*Reforms at the Nightmare Church Lantern.*

F-!-CKING LUDWIG!... *SIGHS* Sorry folks, having a rough time dealing with Horse-face. For some reason I can only bring one summon with me this time, and I swear my Choir Bell isn't working...

In any case, last time I revealed the first major divergence from Canon DxD Lore I have planned for this fic. Judging by your reactions this has been a VERY popular decision, so let's so how the rest of the story plays out, eh?


Fake Life 9: Sword of Betrayal.

Silence fell over the remains of Kuoh Academy's courtyard as the representatives of the Three Factions gazed upon the lone outsider that had just shattered one of the sole unifying truths of their respective worlds.

All of them knew the story of how the Biblical God had forged Excalibur as one of four Holy Swords, only for it to be broken during the course of the Great War centuries ago. The Church had thus gathered the shards and, through time and effort, re-forged them into what were known today as the Seven Excaliburs, entrusting two to the three main branches of Christendom, while the Seventh had seemingly disappeared.

It was for the sole purpose of finding people capable of wielding the reforged Excaliburs that Valper Galilei had instigated the Holy Sword Project, butchering countless innocent 'test subjects' all for the sake of harvesting their 'Holy Element', a practice the Archangel Michael would seemingly replicate through non-violent means to allow ordinary mortals to wield the blades of his Illustrious 'Father'.

All of them knew this as fact. Indeed, for Kiba and Freed it was a reality, as they both had been subjected to Valper's research at some point in their lives, though it was debateable who turned out the better for it.

And yet, here and now, Emiya Shirou had just shattered their worldview with a few words. Words spoken with such certainty that not even Valper, whose fanaticism for the swords surpassed even that of the most devout zealot, found in him the words to deny them.

"Emiya-san…" Kiba called out, the Gremory Knight unable to keep his voice from trembling as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, his eyes hidden by his hair "How certain are you of those words…?"

"My Magecraft allows me to know everything about a sword simply by looking at it." Shirou replied calmly, his eyes never leaving the blade in Freed's hands "The Age, the Materials used in its production, even the History and skills of the wielder, all of them are perfectly made available to me at a glance."

"So…what you're saying is…that thing…isn't even the real Excalibur?" Kiba demanded, his shoulders trembling as he glared at the sword held in Freed's hands "You're telling me that my friends all died for some fake Holy Sword?"

"Yuuto…" Rias breathed, gazing down at her Knight in concern along with the rest of her peerage, even Xenovia eyeing the blonde devil with pity in her eyes, knowing all-too well the atrocities Valper Galilei had committed in the pursuit of his research.

"It's not a fake." Shirou corrected, drawing the groups' attention back to him "Caliburn is a legitimate Holy Sword that rivals even Durandal, the Peerless Sword entrusted to Sir Roland by King Charlemagne." He noticed Xenovia tense at that but ignored it for the moment "Indeed, King Arthur actually preferred Caliburn to Excalibur despite its rank as a Holy Sword being lower, evidenced by the fact it was broken in the first place."

To Saber, Caliburn was equal parts the symbol of her reign and her greatest shame. While she might have regretted the result of her rule, she could not fault the sword for choosing her, as at the time there was no-one more suited to become King, and had been honestly lost when she unwittingly destroyed her closest ally during a fit of pique in the middle of a duel.

It was the Sword in the Stone that chooses the King, descended from Gram, the Sword in the Tree that appoints the Ruler drawn by Sigurd's father Sigmund. It was a Holy blade rivaling Excalibur that would burn away everything it touched, which upon being drawn from the stone caused Saber to cease aging and become 'something 'more than Human, only to be forever lost, never to exist in again.

Until now.

"You…you're lying!" Valper screeched suddenly, spittle flying from the Archbishop's lips as he glared hatefully at Shirou, denial warring with madness as he pointed at the redhead accusingly "What would a Godless Heathen like you know?! I dedicated my entire life to researching the Excaliburs and their wielders! There's nobody more knowledgeable in the subject than I!"

"As much as it pains me to admit it, Emiya-san, Valper has a point." Xenovia muttered, though despite her scowl of disgust her tone seemed unusually subdued, as if she didn't truly know what to believe anymore "It will take more than the word of a heretic to disprove centuries of knowledge."

