*Exhales blue vapor as the world slows back down*
Hey all...wow, how long was I smoking that cigar?!
In any case, this chapter was completed between Missions and Hunting sessions but lay forgotten due to only so much brainpower being spared for it.
Lets see how things diverge eh?
Fake Life Six: Archbishop Genocide.
"Come on in." Shirou offered, pulling his shoes off as he entered the Lobby, Xenovia eyeing her surroundings warily "The shards should be in my caretaker's office. Feel free to make yourself at home while I get them."
"There's no need, please make all haste." Xenovia muttered, her features stern as she took in her surroundings, allowing the redhead to disappear into the structure.
At first glance, it appeared to be a simple bachelor's pad, complete with a bar, assorted games consoles piled neatly near the wall-mounted television and, she was disgusted to note, pornographic magazines hidden beneath other, less illicit types.
What truly set her on edge, however, was the lingering feeling of power permeating the structure. It didn't feel threatening, simply overpowering, and whatever it was, it had clearly been here recently, which made her wonder just who this 'caretaker' Emiya claimed to be living with could be.
'He claims to not be affiliated with any faction or Magical Circle, yet this mansion is clearly the result of serious expenditure, to say nothing of the power I sense within the walls alone.' She muttered, her expression unreadable as she kept an eye out for possible attackers 'Whoever they are, they're easily a match for the Sitri and Gremory heiresses…could it be?'
She trailed off in surprise at the sight, of all things, a King Charles Bible resting on a shelf nearby. A shelf, she was surprised to note upon further examination, that contained copies of almost all the holy texts from the Abrahamic factions, and even examples from other faiths, all in pristine condition and, to her shock, all 'First Editions', though it was clear they'd been read through several times.
"Got them." Shirou called out, snapping Xenovia out of her thoughts, the wielder of Destruction looking up in time to see the Redhead returning with a plastic bag that rattled as he moved "Sorry to keep you waiting. Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing." Xenovia assured him, calming herself with a breath before turning her attention back to the assembled holy texts "I thought you said you and your father were atheists?"
"I am, and he was." Shirou confirmed, following her line of sight and understanding the reasoning behind the question "My Caretaker's something of a completionist. Be it videogames to works of literature, he's gotta have one of each before he can feel satisfied."
"I see…" Xenovia muttered, unsure how to feel about someone treating any holy text, even those not associated with the one true God, as a collector's item but deciding to put such thoughts aside for now. For one thing, it wasn't her job to correct the ways of Heathens, for another, she had a more pressing task to prepare for "Let us be off then."
Still, as she stood waiting for Shirou to lock up, Xenovia couldn't help but feel as if she'd just walked out of the Lion's Den, sending a sharp glare at a passing crow whose sudden flight startled her from her reverie.
"Yeah, the crows like to gather around here for some reason." Shirou admitted, scowling after the feathered fiend pointedly "I keep saying we should get an exterminator in but he says they give the place atmosphere." He paused to look at her in concern "You okay?"
"I'm fine!" Xenovia snapped, instantly on the defensive, only to sigh at his concerned frown "No, it's nothing, really. I'm just frustrated at how things have turned out. First Irina spends all our money on that God-Forsaken Forgery and now we're forced to rely on Devils and Heathens to accomplish our Holy Mission."
"If it's any consolation, you can always say you threatened us to cooperate." Shirou replied dryly, earning a scoff from the girl "Still, I'm surprised the Vatican only sent the two of you in. You'd think something like the Excaliburs being stolen would rate more than a two-man-effort."
"It's precisely because the Excaliburs were stolen that the Church could only afford to send us." Xenovia muttered darkly, "You have to understand, the Excaliburs are a symbol of God's power on earth, a symbol of the unity between the three main branches of Christendom. For even one to be left unaccounted for was a mark of shame on us all, for THREE to be stolen right under our noses, and by a Fallen no less, just rubbed salt in the wound."
