The Snowy Streets Beneath the World Tree:
A.D. Fuyuki 2014
Section 14
The Just Wolf Who Was Meant to Swallow the Sun
Location: Fuyuki Church
Date: April 30th, 2014
Time: 6:00 PM
"This is an outrage!"
"How is it that we keep losing to those disgusting mages! They're killing people left and right and no one is doing anything!"
"I still can't believe it. Acros Tower… they managed to knock it down? What kind of power are those monsters capable of?"
"A terrifying power, one that will destroy all of humanity! We need to track them down and attack them before they come here to kill us all!"
The crowd broke into chaos, making Kotomine frown. He had been inside his church, staring at his Congregation. The entire church was filled, with every single pue taken, even the sides of the church were filled with people who were standing. Fumiko and Ichiro stood at either side of him, watching the chaos go down.
"Shouldn't we do something about this?"
"What exactly are we going to do, Fumiko? Start spanking people?"
Kotomine raised his hand, silencing everyone. He cleared his throat, placing his hand over his heart, while the other was on his bible. "Brothers and Sisters now is not the time to delve into chaos. Now is the time to rethink everything. So far, our strategies have been outclassed by these unruly mages, but no more! I have sent Soichiro out to deal with them. Caster and her army of the undead will tear them all apart and send them to the fiery pits of hell.
But do not let what is happening unease you. Naofumi and Akira were both filled with ambition, they strayed away from God and his light and that ended with their deaths. Acros Tower became their pyre! They wanted to destroy the very sanctity of calm that has washed over Fuyuki! We must not falter, and we must not fall to that ambition!"
"Yeah!"
"Let them burn if they want!"
"They deserve it!"
"No child shall be spared the benediction of God's light, but when they collude with the darkness, with the vile forces of Satan and his magic, then they do not belong in our kingdom! I am the voice of God, he has granted me Sacred Markings and allowed me to bestow them upon my disciples, my children. Their servants are holy messengers of god, unlike the vile spirits who have been attacking us.
I had decided to keep their name hidden, for fear that you all might fall to darkness yourselves, but I can no longer keep this from you. The vile monster we are facing is named Chaldea! They have used wickedness and magic to come from the future, a future that has ended in humanity's death. They are the death bringers incarnate, and will stop at nothing to kill us all!
But now is the time for us to come together! We must join hands and fight against the disgusting magic of the Devil. Chaldea has come to destroy us all, but we cannot let them do that! We need to stand firm and fight them back, only when will our city return to us and this snowstorm end! These evil people have developed technology that will destabilize the planet, and throw it into hellfire, they go against the very nature of God's plan. But I will not let that happen, I will protect you all.
You will all drink in God's divine protection, and I shall bring you there. Give me your strength, and keep praying so that we may be protected. I have sent Soichiro out to do what I, a humble servant of God, do not have the power to do. And we will win, we will wipe this scourge out of our city. Believe in the word of God, believe in my humble words! Believe in me! I shall guide you to the light!"
The church exploded in applause, as everyone started chanting prayers and bible verses. Fumiko and Ichiro remained silent, unable to understand how or why people would suddenly be cheering. All of the things that Kotomine had said were absolute drivel, and yet they swallowed it all as if it was divine scripture. Kotomine had a look of pride on his face, a devilish little smirk that was hardly visible if you looked. It was as if he had won a great battle. He glanced back at them, his smile ever-present.
"Prepare yourselves, Soichiro is strong, but there is a possibility he may lose. We must secure the Greater Grail as soon as possible."
"I'll head out as soon as I am able. But what about you, Father?"
"Me? I have something to do, let's just say, I have to prepare our vessel. Now go, and bring me that Grail back. Ichiro, I want you to stay by my side. You will be my last line of defense if something is to happen,"
"Of course, Father," Ichiro said firmly. The man turned back to his congregation, grabbing a hold of his bible, flipping to one of his many highlighted verses.
"Let us continue by reading some of the verses of God's holy book, so that we may banish the wickedness out of our city!"
Location: Einzbern Castle
Time: 6:45 PM
Date: April 30th, 2014
The battle raged on, with the remains of Fuyuki's resistance fighting against the reanimated souls left behind in the streets. The Heroic Spirits were doing their best to cut down the undead scourge, but with the Giants throwing boulders at the castle, and the sheer numbers against them, they were seemingly wasting energy. That didn't stop Thor from throwing his mighty hammer and Loki from blasting them away with magic. Even Cerise, who hardly got angry, was showing her Berserker traits as she cut, slashed, and decapitated the undead. Even if someone wanted her to stop, Eiji doubted anyone would try to stop her.
He finally made it to the roof, where Tamamo Vitch was, taking down target after target. Some of the larger undead proved harder to handle for the humans and their rifle, so she was assisting them as best as she could. But even she knew they weren't going to last. She shifted her aim, licking her lips as she focused on a Giant's eyeball. "Sorry for the eye pain, buddy, but you gotta come down."
She pulled the trigger, the large shell ejecting from her rifle. The giant's eye exploded, the creature stumbled for a moment before falling onto its knees, its giant body crushing some of the undead as it bled to death. "Good to know these rounds are enough to take them out with a single shot. I need to be mindful with them."
"You're doing a good job, Vitch. But we need to start thinking about evacuating."
"No can do, we're completely surrounded," she said, handing him a rifle scope, which she had been using as a makeshift eyeglass. "Look there, just beyond the treeline. There's a woman standing there with a large scythe. She's the one controlling these things."
He did as he asked, kneeling down near the edge of the wall, away from Vitch's rifle. She continued taking down targets as he peered through the scope. He adjusted it a bit, making sure the image was clear before looking around. He spotted the woman Vitch had pointed out, seeing she was just standing there, her crimson-eyed gaze down on the fields below. She shifted her gaze, looking directly at him, making him shiver. That cold dead gaze bore into his mind. She didn't move, she didn't say anything, but he knew she was staring right at him.
"Sheesh, the phrase 'cold as death' fits that chick perfectly."
"Indeed it does, and if you must know, she's divine. I can sense her divinity from here, and it's the same one as Ereshkigal. Can't say for certain but if she's controlling these undead, I guarantee she's Queen Hel of Helheim."
"Great, just what we needed. It's likely she's the Caster-class servant that is siding with Kotomine. I was wondering when they would make their move, and it seems they were waiting for us to be at our weakest." he said, shaking his head. "We need to get out of here, there is no time."
"What are you planning?" she asked, looking away from her rifle. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small vial, the same one that Ereshkigal had handed him back in Homurahara. "And what, praytell, is that?"
"Liquid C4, Ereshkigal synthesized it from that Krichat we brought back to the academy. I've been wanting to see what this thing can do. So… how about we cut our way out of here the old-fashioned way?"
Vitch's face split into a devious grin, her fangs glimmered as she thought of devious ways to use what that vial contained. "Oh Goshujin-sama, you make me more and more excited to be your servant with each passing day!"
"That smile of yours scares me."
"One day, it won't. Perhaps in time, it will elicit the purest form of love there is, now then, how about we start scheming."
Eiji swallowed the lump in his throat, he was beginning to question his contract with Tamamo Vitch and was hoping that it wasn't going to turn into a mistake.
xxx
"Haah!" Yoshitsune cried as she slashed the large undead apart with her sword. She swung her leg out, kicking a few more back. She backed away, looking around for a moment. "We're running out of room here!"
"You're telling me," Ereshkigal said, summoning several cage spears beneath a group of undead, holding them still before throwing them aside. She summoned several more, holding her hand out before firing each one with a wave of reddish-black magic. "We need to come up with something. Master Shirou, has Rin said anything about that backup?"
"No, she hasn't. Sakura and Issei are with her as well, we need to keep holding these things back before-" he paused, gritting his teeth. "I'm out of ammo!"
"Move back kid, I got you covered." Detective Kirigiri said, being down to his handgun. He fired another round, nailing an undead in the forehead before his pistol locked back. He dropped the empty magazine, reaching into his pocket only to realize he too was out. "Well shit, I guess this is it."
"It is not, if we have to fight without guns, then we will," Shirou said firmly. "We can't give up now, we still have kids in there that need protecting. We've lost too much already,"
"We aren't going to let any more souls be taken from us, Master. Even if we must give up our lives, we will," Artoria said, swinging Caliburn with all of her strength. The arcing blade of light struck the undead near her, slicing them cleanly in half.
"We can't risk losing you either, our fight against Kotomine is still ongoing. We need all the Heroic Spirits we can get! Let's just retreat into the castle, if a pick-up is going to happen, it's gonna be from the roof. These heavy doors will buy us some time!"
"Not with those Giants throwing boulders at us. It's taking all my strength just to meet them head-on," Yoshitsune said, panting a bit. "Face it, we're screwed here. All we can do is find a way to cut a path and get out of here."
"Look out!" Kirigiri cried, pointing at a large boulder heading their way. Yoshitsune prepared to jump, only for several hands to grab at her, holding her in place.
"Gah… get off me! I can't get it, someone, destroy it!"
Hundreds of shimmering lights sailed forward, shattering the boulder on impact. The pieces rained down over them. They looked back, seeing Rin standing behind them, holding a black bow in her grasp. "I'm not ready to give up, no one else should. Ruler is sending back up, Detective, get them to the roof. The rest of us will make sure none of these bastards get close to them."
