Hey, I'm back!
God its been a rough two weeks. I'm having finals, been studying my ass off while doing part time work. Just finished half of my finals, and I have a one day break.
Here I find myself finishing up the chapter.
But I can't believe in a month, we're at 500 favs and followers. Let's keep it going!
Digitalreaper360, oh he'll bring more than just headaches. I had a wild idea of including Tsumugari Muramasa in this story, but that'll throw the whole balance out of whack, more so than it already is.
csjoel74, codywhite162, Ryu wolf, Epicn't, NovaSudana, thanks dudes, we'll probably see more omakes, I might make it a regular thing from now on.
Victorius 435, hehe, I think you'll be seeing that soon.
Kanon, if I were to summon another KotRT, given its Saber, only Gawain, Lancelot and Bedi would be viable. But it's been established that Lancelot would lean more towards Berserker. So Mordred it is. I was honestly debating on Gawain or Arthur Proto, or even Muramasa the last one just for fun. It was really a hard choice between Arthur Proto and Mordred.
Nero would've thrown the story into pure comedy, and Siegfried was more of a passing thought. But glad you liked the conversation between Maid Alter and Shirou.
SentinalSlice, Sakura not going Dark Sakura is because of Medusa and Mordred. I feel having the two there would be good enough to keep her just from going over the edge. As for Mordred fighting Artoria fairly, I would argue that she sees Arthur not having all of her weapons as still a fair fight, but having a third party actively hindering either side is not acceptable.
Logic's a Product of Insanity, TheEmeraldMage, Accel Breaker, Luckenhaft,I didn't go for Richard because I am not familiar with Strange Fake yet. Not too familiar. I have nothing to base on for Richard, except for the novel which I have yet to read. But having Mordred here definitely will make writing the future chapters more interesting. We will definitely see Mordred and the seven Artorias and Shirou interacting.
Nameless, there are seven Servants for Shirou. All of which are versions of Artoria. We will probably have omakes of Ishtar, Eresh and perhaps Illya and Miyu once we get to Illya's part of the story.
monkiepawn, Shirou being passive is because he isn't out to win the war, just prevent the fire ten years ago. His motives are within the war, not through winning it. The limit is something I have accounted for, but for now, he has enough prana.
Exodus12345, Toa Solaric, to Shirou not summoning his Servants with a command seal, anyone of them could do it. But Kuzuki wouldn't allow them, perhaps I should have put that in to the narrative. My bad...
Torukeru, yes, Rin will be having more of a friendship with Shirou, if I legit have to add in another girl that is not Artoria, it'll be Sakura. But at the moment, the story will end at the 5th HGW. I don't have any plans to continue past that at the moment.
sUbSoNiCSoundwave, I wouldn't say Rin is seething knowing Sakura is extra Saber's Master, but we'll get to that. As for Shinji, yes.
gabedane, in canon? No idea, I'd say simply cuz Archer EMIYA doesn't know everything either.
Gur40goku, glad you liked it, and we'll eventually see more omakes.
Sonic2610, we'll probably see a Kama omake sometime.
Ksatria Pradana, I tend to not do two fics of the same category twice. The next one probably won't be a Fate one once I finish this.
Cookie Sharter, well I can't please everyone. I'm honestly simply just writing what I have in mind. I'm not perfect in planning out stuff either. But my reasoning to your review is the Blood Fort Andromeda, strengthened by Medea. A massive debuff on that scale would lower their resistance to allow Medea to teleport them, if just barely.
CursedGenesis, I try to keep characters true to their personalities, but I'm not the best either. So do expect some OOC. I will admit the plot is progressing a bit fast too, but it's probably because I'm following a bare basic outline while adding in my own tweaks. This story probably won't be as long as my other ones too.
So yes, here's the newest chapter.
XXX
As Shirou traded blows with Souichiro, the Servants were all separated in random corners of the school.
Heroine X found herself surrounded by a battalion of Dragon Tooth Warriors, and she easily spotted her wayward son near her.
Mordred growled, "What the fuck is going on?!"
The not-Saber scowled, "Are you blind, Mordred? We've been separated from our Masters. Shirou's not using a Command Spell, so he should be fine."
The boastful blonde blinked, "Shirou? Who the fuck is Shirou?"
Heroine X summoned the second blade of the X-Calibur, "That is none of your business!"
The Assassin dashed forward, her blades slicing through multiple Dragon Tooth Warriors in a swing.
Mordred grumbled, "Fuck it!"
She too dashed forward, lightning dancing around Clarent's blade as she mowed down a handful of Dragon Tooth Warriors.
The pair of 'father' and 'son' easily destroyed the wave of Dragon Tooth Warriors, only for another to appear.
Heroine X smirked when she saw the second wave, "Oh, quite the welcome we've got here."
Mordred furrowed her brows as she slashed down another Dragon Tooth Warrior, 'What the hell going on?'
