There was a hill of swords.
No matter where he went, no matter what he did, it always came back to it.
Every time, he'd find himself there again. Every time, more blades and weapons were buried into the ground around him.
A knife buried into the ground. A man had used it only for a few hours, desperate to be someone, do something, only to die doing nothing.
A spear jabbed into the dirt. A soldier who believed in his general and believed in the gods, only to be torn apart like paper in what could barely have been called a battle.
A machete stabbed into the earth. A pirate who had gotten overzealous, and ended up at the bottom of the ocean for his troubles.
He spent an eternity there. He spent an eternity chasing someone. He spent an eternity trying to prove to someone the two of them hadn't been wrong. He spent an eternity doing nothing.
Who was he again? Was he him? Was he him? Or was he him?
Or maybe, he was him.
He didn't know anymore, nothing made sense.
Images plagued his mind. Images of her. Of her. And of her. And her. And her. And her too. Memories he was sure were not his own. Or, were they? He wasn't sure. Nothing made sense.
There was a graveyard.
He came back to it often, filling the empty graves with the bodies of those he had seen and slain. Sword after sword, spear after spear, knife after knife, weapon after weapon. He stabbed them into the ground as the gears ticked over head.
The graveyard never ended, was never full. He'd never be able to leave, would he? Not forever. He'd just end up coming back.
There was a hill of swords, where he sat cold and alone.
And then he was gone.
Like Wrought Iron Chapter 2 - The Hero of Justice encounters the first boss and has a familiar encounter
"EHH?!" Stumbling forward to the reflection in the mirror, a gloved hand reached up from his side to his face, touching it as if it would change the image in front of him and change his face back to the one he was more familiar with. He ripped the glove off, his hand as expected fair in tone and without the scars and calluses he had grown used to. The members of Rhodes Island around him forgotten for the moment, his mind raced as he tried to figure out what had happened to him.
It was him.
But he was younger.
How was he younger? Was it that sarcophagus thing? Did it deage him somehow? But why? How? It didn't make any sense. Not that any of this made any sense, but he could deal with possibly being in another world with animal people, he could just help them to distract himself from the crazy.
He had to calm down. He couldn't help people if he was panicking over something as minor as his body being altered to the point he was a teenager again.
So what?
He still needed to help people, so he didn't have time to care about his appearance.
He'd have to check his circuits and body in general though. He couldn't chock up anything to wonkiness from the recent wakeup, his body could've been all out of whack compared to what he was expecting from it.
"D-Doctor," Amiya's voice broke his train of thought, his head turning in her direction. "W-we're all surprised by your new appearance, but you're still the Doctor I trust with my life, I know it."
Sparing one more glance to his reflection, Shirou shook his head, dispensing any lingering thoughts and doubts. "It doesn't matter, I was just a little surprised. I can still do what you need me to do. Even if I'm a bit shorter than I remember being."
"I'm sure you'll be able to adjust to any difficulties, you're the Doctor after all," After a moment, a look of realization and excitement came to Amiya's face, "Wait, you can remember enough to know what you looked like? Are your memories coming back?!"
Flinching in response, Shirou shook his head, "No, sorry, I don't remember anything involving Rhodes Island, or the situation we're in. I know my name, I know I should be a decent bit older, but that's about it."
Not letting that get her down, Amiya shook her head as she said, "No, no, that's great! If you can remember anything, you might be able to remember the rest with time!"
It was probably better to not mention him still remembering his life from Earth. He didn't know if she knew about it, and didn't want to risk telling her about it at that moment. He already had enough people who thought he was crazy.
"I'm glad you're accepting of the changes to your body," Dobermann spoke up, "And you'll have plenty of time to adjust more properly. However, the time we have here is scarce."
Raising her voice to be heard by the entire team there she continued, "Gather up everyone, we're leaving! Anything could happen on our way to the meeting point!"
As the group prepared to leave, Shirou reached down to pick up the dropped Kanshou and Bakuya. As he grabbed them, he caught some whispered words between Dobermann and Amiya, off to the side.
"After three hours, this entire city will be consumed by the Catastrophe."
Well then. That didn't sound good. At all. Standing up straight, he looked towards them for a moment. They were keeping it under wraps, they must not have wanted the others to end up panicking. He didn't know what they were referring to, but given its name and the secrecy about its imminent arrival, he doubted it was anything good. He'd ask when he had a better chance.
And then they started their silent march through the streets of the city, doing their best not to draw attention to themselves. Everywhere they went, the riots were there. People attacking each other, starting fires and destroying buildings.
They took down the members of Reunion they came across, making sure to do it quickly so they couldn't possibly alert the others. And while Shirou wished he could do more, to sprint forward and take down every rioter in the city, it wasn't possible. They had to keep moving, and couldn't afford to draw attention to themselves in that way.
