*Kick's Diablo's corpse to test for signs of life*
Prime Evil my Nephalem Arse. Hey all, as you can probably guess I decided to take a break from getting my arse handed to me my Horse-face so I finally got around to playing Diablo III, more accurately the Reaper of Souls Edition. Needless to say I'm hooked, both on the game, and it's lore to the point it's even inspired a new crossover idea to take root in my skull.
In any case, last time Shirou decided to nut up and shut Kokabiel up. Let's see how that works out.
Fake-Life Eleven: Pyrrhic Victory.
Play: Unlimited Blade Works OST II - #19 Emiya (Unlimited Blade Works)
The instant the Holy Shroud was ripped clear, the world around him crumbled to dust, Shirou's vision whiting out as he was pummeled by what felt like a hurricane going a hundred miles an hour, a wall of death and Steel that threatened to rend every living thing in its path to shreds, leaving nothing in its wake but a barren wasteland.
Unlike before, however, where he'd instantly felt like he was about to be crushed under the pressure, Shirou instead felt like he was slowly being cut by countless invisible blades born by the wind. Sharp, but not particularly painful, the sound of his heart pounded in his ears as it struggled to keep his blood from flowing backwards.
And there, standing with his back to him, striding headfirst into the maelstrom of steel and death head-on, was the red-clad back of the Counter Guardian.
It was only natural he'd do so. Even if he came to regret his ideals, even as said ideals had betrayed him, he had nonetheless pressed on, receiving neither thanks for his efforts nor acknowledgement of his deeds. Never looking back at the trail of corpses he left in his wake, or the broken form of the delusional boy who so ignorantly cast aside his ideals yet still aspired to become a hero, never imagining the cost of such a wish.
And yet, despite Shirou's acknowledgment of his crimes, the Red Knight paused, once again tilting his head ever so slightly to regard him those cold, judging grey orbs.
"…Can you catch up to me…?"
Despite the scorn in his eyes, something in the Archer's words implied that part of him still held some belief in the man he left behind. No, more than that, the Counter-Guardian EMIYA honestly wanted to believe that Emiya Shirou, a man who by all rights should not have become a Hero, could surpass all expectations and drag himself to the same level as one through sheer bull-headed stubbornness.
And how could he not? Had he himself not done the same, once so long ago? Though their paths may have diverged, the fact remained that, at one point, Archer had been Emiya Shirou, and so he understood better than anyone just what Emiya Shirou was capable of.
"Don't insult me." Shirou countered, his voice hoarse, yet confident as he took first one, then several steps into the wind, pointedly stepping to the side out of the shelter of Archer's back, his eyes locked on that ever-distant hill beyond the wall of white death and steel, ignoring the gaze of the Red Knight as he strode past him resolutely "I won't settle for 'catching up'…I'm going to surpass you."
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or maybe the pain of being invaded by Archer's inner world conjured up tricks, but for a moment Shirou swore he saw the Counter Guardian smile.
"I Am The Bone Of My Sword."
The moment those words left Shirou's lips, the air surrounding the ruined sports field became thick with Power, the Devils, Xenovia and even Kokabiel's eyes widening at the sheer amount of raw magical energy the redhead was giving off, the sudden surge of wind causing them to feel like there were being cut by countless invisible blades.
"What's this?!" Kokabiel demanded, bringing his arms up to shield his eyes, only to blink as, the second he'd done so the redheaded had somehow managed to cross the distance between them, the Fallen's wings barely managing to deflect the black oriental blade of admittedly peerless quality that was seconds away from disemboweling him "You-!"
"So fast!" Kiba gasped, the Gremory Knight looking on in wonderment as Shirou not only dodged the retaliatory strike from Kokabiel's wings, but managed to get above the fallen, forcing the Fallen Star of God to block with hastily summoned Swords of Light "It's almost…no, he's definitely faster than a Knight!"
Even when Freed had been using Excalibur Rapidly, the two of them had been about evenly matched. It was only due to Kiba's state of mind, and the fact the Holy Sword was the natural enemy of Devil-kind, that the Exorcist had even stood a chance, as evidenced by how easily Xenovia had been able to counter both of them despite neither of her swords granting her a speed boost.
However, even after obtaining Balance Breaker and unsealing Durandal, neither Kiba nor Xenovia had been able to so much as push Kokabiel, the Fallen even going so far as to catch Durandal between his fingers, as if to mock it's legendary cutting edge. Yet here Shirou was, not only managing to match Kokabiel in speed and strength, but actually managing to push the Fallen if the way he was backing up were any indication.