"What are these Fallen you keep mentioning?" Shirou enquired, sighing at the look of disbelief the Exorcist sent his way "Atheist, remember? I didn't exactly grow up reading the good book."
"Don't remind me." Xenovia groaned, glancing at his left arm, clearly more troubled by the idea of leaving a Holy Shroud in the possession of a 'heathen' than she was letting on "The Fallen, as the name implies, are those Angels from Heaven who Fell from God's grace due to having 'impure thoughts' that divert from his teachings." She paused to see if he was keeping up "The leaders of the group, who all fell from having sexual intercourse with human women, formed The Grigori faction and typically ally themselves with heretics and those exiled by the church, such as Asia Argento, Freed Sellzen or Valper Galilei.
"Asia-san?" Shirou wondered, blinking at the idea of the sweet little devil girl having anything to do with a homicidal maniac like Freed Sellzen "She doesn't strike me as the type to throw in with them, though then again she doesn't exactly strike me as a 'Devil' either."
"There was a time she was praised as a holy Maiden by the church." Xenovia admitted, her expression darkening, clearly a bitter memory "She possessed the ability to heal all she touched thanks to her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing." She sighed at his look of confusion "Sacred Gears are Divine Articles forged by God and bestowed upon humanity to enact miracles on Earth. It is said that certain individuals whose names were etched into history most likely possessed Sacred Gears."
'So they're essentially this world's equivalent to Noble Phantasms then.' Shirou deduced, nodding his head in understanding so Xenovia could continue with her explanation.
"In any case, because of Twilight Healing, the upper echelons of the Church began to praise her as a Saint and used her as a means to line their coffers and bring in worshippers." She scowled "However, that all came to an end the day she healed a wounded man in the church gardens that was later revealed to be a Devil." She smirked at his look of surprise "I'm sure you can imagine how that turned out? Needless to say, by the end of the day, the same old men that had praised her as a Saint were denouncing her as a vile, heretical witch."
'Never once victorious…never once understood'.
Shirou's fists clenched, the Faker's eyes hardened as he envisioned kind, gentle Asia, whom even the perverted trio tried to control themselves around, being denounced as a witch by those she had trusted, those who, for their own reasons, had built her up as some sort of status symbol only to cast her aside when the need suited them.
It was just like Archer all over again. No, it was worse, as unlike the man who would become the Counter Guardian Emiya, Asia had never been given the choice to live her own life. All her decisions had been made for her, from the moment she was anointed as a saint to the moment they cast her out as a witch, not once had she been given the chance to choose.
'There really is no difference between this Church and the one back home, is there?' Shirou muttered, though perhaps that wasn't entirely true, as last he checked the Holy Church back home didn't have honest to God, pun intended, proof that there was a Heaven, Angels and whatnot. True, the only angels he seemed likely to run into here were the fallen variety, but that only gave strength to the implication that there were plenty of the other sort around.
"So you believe the Grigori were responsible for stealing the Excaliburs?" he pondered, falling into step alongside the battle-nun, his long legs allowing him to keep stride with her despite her fast pace.
"Can you think of anyone else capable of breaking into three of the most secure fortresses of Christendom and escaping with three Holy Swords?" Xenovia deadpanned, as if there was ever any doubt "Besides, the culprit, Kokabiel of the Grigori, made no attempt to conceal his identity from us."
"That doesn't make any sense." Shirou muttered, brow furrowing in confusion as he tried to fit it all together "Why go to all the trouble of stealing the Excaliburs and not bother to cover his tracks? It's almost like he wants to be found."
"Kokabiel is a battle maniac," Xenovia explained, her tone scornful, as if she'd tasted something foul "he loved to fight so much some suspect it was the reason he was cast out of Heaven." She scoffed "I suppose it's only natural he'd team up with monsters like Freed Sellzen and Valper Galilei."
Shirou said nothing, knowing first-hand the kind of monsters that could lurk behind unassuming guises. Most people that saw Kotomine Kirei or Matou Zouken would only see a sarcastic priest and a harmless old man, it was only after scratching past the surface that you saw the monsters that lay within, more-so in Zouken's case than Kirei.