"True, I hardly expect anyone to believe the words of a virtual unknown Third-Rate Apprentice Magus." Shirou admitted with a shrug, only to glance up at the silent witness to their conversation "But what about the word of someone who was likely there when the blade was forged?"

All eyes drifted to Kokabiel, the Fallen Angel hanging silently in mid-air, his expression indecipherable and the battle-lust that had filled his eyes seemingly gone as he regarded Shirou with renewed interest.

"Yes! Lord Kokabiel!" Valper cried out, turning to face his benefactor with arms spread wide "Tell this godless heathen he's wrong! Tell him how Excalibur was broken, and how only I possessed the skills to re-forge it! Tell him-!"

He trailed off with a yelp as a spear of light missed him by a hair, Kokabiel's expression one of annoyance as he glared down at the Archbishop like he were an annoying dog nipping at his heels.

"Order me to do anything again, old man, and I'll make you wish for the sweet release of death." He snarled, glaring heatedly at the Archbishop cowering behind Freed before turning his attention back to Shirou, a cruel, mocking smile slowly forming on his face "Besides, I find it highly amusing that a so-called Heretic of all things managed to pick out the holes in Michael's little story when a fanatic like you couldn't."

"Then it's true?" Xenovia demanded, her expression one of shocked disbelief as she glanced between the heretofore nameless glowing sword held by Freed, who looked like he was falling asleep of all things, and her own Excalibur-Destruction "These swords…were forged from Caliburn? Excalibur was never truly broken?"

"Do you think a sword that embodies the very prayer of 'Victory' would break so easily, Catholic?" Kokabiel sneered, chuckling mockingly while Xenovia recoiled from the words as if physically slapped "That sword existed long before Father ever designed his Holy Swords, and it will remain long after the human race is nothing more than dust on the winds of time."

Shirou blinked, shocked by the almost reverent tone with which the Fallen Star of God praised the Sword of Promised Victory, a stark contrast to the smug mockery he had displayed thus far. his expression distant, as if he were recalling some distant memory.

"The reason Arthur retains the title as the greatest Holy Sword Wielder is due to the fact he was able to wield two Holy Swords." Kokabiel continued "That being said, as powerful as he was, he was still mortal, and like all mortals he made mistakes, mistakes which lead to his death and Caliburn's destruction."

"Of course, being the 'Good Son' that he is, Michael couldn't very well have word getting out that the Holy Sword forged by Father to anoint the 'One-True King of Briton' broke, especially not after the lengths they went to ensure someone with a strong Holy Element succeeded the throne." He scoffed mockingly before spread his arms wide "So while the mortals fought over who should succeed Arthur, Michael took advantage of Excalibur's disappearance to have the Church cover the whole mess up. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks from there."

Indeed they could, though the ramifications of what that meant left many of them weak at the knees, for despite it's size in comparison to the other superpowers, the United Kingdom of Great Britain is was still one of the oldest, most respected nations in the world, and at one point was the centre of an empire that had rivaled that of ancient Rome, which was fitting considering the two now served as the seats of power for the two 'main' branches of Christendom.

However, despite misconceptions, Christianity was not native to the British isles, having only been introduced to the Pagan Britons during the First Century by Roman traders, during which time it started out as little more than a cult. It wasn't until the Sixth Century, 597 AD to be exact, well after the time of Arthur Pendragon, that Christendom became the main religion of what would come to be known as the British Isles.

Indeed, during the Dark Ages following the Romans' departure, during the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, there was a very real possibility that Christianity would be stamped out by the other Pagan Cults due to their staunch intolerance for other 'Heathen Gods'. It would have taken a miracle to save them at that point, and sure enough their God provided one in the form of Arthur Pendragon, the only man 'pure' enough to draw the Holy Sword forged to anoint the 'One True King' of Briton.

With Caliburn as proof of his Divine Right to Rule, Arthur had set about uniting the Kingdom under his rule, banding together a group of like-minded Knights to his court, the most prestigious of which, each a legend in and of themselves, were granted seats at his Round Table, becoming beacons of virtue, honor and chivalry whilst bolstering the position of Christendom as the sole faith of the land.

Of course there were always the skeptics, those who insisted the truth of the matter was far less 'romantic' than the stories made them out to be. That may very well have been the case for any other King, but as someone who not only experienced the charisma of the King of Knights first-hand, but whose existence was as close to being a sword as was possible to be whilst remaining human, Shirou felt he knew better than most why so many people had been drawn to Arthur's banner.