But he wouldn't just let the ones in front of him do what they wanted.
As the back of his blade smashed into the back of the skull of a lone member of Reunion who had been lighting buildings ablaze, their body crumbling to the ground, Shirou dully listened to the television screens and their broadcast.
"Thanks to the swift response and teamwork of the Chernobog Military Police. The situation is largely under control. The incidents in most areas have already been contained." A female reporter's voice could be heard over the footage of the Ursus Guards, each clip showing them victorious and pushing back the rioters.
"Currently, the Military Police has already surrounded the thugs who had taken Vaschuk Prospect. As you can see, this senseless violence is about to be put to an end. Please do not panic. Stay indoors, and await another victory for Chernobog. May the glory of Ursus bless the Emperor and his people!"
Well. That was certainly familiar, Shirou dully thought as he looked around him.
Rioting, burning buildings, the sound of explosions in the distance, all while the ones in power were claiming everything was alright. Yeah...that was unfortunately too familiar.
"The Ursus Guards are getting overwhelmed by Reunion?" He heard Amiya question, tuning back into the conversation between the members of Rhodes Island.
"This is nothing like when we first investigated Chernobog…" Dobermann said with a furrowed brow, "When we sneaked in, the quantity, distribution, and status of Chernobog's guards and military were in a bizarre state, but we couldn't figure out why…"
"Had Reunion already destroyed most of Chernobog's defenses back then?" A guard questioned.
"Though I don't have any proof, if Reunion has grown powerful enough to launch such a large-scale operation…" Dobermann paused for a moment, as if contemplating the possibilities, "All I can say is that I feel lucky those guards are being surrounded, instead of us. Of course, we must be vigilant of our surroundings. By the time we end up in a crisis, it'll already be too late."
"Doctor," Amiya called out, "Our scouts have discovered Reunion forces about to come in contact with our rescue team!"
"For now, being cautious is the only advantage we got." Dobermann finished.
"Don't give them a chance to retaliate." Shirou stated loudly enough for everyone to hear, moving towards the direction of the unaware members of Reunion, "Take them all down."
And like so many times before, he lunged forward, guards trailing behind him as snipers and medics prepared themselves. Their only advantage was them not knowing they were coming. So they couldn't let them reveal that, as they continued to dart through the broken street, keeping to the edge to stay out of sight of any other groups from Reunion possibly in the area, as well as the Ursus Guard, as they took down the ones in their path. Looking at it from a certain point of view, it was a cowardly plan of attack.
Fortunately, that wasn't his point of view. If it was cowardly, let them be the cowards if it kept them alive. And it wasn't like coward was the worst thing he had been called.
Blood splattered as they cut and shot through them. Voices were cut off before they could call out. Grunting in exertion as he shoved a skewered Reunion member who had charged him off his blade, a Rhodes Island guard a bit to Shirou's left said, "These Reunion goons sure are energetic!"
His words didn't go unnoticed however, the captain of the Ursus guard standing with his men as they fought off another group of Reunion only a couple dozen feet behind them freezing for a moment at the sound, his gaze accusing as his body shifted in their direction.
"Who are you people?" His voice, loud and commanding, barked out, "Why are you in Chernobog at a time like this?!"
"H-Huh? W-What?" The guard who had blown their cover stumbled over his words, realizing what he had just done by being too loud.
"Are you spies?!" He continued to bark, grip tightening on his weapons, seemingly ready to charge at them as well as the members of Reunion his group were already fighting.
Dobermann grimaced, using the mental link with him and Amiya, "If our identities get revealed and the Ursus government starts to keep an eye on us, the consequences would be unfathomable! If it comes down to it…"
Before he could reject her implied suggestion, Amiya stepped towards the guard captain's group. "Sir."
"A little girl?" He faltered for a split second, before catching sight of something and returning to his previous cautious stance and expression, "You're...an infected. Stop right there, put down your weapons!"
Not faltering, Amiya shouted, "Sir, surely you understand we have a common enemy!"
Suddenly, Shirou's instincts roared at him, his eyes widening as he called out, "Get back!"
"W-What?" The guard captain questioned, before the roar of an explosion answered him, throwing back members of the guard and Reunion alike, an armored vehicle flipping onto its roof.
"...Reunion...they're here." Amiya muttered out.
Hooded members of Reunion flooded into the street, like a sea of grey and red, in what was probably the largest group they've seen that day. And in the middle of it, a figure with a different aura walked with them, a thin layer of mist following her. She was dangerous. That much Shirou could tell.
