Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or Highschool DxD, or any of its character's, and make no money off this
Things certainly turned out rather strangely at that time...
By standing upon the threshold of death I unravelled many of my questions.
My perception of things was changing.
I could see the history of objects just by looking at them...
I could see the truth about people who were connected to those objects.
And yet...
I couldn't see the truth about myself...
The truth that would shatter me one day.
Chapter 6:
Stray hunt part III: Limit breaker
I used Kanshou to deflect his katana, and immediately followed up by slashing across his chest with Bakuya. Blood erupted from the wound; a pain filled grunt escaped my opponent's mouth. Ignoring the injury I inflicted upon him he brought down his katana on me in response, aiming for my liver. I let the black steel of his blade approach me as close as possible, blocking it at the very last moment, the momentum carrying him closer to me and creating an small opening. Taking advantage of the gap, I aimed Bakuya towards his exposed chest to finish things.
His eyes widened in response as he realized what I did and what was going to happen in the next three seconds. A tinge of panic momentarily appeared on his face, but it was only for an instant. He managed to use his left leg as a break to stop his momentum before shooting his right knee up directly into Bakuya's blade, cutting his knee deeply in the process, yet causing enough impact to change my sword's trajectory from his chest to grazing his shoulder instead.
His reaction and way he managed to curtail my attack left me utterly stunned for a second. Kurosaiga didn't waste the opportunity, my momentary lapse giving him enough time to kick me with his good leg. The force of the blow knocking me off balance while sending me stumbling back a few meters.
It may have been a reckless move on his part to hit the blade of my sword with his knee, but considering that the alternative was being run through, he ended up with manageable injuries instead of fatal ones.
While I was picking myself back up, Kurosaiga jumped back creating some more distance between us. He took stock of his wounds, but it was clear that the stray devil's knee rather than his shoulder was especially causing him pain as revealed by the grimace on his face when he tested it.
He took a look at his knee growling in annoyance. He grabbed on one of the sleeves of his jacket and ripped it off, wrapping it around his knee using it as a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding as well as to help support the joint.
''Aghh!'' he shrieked as he tied the knot around his knee, no doubt that the wound was still throbbing with pain. The next thing that came out of his mouth surprised me. ''Hehe~.'' He chuckled with a strained voice, a mixture of amusement and pain. ''So you managed to promote after all, and here I thought you were some kind of failure.''
I was a little confused by his statement, so it seemed like I promoted in his eyes, well he didn't need to know what my powers really were. I took advantage of his sudden lax stance to look for any visible openings. ''You don't say, I'm so glad to entertain the guy who wants to make me one with the earth.'' I almost rolled my eyes while saying those words.
''Don't be like that. Some people just like the feeling of a good fight.'' He shrugged his shoulders, then proceeded to open his arms as if he was welcoming someone while wearing a large grin. ''Your heart racing violently, your blood rushing through your veins, the adrenaline coursing through your body, the fear of losing your life at a single moment of miscalculation, the satisfaction of breaking through your limits, and the euphoria of defeating a powerful enemy. All of these feelings create the unique sensation that is the thrill of battle.''
''Sorry, but I don't get that thrill.'' I commented while keeping my eyes on him. ''Perhaps if this was simply a fight without any stakes to it, I might have found some form of entertainment in it. But it isn't.''
''Suit yourself.'' He shrugged as he brought his katana to the side, beginning to walk slowly towards me.
My fingers started tightening around the hilts of my swords, my body tensing as he approached me. However, the tension in my body vanished the moment I saw an orange light cover Kurosaiga's right side. ''Hmm?'' A confused expression was present on his face as he turned his head to see what it was. His eyes widening as his mouth began opening to form words as if to curse. A giant fire ball soon crashed into his body, exploding on the moment of impact engulfing him.
I protected my eyes with my arm from the incoming heat wave. I could feel the intense heat vaporize the sweat on my body, almost causing me burns in the process.
As the heat reduced, I took a moment and tried to figure out what just happened. Tracing back the trajectory of the attack, I saw who was behind it.
Up on the railing a hand was extended and shaking, a magic seal present in front it, Kusaka was panting heavily as she tried to keep herself straight. Right behind her everyone else from our peerage was also present. Each of them looking like they had seen better days, covered in make-shift bandages and slings.
When I saw them all still here I felt an unparalleled weight fall on my shoulders, a boundless sense of trepidation building up from within myself and threatening to crush me. ''What are all you guys still doing here?!'' I snapped at them.
''W-We couldn't just leave you behind Emiya.'' Hanakai answered on behalf of the group, part of her face swollen black and blue, her right eye cringing as blood was dripping out from above her eyebrow.
Her answer was the last thing I wanted to hear.
''Get out of here before it's too late!'' I almost begged them to leave. The reason why I was even fighting Kurosaiga in the first place was to buy them enough time to escape, the fact that they didn't only meant things have just went from bad to worse.
It was already hard enough to deal with Kurosaiga while trying to keep myself alive, but all of them being here only complicated things. While I could definitely use some help and support in my fight, all of them already had serious injuries. Letting them join in as they are now would be more dangerous than fighting him by myself.
The sense of desperation within me increased with each passing second, anxious on what may happen nex-
''Now that isn't very nice.'' I quickly turned around to the still burning fire where Kurosaiga was standing. My eyes widening as I took notice of the silhouette in the center of the swirling flames. I saw the figure move, the flames splitting apart in two the following second. The swordsman was glaring at his attacker as he walked out of it. ''I get the whole attack your enemy when his guard is down, but that was really rude.''
The attack did not defeat him, but it did seem to have injured him. His left side, arm, and a portion of his face were covered in varying second to third-degree burns, pieces of black charred flesh overlaying the red bleeding one.
''Should have seen this coming since I didn't kill any of you.'' he sighed as he stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes.
A sudden chill began filling the room as a malicious presence arose from Kurosaiga's body. Lifting his katana and placing his free palm on its blade, his fingers trailing on the back of its black steel, a teal aura reappeared once again and began cloaking the sword in a thin veil.
''Seems like I need to teach you kids just who you are dealing with.'' A psychotic smirk appeared on his face, fear invading my body when I saw it. The aura spread out from the blade, surrounding his body from head to toe. He slowly opened his eyes, my heart skipping a beat when I saw them. They were still the same shade of orange, but their scleras were now pitch-black. ''Senkyouka!''
The aura surrounding him exploded and swirled around him in raging waves of light. The color of the energy slowly changing, shifting from a simple teal to a deep black tinged with hues of teal. It gathered around his sword hand, taking shape around it. It was only a ball of dark aura at first, but it slowly took a more distinctive form. There was a cut forming in the lower end of it, square like marks shaping on the split lines, two holes appearing in the upper side, and lastly two sharp horns erected from its left and right side.
A skull… A demonic skull… That was the form the malevolent presence took, in place of his hand was a skull that was holding the katana between its sharp teeth.
As the swirling energy slowed, the skull shifted, its empty sockets gazing maliciously towards the people standing by the railing before it opened its mouth.
"▂▂▂▂▄▄▄▃▃▃▃▅▅▅▅!" a sound that I couldn't describe escaped its ghostly form. It wasn't a shriek, screech, or scream. It was something much more sinister. A shiver went down my spine as it felt like it was being caressed by razor sharp claws when I heard it. As if it's ghastly wail could coil around my heart and stop it at any moment.
The others however were affected far more than I was. I could see the naked fear in their eyes, the nervous sweat on their brow, and the uncontrolled trembling... they were scared.
A crazed grin spread across Kurosaiga's face, his demonic looking eyes screaming of deep blood thirst.
It felt like ice circulated through my veins when I realized what he was about to do. My body tried to react in that moment, dashing as fast as I could to stop it... but I was too late.
The aura sharpened, squirming violently around the edge of the blade. He took a step forward, swinging his katana at them... the next moment it was like death's breath was released.
A stream of black and teal energy burst forth as the swing was done, rushing its way towards my master and the other injured members of the Sitri peerage. The attack morphed into its previous visage of a demonic skull, opening its menacing jaw as if it was trying to devour the others whole.
I reinforced my eyes to get a better look at the people up on the railing... They were completely frozen. I could see it by the look in their eyes, by the trembling of their bodies, by the terror painted on their faces. They were all too paralyzed with fear to even try and move.
''Master!'' I looked at my master for a thread of hope. I couldn't stop it, and wouldn't be able to reach them in time, so I had to place my faith in her abilities.
My words reached her, violet eyes meeting golden brown for a brief moment. In that lone second I was able to convey my thoughts to her, she understood what would happen if she didn't take action. An angry frown appeared on her face, biting her lower lip in frustration at her own inability, small drips of blood rushing from it.
But what could she do? Earlier she barely managed to stop Kurosaiga's normal blast of aura, and the one coming at them is on a whole different level. Even if they all formed a protective barrier together while supporting each other it still wouldn't be enough to stop it.
A frustrated 'tsk' escaped my master's small mouth, her eyes focusing on her trusted Queen. ''Tsubaki! Use your sacred gear!''
The black haired Queen blinked in confusion for a moment, but eyes widening as she understood what to do. She dashed in front of everyone, right where the wave was going to strike in the next few seconds.
She extended her hands forward, her gaze fixed on the monstrous incoming attack. ''Mirror Alice!'' she shouted resolutely, a beautiful decorated full body mirror manifesting in front of her, much bigger than her own stature.
