so it's all good."

"You bought the warehouse under a false name, and DIDN'T think to INFORM US?!" Rias and Sona both shrieked out in outrage and anger in perfect synchronization, but Shirou just gave them a rather flippant response in turn.

"Considering how we bought this place along with several others under several different alias and an official paper trail that is impossible to see through even with the most scrupulous of inspections when we first arrived here after our first day at Kuoh Academy, a full six months before we were forced to reveal ourselves to you and knew if it was safe to do so, you tell me."

Suffice to say, they had no comeback for that argument. The fact that Shirou was preparing for possible worst-case-scenarios that far back, they were beginning to realize just how prepared Shirou and Kurotetsu were in covering their asses upon their arrival in Kuoh six almost seven months ago now. In hindsight, the fact the two were being so secretive of their knowledge towards the supernatural side of the world spoke volumes of how little trust they felt towards others in the know about its existence. Plus, from the way they set it up, this was obviously a safe house the two created secretly in order to hide in a very inconspicuous place virtually unnoticed, be it by supernatural and mundane means.

That didn't mean the two Heiresses planned to let the fact Shirou and Kurotetsu had a secret series of safe houses like this go unpunished. Though from the nonplussed look he gave them, it was clear any attempts to know just what other things they've been doing on their territory without Rias or Sona's explicit knowledge or consent was never going to be told to them if they didn't absolutely have to. Was he being disrespectful? Yes. Was it possibly a bad idea to be pissing off the Second Owners of Kuoh like this? Definitely. But did Shirou really care? Nope, not one damn bit. If they didn't know this much was going on, then it was their own fault for being so lazy in actually overseeing their own territory. Not his fault they weren't properly doing their jobs in the first place prior to their arrival.

They were about to continue, but suddenly Shirou and Kurotetsu both jolted upright simultaneously, getting several people's attention, as their faces both took a deadly serious look on them.

"Shit. Tetsu!"

"Already on it Shirou. Go!"

"Of all the times, it just had to be now?! Sunnuva fucking bitch!"

Shirou swore, much to the shock of everyone familiar with his demeanor currently present at the usually very polite and seemingly-young man cursing so profusely as he suddenly conjured two swords. One was just a random nameless weapon, not even a mystic code really, just something quick, cheap, and easy for him to trace in a pinch, but the other was his [Gem Sword]. The former he stabbed into the ground a few feet from the wall he walked to, while the later he used to slash the air before him and teleported elsewhere while Kurotetsu got up and began etching a runic array in a circle around him in the empty space as everyone wondered what was wrong.

"Kurotetsu-"

"Not now. Later. Miss Argento! We'll need her in a few!"

Rias' mouth shut with a very audible 'click' at that as er eyes widened a bit in dread at the realization. That one request shut any further arguments up. If they were this panicked and asking for Asia...then someone was injured badly and in need of [Twilight Healing] desperately...which raised the important question: Who was injured and how bad? Rias went to get Asia and bring her into the room on stand-by, while Sona asked the sentient machine the question on all their minds currently.

"Who?" She didn't demand. She didn't question, really. She merely made the request, fully expecting an answer so she could prepare a possible contingency for worst case scenarios. Kurotetsu simply paused for a split second, barely noticeable, before he responded to her one-word question with a one-worded response. The response, however, cause the severity of the situation to become known just how badly things have gone for them...and the repercussions of which would be long-lasting and far-reaching the chain reaction of events this would lead to...

"Raynare."

The tension in the room doubled at that, and while the Church's representatives didn't know who she was or what role she played, they could tell it was a sensitive topic for them all. Irina noticed that Issei went rigid when he heard the name, his eyes dilated as the memory of what she did to him that day just a few months ago was still fresh in his mind as the nightmares of his 'first date' never really stopped, but simply became less frequent over time.

Then all present heard the most sure-fire sign the situation was that bad with the Sitri Heiress' next words coming from her mouth to sum the situation up perfectly in just two words as she groaned while palming her face in her hands in exasperation while she openly swore as for once she wished she wasn't the one in charge of Kuoh so she wouldn't have to deal with this shit…

"...fuck me..."

...the situation was just that bad, and it wasn't going to be getting any better anytime soon...

Scene Change

Kuoh Public Cemetery

Shirou P.O.V.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK! I should have known something like this was going to happen! Damn that bastard Kokabiel! I cannot believe he would attack his own daughter, much less risk the final resting place of his own wife! I rushed forth as these thoughts ran through my mind as the trees from the forests outside of Kuoh flew by in a blur before I found myself sighting my target.