Her frame was thin, dressed in a baggy tshirt and jeans, with a hooded black collared coat with the sleeves rolled up. On her right arm a red cloth was wrapped, a long end trailing behind her along with a wolf-like tail. Her hood was pulled up, with ear like flaps dangling from it, and a thick face mask covered her mouth, though her red bangs and eyes were still visible.
"Amiya, be careful…" Dobermann cautioned, "She's on a completely different level compared to these ordinary thugs!"
"Hmph." She grunted, "Trying to run? Where do you think you're going?"
"Go. Tear them apart." She raised her blade, a fairly simple machete, pointing it towards them. And with a single look at her sword, Shirou could confirm. She was dangerous. Especially with him in his current state, he might have trouble keeping up with this "Crownslayer".
The members of Reunion that came with her remained silent, but from the grips on their blades were simply waiting as the mist spread and thickened.
"The haze is getting thicker and thicker...are they planning to utilize it to launch a surprise attack?" Amiya muttered, before calling out, "Sir! We have to evacuate immediately! If they manage to cut off our escape route we'll all-"
"Get lost infected." The guard captain interrupted her.
As a confused look came to her face, he continued, "I was tasked with defending this street. Rabbit, I don't care why you came here or what you plan to do. If you ruin our city, know that someone will come after you. The rage of Ursus is never-ending. If not, then what happens here is none of your business."
"...I understand."
"Everybody in Ursus knows to never turn their back to the enemy." He continued, turning away to face the members of Reunion as the fog started to creep up on him and his men. "Now scram! We don't have time to deal with you!"
"Thank you. Dobermann!"
"Hurry! Let's get to the first rendezvous point! All teams, move out quick!" She called out.
As they left though, Shirou slowed down for a moment, turning back to shout, "Keep a close eye on your backs, she's a slippery one and will try to move around you!"
He couldn't sabotage Rhodes Island, not after they put in so much effort into getting him out of there. If he had actually been as young as he looked, he probably would've, unable to consider any other option. But...even if he understood he couldn't stay behind to help, even if he didn't have the energy to trace some powerful noble phantasm to deal with the members of Reunion then and there, he had to at least do that much.
The only response he got from the captain was a grunt as he disappeared in the fog, before turning and increasing his pace to catch up with the members of Rhodes Island. Dobermann gave him a quick look as he caught back up with them, before turning her attention back to their path as they ran down the street. After a couple relatively quiet minutes of running, a figure could be seen in the street, seemingly waiting for something. As they got closer, more details could be made out of the figure.
He was a man, towering in height and garbed in military gear with what looked like a bullet proof vest and backpack strapped to his torso, with a hammer in one hand and a shield strapped to the arm on the other side. His hair was brushed back, with a short but thick beard, with metal ear muffs covering his ears and frameless shades for his eyes.
"Ace!" Dobermann called out, clearly recognizing him.
"Looks like you made it out alive." He said with a smirk as they approached, his gaze trailing from each of them, until settling on Shirou. For a moment he just stared at him, his gaze shifting between his face and the married blades still in his grip.
Before laughing. "Looking a little short there, aren't you Doctor?"
Shirou felt his face twitch slightly at the friendly dig.
"This isn't the rendezvous point...why are you here alone?" Dobermann asked him, ignoring his amusement at Shirou's appearance. Before Ace could answer, a voice could be heard crying out.
"They're the ones that escaped from the central area! Don't let them get away!"
Dobermann tsked in annoyance at the sight of the groups of Reunion members who's attention was now on them, "They just keep coming after us! Team E2, prepare to intercept-"
"Dobermann, don't get overzealous." Ace interrupted, completely serious again, as if his laughing fit hadn't even happened, "Retreating is our top priority! Amiya, Shirou, quick!"
Motioning them after him, they began sprinting down the streets, before turning into an abandoned building, moving between the ruined buildings through the windows to throw the following members of Reunion off their trail.
Eventually, they made their way to the rendezvous point where they were supposed to have met up with Ace, the ground floor of a building, the sounds of the still ongoing riots and Reunion echoing through the empty building.
"It's not safe here either." Dobermann said, her eyes trailing to the streets down below, where rioting members of Reunion could be seen.
"That's right. We still have to press on to the next rendezvous point." Ace said with a nod.
Looking around, Dobermann asked, "Where's your team?"
"Where are you rats hiding? Smoke them out!" The voice of a Reunion member called out, obviously having managed to follow them despite their efforts.
"Here they come again!" Dobermann groaned.
"Well, Dr. Emiya, hope your sudden shrinkage hasn't affected your ability to give orders while fighting. Let's do it, just like the good ol' days." Ace said with a smirk as he glanced at Shirou.
"Um, Ace...actually something unexpected happened. Doctor is...suffering from amnesia." Amiya interrupted.
"...I see."
"I'm sorry Ace, but compared to before, a lot has changed."
