A/N: Hey peeps! Here's the latest chapter! For those of you wondering why it took this long or were rushing, just an FYI, but I always try to post at least two weeks apart to give me the time to write it out and edit it enough to be considered understandable. If I don't have enough time, I will explain it. I'm only human; there's a limit to what I can and cannot do. Now that that announcement is out of the way, it's time for a quick Reviewer review:
1.) Right now, Allen Walker is the only D. Gray Man character in my fic. He does, however, have something of an important role he'll play later for the Alliance of the Underworld arc, but that will only be revealed later on in the fic when we get there. As for what his capabilities are, look up the fic I mentioned previously, the one where I got the idea for Vocaloid, Iscariot, and all that. His 'Innocence' from the D. Gray Man series, the Crown Clown, is considered a Sacred Gear in my fic. I'll explain more next chapter as I give a bit of a further reveal into his abilities along with how he helped free Kiba.
2.) Just because its posted in the side story reviews does not mean the answer is going to change, dammit! I am NOT taking any harem member requests. The Harem list is pretty much already finalized and will reveal the pairings towards the end of this arc, though the characters who haven't been revealed yet will be listed as unnamed until they enter the story. Stop asking for something that isn't going to happen, dammit! If you want such a pairing, then YOU write it, but I already have the plans mostly set in stone.
Now that that is out of the way, time for the disclaimer...
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Fate, Highschool DxD, or any other franchise or their characters referenced in this story, as they are the respective properties of their respective publishers, authors, creators, and owners. Any OCs I use are either mine or someone else's I either got permission for the use of or gave credit to their owners and any references to their fanfics I credit the author and owner to the best of my ability. This story is a continuation of an AU I wrote of Marcus Galen Sands' own fic 'God Slaying Blade Works', with references to other franchises and fanfics credited as used to the best of my abilities, a meshing of canon lore in a manner that makes sense without putting too much emphasis on 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 a 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 it. Nobody is making you.
And now...
STORY START:
King of Wrought Iron Book 2: Guardian of DxD
Nineteenth Forge: Ghosts of Past Sins, Daemons of Karmic Retribution, Dark Despair before Dawn
Kuoh, Three Hours after Sunset
Third-person P.O.V.
Just mere minutes before sunset, Kokabiel's remaining allies began to make their move and begin to carry out their orders. Based on the available information they received prior to their annihilation, the rogue magi managed to isolate three main target locations for Kokabiel's plan to reignite the Three Factions War.
The first place to strike was obviously Kuoh Academy, which was where the ritual to reforge the Holy Sword Shards was to take place, as the ley line there was the most suitable, close enough to make an impact, and would most certainly be Kokabiel's way to piss off several different factions enough by brazenly pulling something like this to potentially restart a war not only with the Three factions, but also the Shinto faction as well.
The second place was the greenhouse/nursery that Shirou and Kurotetsu had set up for raising the Arachne young they took under their care. The only defenses that had been set up that they knew of were of magical origin, mostly centered around the barrier the two set up around it to protect and keep the spider-children safe. By attacking them, they could potentially cause all kinds of chaos by slaughtering them, thereby angering Shirou into openly trying to fight Kokabiel and angering the Devil faction by potentially harming one of the allies of the Devils in the form of one Abe Kiyome who typically spends a bit of time at night helping to care for the young Arachne girls, along with the Yokai Faction by murdering said spider-children.
The third and final location was none other than Shirou and Kurotetsu's home. The reason behind this plan of action was due to the level of threat their assessment listed the two at. By himself, Kurotetsu was listed as potentially being capable of killing entire squads of four to six-winged Fallen easily. As for Shirou, they listed him as a 'flee on sight' recommendation, simply because they could not measure how powerful he was, even if they tried every method they could think of. As a consequence of this, the platoon of four to six-winged Fallen dispatched to this particular location is seen as more of a diversionary tactic to at least keep him busy for about an hour or two.
In their rushed preparations for dealing with Kokabiel and Galilei's assault and to hinder them as much as possible, they were divided into several groups: Kurotetsu was staying with the Church's representatives, the ORC and the Student Council at the safe house they treated Raynare at, while Shirou was keeping Serenity, Arielle, Aika, and Raynare protected at the Emiya residence. Ravel was also staying with Shirou at the Emiya residence, which took a lot of convincing and fast-talking from Issei to get her to agree, when Shirou and Kurotetsu both suddenly stiffened, with Rias and Sona both getting an understanding look in both their eyes as they sensed it too, given their positions as Kuoh's overseers for the Devil Faction having them keyed into the defenses around town as well.
"Sona..."
"I know Rias..."
"We're heading out now. Shirou and I modified the bounded fields a bit to give them some bite, but it won't be enough to stop Kokabiel's level of power..."
The group hurried to Kuoh Academy in a full twenty-minute rush, and when they reached the front gate, that was when the lot of them stopped in their tracks at the sight of destruction from Kokabiel's forced entry into the school's grounds in the form of several broken weapons lying on the ground, bloody and with pitch-black feathers scattered about around their shattered fragments. Taking a rather surprised moment to observe the carnage, that was where Sona looked at Kurotetsu and gave the living construct a rather dry glare as she deadpanned with a twitching brow expressing everyone's shared thoughts on the matter.