I was in the outskirts of Kuoh, in an old public cemetery for the dearly departed. The scene is quiet, even for a graveyard, yet it was the aftermath of a fierce battle fought here that gave credence to any sense of alarm I had going off right now. Dozens of grave markers were destroyed, shattered, or left crumbling from the obvious battle that took place here, yet throughout the whole battlefield that was once a cemetery, only one grave was left untouched by the battle…

Right in front of this grave, laying in a growing pool of blood as her left arm was completely broken and the bracelet that alerted myself and Tetsu was shattered, casting the life-preserving emergency first aid spells pre-programmed into it as her crimson life-baring fluid leaked out of her in great quantities, with her face cringing in despair showing how thoroughly her spirit had been utterly crushed, her wings torn, ripped, and plucked of almost all their feathers, with over half her bones broken, if not pulverized completely, and her face and body beaten a bloody red, black, and blue, was Raynare…

As I got closer, upon further inspection, I saw it. On the sole undisturbed grave here, freshly cleaned, save for the smudges of bloody hand prints made by Raynare in her desperation...was an engraving…

Anastasia Kitsugomi

October 14, 1911-December 16, 1947

Loving Mother

Devoted Wife

A Saintess among Heathens

Her Light lost is a tragedy for those trapped in Darkness

… as she lain before her late mother's final resting place as she was slowly bleeding to death...oh fucking hell no!

I picked up my pace, made myself over to examine the best way to carry her, all while channeling [Avalon]'s healing properties into her body to try and mitigate the damage to some extent. Her body was in rough shape, but it was her mind I was more worried about, considering who the only other person aside from her currently in Kuoh with any business whatsoever being at this particular grave at this particular time is and most likely has done to Raynare. Considering the 'scent' of the lingering magic, there was only one person it could be, and my teeth grit while I ground out through a clenched jaw locked in a snarl as I made my next move, my voice little more than the metallic scraping of a steel blade against steel blade in a facsimile of human speech at that moment.

"Kokabiel...you utter bastard..."

Carefully picking Raynare up in a bridal-style princess carry, I began starting to switch places with the sword I left back at the safe house while my mind was racing to piece together what happened here as best I could. The 'scent' lingering from the battle's aftermath was very distinct. It was two very similar 'scents' of prana, but with one distinct difference between the two that settled it for me. They both had the 'scent' of 'sin', 'tainted light', and 'blood' seeped deeply into them, but one had an additional trait that cinched it for me: it also 'smelt' of 'holy flames'. Considering his name and what the power he possesses if he invokes his name is, it's fairly obvious the Fallen Star of God was the culprit here.

While being mindful of her injuries, I teleport both myself and Raynare away to treat her wounds, but even so, just what reason justifies doing this to his own daughter?! As if I didn't have enough reason to kick Kokabiel's ass for his blatant stupidity in trying to restart the Three Factions War, now I may end up needing to kill him just for the sake of peace. As if things weren't bad enough already...as I began teleporting, I took one quick look at Raynare's unconscious form and glanced around me real quick before muttering under my breathe…

"...me and my Root-be-damned E-rank luck..."

...before the nameless sword and I swapped places in existence, right before dissipating into motes of golden light, the aftermath of the fight left for Gremory and Sona-kaichou to keep hidden long enough until I have the time to fix the damage later…

Scene Change

Back in the Hidden Safe House

Third-person P.O.V.

As Shirou switched places with the nameless sword, they noticed it breaking down into golden motes of light before Shirou completely replaced it with a dying Raynare held in his arms as he carried her to the runic circle that Kurotetsu just finished moments prior to Shirou's return. Kurotetsu brought a gurney for them to lay Raynare onto, with special mind paid to her wings as they laid her down on top of it.

"Lady Raynare! What happened to her?!" Asia gasped in shock as she saw the state the Fallen Assassin was currently in, rushing over to assist her. Xenovia was actually outraged to discover it was a Fallen they were assisting, but when she saw the state that Raynare was in, not even she could argue that whatever happened, she had information they'd need for the fight to come.

In a flash of pale green light, Asia's hands glowed as the rings of her Sacred Gear [Twilight Healing] manifested and got to work healing Raynare up, with Shirou lending his assistance to heal Raynare using some of [Avalon]'s energy. But as they were healing her injuries, both Shirou and Asia frowned, before Asia started to panic a little by what they discovered, causing Shirou to frown deeper.

"Oh no..."

"Well shit, this isn't good..."