'Not that the fucker didn't deserve what happened to him…' he muttered, recalling how he'd stabbed them in the back on the eve of their assault on the Greater Grail. If Lancer hadn't betrayed the priest, there's no telling what would have happened in the end.
Abandoned Chapel...
"We're here." Xenovia called out, drawing Shirou's attention to an abandoned Chapel that had clearly seen better days, the stained glass at the front shattered as if something large had been hurled through it.
"This is where Irina and I have been staying," the swordswoman explained, her expression pointedly neutral "apparently it was used by the Grigori at some point, so we deemed it prudent to search for clues here."
"Did you find anything?" Shirou wondered, only to grimace slightly at Xenovia's explosive sigh "I guess the Grigori must have cleaned house before they left…looks like they didn't go without a fight though."
"As much as it pains me to admit it, we have the Gremory faction to thank for purging this house of God of the Fallen's taint." Xenovia muttered, as if admitting to owing the devils anything physically cost her "I don't know the specifics, but apparently Asia Argento was sent to this Church following her being branded a Witch. The Gremory probably felt they were doing her a favour saving her from the Fallen's clutches."
"It's a hell of a lot more that you assholes ever did for her!" Issei called out from the darkness, Shirou and enovia looking up in surprise to see Irina and the pervert standing by the altar along with the rest of his group, the Devils all decked out in priest robes of all things.
"Ta-da! What do you think?" Irina chirped, gesturing to her demonic entourage with a cheerful smile that Shirou couldn't help but like "There was some initial resistance at first but in the end it suits them rather well, don't you think?"
'Devils dressed up like members of the clergy on a mission to destroy Excalibur…' Shirou mused, eternally grateful that he left Kirei dead back in the other world, as he didn't want to imagine the sick grin such a scene would inspire from the nihilistic priest 'Seriously, Fuck You Zelretch.'
"They'll do." Xenovia muttered, though judging by the twitch in her eye, it was clear she didn't exactly share her partner's approval of the Devil's new attire "We'll split into two groups." she instructed, turning to face them all "If something happens, call either Erina or myself without fail."
"Same to you." Issei offered, having already exchanged contact information with Irina earlier, only to blink at the unclad form of Shirou "Hey, which team should Emiya be on?"
"Since he's clearly proven himself capable of destroying an Excalibur on his own, Emiya-san will accompany Irina and myself." Xenovia cut in, earning a look of surprise from her partner "That, and we'd rather nothing happened to his Holy Shroud in the event you're ambushed."
"Glad to see you've got your priorities in order." Shirou noted, only to blink as Irina placed a folded bundle in his arms, the Faker sweat dropping as he found himself staring at church vestments not unlike the ones Kirei had worn beneath his Cassock "You're kidding me…"
"I'm sorry, but we ran out of priest robes in your size." Irina offered by way of apology while Xenovia sent the Devils off to patrol the East side of town "There's a pool in the back used for ablutions, you can change there if you like."
"Thanks…" Shirou muttered, not all that fussed to be honest, the Faker making his way to the back of the church, shivering at the sight of the full moon reflected on the water below.
'Why the hell does weird shit always happen to me on a Full Moon?' he muttered, recalling his entrance to the Grail War and everything that led up to his awakening in this world as he pulled off his clothes 'And people say werewolves have it bad…I'd take fleas over half the shit that's happened to me any day…'
"Those are some impressive scars." Xenovia called out, Shirou freezing in the midst of removing his pants to see the Holy Sword user leaning against the wall, Irina waving at him from the doorway "For a Magician, you've certainly seen your fair share of combat."
"I've been around." Shirou deadpanned, fighting down a flush as he pulled his pants off and slipped into the priest leggings as quickly as dignity would allow "Also, I'm sure I said this before, but I'm a Magus, not a Magician. If you want an official class, call me a Spellcaster or Faker."