Contrary to what one would expect, the mirror didn't immediately shatter when the attack hit it; instead the attack seemed to be absorbed by it. When the last trace of aura entered the mirror, cracks began forming on it, the image of the skull appearing inside it.
The moment the mirror shattered the skull motif blast began shooting towards Kurosaiga. Its size being greater than before, even the amount of power it was emanating was stronger.
Wait... Shinra-senpai once told us about her sacred gear Mirror Alice. It allows her to create a mirror with the ability to reflect attacks. The attacks are first absorbed inside of the mirror, followed by releasing the attack back to the enemy with double of its original power. The downside regarding it is that she cannot use it twice in a row without a cool-down period and she cannot use it against melee attacks. This would explain why she didn't use it earlier when she was fighting.
The magnitude of the attack that was flying back towards its original master might have been just the thing to stop him. I might have smiled after I saw how they were safe, if not for the unimpressed look on Kurosaiga's face.
He simply took a step to the side, shifting himself into a sword stance, his eyes fixed on the incoming attack. The aura shifted, exploding backwards, traces of its teal and black light breaking and flying around him like embers.
He drew his katana, the aura surging violently towards the incoming reflected one. The size of it... was four times that of the one Shinra-senpai reflected.
As the attack made its way towards the opposite one, the skull motif formed in the wave, opening its menacing jaw, literally swallowing the smaller one. It continued its course towards the top, breaking its way through it, pieces of debris falling everywhere as the ceiling was destroyed.
Through the thick layer of dust, rays of light began piercing and illuminating the room. If the situation wasn't so dire, perhaps I might have found the image of Kurosaiga bathed in the moonlight surrounded by the small flares of his aura rather captivating.
''Such a beautiful full moon we have tonight.'' The stray took a quick glance at the moon, its light reflecting on the blade of his katana. He then turned his attention back towards the group of devils that were flabbergasted from his display of strength. A small snort escaped his lips as he gazed at them. ''I hope this little demonstration made you realize the huge amount of shit your in.''
My master once more bit down on her lip in sheer frustration, no doubt due to the situation continually getting worse by the second in her eyes. While I didn't learn much about the devil society and its ways, I did learn enough to roughly understand what was going on here. My master and Kurosaiga were both considered to have a rank of a high-class devil; however there was a major difference between them.
The difference being is one who inherited the title and the other who earned it.
Due to how the devil hierarchy works, each devil possesses a rank. The everyday citizens and reincarnated devils are automatically conferred a low class rank no matter who they are before they were converted. Low class devils are generally referred to as commoners, servants, and essentially make up the bottom of the social ladder for the devil race.
In contrast the high class devils are the aristocrats, the nobility of the underworld society. Most of the holders of this rank are the descendants of the seventy-two pillars, the pure blooded devils, the ones that inherited the blood lines of the first seventy-two leaders of hell's legions.
But that was the very problem.
Each pure blooded devil receives the title of a high class devil from the very first day they are born. They aren't required to work or even train a single day of their lives in order to obtain their position; they receive it by default for simply being a 'pure devil' by right of their birth.
That's why even though a devil possesses the rank of a high-class devil, their overall powers and abilities may not be worthy of the title. They could even be defeated by a hard working low class devil if they fail to realize their potential. In other words it's just a title in name only, a given one, not something earned by merit.
My master said when she first saw Kurosaiga that his power was equivalent to that of a high-class devil. If I were to draw a line of comparison between him and her, I would be inclined to believe that she isn't worthy of her title quite yet. This may be the reason as to why she appears so shaken. It's not only because she is intimidated of Kurosaiga's power, but rather it's that she doubts herself and her strength.
She may be afraid and confused, but what about me?
Unlike her... I don't have the time or luxury of being scared. For the weight of the lives resting on my shoulders far outweighs anything else I'm feeling currently.
''Leave them out of this. Your fight is with me.'' My voice was cold and sharp, like a sword, my words getting the attention of the man across from me.
''Hey, why are you getting all mad at me for?'' he said as he checked his burnt skin on his left pectoral, grimacing as he understood his current state. The material of his jacket didn't get completely burn off, and instead melted onto his skin. He took a moment and braced himself as he took hold of the remains of his jacket. With one swift pull he ripped it off, together with the flesh in which the material fused with, blood poured out of the fresh lacerations. It may have seemed like a reckless move, causing him to bleed for nothing, but because the material of his clothes had melded with his skin it was limiting his movement. After a few painful grunts he looked back at me. ''Little Miss Braids over there is the one who interrupted us. I can duel honorably if the person I'm facing is worthy, but if others can't stay out of it I won't show any mercy!''
I narrowed my eyes at him, the body that was concealed underneath his jacket now present for the world to see. He may appear like a lean individual at first glance, but now that I see him like this it he is in fact very muscular. The old scars present on his body a testament to the fights he has endured throughout his life. I decided to throw in my own two cents. ''This isn't a duel. This is a battle, and battles are unpredictable. You never know what may happen if you aren't careful, for even a brief second could spell your end.''
Not counting the incident with Neculai, this was my very first true fight. However, deep down, I couldn't help but feel that I knew more about combat than I should at the moment.
Kurosaiga stared at me for a few moments as if he was contemplating something. ''Hey that just gave me an idea. '' He snapped his fingers with a brightened expression. He pointed his blade forward, a small white glow appearing on the tip of his left hand index finger.
He began trailing his glowing finger on his dark blade in a curious manner, as if he was scribbling something on it.
''Rune magic?'' I heard Hanakai gasp in both awe and fear. If I remember correctly rune magic is of Norse origin and not commonly used by those outside its faction.
He stopped inscribing on the blade and the runes glowed in pale white light. He then rotated the katana in his hand, kneeling on his good leg and stabbed the rune inscribed blade in the floor.
''The only rune combination I have, which I use for creating barriers.'' A smog like substance emerged from where he stabbed the blade. It quickly spread around the room like a thick mist, completely surrounding us. Curiously it didn't seem to go all the way to where the others were. In fact it seemed to stop spreading after a certain point and it formed a dome like shape encompassing us.
I jumped a few meters backwards and touched where the wall of mist was formed. I immediately retracted my hand as a stabbing pain invaded it the moment I touched the transparent wall, small burns forming on the skin of my palm.
''I wouldn't do that if I were you.'' Kurosaiga commented with a bit of glee in his voice, clearly amused by my actions. ''Also before you ask what I did, I created a special barrier using my sword's aura around us so those pesky friends of yours don't interrupt us again.''
Again... his actions made no sense to me. He just demonstrated how easily he could kill them with that ghastly attack of his, and yet he chooses instead to fight me one on one? Just what was he aiming for?
While I was never really a person that understood what others think, no matter how I tried I couldn't think of why he was acting this way. If only there was a way for me to understand him. A way for me to see just what is hiding behind that smirk of his.
A way to grasp the truth.
The more I tried to find the answers I sought, the more questions I got in return instead. Whenever I thought I understood his drive, his motive, I would quickly realize that it wasn't that simple.
And yet... the more I tried to understand him, the more my eyes became captivated by that dark katana of his. Although it's the weapon of my enemy and he kept using it to hurt me and my comrades, I couldn't help but admire its beauty.
A tainted beauty was the best way to describe it.
Its aura fills me up with such a cold sensation, its steel is dyed pitch black, and the scent of blood surrounds it like a thick layer. It has so many sinister traits to it... but I still found beauty in the sword in spite of them.
My grip on the hilts of my swords tightened. Even if I knew the truth, it wouldn't change the fact that we are currently fighting now. That the man in front of me is an enemy I must defeat.
Kurosaiga shifted his katana to his side, dashing towards me at much greater speed than before. When our swords clashed, I almost got sent flying back again, his brute physical strength increased as well. My jaw tightened as I grit my teeth forcing myself to fight back, our swords clashing like violent waves, sparks and traces of his aura flying everywhere like New Year fireworks. I could feel my arms strain against his blows as our blades repeatedly collided.
It could be that when he used that Senkyouka move of his earlier, all of his physical abilities had increased. If that was truly the case then things just got harder for me... The scales had tipped in his favor.
His black sclera eyes stared into my white ones, a savage smile creeping on his face revealing far too many teeth for my comfort. The aura of his katana flared up and appeared to sharpen with each exchange that went between us, slowly cornering me as time went on.
Crack.
My eyes widened as small cracks began spreading on my blades, quickly expanding under the intense barrage of energy infused strikes made by the devil in front of me.
A tingling sensation began circulating through my eyes.
I immediately took a few steps backwards in an attempt to open up some distance between us, only to find that I had run out of space and was with my back to the wall already.
Kurosaiga brought his sword down in an arc; I ducked and used my swords to protect my head. As his katana was passing by it grazed me, taking some of my hair on its way, I saw the reflection of my eyes in its polished black steel.
An image flashed in front of my eyes.
The lone figure of a man holding a black katana, sitting in the middle of a room filled with mutilated corpses, dozens of black feathers scattered everywhere. His face was blurred and I couldn't make out any of his features, but I could see the river of tears running down his face.
When the image vanished I pushed myself against the wall and put some distance between me and Kurosaiga.
Just what did I see?
When I got back on my feet I dodged an incoming thrust aimed at my throat, my eyes looking at the blade again. The same phenomenon happened once more and another image flashed in front of my eyes.
The man was kneeling down and gently kissing the hand of what appeared to be a woman. While his head was looking down, a large disturbing smile was painted on the woman's face.
