BravoSix1311: Thank you for your answer. I am also quite depressed to have so few readers who follow this story. Of course, as the author, I'm probably the least qualified person to judge the quality of my stories, but I thought I had written an original story, in a universe where the Servants would face really dangerous opponents... and rather surprising allies (Splynncryth).
The 8 Gates Tournament
(First part)
The Bridge of the Lost Souls fight had taken place the day before. But Rin, Saber, Shirou, and Archer had come a long way since then. They were moving much faster than ordinary humans could. The Servant of the Bow bet paid off. By passing in force and speed to the best-defended point, they had finally succeeded in penetrating the country of the Onis. Oniraku Castle of Darkness was only two days away from them.
They had almost reached the purpose of their quest.
Iriku Ō, the master of shadows, leaned over the light cup in front of his throne. He held in one hand a stick of mountain ash. At the end of one of his scratched fingers, a flame of mephitic green appeared. He whispered incantations while inflaming the end of the stick.
He then planted it in the luminous liquid where the four intruders appeared. A cloud of smoke rose from the Clearvision cup and the image became blurred.
"Safe travels, my friends... I promise you that you will visit extraordinary places... sorry the return ticket is not included in the package, you will have to manage on the spot."
The king of the Onis burst out with a sardonic laugh but he was not as relaxed as he claimed to be. The Tournament of 8 Gates was his last asset to keep away too curious individuals... a precaution that resulted from an excess of caution. Until then, whenever he had thought of the Tournament, he had smiled before shaking his head, thinking that his subordinates must find him paranoid. Such a ritual was a real overkill, as much as wanting to hunt the flies with a rocket launcher (to the fullest extent of delicacy)! He never thought he would really need to use this trick one day.
Archer stopped at the top of the hill as he climbed while a strange feeling made him frown. It was like being immersed in a sparkling liquid. His fighting instinct warned him that something abnormal was about to happen. He turned sharply to warn the others, but it was already too late.
The landscape of wild hills, the erupting volcano on the horizon... all this was replaced in an instant by a strange scene.
Around him, he saw stars of all colors, sometimes relatively close sometimes distant, gas nebulae, and even the long starry ribbon of the Milky Way.
Yet he felt a flat floor under his feet and... 8 doors without a door frame formed a circle around him, floating in the cosmic void. Rin, Saber, and Shirou had been transported along with him and were watching the scene with a mixture of surprise and anxiety.
Arms along the body ready to Trace a weapon at the first sign of danger, Archer had a dry mouth and felt a drop of sweat running down his temple.
The impression of danger was omnipresent. An evil power was at work nearby.
He did not have to wait very long.
A three-dimensional image appeared, slightly blurred and translucent. That of a man dressed in a beautiful kimono embroidered with gold and silver threads and styled like a samurai. He even had a pair of sabers passed in his belt. A man? No, Archer was not caught by appearances. It was only a being of human appearance... and the beauty of his face was the beauty of the devil. Nothing could weaken the aura of malevolence that this individual exuded, any more than he could hide the dark violet glow that shone in the depths of his eyes.
A voice was heard, like Jupiter the assembler of clouds speaking to mortals:
"Who dares to step into the kingdom of Iriku Ō, master of shadows?"
Saber stepped forward. Her eyes were hard. She recognized the army leader who had fought the Tennō's army near Lake Biwa.
"By the laws of chivalry, I cannot refuse to give my name to the one who gives me his. But I don't have to answer to someone who doesn't even have the courtesy to show up."
The so-called samurai smiled.
"Ah... Saber... I'm really happy to see you again. You see, I'm an aesthete in my own way. When I undertake something I expect a perfect result from myself. To fail is a shame. I would like to congratulate you on your victory. However, you will soon find that things will not be so easy this time."
He gestured to show the doors.
"To continue your journey you must choose one of these gates."
Saber's eyes were reduced to a thin slit.
"Where is the trap?"
This made laugh the Dai-Oni transformed into a human being.
"I like it when people realize I want to manipulate them... For our amusement, you've been invited to the 8 Gates Tournament. The rules are simple. Behind seven of these doors is a different world, with trials, enemies, and an ally to recruit. Rest assured, the trials are perfectly balanced. Let's even say that you brought your trials with you. You are obliged to visit at least one of these universes before pushing the eighth door. The second half of the tournament will take place in the Out of Time Arena world. It will be a series of duels between Iriku Ō's most powerful lieutenants and your allies. You can line up a maximum of 7 fighters, meaning you can still recruit three allies."
"And if we refuse," Rin asked.
That made the Dai-Oni laugh.
"Oh, no one's forcing you to accept... You're welcome here for as long as you want. But... have you noticed? There is no water or food! This place is called the Center of the Universe and has no other way out than the eight gates. Going through one of these doors is tantamount to agreeing to participate in the tournament."
"And I guess the winner of this tournament gets a reward."
The Dai-Oni agreed with Rin's question.