"I don't get it." Irina admitted, pouting cutely as she held a finger to her lips while Xenovia's eyes seemed to linger on the scar on his back from where Lancer's spear had exited after piercing his heart that night so long ago "Is there truly any difference between them?"
"A Spellcaster…well, in terms you could understand, a Spellcaster is to a 'Traditional Magus', what the Protestants are to Catholics." Irina perked up at this while Xenovia scowled "While both parties follow the same core teachings, Spellcasters prefer not to limit themselves to the old ways and embrace the modern world and all its conveniences."
"The Vatican isn't that bad." Xenovia muttered petulantly, though it was clear from the blush adorning her cheeks and Irina's grin that the comparison had hit a little closer to home than Shirou intended "So how do those differ from 'Magicians'?" she asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.
"Only those capable of wielding a True Magic are known as Magicians." Shirou replied, seeing no harm in informing them of something the Church back home had been well aware off "In other words, they can perform a feat of Magic that cannot be replicated by modern technology. If you want to get technical, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to refer to True Magics as Miracles."
"I see…" Xenovia mused, looking a lot calmer than Shirou had anticipated she'd be "I had heard that one of the oldest names for certain schools of Magecraft was Thaumaturgy, 'Working Miracles'…it would certainly explain why the Church associates with certain branches despite Magic in and of itself being viewed as a sin against God."
Shirou said nothing, pulling on the rest of the vestments while Irina nodded in thought, only to blink as a cute theme began playing under her robes, the Protestant pulling out a mobile phone "Hai~! Issei-kun! What is it?" her eyes widened in alarm "Xenovia! They found Freed…sort of."
"What do you mean, sort of?" Xenovia demanded sharply, in no mood for her partner's shenanigans, nevermind the Devils' "Either they've found him or they didn't, which is it?"
"They found him…but they can't see him?" Irina repeated hesitantly after listening over the phone, her eyes widening in sudden realization "He must be using Excalibur Transparency! They're getting slaughtered out there!"
"Tell them to hang on till we get there!" Xenovia snapped, racing for the exit only to blink as Shirou pulled up alongside her easily "Looks like you'll get to prove yourself after all, Magician."
"I told you." Shirou countered, his expression grim as he focused on the road ahead "I'm simply a Faker."
A Deserted Park...
"Dragon Shot!" Issei yelled, launching his signature move only to curse as Freed disappeared again, the Stray Exorcist's cackling echoing around their impromptu battlefield "Dammit! Stop hiding you chicken-shit freak!"
"How rude!" Freed cackled mockingly from the shadows "You kiss your mother with that mouth Devil-shit? Maybe I should pay her a visit, to purify her from your taint with my holy sword!"
"You keep my mother out of this you fucker!" Issei snarled, only to yelp as he narrowly managed to block a strike from Freed's Holy sword with his left arm, the Boosted Gear negating the bite of the Holy Sword though the strength of the blow still forced him back "Dammit!"
"Extend, my Line!" Saji called out, attempting to ensnare Freed with his own Sacred Gear, only to miss as the priest vanished into thin air once more, an enraged Kiba landing just short of his last position, Holy Eraser in hand "Damn it!"
The group had been patrolling the area where the ORC had recently done away with a Stray Devil when Freed and jumped them, armed with a new Excalibur, this one capable of rendering him completely invisible. Fortunately, the Priest's bloodlust foiled the otherwise perfect ambush, allowing the Pawns and Koneko to put up something of a defence while Kiba lunged in to try and take him out.
Unfortunately, even without Excalibur Rapidly enhancing his speed, Freed was a wily fighter and wasn't above taking pot-shots at them with his blessed firearms to throw them off their game. As it stood, Kiba and Koneko were slowly wearing down, and it was all Issei and Saji could do to keep up.
"This really isn't going well for us, is it Hyoudou?" Saji panted, the Sitri pawn practically doubled over, his priest robes, the only protection they had from Freed's Holy Bullets, in tatters.