Not having any time to block, I bent my neck to left, right before the blade pierced me. I could feel the nick on my neck sting lightly as blood trickled down from it. Ignoring the pain, I used this opportunity and shifted the swords in my hands. I attacked rushing them to his open vitals in a cross cut motion.
He grabbed my shoulder with his open hand and flipped himself up, my swords passing through where he was a second ago. My eyes shot up to see him hanging in the air right above me.
With a quick twist he back flipped and landed behind me, but he didn't let go of me. With a loud battle cry he violently pulled me by my arm and threw me around like a training dummy, sending me stumbling across the ground.
At this point, considering how often it has happened, I could swear that this guy had a hobby of throwing and smashing people into floors and walls or something.
As I stumbled along the hard floor, I stabbed my sword into the ground to halt my momentum. Ignoring the pain and a possibly cracked shoulder I looked up. Immediately I saw the tip of his blade rushing towards my left eye.
I used Bakuya as an impromptu shield and deflected his attack, my eyes once again scanning his blade.
Again...
The image of the woman from earlier surrounded by other shadowy figures, all of them laughing maliciously as the man with the katana around his waist was on his knees in the middle of them, screaming desperately to the sky, his orange eyes revealed... filled with tears and unrestrained rage.
Everything turned red.
Demonic energy flared around his blade, a column of malevolent aura building in it, making the katana appear several times bigger. He started swinging his sword without taking even a second to rest, streams of energy were launched at me with every swing, each one with enough force to kill me if it hit directly.
I managed to dodge the first three by dashing left and right, the next two I had to jump up to avoid and bend down instantly to dodge. The following four I couldn't simply dodge and had to use my swords to protect myself, the already large cracks in them growing to their limit and now compromising the integrity of my blades.
Kurosaiga positioned himself in an Iaido stance; the aura surrounding his katana exploded backwards, the stray shooting towards me like a bullet.
The sound of shattering metal filled the room, followed by a stream of blood dripping down. A painful gasp escaped my mouth as I felt the left side of my abdomen get slashed open by him as he dashed past me, my blades shattering when I tried to block him.
My eyes widened as I looked at the broken fragments of Kanshou and Bakuya hovering in front of me, each piece slowly turning to dust, vanishing in the air. My face cringed in pain and frustration. I could still fight on with the current injury in my stomach, but how was I supposed to fight him now that my weapons have shattered?
A glob of blood rushed out of my throat as I coughed, the damage of my accumulated injuries was starting to catch up to me. My right knee turning soft and letting me down, I barely avoided collapsing on the floor. I only managed to use my left arm as a supporting pillar to catch myself at the last moment.
As the blood continued dripping from my wounds and mouth, my eyes drifted towards my opponent a few meters away, I saw him swinging his katana with a strong motion to get rid of the accumulated blood on its edge.
Even though he is my enemy... even though he is a stray devil... I can feel his dedication for the sword.
How odd... even though the situation is so dire, I still can't help but admire that sword of his.
Time seemed to slow down as I tried to get up, my eyes constantly keeping track of his weapon, the itchy sensation in them getting stronger with each passing moment.
A jolt of pain resonated in my head, more precisely in my eyes. I grabbed my face with my free hand, only for the pain to increase. Through the cracks of my fingers I tried keeping Kurosaiga in my sight, but the pain was making that rather difficult.
Something happened to my vision; it started going static, like an old broken TV, shifting between the correct image and static. This process kept on repeating as the pain intensified while continuing to linger in my eyes.
In a moment the pain seemed to reach my breaking point, but in the next it suddenly stopped. No more pain invaded my mind; instead something else took its place.
Knowledge.
A multitude of images, sounds, information, and memories hit me.
Every single one of them connected to the very blade that Kurosaiga is wielding.
I see...
I understand now... everything was clear now. All of my questions regarding the man in front of me have been answered. However this only made things more difficult for me, both in regards to fighting, but also about my overall sentiments towards the devilish swordsman.
I now see his side of the story. All thanks to the other missing piece of the card's skills.
Structural Grasping.
I now had the ability to understand the structure and design of an object as if I were viewing a blueprint. I could also view its history, as if reading a book, understanding the events that the said object was involved in.
Thanks to it, I was able to understand.
''I see now... no wonder that blade is so strong.'' I muttered with a sore cough as I attempted to pick myself up, the pain in my head was gone but the one made by his last attack still throbbed violently in my abdomen. Kurosaiga narrowed his eyes at my words, appearing curious by what I was about to say next. ''A cursed katana forged during the golden age of Japanese blacksmiths, a weapon of highest quality, bathed in the ambition of its creator.'' My eyes locked on the said blade. '' The sword you have in your hand is a Muramasa katana. Forged by Muramasa Sengo himself, his most famous creation, Juuchi Yosamu.''
''Hoo~ so you recognized my katana?'' He whistled as he traced his fingers over the dull part of his weapon. ''Well might as well congratulate you for recognizing this weapon, however knowing what this katana is won't really help you.''
My eyes narrowed at his black scleras. ''Perhaps, but I can't help but wonder how you aren't rampaging like a mad beast.''
He tilted his neck to the side, a small arrogant smirk adorning on his face as he did so. ''Maybe I'm just a little special, you know one of those 'true sword users', the kind of person who has a perfect affinity for a weapon and doesn't get affected by its negative effects.'' A slasher type smile reminiscent of what you may see on villains in horror movies grew on his lips. ''Though I have to admit that using it makes me a bit edgy, but I can keep it under control.''
''And I guess that's also the reason why your friends are still alive.'' He swung his katana to the side; a very deep slash mark suddenly appeared on the wall a few meters away the direction were he casually swung. ''You see this sword is like a really clingy girlfriend. The moment I take my eyes off it, it gets really jealous and it will start cutting things I don't even want it to cut.''
I knew all of that, but he wasn't being entirely truthful with me. The bloodlust that katana has is very powerful, making it so it would even cause harm to its own wielder if it meant its hunger would be satisfied.
''Is that really the reason why they're alive?'' I narrowed my eyes at him. ''Because I find it weird that besides my master, you never used that sword on anyone else. You kicked, punched, threw, and used the swords aura. But you never directly cut anyone else besides her... and me.''
He could have killed all of us. He could have easily done that from the start if that was what he truly wanted and yet he didn't to do it; not only that but he deliberately restricted his own blade from going wild and tearing us to pieces. Just the air pressure alone was strong enough to cut the rock on the wall; should he really have tried to kill me... the whole room would be painted in my blood and remains by now.
He wouldn't do it... not if he had a choice in the matter.
''You really talk too much kid...'' his smiled dropped and was replaced by an irritated scowl. ''I have a grudge against pure-blooded devils... reincarnated devils are a whole different story.''
He was speaking the truth, but that wasn't all there was to it. ''Killing my master won't make you feel any better, you know that don't you?''
''What?'' he looked confused at me, curious to what I was talking about.
I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully as I was already treading on thin ice as it is. ''Even if you were to kill her and all the pure-blooded devils out there, it won't fill the void you feel inside you.''
''Shut up...'' his voice turned cold and serious. Despite that, I pressed on with my words.
''You were nothing but a victim, a victim of the manipulations of a pure-blooded devil. No matter how you pleaded or what evidence you could have brought, it wouldn't have done anything.''
''Shut up!'' His weapon started shaking, his eyes covered by the shadows of his bangs.
''You already killed her... and all of her peerage members that were involved; you already got your vengeance. Please stop before it's too late.''
''I SAID SHUT UP!'' he sent a slash of wind pressure towards me. I didn't react and let it pass by, the force of it cutting my right cheek, blood flowing fast out of the wound.
''I can't do it...'' For the first time since I met him, Kurosaiga was showing true rage and frustration, but above all his trembling eyes were filled with pain and regret. ''I tried... believe me, I tried so hard... but as much as I would like to go back it's already too late...'' He grabbed his face with his free hand, a bitter chuckle escaping through his fingers. ''Once a person completely shatters... even if all the pieces are put back together, the cracks will still remain. ''
His words... they somehow seemed to linger in my mind.
I bit my lip in frustration realizing that there was only one thing left that I could do. I understood it... but I didn't like it.
Perhaps if the situation was different, if only things played out differently I wouldn't have to do this. But I didn't have a choice... I could feel it... my limit was drawing near. I couldn't drag this fight on anymore; it's now a race between my body giving out on me or me defeating him before I'm completely spent.
''Let's end this.'' I muttered, reaching down and picking up a piece of Shinra-senpai's broken naginata, I then began ripping a piece of my shirt off before wrapping it around the lower part of the blade to create a makeshift handle for it.
The stray stared at me for a few seconds, his grip tightening around his weapon. ''You know that fighting me is suicide and yet you still don't give up. Why? I mean, for what reason are you fighting for? What could be making you risk yourself like this?!''
''Are you doing it for her?'' he pointed to my master, venom filling his voice. ''You trust her so much that you are willing to risk it all?''
I took a moment and let what he said sink in, our eyes locked onto one another's as I responded. ''It's not something poetic like dedication, love, or friendship. While I do like the others, I can't really say that I'm fighting for their sake.''
''Then why are doing it?''
My senses seemed to freeze for a second; a sharp pain ran through my head as the images of fire and death flashed through my mind. ''I refuse to let anyone die in front on me... even if I know that I can't win, I won't give up. That's all there is to it.''
''You... '' His eyes widened as if he just realized something, but for a moment those eyes seemed to soften, a sad look present in them as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ''Guess I'm not the only broken person here.''