"...'a little bite', huh?"
Kurotetsu just simply shrugged nonchalantly before responding. "Lasted thirteen seconds...Shirou and I'll take some pride in lasting that long in the time we had to set it up against Kokabiel..." Considering it was a rush job and couldn't make anything to actually stop Kokabiel from entering in the time they had to work with for the attack, it was quite a feat. The two only expected it to last half as long as it did. Either their work was better than they thought, or Kokabiel simply didn't put near enough effort into tearing it down at first. They'd normally assume the enemy was weaker than they believed, but Shirou and Kurotetsu were not idiots.
Kokabiel was a ten-winged Fallen and a Cadre who fought and survived all these years after the Great War between Factions ended. And he was a veteran of that very same war who even fought against the One God of the Christian Biblical Pantheon and lived. No way he was actually that weak or easy to defeat. They had to rush finishing the modification to the bounded field after finding out the planned attack was coming before they could completely finish it, but he digressed.
Brushing the topic aside, they moved past the evidence of blatant violent and gruesome Fallen deaths and moved into the school yard proper, only to stop short after running for about five minutes past the gates. Kurotetsu simply stopped in his tracks and motioned for everyone else to stop as well, given just what he sensed skulking about the corner across the courtyard. Everyone wondered why he was stopping them, until a particular voice rang out in a rather arrogant tone.
"Hoh, what do we have here? A golem? An automaton? A construct who thinks itself human? Very perceptive, to notice me, but then again, a King has no need to skulk about so..."
A young woman of late teens to early twenties, with long golden-blonde hair flowing down to her ankles moved out, wearing what looked like armor made of pure, solid gold in a pauldron over her right shoulder with the other in extravagant leather and clothe, her ample chest tied with a very expensive looking clothe acting as a bra to keep her very abundant assets in place, with blood-red tattoos crisscrossing her body in geometric lines with equally crimson eyes whose pupils were slit-ted like a snake peering in amusement at the group. But it was the presence she gave off that put them all immediately on edge. Though diluted over the millennia, her presence was unmistakable: Divinity.
"You shall not pass, mongrels."
"And why should we listen to-!" *Kracka-BOOM* Xenovia started, but got cut off by Kurotetsu suddenly throwing a fist out, blasting a quality weapon that suddenly manifested and shot out at the exorcist in question, destroying the weapon in particular in mid-air, much to Xenovia's startled shock and the woman's twitching brow in slight annoyance as Kurotetsu spoke up next in the same stoic tone he always has.
"Go on ahead. This isn't someone the rest of you can take on."
"But Kurotetsu-" Issei started, but the living construct cut him off.
"We don't have time to argue. She's just a distraction to keep us from stopping the ritual. Isn't that right, Gilgamesh."
For those who knew of the Golden King of Uruk, they paled as they realized just who this woman was: the descendant of the King of Heroes himself. Which means a Hero's descendant was the enemy Kurotetsu would have to face alone. Issei looked like he wanted to argue, but then he noticed that Kurotetsu hadn't taken his eyes from the enemy since she revealed herself. He realized this was someone too strong for him to fight while trying to protect them, so begrudgingly he understood.
"You better come right afterwards, you got it Kurotetsu! Shirou'll kill us if you die!"
"I know. I don't plan on dying today; I'm not even a year old yet."
That got some people to mentally blank at that, before shrugging it off and continuing, but as they started to rush forward…
"Did I say you could go, mongrels?"
...a flurry of weapons began to rain down upon them, but before they could get within ten meters of them…
*Ka-Kraka-BOOM*
"Did I say you could stop them?"
Kurotetsu blocked and blasted them right out of mid-air, shattering and destroying them in the process as the group of Devils and Exorcists continued onward to deal with the situation of Kokabiel's plans. Gilgamesh then looked at Kurotetsu with annoyance, but the arrogance she had didn't diminish in the slightest. Her brow was twitching slightly in irritation, but otherwise she kept her face perfectly serene in an otherwise noble visage of a foreign royal beauty.
"It would seem the golem thinks itself above its station. Did your orders give you the right to act this way in a mockery of a legitimate living being? Or does the tool not even realize its place?"
Kurotetsu simply looked at her passively in the same stoic manner he always does, yet within his gaze, Gilgamesh saw something that caused her to blink for a brief moment in confusion before her inherited ability to see the true nature of others kicked in and what she saw surprised her to say the least…
...a battered, beaten, and dilapidated stone fortress walls, one whose outside is constantly under siege, yet on the inside, perfect serenity, a peaceful place, an oasis of tranquility surrounded by conflict on all sides, with those walls being the only thing keeping it safe, yet despite being battered under an endless siege, those very same walls refuse to fall or break, no matter what…
"No one ever ordered me to do anything..."
...the scent of ozone began to permeate the air, as electrically charged winds suddenly began to manifest centered around the living construct as he spoke…
...it was a nature befitting one who embodies the aspect of 'absolute defense', the embodiment of the concept of 'shield'...yet it also spoke of something more...something one could not quite put their finger on…
"...I was simply asked by my friend to lend my assistance. That is all the reason I need to stop you and let them through..."