"Is that so? You don't need to apologize to me. Has his commanding or combat capabilities suffered as a result?"
"No, the Doctor is as strong and sharp as ever. I can promise that."
"Very well then, I won't ignore our shortened Doctor's orders then. After all, what's been lost can be found again. But right now, there's a more imminent problem on our hands." He said, motioning towards the members of Reunion rushing the building, calling out to each other after having spotted them.
"Are you done chatting yet? I'm going to go crack some skulls." Dobermann said with a growl, cracking her whip before starting towards the charging members of Reunion.
"Your orders, Doctor Emiya. Though I have to ask, you doing something new with your hair or this just how you did it when you were a kid?"
Shirou gave the man a questioning look before saying, "...Now would be a good time for your ambush."
"Ha, can't get anything past you can I? Team E3! Back up Dobermann!"
From the windows of the surrounding buildings, members of Rhodes Island peeked out, bows and crossbows drawn, before they began firing down on the members of Reunion, joining in with Dobermann's assault.
"An Ambush?!"
"Team E3 has been moving undercover this whole time...I see, they've been waiting for us to pincer the enemy." Dobermann communicated over the mental link, still whipping at the attacking forces of Reunion.
"When communications are jammed, our teams should operate near the rendezvous point. That way, even if something happens to me or the scout...The broader operation can still be carried out. This is my decision-making."
"In other words, Ace, you left your team back at the rendezvous point and came alone…"
"After all, neutralizing threats around the rendezvous point is our top objective. Of course, prioritizing checking on your status is a big risk. There's no way I could imperil the entire team. The whole reason teams exist is to increase tactical efficiency, not the other way around."
"Ha, let's continue our discussion after we've taken care of Reunion!"
"Amiya, you're up." Ace said out loud, glancing towards the rabbit girl as he and Shirou started towards the fight.
"Understood, I'll back you up with my Arts!" Amiya said with a nod.
"Make sure not to get too close to the fighting, support us from a distance." Shirou added, before darting forward, reeling back his swords before swinging them down on a Reunion grunt. Ace was close behind, smashing his shield into a Reunion member before crushing the head of another with his hammer.
Arrows and bolts of black light flew through the air as they fought the members of Reunion, with more and more of them joining in from the surrounding area. Shirou sliced through member after member, sending commands to the members of Rhodes Island through the mental link as they kept him updated on the situation as more Reunion grunts, as well as infected animals attacked them.
As the numbers of Reunion dwindled a rabid dog, covered in crystals and strapped with equipment lunged at Shirou. Leaping at him, it met its end on Bakuya, impaling itself on the waiting blade with a pained yelp, before Shirou put it out of its misery with a slash from Kanshou.
Panting from exertion, Dobermann's face was covered with a look of disgust at the numerous corpses of the hounds. "Those sick bastards! I can't believe they, they…"
"Those hounds…" A guard muttered, "Were they Reunion's doing?"
"Reunion enslaved infected beasts to use as troops…" Amiya muttered, distraught present in her voice.
"No, it's not that simple." Dobermann growled angrily, "I can feel it. They were no mere beasts. If anything, they were more like us…"
"Instructor Dobermann?" A guard looked at her in concern, though she remained silent, choosing instead to continue fighting the last remaining members of Reunion in front of them.
When no more Reunion members came at them, all dead around them, and they started to catch their breaths, Ace walked over to the instructor, still gripping her whip tightly in anger, "Dobermann, the battle is over. The Catastrophe is already looming over us." He said, motioning to the dark clouds that filled the skies.
"It's likely to break at any moment. Even Chrenobog will be reduced to rubble under its direct impact."
"Reunion is taking advantage of this to sow even more chaos." Amiya stated, as she walked over to them.
"Dobermann, we're out of time." Ace continued, "We might be able to outmaneuver Reunion or stay concealed from Ursus, but we're powerless in the face of a Catastrophe."
"That's enough. Let's go." Dobermann finally said, "No matter how reckless Reunion's plans are, the most important thing for us…"
"Is everyone's safety." Amiya finished, as they started to walk down the street again.
"That's right." Dobermann said with a nod.
"Reunion's leaders may see this even as a sign, or even as a means...but for me, it signifies that we will be in greater danger from now on." Amiya frowned as she spoke.
"Choosing a time like this to incite chaos...Reunion is either insane, or just evil." Ace almost growled.
"Perhaps, a little of both." Dobermann said with a frown.
"A Catastrophe..." Shirou's words trailed as he stepped over, having been listening to their conversation so far. "You've mentioned it before. What is it, exactly? I can tell it's nothing good, but that's not a lot to work from."
Their gazes turned towards him, surprise and shock present on their expressions.
"Doctor…" Amiya's voice trailed, "You don't remember the Catastrophes?"