She was absolutely positive that the blonde Assassin was her father, but Heroine X was simply way too different from what Mordred remembered.
King Arthur had never been so... competitive, for the lack of a better word.
It was weird, but strangely refreshing too.
As the Assassin slashed down another Dragon Tooth Warrior, Mordred kicked down another, "Heh, that's 20."
The Knight of Treachery could've sword she saw Heroine X's ahoge twitch, before the Assassin vanished, before a handful of Dragon Tooth Warriors fell apart.
Heroine X reappeared before Mordred, a smirk on her face, "That's 30."
Mordred blinked, before a smirk plastered itself on her face, "Oh you're so going down."
Assassin snarked, "Try me bitch."
Lightning crackled around Mordred, a murderous smirk on her face, "Heh."
Heroine X unleashed a Mana Burst, before the pair vanished in a burst of speed, the air visibly shaking from the amount of power they were letting out.
The pair swung their swords like there was no tomorrow, and the Dragon Tooth familiars all crumbled to dust in their wake.
To the untrained naked eye, all they would see was a streak of blue and red lightning dancing around the room as the Dragon Tooth Warriors all fell apart.
Soon, the room was empty save for the pair, and Mordred smirked, "Heh, that was 54."
Heroine X sheathed her dark copy of the X-Calibur, "Hmph, it is my victory then."
The boastful blonde blinked, "Huh?"
The Assassin smirked, "56."
Mordred gaped, before she grumbled, "As expected of father, I suppose."
Heroine X snorted in triumph, before she pointed her sword at Mordred, "Now, it's your turn, you delinquent son of mine!"
The Knight of Betrayal blinked, before she smirked, "Thought you'd never ask."
She brandished the Clarent, only for the Assassin to blink, before lowering her sword, "Nah, we can fight later, we need to find Shirou and the others."
Mordred blinked, and she blinked again, "HUH?!"
Heroine X turned away from her wayward son, "Sakura is a dear friend of my Master, so I suppose it would be good to help her as well."
The knight of red scratched her head in confusion, "Wait!"
The Assassin turned to glance at Mordred, "What?"
Mordred furrowed her brows, "What about our fight?"
Heroine X raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you want to fight here? Now? You're better than that, Mordred."
The knight of treachery opened her mouth, closed it, before she cried out, "But you were the one who brought it up!"
The Assassin snorted, "And? Come on, I believe in Shirou, but better safe than sorry. Plus, I don't want my other selves to get one up on me again, especially that busty bimbo of a Lancer."
Mordred sweatdropped, not knowing what to make of her father insulting Lancer, who was essentially herself.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Lancer Artoria, Archer Artoria, Caster Artoria and Archer himself were in the archery building.
Archer hummed in nostalgia as he took in the sight of the archery club. Well, as much as he could considering the amount of Dragon Tooth Warriors, Dogs and Crocodiles.
Archer Artoria glanced at her fellow Archer, "Archer, can you fight?"
The white haired man sighed, "Unfortunately, my arms are shot. I don't believe I will be of much assistance."
Caster Artoria hummed, before she held Chastiefol in her hands, the staff glowing slightly, "I'm not the best at healing magecraft, but hopefully this will get you by."
A small sphere appeared in her hands, and she chucked it at Archer, who managed to catch it despite his weak arms.
The man blinked, "What is this?"
Caster Artoria smiled innocently, "It'll help your arms, Shirou."
Archer stiffened, but before he could respond, the sphere exploded, much to his shock.
The dust cloud quickly subsided, and Archer yelled, "What the hell woman?! Do you want to kill me?!"
Caster Artoria held back her laughter, something mirrored by her alternate selves, until the white haired man blinked as he realized his arms were healed, "Huh?"
The magus King of Britain smiled, "I mainly specialize in combat and burglary magecraft, but it also happens I can create items of decent quality. Fortunately that includes healing items, but they're limited to bombs and holy swords."
Archer sighed, "Give me a warning next time, please."
Lancer Artoria smiled in amusement, "As amusing as it is to see Caster's creations blow you up, it would seem that explosion caught their attention."
The two looked around to see the Dragon Tooth summons all surround them, and Archer scowled, "Dammit Caster..."
Archer Artoria fired her water gun, striking down more of the Dragon Tooth Warriors, "Which one?"
The alternate version of their Master growled as he fired a handful of arrows from his bow, taking down several Dragon Tooth Dogs.
Lancer Artoria dashed forward, swinging Rhongomyniad in a wide arc as the lance of the world smashed through the hordes of skeleton summons.
The Lancer took a short breath, as she pumped her spear full of energy, before thrusting it out.
In response, Rhongomyniad unleashed a concentrated blast of energy that tore through a dozen Dragon Tooth Bowmen.
As for Caster Artoria, the twin tailed blonde waved Chastiefol in the air, unleashing circular blades of energy that tore through more of the Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Archer scowled as he swapped his bow for Kanshou and Bakuya, slicing through a Dragon Tooth Crocodile, "This is getting nowhere."