...the electrical discharge of static air began to coalesce into the phantasmal image of a Steel Oni, a reflection of Kurotetsu's hidden power, and the path he treads alongside his best friend and brother in all but blood and name…
...stalwart and unbreakable, compassionate and kind, a soul who genuinely wishes harm upon no one, and refuses to allow any harm to occur to his rear...whilst his front prevent any attempt to hurt his charge and thwart any would-be attacks…
"...and I always decide whether or not to accept the request made of me. So tell me, Descendant and Heir to the King of Heroes..."
...the electrified winds around the area began to cause tingles of static to run down Gilgamesh's spine, her hair starting to frizz in response to the sheer depth of power the construct before her was emitting just to prove a point as her eyes went wide in realization at the revelation…
...an unbreakable wall standing in opposition to any and all threats from the front, and a bulwark of absolute defense to the rear who see his back standing strong in the face of even an ocean of overwhelmingly unstoppable force…
"Do you think even a machine like me can have a soul?"
...and the tempest of lightning and wind started to manifest in earnest, as though in preparation for the coming storm from this battle between titans worthy of becoming legend itself…
...an immovable rock in the face of unstoppable force...
...and Gilgamesh had no answer to give at the moment...for she knew this was not going to be an easy battle to win for once in her life...and an eager smile began to etch itself into her face in anticipation for a powerful opponent for the first time in her life, possibly even her 'Enkidu', just as her ancestor and namesake had his, was now standing before her…
...such is the prerequisite traits for a Hero of the Shield…
...and silently opened the [Gates of Babylon], golden portals opening up with the points of numerous weapons, all of high quality, to be unleashed upon her foe in a rain of steel at a moments notice with but a mental command, yet Kurotetsu remained rooted to his chosen spot, the first true battle of the night about to begin...
Scene Change
Unknown P.O.V.
I was walking towards where I could sense a group of Fallen had gathered someplace completely unexpected, in the sense that there should not have been anything of importance there to warrant their attention during this time. So I tailed them out of curiosity, yet what I came across puzzled me, and I could feel my body tense under my white trench coat and my magic threatening to pour out of me as I caught the tail-end of a conversation, and it threatened to trigger my rage.
As I simply walked closer to them, I overheard what they were saying clearly and in more detail, and simply froze at their words…
"Lord Kokabiel's orders were to slaughter the Arachne living in that greenhouse, and anyone else who happened to be there."
"Still, I wish we were at the actual battle at that school those Devils were prancing about at like humans. It's no fun killing kids who can't even fight back."
Oh hell no. I may be a lot of things, a ruthless killer, a manipulative schemer, a True Magician, a Cambion, and a general cold bastard towards those who've done something to deserve it, but killing kids for no other reason than for the hell of it?! I freely admit that I'm no saint, but even I have standards; there are some lines even I dare not to cross and this was one of the top of my list! I had no intentions for meddling more than I had to, but even I don't ignore someone trying to kill kids, at least for no reason than they could, dammit! Every horrible thing I've ever done in the past has been for the sake of protecting those I actually care about, especially including my little brother. Narrowing my eyes as I walk out brandishing my cane-type mystic code, I call out brazenly to them in a manner that hides my cold fury behind a calm façade.
"And just what are a bunch a crows doing cawing about like this on enemy territory? And what was that I overheard about killing kids?"
The Fallen immediately spin around to attack me, spears of tainted light manifesting to be thrown in an instant, only it was far too late. My cane-type mystic code immediately turns into a bejeweled sword and in a fraction of a second fires several beams of kaleidoscopic rainbow light, slashing the lot of them with beams of magic lasers, and shredding them apart before they could even react. Not even a minute after I made my presence known and they were slaughtered to a man. The only thing left of them were blood stains and black feathers left on the ground, with me drawing a few runes to clean up the blood and blow the feathers away without a trace. Afterwards I simply sighed as I felt a certain someone was pissed off enough to make his presence known.
Running my free hand through my pure white hair as my dark blue eyes turned towards Kuoh Academy, and I could sense two fronts being fought on by the local faction. Shaking my head as I recognized one of those very prana signatures, I revert the jeweled weapon back into its sealed cane form and walk away before anyone could catch me before I wanted them to know I was in town.
"You owe me one for this, Shirou..." I sighed out at the current situation. Root-damn butterfly effect in action, from BOTH our presences in this world, with the proof right here...talk about the situation getting FUBAR'd. Shaking my head in sympathy, I could not help but feel pity for my old friend and his track record when it came to his rotten E-rank luck and the completely bizarre and utter bullshit situations he gets himself into. The one constant of the multiverse: Emiya Shirou's got some REAL shitty luck to always find himself in these kind of unbelievable situations…
...the figure suddenly vanished as though made of mist as he walked into the shadows of a nearby alley, vanishing back to wherever it was he was currently staying at...however, this would not be the last time he had to interfere with any situations in Kuoh in the coming days...
Scene Change
Emiya Residence, Kuoh
Third-person P.O.V.
