*Dusts off Blood after engaging in Porcine-assisted Homicide.*
Death by mutated Bacon...the struggle is real. Hey all, another chapter for you, figured I might as well get it out now it's ready so I can focus on other things.
Like why the hell I can only summon either Valtr or the younger Maderas twin now. Not to mention the fact my Choir Bell doesn't seem to work anymore. Was there a patch or something?
In any case, last time Kiba cut to the heart of his issues. HA. Let's see how that works out.
Fake Life Ten: Forbidden Knowledge.
"Geez Kiba…" Issei muttered, the brunet scratching his cheek awkwardly even as the rest of their Club cheered for the Knight's victory over the insane Exorcist "Did you have to make it sound so cheesy?"
Still, that was one hell of an Ace the Damned Handsome had managed to pull out of his ass. Issei knew all too well the power a Balance Breaker afforded it's user, having sacrificed his left arm to Ddraig in order to use his own for ten seconds during his fight with Riser, so he knew better than most just how much more powerful the Knight was having unlocked it on his own.
'And then there's Xenovia and Emiya…' he muttered, shivering as his eyes roamed over the golden edge of Durandal and the scattered blades that littered the battlefield where the trio had been fighting Freed 'Seriously…am I always going to be the one on the outside looking in?'
"Don't underestimate yourself, Partner." Ddraig comforted him, or as well as the disembodied voice of a Celestial Dragon can comfort anyone "Everyone evolves at their own pace. Not all of my former users started out as strong as they became after all, and none of them entertained me as much as you do either."
"Glad to know you find my life so entertaining." Issei muttered, eyeing the gauntlet with a mixture of annoyance and comfort, understanding that it was simply Ddraig's way of pepping him up "So wait, you're saying you've worked with guys weaker than me?"
"Hell no, you're the weakest host I've had bar none." Ddraig countered, causing the pervert to slump in defeat "I suppose that's what makes you so intriguing; they say the weakest hatchlings squawk loudest after all."
"Oh go to hell!" Issei swore, tears of frustration lining his eyes as he clenched his teeth in frustration, glaring at the sword trio jealously "I'm seriously starting to understand how Matsuda and Motohama feel…"
"A…Holy-Demonic sword…?!" a voice stammered, the devils turning to see Valper staring at Kiba's Balance Breaker, the Archbishop clearly torn between disbelief and incomprehension "It can't be…for two polar opposites to not only coexist, but to combine into an entirely new entity? Such a thing should be impossible…!"
"Call it a Miracle or what have you." Kiba muttered, his eyes harsh as he advanced upon the Archbishop, Emiya dismissing the blades imprisoning him with a snap of his fingers "Either way, prepare yourself; Valper Galilei. For the crimes committed against my friends and I; I shall happily do the Church's dirty work and end you myself."
"Kiba…" Issei muttered, torn between his sympathy for the Knight and his morals. While he'd adapted pretty easily to being a devil, Issei had been born Human, and as such was still rather squeamish at the thought of taking a human life, even as twisted a life as Freed Sellzen's.
While he could understand Kiba wanting to get revenge for his comrades that Valper sacrificed for his twisted research, the fact remained that the old man was virtually defenceless without Freed to back him up, and judging by the sneer on Kokabiel's face, the Fallen was enjoying the floor show far too much to even think about intervening on the Archbishop's behalf.
Strangely enough, out of everyone here, Valper Galilei seemed to be the only one ignorant of his situation, the Archbishop of Genocide's eyes locked onto Kiba's Balance Breaker, taking in every nuance of the Sword of Betrayal, as if hoping to divine the secrets of the universe from it.
"Yes…" he breathed, understanding returning to his eyes as he stared at his hands "Yes, I see! I understand now!" He dropped to his knees in reverence "Holy and Demonic! Everything makes sense if the balance between the two is skewed!" he began to cackle madly "Which means…to think that not only the Satans but even God-!"
Whatever he had been about to say was promptly cut off with a torrent of blood as a Spear of Light pierced him from behind, pinning him to the ground, the look of realization giving away to confusion once more before the light faded from his eyes.
"I'm honestly impressed you managed to come to that conclusion, Valper Galilei." Kokabiel mused, his expression laced with mocking approval as he dismissed the Spear of Light with a snap of his fingers "I suppose you weren't known as a genius for nothing."