That got the attention of Griselda as she stepped forward to ask. "What's wrong?"

"[Twilight Healing] isn't working...rather, it's more like whatever method used to heal Lady Raynare is automatically reversed...it's as though her spirit has been utterly broken and thoroughly crushed...as if she wants to die..."

Asia was barely holding back the tears threatening to spill as she spoke, with Xenovia and Issei both having a similar reaction of disbelief. In Xenovia's case, the very notion of a Fallen wishing to die to the point of actually hindering any attempts to heal their wounds was inconceivable. There were very few things even capable of inflicting permanent harm on a Fallen or Pure Angel, much less breaking their spirit so in the process. But anything that could do so was extremely dangerous and usually locked away by an agreement by all the pantheons under strictly heavy guard 24/7, as those usually even affected all beings of Divine origin, such as is the case with the Fallen Angel Samael. The Poison of God was locked away under heavy guard within numerous seals in Cocytus itself by an agreement of all pantheons and could not be released for any reason or under any circumstances unless all the pantheons agreed to it due to his poison being capable of killing Dragons, Divinities, or even potentially weakening Ophis or Great Red to the point of possibly being able to slay them.

It still might not be enough to kill them, but Xenovia knew that the level of danger from such threats are not meant to be released or used lightly, but even if she didn't know all of these facts, from what she did know it still put her on guard for possible worst-case-scenarios from what she did know and had the clearance for. As for Issei, he was still having a hard time with the idea she was even on the verge of dying, especially given his past history with Raynare and the scar she left upon his heart just a few months prior.

Issei knew Raynare was simply doing as she was told, and had been lied and tricked into it, so he didn't hate her for what she did. But on the other hand, his feelings were complicated and his anxiety was shooting through the roof to the point Irina had to calm him down with a comforting squeeze from her hand on his shoulder, getting him to take deep breathes to calm down. Giving her a thankful smile, Irina gave a worried look at her childhood friend with Griselda noting his reaction to it and wondering what was going on here that she didn't know about.

As for Shirou, he simply had a defiant look in his eyes, one that those who knew him would have recognized instantly and realized he'd do something rather extreme if they tried to stop him or not give him better alternatives to achieve the same result he seeks. Getting up from Raynare's side, he walked over to a room where he stored some dangerous research materials, with a box labeled 'experimental' on the side stamped in big, bold, red letters. The others present were confused by this, but Kurotetsu had his eyes widened in terror as he realized just what his best friend was about to do as he walked out with a sealed case.

"Shirou...no…." The living construct got in Shirou's path, intent to stop his best friend from carrying out what he knew he was going to do. His blatant worry clear for all to see with the mysterious contents of the box in the Sword Forger's hands.

"Out of the way, Tetsu." Shirou's eyes were shadowed by his pure white and rust red bangs, the tone he spoke with not a request. Not a statement. It was a demand, one he fully intended to be complied with. Kurotetsu didn't follow the command. Instead he tried to reason with him instead.

"Shirou...you can't...they're still experimental! If you use them now, then there's no telling what-"

"And if I don't, then Raynare is guaranteed to die!"

"Shirou...listen to me...the risks aren't worth it! Don't do it! The chances-"

"Kurotetsu!" Shirou snapped at the living construct, cutting him off and causing all present to take note of whatever it was the two were arguing about while surprising them that Shirou and Kurotetsu could ever be at odds over anything. The ORC and Student Council have NEVER seen Shirou and Kurotetsu fighting over anything before while the Church representatives were shocked by the inhuman tone of voice Shirou used in that one word. Shirou raised his face and looked Kurotetsu dead in the eye, causing his steel gray eyes to stare, wide at the look in his best friend and creator's eyes.

"I have yet to give up on someone who could still be saved; I am NOT going to start now."

"But...Shirou...the chances are-"

"I know what the chances are Kurotetsu, and normally you'd be right about that, but this isn't merely a case of simple statistics. There's a fifty-fifty chance that by using this, she can still be saved."

"But there's also a fifty-fifty chance that using them would kill her outright! It's not worth the risk, Shirou!"

Kurotetsu was openly panicking now, not for his sake, but for his best friend's sake. For the sentient machine, Shirou is more than his creator and best friend; he's the closest thing to family Kurotetsu has, his brother in all but blood and name. His concern was over what would happen if Raynare died because this gambit failed. Shirou would blame himself, and Kurotetsu didn't want to see that happen. That was when Shirou did something that forced Kurotetsu to stand aside…

"...tell me something Kurotetsu...do you remember when I first made you? How you were still learning how to be human?" Kurotetsu recalled those days well. Shirou was something off an oddity, even by human standards, but even so, Kurotetsu didn't see what he was getting at…

"Do you remember when we got separated for a time? How the interactions you had with Illya allowed you to develop a more human-like tendencies and behaviors? Despite being the biological daughter of a human spellcaster and a homonculus, she is by far more human than most magi ever will be. And by spending time with her, you were able to develop your personality as much as you did..."