"Of course! For starters, you can resume your journey... in fact, I will make sure to send you directly to Oniraku, the palace of Iriku Ō. Then, I promise you to answer a question truthfully... my honesty is guaranteed by the ritual that triggers the tournament. The rules are inviolable."
Rin had a slight fit of bad temper to this statement. The Dai-Oni was unaware of the irony of his statement. The army of the Onis, known for being a gathering of worthless and evil creatures, always ready to deceive and betray, had invited them to a tournament where the honesty of the participants was guaranteed by the convocation ritual... While the Heaven Feel ritual, created by the Magi of their original Earth, was a collection of loopholes with Kotomine Kirei for referee...
"We accept!" She turned to her friends and threw one of her pigtails behind her shoulder while smiling in an evil way. "It looks safer than participating in the Grail's War."
Saber merely nodded firmly as Shirou smiled, embarrassed. Archer said nothing, he continued to look around, tense and ready to fight.
The Dai-Oni burst out laughing.
"May bad luck smile upon you and may a thousand plagues fall upon you!"
The image of the samurai disappeared, leaving the quartet facing the eight gates.
Shirou walked towards the first door, trying to contain the impression of vertigo that attacked his senses. He walked on a smooth but... invisible ground. Below him, the starry infinite. Above, billions of stars... and between the gates... more galaxies and nebulae...
It's hard not to feel small in such an environment.
Saber walked by his side, she smiled at him.
"Calm down, Shirou, don't be impressed, that's exactly what the Onis want."
Shirou smiled in turn, even if he could not be as relaxed as his friend.
"Is it so easy to understand what I think?"
"Shirou is Shirou, and you are my partner. It's normal that I understand you."
Seeing her friend's gentle expression, the redhead felt his heart beat faster.
Whatever the situation, Saber always managed to cheer him up. Knowing that she had confidence in him, he smiled more openly and approached the first door. It was a panel in metal similar to silver. His image and that of Saber were reflected on its surface, also reflecting the image of the door in front... and multiplying their reflections to infinity.
After some hesitation he touched the strangely warm metal surface, using his psychometric gifts.
He saw high mountains covered with eternal snow. Shirou described what he had seen and went to the second door, then to the third... before finishing the circle and returning to where Rin and Archer were waiting.
Pensive, the Tohsaka heiress rubbed her lips, staring at the stars.
"I doubt the Onis are the creators of this ritual or the Out of Time Arena." She turned to look at the eighth gate. "And this is probably good news... because otherwise, they would have created some kind of trap, rather than a tournament."
Saber turned slightly to look at the Magus.
"I also think you have doubts about everything the Onis says. But you seem to have more than doubts."
"I just thought about it. The Out of Time Arena was obviously created to be the final event of the tournament... a whole world... If the Onis were powerful enough to create worlds, they would have conquered Japan long ago. So I think Iriku is just taking advantage of what others have built."
Archer showed some irritation.
"For now, looking for the creator of this trial is pointless. Instead, we should choose which door to cross."
"Right, we have to find three allies," Rin recalled.
Behind most doors, Shirou had only perceived natural landscapes. By touching the sixth gate, the redhead had a vision of a majestic tower as the seventh gate led to an enchanted forest.
She pointed to the second door.
"According to Shirou, this door leads to a vast plain."
The redhead nodded.
"I've seen men in skins of beasts, mammoths, and sabertooth tigers... it's like prehistoric times."
Rin crossed her arms and smiled proudly.
"I don't think a perfectly trained Magus and two Servants have to fear an elephant covered in furs, let's start there."
Shirou wondered if he should be offended that Rin did not mention his name and carefully decided not to say anything... he did not notice the disappointed expression of his friend. Provoking him and having fun with his denials were Tohsaka favorite entertainment. She was a mischievous girl at heart.
The plain on the other side of the door was a grassy steppe that the wind made undulate to infinity. There was not a cloud in the blue sky and it was cold. Their breaths condensed out of their lips. Intrigued, Archer looked around them. In spite of his Clairvoyance (C rank) skill, he saw only a few gigantic herds and... an animal resembling a lion, although much more massive and more clumsy. Its canines were highly developed.
"A sabertooth tiger!"
As the animal went toward them, the two Servants began to feel uncomfortable. It was not an ordinary animal. It radiated energy something similar to that of a Servant.
"I believe it is an Animal Spirit, like those whom the Druids invoked in Britain", said King Arthur.
Shirou, who had turned to look at her, extended his finger towards her hip.
"Saber!"
The Hero of the Sword quivered and looked down to see that a quiet golden glow surrounded an object attached to her belt. It was the silver hunting horn she found at Buntokapi Castle.
Obeying an intuition, Artoria took the horn and carried it to her lips. When she blew in, a deafening roar shook the plain.
The sabertooth tiger turned its head towards them, seemingly intrigued. Then it advanced straight towards Artoria... before lying at her feet like a kitten having found its master. What seemed perfectly to Saber's taste... one might wonder why!