After sensing that the modified bounded field around Kuoh Academy had been shattered, Shirou got up, told the guests to stay here with Raynare, and that he would go to deal with the uninvited guests arriving outside. Shirou didn't give off a single iota of malice or rage, but merely disappointed resignation at what he knew would most likely occur within the next few minutes. Ravel, Aika, Arielle, and Serenity looked worried, given the fact there was at least fifty enemy Fallen landing on the rather expansive front lawn right outside.
Shirou knew there was only one way they could enter the property from, because when they designed the house, they set up the defenses, both mystic and mundane in origin, to give some rather nasty retaliation should someone try to break into the place with malicious intentions. The only way in or out was right through the front, and Shirou walked out the front door to greet them all, and to give them something he felt was pointless, but still felt was needed simply to show he was willing to give them a chance to walk away and return home to any friends, family, and/or loved ones that may have been waiting for them.
The second all fifty of the enemy Fallen set foot in his property, he noticed that among them was a familiar face, and while he kept a good poker face on the outside, internally Shirou was smirking and chuckling at the sheer irony of the situation. If he didn't think he was this world's version of Kiritsugu, he sure had proof of it now. Shirou still had a rather amused glint in his eye as he looked at Lyle Walner, dressed in a red hooded tactical cloak, made from what felt like a holy shroud no different from the one wrapped around Shirou's left arm. He wore a goggled mask with bandages concealing the rest of his features as he was looking right t Shirou, never taking his eyes off of him, with his hands both on the twin submachine pistols holstered to his hips, a trio of grenade belts wrapped in bandoleers around his torso, and a slew of different firearms holstered and strapped to his person in plain view.
Frankly, in a small corner of his mind, Shirou idly felt like laughing a bit at the idea of him being a shoe-in for the Gunner class. Given how he was a walking armory with the sheer heat he was packing, you'd think he was walking into a hot zone for a war-torn battlefield in the middle east rather than a private residential home in urban Japan. He honestly felt impressed how seriously the Church Slayer was taking this, but still he knew something the rest of them didn't and had a way to let Lyle know what he was planning.
"Well well well, looks like our target came to greet his death willingly. I'll give him this much: he's certainly a brave one...or a complete fool." One of the Fallen spoke up, getting my attention to focus back on the situation at hand.
"What did you expect from a lowly human?" Snickered yet another Fallen, but if they were expecting me to react, I didn't so much as flinch before giving them one chance and a single warning...
"Before you do anything rash, I feel I should point out..." I speak up perfectly calmly, pointing with my left hand at the ground before them as I drew there attention… "...that that line is as of your lives."
Sure enough, they all look right at the ground before their feet and a crude, red line was painted onto the ground right in front of their feet. The significance of that statement's calmly given tone was lost on many, with the Fallen actually smirking while Arielle, Aika, and Serenity were confused, but two people seemed to realize what Shirou was doing and both had two separate thoughts running through their minds.
'...no way...it couldn't be...there's just no way it could be true...' Ravel thought in absolute shock, as she recognized those exact words as a quote from a certain love story told from the days of the Devil Civil War, of one of the two great romances born from that time in Devil history...one was the romantic love story of how Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia Lucifuge came together, but the other was the greatest tragic love story...the one between Serafell Leviathan and her late husband...the Hero of the Underworld who once allegedly said that very same line to the Old Satan faction…
As for Lyle, his instincts born through nearly ten years of life or death situations and forged in nearly a decade of combat screamed at him to heed Shirou's warning, for that was what it was for them, no, for him, he realized. Shirou was basically telling him NOT to step foot past that line in a very subtle manner. If he intended to kill Lyle, then Shirou would not have been looking at him while saying that. He figured someone might have figured out his loyalty wasn't exactly with Kokabiel or Galilei, so he listened to his instincts. They've never led him astray before now; he wasn't going to doubt them now…
The Fallen however, didn't seem to realize what he was doing with giving them the chance. Every one of the fifty Fallen Angels stepped over the line, right in opposition to what Shirou told them not to, the arrogance clearly written in their attitude with a 'lowly human' telling them not to do something. Shirou simply shook his head, sighed in disappointed resignation, before suddenly a massive surge of power appeared from seemingly nowhere and overwhelmed the entire courtyard they stood in...originating from Shirou himself!
"I warned you that line was as of your life, and you've gone and cut them both short!"
All fifty Fallen suddenly had their eyes widen in horror, as Lyle's face paled in terrified shock beneath his mask and he fought his instinct to flee with every fiber of his being through sheer force of will, yet the events that occurred that day would later lead to certain shock waves throughout the supernatural communities and various pantheons in the coming months and years…
...the screams of fifty Fallen dying en mass filled the night air for what seemed like hours, yet only lasted for but a few moments...their dying screams went unheard, however, thanks to the bounded field keeping them from being heard outside of the Emiya residence...the scene, however, was forever carved into Lyle Walner's memories and would haunt him in his sleep for quite a few years to come…
Scene Change
Kurotetsu P.O.V.