"I'm aware of the definition of the word." Shirou said, shaking his head, "But I'm assuming it means something a bit more specific in this context?"
"The Catastrophes...are terrible events, a natural disaster that ravages everything in its path, turning everything it touches into originium-filled ruins."
Shirou was silent for a moment, before saying, "...And one is going to hit the city? What about evacuations, is there anything we can do?"
"By the looks of things, Chernobog has been completely paralyzed by Reunion's attacks." Dobermann said with a frown and a shake of her head, "But when it comes to disabling a mobile city, the preparations must have been made several weeks in advance. Could Reunion have taken some other action since then…?"
"That's a bit unrealistic. Based upon what we've seen, Reunion currently doesn't show the kind of discipline required to stage a covert takeover." Ace countered.
"Most Reunion members are still wandering the streets, taking revenge on Chernobogians." A guard muttered, staring out down the street, the sound still audible from their location.
"It's all just senseless fighting, killing, and arson." Amiya added, a downcast look in her eyes.
"When the Catastrophe falls, even the impregnable Chernobog will be shattered...if fame or fortune is what they're after, Reunion is doomed to failure." Dobermann said, her tone hard.
"Even with Ursus's chain of command in shambles, I still doubt that Reunion is able to face their military. Why hasn't the Ursus military staged a counterattack yet?" Amiya questioned.
"From my experience, when a riot breaks out, the military usually manages to quash it immediately. But we did just witness the Ursus guards getting overpowered…" She trailed off for a moment, Amiya waiting for her to continue, "That masked Reunion leader might have been a cut above the rest, but there's no way she could single-handedly destroy the entire city. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
"I've fought in many battles before. I've seen many people who acted in the same way as that Reunion leader. To them, soldiers are nothing more than pawns to be tossed away as soon as they've served their purpose. Soldiers could be used efficiently when needed, and then left to their own devices when not needed. Because the cost of training and maintenance is too high."
"So there's no standing army?"
"There's no need for one." Shirou joined in on the conversation, memories of previous battlefields and conflicts fresh in his mind, "I've seen it before, sometimes, all some people need is a push, and they'll be whipped into a frenzy, grabbing anything they can to hurt others."
A guard groaned at the conversation, "So any infected could join Reunion simply by donning a uniform and putting on a badge?"
"Correct." Dobermann said with a sigh, "So that explains their endless numbers. There are too many oppressed infected, desperately trying to cry out. No matter how tenuous the solutions that Reunion offers them might be...as long as they see a light at the end of the tunnel, they will gladly lay their lives down to pursue it, even if it means jumping into a sea of hellfire."
She turned to face Shirou, before continuing, "Dr. Emiya. They are not like us. Even if I don't fully trust you, I at least trust your abilities. And completely unlike you, that kind of leader is no commander. Those who would trample enemies and comrades alive... or rather, 'minions.' Perhaps not even minions. To Reunion, those thugs may have been nothing more than pawns. This is not a leader, but a tyrant."
"No matter who our enemies are, we will complete our mission. Someone once taught me and my teammates––'If facing a pawn, capture it; If facing a fortress, topple it; If facing the Crown, overthrow it.'" Ace said, a knowing smirk on his face.
After that, they kept to mostly small talk as they continued on their way for a couple of minutes. Eventually, one of the city's parks was within the group's vision. Relatively, the damage to the park was less than the rest of the city, obviously still having been a site of the riots, but not nearly as broken up.
"Based on our planned route, we should be approaching the central town of South Chernobog." Dobermann said as they approached the park, grabbing the attention of those present, "We'll arrive at the rendezvous point after crossing this park. Assuming no contingencies, Nearl and Team E4 should be waiting for us there."
"But…" As they entered the park and began to walk, a guard started, "If Nearl was attacked, what would we do then?"
The stress obviously having gotten to him a decent amount, he continued, his tone a fair bit panicked, "What if they wanted to alert us, but couldn't due to communications being jammed? How should we deal with that?"
Dobermann remained silent, simply staring at him with a stern expression, until Amiya said, "We will go assess the situation."
"Don't go speculating before seeing things with your own eyes." Ace said, "There's no point of letting paranoia get the better of you."
"I...I see."
"Losing our communications has caused anxiety to spread through the ranks much faster than I imagined…" Dobermann muttered, loudly enough for them to hear, "Especially with the looming Catastrophe, we have to pick up the pace."
As the words left her mouth, a cold mist covered the area around them, far too quickly and sudden for it to be natural. Shirou's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, the situation not too unfamiliar to him. "We're under attack!"
And as if in response to his warning, the voice of the Reunion leader could be heard through the fog, "Kill them."
And with her words, shots fired through the mist at the members of Rhodes Island.