"Understood. What about Sakura and Issei?"
"They're already assisting the people who are left. They used their Command Seals to power up Thor and Loki and told them to use their Noble Phantasms at their discretion, we might want to be prepared just in case!" she said. The man nodded, racing into the building. She took his place, flinging several arrows outward. "Shirou, you should go too."
"No, I'm not going to do that, Tohsaka. I'm going to fight, I'm tired of hiding behind my servant, I wanna do something myself," he said. She sighed, shaking her head before holding her hand out, summoning a copy of Caliburn, which she tossed his way.
"If you wanna fight, be my guest, but don't make me pick up another corpse from the ground, that's something none of us need. Yoshitsune, Ereshkigal, let's get started!" she said, dashing forward. The two servants followed along, jumping into the fray.
"Master, what will we do?" Artoria Lily asked, glancing at the sword in Shirou's hand. He nodded to himself, clutching his sword tightly.
"We'll fight, what else? But first, to reinforce this sword and make sure it doesn't break on me. It's been a while since I've done this, but the last thing I need is to be killed by these zombies. Let's give it our all, Saber."
She nodded, a smile on her face. She may be miles from being the proper king she was destined to be, but she eventually would take up that responsibility, and she would do so without sacrificing the people close to her.
xxx
Cerise let out a growl as she swung her glimmering sword, taking down the undead threatening to destroy her. She flung her chains outward, using them to tie several groups together, before pulling with all her strength, snapping their necks, their bodies uselessly falling to the ground, beginning to fade away into ash and shadow.
She looked up, spotting a familiar face standing atop the nearby hill. She tightened her grasp on her sword and started running toward her. She could feel her anger beginning to hit its peak, her eyes glowing brightly.
"I promised myself I would end the next God I saw and it just so happens to be you, sister. I am so glad we could meet once more on this battlefield!" she thought to herself. She let out a roar as she jumped into the air, causing Caster to look away from the building. She emotionlessly swiped her hand, sending a wave of death outward, striking Cerise head-on.
She slammed into the ground, rolling around in the grass before forcing herself to her feet. She flicked her cloak over her shoulder, her hood still covering her head. Caster gave her a languid blink, her frown growing deeper. "I was hoping not to run into you, alas it seems we were indeed fated to cross paths once more,"
"Of course we were, you are directly tied to what happened to me, you useless retch. Do you actually think I am going to stand idly by and let you destroy the people I am protecting?"
"I had nothing to do with what happened to you."
"Bullshit! You were born alongside that giant pinworm we call a brother, and you did nothing while we were given our fates. You allowed him to be thrown into the seas, and allowed me to be bound by these damned chains!" she shouted, flinging the holy chains at Caster, who easily dodged them. "You got off easy! You were just told to rule over the Realm of the Dead!"
"And you believe I was spared such a fate? Do you think ruling Helheim is an easy feat? For thousands of years, I had to listen to the howls of the dead. For thousands of years, I had to welcome the souls of warriors not accepted into Valhalla or into Freyja's hands. I had to listen to their cries of pain as the cold unending darkness grew larger and larger until it shredded everything I had away from me."
Cerise only watched as the woman's once emotionless visage changed, to one of anger and sadness. "The task I was given by the Allfather was one that I had to accept. It was either that or be thrown into the ocean alongside Jormungandr, or bound with chains as they did with you. But I knew if I waited, eventually we would get our release, and we would die. You broke out of your chains, and Jormungandr released his tail, poisoning everything on the land. Your revenge is misplaced. Aim it at Thor, the man who stood by and watched as you were bound. The Allfather isn't here, so you cannot devour him as your legend foretold."
The Berserker remained silent for a moment before running at the Caster, swinging her sword at her. She ducked and weaved, before summoning her giant scythe clashing with her sword. Hel pushed the girl back with ease, twirling her scythe around with ease. "You do not wish to face me, sister."
"No… no, I do. Perhaps you weren't the one who bound me, but you got off easy. There is one thing that I want above all else, and that is justice for what happened to me! And I will get it!" she said with a snarl, flaring her nostrils. Hel noticed the small traces of flame coming out, making her sigh.
"I see… Well, I shall endeavor not to hurt you too much, sister. Perhaps when you are defeated, I can ensure your soul can be at peace. Something you didn't get during Ragnarok." the Caster-class servant said, once again twirling her scythe. Cerise growled, planting her feet firmly on the ground as she readied her sword.
"My peace will come when you and every single god in the Norse pantheon are killed by my hand. I've never swallowed a death god, I cannot begin to imagine the power that I'll get from getting your divinity. Ready your scythe, sister, after your death, father shall come next."
xxx
"Ew… oh...oh, did you feel that?" Loki asked as she swiped her staff, sending a blast of fire at the undead, burning them all to ash. Several more moved forward to replace them, gnawing and biting at the goddess. "It felt like someone made a threat."
"Haah!" Thor shouted, blasting a group with holy lightning. He swung Mjolnir around by its strap before throwing it, the heavy hammer slammed down into the ground, blasting it apart. He tightened his grasp on Sleipnir's reins, recalling his hammer. "I do not care for any idle threats made toward you, brother. You certainly deserve them."
"Oh come on, brother. I know I did a lot of bad things when we were alive but this is certainly not the time for that. I answered the call of humanity after all. I am fighting these creations made by my daughter, your niece, who certainly deserves a spanking," she said, growling as she froze several corpses, shattering them with ease. "I never liked the undead, you know."
"Yes, it reminds me of that journey we once took to visit Helheim, the one where you thought stripping naked to cross the river was a good idea. Why? I do not understand, especially when you can teleport."
"Does one need a reason to shed off their clothes? In fact, I could do it right now."
"Do it and I will end your existence," Thor said, his eyes crackling with lightning as he glared at his brother, who had stolen the body of his wife. "No one shall lay their eyes upon the beauty of my wife, Sif. No one but me."
"Oh, so that means you wish to make love to me? Oh, how devilish of you," Loki said, winking at the storm god. "There are many more ways to keep the Aesir bloodline pure, brother and that certainly isn't one of them."
"I changed my mind, I am going to wretch you out of that body right now!"
"WROARRRR!"
The pair stopped what they were doing, glancing over their shoulders to see the Giant that was threatening to flatten them with its foot. Loki and Thor nodded, dashing away with godly speed. The woman shot herself upward, grinning as she swung her staff at its chin, causing it to stumble back. "Well go on brother, end his sorry existence. You are the Giant Destroyer, after all!"
"Indeed I am! And it is time I end the lives of all of these pesky giants and undead souls!" he cried, following Loki's attack with a punch of his own, causing the Giant to fall back, its neck having been violently snapped.
He let out a shout as he held his mighty hammer into the air, the skies above buzzing with prana and electrical energy. The giant bolt rained down, striking the hammer, flowing through his body empowering both him and Sleipnir, who started glowing a bright blue. "Gather, o' scared lightning that is wielded by the Allfather. Come to me, the God of Storms, so that I may smite thee with righteous fury!"
Sleipnir let out a whiny as it raced forward, the lightning trailing behind it as Thor leaped off his back. He let out a scream as he pulled his arm back, aiming it at the ground. "This is my raging storm! Mjolnir: Storm of the Thunder God Roaring with Thunder!"
The ground trembled as he slammed his mighty hammer into the ground, causing twelve swirling spirals of pure electricity to burst from the ground, pulsing outward destroying everything in sight. He let out a laugh as his body raced with lightning. He watched with glee as the undead were burned to a crisp, turned into bone and unmoving flesh. Even the giants tried to get away, only to be bound in place by Loki and disintegrated by the lightning. What remained of the mighty attack faded away, the air still buzzing with energy.
"Oh… you still got it, brother. Though you were a smidge off,"
"I was not, I cleared more dead than you did." he boasted, pointing to the few stragglers he hadn't been able to kill. Loki rolled her eyes, flicking some ice magic in their direction, freezing them in place. "You didn't even look."
"I don't need to. Now that we've cleared this area, let's hurry up and handle the others. The last thing we need is to let the people who we're meant to protect getting hurt."
Just as they were about to head back, they heard the sounds of battle in the distance, spotting Cerise and Hel fighting each other. The former was swinging her sword with all her strength, flinging her chains and screaming in anger as Hel continued to avoid and deflect her attacks, launching dark shadows in her stead. Thor looked back at Loki, who had a look of genuine sadness on her face. "Will you take care of that?"
"No… I can't. I will admit, I wasn't a good father to either of them, I never considered them anything more than what they were. You knew the legend, and our fate at their hands. There is nothing more we can do for them,"
"Perhaps we could do nothing in the past, but you can do something now. Forge understanding between you two. Maybe Hel will listen to her old man, and maybe Fenrir will stop being an edgy child."
"She is not an edgy child,"
"Are you sure about that?" Thor asked, brow quirked as Cerise's roars and dull clangs of metal on metal echoed through the field. Loki looked onward, shaking her head.