Indeed, compared to their efforts, it looked as if Shirou was dancing with the Fallen, landing glancing blows whenever he could whilst predicting the course of the Blades of Light, though perhaps it would be more accurate to say he 'guided' them to specific areas by deliberately leaving them open, allowing him to avoid them at the last minute, more often than not destroying the Fallen's blades with his own, constantly switching out his own blades as they were likewise destroyed by Kokabiel's superior strength.
"My word…" Akeno chuckled weakly, Rias' Queen eyeing the proceedings before her in amazement "If this is what Emiya-kun classifies as 'Third Rate', then I'd hate to see what his Masters are capable of."
"Indeed…" Rias concurred, Issei actually paling as he tried to imagine just what kind of Monster would consider someone like Shirou to be 'Third Rate', the Gremory Heiress' expression calculating as she watched the Magus's twin swords clash repeatedly with the Fallen Star of God's "Perhaps it's a good thing he chose not to join my peerage…I honestly don't know if my remaining Knight or Rook pieces would be enough…"
"You stand a better chance than Sona at least…" Akeno mused, looking on with trepidation as the dance of death continued "I don't see her remaining three pawns and knight measuring up to this."
Before Rias could respond, Kokabiel spread his arms wide, knocking Shirou's blades to the side, the Fallen, whose face had taken on a look of manic glee, bringing his swords down in a bid to vivisect the Faker "No!"
"Steel Is My Body…And Fire Is My Blood."
With a clash, the Divine Swords of Light were repelled by the massive sword that had appeared in Shirou's left hand. No, not a sword, it would instead be more accurate to call the thing in his hands an axe that some giant had crudely carved out of bedrock.
By all rights, the thing was far to large and heavy for any mortal to swing with ease, in all honesty Rias doubted even Koneko-chan could efficiently wield it even with her Rook Strength, and in any case it would likely take both hands to so much as life it.
And yet not only was Shirou clearly able to wield that implausible weapon with one hand, he was able to do so with such speed and precision that it not only shattered Kokabiel's Blades of Light, the sheer force of the blows actually forced the Fallen to leap back to avoid a direct hit.
"Not bad!" Kokabiel applauded, an approving grin on his face as he summoned a fresh sword of light, cleaving through the surprisingly resistant stone blade after a mere second's opposition, only to cry out in anger as Shirou released his grip on the weapon, taking advantage of the brief window provided as it dissolved back into the ether to lunge forward with a Golden Spear, impaling Kokabiel's left hand before leaping back to avoid his retaliatory swing.
"It seems I must commend you, boy." the Fallen applauded, his tone surprisingly honest as he examined his bleeding hand as if nothing could have made him happier than to shed his once-holy blood in battle "It's been so long since an opponent has drawn first blood against me. I don't know what kind of Sacred Gear you're using boy, but it's clearly leagues above that Holy Devil Sword user!"
"I don't possess a Sacred Gear." Shirou countered, dispelling the shattered stone axe-sword before settling into a stance while Kiba glared at the Fallen for mocking the blade of his comrades "I wouldn't even be able to recreate one if I tried."
"Indeed?" Kokabiel mused, torn between intrigue at the admission and disappointment "I suppose there are limits to every ability." raising his wounded hand for emphasis as holy light covered it "Then again, if this paper cut was the best you could manage…" he trailed off as the light from his hand dimmed, eyes widening at the sight of the still bleeding wound in his flesh "What?!"
"The wound didn't heal?" Akeno exclaimed, looking just as shocked as Kokabiel as the Fallen tried again and again to close the wound "That's impossible, a Fallen of Kokabiel's level should be able to heal such a wound instantly."
"It must be that spear." Xenovia deduced, shivering slightly as she stared at the weapon "I can sense it from here; there's a powerful curse on that Spear, comparable to that of a Demonic Sword." She glanced up at Kokabiel "Still, for them to prevent a Fallen of his calibre from regenerating…"
"Now this is interesting!" Kokabiel exclaimed, his earlier frustration gone as he leered at Shirou approvingly "I don't know what trickery you worked on that spear boy," he called out, raising his hands over his head as multiple pinpoints of light forming in the air around him "but you were a fool to waste it on little more than a glancing blow!"