This fight hasn't really been going too well...not very well at all…
Considering just who I was up against, it's not surprising I'm now on the back foot, figuratively speaking anyway. This was the descendant of the oldest known hero to recorded human history, recorded in cuneiform as the story of 'The One who Surpasses All Others', or in the modern day translations, 'The Epic of Gilgamesh'. She might only be his descendant, but Gilgamesh gave Shirou a hard time simply due to their capabilities making them natural enemies. The King of Heroes' Noble Phantasm, [Gates of Babylon] housed the original prototype for every other Noble Phantasm that existed. And of he didn't own it, he at least knew of it.
Shirou's Reality Marble, on the other hand, is something unique, because it was not derived from Gilgamesh at all. It was a spell that was the natural counter to the [Gates of Babylon] simply by virtue of being capable of copying practically any weapon Shirou ever saw with a glance, recorded it within his soul, and could manifest said copy whenever or wherever the hell he wanted to on a whim. Since they were copies he could create on a whim, he could also break them, turning them into Broken Phantasms, allowing him to counter Gilgamesh's hail of weapons in a manner that ensured only Gilgamesh was put at a disadvantage.
Unfortunately, I did not have such an advantage over the Golden King of Uruk, nor the descendant of his across from me by about thirty meters. All around me, the raters and dissipating motes of golden light born from the shattered remnants of Gilgamesh's vast treasury returning to the storehouse that is the Royal Vault of Uruk. I have not moved from the spot I've been standing on this entire battle, but neither has she, but unlike me, whose body's been littered with scratches, gashes, burns, and even shrapnel sticking out of my here and there, she is still in near pristine shape.
The only thing she's suffering from is irritation born from taking so long to finish this fight with me and a small dip in the magic reserves allowing her to utilize her inherited vault from her ancestor and namesake. But given her monstrous reserves dwarfed only by Shirou's as a sorcerer as far as I can tell, she's probably not going to run out of steam for a while, so a battle of endurance against her is doomed to fail on that front. What's more, my emergency charges I've been building up for the past few months have essentially been all used up just buying time by trying to stall and delay her for as long as I have.
This fight is simply going her way, there's no two ways about it. All I can do is try to delay the inevitable here, but if I'm going to die here, I'll be at least sure to keep her from-
"This has gone on for long enough!" *Chng-chng-chng-rattle-rattle-rattle*
"Shit!" I cursed as I realized just what this was. [Enkidu], the Chains the Bind the Heavens. It's a powerful Anti-Divinity weapon capable of using the Divinity of the Gods themselves to bind them using their own power. Against mages, it's effects are weakened, but can still work to restrict them, though unless they are of divine descent it can be broken if the one bound is strong enough. Since I'm just a living golem, it's only use is to restrict my movements and slow me down enough to-!
"Die, you pathetic doll!" *SCRR-SCRR-SKKRRR-SKRRCCHH*
I realized too late what her plan was for binding me, as weapons with anti-lightning and anti-storm attributes rained down upon me, piercing me through the chest, joints, and even my spine. I could feel my energy reserves reach critical levels now, I could barely keep myself 'conscious', yet my mind and soul railed out against this. My head was also severed from the base of the neck, causing my perception of the world to slow down around me...I was...barely...keeping it...together…
"...perhaps...should...see...fun...killing Devils..."
...what...was...that...
[Insert 'I Fooled You' by the band Awaken the Giant]
...in the corners of Kurotetsu's mind, a meeting between two entities were taking place, nodding in silent agreement with each other in perfect synchronization of the others thoughts and intentions…
...did she...just threaten...the...others…?
...the two figures weren't exactly what one could call human, simply due to their appearance, as they resembled a phantasmal pair of Oni twins rather than humans…
...I...can't…
...the one towards the left side of Kurotetsu's mental space was a being made up of pure wind, protective, strong, and had a light glow to its body that resonated with protection, freedom, and perpetual change...its skin tone was a pale, see-through gray, with steel gray eyes, dark hair and single horn protruding from the left side of its forehead...it looked at its compatriot with a look of utter determination and resolve...
...I won't...
...the one one the right side of Kurotetsu's mental space was a being that was made up of pure lightning, destructive, swift, and had a baleful flashing that radiated a sensation of a fleeting presence, overwhelming power, and a very small time frame to exist before disappearing for a time...its skin tone was a dark, almost-black gray, light gray bordering on white hair, a single horn on the right side of its forehead, and dark purple-backed pure silver eyes...it returned its partner's look with a battle-hungry grin that radiated a desire to destroy and ruin all those who forced him to wake now of all times…
...I REFUSE TO FALL HERE LIKE THIS! *STOMP-KRACK*
I barely felt as something suddenly shot into my body, and I felt two objects settle into my being...something that felt both familiar, yet foreign, but at the same time, made me feel...complete for lack of a better word...the world suddenly slowed to a crawl, but this time, I was keeping up with it as my body matched pace with my mind.
In a bout of sudden strength born from defiance, my foot slammed down into the ground, cratering it from the force and stopping my fall as my head, which had been severed simply stopped in mid-air, as a large amount of lightning suddenly manifested into a cyclone of gale-force winds, right before shooting right back to my neck, reattaching, and a burst of power shot out of me as something clicked into place in my mind. Six words. Two designations. Yet I knew this was something Shirou and I didn't need words between us to know…
...Tetsu the Shielder...
...Kuro the Berserker...