''Very well...'' he muttered as he took his battle stance, the air around him heavy with the seriousness his face was displaying. ''We both won't give up so we might as well end it once and for all.''
''I acknowledge you and your resolve kid, actions speak louder than words and you proved yourself to me by surviving this far. For that I will finish this in one attack.'' He drew his katana back and took a drawing position. ''My name Ichirou Kurosaiga, former human and swordsman.''
I narrowed my eyes and let out a tired sigh, I wasn't a person who really believed in honor and chivalry, but I felt that he deserved that much. ''Shirou Emiya.''
A small nod was his response, followed by shifting his weight on his right leg.
A sense of dread filled my body as my heart started to beat violently. I recognized the stance he was taking. Thanks to structural grasping I knew what he was about to do... and it scared the hell out of me.
Juuchi Yosamu may indeed be a powerful sword, but its true potential was awakened thanks to Kurosaiga's dedication and his natural affinity towards it.
By design it is a katana of the highest quality. Its nature however is filled with a bloodlust; that in time turned into a curse that slowly made its wielders into mindless killers.
Kurosaiga was its first true owner that was able to control its killing impulses; in fact he was the one who even turned its unique trait into a true weapon of destruction. After he was turned into a devil he began using it in tandem with his demonic energy, fusing it together with the curse of the blade.
'Senkyouka' was born from the results of his efforts, his very own creation, a technique in which he fuses his demonic energy together with the katana's own cursed aura. Manipulating it and creating a truly powerful wave of energy that seems to take on a life of its own, the swords very bloodlust made manifest.
However, there was one more form he developed. A superior version that makes the first pale in comparison... and standing there right now in front of me, he just took the stance required for using it.
My hand tightened on the sorry excuse for a weapon I was holding. Even though I managed to understand both structural grasping and reinforcement, it won't be enough for me to defeat him without a proper weapon... no... Even if I still had Kansho and Bakuya, it still wouldn't raise my chances of surviving this next attack.
I was a sitting duck.
''It seems like you are having a rough time.''
My eyes widened as I heard Archer talk to me, with all the crazy fighting that's been going on, I had actually forgotten about him.
Archer, now is not the time. I have to think of a way to counter him or I'm dead.
''Oh really, and here I thought we could chat. Anyway you won't be able to beat him with the way you are fighting now.''
Oh my, I would have never imagined that. Then why don't you come here in my place and YOU do it!
''I actually would do that if I could, but my hands are a bit tied up at the moment.''
Say... What you told me the first time we talked... Would I be able to use Install right now?
''Forget about it. There's no telling what side effects using Install would have on you even if you were in peak physical condition. With the way your body is right now, using it would be akin to suicide.''
Dammit...
''However... The least I can do is offering you some strategic advice.''
As much as I want to complain to you for not offering any strategic advice earlier when I was getting my ass kicked... I'm all ears.
''All this time you have been fighting by instinct without knowing how to properly use the card's skills or the swords you were given. If you want a chance to beat him, then learn to understand your enemy first. But before you do that, you need to understand the enemy's weapon first.''
Understand my enemy's weapon?
''In other words, if you cannot defeat your enemy with the weapon you do have; then imagine one with which you could.''
I pondered over his words... I felt like something deep within me resonated to them. As if a gear was beginning to turn, for a moment my mind felt like it was shrouded in complete darkness. Until a single ray of light suddenly started to shine through it. Deep inside my mind I tried to grasp the small light, everything turning white as soon as I gripped it with my mental hand. Like a bolt of lightning it hit me, a sudden realization over the truth of the power I was using.
I blinked several times, my mouth hanging slightly. Everything was now clear to me.
I was a fool... the way I've been fighting up until now... it was wrong.
I understand now... the final piece of the puzzle.
Projection.
A sharp sound filled the room. The cursed aura of Juuchi Yosamu manifested violently, growing and twisting itself around the blade even more intensely than earlier. Slowly the energy started expanding around Kurosaiga's body, turning itself into a veil that completely coated him.
The very floor under him began cracking from the intensity of the power, a small crater forming in the very spot he was standing.
He was ready to unleash his attack.
Time was running out, there was room for 'ifs' or 'maybes', I had only one chance to survive this next attack and there wasn't room for even a single misstep.
One chance was all I had, and I wasn't going to waste it. Taking in a deep breath I prepared myself, thought back to the fight with Neculai, recalling the seven steps that went through my mind at that time, and remembered the two words that triggered everything.
I slowly began, my eyes closing and clearing my mind of any unnecessary thoughts.
Search start.
If I get taken out, Kaichou is dead. I can't let that happen. I need a weapon... a weapon that will let me fight.
Searching...
I need a powerful weapon that can protect me from the curses surging from his sword.
Searching...
To bring out something that can compete against his sword, the exact antithesis of his blade.
Searching...
I need a weapon that can defeat Juuchi Yosamu!
Match found.
It was only for a short while... but I saw it... the place that I saw in that dream.
The hill of swords…
The desolated landscape filled with nothing but lonely weapons. The curious part was that I couldn't see any of the weapons… no that isn't right... I was able to make out what each weapon was by their blurred out silhouettes, but I couldn't see their details.
Everything around me appeared as if it was a mirage, a phantom image, all except for one single sword.
On instinct or perhaps on pure curiosity I extended my hand towards it, the sword responding to my call, pulling itself out of the lifeless ground and flying towards my hand. The moment my fingers touched it I understood why it showed itself to me.
''Trace On!''
Power flooded through me, the projection starting, and the inside of my chest burning.
''Ah, shadow that passes through the still of night, unleash the black wave of wrath, eradicate all opposing enemies!'' Kurosaiga shouted as his aura reached its peak, taking on the visage of a skull once again, with an appearance that was even more sinister and demonic than ever before. It surrounded him, making his whole body look like was engulfed by the nightmarish skull.''Senkyouka: Kai!''
The energy swirled around my arms, finding their way into my palms, an image starting to form in them.
Kurosaiga shot forward, showing a speed exceeding any he had shown up until now, the road in his path cracking and shattering from the intensity of his aura.
The energies shape started to become clearer, more detailed. From a simple mass of Od it began taking a more recognizable appearance, a sword.
He pulled Juuichi Yosamu to his side, aiming for my side with a full swing, the aura raging around his blade as he did so. The blade was approaching me at alarming rate. I could mentally visualize myself getting cut in half even before the steel reached me.
It felt like I was standing still on beach while a tidal wave was just about to swallow me. I put the still forming sword in front of the incoming attack.
Kurosaiga's face was calm, the air around him giving off the presence of certain victory he was no doubt feeling. It was only a brief moment before our weapons clashed that I saw the reflection of my weapon in his eyes. The swordsman's eyes widening in surprise due to the swords appearance in my hand.
It was a tachi katana with a blue leather wrap around the hilt. On the blade collar was the signature of the blacksmith. On the blades temper line lie a small leaf pattern.
Our weapons clashed. It was steel against steel. His katana against my katana as our blades collided with one another. The torrential waves of cursed and demonic energy from his sword rushed toward me.
"▂▂▂▂▄▄▄▃▃▃▃▅▅▅▅!" the skull like manifestation let out a scream of agony and rage as it tried to swallow me. It was like I was a stone in the middle of a river and the aura was the rapids. I held my ground standing firmly in place while the energy flowed around me, spreading apart before reforming right behind my back, destroying everything behind me.
The sword was my ward. It protected my body from the wave that otherwise would have killed me instantly on contact. It was more of a shield than a sword at the moment, protecting me by creating my very own eye of the storm.
But even with its protection I felt like my body could get swallowed up at any moment if I was careless. It did guard me against the curses of Juuchi Yosamu, but the sheer force of the power it was enduring felt like it would send me crashing the moment I lost my footing.
I felt my teeth grinding against each other as I tried to push back against the oncoming stream, my knuckles whitening as I increased my grip on the handle of my sword.
''Hahhhh!'' I let out a battle cry as I pushed forward, breaking our standoff, and sending his sword swinging back to the side thus breaking his attack. The malevolent aura around Kurosaiga shattered to pieces, vanishing like embers in the cold night air, shock and confusion forming on the man's face as I brought my sword down and slashed across his chest.
The pain of the injury waking him up from his stupor, he cringed in pain, striking against my sword before I could swing for a deeper cut, and stepping back out of my reach.
Grunting and panting heavily as his blood was dripping from his new chest wound, Kurosaiga narrowed his eyes on the blade I was holding.
''H-How?!'' He asked in disbelief, the black sclera in his eyes disappearing and returning back to normal. ''There was no way you could have withstood my attack, there's just no way.''
He was right. I shouldn't have been able to survive his attack by normal means. 'Senkyouka: Kai' is what some would call a one-shot kill, a single destructive strike that would decimate the opponent and any nearby people in its surroundings.
By releasing all of the demonic and curse energy he can produce, he lets it shroud him, augmenting all of his physical abilities by a vast amount. This act let the swordsman enact a short yet very powerful boost, similar to a Nitrous Oxide System on a car.
When he reaches the enemy, he transfers all of the power to the blade of the katana, granting him an increased exponential explosion of overall striking power. This action allowing him to launch a devastating attack about twice as strong as his already powerful normal wave of 'Senkyouka'.
Due to the sheer speed and destructive nature of this technique it's almost impossible for a close range fighter to dodge or stop it, myself included. I should have been killed instantly as I couldn't have stopped that attack.