Since time immemorial, as a warrior gained fame, so too would the weapons or tools they wielded. Indeed, more often than not bards would affiliate whatever prowess a hero might have in battle with their signature weapon, be it a bow, a spear, or most commonly, a sword. As a sword forged by the 'One True God' to anoint the 'Rightful' King, Caliburn was a symbol not only of Arthur's virtue, but also of Christianity itself.

However, renown of that caliber didn't come without consequences. While it was true that a Hero's weapon could double as a symbol of their power, there was also the possibility that it could develop into a weakness, if the enemy was able to separate it from the hero. After all, what would be the point of marching behind a warrior who allowed his weapon to be stolen or destroyed?

Imagine then the terror that must have gripped the hearts of those present the day Caliburn, the Holy King Sword forged by the One True God, the very symbol of Arthur's right to rule, was broken during a duel where the King broke the rules of Chivalry. It must have taken some fast political maneuvering to keep the public from finding out the truth until Merlin could spirit Arthur off to claim Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake.

Shirou could only imagine the frustration those in the know must have felt, watching their King, the paragon of Christendom, marching into battle wielding a sword other than the one bestowed upon him by their Beloved God. For while Excalibur was undoubtedly the superior of the two Holy Swords, in the eyes of the church it was forever tainted by it's association with the Fae Vivian and the Wizard Merlin, who was likely an incorrigible troublemaker if he was anything like Saber's adviser.

Time had moved on, and sure enough, despite the Church's might, the legend of Excalibur grew in proportion to Arthur's might until one night Morgan le Fay, determined to see her son Mordred succeed Arthur to the throne, spirited away Excalibur's sheath, thus removing it's protection from, allowing Mordred to strike down his father even as Arthur ran him through during their fateful duel at the Battle of Camlann.

He could only imagine the panic the King's death must have caused, even more so when it was learnt that Excalibur had been lost with him. However, for those in the know, it was the opportunity they were waiting for. And so under the direction of the Archangel Michael, they spread the word that Arthur fell due to favoring the 'Heathen Blade' Excalibur over Caliburn, the Holy Sword forged by the One True God, which they had sequestered away for safe keeping.

However, with both Arthur and the swords lost, they soon found themselves bereft of a champion to send against the hordes of darkness or a symbol with which to unite the nation under their banner. Then some bright spark had gotten it into his head to reforge the broken sword, a plan that had ultimately culminated in the 'rebirth' of the 'Broken Sword of Victory' while Caliburn persisted as the 'Untainted Holy King Sword'. All to ensure Britain remained firmly under the Church's control.

"It can't be…" Valper whispered, his voice like a gunshot in the silence that had settled over the group at this revelation, the Archbishop dropping to his knees in abject disbelief, a haunted expression adorning his features as he stared at his trembling hands "It just can't be…all my research…"

"Yuuto-!" Rias called out, snapping Shirou out of his thoughts just in time to spot Kiba racing past him, the Knight's teeth bared in a feral snarl as he launched himself at his hated enemy with murder in his eyes only to be repelled at the last second by a leering Freed.

"Stay back!" Kiba snarled, glaring at heretics with absolute loathing "Excalibur or not, this monster's research cost my friend's their lives! The fact it allows someone like Freed to wield a Holy Sword just makes my desire to destroy it all the stronger!"

"Hey! Don't go ignoring me you Devil Shit!" Freed snapped, waving the over-sized sword threateningly to make his point "Though I gotta admit, if it weren't for old man Valper, I wouldn't be able to use this baby!"

"Yes…Yes that's right!" Valper exclaimed, rising to his feet, cackling madly "If it weren't for me, then the church would still be looking for people capable of wielding Holy Swords! If what you say is true, and Excalibur truly remains unbroken, then all we need do is find it, and combine it with my masterpiece!"

"You'll be dead before you get the chance!" Shirou snarled, his fury returning at the Archbishops words, lunging forwards only to curse as Freed whipped his sword round, the tip extending to lash out at the group, driving them back "Damn it!"

"Don't get cocky, heathen." Valper mocked "He might have more than a few screws loose, but even before I implanted Holy Element in his body Freed was one of the finest Exorcists the Church ever produced." He held up a shining crystal "Still, if what you say about Excalibur is true, then it looks like we're going to need more Holy Element than the three I originally implanted in Freed."