"Nope, nope. They're both swinging around sharp pieces of metal and I do not want to lose my head. Those elves in Svartalfheim will likely come after me the second they do. Let's go, we have bigger things to focus on." she said, dashing away. Thor sighed, giving the siblings one last look before pulling Sleipnir's reigns, his brother was right. There was much work to be done.
xxx
"It looks like Cerise is engaging the enemy Caster. Not only that, but Thor's Noble Phantasm managed to destroy a good portion of those undead and all the Giants. We should have enough time to get everyone else ready," Eiji said, turning back to Sakura and Issei, who had been watching everything. "Did Ruler tell you when she was going to arrive?"
"No, she didn't. All she said was that help was on the way but she didn't say if she was going to come personally. What we need to focus on is tending to the wounded. A few of the kids got hurt by the rubble, while others were almost taken down by those undead things," Issei said, earning a nod from Eiji.
"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to patch them up soon. I'll go back to the supply room and see if we can find some medkits. Tamamo you're on me, Ereshkigal, Yoshitsune, and Scathatch are off fighting and Rin is still holding her own somewhere. I need someone to watch my back."
"Of course, I got you all covered, darling," she said, giving the man a wink. As they turned to leave, the woman's ears twitched, causing her to grab Eiji's hand. "Watch out, Goshujin-sama!"
He was pulled back, just as a gunshot echoed through the air. His eyes widened as he saw blood flying through the air. Tamamo fell to the ground motionless, making his head snap back only to see a smoking barrel aiming at him. "You were foolish to assume Caster would be here without her Master."
Eiji spat on the ground, teeth grit as he looked at the far older man. He seemed to be middle-aged, with a firmly chiseled face and tired-looking eyes. Despite that, his lips were curved into a smirk. He, like everyone else, was wearing thick winter clothing, his left hand clutched a cigarette while his right held his gun. Eiji didn't dare to move, staying completely still. Beside him, he could feel Issei and Sakura growing nervous, neither of them knowing what to do.
"So, do you plan on shooting me?"
"I could do that, but I've been given strict orders to bring you in. Turns out, our Father wants to see the little shit that took the lives of Akira and Naofumi. But you're not the sole party responsible for that, are you? I take it Miss Tohsaka is somewhere nearby?"
"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. But she isn't going to reveal herself to someone like you, she's out there fighting against the undead, trying to keep the people here safe. That's what good Masters are supposed to do, keep the fighting away from the people. But you? All you do is destroy things. No doubt Kotomine gave you strict orders to follow, use whatever force you want, the end justifies the means… that about right?"
"That's the long and short of it, yes. You know our Father rather well, don't you boy?"
"He trained me for several years, I got used to some of his quirks. Tell me, does he treat you and your allies like dogs too, or do all of you have actual names that he calls you by?" Eiji said, making the man growl. He crushed his cigarette in his hand, tightening his hold on his pistol. "Oh… struck a nerve there, didn't I? You don't scare me, sir."
"I know I don't. You mages are, all the same, thinking you are high and mighty because you were born with an extra nervous system. All while the rest of us have to live our meager lives working for a living. You get to enjoy magic, while the rest of us have to toil away with our own two hands. You all disgust me."
"Being a mage isn't all fun and games, I assure you. Sometimes, it's a curse just as much as it can be a blessing," Sakura said, making the man shift his aim at her. "Being tortured for years on end while some worms slither beneath your flesh isn't what I call 'fun'."
"I didn't ask you, did I?"
"Let me ask you this, what exactly do you think Kotomine is planning on doing with you the second he gets what he wants? Do you think he's going to lead you to some promised land? That he'll grant your wishes?"
"Of course. He is our Father, he trained us in our martial arts and our spirit arts. We are prepared to fight for him until the end of time!" the man said firmly, changing his aim back to Eiji. "That is more than he can say about you. He trained you out of necessity because the Tohsaka Heiress was your friend. But it was likely he would have snapped your neck the second he could have,"
"Sounds to me like something you'd do to an old dog," the young man said firmly. "That's probably what he's going to do to you once he attains power."
The man growled, as he shifted his aim to one of the teenagers, who screamed alongside the others. "Keep talking and the kid gets the top of his head splattered all over the ground."
Eiji grit his teeth, eyes narrowed as he glared at the man. "I don't like that look kid, don't make me pull the trigger."
"Ereshkigal, are you ready?" Eiji mentally called, as he kept his gaze firmly locked on the man. He knew Tamamo was faking being unconscious, the man likely not knowing how spirits actually worked.
"I'm ready, Master. Just tell me when!"
"So, now that all of us are calmed down and are thinking like rational adults, I'm going to give you all your options. Number 1, your complete surrender. Once you do, you will all be taken in as prisoners and will have to go through a process of reaffirmation before you get a new baptism. Number 2, Eiji and Rin will be taken, directly to the Master, where they will likely be beaten, tortured, and executed. Though Miss Tohsaka is a lively young woman, I'm sure he can break her in before he kills her."
Eiji hissed in anger but remained silent. "Number 3, you will divulge the location of Ruler as well as her True Name. That way, our attack on her little base near the World Tree will be much smoother. And finally, Number 4, you will tell us how to disable the bounded field protecting Fuyuki's Greater Grail. Yeah, we know about that bounded field, and it won't be long until Caster manages to break it. We just need the right runes to do it, so do cough them up."
"You actually think I'm gonna do that? I wasn't even aware there was a bounded field in front of the Greater Grail. Hell, I don't even know where it is. Sadly, I'm gonna have to turn down all three of your proposed options. I'm not the type to let myself be tortured, and I sure as hell won't let my best friend go through that as well." he said with a cheeky grin. "Now!"
The man felt something beneath him, causing him to aim his gun downward, only for the ground around him to shatter. Ereshkigal moved through the debris, aiming her weapon right at him. Somehow, he managed to pull out his Keys, deflecting her attack. He landed firmly on the ground, running at the Divine Spirit, swinging his keys in wild arcs at her. She twirled her lance around, shattering the Keys with ease.
Eiji took his chance, springing forward, his magical circuits sparking to life as he threw a punch at the man. He shifted himself around, catching his fist, deflecting his follow-up attack. The two started fighting, neither landing a hit as they caught and redirected their strikes. Eiji grit his teeth as he was pushed back, almost stumbling off the rooftop.
"You aren't going to defeat me, kid!"
He dashed forward, only for Ereshkigal to cut him off, driving her leg into his chest. She spun her lance around her neck before thrusting it forward, the man blocking it with his Keys, which shattered into pieces. He was quick to recover, throwing the ones in his left hand outward. The Goddess of the Underworld blocked each one, save for one that graced her cheek, slicing it open. It stabbed into the stone behind her, moving slightly as it did.
"You know, it amazes me how people like you exist. Capable of transcending time, space, and even death to be here, serving only as our puppets. You have all of this power, yet are completely powerless to stop anything," he said, drawing his gun. He took aim at Sakura, whose eyes went wide. "You won't be able to save her, no matter what you do!"
"We'll see about that. Now, Tamamo!" Eiji cried, making the man's brows knit together. He noticed the pink-haired sniper was gone, his eyes widening.
Before he could do anything, the ground around them cracked and gave way, causing them to start falling inside the castle. Eiji jumped forward, jewels clutched tightly between his fingers, mana flowing through them. He flung them outward, trails of fire, wind, and water zooming toward the man.
He let out a grunt as he forced himself into a spin, grabbing a hold of a chunk of earth, throwing it at the combined magic, causing it to explode. He took aim at Eiji with his gun, firing at him only for it to be blocked by Ereshkigal. After what felt like an eternity, they landed on the ground, not wasting any time. Eiji sprung forward, his magic circuits screaming as he raced toward the man.
"Kotomine may have taught you Spirit Arts but he still wasn't able to teach you the fundamentals of mage fighting. Like using magical circuits to strengthen yourself for example!" he cried, throwing a punch at the man who caught his hand with ease. The man punched Eiji, thrusting his first into his chest making him cough.
"Don't make me laugh, kid. Father didn't select us all willy nilly. We have our own Magical circuits, how else would we be able to summon Heroic Spirits?" he said, following his attack with a kick. Eiji groaned in pain but managed to catch himself, just in time to dodge several more attacks.
"Lancer!"
Ereshkigal wasted no time in summoning several spears, flinging them at the man who dodged them with ease. Flicking his hands down, he summoned more Keys, his gaze set on Ereshkigal. He swiped his hands to and fro, destroying each one of her spears with ease. She jumped back, ducking and weaving, resummoning Meslamtaea to deflect the attacks she couldn't dodge. She let out a scream as one of the man's blades swiped at her hand, her wrist showered with her own blood.
"Does it hurt? These swords were made to exorcise spirits and demons, and guess what you are?" the man said with a grin. Ereshkigal only smirked as she jumped out of the way, only to reveal Vitch, who had shouldered her massive rifle, taking aim at the man.
"Hello~"
She pulled the trigger, causing him to quickly cross his blades, magic flowing through them as he took the hit, dust, and magic exploding around him. He grit his teeth as pieces of iron floated around him for a few seconds. Eiji cut through the dust, throwing a magic-enhanced punch at him. The man however managed to grab his hand, lifting him over his shoulder with his momentum, throwing him at the back wall. He was up in seconds, measuring both Servants as well as the fallen Master.
"I see you've developed quite a bond with these two. But that bond should be severed if I take out the Master. Of course, I'll need something to distract you with!" he said, removing his glove, showing off his intact command seals, grinning. "Caster, by order of my sacred mark, I command you to stand by my side!"