"If I could just see where the hell he was sneaking up from I'd belt the fucker right in the face!" Issei swore, clenching his fist as he stood back to back with his fellow pawn only to shiver as he sensed bloodlust descending on them from on high.
"It's a shitty devil two-for one sale!" Freed cackled, swinging his Excalibur down to cut the Pawns in two, only to curse, bringing the blade up to deflect two black and white blurs that had been aimed for his neck, the Exorcist back flipping in mid-air to avoid Kiba's counter-attack "Fuck it! Who did that?!"
"Freed Sellzen!" Xenovia called out, the devils looking up to see the Excalibur Wielders and Shirou racing towards them, the Magus tracing a fresh set of blades "For the crimes of heresy and murder, I will cut you down in the name of god!"
"Man I'm popular tonight!" Freed mocked, leering perversely at Xenovia and Irina's bodies as they cast aside their cloaks, only to vanish into thin air as Xenovia brought her sword down, creating a massive crater where he'd been standing mere moments ago "Whoa! Calm yourself sugar-tits! You gotta pay extra for the rough stuff!"
"Don't interfere!" Kiba snapped; all traces of the Gremory Knight's princely persona gone as he rounded on the Holy Sword users with a savage snarl "Don't forget our agreement! He's mine!"
"Our agreement was that you'd aide us in destroying an Excalibur." Xenovia reminded him flatly, her expression dismissive "At no point did we ever say which one or who would confront Sellzen."
"In other words, its first come first served devil-kun!" Irina chirped brightly as she fell in step alongside her partner, Katana in hand "Though rest assured, if we do beet Freed, we'll keep our end of the bargain!"
"Gyahaha-! I love it! The Bitches can't get enough of me!" Freed cackled from the shadows "Hmm, which to pick, I don't want to be accused of being fickle, so I should give everyone a turn…ooh! I know! I'll start with the loli!"
"Koneko-chan!" Issei yelled, turning to face the Rook, eyes widening in alarm as Freed appeared behind her, sword raised overhead, only for a blur to interpose itself between them, the Excalibur clashing against a pair of Married Twin Blades, allowing Koneko to leap to safety "Emiya!"
"Damn it! Hey! No cutting in line!" Freed snarled, pressing down on the locked blades in a futile bid to drive his foe back "Hm, hey wait, aren't you that tag-teaming fucker from the other night?"
Shirou didn't deign to respond, the Faker's eyes instead locking onto the blade in the deranged exorcists hands as, once again, the impossibly large gears ground into action.
Judging the concept of creation…
It was but a part of the whole, a mere fraction of the original, broken and remade by mortal hands.
Hypothesizing the Basic Structure…
A one-handed longsword, its frame wrapped with a drill-like coil, designed for piercing the enemy.
Duplicating the Composite Materials…
While divine metal served as its core, base metals had been added to give the shards new life.
Imitating the Production Process…
Originally forged by divine hands, it was restored through the use of alchemy and blessed Metals.
Sympathizing with the Experience of its Growth…
Few possessed the qualifications for it to acknowledge them as master and so few had wielded it.
Reproducing the accumulated years…
It was old; it was new, its current form mere decades old, its legend reaching back centuries.
Excelling every manufacturing process…
Forged anew, it stands ready to shield the faithful from their enemy's sight, so that they may pierce the darkness in God's name. Though reduced from days of yore, all who aspire to Glory know its name, the greatest of Holy Swords - Excalibur Transparency: The Holy Blade of Transparency.
And like Rapidly before it, the idea that its power was being used to hide a heretic like Freed Sellzen was enough to make the blade scream.
"Lucky!" the Rogue Exorcist cheered, leering provocatively at the Faker as they continued to lock blades, his eyes burning with perverse madness "I was hoping to pay you back for breaking Rapidly-tan!"