"...why are you bringing this up now Shirou?" Kurotetsu asked in confused dread, feeling like something bad was about to happen soon, yet couldn't figure out what it was or why this sense of unease frightened him so...

"Do you know why I called you 'Kurotetsu'? Why I chose that name for you?"

"..."

"Black Iron. I felt it was a fitting name for one who was created as the embodiment of the concept of 'shield' as you were. An embodiment of both the light and dark sides of the shield's use in combat. The defensive armament in the form of a bulwark and the blunt-force weapon for bludgeoning in close quarter combat. That is what a shield is, Kurotetsu. It's role is to defend or bludgeon in battle."

"..."

"You're a kind soul Kurotetsu. However, that kindness right now isn't helping anyone. Not me, not Raynare, and most certainly not the current situation. I feel this is something worth taking the gamble on. If Kokabiel destroyed Raynare's spirit by taking away her reason to live..." Shirou walked past Kurotetsu, his eyes wide in shocked disbelief as he realized Shirou's intent, and could not bring himself to stop him. "...then I will give her a new one, a place to belong that can and will always remain for her to return to..."

Shirou began to step back into the room where Raynare was still being healed by Asia, with every one watching the interaction with interest as Shirou began to unseal the case…

"...and will never abandon her or throw her aside like everyone else did to suffer alone ever again."

That caused even Issei and Xenovia to look at Shirou, the declaration drawing all eyes to him as he opened the case, revealing a series of extremely well-sculpted statuettes the size of chess pieces, which caused Rias and Sona to gasp in disbelieve as they realized what they were. "Are those Evil Pieces?!" Rias is utterly shocked by this, while Sona turns to Shirou intent on getting to the bottom of this, but Kurotetsu cuts her off before she could.

"Those aren't Evil Pieces, no. They're Servant Pieces, Shirou's attempt to create his own version of the Evil Piece system...though they're still experimental prototypes..." That got those gathered to be floored. Ajuka Beelzebub created the Evil Piece system in the aftermath of the Three Factions War and the Civil War soon after, and even then it's not so easy to create the system or mess with it. For Shirou to have made his own version completely from scratch, even if only experimental prototypes, was an impressive feat in and of itself in their eyes.

There were fifteen pieces in all, each in the form of a figure seemingly kneeling while slightly hunched over, and each caused a single word to echo in their minds that they just knew what they represented…

A Skeletal figure with long hair chained and with a sense of vengeance radiating from it: The Servant of Vengeance, Avenger...

A Noble Saint holding a scale in one hand and a banner in the other with closed eyes: The Servant of Arbitration, Ruler...

Two female Jesters in opposition to one another whilst in reverse to one another, one upside down while the other right-side up: The Servant of Independent Personas, Alter Ego...

A Hooded figure with no distinct physical body of its own and glowing eyes radiating otherworldly power: The Servant of Otherworldly Power, Foreigner...

An Armored figure with no weapons holding a shield whose face is that of a fortress wall: The Servant of Defense, Shielder...

An effeminate figure holding a musket in one hand over their shoulder while pointing the other forward: The Servant of Modern Weaponry, Gunner...

A Messiah holding neither arms nor malice, yet gives off a feeling of reverence: The Servant of Salvation, Saver...

A Blacksmith holding a hammer in one hand while concealing its face behind a mask with a question mark on its front: The Servant of Imitation, Faker...

A Knight with a sword pointed skyward: The Servant of the Sword, Saber...

A Spear-man with his weapon poised the pounce upon his foe: The Servant of the Spear, Lancer...

A Bowman with his weapon pointed forward and ready to fire: The Servant of the Bow, Archer...

A bull-headed man bound and chained while raging in madness: The Servant of Madness, Berserker...

An elderly Mage with their hood up and stave at the ready in one hand while a tome held open in the other: The Servant of Mysterious Arts, Caster...

An armored figure holding reigns for a mounted cavalry battle: The Servant of the Mount, Rider...