"So that's it." Xenovia noted, her expression darkening as she glared at the crystal "I'd always wondered what it was the church implanted in those chosen to bear the Holy Swords…so it was Holy Element taken from other candidates?"

"But of course." Valper sneered mockingly "Michael may have altered the procedure to avoid killing the donors, but in the end the only reason you people can even touch those swords is due to my research. And yet they have the audacity to call me a heretic! Those hypocrites!"

"You're telling me you could've removed the Holy Element without killing the hosts?" Kiba demanded, his teeth clenched tightly as he glared at the man "You killed my comrades just because it was easier?!"

"Oh don't act like some sort of martyr." Valper scoffed, waving a hand dismissively "You and your friends were privileged to give your lives for the chance to wield Excalibur even before I decided we'd reached a dead end. The fact I was able to harvest enough Holy Element to implant three of these orbs into Freed is proof enough of that."

"All the others he tried them on ended up dying though." Freed cackled, his expression sickening as he began to gyrate disturbingly for no discernible reason "Guess they weren't special like me!"

"I think the fact it took three orbs to allow you to even touch those swords says enough about your character than anything else." Shirou shot back, his tone cold "No wonder the swords hate you both so much, bad enough you killed innocent children, but your own comrades as well?"

"Oh please," Valper scoffed "Holy or not, a Sword is a Sword, they have no feelings or emotions of their own because such things a meaningless to a tool designed to kill heretics." He tossed the crystal at Kiba's feet "Still, if those sub-par dregs mean so much to you, by all means, take them. I've already perfected my technique to the point Mass-Production of superior crystals is well in hand." Spread his arms wide "And with Lord Kokabiel's help, it won't take long for me to amass all the Holy Swords in this world. Let's see how arrogant Michael and his peons are when faced with an army of Excalibur-Class Holy Sword Wielders!"


Following Valper's proclamation...

'So that's why Kokabiel teamed up with this guy…' Shirou muttered, glaring up at the Fallen, who seemed even more exited at the prospect of such a clusterfuck than Valper or even Freed, understandable considering how much of a murder-boner he must have been harboring since being forced to pull back during the end of the Great War 'I honestly can't tell which is worse, Kokabiel may be in this simply for the fighting, but he's not human so comparing him to Valper, or even Freed, seems a little off somehow.'

Valper wanted revenge for being branded a heretic and having his research stolen by the church. As a Magus, Shirou could understand his frustration, and indeed, from what little he'd managed to gleam from Archer's memories, in the eyes of the Clock Tower Valper's 'Crime' would have fallen under a Morally Grey Area, for while it did cost countless lives, it did produce valuable results, and what did the world care if a few orphans happened to bite the dust?

However, as he had said countless times before, Emiya Shirou was a poor example of a Magus, and would likely never advance beyond the rank of Third-Rate Apprentice. This was not entirely the fault of his lack of training, degraded circuits or the limitations of his Magecraft, but also because he lacked the proper mind-set to ever truly be considered a Magus.

To a Magus, the results of their research were all-important, so important that anyone stupid enough to die without passing on the fruits of their labors to the next generation was typically considered 'No True Magus' to begin with. Provided their research bore promising results, a First-Class Magus could get away with genocide so long as doing so didn't reveal the existence of Magecraft or trespass on forbidden ground.

As a human being, Emiya Shirou's thoughts were far removed from those of the cynical Counter Guardian EMIYA. As one whose life had been saved, and had at one point endeavoured to become a 'Hero of Justice' to save everyone, such sacrifices could never be accepted. Now, as a man who had cast aside his desire to save everyone in favour of protecting those important to him, those who perpetrated such crimes should never be forgiven.

"Everyone…" Kiba whispered, snapping the redhead out of his thoughts to see the Gremory Knight kneeling down to pick up the dimly glowing crystal the sole remnant of his comrades' Holy Element that Valper had so casually discarded as 'dregs', tears streaming from the handsome devil's eyes as he held it reverently in his hands "I'm so sorry…"

As if in response to his words, the crystal began to glow, softly at first, then increasingly brighter, the light spreading out until it covered the entirety of the field, though Shirou somehow instinctively knew that whatever was going on, it meant no harm to anyone here.