The third first segment sparked crimson as his order was carried out. In a mist of darkness and black feathers, Caster flashed into existence, twirling her massive scythe around. She looked around, her cold dead eyes surveying her surroundings. "Could you not handle these gnats on your own, Master Soichiro?"
"I wouldn't have called you here otherwise, I wasn't expecting the kid to be this adept with fighting," he said, glancing down at the shorter woman.
"I see," she said, glancing toward Vitch and Ereshkigal, the former ejecting a spent shell casing from her rifle while the latter looked at Caster with intrigue. "I sense death within you… you must be the Mistress of the Mesopotamian Underworld. Goddess Ereshkigal, known to put the souls of the dead in golden cages for all eternity, a rather distasteful act, really."
"Tch… I do a better job than you. I might not be able to offer them cozy places to sleep but at least I don't use those souls to reform an army of the living dead. What you are doing is disgusting and goes against everything a Goddess of Death should be doing. You have to care for the souls after their lives are over so that they may be cleansed and taken back into the lifestream, not this." Ereshkigal said firmly, glaring at the woman. She tilted her head. "Hang on a second… I feel like I know you from somewhere."
"Strange, aside from our similar divinities, we have never met, and yet… I too feel some form of kinship with you." Caster said, taking a closer look at Ereshkigal, taking note of her uniform. "That attire you wear… it brings back memories… perhaps they belong to the woman who has allowed me to inhabit her body."
"Can we stop acting like we know each other? We are here to fight, not to act like friends! Caster, handle those two while I take this kid down!"
"Understood, Master," she said, angling her scythe back, the low lighting making its blade glimmer. Ereshkigal twirled her lance around, ready to meet the attack head-on when suddenly the wall behind them burst, taking them by surprise.
A battered and bruised Cerise came through it, her teeth grit, eyes glowing crimson as she flung her chains at Caster, who easily shrugged them off. She let out a scream of anger as she swung at the Divine Spirit, who used her scythe to deflect every hit.
"Cerise?" Eiji called out, only to fall on deaf ears.
"Don't bother, Master. She's fighting against the Norse Goddess of Death, remember what she said before. She won't stop until all the Norse Gods are destroyed by her blade. Hel is no exception." Vitch said, retaking aim at Soichiro, who grit his teeth in anger. "Sit still hun, all I need is one shot."
"As if! Caster, Unleash your Noble Phantasm now! We cannot lose here!" the man shouted angrily. Caster did as she was asked, using a wave of dark magic to send Cerise flying back. She spun her scythe around, stabbing the handle into the ground, a wave of darkness flowing from it.
The wave stretched outward, bathing the ground they walked on, making it almost seem like a pit of tar. Eiji tried to move but found himself unable to, as the energy started flowing up his body, making him groan in pain. "Ugh… what is this?"
"Cast unto thee on our hour of death. Let the darkness in the absence of life, guide you toward your place of eternal rest. May you feast on hunger and dine with famine, and be guided toward your eternal berth." the caster-class servant chanted, as the wave grew thicker.
They noticed large shadowy arms clawing out of the inky blackness, grabbing at Eiji, Ereshkigal, and Tamamo, who were all struggling to break free. Hel shook her head, casting her eyes downward. "Do not struggle, for those caught in my wave may not escape. You shall be turned to dust and bone and return from whence you came, your souls shall belong to me."
"Ereshkigal, do something, dispel this thing with your own magic!"
"I can't do that, Tamamo! Her authority over death is vastly different to mine, my powers only work in Mesopotamia not in Niflheim or in Helheim! There's nothing I can do!" she weakly cried out, trying to reach for her Master who was on the far side of the room, being grabbed at by the bony arms. By now, the entire room had been swallowed in darkness, no sources of light being visible. "Eiji! I'm sorry!"
"Don't be sorry, don't ever be sorry! You have to go down fighting, not squirming in someone else's scheme!" He cried, using his magic gemstones to shatter the bones, the bodies attached to them screeched as their bony eyeless skills came out of the tar, trying to bite onto his flesh. He prepared to fire his remaining gems at Hel, but it proved useless as her mana was far too strong. "Damn you, Kotomine!"
"I apologize to you all… I do not enjoy taking the lives of the young, but it is my duty. Souls were promised to me, and I will collect them, no matter who they belong to. Let the reaper's scythe become your end. Hel's Reaper."
As she chanted the true name of her Noble Phantasm, the large hands of a Giant skeleton reached outward, aiming to grab the beings trapped within the pit. "Damn, I can't even move… I feel as if my life is being sucked away from me. I can't… die here, I have to do something, anything!" he thought, as he growled under his breath. He saw the giant arm reaching for him, making him sigh in defeat. Eiji closed his eyes, praying for a miracle to happen.
"Haaah!"
A glimmering blade of light cut through the darkness, slicing the hand clean in half. Eiji opened his eyes, seeing Cerise aiming her sword at Hel, her eyes burning with fury. She swung down on the woman, who had no choice but to block the attack with her scythe, this action dispelling her Noble Phantasm. Eiji, Ereshkigal, and Tamamo were freed, coughing loudly as their mana and life force returned to them. Soichiro's eyes almost bulged from his skull when he noticed they were all still alive.
"What? Caster why didn't you finish them off?!"
"I was interrupted, my Noble Phantasm didn't fully materialize, I could not drag their souls out from their bodies," she said, clutching her shoulder, seeing the dark red blood on her palm. She looked up, a small smirk appearing on her face. "You actually got me. I'm impressed."
"I am sick and tired of all your damn games, this ends here and now!" she cried, lifting her sword into the air, sparks dancing around them. "Heavenly Sword used to bind the beast that would hail the end, unleash the true strength of the wolf's fury!"
The sword started glowing brightly as she lowered it, seeing it begin to burn, almost as bright as the sun. The blade turned a sickly orange, what looked like spit dripping off of it. Cerise's right arm began bulging outward, pulsing with an unknown magic source, shackles being visible on her wrist, as the binding chains flashed into existence. Her nails grew outward, looking more like claws, while her fangs sharpened, and just beneath her hood, a set of ears appeared atop her head.
"Caster, don't let her finish off that attack! End her!" Soichiro shouted, causing Caster to pull her scythe back, a swirl of darkened magic gathering around it. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw the magic being burned away by the intensity of Cerise's attack. "I… I can't! Her attack is swallowing my magic! What kind of sword is that?"
"This sword was forged for the Aesir, and carried by the God of Justice, Tyr, the man who drove it through my jaws, but not before I took his precious hand. The hand of the god that helped within my binding. And it is with this very hand that I use this sword to kill the injustice that remains in the world. I am the wolf of the end, the one who will swallow the sun!"
She let out a scream as she moved forward, clutching her sword with both hands. Hel attempted to move back but found herself bound in place by chains. She grit her teeth, seeing the shadow of a fierce wolf racing toward her, as Cerise began swinging her sword. As she did, a bright glow filled the room, causing her to shield her eyes. It was as if the sun itself had manifested within the room, its heat and bright light all but blinding her. She could feel her skin beginning to bubble and burn from the searing light, making her howl in pain.
"This is the end for you, Goddess of Helheim! This is the Sword that will bring forth the Twilight of the Gods! Ragnarøkkr sverð!"
Caster let out a scream of agony as the sword sliced into her, searing her flesh and bone in a single swipe. Cerise let out another roar as she brought it down and then diagonally, slashing and swinging until the pent-up energy exploded outward, tinging the room and the surrounding area in twilight before it finally died down. Cerise panted, dropping to a knee as she held her sword tightly, the remaining energy slowly disappearing as the sword stopped glowing, returning to its normal blue tint.
Blood burst from Caster's body, her scythe falling uselessly on the ground. Her body fell apart before it hit the ground, letting in a wet splatter. Soichiro's eyes widened in shock. "W-what? N-no… there's no way… she was a Goddess!"
Cerise moved forward, flinging her chains at the man, wrapping him around tightly, holding her sword to his throat. She pinned him back, looking into his eyes. "We need information on Kotomine and what he is planning to do. Without your servant, there is no one to protect you, so spill it. Unless you wanna be quartered like she was!"
"As… if… I'm not telling you a damned thing!" he said with a grin.
"Open his mouth, he's hiding a cyanide pill!" Tamamo shouted, causing Cerise to dart her hand forward, reaching into his mouth. The man gagged and coughed as she felt around, pulling out the pill he was about to bite on. She tossed it aside grabbing onto his neck.
"Speak!"
"Hehehe… you think this is it? Defeating Hel did nothing, all it did was anger the spirits around us. This minuscule army that you fought was only a fraction of her strength, and now that she's gone, no one is holding them back." he said, his hand glowing as he activated his Command Seals. "Now, my army of the dead! Attack!"
"Sever his hand, quick!" Eiji cried, grabbing ahold of his arm.
"It's too late, I used my last two sacred marks, the spells were issued out, there's nothing you can do!" Soichiro said laughing loudly. "Father told me to kill you by any means possible, and that's what I'm going to do. I'll stop at nothing until this little rebellion of yours is quelled!"
The groans of the undead filled their ears, causing them to look back, seeing the windows being pushed against by the dead. They shattered moments later, several bodies spilling inside. Tamamo looked around for a moment, slinging her rifle to her shoulder, pulling out her R12, while Ereshkigal called Meslamtaea to her hand.