Until now that is.
''What is that katana?'' He muttered in a very irritated tone, his sword hand trembling violently.'' It's making Juuchi Yosamu scream to destroy it. Heck even I feel irritated by just looking at it.''
I took a few seconds to collect myself, my stamina was running low and I could barely stand. I needed to buy time to catch my breath; sating his curiosity would allow me a moment of respite as I readied myself for the next exchange. ''There's an old tale of two master blacksmiths that were brought in front of the Shogun and were tasked with forging the best swords they could. One of those men was Sengo Muramasa, the weapon which he presented was non-other than the Juuchi Yosamu you are holding. The other man was known as Masamune, the mentor and rival of Murasama, the weapon he forged was one that opposed Muramasa's katana from almost every perspective, it was called-''
'' Yawarakai-Te...'' he whispered in surprise, sheer disbelief present on his face. ''If I was supposed to expect you to pull a new weapon out of nowhere, I sure as hell never imagined it would be that one.''
He narrowed his eyes at me. ''So how did you do it? Even though that katana has a deep history with my own it doesn't explain how you were able to stop my most devastating attack.''
''Well one of this sword's properties is its protection against curses. Just before our swords clashed, Yawarakai-Te protection took place and neutralized the curse that was strengthening your blade, that's why it didn't shatter on contact and why my body was able to take on the force of the impact. After that it acted as a pillar that blocked the streams of aura that you were using to crush me. ''
It was actually more than that. This weapon also had a powerful curse cleansing property, not simply erasing it or cancelling it, but purifying the curse itself.
He placed his palm over his face; a dry snort escaped his mouth. ''So in other words any power up that my weapon gives me was cancelled before it hit. Damn... not only was that my best attack, but it's also incredibly taxing on my body.''
Silence took over the stray, body unmoving, face hidden in his palm. A small snicker could be heard from him. ''Ahahaha! Man! Talk about anti-climactic!''
I stayed in place and listened to his laughter until he was done, I personally thought that most people would rather call the whole ordeal disappointing than funny.
But I guess each person has their own taste when it comes to what makes them crack a smile or amuses them.
''Heh, it's been a while I laughed like that.'' He smiled as his laugh finally died out, a calm and serene look present in his eyes. ''It's a shame we couldn't have met under different circumstances kid. I really like you.''
''This fight between us is something else.'' He took his stance, his arm slightly trembling from the accumulation of wounds. ''It makes me go beyond my limits.''
I took my stance for the final exchange, my body heavy and sore, feeling as if it would shatter from one more strike. And yet I couldn't help but smirk a little. ''Those sentiments are ones I can agree on. We might have gotten along had things been different, and I have to thank you.''
He blinked a few times. ''What for?''
''This battle has made me understand my powers, what they do, and how to use them. For that I'm grateful.'' I told him the honest truth. It was after I used the Include the first time, that I've been constantly trying to figure out how the powers that it granted me work. Unfortunately, my efforts met with little to no success on my part.
It was only during this intense battle that I slowly understood them, that I slowly grasped the way of using them. It was because he put me on the threshold between life and death that I broke through my limits.
''You're welcome.'' He told me with a small smile, which slowly morphed into an vicious grin. ''But we will be seeing how grateful you still are when I take you out!''
We both dashed forward toward one another. Kurosaiga movement's appearing more sluggish, while mine were slightly sharper. I was smirking to myself as Yawarakai-Te granted the wielder a slow healing property against wounds made by cursed weapons. While it didn't close my wounds or heal them at a fast rate, it did numb the pain I was feeling from them.
Our blades clashed once again.
Insert Loop Music- Fate/stay night Realta Nua OST - Mighty Wind
With the powers of Yawarakai-Te countering the powers of Juuchi Yosamu, we were currently standing on equal footing. My reinforcement kept up with the empowerment of his Queen traits.
At this point it all came down to a battle of technique.
A swing came down in an arc, threatening to cut off my head. I dodged and tried to stab him in the abdomen. He blocked and forced my sword to my side; taking advantage of the opening he flicked his sword aiming for my eye.
I felt how it nicked my forehead as I narrowly managed to dodge it at the last moment.
I frowned as I tried to return the attack, Kurosaiga once again blocking me. My left eye twitching as a small spark made by the clash touched the edge of my eye.
My muscles were screaming as the pain of my wounds and the exhaustion built up throughout the course of this fight were taking its toll on me. Regardless I forced myself to fight though it all. Dodging blades by mere millimetres, no moment to calm down and take a deep breath, my heartbeat and breathing going wild as I forced myself to keep up with the exchange. We moved all around the room as the flurry of slashes continued, both of us utilizing our footwork to outmaneuver the other as much as our swordplay to cut apart each other.
Dodging a thrust, his sword penetrated the wall. I took the chance to strike him.
He didn't try dodging to the side or bend down as he didn't have time. He instead chose to close in the distance between us and head-butt me, pulling his sword from the wall and swinging it at me.
My head still a little dizzy from the unexpected attack, I reinforced my legs and jumped upwards, the power of my jump taking me several meters in the air.
He didn't give me any chance to recover and decided to follow by bringing out his devil wings and taking flight after me.
Our swords clashed against one another in the air. A few brief exchanges causing a small rain of sparks to scatter about from us. Reinforcing the muscles in my arms to the limit I took a large swing at him, the force of the blow strong enough to send him crashing back down to the ground.
A second or two was all it took him to get up and regroup from the tumble caused by the impact. Just in time for him to block me when I came crashing down from above, the weight of my attack coupled with the momentum of gravity causing the ground beneath his feet to crack even further.
Blood escaped through his mouth as he managed to repel me, but at the cost of some of his bones cracking in the process as loud snaps were heard from his body. This didn't deter Kurosaiga in the slightest; he quickly rebuffed me by kneeing me in the side with his good leg.
I was sent stumbling along the floor once again, hitting my head at few times in the process. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, the pain was numbed and I got up, rushing back at the stray.
This isn't enough.
This sword isn't enough to beat him.
I could tell. It was all in the swords history.
When I projected it, I didn't just make a copy in the shape and substance of the original, I also reproduced its entire history as well. Because of it I can see and imitate any techniques that have been used throughout its entire existence.
But this is where the problem lies.
After it won in the contest against Juuchi Yosamu, it was presented to the Shogun and was held by his family for four generations until it reached its limit and shattered.
It was kept more for decorative purposes rather than the reason which it was originally forged. While each owner was a proper swordsman in their own right, none of them were true warriors. Not a single weilder had ever attempted to reach the utter limit of what this sword was truly capable of. It was never a weapon that had been used by someone of truly remarkable skill.
Because of this, the sword technique found within it was lacking, it isn't enough. It may be enough to purify the enemy's curses, and allow me to hold an exchange with Kurosaiga but it was not enough to give me the ability to land the decisive blow against him.
Juuchi Yosamu was once regarded as a sword of lesser standing in comparison to Yawarakai-Te, but it was through Kurosaiga's dedication and natural talent that he brought out its true potential and created new skills for it.
The swords started from the same point, yet it was only the one held by Kurosaiga that went on and evolved beyond its initial power.
In a way, it was actually quite ironic. The weapon that lost the initial challenge they were put through now stands above the one that defeated it.
Grunting as my previous wounds opened up, and new ones continued bleeding I realized that my body was going to give out on me very soon. I had to end this now. I had to push past my limits one more time and end this once and for all!
It was only for a moment, but my vision went static. His image flashed through my mind... dressed in red with Kansho and Bakuya in his hands. He threw the swords backwards, stabbing me.
My eyes widened in shock as I realized just how wrong I'd been in using Kansho and Bakuya.
A plan formed in my mind as I now understood the true meaning behind the married blades, about the poem that described them. It was risky, I was on the verge of collapsing, but I had to bet everything I could muster on this last attack.
I need more power... I need more swords... I need to project more weapons... I need to trace.
Victory would be decided in a split second. Unless I can master it, any strategy I could use would be useless.
Opening the valve, I let my magical energy overflow inside of my sword, filling it to the brim.
I discarded all sword technique and skills that were engraved in the blade and decided to do something the stray devil probably never saw any sane swordsman in the middle of a fight do before. I threw my sword towards him, betting everything on his next response. Kurosaiga was also nearing his limit. His eyes went wide appearing surprised by my unexpected move, but not enough to stun him. He reacted quickly and prepared to deflect my attack before most likely proceeding to cut me down.
I smirked and began running as he struck my incoming sword.
The moment the swords met, it detonated right in his face. By filling my weapon with magical energy or more simply mana, I turned my weapon into a literal exploding projectile that went off at the smallest impact.
Broken Phantasm.
''Ahhhh!'' a suffocated grunt was heard as Kurosaiga face came out of the smoke caused by my sword projectile, his body damaged, but not completely broken as the explosion wasn't too powerful. It wasn't meant to be.
All pieces were now set. It now came down to this final moment.
''Trace on.''
Analyze and breakdown every single piece of information about the enemy, his weapon and fighting style. Factor everything and prepare counter measure for all of them.
I must sharpen my senses to their utmost. A single slip up can prove fatal. A single moment can spell death. Kill off any needless thoughts. The only thing I should be seeing for now is the boundary between life and death. Think ten steps ahead, and seize even five more seconds of survival!
''Spirit and technique, flawless and firm.''