"Holy-!" Issei yelped, looking on in horror as countless Spears of Light filled the sky like a fireworks display, the gathered devils diving for cover as best they could, Akeno and Rias grimacing as they tried to scrounge together enough magical energy to erect a barrier, only to blink as the light from on-high was abruptly cut off by a shadow, prompting them to look up once more.
"I Have Created Over A Thousand Blades."
Swords, axes, spears, an arsenal of weapons, each of peerless quality hovered in the air between them and Kokabiel's Holy Spears. While they had seen Shirou perform a similar feet earlier during the one-sided duel against Freed, the sheer number of blades hovering overhead totally dwarfed said feat to the point that the sheer multitude of blades seemed to blot out the sky.
"Magnificent..." Kokabiel marveled, his voice snapping the onlookers out of their shock, the Fallen Star of God gazing down at the wall of weapons in wonderment "I see now why Azazel is so fascinated with your species..." he noted, only to grin ferally as he snapped his fingers launching the spears at the redhead "Show me more!"
In response to the challenge, Shirou merely raised a hand in the air, his allies looking on in wonderment as the wall of blades between them and the Spears of Light shifted, turning heavenwards as if to challenge Kokabiel's own barrage of Holy Spears. Then Shirou brought his hand down like an executioner's axe and the wall of steel surged upwards to intercept the falling rain of light.
There were no words to describe the sound as the the Fallen Star of God's Spears of Holy Light collided with the Wall of Steel summoned by Emiya Shirou. So great was it that even though they were physically unharmed, the Devils and Xenovia found themselves dropping to the ground in agony in a feeble attempt to shield their ears from the cacophony of erupting explosions that seemed great enough to shatter the world.
And above it all, impossibly, they heard the sound of Kokabiel's enthusiastic laughter.
"Impressive!" Kokabiel proclaimed, the Fallen's features flush with the joy of battle despite the increasingly ragged state of his attire, the light in his eyes a cross between the manic blood-lust of a berserker and the joyful wonder of a child at an amusement park as he he deflected the smaller weapons that managed to slip through his barrage with his wings and swords even as Shirou masterfully deflected his Holy Spears with a crimson spear that shattered them at the slightest touch, though a few crashed into the ground around him, kicking up a dust cloud "I haven't felt this alive in centuries human! Show me more of what you can do!"
As if to answer the Fallen's challenge, a light began to shine from deep within the cloud of dust that had formed around Shirou's last known location. Kokabiel, taking this as a sign of his opponent's location, summoned a giant Spear of Light, easily twice the size of the one used to destroy the Gym even as the dust parted to reveal Shirou crouched below, a strange black Bow in hand as he notched a drill-like arrow back.
No. Not an arrow. Even from this distance, Kokabiel could tell that what the redhead held in his hands was clearly a sword. And not only that, a Demonic Sword whose Curse was even more potent than the Golden Spears from earlier. So potent, in fact, that he could sense it's malevolence from
"My Core is twisted in Madness…" the redhead intoned, his Ochre eyes locked onto Kokabiel's crimson ones as he let his 'arrow' fly even as the Fallen launched his Spear of Light from on high "CALADBOLG!"
Caladbolg, the legendary Demonic Sword wielded by the Irish Hero Fergus mac Róich, King of Ulster and Foster-Father of Ulster's Child of Light, Setanta, the same child who would one day come to be known as the Hound of Ulster, Cu Chulainn. The prototype of Sir Gawain's Galatine, it was a sword of Light despite being a Demonic Sword, with enough power to cleave through three mountains with a single swing, making it the Irish Equivalent of Excalibur at least in terms of attack power.
Shirou didn't know when Archer had stumbled across such a relic, more than likely he'd simply run into Fergus himself as a Heroic Spirit and had added the King's sword to his repertoire. In any case, the sword the Faker had traced now was not the original, but a bastardization that Archer had redesigned in order to make it more aerodynamic, the Counter Guardian preferring to employ the Spiral Sword's incredible penetrating power as an Arrow rather than a blade.
Once fired, the blade coiled into a spiral, twisting and distorting space around it, causing the air and dust around the Faker to be sucked up in its wake due to the resulting vacuum. Even Kokabiel's Spear of Light was not exempt, the two projectiles missing one another by a hair, only for the Fallen's weapon to be knocked off course by the distortion, spiraling out of control before crashing into the ground far away from the battlefield while Shirou's continued on unabated.