"You don't deserve to speak its name!" Shirou snarled, Prana surging through his limbs as he overpowered the Exorcist to break out of the deadlock, Kanshou and Bakuya glinting in the moonlight as he brought them round to decapitate the lunatic only for him to vanish into thin air with a yelp.
"Sheesh! What's with all the hostility man, the hell did I ever do to you?" Freed whined, his voice clearly shaken by the redhead's savagery as it echoed all around the group "And what're you complaining about? A sword's meant to be wielded right? Otherwise what's the point of even having them?"
"The Excaliburs were entrusted to us by God so that we may fight the forces of evil in his name!" Xenovia called out, Excalibur Destruction at the ready "That they should fall into the hands of a heretic like you is a sin no amount of repenting can atone for!"
"Shut up!" Freed snarled, his blade suddenly clashing against Destruction, his face lined with hatred and loathing "Don't you ever mention that disgusting name in my presence again you whore-!"
"FREED!" Kiba snarled, lunging for the Exorcist's back only to curse as he used Xenovia's own counter-swing to put some distance between them, vanishing once again with a cackle "Damn it! I think I preferred when he was using Rapidly, at least then we could see where he was coming from!"
"Sorry about that." Shirou grimaced, not sure why he was apologizing really, though he had to admit, fighting an opponent who could turn invisible was a little out of his depth. Even Servants, who could assume Astral Form, couldn't completely escape the senses of other Servants with the exception of Assassin, and even they needed to assume corporeal form in other to attack.
'If this keeps up he'll just keep picking us off one by one…' he muttered, glaring at their surroundings warily before reaching his decision "Xenovia-san, Irina-san…" he murmured, reaching up to tug the knot of the Shroud "Can you watch my back for a minute?"
"Emiya?" Xenovia wondered, the two Holy Sword wielders looking on in confusion as the redhead undid part of the Shroud's bindings, their eyes widening in alarm as a sudden surge of power filled the air "What in God's Name?!"
"That power-!" Issei exclaimed, the Perverted Pawn shivering at the sudden feeling of thousands of blades brushing past his skin, as if born by the air "Where the hell is it coming from?!"
"Hmm…interesting…" Ddraig noted, the green gem on the Boosted Gear lighting up "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that guy's about to unleash his Balance Breaker…"
"Balance Breaker?" Issei wondered, glancing down at the Boosted Gear even as Xenovia and Irina stiffened at the words, eyeing the redheaded Faker warily "What're you talking about, Ddraig?"
"A Sacred Gear will grow stronger in accordance with its user." Ddraig supplied patiently "However, should the right circumstances be met and the user's emotion peak, it's possible for them to achieve a new level of power that goes against the flow of the world…that is what they call a Balance Breaker."
"But that's impossible…" Saji countered, bracing himself against the onslaught "Emiya doesn't have a Sacred Gear! Neither Kaichou nor Gremory-sempai sensed one when we checked him out!"
"That's what I find so interesting…" Ddraig elaborated "Whatever that guy's about to do, it'll be something big for certain."
With Shiou...
Heedless of the conversation going on around him, the existence known as Emiya Shirou was currently struggling to hold onto himself as he once again tapped into a world that was similar and yet intrinsically different from his own in search of what he needed.
Judging the concept of creation…
It was a hound in the shape of a sword, hunting the blood of its enemies wherever they may hide.
Hypothesizing the Basic Structure…
An iron longsword adorned with ill-boding patterns, as like to cut as it was to pierce a foe's hide.
Duplicating the Composite Materials…
Forged from Iron and tempered in the blood of its foes.
Imitating the Production Process…
Countless times it had been called forth to perform heroic feats.
Sympathizing with the Experience of its Growth…
Only once had it failed to bring down its prey, and even then it still guided the hand of its master to it.
Reproducing the accumulated years…
Forged in the Age of myths and legends, it was entrusted to the Wolf to slay the monsters in the dark.