Lancer Artoria nodded, "It would seem as long as there are any of them remaining, more will come forth."
Caster Artoria narrowed her eyes, "I see the source of it all, its a small magic circle over there."
Both Archers glanced over to where the Caster was looking at, and they quickly spotted the faint glow of the magic circle embedded on the wall.
Archer thinned his lips, "... If you can clear a path for me, I can end this."
Archer Artoria nodded, "Consider it done."
Lancer Artoria too nodded as she brandished her spear.
The swimsuit incarnation of King Arthur leaped up into the air, something mirrored by her older self, "Now, it's time for swimming!"
Her sudden yell caught her fellow Archer off guard, but he ignored it as he felt the sudden increase in prana, deciding to summon his own bow instead.
That which skipped across the surface of the water is the Sword of Victory.
It was a Noble Phantasm made possible by the blessing of the Lady of the Lake.
A Noble Phantasm wielded only by the Champion of the Water Blitz Competition.
Archer Artoria roared out as she pulled the trigger, "Excalibur... VIVIANNN!"
At the same time, Lancer Artoria let loose a giant burst of prana from her spear, and the two blasts both struck the ground, resulting in a giant explosion of water and energy.
Nothing remained of the army in the building.
At the same time, it also cleared up a straight path for Archer.
The white haired man summoned a simple dagger, the very same dagger Medea had wielded mere moments prior.
The Archer took a breath, "Trace...on."
The ceremonial dagger glowed, before changing into an arrow, and the man drew his arm back, loading the arrow onto the bow.
"Rule Breaker."
He let the arrow loose, and the altered blade struck the magic circle straight in the center, immediately stopping the summoning sequence.
In an instant, the four Servants felt their surroundings change, as if a certain pressure had suddenly lifted.
Lancer Artoria nodded as she lowered Rhongomyniad, "Alright, let's get moving."
No one objected, and they turned for the main building.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Saber Artoria, Rider Artoria and X Alter found themselves in the field, surrounding by a massive barrier and an army of Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Rider Artoria swapped her pistol for her antimaterial sniper rifle, and she leaped back onto her bike, taking down multiple Dragon Tooth summons with each shot.
As for Saber Artoria and X Alter, the two were dashing through the field, using their respective swords to cut down the Dragon Tooth warriors.
Saber Artoria glanced back at her Rider counterpart, "Using Secace and Excalibur in such a manner..."
She honestly had no idea how to feel about that. It was a viable option, as the Excalibur was a sword she would use to unleash strong bursts of energy in each swing.
Add in Secace, and its normal output would easily overwhelm her own Excalibur in terms of pure power.
Whilst on her bike, which somehow stayed upright despite Rider Artoria having both hands on her gun, the Alter Servant zipped around the field while taking down Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Saber Artoria let a ghost of a smile appear on her face, as she unleashed a Mana Burst, dashing forward as the concealed Excalibur surged with energy.
O wind, dance to my will.
The blonde King skidded to a stop, and she thrust her sword forward, unleashing a strong blast of wind from the Excalibur, "Strike... AIR!"
The power of the Invisible Air wiped out a huge portion of the Dragon Tooth Warriors.
Rider Artoria noticed the display, "Oh, Invisible Air, is it?"
Saber Artoria chuckled, "Yes."
Seeing her two counterparts, X Alter thinned her lips, and her fingers crackled with lightning, before the Berserker unleashed a large blast of lightning that took down almost twice the amount Saber Artoria had defeated.
The two looked at their Berserker counterpart, who had a satisfied expression on her face.
X Alter smiled, "I win."
The two other counterparts blinked, and Saber Artoria lowered her blade, "I wasn't aware it was a competition?"
The maid counterpart nodded, "Indeed."
X Alter simply smiled, "...I win."
Before the three could continue, they were quickly surrounded by more of the Dragon Tooth Warriors. Saber Artoria thinned her lips, "It would seem Caster isn't planning on letting us rest."
Rider Artoria studied the barrier, "Hmm, how about we unleash all of our Noble Phantasms at once."
X Alter nodded, "Sure."
Saber Artoria blinked, "Wait, can Master even handle it?"
The maid hummed, "True..."
She shared a look with her Berserker counterpart, and the two Alter Servants looked at their 'original' counterpart.
Saber Artoria blinked, "W-what?"
X Alter spoke, "... We've already used our Noble Phantasms once... Your turn."
The 'original' counterpart sweatdropped at that, but the constant clicking sound of the Dragon Tooth Warriors took her attention, "Fine."
She let her prana flow through her body, refocusing back into her sword, and the Invisible Air that concealed her sword vanished, revealing the Excalibur in all its glory.
It gathered the breath of the planet.
A shining torrent of life.