There would be no blocking this. Unlike Rias Gremoy's Power of Destruction, which was designed to destroy, this was an attack specifically designed to pierce any defense and rend what lay behind it to shreds.
Realizing this, Kokabiel didn't even bother to bluff, the Fallen simply hurled himself to the side in a misguided attempt to dodge the blade, only for his eyes to widen in horror as he found himself caught in the distortion left in its passing, his screams as the right side of his body was simultaneously twisted and shredded echoing over the battlefield.
Following Caladbolg's explosion...
"Jesus…" Xenovia whispered, unable to help the unintentional blasphemy as she crossed herself, looking on in wonderment as Kokabiel's body crashed to the ground, the wings on his right side simply gone "To think he had something like that up his sleeves…"
While the Church typically didn't care for legends outside their own faith, they at least kept track of any potential threats that might arise, and as an Excalibur-Class Demonic Sword wielded by a Pagan 'Hero', Caladbolg held pride of place at the top of the list.
In truth, Xenovia had never truly put much truck in such legends. After all, how could a Demonic Sword possibly hope to match a sword forged by the One True God? Even after learning the truth behind the 'Excalibur' swords, she had simply seen it as proof that nothing could compete with the genuine articles, like Durandal.
Such thoughts were rendered moot the moment Emiya let his arrow fly. If that was the power of a 'mere imitation', then she shuddered to think what the genuine article could do.
"Way to go, Emiya!" Issei yelled, pumping a fist energetically only to gape as Kokabiel slowly began to push himself to his feet "Oh come on! What the hell do we have to do to bring him down?!"
"More than you can imagine, Red Dragon Emperor." The Fallen growled, his voice, once so arrogant and proud, wracked with pain and anger as he glared murderously at Shirou, I'll admit, that last one surprised me, heathen," he acknowledged, raising his good hand in the air as countless Spears of Light formed overhead "But don't think for a moment I'll let you fire off another one-!"
"Sacrificing Everything…Gaining Nothing."
The only warning Kokabiel had that something was coming was the rattling of chains, the Fallen Star of God's eyes widening as he found himself unable to move, his entire body bound by countless lengths of chain, the Spears of Light vanishing as his power was suddenly cut off against his will.
"What the Devil?!" he demanded, grimacing in agony as the chains bound his mauled right arm to his equally wounded side, the muscles in his neck bulging as he struggled to move his left arm, locked in place overhead "What is this!? Why can't I summon my power?!"
"Don't bother." Shirou called out, his voice unnervingly calm, his clenched left hand extended towards the downed Fallen "Those are the chains used by Gilgamesh and Enkidu to bind Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven that brought Seven Years of Famine to Ancient Babylon. As an Anti-Divine weapon forged with the express purpose of 'Binding the Gods', their strength increases in relation to the Divinity of the opponent."
"A weapon that can bind even Gods?" Rias breathed, her eyes wide with disbelief, having never heard of such a thing. Even the Original Satans, for all their considerable power, could not match the power of The Almighty on their own. Indeed, it was this very fact that forced them to cooperate in the first place, a rarity among devils at the time.
There certainly existed weapons that could kill gods, the prime example being the True Longinus, the Spear of Destiny itself, forged by the Almighty with the express intent of killing other Gods and Buddhas, though in the end it wound up being used against Christ. But for a weapon to exist that could not only bind Gods, but strip them of their power and bring them down to the level of mere mortals?
No such Sacred Gear existed. Nothing even remotely close to such a weapon had ever been mentioned during the war of the three factions. And yet, as if to spite that fact, there Kokabiel stood, the Fallen Star of God, once one of the highest ranking Angels in Heaven, unable to break free from a chain that, by all rights, shouldn't exist.
"Don't bother wasting your strength." Shirou called out, his eyes cold as he watched the Fallen struggle helpless in his constraints "Herakles himself couldn't break those chains despite being only a Demigod. As a Fallen Angel created by the Biblical God, I'd say your Divinity ranks considerably higher, meaning the Chains are even stronger than the ones used to bind him."
"You wretch!" Kokabiel snarled, glaring at the redhead with hatred in his eyes as he nonetheless struggled to break free from his prison "So this was your plan all along! You're going to hold me here until Sirzechs arrives to finish me off!"