"What are you playing at, Kokabiel?" Rias demanded, the Gremory Heiress glaring accusingly up at the Fallen, having used the time between Shirou's revelation and Kiba's defeat of Freed to receive healing from Asia, who even now was currently attending to Akeno "Wasn't Valper on your side?"
"Indeed, his idea to create an army of Holy Sword wielders appealed to me greatly, even if his true objectives were so easily apparent." Kokabiel admitted with a dismissive sneer "Still, as capable as he was, I never truly needed his help to achieve my objectives; it was simply amusing to me to watch him fawn over a fake like it was the genuine article."
That's right. From the get go, Kokabiel had admitted that his objective was to restart the Great War. To do that, he'd stolen the Excaliburs and was threatening Rias and Sona, the younger siblings of two of the ruling Satans. In all honesty he didn't need an army of Holy Sword Wielders to start a war. All he had to do was kill everyone in the city and both Heaven and Hell would be out for blood. Add in the centuries of hatred between the two sides and BAM, instant clusterfuck.
"Red Dragon Emperor." the Fallen called out imperiously, Issei's spine tensing as he realized the Fallen was looking right at him "Maximize the power of your Boosted Gear and transfer it to someone else. Anyone will do, just make sure not pick someone weak."
"Are you trying to give us a handicap?" Rias demanded, her temper flaring much like how it had when Riser had looked down on her peerage, though unlike last time Issei knew better than to preemptively attack the Fallen for the slight "Don't insult us!"
"Insult you?" Kokabiel repeated, his tone mocking as he sneered at the Gremory Heiress "I'm the one who should feel insulted. First Michael and now Sirzechs...honestly, just how many of you peons do I have to kill before you understand just how out of your league I am?"
Rias grit her teeth but said nothing, knowing all too well just how sunk they were if Kokabiel decided to go all out. While she was confident that her brother or any of the other Satans could handle him, the fact the situation even required someone on the level of a Super-Devil to be resolved simply put things into sharper perspective.
Kokabiel wasn't the big fish in the little pond. He was a Megalodon in a fishbowl. He was power personified and to make matters worse like all Angels, Fallen or otherwise, commanded the Holy element that was the antithesis to their Demonic Power.
The only one of them that stood the remotest chance of beating him at their current level was Rias herself, and even then she'd probably need to multiply her powers several times over through Issei's Boosted Gear before she even hoped to stand a chance if their last exchange was any indication.
"…Issei. Activate your Sacred Gear." She ordered, entwining her fingers with the Pawn's free hand, Issei nodding in understanding as he clenched his gauntleted fist, the emerald gem flashing with a cry of "BOOST!" as they approached the fallen at a sedate walk.
Seconds turned into minutes, the silence broken only by the sound of their footsteps and the cries of "BOOST!" from Issei's Sacred Gear, the rest of the gathered warriors unable to move a muscle, their eyes locked on the hovering form of Kokabiel, waiting for the slightest hint of an opening to launch a sneak attack, anything to give their comrades the slightest advantage.
Naturally, no opportunity presented itself. The Fallen merely hovered there, arms crossed impatiently, his expression growing increasingly more eager with declaration from the Red Emperor Dragon until, at last, it began to shine with emerald light, signifying it had reached Issei's current limit. "Finally!" Kokabiel leered, eyeing the amassed power below with an eager expression "Now then, who will you be transferring the power to?"
"Issei!" Rias commanded, the Pervert Pawn nodding in acknowledgement as he once again transferred all of the amassed power to his King, the Gremory Heiress doubling over for the second time that day as the euphoric feeling of power surged through her body, her Power of Destruction feeding on it to the point she was surrounded by a thick black haze of demonic power that could probably be sensed for miles were it not for the barrier.
"Impressive power, Rias Gremory!" Kokabiel applauded, his expression eager, more than used to facing such fearsome energy from his time in the Great War "That is indeed the power of an Ultimate-Class devil, just shy of that of a Satan." He sneered mockingly "It would appear that Sirzechs isn't the only one in the family with a bit of fight to them!"