…the two entities simply bumped fists, and their places switched within Kurotetsu's mind…
As I stood up, felt my body shift, horns of steel sprouted from my forehead, my hair lengthened to shoulder length, and I felt all my power unleashed for a singular purpose…
...the time has come for Tetsu the Shielder to bow out…
...to utterly pummel my foe into the ground and ensure she does not get one step further than she's already done so far with all the damage she's done already!
...now Kuro the Berserker's come out to play…
"WHA-!?" Gilgamesh summoned several shields to block the oncoming attack, however...
"SSKKREEOOOOONNKK!" *Ba-ba-BOOM-KCSH-KRNCH*
...and he was PISSED…
Three punches. That was all I threw at her, yet the sheer destructive force behind those punches was enough for the first to shatter all of the shields she summoned to defend against me with. The second punch shattered her mystic defenses keeping her from being injured by my wind and lightning. The final punch sent her flying right into the battle field where the Devils and exorcists were all currently fighting it out...and right through an entire building to boot.
Chasing after her, I landed right before that bastard Freed Sellzen, deflecting his strike towards and unconscious Irina who had apparently been knocked out, sending him flying back forty meters and from striking her as I watched as Gigamesh's battered body landed right there next to Galilei himself, staring at the sight of my entrance and Gilgamesh's battered and injured body in a manner that ensured she was not going to be getting up for at least a month or two unaided. The only reason she didn't die outright was thanks to her heritage. It may be diluted, but divinity still makes one real tough to kill.
[End song 'I Fooled You']
"WHOA! What's an Oni doing here?!" Hyoudou asked, but I noticed how there was another person there, wearing a cloak provided for him by Shirou as our secret helper in sabotaging Galilei and Kokabiel's plans. Mr. Walker, if I'm not mistaken…
"It's me Hyoudou." he blinked a bit in response before asking a question.
"...Tetsu? That really you?"
"Tetsu's taking a nap for a bit. I'm Kuro."
They all looked shocked by that reveal, before Galilei spoke up in a rather creepy manner that sent all kinds of red flags flying straight up into the air for all of us present.
"Fascinating...a machine with an artificial soul and a split personality...the possible research applications for this is...heheheheheh..." he began to creepily giggle and chuckle darkly to himself, but I could sense my time limit approaching for now, so I gave the bastard a quick answer before I switched places and control back with Tetsu.
"Hell no, ya creepy fucker. Try it, and you're next to receive first-class seating on the pain train express to pound town, like Goldie here..." I pointed at the unconscious form of Gilgamesh with my left hand while flipping the Archbishop of Genocide the bird with my right just before bowing out. I changed back to the beaten, battered, and damaged form of Tetsu before taking a seat right next to Miss Argento and Miss Shido.
I kept my eyes on the enemies, though, and I noticed how Mr. Walker brought Kiba's barely conscious form over to Miss Argento to treat his wounds and keep him from dying of the severe strain he suffered whilst under Galilei's control. Without taking my eyes off of the enemy, I then told them my exact thoughts.
"Keep them busy until Shirou gets here. I'm not going to be much help you all, but I can still keep those to my rear safe...unless Kokabiel decides to join in, then I won't be able to do much to stop him..." I didn't say much more than that, but then someone completely unexpected reacted to my presence.
"YOU! Your Shitty Devil-loving friend is a dead man!"
I turned in time to deflect a monstrously strong blow from Freed...and his new left arm?! I don't believe this, he got ANOTHER one?! Does this guy just have spare body parts lying around he can use to replace his if they are ever destroyed or lost or something?! The strength behind the blows though...that was worrying. Especially when I saw his body shifting continuously just beneath the skin-!
...oh hell no...goddammit...please tell me he did NOT do something that STUPID…
Scene Change
Unknown P.O.V.
[Insert 'Cosmic Castaway' from the Film 'Titan A.E.' by the band Electrasy]
...in a far away part of existence, a being stirred as he watched the happenings of this scene and recalled what was about to happen...as he did, he recalled a certain passage from the Bible that a certain heretical fake priest he oh so loves to hate with every fiber of his being loved so much and could not help but find it rather fitting, given the situation at the time...
"When I whet my flashing sword
and my hand takes hold on judgment;
I will take vengeance upon my adversaries,
and will repay those who hate me."
…A young man appeared, his past self, wielding a certain nostalgic sword in one hand while a newly reforged on in the other...glaring at the Fallen Star of God before him...
"I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
and my sword shall devour flesh-
with the blood of the slain and the captives,
from the long haired enemy."
...that was the moment where he first showed signs of his true power being revealed...as the sensation caused all pantheons throughout that world to recall the sensation of his presence being made known...Gods, Angels, Devils, and monsters alike all felt his presence and trembled in both awe and terror of his return...
"Praise, O heavens, his people,
worship him, all you gods!"
...his presence announced a shift in the paradigm, a return of those long believed either dormant, gone, or even lied forgotten...those who had for the most part seen no reason to meddle in the world...Primordials of Old began to stir, Beasts of Gaia began to reawaken, and Heroes began to recognize instinctively the one who was their progenitor making his presence known as well as his return...