Saber Artoria took a deep breath as she held her sword at her waist, "You might want to dodge this."
Those words were aimed at her counterparts, and they knew better than to ignore the warning.
For the blade was one of the planet.
A golden aura ignited around the Excalibur's blade, and Saber Artoria swung the sword in a wide arc, using her momentum to spin 360, "Ex... CALIBURRRR!"
The one swing sent a large wave energy out at the horde of Dragon Tooth familiars, wiping them out all in one go.
At the same time, the blast blasted through the barrier, leaving nothing behind.
Saber Artoria let out a breath, replacing Invisible Air around her sword, "Let's go."
The two other Servants nodded, and they followed their original counterpart back towards the main school building.
But the moment they started to walk, a voice caught their attention.
"Leaving so soon?"
The three narrowed their eyes when they saw Medea materialise before them.
X Alter lit up her light saber, "... Witch..."
Medea's eyes narrowed, "What did you just say?"
A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, "... Is that not your identity, Witch of Colchis?"
The Caster saw red, "Don't you dare address me with that title!"
She unleashed a dozen magic circles, sending out blasts of magical energy at the trio.
But to her surprise, the blasts of magic simply dispersed, as if hitting an invisible wall.
Medea scowled, "Magic resistance..."
She had let herself grow cocky, given that she had managed to send them away thanks to Blood Fort Andromeda, but it would seem her luck had finally ran out.
Given it was three against one, it wasn't exactly a fair fight either.
But before they continue, the Bounded Field around them suddenly vanished.
Medea's eyes widened, "W-what?!"
"To think you were having such a large party, how impudent of him to have not informed me of this."
The four turned to see the owner of the voice, and Saber Artoria's eyes widened when she saw the mop of blonde hair.
(Linebreak)
Back with Shirou and the others, he was panting, sweat streaking down his face.
But so was Souichirou, and the teacher's hands were sore, stained with his own blood from having to parry and redirect the firm strikes from Kanshou and Bakuya.
Rin, Sakura and Shinji all could only watch in shock as the pair fought like beasts.
The blue haired teen gaped, "H-how are they moving like that?"
Rin furrowed her brows, "Magecraft... Kuzuki-sensei is using Caster's magecraft to boost his abilities, and Emiya-kun is using his own to even the field."
Sakura kept silent, unsure how to feel about Shirou accomplishing such feats. A part of her was proud of him, happy that Shirou wouldn't be killed so easily.
But another part of her, a small part of her felt afraid. Afraid that everything she knew of Emiya Shirou to be a lie.
Afraid that the redhead she'd come to care for, would be someone just like her grandfather.
Shinji, on the other hand, felt betrayed, "But how can someone like him know magecraft?! He's not even-!"
Rin sighed, "Emiya... Surely you should recognise his family name."
The blue haired teen scowled, "How the hell should I know?!"
The twin tailed girl grumbled, "Ugh... You're hopeless... Emiya... That's the family name of the Magus Killer."
Shinji's eyes widened, "M-Magus Killer?! Emiya?!"
It quickly came back to him, and the blue haired teen stared at one of his only true friends, "Emiya... Wait, you mean Emiya Kiritsugu?!"
Rin nodded, "Yes, Emiya-kun is the heir of the Magus Killer."
She shook her head as she corrected herself, "No, looking at what he can do, I'd call him the next coming of the Magus Killer."
Shinji looked at the fight, and sure enough, now that he was aware, he could see why.
Shirou didn't just use magecraft to fight.
No, in addition to his Time Alter and Projection magecraft, Shirou made use of firearms. And despite the fact that he was using Projection to create more guns and bullets, it was an undeniable fact that this wasn't a traditional magus battle.
Rin thinned her lips. Both Kuzuki Souichirou and Emiya Shirou weren't mere magi, if the former could even be considered one.
No, they were combatants that were direct counters for magi.
If herself, Sakura or Shinji were to face any of them, Rin had no doubts they would stand zero chance.
Shirou grunted, "Time Alter: Double Accel."
He sped up, time slowing down around him as he forced his body to duck under Souichirou's punches.
Gritting his teeth, the redhead swapped Kanshou for a Heckler & Koch MP7 through Projection, and he pulled the trigger, unloading a barrage of bullets.
Yet to his surprise, Souichirou managed to swerve to a side just in time to dodge the bullets, a few grazing his shirt, but leaving not so much of a wound on the man's waist.
The Innate Time Control wore off, as Shirou quickly raised Bakuya to block a heavy palm strike from the assassin, sending him skidding back.
The redhead grunted with a smirk, steadying his breathing, "Quite the feat to dodge bullets at point blank."
Souichirou hummed, "I would thank Caster for that. Her... magecraft is rather useful."
The teacher studied the student, before adding, "It would seem yours is rather useful as well, Emiya."
Shirou chuckled, "Thank you for the praise."
The two prepared to continue their bout, only for Archer to suddenly land between them, dashing towards the windows, "Get down!"