"BEGONE!" Rias snarled, clearly not in the mood for small-talk, the Scarlet Haired Ruin Princess unleashing the full force of her Power of Destruction as a torrent of crimson-stained darkness that swallowed the Fallen and everything behind him whole.
And for a moment, one precious moment, the assembled warriors thought they'd won. How could anything, Fallen, Angel or Devil, survive being hit point blank by pure, concentrated annihilation?
But then they heard it, softly at first, as if even their own ears dared not believe it, but as time went on they slowly came aware of the laughter of Kokabiel as it grew to the point it practically roared over the rampant destruction.
"EXCELLENT!" he cackled, sounding for all the world like a kid in a candy store as he pushed back the darkness with both hands, his wings spread wide behind him as if to hold him in place "MOST IMPRESSIVE, RIAS GREMORY!"
Rias grimaced, before mustering the very last of her strength, focusing every last drop of her demonic power into an even larger blast, intending to overpower the Fallen through sheer power, only for her legs to give out, the president of the Occult Research Club collapsing to the ground, her comrades looking on in horror as Kokabiel casually scattered her attack with a wave of his hand.
Not that he came out of it unscathed, mind you. It was clear from his tattered black robes and the bloody palms of his once immaculate hands that even he couldn't afford to take another hit like that as cavalierly as before. Unfortunately, it was even clearer to those gathered that Rias had truly given it all she had, and wouldn't be able to fire off another blast like that even if Issei powered all the way up again.
The only other option would be for him to use his ability on someone else. But other than Rias, Akeno was the only one capable of attacking from a distance with magic, and while her command of Lightning was impressive, it was nowhere near as devastating as the Power of Destruction Rias and her brother had inherited from their mother.
Not that it stopped the Thunder Priestess from leaping into the fray. Lighting crashing from the skies at her command as she unleashed her fury on the one who hurt her precious friend with a cry of rage. "You dare to stand in my way, spawn of Barakiel?"Kokabiel demanded, his tone challenging, as if he relished the idea of going up against his comrade's child as he deflected her attack with his wings.
"Do not associate me with that man!" Akeno snarled, the normally coy Queen actually showing more rage than when Rias had been attacked, unleashing blasts of lighting until she seemingly ran out of steam.
"I'd heard you two weren't on good terms, but to think you even went so far as to become a Devil!" Kokabiel cackled, clearly enjoying himself as he unfurled his wings, glancing over the assembled forces "The current Red Dragon Emperor, a Holy-Sword Project Survivor capable of obtaining Balance Breaker, and even Barakiel's bastard." He sneered at Akeno's look of discomfort "I see you taste in servants is just as bizarre as your brother's, Rias Gremory."
"That's enough out of you!" Rias snapped, rising to her feet despite Issei's attempts to calm her "Bad enough you insult my Brother, the Satan Lucifer, but for the insults leveled at my peerage, I won't rest until I've taken your life in exchange!"
"Is that so?!" Kokabiel demanded, dropping from the sky with a crash, his wings vanishing behind him as he spread his arms wide, grinning ferally at the redhead's challenge "Then come at me, Satan's Sister! Master of the Welsh Dragon! Crimson-hair Ruin Princess!" he spread his arms wide, as if daring her to approach "What stands before you is your sworn enemy! Only a coward would let such an opportunity pass them by!"
Following Kokabiel's challenge...
'Lancer would love this guy.' Shirou muttered, recalling the bloodthirsty smile of the Hound of Ulster, the Servant that had ran him through to remove any witnesses. As much as he resented the Servant for almost killing him, Lancer had been a likable sort, the kind of warrior you could have a drink with despite knowing he intended to kill you on the battlefield the next day.
Hell, the Servant had honestly admitted that the only reason he'd answered the summons was to fight strong opponents, as he'd harboured no regrets in again, while Cu Chulainn had been a demi-god in life, he'd been raised a warrior and so carried himself as one despite possessing the skills of a Caster and savagery of a Berserker. Kokabiel, on the other hand, had never been human. As an Angel created by the Biblical God, his thought processes and obsession with battle were not something that could be easily understood by mortal men, much like the ORT or Primate Murder. Or women for that matter.