"Incoming enemy fire!" Dobermann shouted, pushing a medic out of the way as arts and arrows struck the ground around them, as Rhodes Island barely avoided the assault.
"It's a trap!" Amiya shouted in realization.
Crownslayer stared down at them, as more and more Reunion members surrounded them, a thin cut still bleeding on her left arm. "Rhodes Island, I've caught you."
Shirou grit his teeth, reinforcing his body once again as he prepared to charge her down. She wanted to be the aggressor, he couldn't give her that chance, he had to put her on the defensive.
"This time, I'll grind your bones to dust!" She growled, raising her blade ready to attack, as Shirou darted forwards to confront her before she could begin her assault.
"Time out, Time out!" A young sounding voice suddenly called out.
The members of Reunion stopped moving for a moment, as if flinching in response. Crownslayer tensed up, and Shirou inadvertently did as well at his words, swing frozen midair.
His eyes darted towards the new element to the confrontation. A boy. He was young, younger than Shirou's current appearance. Yellow eyes and messy white hair, with a smug expression on his face. White militaristic clothing, with a childish angle to it due to the shorts and knee high socks, with the Reunion armband was wrapped around his left arm. A knife and pistol were strapped to his waist, though even as Shirou registered the knife within his Reality Marble he didn't learn much about the boy, due to his lack of use of the dirk dagger.
A strange cane was held in his right hand, the base of it like a blade, with the knob style handle being fashioned after a skull. Protruding from its side was a strange armature with complicated devices on it, and a floating crystal. It was too far away from anything he could register in Unlimited Blade Works, the devices and the floating gem totally foreign to him.
"I only just finished purging the Southwest Fortress, but I rushed over here as soon as I heard the news. These are my hunting grounds, Crownslayer." He spoke in a pleasant, innocent tone, unbefitting of the words coming out of his mouth. Almost like…
"What'd you come here for?" Crownslayer growled back, her voice farther away from Shirou than it should've been. She evidently had used the momentary distraction of the boy's entrance to move back, far out of range of his paused swing or any other similarly ranged attacks from him.
An innocent smile on his face, along with a tilt of his head, the boy continued, "Isn't it about time you handed them over to me?"
"...Mephisto?" Crownslayer glared at the boy, waiting for him to explain himself.
"You have no reason to object, right? Just a few insects that flew too close to the light, are they really worth your time? My troops have already received your info." He continued, a knowing smile present on his face the entire time. "You've already done your part. All that's left for you to do is to go home. After all, you're just responsible for the core energy sector and its surroundings…"
"Don't do anything unnecessary."
"You still have somewhere else to be, don't you?"
After a moment, Crownslayer straightened up from her hunched fighting stance, "Fine. Have it your way. I can't wait to see you fail."
"Oh?" He said with a smile.
"We're leaving." She said, turning her head towards the members of Reunion, and as she walked away, a group of them followed after her.
"One of the enemy leaders...just took a portion of the Reunion troops and left?" Amiya questioned in disbelief, as the haze started to lessen with their departure.
Shirou locked his gaze on the new potential threat, shifting his body to face him, as he slowly stepped back towards the rest of Rhodes Island.
Either oblivious to, or more likely ignoring, Shirou's lack of trust, he simply smiled as he approached them. "Well, well. Please, let me apologize on Crownslayer's behalf for her rudeness. You can call me Mephisto."
"What is Reunion trying to accomplish?" Dobermann asked, glaring at the child.
"Oh, nothing in particular. To be honest, I wouldn't even mind letting you bunch go. You weren't even our targets in the first place." He said with a casual smile and shrug.
"If we weren't your targets then why…" Amiya trailed, tone cautious of his motivations.
"However," He continued, "I had the honor of watching your battles. Your combat tactics as well as your personnel configuration were quite intriguing."
Dread crept up through the members of Rhodes Island. Though some had already expected it to lead down this path, as they tensed up ready for anything.
"Intriguing?" A medic choked out, horror and disgust clear on her face, "You think that the carnage of battle is intriguing?"
Ignoring her, he simply continued to smile, turning to look at Shirou as he continued to speak, "Rhodes Island... I've read up on your group before. At first, I thought you were just another ordinary company. But by the looks of things, don't you think your ambitions have stretched a bit too far from playing with test tubes? It'd be terribly dull if I allowed you to just walk out of here, wouldn't it? What I'd like is to have a little competition, a ritual of sorts."
"We don't have time to waste on a kid." Dobermann gritted out quietly, glancing at Amiya as she continued over the mental link, "Amiya, get ready. We might have to break through with force. I'll get his attention."
Glancing back to her, Amiya sent a confirmation back over the mental link without a change in her expression.