However, it's the last one Shirou removes that got all eyes to widen and see how he planned to save Raynare. It was a hunched over figure in a skull mask with a tattered cloak over its torso while its arms were crossed over their chest with a pair of dirks dual-wielded in a reverse grip, poised to strike as though from stealth. The name of this piece resonated in their minds in almost perfect unison as it seemed to seek Raynare out on its own, as though she were the best candidate for its power…

The Servant of Murder: Assassin.

Shirou picked the Assassin piece up, place it upon Raynare's chest, and began chanting words in a manner that showed there was more to just sticking the piece in her chest and calling it a day...the level of utmost solemnity he spoke with told just how seriously he took such a ritual…

"Iron and Steel to the origin and three gemstones to the Archduke of Fate of the Three-forked road. Thou who art clad in shadows and master of murder and silent killing, raise thine dirks for mine cause, thine targets art mine targets, mine enemies art thine enemies, thy blade shall be mine blade, mine fate your fate. By this sacred oath, if thou acknowledgeth this pact, this reason, this vow, then rise forth as one of the Circle of Deterrence and Keepers of the Balance, oh Guardian of the Scale!"

As the incantation was finished, the Assassin piece rose and flew right into Raynare's chest, sinking within and entering her being with a gasp and passing out being the only indication of life from Raynare before her wounds began to rapidly heal and her breathing finally began evening out as she fell into a slumber as the Assassin Servant piece assimilated with her being. A quick check of her vitals revealed she was simply sleeping for now and would most likely wake up in the next few days. She would most likely not wake up before the fight with Kokabiel started, but should be awake by the time of the battle's conclusion.

Setting her down to lay comfortably as the Servant Piece did its work, Shirou went to sit over with the others as everyone looked at him, considering the scene those present saw him perform, and knew he would need to sate their curiosity for the time being, so he bit the bullet this once. "Ask. I know you all have questions, so ask away while I feel like giving away a few of my secrets, so this is your one chance to get them freely."

"What was that sensation when you started chanting?" Sona was the one to ask, having composed herself first and getting the question out before anyone else could. Shirou simply gave a wry smile at that as he answered.

"That, Sona-kaichou, would be a vow, made between myself and the one I bestow a Servant Piece upon. Surely the phrase 'my word is my bond' is something you know of when making a magical pact or a curse-enforced vow?"

That got quite the number of eyebrows to suddenly raise into their hairlines at the rather flippant manner he said that. Kurotetsu simply groaned and buried his face in his hands. If he wasn't a sentient machine, he'd be suffering a serious migraine like a certain twin-tailed brunette magus would have at such an insane stunt. Afterwards, Shirou began playing a game of twenty questions as they grilled him for the next hour, before he decided enough questions had been asked to sate their curiosity.

No, Raynare was not changed into a different race and is still a Fallen Angel. No, Raynare was not compelled to follow him or his orders against her will that she herself did not wish to obey. Yes, her obedience is optional, but could be earned rather than obligatory. Yes, Raynare would get some bonuses from her new position like with the Evil Piece system, but also a few demerits from the Assassin Piece she was given, just as any of the other Servant Pieces would have done. Yes, there are other benefits from being granted a Servant Piece, but those are not for him to reveal as of yet due to still working out all the kinks in his system.

After he had his fill of playing twenty question, that was when Shirou decided to end any further interrogations they might have done to grill him for further information. "Well, since I've sated your curiosity enough for now, I think it be best to start planning for the inevitable fight we're going to be having with Kokabiel and his allies."

"And how do you propose we do that? We do not know Lord Kokabiel's plans, nor do we know his exact next move." Griselda said, but only got a look from Shirou as if she had grown a second head with the look of incredulity he gave her, causing her to frown. "What? Have I said something wrong?" Shirou simply looked at Kurotetsu and directed his question towards his best friend to see if he understood this perfectly clearly.

"Tetsu..."

"I know Shirou. You don't even need to ask..."

"Is something wrong with the question Griselda asked?"

Xenovia seemed a bit miffed at the manner these two heathens(in her honest and totally justified opinion) towards her foster mother and mentor, while Shirou simply looked at them all and stated why he found the question to be a stupid one.

"Because we already know where Kokabiel intends to fight us at. It's rather easy to figure out if you simply think about it logically and deduce his next potential moves from there, given his requirements for success in restarting the Three Factions War and completing his objectives for being here to begin with." That caused everyone to gawk at him in surprise, making his deadpan look questioning their intelligence blatantly clear as he turned to Kurotetsu and simply asked his friend uncaring of the rather insulting comment's being heard by them all.