Shirou blinked, "Huh?"
His eyes followed the man's figure, something mirrored by Souichirou, and the two failed to notice Mordred, Medusa and Lancer Artoria pulling Sakura and Rin away.
Archer thrust his arm forward, "I am the Bone of My Sword...Rho... AIAS!"
Seven petals burst into life, as Shirou's Structural Analysis activated on instinct, the memories automatically downloading into his mind.
A shield wielded by a hero bearing the same name.
A shield that blocked the legendary spear Durindana.
The petals formed a huge purple flower, as seven transparent shields formed in front of them.
Then, the windows exploded, as hundred upon hundreds of swords, axes and spears rained down on them.
Archer grunted as he held back the barrage, and despite it being only but a short moment, it felt like ages as he withstood the rain of weapons.
Soon, the rain of death ended, and everyone got a clear look at their assailant.
A blonde man standing on a golden air craft scowled as he looked down at the people in the library, "So you blocked my treasures, Faker."
Lancer Artoria thinned her lips as she set Rin down, "King of Heroes."
Gilgamesh spared the busty blonde king a glance, before he glanced back at the ground where Saber Artoria, X Alter and Rider Artoria stood, alongside Medea.
He looked back at the people in the library, looking at Shirou, Rin and Sakura, before glancing at Souichirou, not bothering with the pile of gore that used to be Matou Shinji.
The King of Heroes smirked, "I must say again, quite the party we have here. All we're missing are Assassin, Lancer and Berserker, am I right, Caster?"
Gilgamesh directed that question towards Medea, who narrowed her eyes, "What are you getting at?"
The King of Heroes smirked in amusement, "You seem to be in a pinch, your Bounded Field is gone, you have seven, no, ten Servants against you, not to mention your Master is up against a Faker."
Gilgamesh chuckled darkly, "Rejoice, mongrel, this King of Heroes offers an olive branch."
Medea's features darkened at his words, ready to lash off at any minute, and the blonde king smirked, "What say you, witch of Greece?"
"Do you think we'd let you?!"
Saber Artoria and Heroine X were in the air, and in the blink of an eye, so was Mordred, all three flanking the blonde as they swung their swords at the King of Heroes.
But to their surprise, the Vimana shot upwards, dodging the slashes, and Gilgamesh snorted, "As hasty as ever, aren't we, King of Knights? You would also do well to tie down your mutt."
Mordred growled, "What did you just call me?!"
Lancer Artoria frowned, "What are you playing at?"
Gilgamesh chuckled, "I'm entertaining myself, of course. Watching all of you mess around is entertaining, barely of course."
Archer scowled, "So you plan to make this more interesting by joining in?"
The King of Heroes laughed, "Hardly. But yes, Caster, I shall assist you in this skirmish, but only against the Fakers."
Medea scowled, "You took down my Bounded Field, how do you expect I take on the rest of them?"
Gilgamesh chuckled, "Ah, right. Without the cursed field, you can't fight them at all, can you?"
The blonde King of Uruk smirked, "Then you can at least transfer the Fakers away, can you not?"
The Witch of Colchis furrowed her brows, "Fakers...?"
Gilgamesh chuckled, "Yes, witch. Teleport them along with myself, and I will grant you and your Master my favor for the duration of this war. How about it?"
A disgusted face appeared on the King of Uruk's face, "As much as I despise your kind, I despise the Fakers more. So make your choice, your Master, or the enemy."
Rider Artoria and Medusa moved, "Do you think we'd let you?!"
So did the other Servants, but they were a tad bit too late.
Medea sighed, "Very well, as long as you keep your word."
Gilgamesh scoffed, "A King never goes back on his words."
The witch searched any hint of lies from his eyes, and she found none. Either he was a master of deceit, or he was being truthful.
But at the same time, Medea wasn't blind to the circumstances. Souichirou and herself stood absolutely no chance.
She snapped her fingers, "Very well, I'll hold you to your word."
In an instant, Shirou, Archer and Gilgamesh vanished, and so too did Medea and Souichirou.
The other Servants all looked in shock as the five of them vanished, and Mordred blinked, "W-what the fuck just happened?"
Heroine X snapped her head at her Caster counterpart, "Caster! Find them!"
The twin tailed king already had Chastiefol in her hands, "Already doing it! But I can't find them! Medea must have transported them to her territory."
Heroine X scowled, "Rider! We'll search for them!"
Rider Artoria nodded, summoning her bike, "Got it."
Lancer Artoria too summoned Dun Stallion, "I'll assist as well."
Saber Artoria blinked, "Dun Stallion?!"
The older King of Knights nodded, "We can talk about that later."
With that said, the three vanished in a burst of speed, leaving Saber Artoria, Archer Artoria, X Alter and Caster Artoria with the rest.
Rin scratched her head, "What the hell is going on?"