Dobermann's hand moved to the small pouch at her waist in the blink of an eye, flipping it open and pulling out its contents, raising it high into the air. And with a bang, the light erupted from the flare gun in her hand, exploding high in the air.
Mephisto's expression notably darkened as his gaze turned away from Shirou to her, "...What was that just now? Who were you sending a signal to?"
Dobermann openingly scowled at him as she said, "None of your business kid."
A twitch in his eye, he forced a smile on his face, "Come on, we're all professionals here. Where's your basic courtesy?"
"Amiya?" Dobermann questioned over the mental link, before responding to Mephisto, "If people like you didn't exist, I wouldn't have to be constantly honing my insults!"
"Amiya, what's going on?"
She couldn't help but glance at the members of Rhodes Island, still there next to her.
"Dobermann…" Amiya started on the mental link, "All of our escape routes are completely blocked off by his troops."
"How?! How did he manage to do that in a couple of seconds?"
"This simply won't do." Mephisto said with a shake of his head, "Even though I gave you my sincere invitation...but all you can think about is running away?"
He glared at them, evidently having realized Dobermann's intention.
"Actually, I'll let you leave my hunting grounds safely as long as you win." He continued, a sneer on his face, "Until then, my friends here will keep trying to kill you. It's your victory as long as you don't die!"
His expression shifted to a smile, no more friendly than the sneer, "The rules are simple enough, right?"
"Why are you doing this?" Amiya questioned, "The Catastrophe is coming! If we don't leave Chrenobog, then everyone will-"
"What are you talking about?" Mephisto interrupted her, with a confused tilt of his head, "The Catastrophe makes it the best time to celebrate."
Amiya's expression fell, shocked at his words, "...You're sick…"
The boy ignored her words, smiling as he raised his hands, "My esteemed guests, I am honored to invite you to this game!"
Pained grunts of exertion could be heard, along with violent muttering from the members of Reunion, as they started to close in on them.
"Amiya watch out!" Dobermann shouted, as a Reunion member lunged at the rabbit girl, who avoided the attack before blasting them with her arts. As more and more members started attacking, Rhodes Island began to fight back.
Shirou moved to cover for the less combat inclined members of Rhodes Island, fighting off the members of Reunion that attacked them, as he started to move towards Mephisto.
As the fighting began, Mephisto continued, his gaze locked on to him, "Right...right...actually we know what you did in the central area."
"The redhead with the swords you rescued...makes me very, very, curious." He continued, "Crownslayer is so fixated on what you're going to do next, where you're going to go. But I'm different. What I care about is...what exactly are you? Where are you from?"
"Yes, you. The one glaring at me right now…" He smiled as Shirou pushed a Reunion member away, slashing them down after they tried to strike a medic.
"You are somewhat different from us. What was the device in that facility that was able to preserve your life? I am so very curious. You see, I'm not such a cold-blooded person...so how about it, my esteemed Rhodes Island guests, how about giving this person to me as a gift? It would be a shame to end the game early, but at least I'll let the rest of you go." He smiled sweetly, shifting his gaze from Shirou to Amiya, "How about it?"
"You're not taking the Doctor!" Amiya shouted out, anger clear as she shot black bolts at the approaching Reunion members.
"Have it your way," Mephisto said with a smile and shrug, "Just remember that I did give you the option."
His strange cane tapped against the ground as he spoke out commands, the members of Reunion screeching and cursing as they attacked them.
Shirou gritted his teeth as he slashed and hacked through members of Reunion. His vision was hazy. He lost too much blood already. But he couldn't stop, especially not at that moment. This would've been a lot easier if he had been in a better state, he didn't even need fancy noble phantasms for this, just a couple mundane weapons and reinforcement and he could've settled this already.
But here he was, doing his best to look like he wasn't ready to collapse as he stabbed another person, kicking their corpse to the ground so he could block another attack and knock them to the side.
They had to break through. That much was clear to all of them.
"Good, good, this is how things should be! Next up, F3, E5!" Mephisto called out, a sick grin on his face as the Reunion members followed his orders.
"This bloody brat!" Dobermann gritted out as her whip slashed through the chest of a new lunging grunt.
"Excellent! Now B4, B5!"
"They're trying to flank us!" A guard called out, as Mephisto continued his orders, "And next! H2, H6!"
"They're rushing our defensive line!"
"That's right, let me see how you struggle!" Mephisto laughed out, "Casters move to C7. Capture their rook!"
"Take cover!" Dobermann shouted as bolts of arts were blasted at them, striking a few of their members as they moved for cover. A guard cried out in pain as he held his side, doing his best to move through the pain to cover. A medic collapsed, with Shirou grabbing her as he moved, ignoring the pain as a bolt grazed him and chucking Kanshou towards them.