"For he will avenge the blood of his children,
and take vengeance upon his adversaries;
he will repay those who hate him,
and cleanse the land for his people."
...and his past self would truly begin walking the path that led to him reaching where he is now...to return to the power he once held, the position he had been stripped of, and the place he had long refused to take, yet would later be forced to do just that to protect everyone he treasures and to uphold his ideals…
The entity smiled, as a molten golden left eye opened with a burning hellfire and immeasurable death within its confines while a pure silver right eye revealed gears spinning behind it perpetually with countless weapons in a world reflecting his burden to bare that he has carried alone for oh so long…
"Do try not to stray, Emiya Muramasa Shirou, my younger past self and Primordial God of Heroes..."
...as his spikes of rust-red and ash-white two-tone hair rustled in an unseen breeze and his dark caramel skin glistened like metal as he stood upon the steps leading to the Gates of Eternity, watching over existence as the forgotten and thankless hero who laid the groundwork for all heroes' lives to follow, yet leaving the choice fully up to them how to carry out the tasks laid before them to become legends themselves…
"...for true tests of character and soul are what you must be wary of most in the trials to come...both with your allies, and your enemies..."
...His white mantle fluttering as it blew in the same unknown wind as his locks of hair, the Shroud of Martin now stretched from just his left arm to the right as well, and wrapped around his neck like a hooded scarf beneath the mantle, as his eyes continued to watch over everything like a hawk, his soul-piercing gaze letting nothing escape his sight, whilst he simply smiles as he prepares to keep existence going smoothly, yet knowing the time when he may be called again will be coming soon…
"...and know that whatever choice you make, whatever path you tread, or even whatever end you meet, our ideals were not wrong...for it is never wrong to help others..."
...and on his hands on both palms were tattoos in the form of a specific emblem, one white and the other black, of a certain group of friends he made whose memories to this day get a smile on his face for the second family he made among a certain group of mages his past self has yet to encounter or help guide…
"...for to save everyone, the power you need is something you've always had...and not even Alaya could ever take that from us..."
...and the armored boots, vest, and tactical pants he wore made it clear that the worlds he'd travel would help him grow to this level...but his hopes is for his younger self is exactly as every Emiya Shirou expects from a younger counterpart…
"...and to surpass even me someday..."
[End 'Cosmic Castaway']
A/N: And that's the Chapter Peeps! For those of you who might have guessed, Kurotetsu got both the prototype Shielder AND Berserker Servant Pieces. THIS was the whole damn point why I even created the guy; he's going to be Shirou's sole Servant among his 'Peerage' with a Dual-class and the Double Summon skill that Assassin Semiramis had in Fate: Apocrypha. As for his Servant Stat Sheet, I'll give you it right here now as part of my apology for taking so long to continue the main story...
Servant
Possible Classes: Shielder/Berserker(Dual-class servant due to skill Double Summon)
True Name: Kurotetsu
Alias: Black Iron, Tempest Aegis, Steel Oni, Hurricane Berserker
Base (Under Special Conditions)
Strength: C+(A+)
Agility: B-(A+)
Endurance: B++(B-)
Mana: EX(Due to being a living machine capable of generating his own power indefinitely via a lesser version of the Sixth True magic, his magic cannot be properly measured regardless of whether its his Shielder or Berserker side in the driver's seat)
Magic Resistance: A(A++)
Luck: N/A (Due to being a living machine, technically has no luck stat, therefore usually blank; can make his own luck stat and throw enemy Servants off)
Noble Phantasm: A++(EX)
Class Skills:
Madness Enhancement: D+ Rank
Due to typically not giving into anger or madness except under the extreme conditions of Tetsu the Shielder's defenses being breached and critically injured, haqs a low rank in this Berserker Class skill. He retains a surprising amount of rationality, even in the grips of madness under this skill's effects.
Battle Continuation: A Rank
This skill allows Kurotetsu to freely Switch between his Shielder and Berserker personas, allowing both sides to recuperate if put in a bad enough state. This skill's rank is due to his personal skill, Split Persona
Guardian's Blessing of Protection: B Rank
Kurotetsu's Shielder-class Skill that grants a boon of protection upon his summoned Master, no different to how Mashu Kyrielight granted the protection against poison to the Last Master of Chaldea during the Grand Order timelines. This skill grants absolute defense against both physical and magical attacks up to B Rank, but anything higher than that can bypass it to varying extents, depending on the rank of the attack in question and any of its additional effects.
Item Creation: C+ Rank
Due to Tetsu's love for tinkering and improving his own overall design, he developed a minor rank in this skill, despite not really being a Caster, and his knowledge of magitech engineering granted him a mid-ranking in another personal skill, Modern Thaumaturgy.
Personal Skills:
Split Persona: EX Rank
This personal skill is a reflection of Kurotetsu's dual personality reflecting the two sides of a shield's use: the light side in the form of Tetsu the SHielder and the dark side in the form of Kuro the Berserker. When Kurotetsu utilizes the Battle Continuation skill, he will switch personas and capabilities in terms of which class he can best utilize. Technically, as a Dual-class Servant, Kurotetsu can use all the skills listed, but depending on which persona he currently is using, he might not be able to use all of them very efficiently, if some of them at all. However, since this skill is a matter of the soul rather than the body, the skill cannot be properly measured, hence the rank.