From the ground beneath Kiba, orbs of light, like fireflies, rose and coalesced, taking the shape of several people clad in the robes of acolytes of the church. Boys and Girls, ranging from their early teens to as young as four, all clad in the same white robes, all gazing upon Kiba with saddened, downcast expressions.

"They must be Yuuto-kun's comrades…" Akeno noted from the side-lines, her tone solemn as she watched the phantoms converge on Kiba "They must have reacted to his heart and drawn upon the various powers present to manifest."

"Everyone…!" Kiba choked, tears streaming from his eyes as he clutched the gem that held his friend's essence to his chest "I've always…always wondered…was it right…that I was the sole survivor?" his shoulder shook with emotion "Many of you had grander dreams than I ever did…There were certainly those who wanted to live more than I…" he hunched over "Did I truly deserve…to live in peace?"

With each word, Shirou's felt his understanding of Kiba and his fury for Valper grow. Like Emiya Shirou, Kiba Yuuto had 'died' in a crisis, only to be 'Saved' through the actions of others. The difference, however, is that while Kiba had been turned into a devil, he retained all the memories of his past life, whereas Shirou had cast aside everything that he'd been prior to the fire, even his name, so while both had been 'Reborn', Shirou had lost any and all attachment to 'who he'd been before'.

Kiba hadn't lost anything when he'd been revived as a Devil; indeed, the memories of what he'd lost had remained festering within him to this day. As such, while Shirou would continue to envy Kiritsugu for the joy he'd expressed at saving him, all Kiba could do was pray that his comrades had not resented him.

As if to dismiss such thoughts, the spectral hand of a little girl reached up to grip Kiba's sleeve, the Knight looking down to find her smiling up at him, a sentiment shared by all the gathered spirits as they reached out to touch their friend, their lips moving as if in tandem.

"Don't worry about us anymore." Akeno translated, her eyes never leaving the spirits lips as she apparently translated what they were saying for all to hear "You are alive at least."

Tears of relief burst from Kiba's eyes, the Knight looking around him in wonderment as his friends bodies dispersed, the lights that composed them swirling around him as a low, rhythmic humming began to play, Kiba slowly, almost hesitantly, began to sing.

Shirou was never the most religious sort, but being acquainted with Ryuudo Issei and working at Bar Copenhagen meant he'd been exposed to various religious events, Sutras and Hymns over the years, and so he could tell even without Asia's tearful whispers that the song that flowed from Kiba's lips had been something precious to him once, the sole relief afforded to the subjects of Valper's research, embodying their hopes and dreams of being able to wield the Legendary Excalibur.

As they all looked on, Valper in horror and Kokabiel with intrigue, the lights gathered around Kiba, moving too fast for Akeno to make out their words before slowly gathering around Kiba's form like a shroud, his body glowing with the same Holy Aura that had exuded from the stone as he turned to glare at the dumbstruck Archbishop of Genocide.

"I can never forgive you…for what you've done." He stated, his features lined with loathing as he stepped towards the cowering Valper "No matter how hard I tried I could never rid myself of the hatred I felt for you and your Holy Sword Project…" he clenched his fist "For so long I thought of nothing but tracking down everything associated with that project and destroying it as a tribute to the comrades who gave their lives for me."

"But they never wanted vengeance." He declared, lowering his fist and marching towards Valper, who backed away from him hurriedly at the sight of the Demonic Sword the Knight summoned to his hand "Even so, I can't rest easy knowing you walk the earth. My comrades will never be able to rest if I allow you to escape to repeat the same crimes over again."

"FREED!" Valper shrieked, staggering backwards like the coward he was, only to sneer mockingly as the Stray-Exorcist once again stepped between him and Kiba, waving his sword threateningly.

"FINALLY!" the lunatic cackled, aiming his sword at Kiba's face "I thought I was gonna die of old age while you lot nattered on like old-hags." He shivered in disgust "And don't get me started on that creepy-ass singing…brrr! I got enough of that shit back in Sunday School! Just hearing it again pissed me off so much I'm about ready to snap!"

"Don't think I forgot about you, Freed Sellzen." Kiba snarled, glaring at the madman "It's not like I needed a reason before, but now that I know my comrades' spirits reside within you, I won't rest till I've ripped them from your cooling corpse."