Caster Artoria glanced at her, "Please refrain from summoning Archer, I am confident in Shirou's ability, but against the King of Heroes, at his current state won't be enough."
The twin tailed girl blinked, "Eh? S-sure, I guess... We do have a cease fire going on."
The alternate King of Britain nodded, "Thank you."
With that said, she turned away, focusing on searching for Shirou. Mordred scowled, "What the hell..."
The boastful Knight looked at her Master, "Master, what do we do?"
Sakura glanced at her hand, as her Command Spells doubled, a thin line splitting each of her Seals into two.
She closed her eyes, understanding what it meant. Shinji was dead, and Medusa was her Servant again now.
The purple haired girl shook her head, "Saber, Rider, help them find Senpai."
Mordred blinked, "H-Hah?!"
Medusa stared at her Master, before she hummed, "Are you sure, Sakura?"
Sakura nodded, "Yes, please."
The purple haired Servant nodded, "Understood."
With that said, she too vanished, and Mordred scratched her head roughly, "What the hell..."
The Knight of Treachery sighed, "I guess I'll help out since you asked."
She vanished into her spiritual form, heading off in a different direction.
As the Servants left, Saber Artoria stared at Sakura, the latter quickly noticing the stare, "I-Is there something wrong?"
Saber Artoria shook her head, "No, I am simply surprised. To have Mordred follow your orders so easily, I just never thought I'd see that again."
The blonde King of Knights glanced at her Caster counterpart, "I'll join the others in searching for Shirou then."
Caster Artoria nodded wordlessly as she expanded her senses.
Archer Artoria glanced at X Alter, "Should we join?"
The Berserker yawned, "... No need... X-san should find Shirou easily... We are too slow..."
The champion of the Blitz Competition sweatdropped, "Okay..."
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, the three found themselves on the Fuyuki Bridge. Gilgamesh hummed as he felt the markings of Medea's territory take effect.
He scoffed, "How nostalgic..."
The blonde King of Uruk turned his attention to Archer and Shirou, "Now, Fakers. Shall we begin? Be warned, if you do not prove yourselves otherwise, I will have your heads."
Archer smirked, "How generous of you, King of Heroes."
Gilgamesh scoffed, "Watch your words, mongrel. You mean nothing, the other Faker, on the other hand, is essential to me. Without him, the Kings of Knights can't remain in this world, after all. I can't claim what belongs to me if he dies."
The white haired Servant chuckled, "So that means you won't kill him."
The King of Heroes smirked, "Why yes, I won't kill him. But I do admit, seeing a fake paroling around is rather... annoying. No, it is downright disgusting. So no, I won't kill him, but I do enjoy watching scum suffer."
Shirou narrowed his eyes at him, "You... the King of Heroes, you're Gilgamesh."
Gilgamesh's smirk fell, "... Who else would I be, fool?"
The redhead furrowed his brows, "You were in the previous war, you shouldn't be here. How?"
The King's lips thinned, "Normally I wouldn't bother, but I shall ignore your ignorance, mongrel."
He hummed, "We do have a bit of time before the Kings of Knights reach us. Out of pity, I shall enlighten you."
Gilgamesh chuckled, "You are a survivor of the fire ten years ago, are you not?"
Shirou scowled, "What does that have to do with you being here?'
The king laughed, "Oh it has everything to do with it. Tell me, are you aware of the end of the war?"
The redhead furrowed his brows, "The Grail went out of control... and it led to the fire."
Gilgamesh smirked, "Indeed. The contents of the Grail were spilt, and I was directly beneath it. By bathing in its contents, I was given a new body."
Archer scowled, "So you mean to say you are reincarnated?"
The blonde king snorted, "In a way, but in the end, my core is still that of a Servant."
Shirou asked, "Was that your wish, King Gilgamesh?"
Gilgamesh breathed out of his nose, "That is none of your business, mongrel. I have indulged in your ignorance long enough, and you have exhausted my generosity, mongrels."
Countless portals appeared around them, and the king smirked, "Now, let us begin. Fakers, do you think you can keep up?"
Past and future, the two men stood beside each other, they shared a nod, and their magical circuits flared.
"Trace... on!"
Married blades formed in their hands, and the weapons around them shot at them, bringing up a huge cloud of dust.
A glint of purple caught Gilgamesh's attention, before Shirou and Archer dashed out of the dust cloud.
The king scoffed and fired more weapons at them.
"Set: Time Alter: Triple Accel!"
Shirou vanished, leaving Archer to charge on head on. Gilgamesh scowled and fired more weapons around him, only for Archer to deflect the blades.
"Trace...on!"
The King then suddenly found four pairs of the married blades flying around him, parrying all of the weapons he had sent out.
Spirit and technique, flawless and firm.
The copies of the married blades danced around him, taking down all of the weapons Gilgamesh sent out, much to his annoyance.
Our strength rips the mountains.
Our swords split the water.