"Emiya..." Xenovia murmured, keeping her voice low to avoid alerting Kokabiel "During our initial battle with Freed Sellzen, you somehow summoned the lost sword of a Legendary Hero." Her eyes narrowed as Issei, enraged by the Fallen's insults, stepped up to challenge the Fallen "From what I've gathered, you can recreate any weapon you've seen…so I take it that's not the only sword you have in your possession?"
"Guilty, as charged." Shirou admitted, his features tense as Issei began charging up to attack Kokabiel despite the others protests "Though unfortunately, there's a limit to the type of sword I can Trace on my own."
"Should I assume the reason for that is the same reason you were given that Holy Shroud?" Xenovia deduced, earning a grimace from the Faker "What if you were to amplify your power with the Red Dragon Emperor's?"
Shirou paused, glancing between Issei and the Artificial Phantasm, his mind whirling a mile a minute as he tried to weigh the pros and cons of such an act.
On the one hand, having Issei amplify his power with that of the Red Dragon's would certainly give him a tremendous boost in his abilities, possibly even matching those of the Servant Archer, who while certainly stronger than a mortal man, hadn't been all that impressive statistically as a Servant. Indeed, in one possible future he'd witnessed from the arm, he'd actually fought toe-to-toe with the Red Servant after the latter betrayed Rin for the chance to kill him, even if that Archer had been weakened due to the lack of a Master supporting him.
The downside, however, was that while his power might match Archers, his skill at projection did not. While it had improved by leaps and bounds since arriving, he still needed to rely on the Artificial Phantasm for anything more complicated than simple nameless blades or Kanshou and Bakuya, as evidenced by the reaction he'd gotten for partially undoing the seal to trace Hrunting.
In order to create a sword capable of facing Kokabiel, simply loosening the shroud wouldn't cut it. He'd need to fully unleash the power of the Servant EMIYA, which meant opening himself up entirely to the invasive presence of the Counter-Guardian's Inner World.
It wasn't as if he hadn't done it before. He hadn't hesitated for a second to cut down the twisted shadow of Berserker that had threatened Ilya in the Einzbern Forest, even though he knew his body would pay the price. But back then he'd been in a contract with Rin, and later Ilya, to help alleviate the strain of supporting the arm with his own Prana.
Rin's stopgap had long since disappeared, and Ilya's connection to him had been severed the moment Gilgamesh had run her through. If Shirou undid the seal now, even with his power amplified by Issei's Boosted Gear, there would be no going back.
"Buy me time." He urged, gripping his shoulder tensely, the wielder of Durandal nodding in understanding as she raced into battle alongside Kiba and Koneko, the three of them engaging Kokabiel simultaneously, only for the Rook to be callously swatted aside by the Fallen's wings "Shit, HYOUDO!"
"Emiya?" the Gremory Pawn stammered, crouching protectively next to Koneko alongside a concerned Asia, the Bishop's hands glowing as she used Twilight Healing to tend to the fallen Rook's injuries "What is it?"
"How soon can you fully charge your Boosted Gear?" Shirou demanded, crouching down next to the Rook, cursing Archer's lack of knowledge of healing Magecraft as he removed his blazer to cover the poor girl "I need you to use it on me as soon as you're fully charged."
"Do you have a plan, Emiya-kun?" Rias pondered, the Gremory Heiress leaning against Akeno for support, the King and Queen completely spent from their respective assaults on the Fallen, only to gasp as Kokabiel unleashed a wave of Holy Energy. While Xenovia managed to block the worst of it with Durandal, but the rest was still barreling towards them "No!"
"Get down!" Shirou barked, the redhead cursing to himself as he partially undid the shroud, biting back a grimace as he fought down the sudden heat in his bones long enough to raise his left arm towards the oncoming wall of light "RHO AIAS!"
Unlike last time, which had been a spur of the moment failure, the combination of Shirou's will and Archer's knowledge manifested a perfect replication of the aptly named Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens, the luminescent petals, each possessing the strength of a fortress wall, weathering the assault with nary a struggle, though the impact brought Shirou to his knees, blood dripping from one nostril.
'Just hold on-!' he hissed, urging his screaming body to bear the pain even as he felt the beginnings of countless blades forming beneath his skin as Archer's World invaded his own 'Hold on just a little longer!'