"No." Shirou countered, his expression cold as he matched gazes with the Fallen "While it would certainly be easier for me to do so, I have no intention of relying on the power of a Satan." His eyes narrowed at Kokabiel's look of surprise "Humans may not need God in order to survive, but that doesn't mean they should rely on the likes of Devils or Angels either." He clenched his right hand "In the end, that which destroys a monster must always be a human…otherwise there's no meaning to it."
"So you're going to cut me down while I'm trapped like this, is that it?" Kokabiel sneered, his tone mocking even as he resumed his struggles to break free "How very cowardly of you, human."
"You're right, it is cowardly." Shirou acknowledged, his tone accepting, as if he'd long since made peace with such knowledge "The fact of the matter is, compared to the likes of Gods or Devils, humans are weak. Our lifespans measure barely into a century even with modern medicine, and those of us who walk the path of the Magi have death as our constant companion."
"But you see, Kokabiel, it's because humans are weak, that we come to value heroes." He clenched his right hand "Those who aren't afraid the stand against the will of Gods, those who can outsmart the cunning Devils, overpower the strongest monsters and slay the fiercest of Dragons."
"So you think yourself a hero, boy?" Kokabiel sneered, his tone mocking even a he continued to struggle against the Chains of Heaven "In that case, why not release these chains and fight me man to man, as you did before?"
"There are many definitions of a Hero, Kokabiel." Shirou countered, his expression unreadable "For every paragon of chivalry that faces their enemy head on, there will always be the rogue who employs poisoned arrows."
He smiled wanly, a sad, longing smile that caused even Kokabiel to blink at its fragile beauty.
"In the end, a Hero is simply 'Someone Who Kills Monsters'," Shirou proclaimed, even as a golden light filled his hands "so why nit-pick over how they get the job done?"
Play: FitnessGlo - Time Bomb.
Judging the concept of creation…
From its inception, it had been used to determine the One True King.
Hypothesizing the Basic Structure…
A Long-sword embroidered with Blue and Gold, the runes along the blade denote its purpose.
Duplicating the Composite Materials…
Only the Finest Steel could bear such majesty, passed down from antiquity.
Imitating the Production Process…
Descended from the Sword of the Sun, it burned all that opposed it in brilliant light.
Sympathizing with the Experience of its Growth…
From the moment it was drawn, those it chose ascended beyond mere mortality
Reproducing the accumulated years…
From Ancient Babylon to Northern Europe, it eventually found its way to a stone in Briton,
Excelling every manufacturing process…
It was the Holy Sword which bestowed the Divine Right of Kingship on those deemed worthy. Though forever lost, those who aspire to glory still seek The Golden Sword of Victory…
As Xenovia and the Devils looked on in wonderment, the light in Shirou's hands intensified to the point it resembled the morning sun. As Devils, those who were most at home in the darkness, such intense light should have weakened them, to say nothing of the effect of the Holy Aura on their injured forms. And yet, for some reason none of them could fathom, they found themselves unable to avert heir eyes, drawn to it not like moths to a flame, but rather a lost child upon finding its mother.
This was not a 'Sword of God' but rather a 'Sword of Man'. While it was a Holy Sword of the highest calibre, it had only ever been meant for the hands of mankind. As such, it could never be used to harm an innocent, regardless of their race, nor would it allow itself to be used to commit an ignoble act. Indeed, the last time someone had attempted to do so, the Blade had failed them and been forever lost.
It was a sword that should not exist, COULD not exist anymore. A dream of a bygone age that, once forgotten, could never be viewed again no matter how the heart may yearn for it. And yet here it shone, as bright as the day it was forged. Drawn from the Hill of Swords that rested within his soul, The Golden Sword that Chooses the King shone brightly in Shirou's hand.
"It can't be…" Kiba breathed, the Gremory Knight dropping to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes unchecked as he gazed uncomprehendingly at the sight before him, his heart swelling with emotions he thought he'd long-since buried along with his comrades "I…wanted to destroy that…?"
It was unthinkable. Such a sword should never have been destroyed. Indeed, gazing upon it, he could actually understand Valper Galilei's mad obsession with re-forging it, and why his friends bore no grudge against the man despite being sacrificed for his mad ambition.