"If this is the kind of people they send for important assignments, I dread to think who they'd send for menial tasks. It is a miracle in and of itself and a feat worthy of being a sorcery that the Biblical Pantheon has not imploded in upon itself yet from the sheer incompetence of its members otherwise. How they're still around and not destroyed yet is beyond even me, and there's very little I don't know or cannot find out."

"Hey!" Xenovia's shout of indignant outrage at the insult went ignored by Shirou as he explained his reasoning.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Kokabiel has several objectives and conditions he must complete in order to achieve his goal. Firstly, he stole the Holy Sword Shards from the Church in order to deliberately draw you here to Kuoh, which is a political lynch-pin to countless possible factions and pantheons. It's practically the Switzerland of the Supernatural; start enough trouble here and you will basically make the world itself your enemy. Which is exactly what Kokabiel wants." Shirou explained as he raised his hand and started counting off the points supporting his claims as he raised a second finger to continue.

"Secondly, he allied himself with Valper Galilei and several rogue magi working with him for their own respective purposes. From my understanding, Valper was once a prominent alchemist under the Church's employ prior to his criminal activities becoming known to them or the illegal and highly unethical human experiments he performed under their noses. Magi, and by extension Alchemists, require a strong and powerful source of magical energy in the form of spiritually infused land to set up a workshop in order to perform their craft and further their research, specifically in the form of a ley line. Several of which exist right here in Kuoh, which is built right on top of a particularly strong dragon vein where numerous ley lines intersect." That got several eyes to widen as he raised a third finger to continue his argument.

"Thirdly, given just what Valper's research has been centered around mostly, it is fairly obvious what his intentions are for the Holy Sword Shards; he plans to reforge the blade using his alchemy to do it without knowing a Root-be-damned thing about what the fuck he's actually doing in the first place. Yet another reason you never hire an alchemist to do a blacksmith's job. Thanks to this, however, he'll need a particularly strong ley line to complete this objective, one of sufficient strength and quality." Shirou then raised his fourth finger for his final point to validate his logical argument for why he knows what he claims to know.

"And lastly, the ley line Kokabiel will inevitably choose is the one he knows will tweak the noses of enough people in high positions of authority to piss them off just enough to serve as the spark that will ignite a conflict that could restart the Great War he so wishes for continuing...and you all know very well where that particular ley line is, considering how most of you all spend most days of the week there, blending in among the humans who call this town home..."

His rather unsubtle hinting at where the battle was to take place caused all present aside from Kurotetsu to pale an ashen white, their faces locked in disbelief that anyone would be so insane as to pull something so crazy. Hoping and praying in a vain attempt the scenario he described was merely a joke and not the actual situation.

"...he wouldn't..." Sona barely ground out, her face going from ashen pale to a burning scarlet, but not out of embarrassment. She was utterly livid-no...wait, scratch that. Sona Sitri was absolutely PISSED at the insinuation that Kokabiel would dare have the audacity to use HER school for such a manner as the setting for restarting a war that was against all the various leader's wishes for every pantheon in the world. Shirou and Kurotetsu simply grimly shook their heads at the dismissal.

"Would, could, and already is, Sona-kaicho. I sensed someone snooping around the bounded fields in a scouting manner as though to try and scope out a potential site for-!" Shirou started, but then froze as he remembered something very important he had forgotten until now, and began to pale very visibly while sweating bullets. "...oh shit..."

"...what did you do." Rias said next. She didn't ask. She didn't request. She didn't demand. She simply stated with absolutely no intention of not getting an answer, yet Shirou's response is pretty much what settled it that things may have just gotten worse for them…

"...it's not so much what I did, so much as what I forgot in the ORC club room this afternoon...what we ALL forgot there...and my bounded field I set up around the academy isn't detecting it there anymore..." They all felt a sense of dread at that statement as Shirou continued… "I forgot the Holy Sword Shard I swiped from Freed a few days ago there when I showed it to you all earlier today...and when I checked up on the bounded field just now, it was no longer sensed within its confines...it's gone…"

They all looked towards the very Holy Sword Shard still stuck in the rock after turning into a literal sword in the stone when Freed lost his grip on it just before being forced to flee. [Excalibur Destruction] is now the only Excalibur Shard currently in their possession still, but none of them could pull it out. If they wanted any chance of dealing with this situation, they needed to pull it out, but it refused to budge, no matter what they did.