"Oooh~! I love it when you talk dirty…" Freed sneered, licking the side of his sword mockingly "It makes me wanna carve you open with this Ex-Cali-BOSHIT-!" he yelped, lunging to the side to narrowly avoid the Zwiehander that nearly pierced his head, Valper crying out in alarm as he was encased in a ring of steel by several identical blades "What the fuck?!"

"Trace…ON." Shirou called out calmly, the Faker ignoring the looks of shock he was drawing as he held up his arms, countless blades filling the air behind him, each of them a nameless phantasm, yet none among the onlookers could deny the quality of their make "All projections standing by…"

"O-oi…what the fuck man?" Freed swore, the Fallen-Exorcist paling slightly at the sheer SIZE of some of the blades the Faker was leveling at him with apparent ease, backing up a step out of caution "You ever heard of overkill-?!"

"Sword Barrel Full Open!" was the only response Shirou deemed necessary, the redhead unleashing his accumulated blades as a hail of steel death that tore through Freed's illusions whilst missing Kiba and Xenovia by a yard.

It was a preferred Tactic of both EMIYA and Gilgamesh, raining down weapons on their foes to both limit their movement and drive home just how screwed they were. However, unlike Gilgamesh, whose arrows were all priceless treasures, EMIYA preferred nameless blades that cost less to project, but could be pumped full of Prana to the point they exploded on impact.

In short, Shirou wasn't simply dropping swords on Freed from on high. He was carpet bombing the Stray Exorcist whilst simultaneously setting up a remote minefield that would detonate at his discretion.

And yet, despite it all, Freed was somehow managing to avoid the worst of the assault. Call it the devil's own luck, but by the time the final Sword had dropped, Freed was standing off to the side, his clothes torn to shreds, but still very much alive. And pissed.

"HAX!" he shrieked, pointing at Shirou with his nameless Holy Sword, which was the sole reason he hadn't been reduced to shreds in the opening salvo "I call Hax! Where the hell did you learn a cheap-ass broken move like that you filthy cheater!"

"As much as it pains me to admit, I have to agree with Sellzen on this one, Emiya." Xenovia mused, eyeing the destruction before her warily "Even if the opponent is a Holy Sword wielder…"

"It's precisely because it's a Holy Sword that I'm willing to go so far." Shirou cut in, his expression cool as he continued to glare at Freed "Even if it's a half-assed recreation, it's still possesses the power of three individual Holy Swords. It will take more than this to match it."

"Is that a fact…?" Kiba mused, chuckling weakly at the remains littering the ground around him even as Valper spluttered impotently at the insult to his creation from within the confines of his prison "In that case, I suppose I better step up my game!"

So saying, he held Holy Eraser overhead, the Devil Blade glowing with his Demonic Power even as the Holy Aura he received from his friends rose from his chest to envelop the blade. "Here and now I vow!" he called out, eyes locked on the sword overhead "In the name of my fallen comrades, I vow uphold our dreams! In the name of Rias Gremory, I vow to become the sword that will defend my comrades from harm!"

"Yuuto…" Rias breathed, the Gremory heiress looking on in wonder as her Knight finally peaked, his Sacred Gear, Sword Birth, reacting to his desires and going into overdrive, surpassing its limitations and advancing to the next stage of its evolution, the very nature of the sword in his hand changing in response to his desires.

Judging the concept of creation…

They who were separate are united once more…to aid their friend in his darkest hour.

It was a sword that neither rejected the Light nor condemned the Dark. It welcomed all its master held dear whilst driving off all who would dare to harm what he sought to protect.

Hypothesizing the Basic Structure…

A two-handed longsword that embodies their past dreams…and their friend's prayer for the future.

For so long they had suffered for their selfless act, sacrificed for the sake of a madman's desire while the memory of their loss tormented their beloved friend.

Duplicating the Composite Materials…

Forged from the wishes of the Faithful and the Prayer of the Damned. No mortal flame could match the passion of the soul from which this blade forged, nor earthly metal it's dark radiance.

Along one side, the blade shone bright as day. Along the other side, the darkness seemed to absorb the light around it. Neither trying to outdo the other, but rather lending the other strength and stability.

Imitating the Production Process…

Born from a tragedy, given life by a miracle, the Compassion of the forgotten crystalized by the Tears of a Devil they loved as their own brother.