Still running, I traced a copy of Kansho and Bakuya and threw them at the stray, flying sideways towards my confused target. He managed to raise his damaged sword up and deflect Kanshou while stumbling to avoid Bakuya coming from the opposite direction.
''Our strength rips the mountains.''
By understanding that tracing isn't limited to one copy for each object, I traced a second pair of the married blades, throwing them once again. The same pattern took place and Kurosaiga managed to deflect them yet again.
''Our swords split the water.''
''The hell?!'' His eyes widened and squirmed in his head as he saw that the blades didn't simply get sent flying off to the side, but instead seemed to circle in the air around him, not only that but the first set of blades he deflected were also included as well.
''Our names reach the imperial villa.''
Closing the distance between us, holding my hands at my back, I projected the final set of the married blades, but this time I did more than that. Feeding them with my mana, I felt their weight increase as they lengthened and expanded almost double their original size, as they did; cracks and splinters began forming in the blades of the swords, the final product resembling a pair of beautiful crane wings made of black and white steel.
''Trace Overedge!''
''The two of us cannot hold the heavens together.''
Face to face with Kurosaiga I prepared for my final strike. The swords were spinning around him responding to the attraction of the swords that I held. This 'attraction' was the true meaning behind the married swords, their strong bond, and their desire to be together returning to one another no matter the distance or what stands between them.
''Two great men, sharing a life!''
The spinning blades responded to the attraction made by the ones in my hands, changing their trajectory to match that of the Overedged version. A lethal attack of six different swords was formed, one that prohibits escape or defence.
''Senkyouka: Kai!'' Kurosaiga shouted in panic as he understood that he couldn't defend against this attack with any regular method and his only chance of salvation was to use the aura of Juuchi Yosamu to try and protect himself. However the moment his aura flared it seemed to weaken, with only a mere fragment of his usual output appearing.
''W-What the?!'' he gasped at the sudden occurrence, going pale as he realized the source of this sudden loss of power. Taking note of the small shining fragments of steel buried in his flesh. ''The shards!''
It worked. I understood that the aura of Juuchi Yosamu had enough power to potentially deflect the blades, making the stages of this exquisite technique useless. The only solution was to seal it for a one lethal second.
It was a gamble. I had to bet everything on Kurosaiga shattering the Broken Phantasm version of Yawarakai-Te, and that the remaining fragments of it would get stuck in his body.
The shards wouldn't have been enough to seal the cursed aura with the same efficiency it would have done if I wielded it... but it would have been enough to weaken it for this single moment.
''Triple-Linked Crane Wings!'' I shouted as I poured my remaining strength into my hands and slammed the blades into him just as the other two pairs made contact with him. A loud explosion was heard, the blades shattering completely, sending their broken shards into him, the force causing him to be sent crashing into the wall as the steel remains shredded his body.
A strangled scream escaped his mouth, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, a small cracking sound lingering as his sword shattered, his body damaged beyond its limits, crashing on the floor with a loud thud. No more moves or sounds were made by him.
It was done... I won... and yet it only left a foul taste in my mouth.
My eyes narrowed at my now still enemy, my body refusing to take a moment to rest. I was staring at him with utmost concentration, trying to assure myself that it was finally over. Once I did I felt something in me give way.
''Ugh!'' I let out a painful groan as the adrenaline in my system stopped flowing, the pain of all my wounds invading my mind at the same time. My vision went blurry, blood was flowing through the edge of my mouth, and my legs went limp as they lost all strength in them.
I felt like shit.
My body tilted to the side and fell over. I should have seen it coming, after everything that I went through it would have been impossible for me to simply stand up and walk away.
Curiously I heard the sounds of someone running towards me as I was falling down.
Before I could understand what was going on, I felt a pair of hands grab my head just a second before it hit the floor.
Huh... the floor was unusually soft. I looked up and saw that I actually didn't hit the ground.
''Safe!'' Meguri grinned at me as she wiped her forehead with her sleeve. ''Phew! That was a close one Emi-chan!''
I let out a very tired sigh, my body far too tired and sore to move. ''You shouldn't do stunts like that Meguri, you're still injured.'' I noted as the knight held my head on her lap. Dust lingering around us as she just slid her way towards me and caught my head at the last moment. While I should thank her for catching me, it didn't change the fact that the bones in her shoulder were still pretty much in pieces.
I took a look at the ceiling; the barrier made by Kurosaiga had vanished. At least I know how she managed to get to me now.
''Like you're one to talk.'' She playfully flicked my forehead with her finger. ''At least I don't look like I've been sleeping on a bed made out of swords.''
''Huh...'' her words made me wonder... just how injured was I?
I took a moment and performed a small structural grasp on myself, blinking a few times as I got the end result. So many wounds that I didn't notice when they were done… how is it I'm even still alive right now?
A new form towered over me and Meguri, I looked up and was greeted by a strained smile from my fellow pawn.
''You're one crazy guy you know that Emiya?'' Saji said as he crouched next to me and Meguri, his face had become even more swollen than earlier, though his injured arm was now in a makeshift sling.
A small smirk formed on my lips. ''Guess I am since everyone keeps telling me that.''
''Make way!'' Hanakai pushed Saji aside and made her towards me, her eyes widening as her face began losing color as her eyes checked my body. ''Reya come quick! We need to stop the bleeding!''
When she arrived Kusuka's reaction mirrored Hanakai's, but she seemed far more affected by my appearance, biting her lower lip in hesitation when she looked at me.
''Reya!'' Hanakai snapped at her as she saw her reaction, her voice a mixture of frustration and anger. Her friends scream made her freeze for a moment. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slapping her cheeks, before opening her eyes and joining in helping her fellow bishop in my treatment.
''I'm sorry Emiya, but we have to close the wounds before you bleed out...'' she paused for a moment; I could see hesitation in her eyes. ''We can't start the treatment until we cauterize the wounds.''
So that was the cause. Devils are known for their incredible magical potential, however the healing magic used by them works rather slowly... far too slow for what I need now. It's one of the reasons why phoenix tears are so valuable.
''Just do it.'' I told them with a resigned voice; it wasn't like I had much of a choice at the moment regardless.
Both bishops looked at me, then at each other, nodding together. ''Tsubasa-chan, Ruruko-chan please hold him down.'' Hanakai asked of our blue haired Rook and our twin tailed Pawn.
''Help them as well Saji.'' Kusaka asked of the other male in the group.
I curiously looked at the two bishops, small red magic circles forming on their palms. I noticed Shinra-senpai arriving next to me, a folded piece of cloth in her hand. ''Open up, you will need this.'' She told me with a stern look, though I could see that she wasn't enjoying what was about to take place.
I did as asked and took the piece of cloth in my mouth, mentally preparing myself for what was to come. However I noticed one more person approaching, curiously I looked at the last person to arrive in front of me.
Looking stoically behind her violet framed glasses. Her lower lip began twitching slightly, as she kneeled next to me, holding my hand in her own despite her broken wrists. Her violet eyes stared in my amber ones, silently waiting.
I understood what she was waiting for, but I couldn't speak since my mouth had the piece of cloth in it, so I simply nodded my head.
My master responded with a similar nod. Her gaze left mine as she looked towards her trusted bishops. ''Do it.'' She ordered with a cold voice.
The next moment my mind was attacked by the pain of my flesh burning. My nose was twitching from the repulsive smell that soon followed it, while my eyes stared endlessly at the sky peeking through the broken dome. Wafts of smoke could be seen rising from my treatment.
I struggled. It was normal reaction to such a treatment, but it didn't ease the pain, causing more trouble to the others that tried hard to hold me down as I thrashed.
So painful... so repulsive... and yet...
So familiar...
''That was the last one.'' Hanakai said as she wiped the sweat off her face with her sleeve, the heat generated by her and Kusaka's fire magic warming up the area too much for comfort.
''Finally.'' Kaichou muttered with a sigh, still holding my hand despite all my struggling. ''Begin the normal treatment now, he needs it.''
Both of them nodded and lifted me up, sitting me by the wall and started applying their healing magic on me. Kaichou taking a seat in front of me as she placed her palm over my cheek and began pulling it hard to the side.
Ouch! She was really giving it her all at pinching me.
''That was beyond reckless Emiya.'' She started saying her voice cold as her stare. ''There are far too many complaints I have about what took place tonight, so don't even think for a second that I will just forget about them.''
''Durry nauted.'' I muttered incoherently as her hand pitching my cheek was hampering my speaking ability.
''All of that aside...'' She whispered with a relieved sigh, a small smile forming on her lips as she let go of my cheek and began to slowly caress it, her violet orbs softening. ''I'm so happy you're alive Emiya.''
I stared at her for a few moments, my cheek still throbbing from the pain. Slowly my eyes drifted around the people around me, seeing how even though they were all injured, they were all alive. Strangely... I smiled. ''I'm also glad that you guys are ok.''
''All thanks to you buddy!'' Yura chuckled as she messed with my hair, as if I was some kind of dog. Yet I didn't find her action all that unpleasant. ''The last move was awesome!''
Somehow getting complimented like this made me feel a little awkward. ''I got lucky.'' I admitted dryly, after all it was mostly a gamble.
''Lucky or not, you can't deny that it was a splendid technique.'' Shinra-senpai added her own impression, smiling all too similarly like her master. ''Your technique was magnificent and deadly, enough so, it was able to stop that monster.''
I didn't enjoy her last comment, not when she didn't know the truth. ''You're wrong... he wasn't a monster.'' I muttered as I stared at our Queen.