"That light…" Kokabiel whispered, the Fallen's struggles ceasing as he gazed reverently at the sight of the Golden Sword held in Shirou's hands, the expression on his face one of wonderment, almost longing "it cannot be…this cannot be real…"
"In a sense you are right." Shirou admitted, his tone almost sad as he raised the sword "Even at my best, this is but a pale imitation of the real thing…" his eyes hardened as he firmed the resolve "Even so, there's no law saying a copy can't surpass the original."
He braced himself, teeth clenching and hair spiking up as he pumped every last drop of Prana he had into the blade, the Golden Sword of Victory shining ever brighter even as the chains holding Kokabiel shattered as the Prana manifesting them was diverted.
It would have been so easy for the Fallen to attack at that moment. Even wounded as he was, it wouldn't have taken a second for him to summon a Spear or Sword of Light to impale the Faker before him, before turning his attention to the Devils littering the grounds behind them.
But Kokabiel did not move. No, the Fallen Star of God merely knelt before that impossible sword, tears streaming from his eyes as he found himself unable to look away from the Divine Light that had anointed Humanity's most Beloved King, the same light from which he had been born untold Millennia ago, only to turn his back on it, unable to compare to its radiance.
"Father…" he croaked, his features filled with an almost childish innocence and longing as he reached out with his one good hand as if to touch some ever-distant figure only he could see deep within the glow "Oh Father…Forgive me…"
"CALIBURN!" Shirou roared, the Golden Sword of Victory shining like a miniature sun in his hands as he brought it down on the Fallen Star of God, Kokabiel's form vanishing under the intense pillar of light that burned all in its path, blinding all those watching from the sidelines with its intensity.
As such, none but Shirou saw as, just before he was swallowed by the light, Kokabiel's face relaxed into a wondrous, beautiful smile, the years of bitterness, resentment and pain that had warped him in life falling away to be replaced by almost childish innocence. Nor did they hear the words the Fallen whispered, so soft as to be non-existent over the roar of Caliburn's cleansing light.
"Thank you."
As the light fades...
"Is…Is it over?" Issei whispered, the pawn raising his head hesitantly, Asia blinking in concern from her spot in the Pawn's arms, Issei having leapt to cover her with his body the moment Shirou had pulled…whatever the hell that was out of his ass.
"I think so…" Akeno opined, the normally confident Queen's tone laced with uncertainty as she gazed through the dust that had arisen following the flash of light "I can't sense Kokabiel's presence anymore…it's just…gone."
"I don't believe it…" Rias breathed, the Gremory heiress rendered speechless as she allowed a concerned Akeno help her to her feet "He actually managed to defeat Kokabiel…?"
"As hesitant as I am to say it, that would appear to be the case…" Xenovia confirmed, the exorcist likewise rising to her feet, using Durandal as a prop "So…that's the true power of Caliburn…" she noted, shivering with reverent apprehension "I've never sensed a Holy Aura of that magnitude before…even Durandal's doesn't even come close, though admittedly I've yet to fully master it."
"I think you and Sona had best give up on this one, Rias." Akeno teased, though her voice trembled slightly despite her amusement "Even if it were possible, I don't think even combining your Knight pieces will be enough."
"I highly doubt he's worth THAT much, Akeno." Rias countered with a huff, though she sounded uncertain even as she said it "Remember, he was only able to pull that off because Issei used his 'gift' to transfer the Dragon's power to him."
'Yeah! That's right!' Issei cheered, primping himself up at his King's words 'Emiya only managed to take Kokabiel down because I helped him! Hell, if the guy hadn't beaten me to the punch, I'd have clobbered that damned Fallen myself!"
"Look-!" Asia exclaimed, the Bishop's friend following her direction just in time to see Shirou's back emerge from the dust cloud, the Faker leaning on his sword, clearly spent from that last attack.
"Yo! Emiya!" Issei called out, jogging towards the Faker confidently "Nice going man! You nailed that chicken-shit fallen but good!" he paused at the redhead's lack of response "Emiya? Hey, you okay man?" he reached out to grab his shoulder "Answer me dammit!"
HIS BODY IS MADE OF SWORDS!
"What the hell?!" he yelped, recoiling sharply from the contact, his eyes widening in alarm as the golden sword in the redhead's hand shattered as he doubled over with a cry of agony "Hey, Emiya-!" he called, only to blanch in terror as something burst out of the redhead's back.
Blades, as the horrified Devils & Xenovia looked on, countless blades erupted from every inch of the redhead's flesh as if they were buried under his skin, extending and interlocking in a manner not dissimilar to what Issei recalled of Ddraig's Scales the first time the Dragon had invaded his dreams.