Our names reach the imperial villa.
In an instant, Shirou appeared behind Gilgamesh, and Archer appeared before the king, blades poised to strike, while the four copies of Kanshou and Bakuya all homed in on Gilgamesh.
The two of us cannot hold the heavens together.
Shirou and Archer both roared in unison, "Triple-linked... Crane Wings!"
They swung, and Gilgamesh growled, "Petty tricks!"
A few dozen portals opened above them, and the weapons rained down on them, sending the two crashing to the ground.
Shirou grunted in pain as Avalon worked overtime to heal the countless wounds on his body, while Archer grunted as he got to his feet while wounded, having used Kanshou and Bakuya to block any fatal strikes.
Gilgamesh scoffed, "Decent teamwork, I'll give you that, but given that you're both Fakers, I suppose that much is to be expected."
The King glanced back at Shirou, "Now, Fakers, what else do you have? Because if you do not, then it shall be my turn."
Archer grunted as he got to his feet, "Emiya Shirou!"
Shirou looked at him, and the splitting headache suddenly returned full force, and the redhead winced as he held his head in pain.
Memories entered his mind forcefully.
A man who pursued nothing but helping people.
One who wanted to be a hero of justice.
A guardian of the world.
Every swing of his blade, every arrow shot.
They killed many, and with every life taken, so too did a part of the man die.
Simply because he wanted to save more people, he had to kill more, and he shaved himself away in that process.
Shirou's eyes snapped open with focus. That was it, why he always had headaches when he saw Archer.
A different version of himself, a different future.
Archer, no, the Heroic Spirit EMIYA was a version of Emiya Shirou who died fulfilling his ideals.
An ideal Shirou himself did not have, an ideal he had yet to give form to. Similar, but not the same.
But that didn't matter, not in the least, not yet.
What mattered was the fact that Shirou now knew Archer's true identity, and he could tell what the Servant wanted to do.
Shirou stood up, Avalon having fully healed his body in but mere seconds, "Trace... on!"
Countless blades formed around him, shooting forward at Gilgamesh.
Blades that were not his, blades he had yet to see, but now sat in the budding world in his soul.
No, they were all Archer's. By forcing his own presence and existence on Shirou, the Counter Guardian had forged a small link between their beings.
That gave Shirou access to the same blades Archer did.
Gilgamesh furrowed his brows as he parried those blades with his own, "You... you dare-!"
"Trace: Set: Time Alter: Double Accel."
He turned towards the redhead, but found no one there, and he heard the sound of the wind.
Gilgamesh gritted his teeth in annoyance as he snapped his head back towards Archer, only to see Shirou with the Thompson Contender in his hands, aimed at the king.
There was also one huge difference. Shirou wasn't the same person that ended up to the Heroic Spirit EMIYA.
The redhead pulled the trigger, firing the copy of Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet at the king.
Gilgamesh growled as he summoned a blade to block the bullet, "You think a mere bullet will kill-!"
He was cut off, as the blade shattered into a million pieces, the origin of Severing and Binding destroying the existence of the magical blade.
The king saw red, "YOU DARE DEFILE ONE OF MY TREASURES, MONGREL?! YOU DESERVE NO LESS THAN A MILLION DEATHS!"
Hundreds upon hundreds of portals opened around them, all ready to let the weapons inside out at the pair.
But before they could, Archer smirked, "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
Gilgamesh scowled, "What?"
The blonde king's eyes widened as he suddenly felt a sharp increase in Archer's prana.
"I am the Bone of my sword."
A pulse of energy surged out from the Servant, one felt by both man and king.
"Steel is my body and fire is my blood."
"I have created over a thousand blades."
Another pulse, and Shirou felt something awaken in his chest. No, it was more accurate to say it was growing, making itself more apparent.
"Unknown to death, nor known to life."
"Have withstood pain to create many weapons."
Gilgamesh scowled, "You... MONGREL!"
He unleashed more weapons, only for Shirou to hold a hand up, "I am the Bone of my sword..."
Five petals bloomed, as a shield made of five barriers formed in front of the pair, putting a smirk on Archer's face.
"Rho... AIAS!"
The weapons all bounced off from the shield, and Archer continued his chant.
"Yet these hands will never hold anything."
"So as I pray..."
A ring of fire formed itself around Archer's figure, and he stood up.
"Unlimited... BLADE WORKS!"
The ring of fire surged outwards, yet none of them felt any heat or pain from it. Rather, their surroundings changed, as a world forced itself into place.
In the blink of an eye, the three found themselves in a wasteland full of swords, numerous gears hanging in the air.
Gilgamesh gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his head, "You... you're not even a mongrel anymore. No, you are scum, worse than scum. You have angered me for the last time, FAKER!"
The reason for the King of Heroes' anger was rather simple. Not only had Shirou destroyed his treasures, Archer had now revealed a Reality Marble filled with copies of countless weapons.