Together they dreamt of holding the most holy of swords, prayed to be deemed worthy of standing beneath its brilliance. Now they sought to forge a blade that surpassed the mockery of that ideal.

Sympathizing with the Experience of its Growth…

Though newly born it carried the hopes and dreams of those who came before, and would forever guard the hopes and dreams of those who continued to stand by its Master's side.

Like Caliburn, this was a sword that had been forged with one being in mind. Unlike the Golden Sword of the Victorious, however, there was no feat required for the wielder to claim it, for he already possessed the loving acknowledgement of those whose hearts were contained within it.

Reproducing the accumulated years…

For years its master had wandered through darkness, wallowing in despair behind a mask of kindness. But through the compassion of friends old and new, he had finally found his way.

Even as its image was burned into his mind, the Faker known as Emiya Shirou knew this was never a sword he would ever be able to reproduce, even should he live to surpass Archer's level of skill.

Excelling every manufacturing process…

Even without the Grace of God, it will bathe its Master in light to protect him from the Darkness.

It wasn't a matter of the blade being impossible to recreate. It wasn't like Excalibur or Ea, a Divine Construct beyond human comprehension, or even a 'Lost Phantasm' like Caliburn, which was forever considered lost by the world.

Even should he be denounced as a Devil, it would devour the light to protect him from its touch.

It was because he knew in his heart of hearts that just like Caliburn belonged solely to the Proud King of Knights, this sword belonged solely to Kiba Yuuto, and would disappear from this world with him.

From betwixt the divide between Light and Darkness, let all who see it hear its name:

"Balance Breaker!" Kiba declared, bringing his new weapon down to clash against Freed's nameless blade, the newly forged blade glowing with both Holy Aura and Demonic Taint "Sword of Betrayal: The Holy Devil Sword!"

"Bring it!" Freed cackled, the two swords clashing again and again, the Exorcist's smile fading as the Golden Aura that covered his weapon slowly faded, absorbed by the darkness that composed half of Kiba's "The Hell? Don't tell me this thing ran outta juice already?!"

"You know, part of me is glad that this isn't the real Excalibur." Kiba admitted, his smile almost reverent as he pressed the Exorcist further "Even though it cost them their lives, my friends never once resented the sword itself." His eyes narrowed coldly "The fact this isn't even a fake of the real thing makes it all the easier for me to destroy it!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Freed snapped, shoving Kiba off him with an impressive feat of strength, cackling madly as he lashed out, the tip of his sword extending like living metal to impale the Gremory Knight "Real or not, none of you shits got the chops to step up to this!"

"Want to bet?" Kiba challenged, the Gremory Knight using his superior speed to dodge the living metal spears no matter how accurately they tried to pierce him "This isn't even a challenge…I guess without Excalibur Rapidly, there's not much you can do against a Knight's speed."

"Don't you look down on me you Devil Shit!" Freed snapped, Kiba weaving under his guard to deliver a slash to the chest, only to curse as his blade passed through the Exorcist "Gotcha!" Freed Cackled, his voice coming from all around as several copies of the Exorcist blurred into view, the sword in his hands mysteriously absent "Let's see how you fair against a sword you can't see-!"

"Want to bet?" Kiba challenged, lashing out with the Sword of Betrayal, deflecting countless attacks from the invisible sword no matter what angle Freed aimed for "I'll admit, the first time you faced me with Transparency, you caught me off guard, but now I know what to expect, even if you throw in Nightmare's Illusions, I can tell where you're coming from simply by reacting to your bloodlust."

"Smug son of a bitch…!" Freed snarled, pressing his composite sword against Kiba's balance breaker in an attempt to overpower Kiba, only to leap back with a curse as several swords flew at him from on high, Shirou and Xenovia stepping forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Gremory Knight

"A Holy Demonic Sword…" Xenovia noted, eyeing the Balance Breaker with an appreciative eye "I didn't think such a thing was even possible…though it seems it falls just short of that thing."

"Unsurprising." Shirou concurred, his own eyes locked on Freed's blade "Even incomplete, it's a True Holy Sword descended from a sword forged by God. It won't go down without a fight."

"Perhaps I can help with that." Xenovia concurred, stepping up on Kiba's right, Destruction held in her off-hand as she held her right to the side "Petra, Basilicas, Dionysius and Mary the Holy-Mother, please hear my voice."