Modern Thaumaturgy: B- Rank
Due to Kurotetsu's love for tinkering and improving his own mechanical designs, and his training and pre-programmed knowledge of different thaumaturgy, he has a mid-ranking in this skill, since he is technically a living machine from the modern age. When used in conjunction with his Item Creation Skill, he can create some very interesting magitech that can be very useful, even potentially hinder enemy Servants if used properly and done under the right conditions.
Guardian's Vow: A- Rank
This personal skill is a reflection of Kurotetsu's personal oath he swore to be the one to fill Shirou's glass heart if no one else is there to do so. It bestows protection against both physical and magical attacks, and with his Shielder-class skill, grants a lesser version of this same protection upon his master of a half-rank in degradation compared to himself. Any attacks of A rank and above while this skill is in effect can bypass the protection, but only of A rank and above attacks can harm him while the skill is in effect.
Self-Modification: C+ Rank
Due to being an artificial life with a mechanical chassis as his core, Kurotetsu can modify himself and his body as needed, allowing any strategies that might have worked on him with a prior Servant battle to be rendered ineffective. There are ways around this, such as with special skills or Noble Phantasms specifically designed to counter constructs or to target artifical lifeforms like Kurotetsu.
(Hidden Skill) Loyalty of Steel: EX Rank
This hidden skill is something born from Kurotetsu's desire to assist his best friend and brother in all but blood and name. This skill grants Kurotetsu a will that could even resist a Command Seal order if he flat out refuses to obey it enough to give time to regroup. If faced with one he feels kinship with, such as Emiya Shirou or any others who hold a special place within his mechanical heart, he will flat-out refuse to bring harm to them. This skill passively grants a high-ranking in Magic Resistance and results in needing to use at least two if not all your Command Seals to force his obedience if he does not wish to do something.
Noble Phantasms:
Thunder Palace: Iron-walled Aegis of the Storm Fortress
Rank: A++ Type: Fortress Range: 1-299 Target: 1-499
A Noble Phantasm born from Kurotetsu's defensive nature as the embodiment of the concept of 'shield'. This is Tetsu's Noble Phantasm and only usable when the Shielder half of his personality is in control. It generates a powerful defensive field that allows Kurotetsu to generate an impenetrable wall of lightning and wind to defend against attacks, but it is not perfect. Any weapons possessing an anti-storm or anti-lightning attribute are capable of piercing this otherwise impregnable defensive Phantasm. Any normal weapons or arrows without these traits will not work, and simply bounce off and away as if he had the skill Protection from Arrows like a certain blue-clad spearman. However, if he activates it, then Kurotetsu CANNOT move from the spot he is in, or else the effects will cease and any protections will be lost. It also inflicts a minor curse of challenge towards the enemies he uses it against, forcing them to be unable to ignore him or the challenge this Noble Phantasm poses to them to try and break it.
Tempest Overdrive: Destructive Hammer of the Storm's Vengeful Fists
Rank: EX Type: Anti-Fortress Range: 1-699 Target: 1-1000
This Noble Phantasm was born from the dual nature of Kurotetsu's split persona between the light and dark sides of the shield. While Thunder Palace is a defensive fortress-type Noble Phantasm, this one is the polar opposite, born from inverting Tetsu the Shielder's defensive Noble Phantasm and concentrating it onto Kuro the Berserker's body, allowing him to perform physical feats comparable to superhuman ones like Aresh's Stella or Reki's Desperado. While it won't necessarily kill him like those two from overuse, it still puts significant strain upon his mechanical chassis, therefor he can only ever use it in short bursts, yet those short bursts alone have power enough to level entire fortresses easily, if not outright an entire small country the size of Japan in a few dozens of punches. However, that level of output would destroy himself in the process, therefore not something he'd do very often if at all.
Overclocked Driver: Punch-drunk Overtime
Rank: EX Type: Anti-Time/Anti-Squadron Range: Self Target: Self
A mechanism Kurotetsu has had within his own being since his initial creation, it is his ultimate trump card, something he can utilize to take out a large number of enemies in a split-second by essentially stopping time for a few minutes in short bursts. It has several conditions and restrictions for its use, however, it can be used by both Tetsu and Kuro to varying efficiency. It has an intense energy-consumption rate, is very time consuming to finally activate once he starts to activate it, and once it deactivates, has a full two-minute cooldown period before he can use it again. Kuro is able to utilize it far more rapidly, but Tetsu is far more efficient in terms of energy consumption and can use it for longer durations. It also puts significant strain upon his mechanical chassis when utilized, and if overused can even be self-destructive if not Kurotetsu isn't careful. A true double-edged sword as far as Noble Phantasms go. An irony given his true nature as a living shield.
And that's Kurotetsu's Servant Stat Sheet, peeps! There is actually a very good reason why I am listing certain side characters like this and giving them Servant Stat Sheets, but that will be for later down the line. Next Chapter, we see things start to reach a head, decisions are made, allegiances shifted, both willing and unwilling, and the very much requested harem and pairings lists will finally be revealed! Until nxt chapter, PEACE OUT!