She and everyone else looked at me like I just grew another head. ''Emiya, how could you say that after all he did to us?!'' Hanakai asked me in complete disbelief.
''Exactly!'' Saji joined in, just as shocked. ''That guy beat the living daylights out of us, and nearly took you out for good!''
''Emiya…'' Sona cut in, her voice was nothing but calm, yet it possessed a certain amount of coldness to it. ''Please explain to us what do you mean by that?''
''I'm going to answer your question with another question.'' I let out an exhausted sigh, before continuing to explain. ''Why are you all still alive?''
They were all silent for a moment, confusion present on their faces as they heard what I just said. ''Huh?'' Nimura was the first to speak her thoughts.
''You all saw how strong he truly was didn't you? You must realize how easily he could have killed us?'' they all nodded slightly at my question. ''Then why didn't he do it?''
Eyes widened in surprise and confusion in response to my words. I continued on with my explanation as everyone took in what I was saying. ''One would think he held back out of arrogance but that wasn't the case at all. With the exception of our master, he didn't wish to kill any of us. Why would he choose to punch and kick you all when he could have far more easily cut you down with his blade?''
The silence continued...
''W-Why?'' Kusaka muttered while she rubbed her temples, clearly having a hard time understanding Kurosaiga's reasoning. ''Why would he do all of this?''
''The man had a grudge only against pure-blooded devils. In truth he could empathize with reincarnated devils like us... he didn't want to kill any of us.''
''How could you know this Emiya?'' Saji asked with a frown.
''I saw the truth in his weapon.'' I answered honestly, looking at the remains of his once dangerous sword. ''Many years ago he was part of an old Japanese cult that trained youths to become true swordsmen. Juuichi Yosamu was a treasure of the temple he lived and trained at. A weapon never meant to be used, and yet it somehow responded to him, something that never happened before. The people of the temple were stunned as he was able to wield it without succumbing to its bloodlust. He became its first true wielder.''
''Little did he know that rumours travel fast, and they can all too easily reach the wrong ears.'' I said bitterly as I continued. ''One day he left the temple for some errands... but when he came back everyone at the temple he knew and cared about was dead... blood and black feathers were everywhere as far as he could see.''
Their expressions darkened as they listened, I went on. ''Struck by grief, anger, and confusion. He broke down and cried.''
''It was then when he was most vulnerable that a woman approached him. Telling him that fallen angels were responsible, that she could help find the ones that killed his comrades and that she could help him gain the strength to enact his vengeance.'' My eyes drifted towards the corpse of the fallen swordsman. ''All in exchange for becoming her Queen.''
My master's face grew pale, the shock of realizing who I was talking about. ''...The heir of the Barbatos house at the time.''
I slowly nodded. ''Blinded by emotion he believed her every word; he placed his trust in her and accepted her offer. As years went by he dedicated himself to her, training to his limits, winning Rating Games in her name, and never questioning her.''
''Until one day, he learned the truth.'' I frowned strongly, clenching both my fists tightly. ''He was just passing by and noticed his master along with the other members of her peerage. It was after a party they had held and his master had drunk far too much, far more than she could take. Uninhibited by alcohol, she started boasting to her other pieces about how she had acquired her Queen.''
''When she heard of such a rare individual she couldn't have let such a golden opportunity fly by. So she staged a way to gain his loyalty. Using her influence and power she killed all the members of the temple and made it look like the fallen angels were to blame, appearing in front of him like a saviour and offering him what he most desired.''
''When he heard the truth, along with the gleeful sadistic laugh of the woman he placed his faith in, realizing how stupid he had been and how easy it was to trick him. Something just broke inside him...'' I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the intense stares of the people waiting for me to continue the story. ''Blinded by untold rage, he killed her and the other members of the peerage that stood in his way.''
There was silence in the room, the faces of the people surrounding me morphing into bitter and mournful looks.
''It's so w-wrong.'' Kusaka muttered with a broken tone, clearly feeling sympathy for the stray.
''Sad isn't it?'' I whispered as I stared at the moon peeking through the hole in the dome. ''And you haven't heard the worst part.''
Everyone's eyes widened in distress at my words, yet I could see that they were expecting the rest. ''T-There's more?'' Nimura asked half-scared.
''He loved her.'' I stated stoically. ''During the years that he served under her, he started developing feelings for his master. At first it was admiration, then he started feeling attracted to her, and in the end he fell in love with her. In fact his feelings were so strong he would have even given up on his vendetta for her sake.''
''What the hell!?'' Saji snapped, kicking the wall in frustration. Clearly upset by the revelation of Kurosaiga's past, making him feel incredibly bitter about how things ended. ''That's just messed up! After all that! After all he went through why did it have to turn out like this!?''
''I have to agree with Saji on this...'' Yura muttered woefully. ''He was clearly still sane, a bit emotionally unstable perhaps, but sane. He wasn't some power drunk monster like how most stray devils are. He was a victim... and yet it… it ended like this.''
Hanakai looked to the side, her eyes showing regret for the man that she fought earlier. ''If we would have insisted in talking some sense into him... do you think things could have turned out differently?''
''No.'' I answered her, gaining back the attention of the group once more. ''He was broken... even if he wanted to go back it was too late, the man that was once Ichirou Kurosaiga was gone a long time ago.''
''It doesn't make the situation any less tragic.'' Shinra-senpai commented as she stared at the corpse of the former stray. ''If he lost everything and was broken beyond repair... why did he even go on?''
''Perhaps his warrior pride kept him from ending his days... or maybe he just wanted to find someone to put him out of his misery?'' I reflected as I remembered the look on his face when his final breath escaped his lips. ''To have one final battle before he put his sword down for good.''
''How can you be so sure about this Emiya?'' My master asked me with a puzzled look.
''When he realized that the last attack destroyed his heart along with a majority of his internal organs... he smiled.'' I answered them as I recalled the look on his face, although his body was probably going through pain I can't even begin to imagine, he had such a serene smile. ''Even though he understood that he lost and that he was about to die. He accepted it, and was glad.''
My eyes drifted off to the side and stared at the empty air. ''I know it's wrong. I know that it's the worst outcome for him... and yet it's also the one that brought peace to him.''
Sluggishly, I managed to get up from my seat and slowly walk towards the corpse of the man that I fought so desperately against. Even though he was dead... his face never appeared so content as it did now.
''Truth be told I'm an atheist, so maybe it isn't my place to say this but...'' I whispered slowly to him as I placed my palm over his lifeless eyes, gently closing them. ''Rest in peace, Ichirou Kurosaiga.''
That day I understood how the world wasn't as simple as I first thought.
He sat alone.
Like always…
Sitting atop of the hill of swords…
The wind blowing through his red mantle, his steel filled eyes gazing upon the endless horizon, a serious expression present on his tanned face.
He turned around and slowly walked through the lonely field of weapons.
Passing by them one by one as he made his way through without a clear destination in mind, he simply walked. As he did, he glanced at each weapon in his sight at least once.
He stopped walking, his gaze hardening as he started staring at the smog filled sky. The gears of his inner world which hanged above were slowly spinning.
''So that makes three.'' he muttered to himself, the edge of his eyes taking account of the endless field of weapons surrounding him. ''How long will it be before he claims all of them?''
Archer took a deep breath as he started walking back to the summit of the hill, his mantle dancing violently in the wind. ''And when that truly happens... will he still be the same?''
Omake: It's A Real Thing! Taiga Dojo Preview!
''Wow...'' Taiga muttered as she finished reading the chapter. ''So Ray actually kept his promise and used a noble phantasm idea provided by one of the readers... didn't expect that.''
''How so?'' Miyu tilted her head in confusion.
''Well he did say he can use Noble Phantasm ideas from the readers, but that was a while ago and the people stopped sending him ideas probably because they didn't see any of the suggestions being used. So naturally I thought he won't do it after all. ''
''How could he even do it since this is the first chapter where Onii-chan finally understood how to properly project?'' Illya tried to throw in some counterarguments.
''Does that mean that he will use other weapon ideas sent by fans?'' Miyu asked.
''I think he will, as long as they send him some interesting ones. What do you think?'' Illya asked Taiga who was munching on some cookies with her tea.
''Don't ask me.'' Taiga shrugged her shoulders. ''I have no idea how Ray plans to write things.''
''Hope he gives us some screen time.'' Illya muttered with a dark cloud raining over her.
''Don't worry Illya, I peeked in Ray-san's office when he fell asleep at his desk and saw that he plans something, and I quote 'really sweet' for you.'' Miyu informed her friend.
''...Somehow that scares me even more than no screen time.'' the white haired girl shivered in fear.
''Just shut up and do your thing.'' Taiga growled.
''Stay tuned for the next chapter.'' Illya and Miyu said in synch.
''Check it out!'' Taiga yelled.
Special thanks to UltimateFanJob123 - Beta 27 for providing the idea for this Noble Phantasm
Yawarakai-Te- Tender Hands
Type: Passive Anti-Unit
Rank: C-C+
Forged in a contest between Masamune and his student Muramasa, Yawarakai-Te is a blade of exceptional sharpness, said to be able to cut through anything. However, the blade will not cut the innocent or infirm, and will merely phase through the one cut if they are. The blade can also heal to a limited extent, but only on those who have never committed any wrong.
The blade of the sword contains a powerful concept of 'cutting' making it able to cut through materials of great resistance such as diamonds, with the same ease it would if it were cut through leafs.