For the next two hours, everyone currently present and able tried and failed to remove [Excalibur Destruction] in various ways. They tried pulling the sword out to no avail. They tried chipping the sword out, only for it to simply lodge itself into another rock to start the problem of removing it all over again from scratch. The Devils present even gave it a go. Rias even suggested that since Issei was the current Red Dragon Emperor that maybe he could remove it since King Arthur was he [Boosted Gear]'s original host, only for that theory to be debunked when he couldn't even get it to budge. Even Rias and Sona tried and failed to remove it. By the time they all began to call it quits and give up, they were left scratching their heads at the current situation.

"Well...looks like this is not gonna be an option...though it might be better this way if no one can draw the sword, then Valper can't use it to reforge the blade either." Shirou simply shrugged as he said this, but Griselda simply frowned at him as her eyes narrowed at him before she responded.

"True, we all tried to remove it and failed...but there is one among us who has yet to actually try to pull it out..."

Everyone heard this, then turned to stare right at Shirou at the same time, a singular realization dawning upon them all as Shirou began to nervously shake his head at the notion and waved his arms as if to ward the very idea off. "Uh-uh. Nope..."

"Emiya..."

"No! I tried to remove it as well! You all saw me!"

"Yes, we saw you try to remove it by chipping away at the rock, but not pulling it out like the rest of us had at least once. You are the only one who has yet to try and pull it from its mooring."

"No! Not happening! I can't pull it out!"

"You can't, or you won't?" Griselda's narrowed eyes at Shirou caused everyone to realize he was deliberately avoiding trying to draw the blade for some reason, yet only Kurotetsu, Issei, and Ddraig had any inkling as to why that was. "Why are you so against even attempting to try it? Worst case is you are unable to remove it and we will simply need to think up a new strategy to face Kokabiel without it. It would be difficult, but not impossible...or is there some reason why you do not wish to attempt to draw it for whatever reason?"

Groaning in frustration, Shirou then threw his hands up into the air as he finally caved under the pressure. "Fine! I'll try to pull the Root-damned thing out! Happy now?!" He grit out in blatant irritation at being forced to do this, yet Griselda simply nodded her head in approval as though she did not jut blatantly force him to do something he was completely against with peer pressure and under the threat of mob mentality.

"That is all I ask you to do. There was no need for such over the top dramatics..."

Shirou huffed in indignation as he walked up to the blade, slowing to a stop right before the blade's handle, his hand tentatively reached out, recoiling slightly in reluctance, as though he felt in some way as though he were slighting the blade so, before wrapping his hand around the handle and pulled…

That was when something truly spectacular occurred: the sword was pulled free of the stone and began to emit an aura of sacred light, as it began to resonant with Shirou, and he could hear it, the sword itself speaking directly to him, the words he heard causing his heart to stop in his chest at the sight they all bore witness to as he listened to [Excalibur Destruction]...

'...you are worthy...'

...in his hand, the freed Holy Sword suddenly began to shift its form in his hands, much to everyone present's shock at the sight as the sword spoke up to Shirou's ears and his ears alone...that same child-like voice that was both young and innocent, yet elderly and battle-hardened at the same time…

'...worthy to wield us...'

...and suddenly [Excalibur Destruction] began to morph into a form that resembled an entirely different sword, yet the feeling it gave off was similar, stronger, as though...the sword was whole, yet not at the same time, as it morphed into an unforgettable form before his eyes...a form he knew all too well, since its copy was recorded within his very soul...

'...worthy to reforge us...'

...as the sword's altered form appeared for all present to see, Shirou's breath hitched in his throat, as the overwhelming sense of dread and urge to drop the blade began to overwhelm him...

'...make us whole...'

"NO!" Shirou shouted, as he threw the blade across the room, and [Excalibur Destruction] reverted back to its incomplete, broken, and fragmented form as the Shard of a Holy Sword, it's aura dying out almost completely to the point it looked no different from a completely mundane if not ornately well made great sword. The tears streaming down his face clear for all to see as his shoulders shook in barely restrained emotions…

"...what did it say?" Griselda asked him, as Shirou began to walk away, h answered before taking his leave…

"It told me to 'make us whole'..." Shirou began to walk out the door, not looking any of them in the eye as he continued his next words… "...but I am not worthy to wield that sword...not his or Saber's..."

That caused all eyes to widen, save for Kurotetsu, who simply closed his and bowed his head in understanding as he crossed his arms over his chest. He'd explain it to them later in a manner that would not reveal too much of Shirou's secrets or past, though from the looks on their faces, he knew they guessed Shirou was close to someone who wielded an Excalibur Shard in the past. He wouldn't correct this mistaken assumption, but he also knew that he couldn't keep running away from this forever…

...they had some planning to do for the days and inevitable conflict to come...