"We need to find an exit quickly," she said.
"Tamamo, it's time," Eiji said, tossing her the vial, which she caught with ease. "I take it you prepared beforehand?"
"Yes I did, darling~ I set everything up just like you asked me to!"
"Then get to work, Ereshkigal, and I will find a way up to the roof," he said, grabbing ahold of the Goddess's hand, pulling her toward the back hallway. "Cerise… I…"
"Don't worry about me, I still have some fight in me," she said, pulling her hood over her head, covering herself up. "You didn't see them, did you?"
"See what?" he asked, feigning ignorance. She smiled as she retook her blade, its glow returning.
"Thanks, Eiji. Our battle is just beginning, I'll see you on the other side," she said, racing forward. She let out a scream as she started fighting the undead, slicing them apart with little effort. Eiji spared a look back at Soichiro, who was still bound and laughing, a maniacal grin on his face. He wondered what it was that Kotomine did to make that man behave in such a way.
Location: Ryuudou Temple (Cavern of the Greater Grail)
Time: 7:00 PM
Date: April 30th, 2014
Izo swung his sword back and forth, clashing with Cao-Cao's spear as the two kept going head to head, neither relenting in their approach. The Mad Dog kept laughing as the thrill of the fight egged him on, each of his swings carrying every ounce of strength in his body.
At the same time, Shinji and Hinako were locked in combat. The woman had expected him to be weak, but Shinji was anything but. He was casting high-level spells without breaking a sweat. It was unlike anything she had seen before. His body was glowing brightly, with multiple crests, each of them filled with a myriad of spells she had never witnessed. She swung her swords at the man who blocked them with his forearms, grabbing onto her wrists. He growled angrily, slamming his forehead into hers, making her see stars. She felt herself fly back from a kick to sternum, landing roughly on the ground.
"Surprised at my raw strength?" he asked, grinning as he walked forward. "After that Einzbern Girl was killed, there were a lot of things left behind in her mansion. Among them are various vials of Cerebral-Spinal Fluid. It gives regular people temporary magic circuits, with little downsides to the user. But I wanted to take it further… I wanted my own strong circuits, the ones that were denied to me. So I hatched a plan with Soichiro and his Caster-class servant. Give me your strength, and I will promise you 50 souls… it wasn't hard, especially since the school was beginning to fill up."
"I know all about you, Matou. You were discarded by your grandfather, and Sakura Tohsaka was taken in and given the training that you wanted. All because you had poor circuits. But I can see now that you've done several things to improve yourself. You walk on a moral grayline, not caring about anything but yourself. You took Einzberns circuits, didn't you? Not just hers but your Grandfather's as well."
"Yes, I did. The process was slow and it was painful but it was oh so worth it," he said, as he plucked a strand of hair from his head, channeling magic through it. He formed a twisted-looking bird, its wings beating at odd angles as it struggled to remain aloft. "I feigned weakness, I feigned ignorance, pretending that I was weak. But I was just biding my time until I could come to get what was rightfully mine. I summoned my servant before Emiya, Ryuudou, and my own sister. But the one I got was useless to me. I mean… what kind of assassin walks around with a ten-pound sniper rifle?"
"You… were Tamamo Vitch's original master? But she told us she was brought here by the world itself."
"That's what I forced her to say when we ended our contract. The beautiful thing about Command Seals is that if you resummon your servant, you get a full set again, provided there are enough. I forced her to lie and cast her aside. But to my sheer surprise, she had Independent Manifestation as a skill, so she stuck around, likely biding her time. But she wasn't able to speak or act, because those seals bound her."
His hands crackled with magic, his grin growing wider. "I summoned someone new and imagined my surprise when I was granted a different Assassin. One who was far stronger and more cunning than some fox deity. I was able to pull off so many schemes thanks to him. Getting more food and water, getting more bedding for myself, and of course, collecting souls for the Goddess. But then you and Itsuka arrived and ruined it all! It's thanks to you that I'm out here risking my ass!
But it doesn't matter… At the end of the day, Tohsaka coming to the school gave me the answer I needed. What I want is right over here, right beyond this bounded field. And no one, not Tohsaka, not Kotomine, not Itsuka, and not Chaldea is going to stop me!" he shouted, darting forward with great speed.
"Cao-Cao, switch," Hinako uttered, jumping back. The Rider-Class servant flashed in front of her, swinging his spear at Shinji, who was forced to stop, flipping out of the way. At the same time, Hinako met Izo's sword with one of her own, pushing the man back with ease.
"Well, the pretty doll wants a piece of me? I can certainly give it," he said, making her click her tongue. She met every single one of his swings, effortlessly parrying them. She spread her swords, spinning on her heel as she slashed at his neck. The man pulled his hand back, only the tip of the blade made contact, drawing a bit of blood.
He quickly reacted, swinging his sword hard, disarming her. She hissed as she saw her second sword fly behind her. She angled her remaining blade, her arms buckling a bit as the Heroic Spirit pushed her back. "Come on sweetie, I know this isn't your full strength. I can tell you aren't human, so unleash that raw power. I want to see it!"
Hinako grit her teeth, closing her eyes for a brief moment, only to be pushed back by Izo. She grit her teeth, swinging her sword to and fro to counter his hits. She left herself open, taking a kick straight to her chest, sending her flying back. She roll across the ground, digging her hand into the rocks to stop herself from moving back. Her eyes glowed crimson, as blood began dripping from her forehead.
"Well, since you asked so nicely," she spat, connecting herself to the ground around her. Her body tingled as she started absorbing the mana straight from the world, right into her body. Her eyes began glowing, a foreign flamelike energy enveloping her hands. Izo stood back, his eyes widening in surprise.
She shortened the distance in a single bound, swinging her blade with all her strength, which Izo barely managed to deflect. She continued the fight, matching his pace and pushing him back. She wasted no time in overpowering him, delivering a strong kick to his midsection, sending him flying back into the bounded field. He slammed into it, the barrier crackling slightly from the sheer force.
"Assassin!" Shinji cried, watching as the man slowly fell to the ground. He turned back, only to take a fist to the face from Cao-Cao. He glared at the man, clutching his cheek. "How dare you!"
"You were boasting about how strong you were and how you could easily defeat us, but you knew not the true strength my Master possessed," he said, glancing over his shoulder, smirking. "Chinese Legends would call her a monster, but she is the true beauty that was forced to hide after the death of one of the greatest warriors in history. Her true name is only known by few, and sadly, you do not have the right to hear it."
"So, you knew who I was this entire time, didn't you, Rider?" his master asked, earning a nod from the man. "Then why didn't you address me?"
"It would be a disservice to you, Master. After all, your true name should be spoken only by one person. Your husband was a great man, who did a great number of things for China, and I hold him in high regard. I cannot in full confidence, utter the name of his lover."
Hinako remained silent, shaking her head as she looked down at Izo, who was struggling to stand. Shinji forced himself to his feet, clutching his arm tightly. "Leave, you and your servant will not set foot in this place."
"As if I would give up my claim to the Holy Grail. I'm still in this war, lady, and just because you are glowing and your sword is on fire, doesn't mean you are going to win. Now, Assassin, by order of my Command Seal, I order you to unleash your Noble Phantasm and takedown that wench!"
Izo let out a roar as his body glowed with newfound power. His roar turned into a laugh as he removed his hat and mask, revealing his face to Hinako and Cao-Cao. He was a handsome man, with long violet hair tied into a ponytail. His crimson eyes were glowing brilliantly as he angled his blade. "Finally, I get to use it again, this is my favorite thing to do in the entire world!"
Hinako moved back, raising her sword in an attempt to deflect it, but even she knew she wasn't fast enough. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, hoping to at least lessen the damage. She was suddenly pushed aside, her body feeling weightless for a moment as she fell to the ground. Her eyes widened as she saw her servant standing where she once was.
"Rider!"
He only smiled as he took the attack, Izo's sword pierced straight through his chest. The man let out a laugh as he called out its true name. He dragged the sword upward, unleashing a fountain of blood around them. Unlike last time where Cao-Cao managed to survive despite his damaged Spirit Core, this time, his body was partially sliced in half, leaving nothing to salvage. His body hit the ground with a wet plop, before slowly fading away, disappearing into a shower of golden light.
"Whoops… I went and killed the old man, shit. I wasn't even done with him."
"You… I'm going to kill you, Okada Izo." Hinako hissed, glaring at the Mad Dog as she slowly forced herself to stand. "I will not stand for you hurting my comrades."
"Oh boo hoo… you didn't seem to care about him before. What? He realized who you truly were and suddenly there's a fire in your shriveled heart? Cry me a river." the samurai said, flicking his katana clean of blood. He angled it, grinning. "Now then, how about I end your life as well?"
As he was about to strike, a loud crack filled the nearly quiet cavern. Shinji, Izo, and Hinako glanced back toward the barrier, seeing the large cracks that were forming from where Izo had struck it. Izo could only smirk as he aimed a strike at Hinako, who easily blocked it with her sword. She glared at him, her eyes glowing a brilliant red. He backed away fearfully, only to take a full-blown punch to the face, being sent flying back to the ground. Shinji could only watch in fear as Hinako started walking toward him. He pulled more hairs free, forming his familiars and sending them toward her, but she was able to slice through them with a single swipe of her sword.