Unlike his partner, however, these scales weren't meant to protect Emiya's innards, evidenced by the blood which marred their impeccable sheen, a sizable puddle forming on the ground where Shirou had fallen.
"Emiya-kun!" Rias called out, the King rushing over on unsteady legs to kneel beside her fallen comrade in concern, her features blanching as she realized the full extent of the damage to his body "Asia…Asia hurry!"
"Y-Yes!" the terrified Bishop stammered, crouching down next to the still form of their friend, eyes wide with concern as she placed her hands over his chest, hesitant to touch him due to the blades emerging from his skin."I-It's no good!" she whimpered, her eyes filling with tears "The swords keep coming even as I heal him! It's almost as if his entire body is turning into swords!"
Iron Is His Blood…
"Not ALL of him, it would seem." Akeno noted, the thunder priestess' eyes locked onto the redhead's left arm that, until now, had been covered by the Holy Shroud. Now that the cloth was gone, however, it was quite clear that the limb was vastly different from the rest of the Faker's body, not only because it was larger, more developed and had a different skin tone, but because it was giving off a tremendous amount of magical power.
"I think this is the cause of Emiya-kun's situation…" Akeno mused thoughtfully, running her fingers over the toned muscle of the limb "I can't be certain, but I believe it's similar to when Issei sacrificed his left arm to the Dragon."
"Can you do anything, Akeno?" Rias wondered, looking on in confusion as her Queen knelt beside the Magus, taking his left hand in both her own as she probed it with her own magic.
And Glass Is His Heart
"Impossible…" she breathed, her eyes widening as she grasped the limb's true nature "This isn't anything like Issei-kun's arm…his limb hasn't been transformed because this isn't his limb to begin with…I don't know how or why, but someone actually managed to attach the arm of a Spiritual Entity to Emiya-kun's soul."
"Is that even possible?" Xenovia demanded, the group gaping at the Queen in alarm even as Asia struggled to heal the unconscious magus' wounds even as more and more blades punched through his skin.
"By all rights it shouldn't," Akeno assured the Catholic "Spiritual entities can't interact with physical ones save through possession, yet somehow, the arm is able to manifest itself by using Emiya-kun's soul as an anchor." Her eyes narrowed in concern "The downside is that while Emiya can draw upon its power, doing so seems to allow it to invade his body to try and convert it."
"That must be what the Shroud was for." Xenovia deduced, eyeing the red cloth wrapped around the teen's wrist reverently "It must halt the spread of the infection or even seal it away completely." She shivered apprehensively "He did mention there'd be a price for removing it…but I never imagined it would be something like this!"
"Can you halt the encroachment like you did with Issei, Akeno?" Rias asked, only to curse as the despondent Queen shook her head "Damn it! If only we had some Phoenix Tears…"
"Don't give up yet!" Issei urged, placing his armoured hand over Asia's as his gauntlet lit up again, transferring his power to her Twilight Healing "Come on Emiya, open your eyes dammit!"
He Survived Through Countless Battles.
As if in response to the Pawn's words, Shirou's eyes fluttered before slowly cracking open, the golden orbs gazing unseeingly at the sky above, "Issei…that you?"
"Save your strength." Rias urged, supporting the Magus' head on her lap while a frantic Asia did her best to try and heal his wounds "My brother's reinforcements should be here any minute! Just save your strength and try to hold out until then!"
Never Retreating...
"Gremory...Sempai…?" Shirou murmured, tilting his head back to look at her only to break out into harsh, wracking coughs, the Devil's eyes widening as blood stained his lips one ochre eye shutting from the strain "Are…are the others…alright?"
"We're fine, Emiya-kun." Akeno assured him, his left hand clasped to her bosom as she continued to try and reduce the excess power pouring into his body from the arm as best she could "Though I can't say the same for Kokabiel…"
"I'll say!" Issei agreed, grinning down at the redhead, all enmity forgotten as he tried to psych him up "There wasn't anything left of that bastard to bury in a matchbox! You really stole the show, you damned handsome!"
"Then…everyone…made it out...alive?" Shirou asked, his tone almost hesitant, as if hardly daring to believe, the others slowly chiming in to confirm their continued existence.