"Hoh~!" Kokabiel mused, his tone intrigued as he stood at the end of the trench his attack left in the ground before him "You continue to impress me, Heathen! Even if I wasn't being serious, I never imagined a shield existed that could withstand my power." He glanced at Xenovia "Almost as impressive as you, Catholic. To think you could fight so well without your Master."
"What are you talking about?" Xenovia demanded, rising slowly to her feet, leveling the tip of Durandal at the Fallen Star of God with a glare as he had the audacity to laugh at her question "Answer me, Kokabiel!"
"Ha! Come to think of it, if I'm going to start a war there's no point in keeping it a secret now is there?" the Fallen mused, shaking his head self-mockingly before leering at the assembled forces "You ask what I mean, Catholic? Then I shall tell you: At the end of the Great War, not only did the Original Four Satans perish, but GOD as well!"
Silence reigned over the battlefield, only the dying echoes of Kokabiel's mocking laughter remained as his opponents tried to process the words that had just spewed from his mouth. "God…is dead?" Rias repeated, the Gremory Heiress gaping at the Fallen in shock "That's impossible…such a thing…such a thing has never happened before!"
"I suppose it's only natural for you to look so surprised." The Fallen mocked, "Still, even if you don't believe me, the fact remains that after the War, Pure Angels could no longer reproduce, and there are very few Pureblood Devils among the 72 Pillars. Things got so bad that all three factions have to rely on Humans just to survive, but since the incompetent sheep can't survive without their precious Shepherd, the Higher-Ups of all Three Factions did their best to keep this secret from pretty much everyone, quietly 'disposing' of anyone that learned the truth." He sneered at Valper's corpse "It got to the point it's almost reflexive to kill anyone who learns the truth…though in all honesty I couldn't care less."
"…You're lying…" Xenovia whispered, the exorcist dropping to her knees, Durandal falling to the ground beside her as all the strength in her body vanished, unable to do anything but shake her head in a feeble attempt to deny the Fallen's words "You're lying…it can't be…"
"What reason have I to lie?" Kokabiel countered with a sneer "I could care less if the sheep learn that their shepherd is dead, humans aren't worth my time anyway." He scowled, "No, what bothers me is that, after all we went through to corner both Heaven and Hell, that bastard Azazel had the gall to order us to retreat! To make matters worse, all three sides suddenly up and decided there was no meaning in continuing the war!"
"I can't bear it!" he snarled clenching a fist so tightly that it actually began to bleed "Can you imagine the humiliation we felt when that bastard ordered us, his own men! To lower our raised fists when we were in the perfect position to land the final blow to both our enemies? He even had the audacity to say there'd never be another war! Don't fuck with me! If that's the case, then what the hell were we fighting for in the first place?!"
And with that, Shirou understood. With that one enraged rant, filled with venom and bitterness, the Faker finally understood just what it was that was driving the Fallen Star of Heaven to such lengths.
Kokabiel was a warrior. Like Lancer, he lived for the fight and probably would have been just as happy to die in battle as to take his enemy's life. No doubt he had seen countless comrades meet their end on the Holy Spears of the Angels or consumed by the Devil's Hellfire, only to persevere, for what else was there to do in a war but kill your opponent?
Finally, despite being outnumbered on both sides, the Fallen Angels found themselves in a position to strike a mortal blow to the other two Biblical Factions, rendered leaderless by the Deaths of God and the Old Satans. A Blow that Kokabiel would've been all too eager to deliver if only his leader gave the word.
The word was given, but not to Attack. Instead, Kokabiel could only look on in disbelief as, despite their sacrifices to reach this point, their leader, Azazel, was the first to call for a retreat, and as if to drive the nail deeper, forbid any of them from restarting the war or revealing the truth of God's death to the world.
And so the warrior was forced to put away his fangs and pretend to shepherd the sheep left unattended in God's absence, now the only means by which his race could ever increase their numbers as a result of the creator's death while the favored son attempted to fill his shoes.
It was a laughable affair, so much so that, were the stakes not so high, Shirou might actually pity the Fallen. While his fate was nowhere near as tragic as EMIYA's, at least Kokabiel retained his free will, so it wasn't as if he could pass the blame for his actions till now entirely on Azazel's head.