Excelling every manufacturing process…
It would guide the hand of all who hefted it in battle; anyone who had fought and faced the worst in the gap of danger could place their fate in the Hound of the Red Plains:
"Hrunting!" Shirou snarled, crimson Prana surging from his fingertips as he brought his arm around in a backhanded swing, the black, ominous blade of Unferth that had led the Geatian Hero Beowulf to Grendel's mother lashing out at the darkness, driving back the cloaked Freed with a clash of steel.
"Geh! Lucky shot!" the Exorcist snapped, vanishing once more as he leapt back into the dark, intending to circle round and pick off one of the devils recovering nearby, only to yelp as Shirou once again blocked his path, the Exorcist barely managing to bring his sword up to block the black blade aimed at his neck, the sheer force of the blow sending him sprawling backwards "The Fuck?!"
Shirou lunged forwards, not wanting to give the psychopath a chance to catch his breath, the Rogue Exorcist quickly finding his position as the 'Hunter' replaced with that of the 'Hunted', growing increasingly more irate as each and every strike he attempted was parried, blocked, or repulsed while he struggled simply to evade the pinpoint strikes from the stone-faced Faker's sword.
Such was the very nature of Hrunting, the Hound of the Red Plains that would unerringly find the most direct path to its target before relentlessly pursuing it. Even if the blade was parried, repulsed, or dodged at the last second, so long as Shirou saw Freed as the target to be cut down, the Hound of the Red Plains would track the Rogue Exorcist down and bury it's head in his guts.
Shirou had no idea when or where Archer had stumbled across such a peerless weapon, but he could understand fully why the Counter Guardian preferred to fire it as an arrow than wield it as a Sword. Indeed, given the option and enough time, he'd have preferred to snipe Freed from a distance provided there was little chance of anyone else getting caught in the resulting explosion, but in a close-quarters fight like this, he was content to wield the sword as it was intended.
"Mother Fucker!" Freed snarled, managing to land a kick to Shirou's chest to launch himself backwards and onto the roof of the nearby structure "How in the fuck are you able to tell where I am?! Are you using cheat codes or something?!"
"It seems you're having some trouble, Freed." An aged voice reprimanded, the group tensing as an old man in Church Robes emerged from within the structure, his benign expression a stark contrast to the mocking look in his eyes "Honestly, to think you could allow yourself to be cornered whilst wielding an Excalibur."
"Gimme a break, Old-Man Valper!" Freed shot back, shaking Excalibur Transparency at the man like a child throwing a tantrum "And just where the hell have you been? Taking a shit? Jerking off to the other Excalibabes like I know you do when you think nobody's watching?"
"On the contrary, I've been watching this entire time." Valper countered, either outright ignoring or used to Freed's profanities as he stepped forward, holding up a discarded Bakuya with intrigue "Though I will admit, I've been a little busy examining this flawless specimen…such fascinating workmanship…"
"Keep your hands to yourself." Shirou snarled, dismissing the blade with a thought, Valper's smile fading, though his intrigued look remained as he watched the blade dissolve into prana and vanish into thin air.
"Now that was rude," The Archbishop noted with a frown "I was merely complimenting your skill. It's rare that I come across a blade able to match a Holy or Demonic Sword while lacking the Holy Power or Demonic Taint of either." He adjusted his glasses with a smile "I find it even more intriguing that you are able to do so despite clearly possessing no Sacred Gear. Is it some branch of Thaumaturgy I wonder? Alchemy perhaps?"
"None of your business." Shirou shot back, disgusted more at the very idea that part of him could ever agree with a monster like Valper Galilei than the old man's opinion of the Married Twin Blades.
One of the few things that Shirou and Archer shared in common was their admiration for the beautiful, captivating craftsmanship of Gan Jiang's magnum opus, the blades his wife, Mo Ye, had sacrificed herself for in order for him to forge. More than any other weapon in Unlimited Blade Works, the Married Twin Swords had become a symbol of the man who would become the Counter Guardian Emiya. Created without vanity, lacking a true sense of purpose like other swords, they bore neither the desire to defeat others nor the desire to become famous. They were simply swords that were good at what they did,
They were never meant to be held by the likes of Valper Galilei. That a man responsible for so many deaths could share the same appreciation for their craftsmanship disgusted Shirou to his core.