"No... leave me alone, please! I'm sorry!"
"No, you aren't. You are just like those disgusting assholes I have faced in the past. Arrogant, selfish, atrocious, disgusting. It is people like you that make me despise humanity. It is people like you that start wars. It is because of you that I lost a friend I never got to know." she said, dropping her swords to the floor. "I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."
Shinji raised his arms in defense but was unable to block the incoming hit. He feebly tried to strike back, but only took a punch to the face. Hinako followed it with a kick, and then a powerful knee to his abdomen. He coughed loudly, clutching his stomach as she uppercut his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. He panted, reaching out for one of her swords, swinging it at her, only for it to slice her hand clean off. She didn't even seem bothered by it, the flames surrounding her only growing in intensity. Shinji watched as the bloody stump started to reform, growing back the appendage he had roughly amputated. He squealed in fear as he backed away.
"What the fuck are you?!" he cried, holding the sword in his hand, grabbing more hairs. "You aren't human! You're a monster!"
Hinako only giggled as the flames around her grew in strength, swirling around her. "You're right, I'm not human, why would I ever want to be like you? You have done terribly things, and I hope you will be punished in eternal hell for them. Because you certainly deserve to."
Shinji screamed in anger as he sent the familiars forward, pushing himself to his feet, driving the sword at Hinako, who easily deflected it, destroying his familiars with ease. She quickly disarmed him, grabbing a hold of his arm and slamming her fist against his face, knocking one of his teeth out. She grabbed his throat, squeezing with all her strength when she heard a howling laugh beside her, making her drop the teenager. She turned in time to see Izo running at her, sword drawn. She ran her through with it, the grin on his face growing.
"Yes! This is so much fun! I don't kill many women but when I do, I hold them in high regard. Look at you, such a beautiful doll, if only I could tear those clothes off of you!" he said grinning. Hinako only growled as she wrapped her hand around his blade, snapping it in half with ease, much to Izo's surprise. She pulled the broken half out of his hand and turned it around, stabbing it into his shoulder deep into his body. Pulling the piece of the blade still within her, she spun it around, stabbing it into his stomach. The man hacked and coughed, but his grin only grew. "You didn't get... my spirit core."
Before she could do anything, they heard the barrier behind them start cracking. It kept spreading until the entire barrier was filled with cracks until it finally shattered. Brilliant gold light exploded outward, blinding the three for a few moments.
"Gah… what the hell?" Shinji cried as he held his hand over his rapidly swelling eyes, struggling to even see where the source of the light was coming from.
"So… it is you who is doing battle within my fortress. It has taken a long time for me to awaken, and what do I see but a few children in need of a good spanking. Well, be it far from me to grant you such a punishment." a voice, that of a woman, said firmly.
The light seemingly died down, as she slowly stepped onto the ground. She was a beautiful woman, with long flowing white hair and glowing red eyes. She was wearing a rather revealing dress but a gorgeous one all the same. Long flowing sleeves covered her arms, and a long crimson scarf was wrapped around her neck. She wore a short pencil skirt and long white and gold boots. Her headdress looked almost like a crown, with gilded markings all around it. Her entire body seemed to glow a bright gold, the air growing still around them.
"No… no way…. You're supposed to be dead!" Shinji shouted as he looked toward the woman in fear. She turned to look at him, a look of confusion on her face. "Don't look at me! That's the same look she gave me before I pulled her heart out!"
He grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled it from his scalp, channeling magic through it, forming several swords and deformed-looking birds. He directed them forward, ignoring the pain on the side of his head. "I'm not going to let you get the best of me again, Illya!"
The woman swiped his creations away, her eyes narrowing a bit. "That name… how do you know it?"
Stunned by the fact she had erased his attack, Shinji could only stare. The woman slowly walked forward, an orb of light forming in the palm of her hand. "Tell me where you learned that name!"
"Kotomine told me! He told me where I could find her and what to do when I did, and here you are, standing in front of me. You look just like her! You have that same face, the same look in your eyes. Get away from me! Izo, attack her!"
"You got it boss!" the man said. He pulled the sword that had been stabbed into his body free, swinging the blood off the blade as he ran at the woman, grabbing the other and in his empty hand. She blasted him away with an orb of light, turning to face him.
"Okada Izo, you were brought forth onto this world with mana that I granted you, and I can just as easily take it away from you. Do not force my hand."
"You're… an avatar of the Holy Grail, aren't you?" Hinako asked, making the woman face her. She said nothing as she changed her crimson-eyed gaze at Shinji, who was frozen in fear.
"What you said about Illya… about ripping her heart out… if I find out that is true, there will be no place on this earth where you will hide. Is that understood, Shinji Matou?"
"Fuck you!"
"Get out, you too, Assassin," she said, her voice laced with venom as she spoke to the man. He picked himself off the ground and started moving toward Shinji, grabbing a hold of him.
"Come on, Master. Better to live another day than be turned into a smoldering pile of ash, she'll get hers soon enough," he said, as he dragged the man away. The white-haired woman continued staring, listening until she knew they were gone and when she did, she sighed, her shoulders drooping a bit.
"Finally. Keeping up that routine is terrible," she said, rolling her shoulders a bit as she turned to face Hinako. "You are a true ancestor aren't you? I can feel your mana from here, you are far stronger than you look."
"Tch." she spat, looking away from her. She clutched her wound tightly, remaining still as it was slowly but surely, beginning to heal. "And what are you supposed to be?"
"You already know, an Avatar of the Holy Grail. Normally, the Grail doesn't have a consciousness, but this time, it felt like it needed to be more proactive. Since I was a recently acquired vessel, I was allowed to step forward. I am the Holy Grail, but I am also just a loving mother. You may call me… Irisviel."
"Irisviel…" Hinako mumbled, shaking her head. "Why now?"
"Hm?"
"Why manifest an Avatar now, I mean. We've been at war for a few days, weeks in fact, but this place is just lost. Couldn't you have taken a more proactive approach when this singularity began?"
"Yes, I could have and that was the plan but… I was locked away behind that three-layer bounded field. Not only that, but I didn't have the strength to fully manifest. It wasn't until I acquired the soul of the Goddess of Helheim that I attained enough strength to manifest an Avatar. Not only that but… I fear there is something dark going on, something that is far beyond my control."
"What do you mean by that?" the raven-haired woman asked curiously. "Shouldn't Ruler be enforcing the rules of the Holy Grail War?"
"She should, and she has. But everything is flowing far differently than anyone could have expected, all because of that second grail that was brought to this time. Time was thrown out of whack, and a new worldline seemed to manifest, all contained within this pocket. Tell me, the future you come from, is it bleak and non-existent?"
"We can't tell. The future is uncertain and the world is nothing but bleached white, except for seven points that seem to be dark. Japan happens to have two of them, and who knows how many more micro-singularities and distortions will manifest. Why do you ask?"
The Avatar remained silent, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "It seems something has happened that has thrown everything out of balance. This singularity, as you call it… it isn't behaving as a singularity should. It's behaving far differently. It's a temporal distortion and a new worldline rolled into one, at least… that's what the vast knowledge the Grail is providing me, is stating."
She shuddered a bit, shaking her head. "We haven't got much time, we need to make contact with Ruler as soon as possible. It seems something is about to occur, something that she should be aware of," she said, moving toward the exit.
"Uh… is it alright for you to just leave this place? What about the Grail?" Hinako asked, causing Irisviel to stop. She held her hand out, a glimmering gold light forming in the palm of her hand. There, floating in a wave of mana, sat the Holy Grail.
"As the Avatar, I hold the Grail within me and can use its power at will. The Greater Grail within this cavern is dead, its power is synthesized in this compact device. Now then, shall we? We have much to discuss with Ruler."
Hinako remained silent, following Irisviel out of the cave. She looked back to where Cao-Cao had fallen, a deep frown on her face. "I'm sorry, General. We spent so much time together but I didn't get to know you. My only regret is treating you like a tool. And for that I am sorry. But I will continue fighting for myself, until one day, I can bring him back into the world."
Location: Einzbern Castle
Time: 7:02 PM
Date: April 30th, 2014
"Why do these things never quit?!" Yoshitsune shouted, taking down several more undead in a single swing. She glanced over her shoulder at the future king of knights, who was swinging her sword with ease. "Getting tired, Artoria Jr?"
"Of course I'm not! I've trained against beasts much scarier than this, and don't call me Jr!"
Rin let her arrow fly, bringing down the last remaining watchtower over a group of undead. No matter what they did, they continued closing in. She was beginning to run out of energy. She looked back at Shirou, who was fighting with everything he had, his face glowing as he had activated his magic circuits.
"This isn't working, we aren't getting anywhere. That last explosion was really big, and it seemed to only make these things stronger. Just what the hell is going on here?!"
"Tohsaka, we need to move back, this wall is about to collapse!" Shirou cried out, pulling his sword free from the undead corpse he had taken down. He took a few steps back, dodging a few slashes. The pair noticed a few sword-wielding undead as well, making them grow even more fearful. "What do we do?"