"So what?" Shirou called out, cutting off Issei before the Pawn could begin his rant "You say God is dead? Tell me something I don't know, I haven't believed in God from the moment I was born, so I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"Emiya-?" Rias exclaimed, the Gremory heiress looking at her fellow redhead in surprise as he slowly rose to his feet, her eyes widening in alarm as she spotted the blood trailing down his face "You're hurt!"
"It's nothing compared to losing an arm." Shirou assured her, smirking to himself as he gripped the burning left limb, struggling to bring it under control "It's nothing compared to being stabbed in the heart, hell, it doesn't even compare to walking through a fire, trying to ignore the screams of people around you."
"What are you talking about, heathen?" Kokabiel demanded, a scowl adorning his features "Are you honestly trying to tell me that if knowledge of God's death were made public, you humans would be unaffected?"
"Oh I'm sure there'll be some fallout." Shirou agreed, his expression wry as he channeled some of Archer's sarcastic wit "But the thing is, it's not humans that are dependent on Gods…its Gods that are dependent on us." He chuckled at the Fallen's expression "It's true, isn't it? Since ancient times, Gods have relied on the faith of mankind to maintain their powers…without it they simply disappear back into the ether, or at best, become mere nature spirits with limited ability to interact with the material world."
"Is he serious?" Issei demanded, sweat-dropping as he glanced between the Faker and Kokabiel, who was eyeing the redhead with interest, and Rias, who seemed to be just as stunned as he was "Buchou, is that really all faith boils down to?"
"There's probably more to it than that…" Rias countered, her expression torn as she kept her eyes on Kokabiel, watching for any signs of attack "But, as far as I can tell, what Emiya-kun is saying isn't entirely wrong."
"With that in mind, what's one more Dead God in the face of the hundreds that have fallen before him?" Shirou continued, earning gasps of shock from Xenovia, even the Devils looking at him as if he lost his marbles "Indeed, considering how often they leave us with the short end of the stick, it could be argued that Humans are better off without any Gods at all."
"Ha! I like the way you think, Heathen!" Kokabiel cackled, throwing his head back as his shoulders shook with mirth "Indeed, you've no idea how refreshing it was to cut loose after being under Father's watchful eye for so long! Endlessly trying to live up to his boundless expectations, to hell with that!"
"No, all you did was run away." Shirou countered, earning a sharp look from the Fallen "You gave up on the ideals which you carried for so long, unable to bear the weight of your convictions, you chose to cast them aside and take the easy route."
Just like Archer, Kokabiel had come to resent the ideals he'd once cherished, used them as a scapegoat for his suffering, when in actuality he had simply buckled, unable to bear the commitments he'd taken on for himself.
Had Shirou not cast aside his ideals himself, perhaps he'd have felt justified looking down on the Fallen for giving up. As it was, however, the only difference between him and Kokabiel was that the Angel had fallen because he'd been unable to live up to his ideals, whereas Shirou had cast those ideals aside to protect something he deemed far more precious.
"I pity you." He admitted, Kokabiel's eyes widening in anger at the statement "Not because you fell, you've only yourself to blame for that. No, I pity you because even though you cast your ideals aside, you didn't do it for something meaningful, but simply because you couldn't live up to them."
"You pity ME?" Kokabiel repeated, his expression indecipherable, a mixture of rage and confusion as he eyed the Faker with disbelief "Do you even know to whom you are speaking? I am Kokabiel! The Fallen Star of God! I have fought and slain Angels and Devils alike! I challenged the authority of the Almighty himself, and laughed at the presumptuous Satans that thought themselves his equal! Even the Celestial Dragons hold no fear over me! And yet you have the audacity to pity ME?!"
"I pity you because I was exactly the same, once." Shirou admitted calmly, shocking the Fallen to silence "Sure, I never stood against Gods or Devils, but I know what it's like to cast your ideals aside only to be betrayed in the end."
"…Who do you think you are, boy?" Kokabiel demanded, his expression unreadable, his eyes taking in every nuance of the Faker's features "You, clad in a Holy Shroud despite claiming to be an Atheist." He gestured to the swords littering the ground around them "You, who can summon steel the likes of which belong in the hands of Heroes, who can block the Light of Heaven with a mere shield…"
Who are you…Emiya Shirou?