The concept doesn't work on magically enhanced materials and objects, but the sword still retains an unworldly sharpness, however the concept and all of the swords sharpness is lost if it's used against someone it deems innocent. The edge of the blade then turns into the dullest piece of steel ever. While it may not cut through anything this way, it could still be used as blunt weapon and smash itself into enemies like a baseball bat
The sword's true strength lies in its spiritual cleansing properties. Acting as a protective charm against cursed weapons, purifying the very curses that are surging out of them, but also grants the user a small regeneration factor against wounds by made by cursed weapons.
Due to its intimate history with Juuchi Yosamu, when used against its rival in legend, Yawarakai-Te rank increases.
Juuchi Yosamu- 10,000 cold nights
Type: Passive Anti-Unit
Rank: E-? (D+ while wielded by Ichirou Kurosaiga)
Forged in a contest between Muramasa and his mentor and rival Masamune, Juuchi Yosamu is a blade of incredible sharpness, said to be able to cut through anything. However the blade will cut things that it shouldn't cut, injuring allies and even the user itself if used by an unskilled wielder.
The blade contains a powerful curse born from Sengo Muramasa's desire to create a sword that can cut through anything. Due to this curse the sword can cause air pressure slashes by simply waving it even a little. The sword doesn't necessarily crave blood like how legends portray it, but rather it feeds off of negative emotions, growing far more powerful in response to the user's negative emotions. If the wielder doesn't have any to feed it, it instills a powerful blood lust in the wielder so it will go on blood stained rampage and make sure it is fed with negative emotion.
Depending on how strong the negative emotions are the swords overall power can either raise or drop. Should it be used by a being that is a vast source of negative emotion its rank can rise by a large number.(If it were used for instance by an Avenger-class servant, the minimum rank that it would attain is A)
The nature of its aura isn't a pre-existing one, but rather it gains certain characteristic depending on the type of emotion within the user. The aura can be manipulated and used in a variety of ways, adapting to the users fighting style and personality.
In Ichirou Kurosaiga's case its aura gains a small shivering effect, causing the enemies to experiences sensations akin to shivering caused by cold. He can also manipulate the aura and let it explode around him, to repel enemies. At the same time he is able to shape it into slash strikes and use it against enemies.
Forms developed by Ichirou Kurosaiga (both forms require the user to possess demonic energy in order to be used):
*Senkyouka-Thousand Rising Evils
Type: Anti-Unit, Anti-Army
Rank: D-C
A technique that fuses the cursed aura of Juuchi Yosamu together with the demonic energy of the user, creating a hybrid cursed-demonic aura, increasing the overall physical abilities of the user.
The aura can be used as a concentrated stream of cursed-demonic energy, released as wave/slash attack, which flies in the direction pointed with the sword. It is a powerful technique with great force, creating large-scale damage and destruction. The overall destructive ability increases the more demonic energy is poured inside the blade, but feeding the blade to much energy at once may cause the stream to go out of control and even explode in the user's face, so delicacy is required when using it.
*Senkyouka: Kai-Thousand Rising Evils: Release
Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: C++
A stronger variation of the normal Senkyouka, instead of letting the aura explode and using it as attack waves, the user lets the aura envelop him and concentrates a vast amount of power in the sword. This allows the user to strengthen all his physical attributes for a very powerful attack. When the sword makes contact with the enemy, all of the stored up energy is released and rushes over the target like a raging tsunami, destroying everything in its path.
As strong as the power increase is, it must be used with caution as it could completely empty the owner's demonic energy, losing the power-up itself and leaving wielder completely drained
Kurosaiga Ichirou chants a small verse before releasing it.
A/N
Well that's a wrap. Now you see why i split it in two parts. While i do think that readers enjoy a stuffed chapter so to say 25000 words are too much in my opinion for a single chapter.
While it was a bit at the limit i managed to keep my promise and post this chapter within a weeks time.
I would like to say my thanks to my beta Shadow of Life for managing to check it on such a short time schedule.
This is my first time writing an OC character so I hope I didn't screwed up to bad.
I really wanted to make Shirou understand his powers and how to use them by the time the canon parts of the story starts. So for that we will have some un-canon or off-screen events that could have happened for Shirou to power up so to say.
While it may be cool to make Shirou go all rain of swords on enemies, wouldn't it be cooler to show how he reaches that point?
I think we all can appreciate how Shirou in each route starts as an incompetent, but by the end of the route he learns to better himself and develop skills that can make stand up to servants. So i'm trying something similar.
Now to get to clear something before people start biting my head off. Regarding how i made Shirou execute the 'Triple-Linked crane wings' or more commonly known as 'Crane wings three realms', before you go and say that the way i wrote it is wrong and its different, let me point out a fact, that its a flexible technique, not a fix one.
Its not exactly the execution of the technique itself, but rather the idea behind it, the strategy of creating a multiple number of simultaneous attacks so that the enemy can't defend. So the execution method changes depending on what kind of opponent the user is facing.
That's why canon Shirou, Archer and Kuro all have different versions of the technique. It is basically the same thing, but the way they each execute it differs.
From what i get from the wiki, this technique got Archer out of a lot of nasty fights. Plus it killed freaking Berserker once in the 2006 Deen anime of FSN.
Speaking of Berserker, hope people won't flame me for using his visual novel scream for the skull aura thing. I thought that maybe using it instead of using stuff like 'GHYAAAAAA!' or 'HRAAAAAAAA' would be more interesting.
Btw you can now follow me on Twitter at RobyB993. Funny thing i made an account a couple of years to check it out. I didn't really like it so i stopped using it. Only recently i started using it again.
Any Tokyo Ghoul:RE readers here? For those of you who are, let us all give a small toast to Kaneki Ken and Touka Kirishima for graduating from their virginity and for the sail of the sail. Surprisingly the way their relationship escalated seemed way more natural than how most anime/manga relationships do.
Huh... Funny thought... Many and I mean many main lead male characters in stories are blessed with harems or a incredible love interest and never f*ck anything, then we have Kaneki Ken who was very much f*cked by life (and Jason if that messed up theory proves true) and look how he ended in CH.125 of TG:RE.
Ishida Sui. You have my respect... or at least you have it until you do something really f*cked up to Kaneki and Touka, i know you will do it.
About next chapter... i'm not sure when i will post it to be honest. With the start of June second exam session starts... God dammit.
So chances are that it will be a little slow on update, but lets hope it won't last like it did for Ch. 5. Though next chapter doesn't have any fighting so i shouldn't drag on like i did last time.
Lets answer some reviews:
-ChaosSilver: I will just leave that to your imagination.
-DeathTheManiac: Thank you so much. Your words almost made me shed a tear.
-Takei Daloui: Its a matter of the type of battle scene this was. It was basically 1v1 sword fight, so i had a bit of difficulties writing it since with canon Archer and Shirou they can spam weapons against enemies. So i had some small doubts regarding how it turned out in the end.
Yeah i can see that. About the sacred gear, while not wanting to spoil, if i will do it, i will give him a support one, not an assault one.
Well i did promise so i had to deliver. It a matter of principle.
-Kazuni Kiba: For now i need to make Shirou figure how his powers work, about how he can improve them will come afterwards. Lets just say this EMIYA has some secrets himself, and he has some reason behind his rather uncharacteristic behavior.
-DPSS: Thanks. Well as you can see in this chapter he just began taking the first step into tracing. About him flying, don't worry i have an idea that covers that little problem
-Darkstar01FTW: It wouldn't be surprising to see some resemblance between them, i did take some inspiration from it. Besides this was a pure sword fight, so it mostly resumed to swordsmanship.
-Mizushi Kugurugi: I'm not that crazy.
-dragonsword1000: At the moment Shirou is at unpredictable factor level. As the story progresses he will reach the 'Names that you need to run from' level.
-Dark Durian: While the idea itself isn't a bad one, with how people can be picky about stuff the would say i'm pulling an Hollow Ichigo or a cloaked Naruto moment.
-xbox432: I do have a beta, but its difficult to spot every error in it, especially since a chapter i write has over 10000 words. And believe me, my beta does a good job. English isn't my main language, so there are a lot of grammar errors that i make and don't notice even after rereading the chapter a couple of times.
Don't worry. I don't plan to involve anyone of Issei harem girls with Shirou. Well maybe with the exception of- WAIT I CAN'T GIVE SPOILERS!
-TheCasualReader: Depends how you look at it. If its a assault type sacred gear it would be pretty useless to Shirou, but what if its a support type?
-The Rupture: Well that's what you think. The story is actually much popular than GDXD was when it was this early in the story line.
-Lsilver19: That chapter was meant to be a little mixed, since this one was a bit sad. By a little mix of both, i will try to build up the relationships similar to fate style, but also keep the harem elements from dxd. You will see as the story progresses.
-TheLaughingStalk no.9 Large: Perhaps i'm finally grasping the true nature of cliffhangers.
-The Impossible Muffin: Huh... now that you mention it, i am doing that. And here i was trying to make some 'lols' with a little self bashing.
-Hammer Time: That's actually one of the ideas i'm working with. Giving rather obscure and minor characters the chance to shine.
-vinayakdj1: Was it really that brutal? Huh... hope your friend got better.
-Drake22: To answer your curiosity, if i do end up giving Shirou a SG, it won't be an offensive one, but a support one. And since Shirou and Archer can turn a butter knife into a deadly weapon, you can only imagine that he will find new ways to use it.
Don't forget to review... no seriously review, i could use some constructive criticism.