Omake One-Church Slayer's Incredulous Disbelief

Third-person P.O.V.

Lyle Walner was a young man whose been through a lot of strange and messed up situations as the Church Slayer. In his youth, he was taken in and trained as a top-notch member of the Church's exorcists. Before then, he was a subject of Valper Galilei's illegal human experiments to create a Holy Sword user and one of said experiments few successes. By the age of thirteen, he had become the leader of his own unit of the Church's elite exorcists. By the time he was seventeen, he survived an assignment where his whole team was wiped out that could have only been called a suicide mission.

He has seen a lot of strange and messed up things in his line of work. One time, he had even seen a heretic in the form of a magician who used drugs as a method of boosting his magical capabilities. The guy had actually asked him to wait while he doped up, only to die from a fatal overdose because he was so strung out he forgot to use the spell that would keep it from killing it. There are not many cases he's seen that would make him feel tops that level of sheer incredulity he felt at that scene, yet this sight before him took the cake in the most unexpected of ways.

Reaching down to pick up what he found in the potential site for the ritual to reforge the blade, Lyle couldn't help himself as he asked himself aloud in utter disbelief at what he was finding here of all places…

"...what kind of a God-damned moron leaves an Excalibur Shard right out in the open like this where anyone could have taken it without any security measures in the slightest to prevent its theft..."

Five minutes later, Shirou senses the Excalibur Shard's disappearance from the ORC club room and begins feeling the urge to beat himself over the head with a piece of construction-grade re-bar for forgetting it there...

Omake Two-Fateful Encounter of Ominous Foreboding

Unknown P.O.V.

The mysterious figure clad in the enchanted cloak that was given to him by the resident magician simply watched as he witnessed exactly what his current target did. He recognized her appearance from somewhere, yet for the life of him, he could not recall from where. She had gone to the graveyard where that same said magician was rescuing a Fallen who had been attacked by Lord Kokabiel, and overheard the young woman grit her teeth at what she saw, as if bad memories were brought up by the actions that he took to save her life.

The young woman seemed bitter, and looked hell-bent on retribution for what she perceived as a wrong committed upon herself, and was part of the group of rogue magi assisting Lord Kokabiel and Valper Galilei in their endeavors. The mysterious figure watched as said woman waltzed up to the battle field, took one look around, and preceded to restore the graveyard, making it as if the fight never took place. She then walked over to a specific grave in question, with a sad look in her eyes as she almost reverently treated the grave with the utmost respect.

It was the same grave that Fallen had been visiting, as well as the one that Lord Kokabiel, for all his power, flat-out refused to damage in any way. The young woman simply knelt before the grave as she spoke actually respectfully towards the person in question, in a manner that made some sense in the long run, and made the cloaked figure remember just where he'd seen her before.

"...Lady Anya...soon...it'll be finished soon...and my grandmother's debt to you can finally be repaid..."

The mysterious figure froze at that statement. She called the woman buried there 'Lady Anya'. There was once a woman he heard of from his master, Vasco Strada, who fifty years ago was referred to by that title by those the Grigori had assisted, before she was murdered by a Devil with a grudge against her husband. If his memory served, then she was-!

No...it couldn't be...the mysterious figure's features paled beneath the enchanted cloak, unseen even by his unknowing target as she manifested a holy sword and placed it upon the grave in offering...no, not a holy sword, but a massive nail-like object in the facsimile of a sword. It was a Sacred Gear, but not just any Sacred Gear...[Alphecca Tyrant]...not good…

Making sure to not be noticed, the mysterious figure made its way to the secret meeting point with the magician who provided him with both the enchanted cloak and helped him to survive being impaled through the heart by Freed just a few days ago...he needed to warn them about that young woman...she's possibly a bigger potential threat than even Kokabiel was if not addressed soon! As son as he was out of her site, he crushed the blade that would serve as a signal for the two to meet in an emergency situation, should he discover something crucial and need to inform him immediately…

...the mysterious figure only hoped they could stop whatever she was possibly planning before it was too late...

A/N: And that's the chapter peeps. The references this chapter were for 'Draconian Fate Works' by Kratos1989, 'The Holy Man of The Church Creek' by Parcasious, and a few original ideas. We're getting to the end-game and big reveal for why Kokabiel's doing what he does in my fic, the real reason why Shirou;s Reality marbles rejects the Excalibur Shards' blueprints, ans who the mysterious figure Shirou'd working with really is. Until next Chapter, PEACE OUT!