"Just hold the line, we need to wait just a little longer!" she cried, drawing another arrow, firing into the sky. With a snap of her fingers, hundreds of swords rained down on the crowd, thinning them down only just. Several more came to replace them, their growls growing louder. She bit her lip, glancing at the back of her hand. "Well, it's now or never, Saber, by order of my command seal, I order you to unleash your noble phantasm!"
"Heh heh heh! You got it, Lady Rin!" Yoshitsune cried, a grin on her face as her sword started glowing. The mana seemingly dripped from her body as she planted her feet on the ground, her energy slowly growing as the effects of the command seal sunk deep into her Spirit Core.
She darted forward, sword glowing a brilliant gold as she slashed everything in sight, using the falling bodies as springboards. She rapidly sheathed her sword as the energy continued to build up. "Secret Technique, encompassing the very legend that was carved into history by my sword alone. Shana-Ō Ryūritan: Usumidori - Tenjin Shukuho!"
With a roar, she drew her sword, swinging it with all her strength into the crowd, a brilliant blade of light flowing outward, slicing apart all of the undead in its wake. The attack didn't stop, taking with it what remained of the outer wall, and even some of the Giants that were still fighting, their bodies plummeting to the ground. Yoshitsune only grinned as she scratched her nose, visibly proud of her own raw strength.
"Whoa, that was awesome," Shirou said, earning a grin from Rin.
"Of course, she is my servant, after all, I have to make sure her Noble Phantasm is the cream of the crop!"
"Lady Rin, we need to figure out what to do. That only took out half of them and the Giants that still lived, we still have several forces to deal with. And thanks to my awesome technique, we no longer have a wall," the samurai said, making Rin deflate.
She started looking around for something, anything that could help. Just as she was about to give up, a familiar-sounding screech filled her ears, causing her to gaze at the sky. Just as the snow started to fall over the Estate, several quetzals started to descend, each carrying large boulders. At the head of them was Sei Shonagon, who had a grin on her face as she grabbed onto the reins of her demonic beast.
"Now! Drop the load!"
At her command, they all started flying around, dropping the large boulders onto the field, crushing the undead hordes. Rin let out a sigh of relief but only raised her bow, summoning several more swords into her grasp. "Just because the cavalry's here doesn't mean we should stop, let's start clearing some of this out."
"Lily, do your best, I'll back you up," Shirou said, earning a nod from the future King of Knights. She jumped into the fray, swinging Caliburn with all her strength, taking down whatever the large stones missed.
From above, Sei surveyed the area, spotting Eiji, Ereshkigal, and Tamamo fighting off the undead threatening to overtake the west half of the keep, which was where the survivors had moved after the roof had collapsed. She directed her mount in that direction, grabbing her messenger bag tightly.
"Bombs away!" she cried as she jumped down from her mount. She let out a shout as her bag started glowing with magic. She swung it downward, crushing the skull of the large undead threatening to bite Eiji, much to his surprise. "Heh heh! The heroine of legend has arrived!"
"Archer!" Eiji cried, relief washing over his face.
"We can't let up yet, Eiji-kun! Let's clear these things out so the beasts can land, we don't have much time." Sei said, reaching into her bag pulling out a glowing soccer ball. "Let's get it started!"
Eiji watched in awe as she threw the ball at the nearby undead, taking its head clean off. She used her magic to call it back to her, delivering a fierce kick that sent it flying outward, trailing a sparkling rainbow of light that exploded outward. As she continued to fight, he looked over his shoulder, giving the others a look of reassurance.
Feeling a bit of relief, he joined the others, using what was left of his gems to handle the oncoming undead. It didn't take long for them to push the undead back, with Sei unleashing a bit more of her power, knocking down a nearby wall to block the incoming wave of undead. She wiped the sweat from her brow, turning back to the others, flashing a peace sign.
"I hope you all didn't wait too long, don't you worry! We're going to take you to safety!" she said cheerfully, reaching into her pocket for a radio. "Ekky-chan, it's safe to come down now!"
"Ekky-chan… wait, Ruler came too?" Ereshkigal asked, a look of surprise on her face.
As if on cue, a massive quetzal descended from the clouds. It was a beautiful creature, unlike the smaller, more ancient-looking variations. This looked like a giant rainbow bird, almost like a phoenix. And standing atop it was Ruler, who jumped down, using her magic to slow her descent. She touched down, looking around the keep, seeing what remained of the once large group. Only about 20 people, a few kids, several teenagers, and a single adult in Detective Kirigiri.
"This is what remains?" she asked.
"Yes… they lost a great number of people getting here after leaving Homurahara. We lost a few more with the collapse of the foyer. Kotomine sent another Master out along with Caster, who turned out to be the Queen of Helheim. She's the reason this undead are like this,"
"I see," she said softly. She forced a smile onto her face as she walked forward, waving her staff around. Several beams of light flew forward, each one taking the shape, turning into mugs of steaming hot chocolate, much to their surprise. "Drink, warm yourselves up. I assure you, no harm shall ever befall you again."
One of the younger kids looked at her mug tentatively before sipping it, sighing. "It's so good," she said, as she continued drinking. Ruler smiled brightly, turning back to Eiji.
"We don't have much time, now that you have taken out Caster, it is likely Kotomine is getting ready for his final assault. Not only that, I felt a fluctuation with the Greater Grail."
"A fluctuation?" he asked curiously, causing her to nod.
"Yes, I cannot explain it myself, but we must get back to Tikal, only then will we be able to speak in earnest," she said.
"Watch out!"
Ruler swung her staff, sending a blast of light outward, destroying the boulder that had been sent hurtling toward them. She held her hands out, opening several portals above, calling forth a great number of beasts from Tikal. With a single thrust of her staff, they flew forward, heading to meet the horde dead on. She glanced over her shoulder, a firm look on her face.
"Archer, start evacuating the people here. The snow is starting to come down again and we must be at Tikal before them. I shall hold them back,"
"You got it, Ekky-chan. Alright then, pick a beast, grab the reins and get ready to fly, older kids take some of the little ones so they don't fall. Come on, we need to hurry!" she cried, as she flagged down some of the Quetzals, while Ruler summoned her own, jumping onto its back.
"Ruler, are you sure you can handle this?"
"Of course I can, dear Eiji. I am the Goddess of Traders and Merchants. I have given you all my blessing for a safe journey, and I assure you, it shall be a safe one. I shall meet you soon, for now, I will hold back these tides. Assist Archer, your rest shall come soon." she said, and with that, she flew off into the battle.
Eiji couldn't help but watch as the goddess started her fight. It was impressive seeing so many strong people fighting in this world. This may be just a snag in the timeline, but the things he had witnessed would carry him through the rest of his life. Nodding, he looked back at Ereshkigal and Tamamo, who were awaiting their orders.
"Let's help the people get out of here. Tamamo, find Issei and Sakura and get them here, Eresh, I need you to bring Rin, Shirou, and the others here. I'll help Archer out."
"You got it! Let's move out, Assassin!" Ereshkigal said, dashing into the broken-down mansion. Tamamo only grinned as she grabbed her rifle.
"I'll make sure they're all safe and sound, Goshujin-sama. There are still a great many things I wish to witness here and this is only the beginning."
Taking a deep breath, the Master of Chaldea headed toward the group of survivors, making sure to keep them at ease. As he did he noticed the raging storm above and felt the wind growing stronger. The storm was slowly returning, and it wouldn't be long until Fuyuki was once again covered in an endless snowstorm.
A/N: Well, here's Section 14, I hope you enjoyed this section, it was a really fun one to write, and sets up for the finale as well. I particularly enjoyed Shinji vs Hinako. Because let's face it, that little shit was not going to actually win against her. It was hilarious that he even tried, but in his defense, he didn't know she was an Incarnated Elemental. Lol.
Anyway, as I said before, I am going to post updated profiles now that certain things have been revealed, including Thor's Noble Phantasm, The Goddess Hel, Cerise, and Yoshitsune, who doesn't have a profile, which I thought she did but I guess I forgot lol. Loki's Noble Phantasm will be revealed soon, and it's one of my favorites for a reason I will explain later. Well, let's get to it!
Thor: Lightning of the Gods
Servant Class: Rider
Servant Rank: 5 Star Non-Limited Servant
Deck: BBQAB
Noble Phantasm: Buster
Class-Based Skills:
Riding: A++ (Due to borrowing his father's noble steed, Sleipnir, Thor against not only the Rider class but also one of the highest Riding Skills possible, allowing him to expertly control both modern and old vehicles, and communicate with his steed on a deeper level)
Divinity: EX (Being the son of Odin, as well as the God of Lighting, has earned him EX ranked Divinity. He is known throughout his Myth as "Thor: Slayer of Giants", and is one of the most recognized gods in Norse Mythology)
Lightning of the Gods: B+ (A unique skill belonging to Thor. As he is the God of Lightning, he is able to not only resist and use lightning to power himself up, but there's a 10% chance that he will stun opponents when this skill is active)
Unique Skills:
Prana Burst: B
Worthy of the Hammer: A (A skill unique to Thor, which allows him to use the hammer, Mjolnir to its fullest ability. This hammer will judge if the user is worthy of its power. When activated, Buster skills are increased by 20% and Quick Skills are boosted by 10%)
Charisma: B (Being a Charismatic individual, Thor is able to naturally attract others to him, as well as persuade them when necessary. He is able to talk to those who are feeling down and cheer them up. This skill boosts the strength of his allies and urges them to fight on)
Noble Phantasm: Mjolnir: Storm of the Thunder God Raging with Thunder (By calling the true name of his weapon, Thor is able to call forth the power of thunder and lightning and create a powerful storm. With a mighty swing, he is able to blast nearby enemies with bolts of lightning as well as a concentrated storm. And as is written on the side of his hammer, "He who is worthy to lift this hammer, shall have access to the power of Thor." And as such, anyone who is worthy can access this Noble Phantasm.