In response to her words, a golden glyph bearing chains appeared in mid-air, the hilt of a sword, wrapped in chains, emerging from within to rest in her hand.

"In the names of the saints whom reside within this blade," Xenovia called out, drawing a massive golden blade from the circle to the accompaniment of shattering chains "I unleash the Holy Sword, Durandal!"

Shirou's eyes widened at the sight of the Holy Blade Durandal, the peerless Sword, a Holy Sword entrusted to the French King Charlemagne and awarded to the Paladin leader of the Twelve Peers, Sir Roland. Like Caliburn it stood as a symbol of power splendidly forged and to this day is considered to be the symbol of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass.

But unlike with the 'Excaliburs', the sight of Durandal did not cause him any undue distress, despite the existence of a 'Durandal' upon the Hill of Swords. This was most likely due to the last of it's legendary three miracles, for while many knew the sword to be eternally sharp and indestructible, as evidenced when not even Roland could destroy it to prevent it falling into enemy hands, few knew that the third miracle allowed the sword to evolve to best suit the wielder.

As such, while the sword he'd witnessed in Gilgamesh's treasury was doubtless the 'Original', it was highly likely that the 'Durandal' wielded by Sir Roland had a vastly different appearance, just as the sword before him was likely the form the blade assumed in the hands of Xenovia Quarta.

"Impossible!" Valper gaped, the Archbishop's eyes bulging from his skull at the sight of the Holy Sword that surpassed even Caliburn when it was whole, at least in terms of pure cutting power "My research never produced anyone who could wield THAT!"

"I'll thank you not to compare me to the likes of Freed Sellzen." Xenovia countered with a mocking smile, Destruction resting on her shoulder while she leveled Durandal at the imprisoned fanatic "You see, unlike Irina and the others, I'm all natural."

"Flawless Aptitude?!" Valper breathed, his disbelief almost palpable as his eyes roamed over form as if seeing her for the first time "Don't tell me…Durandal chose you to be its wielder?"

"I can only imagine how that must sting, considering how you were rejected by the swords you loved so much." Xenovia noted coyly, earning a scoff from Kiba and Shirou alike even as Valper ground his teeth impotently within his prison "Still, as great an honour as it is, this sword's a little temperamental so I usually keep it sealed away to prevent it cutting what it shouldn't." her eyes narrowed "However, I think I'm willing to make an exception where that abomination of yours is concerned."

"Don't you go looking down on me either blue-tits!" Freed snarled, lashing out with his nameless Holy Sword once more, only to recoil as the tendrils were effortlessly sliced away with a single swing of Durandal "The Fuck?!"

"So in the end even combining three together isn't enough…" Xenovia mused, her tone almost disappointed "I must admit, I was intrigued when Emiya compared the original Caliburn to Durandal, but I guess that's all we can expect from a poorly put together fake."

"Shit! Are you fucking kidding me?!" Freed cursed, glaring at the trio with the remains of his broken sword held between them "Is everyone but me using cheat codes or something?! How the Hell is this fucking fair?!"

"It's over, Freed Sellzen." Kiba declared, advancing on the Exorcist with resolved eyes "That fake holy sword of yours will never be able to sever the bonds between my comrades and I."

"Oh spare me the sentimental crap-!" Freed spat, only to choke as Kiba rushed in, the Knight's Holy Demonic Sword Cleaving through the hastily raised Composite Sword, leaving a gaping cut across the Exorcists torso "D-Dammit…I refuse to lose…to a piece of shit Devil-?!"

"You didn't lose to me." Kiba declared, the Gremory Knight gazing down at the screaming form of Freed Sellzen, watching impassively as the deranged former Exorcist struggled to contain the Holy Element that was currently trying to escape from his body and was clearly ripping it apart from within to do so "You lost to the bonds I share with my comrades


So there we have it, one of the Major conspiracies of the Church brought to light at last.

Also, yes, I'm well aware of the role 'Caliburn' plays in DxD canon, trust me I've something slated to replace it.

Things should slowly start picking up from here on, at the very least the Kokabiel Arc is drawing to a close.

Let's see who comes out of this alive eh?

As for me? Gonna power level for a bit...God damn but I love Moon Runes.

*Crouches before the lantern and vanishes.*