It was a question that had been cycling through everyone's minds at least once since they encountered him. Indeed, it was a question Shirou often asked himself whenever he found himself before a mirror ever since arriving in this world where Devils went to school and the leader of the Fallen Angels was apparently obsessed with vintage Super Famicom games and Porno magazines.
He was not the Counter-Guardian, Emiya, who entered into a contract with Alaya and was forever damned to betray his ideals to protect humanity as a species.
He was not the childhood-friend turned lover of Matou Sakura, revived through an incomplete use of the 3rd Magic by his elder sister in a last ditch act to save his soul.
He was not the admirer turned public Apprentice and secret Lover of Tohsaka Rin, who followed her to the Clock Tower only to wind up in a complicated three-way relationship with her rival and distant cousin, Luviagelita Edelfelt.
He was no-longer the Master of Saber, Arturia Pendragon, the Once and Future Proud King of Knights, nor was he the man who helped her accept her place in history by coming to terms with her past.
While he remained the adopted son of Emiya Kiritsugu, he had cast aside the flawed ideals the broken Magus Killer had passed on despite his best efforts to prevent him from following in his footsteps.
He was the Fool who allowed his Servant to be devoured by the Darkness, who cast aside his ideals to save his sister, ignorant of the suffering of his childhood friend until her mind broke, forcing him to kill her after she murdered his Mentor, her own sibling. He was the incompetent who, despite casting aside his ideals, failed to protect the one he cast them aside for, yet didn't have the decency to join her in death.
When all was said and done, just who was Emiya Shirou?
"TRANSFER!" a deep voice declared, Shirou's eyes widening as an armoured hand slapped him upside the head, followed by a sudden surge of power, his underdeveloped circuits burning as they were suddenly filled with Prana to the point they almost burst under the strain.
It was nothing like when he'd entered into a contract with Rin and Ilya to alleviate the strain of using Archer's arm. Indeed, it felt more akin to the 'memory' of sacrificing 'his' circuits to strengthen 'his' connection with Saber, kick-starting her Magical Core that she'd inherited from the Red Dragon.
"What the hell are you doing overthinking things, Baka?" Issei muttered, the Perverted Pawn lowering his armoured hand as he glared at the Faker "You might be an uptight stick in the mud damned handsome, but you're nothing like that fucker." He clapped a hand on Shirou's shoulder "You're you and he's an asshole! So quit moping and kick his ass!"
"Hyoudou…" Shirou muttered, staring at the pervert in shocked disbelief, only to scoff, pushing his armored hand aside with a genuine smile as he walked towards the waiting form of Kokabiel "Thanks…Issei."
The Pawn was right. What did it matter who he WAS? He was all-too-familiar with casting aside the past in order to keep marching forwards. While he would never forget the people he'd failed, neither would he allow them to impede him from saving those he could.
Saber would not have wanted him to give up. Rin would kill him if he dared. Sakura would encourage him to keep marching forward, and even Archer, ass that he was, would challenge him to catch up to him.
He was born from the fires of the Fourth Grail War, forged by the hands of the repentant Magus Killer and tempered by the disastrous events of the Fifth Heaven's Feel. He had been prey to Ulster's child of light, had braved the keep of the Witch of Betrayal, stood firm before the wrath of Zeus' Son and even challenged the King of Heroes to mortal combat.
"You asked me who I am…Kokabiel?" Shirou called out, a wry smile adorning his lips as he reached for the knot holding the Shroud of Martin together, pulling it loose with a flourish even as he locked eyes with the Fallen Angel.
"I Am The Bone Of My Sword."
The moment you've all been waiting for Ladies and Gentlemen!
Or the build-up to it in any case. Gee, ain't I a stinker?
Now before you all start jumping down my throat: NO. He isn't going to pull of UBW against Kokabiel. While he's come to terms with who he is, sort of, he still needs to train to pull it off, for while Archer's arm DOES give him insight into their shared world, the 'key' to gaining access to it still needs to be forged.
In any case, time for me to get back to work...gotta bring home the bacon, so to speak. M'lady.
*Bows to Queen Yharnam in passing before riding the elevator down to the lantern.*