Rank: A
Type: Buster
Target: AOE
Cerise: The Red Hooded Gal of Fuyuki
Alias: Little Red
True Name: Fenrisulfr (The Wolf of the End)
Servant Class: Berserker
Servant Rarity: Four Star Limited Servant
Deck: BBQQA
Noble Phantasm: Quick (?)
(Class-Based Skills)
Tyr's Hand: B++ (When Fenrir was being chained, the God of Justice, Tyr had his bitten off by Fenrir. Due to this, he became known as the "One-Armed God". As Fenrir swallowed his arm, she gained use of it and has attained a bit of his divinity. This is the reason why she is capable of wielding the sword that was used to keep her jaws bound. Tyr was the god who sacrificed his hand in order to bind Fenrir, and has attained most of her ire.)
Madness Enhancement (Divinity): B (Cerise possesses a unique type of Madness Enhancement. She feels no rage toward Mortals, that changes when in the presence of Divine Spirits. While she can hold herself back, if she faces an enemy with Divinity, she will not stop until she is or her target is dead. She has an unfathomable hatred toward the Aesir, Vanir, and many other Divinities)
Magic Resistance: D+ (Magic Spells Rank D+ and below, have no effect on Cerise)
(Unique Skills):
Ragnarok Sword: A+ (This sword thought to be Baldr's sword, was driven through Fenrir's jaws, keeping its mouth bound. On the day that Ragnarok was said to begin, the wolf of the end was able to pull this sword free from its maws. Since then, it has become The Ragnarok Sword, as it was the only thing that kept its mouth bound until the end. Cerise has learned to wield it and use its power, and with it, she is able to use her Noble Phantasm Ragnarøkkr sverð )
Sól EX: (Being the Wolf of the End who would Swallow the Sun, Fenrir has attained Authority over the Sun and is able to channel its strength and power during battle. However, this skill is a lot harder for her to use than she is willing to admit, so she employs it only when using her Noble Phantasm.)
Gleipnir: A+ (This skill was revealed to be the chains that were crafted to bind Fenrir. They were created using the footsteps of a cat, the beard of a woman, the breath of a fish, and many other odd occult items. These chains were made to keep the would-be destroyer of the Norse Realm bound for eternity. However, Fenrir managed to break out just before the beginning of Ragnarok. Because of this, she is able to use these chains to bind anything they touch, but they are most effective against Divine Beings)
Noble Phantasm: (Quick) Ragnarøkkr sverð: Blade of Twilight: Channeling the strength of the sun, Cerise unleashes this attack, using the sword that was driven through her jaw to attack. Binding the target with Gleipnir, they are completely helpless as she attacks with all of her rage and fury. This Noble Phantasm shows the Twilight Skies above Asgard before she swallowed the sun, thus plunging the world into eternal chaos, and fulfilling her role in the Twilight of the Gods.
Hel: Goddess of Helheim
Servant Class: Caster
Servant Rarity: 5 Star Limited Servant
Deck: BAAAQ
Noble Phantasm: Arts
(Class-Based Skills)
Territory Creation A: This skill allows Hel to recreate a part of Helheim, in which she is able to take control of any souls that are lingering in the area. If she is allowed to create her workshop, this skill becomes EX, allowing her to encompass a wider area. Thanks to Kotomine, she was capable of achieving this due to the nature of Fuyuki and it is considered a copy of Niflheim, a realm she has control over. Thus she is able to control the souls of the undead in this area.
Magic Resistance A++: Magic Spells of any nature hardly do damage to her. She is able to dispel all spells ranked A+ and lower.
(Unique Skills):
Hand of the Dead A: Having control over the souls of the dead, she is able to create a hoard of undead by using the lamenting souls of the people left behind. She is capable of controlling the undead and leading them forward like an army.
Reaper's Scythe B: The weapon that she uses to control the undead and reap the souls of the living. A Noble Phantasm in its own right, this Scythe is her primary weapon and allows her to use dark magic as well.
Core of the Goddess B+ (Fake): Though she is known as the Goddess of Death, she was never born a goddess, at most, she is half Aesir due to her father, Loki being half Aesir, half Jotun. Odin offered her to take over the Underworld's duties. But like many instances in history, people and legends claim her to be a Goddess of Death and thus, she became a Goddess of Death, which is why she has Core of the Goddess, though it is fake.
Noble Phantasm: (Arts) Reaper's Scythe: Hallower of Undead Souls: By using the power of her scythe, Hel is capable of calling forth a dark wave of energy similar to tar, while recreating a portion of the Norse Underworld, Helheim. From here, she activates her authority over hunger and famine to suck out the souls of the living trapped in the tar. The hands of the undead will then grab the weakened victims and pull them down into the underworld. With this, she is able to take the energy of the souls and use them to heal herself)
As an aside, due to her summoning, Hel needed a proper vessel in order to bring out her full potential. The body she is using is that of Rani VIII, a child that was created by Atlus Academy using old girl magus techniques. She is a homunculus as well as an Alchemist that is very well known in Atlas Academy. The reason Ereshkigal recognizes her is due to the fact Sion personally knows and has worked with Rani before. But it seems all of Rani's traits, save her morose mood, have vanished, being replaced entirely by the Goddess Hel.
Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune
Servant Class: Saber
Servant Rarity: 5 Star Non-Limited Servant
Deck: BBAQQ
Noble Phantasm: Buster
(Class Skills)
Riding A: Derived from her younger years, Yoshitsune is capable of learning to use any mount or vehicle in the modern era. With her skills, she is capable of pushing even a modern-day car past its limits and achieve things not normally capable by the original manufacturer.
Magic Resistance B+ Originally C ranked when she was younger, Yoshitsune's battlefield experience has allowed her to raise the effectiveness of this skill. With her lightning speed, she is able to slice through weaker magic spells without breaking a sweat.
Independent Manifestation B: Yoshitsune has the ability to remain tethered to the world even without a Master. Since her Independent Manifestation is Rank B, she is able to remain behind for a total of 4 days before she completely disappears.
(Unique Skills)
Tengu's Art of War: EX: Skills attained by training with Kiichi Hogen. It is thought that these skills were taught to her against her will until she finally learned them out of spite. She is capable of moving swiftly and accurately across the battlefield with the grace of a tengu.
Charisma A+: Being a charismatic individual, Yoshitsune is able to inspire those who don't wanna lift a sword to fight. She is boisterous, cheerful, and playful. Even in her adult years, she wants nothing more than to play, but when on the battlefield, she changes completely, becoming a completely different person.
Art of the Swallow: EX: Being a lot well versed in battle than she was younger, Yoshitsune is able to move around the battlefield with the grace of a swallow, managing attacks and techniques impossible to a normal man.
Six Secret Teachings' Esoteric Lightning Technique: A++: Swift as a swallow and faster than lightning, Yoshitsune is able to perform incredible feats due to the many teachings she learned under the tutelage of Kiichi Hogen.
Noble Phantasm: (Buster) Shana-Ō Ryūritan: Usumidori - Tenjin Shukuho: This Noble Phantasm is derived from her legend, the Wandering Tales of Shana-oh. This is the second legend, Usumidori, which is also the name of her sword. With it, she is able to unleash a devastating attack, combined with the footwork of a tengu, a skill that is nearly impossible to avoid. The manifestation of this attack is that of a powerful slash accompanied by a powerful beam of light that will destroy anything it touches. A downgraded version of this attack is used in her other Noble Phantasm, Dan-no-Ura Eight Boat Leap.
Whelp, this is the end of the updated profiles for now. I was debating on doing the same for Tamamo Vitch but uh... well she was released for FGO JP lol. And no I couldn't get her with my SQ, tis a very sad day for me. I will likely be tweaking things for her here and there but she will likely remain the same as I originally had her. One thing that I will keep is her being the Goddess of Weapons as she is that in FGO, and I think it makes sense. Because come one, she has a fucking halo of guns... a pink halo of guns. She's the perfect goddess imo. In all seriousness, I will be playing around with other things. There is one servant I have yet to introduce, that being the Rider Class servant under Ichiro's contract. Originally, I had someone else but uh... I lost that set of notes so I had to give him someone else, who I think feels perfectly in tune with this singularity. If I do find those original handwritten notes somewhere, I will likely use that Servant Elsewhere.
But yes, we are nearing the end of Fuyuki. Only a few more chapters to go! To my reviewer from the previous chapter, thank you for letting me know about the mistake with Solomon being a Grand Caster, I don't know why I wrote that, I blanked out on that part of the story so when you pointed it out to me, I realized that I was in fact wrong and that the mana cost for a Grand Caster would have been far too much to handle for Marisbury. So I have gone ahead and fixed it. Thanks so much for catching that for me, you are awesome! Well, until next time, see ya!