Then he smiled. A beautiful, wondrous smile that seemed to emanate from the bottom of his heart, tears of gratitude forming in his eyes as gazed upon them all with unseeing eyes. To Issei, who up till now had only recently come to grudgingly respect the redhead, it seemed as if he was thanking them. As if by saving them, they had somehow saved him.
Yet Never Victorious.
And in that instant, Issei knew that he would never see that smile again. That in the next moment, those golden eyes would lose their lustre, and the Man behind them would be lost forever.
"Hey! Stay with me, Emiya!" he barked, tears streaming from his face as he gripped the redhead's collar tightly "Open your eyes damn it! You don't get to just die like that! I still haven't paid you back for my nose dammit!"
"Emiya-kun…" Kiba muttered, his expression grim even as Xenovia gripped her crucifix, torn between her desire to offer a prayer to their comrade and her knowledge that there was no point in doing so. After all, how could she beg God for assistance when he'd been dead for centuries? "Rias-Buchou," the knight called out "Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Don't you think I tried, Yuuto?" Rias muttered grimly, holding up her remaining Rook and Knight pieces, which she'd apparently been attempting to place into the Faker's chest "Neither of them reacted…either he's worth more than a single Rook or Knight…or he's too-far gone to be revived."
"Well that certainly won't do." A voice declared from above, the group tensing as they glanced upwards just in time for a blue light to shatter the barrier around the Academy, their eyes widening as a figure on eight wings of blue light, his form clad in white plate armour inlaid with several blue gems, descended from on high "I can't have someone so interesting die before I've had a chance to fight him."
Figured I'd get this out as thanks for some of the advice people gave me regarding power-leveling.
Did you guys like the fight? Did you like the ending? Originally I was planning to just 'Gae Bolg' Kokabiel to a wall but I figured that'd be way too easy...and there's no way in hell Kokabiel would just stand still long enough for Shirou to activate 'Impaling Barbed Death', especially considering how even humans can sense the spear's malevolence when active.
Still ending on another cliffhanger, but I'm sure the fans out there can guess who showed up right?
In any case, I figured now's a good enough time as any to answer a few questions.
The Artificial Phantasm/Archer's Arm: Isn't going anywhere. It's bound to Shirou's soul for crying out loud and due to the unique nature of their existence you couldn't even begin to separate them if you tried. As a result, while Shirou's skills will eventually develop to the point he won't need the arm, he will eventually begin taking on more of the Counter Guardian's traits and mannerisms.
In short, his existence will become something similar to Saber's, a being who belongs in the Throne of Heroes yet isn't due to a technicality. In Saber's case, she entered into a contract with the world to seek the Holy Grail. Even in Fate Route, where Shirou convinces her to put her desire aside, thus negating the contract, she is taken to Avalon after her death, thus sparing 'that' version of Saber from the Throne of Heroes.
In the case of Shirou/EMIYA, despite their contract with Alaya essentially perverting their ideal, there is little doubt that EMIYA is indeed worthy of ascending to the Throne of Heroes based on his skills alone, a rarity for a magus from the modern age. However, unlike Saber, whose contract was negated unfulfilled, EMIYA is not so lucky in that the only way for him to be freed from the Counter-Force is if people learn his true name & come to revere him as a Hero.
In short, Fake x Fate isn't just about Shirou finding a new lease on life after having virtually everything he valued torn from him. It's about Shirou slowly developing into an existence that surpasses that of the 'Counter Guardian Emiya' to become the true 'Heroic Spirit Emiya Shirou', not out of any childish ideal to become a Hero like before, but simply because he cannot sit back and ignore the chaos that's going on around him.
Shirou's Humanity: A lot of people have been asking me if I intend to have Shirou join a peerage or become some other form of Magical entity like an Angel or a Dragon of all things. Let me be the first to say that Shirou will remain 100% a Sword.
Lol, I kid I kid, but in all honesty Shirou will remain human, though he will receive a few tempting offers down the line.
Shirou's Magecraft: Will eventually grow to surpass that of EMIYA, both in terms of skill and due to the reduced limitations of the DxD world. Since the Gods are still faffing about, albeit in a reduced capacity, Gaia hasn't seen the need to develop a consciousness, though it might not be the same for Alaya since Humanity's drive to survive is pretty much universal. That being said, weapons like Ea & Excalibur remain beyond him.
Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna gonna go make sure Gehrman gets a decent night's sleep again.
*Bows to the Doll before marching over to kneel before the Hunter's Nightmare Tombstone*