"Doctor!" Amiya called out as he dived with the medic behind a turned over vehicle near them, avoiding as many blasts as he could, before Kanshou's attraction to Bakuya returned the blade to him, with him grabbing as he set the medic down.
"I'm fine Amiya!"
"Now be snuffed out, like flames before a storm!"
"Is he really commanding his troops like that?" Amiya cried out over the blasts of arts, "How can he give such precise orders just by barking out chess moves? Those same disorderly thugs have been turned into an army under his command! At this rate, he's going to keep exploiting the advantage he gets through his leadership…"
"On the other hand, if we manage to suppress him, they'll fall into disarray! Don't give them even the slightest opening! Damn it, we're running out of time!" Dobermann responded.
Ace glanced at Shirou as he called out, "Got any surprises at the ready Emiya? This is your area of expertise after all!"
Shirou grunted as he thought to himself. Head swimming, he prepared to chuck Bakuya and Kanshou at them. He'd trace his bow then, and make a broken phantasm. That should give them the clearing they needed. With the state he was in, it was probably a bad idea. But it would work, at the very least. "A few. Might need a lift afterwards though."
Ace smirked at his words, evidently expecting something to that effect. "Same as always then?"
Before he could enact his half-baked plan, the members of Reunion could be heard screaming out, with a few visible high in the air, flailing like ragdolls.
"What?!" Mephisto screamed out in shock, "What's going on? Why are people getting knocked into the air?"
His eyes landing on something Shirou couldn't yet see, his expression and tone lost some of its surprise, settling into a more confused one. "What..the hell is that?"
As more and more members of Reunion cried out and were flung into the air, Shirou could hear a new voice. "You guys sure took your sweet time. I even had time to relocate the civilians."
Amiya's expression shifted in recognition, a smile starting to break on her face as her eyes widened.
"Out of my way!" The voice called out, and visible to Shirou now, broke through the casters pinning them down.
Blonde hair tied into a ponytail, with horse ears twitching in front of the strap of the large metal earmuffs on her head, a thick actual horse's tail trailing behind her from her waist. She wore a black dress-like attire, with a separated dress shirt like top and a skirt that reached her padded knees, her boots ending in heels. Plates of white armor covered her upper body, with plates covering her hips, chest, and shoulders, with gauntlets covering her hands.
Covering her left arm was a shield, rectangular in shape like a diamond, black in color with an edged white trim. And in the grip of her right hand, smashing through the members of Reunion, was a war hammer of sorts. Odd in shape, with a segmented head, the faces being separate white pieces on a hinge-like mechanism, with the center ending in a black blade.
Even if he hadn't been a witness to her skill and prowess at that moment, just a gaze at her weapon told him enough. She was good. She was really good, this Radiant Knight.
A dignified and confident expression on her fair face, her amber eyes immediately landed on Amiya as she called out to her, "Miss Nearl!"
"I'm here." She smiled as she approached them, almost ignoring the Reunion forces she had just broken through. "I'm glad you're still safe Amiya. Let's move."
"Thank goodness you were deployed in this operation." Dobermann said with a sigh of relief.
"Using the signal flare was judicious. Seems like you've been having a rough time." She said, nodding to her. She then turned, her gaze falling on Shirou.
"You must be Dr. Shirou Emiya, right?"
He noted the familiarity of the situation, the image of another blonde knight flashing through his mind as she spoke,
"Radiant Knight, Nearl, at your service. Your chariot has arrived."
And here's Chapter 2, a bit later than intended but real life is a thing and got in the way, leaving me with less time to write than I would've liked. But to get this chapter out before everyone decided to DM checking to see if I was dead or abandoning the story, I decided simply to split this chapter in half for the benefit of everyone.
I assure you, I don't plan on abandoning this story, have a good bit planned out, I'm just a slow writer.
So please don't DM asking if I abandoned it or am dead or where the next update is, I greatly appreciate the investment in the story but it's unnecessary. I'll try to get 2 chapters out per month, though they might not cleanly be bi-weekly.
For some review responses:
Villaindeku9501 - I'm gonna be honest, I'm a little stupid and mix them up still sometimes. Good catch, fixed that up! You know as long as the site acutally registered that edit kinda hope I don't have to do it again
ImperialOrder - Hey, it's not just one shank at a time. Sometimes it's two or three. And occasionally the shank is of the sexual variety but that's besides the point.
Rodenmar, Reinkasahi, Ultimate Kuuga, Deadpoolisagang - ;)
ShippingJR - yeah, Arknights is criminally underrated on this site, which is why my intention is make it clear to some big actually good writer on the site this is a viable fandom to milk with fics
And with that, see you next time, hopefully it'll be faster than this time. And who knows, we might actually see the main heroine next chapter lmao.