It was a direct insult to his existence.
But it was also a matter of pride to him, and thousands upon thousands of portals opened up above them.
Yet, before the weapons could be fired off, they were cut off by the exact same blades.
Gilgamesh's eyes widened in shock as he snapped up at the now empty portals, "W-what?!"
Archer smirked, "It's nothing too surprising, King of Heroes. This world is one made of infinite swords. No, shall I say, infinite weapons."
He stepped past Shirou, pulling a random sword off the ground and pointed it at the king, "You own every original Noble Phantasm, every weapon in existence, do you not? Then let it be known here, I own every fake version of them."
Gilgamesh seethed, "You..."
Archer smirked, "If you claim to be the original, then we'll simply surpass you."
Every blade stabbed in the ground hummed in agreement, and the Counter Guardian's smirk dropped, "Now, let us begin, King of Heroes. Do you have enough weapons in stock?"
The King of Heroes seethed, before he combed his hair up with one hand, "You think too highly of yourself, mongrel."
In the next instant, blades clashed and sparks flew, as both Servants ordered their weapons forward.
Blade for blade, sword for sword.
The weapons did the fighting, while Archer and Gilgamesh simply stood as they sent out mental orders over and over again.
To any that lacked experience, it would've seemed like both were equal.
But the three occupants of the Reality Marble knew, Gilgamesh was being pushed back bit by bit.
For every portal Gilgamesh opened, at least one other would be countered by a blade from Archer's world.
It angered the king to no end, and that wasn't including Shirou's own efforts. The redhead was projecting his own swords, adding them to the mix.
But that wasn't all he was doing, as he had a copy of Kiritsugu's Thompson Contender in each hand.
Amongst the rain of weapons, bullets too flew in the midst, destroying many of Gilgamesh's own weapons.
Slowly, but very surely, Gilgamesh was exhausting his treasury.
The King of Heroes took a step back, until he realized what he had done.
He gritted his teeth, "To force me to take a step back... Your impudence knows no end, FAKER!"
More weapons shattered thanks to Shirou, and that allowed Archer to close the gap between the two, Kanshou and Bakuya in hand, "This is the end, King of Heroes!"
Gilgamesh growled in anger, "To think I would be forced to use this!"
A portal formed at his hands, and he drew another blade, "Awaken, EA!"
A burst of prana blew Archer away, skidding across the ground to a stop, before energy started to swirl into the sword in Gilgamesh's hands.
Archer grunted as he stood up, "This is bad... I guess our luck ran out."
Shirou held his head in pain as he glanced at the sword in the hands of the king, "W-what is that blade?"
The King of Heroes seethed as he gripped Ea tightly, so tight that his knuckles were white.
Gilgamesh glared at the pair with nothing but hate, "You... MONGRELS!"
Ea spun with power, and only then did Shirou realize.
The sky was falling to pieces.
XXX
Omake- What if another Saber was summoned?
Arthur Pendragon (Prototype) Part 1
Rin grinned in happiness as she summoned another Servant, and a blonde man in silver and blue armor spoke up.
"Servant, Saber. Arthur Pendragon. I shall protect you along with the world. I ask of you, are you my Master?"
Archer and Rin stared at the man in surprise, the former more so than the latter.
Rin felt joy well up in her, "A-Arthur PENDRAGON?!"
The King of Knights smiled, "Yes, may I ask for your name, Master?"
The twin tailed girl cleared her throat, trying to suppress her overwhelming joy, "Y-yes, of course! I'm Tohsaka Rin."
Arthur nodded, "Then I look forward to our partnership, Rin."
He noticed Archer, and his lips thinned, "I apologize, but is he an enemy?"
Rin noticed his line of sight, and she stood between them, "No! He's fine, he's my Servant too."
Arthur blinked, "Too?"
Archer chuckled, "There's a bit of an odd situation going on. But I'm more interested in you, King of Knights from another world."
The blonde king raised an eyebrow, "Oh, you know that too?"
The Counter Guardian chucked, "Of course, your counterpart was summoned in this war as well."
Arthur thinned his lips, "I see..."
Rin blinked, "Wait, what? But King Arthur should only be summoned in..."
Her eyes widened, "Wait a minute..."
She snapped her head at Archer, "Doesn't that mean Emiya-kun summoned SEVEN VERSIONS OF KING ARTHUR?!"
XXX
That's done. An action packed chapter if I do say so myself.
So I'll be continuing a few more parts of the Omake for Arthur. They'll be short, and they'll have skips in some events.
We'll be moving on with the fight with Gilgamesh in the next chapter, then progressing with revealing more of the Grail to the cast.
We'll then deal with Berserker and Illya, then Caster and Kuzuki. Not to mention Kotomine Kirei.
So yeah, look forward to those, who knows? We might see something else, but that's still on the planning phase and I have no idea if I will add anything else in or not.
So until then, read and review please.