"I suppose it will have to wait for another time." Valper sighed before turning to Freed "Let's be on our way, Freed, it doesn't look like you'll be able to handle those two from the church with just Transparency after all."
"Valper Galilei!" Kiba snarled, lunging forwards, intent on skewering the old man with his blade, only to be intercepted by Freed, who drove him back with a slash to the chest "Damn it!"
"Sorry kiddies, time for bed!" Freed chirped mockingly, wrapping an arm around the old man's considerable waist even as they faded from view "Don't worry! I'll be sure to kill you all next time!"
"There won't be a next time!" Xenovia snarled, bringing Destruction down in an overhead slash, the resulting crater decimating the structure Galilei just exited, only to curse as it was clear neither target had been hit "Damn it! They got away!" she muttered, only to trail off as Shirou dropped to his knees, still clutching Hrunting in his left arm "Emiya!"
"I'm…alright…" Shirou panted, tugging the Shroud back into place with his free hand, blood dripped from one of his eyes due to a burst blood vessel "Don't worry about me…go after them…" he held out Hrunting to a concerned looking Kiba "Take this with you…it doesn't matter where they hiding, Hrunting will lead you right to them."
"Hrunting?" Xenovia repeated, eyeing the ominous looking black blade warily "You mean the pagan blade used by the Geatian Hero, Beowulf? I thought it was lost during his fight with Grendel's mother. How did you come across it?"
"There's no time!" Shirou snapped, glaring up at the trio intensely, "The longer you talk the further those two will get and Hrunting's the only thing that'll let you find them!"
"Emiya…" Kiba muttered, eyeing the redhead in shock before nodding, taking the Hound of the Red Plains in his hands, flinching as the blade seemed to tug his arm in a specific direction "Looks like we have the scent…you sure you'll be alright?"
"I'll feel a lot better knowing those maniacs aren't walking the streets anymore." Shirou shot back wryly, the Knight scoffing in agreement before turning on his heels, vanishing in a burst of speed, Xenovia and Irina hot on his heels.
"Wait, Kiba!" Issei called out, reaching for his fellow peerage member as the trio disappeared into the night, only to look around in alarm as Shirou crumpled to the ground with a grunt "O-Oi! Emiya!"
"Holy! He's burning up!" Saji exclaimed, recoiling from the touch of the Faker's skin even as he checked him over "This doesn't look good, Hyoudou! We need to get him to a healer or something!"
"Goodness me…" a familiar voice called out, the Pawns tensing, turning slowly to face the arrival of their respective King and Queen, Rias' and Akeno's coy smiles a stark contrast to Sona and Tsubaki's bespectacled glares "Just what kind of trouble have you all been getting yourselves into behind our backs?"
And that's chapter 6.
A little more action in this chapter, and Shirou shows off a little more of his ability.
For the record, I'm still unclear as to just how Hrunting is rated, but considering it managed to take out one of Berserker's lives in UBW I think we can safely say it's ranked somewhere in the upper B class to lower A-Class.
Also, for all of you who are sure to mention this in the reviews: YES, I am well aware that there is more to the whole Catholic/Protestant thing than what Shirou mentioned. I grew up in Ireland for feck's sake, trust me, I know. Shirou however, despite being a redhead, did not, and so did not have to deal with any of that baggage due to most of Fuyuki's residents being happily Shinto. Or, y'know, DEAD. Because of the Fire.
Moving on.
For those who will surely ask: Yes, if Shirou had been given the option he'd have pulled and Archer and just sniped Freed from a distance. And he COULD have made the shot, even if he needed to loosen the shroud (not remove it) to access the knowledge for Hrunting.
That'll be it for now. Should be reaching the climax soon though.
In the meantime? Winter is coming *readies burial blade* And with it, a new Hunt begins.