Rin turned to Saber, then to the sabertooth tiger before looking at the silver horn that had stopped radiating.
"Do you have any idea what just happened?"
Artoria thinks for a moment.
"I feel like this horn is being used to call the Animals Spirits. I found it on our trip. I think we were very lucky because it makes us an ally for the tournament."
A wrinkle appeared on Rin's forehead as she rubbed her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"Yes... a stroke of luck."
But her tone wasn't convinced.
Having found their first ally, they returned to the Center of the Universe. Emboldened by this easy victory, Rin pointed to the first gate.
When they crossed it, they found themselves on top of a mountain overlooking a thick forest. They had just appeared that a Tatsu - a Japanese dragon- took off from a rocky entablature on the other side of the forest and headed towards them.
Shirou looked at the creature with concern.
Artoria stopped caressing the sabertooth tiger who was following her while purring, and became serious again
"This dragon, I recognize him... it's the king of Biwa."
Shirou had managed to trap him in Unlimited Bladework and defeat him by piercing him with thousands of Noble Phantasms. Although his body disappeared after their victory, they thought the dragon was dead... this was clearly not the case.
If Saber had recognized the Tatsu, the reciprocal was true. Undulating above the forest, the dragon turned towards Shirou.
"You thought you had destroyed me, but I am far more powerful than you think, poor mortal!"
Raising his scaly hand, he threw several fireballs at the intruders.
"Rho Aias!"
Archer interposed himself Tracing the Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens.
The fireballs destroyed the first two layers of the Bounded Field.
Rin shouted above the din as new explosions melted the snow around them and ignited the nearest trees.
"Let's get out of here! We have nothing to gain in a dragon fight."
Fortunately, the door leading to the Center of the World was only a few steps away. With Archer in the rearguard, they managed their retirement without suffering more than slight burns.
One victory, one defeat. For the moment the score was balanced.
After their return to the Center of the Universe, Rin decided to open the third door. Shirou had the vision of a temple on top of a mountain.
They were not surprised to find themselves down to a staircase from a Torii and climbing the wooded slope. The ascent was quite long, there were many more steps than to reach Ryuudou temple.
At the top of the staircase, they saw a second Torii, a sacred enclosure surrounding a gravel-covered ground space. And, in the center, a typical Japanese altar that looked like a little house
The place seemed empty. But, as soon as they entered, a ball of golden fire appeared above the altar, quickly metamorphosing into a creature of legend. Shaped like a deer, with antler, but covered with scales, the being had the same kind of goatee as the Asian dragons.
Before this creature was full of wisdom and goodness, the sabertooth tiger bowed down.
It was a Qilin!
Often portrayed as an envoy from heaven, the creature of legend looked at the Servants and the Masters, seeming to weigh their souls.
He turned to Rin and his majestic voice resounded in their minds.
"You fight for a noble cause, mortal! I would stand by you to fight the Onis in the Out of Time Arena."
"We have only one ally left to find," said Rin, now in a better mood.
The fourth gate led them to a desert of burning sand. Above them, they saw a yellow sun much larger than that of the Earth. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but sand and dunes. There were no living beings or buildings.
Archer had a smirk.
"I almost feel like I'm home."
He Traced a sword and planted it in the sand, right next to the door. It wasn't just any weapon of course. As the Servant explained, this Noble Phantasm was linked to its owner who could locate it precisely at any time. Then they wouldn't get lost.
"Perfect," replied Rin in a mocking tone."It's just to hope that I don't lose you!"
But they had just moved away from the door when a majestic bird appeared in the sky. It looked like an eagle but with beautiful red and orange plumage and four long feather trains. Rin looked at the bird and recognized him...
"A phoenix!"
Unfortunately, the creature was not animated by friendly feelings. It plunged towards Saber and... turned into a fireball.
The Servant had an A rank Magical Resistance and suffered only minor injuries. When the phoenix became a bird and took the air again, Shirou made himself - for once - the voice of reason.
"Let's get out of here fast. We have nothing to gain by fighting a bird."
The score was again balanced with two wins and two losses.
After returning to the Center of the Universe, they crossed the fifth gate. This time, Servants and Masters arrived in a huge swamp with trees covered with rotting vegetation drapes, and greenish water reeking of mud. Insects and frogs made their songs heard all around them. The heat competed with that of the desert, but the air was drunk rather than breathed, given the humidity.
They didn't even have to walk away. A gigantic snake suddenly rose out of the liquid mud, its head rising several meters above the newcomers.
But the monster did not attack. He seemed fascinated by the light coming out of Rin's bag. Surprised, the Magus opened the backpack and took out the antlers of a giant deer that Archer had killed at the beginning of their journey.
It was this object that had lit up.
While Rin raised it in front of the snake a discharge of energy unites the reptile and the object, blinding everyone... When the Red Devil could open her eyes, she held a kind of magic wand in black wood on which was engraved a silver snake.
She smiled with that smug look that the Red Devil always took when she solved a riddle.
"I think I understand how the 8 Gate Tournament works. Did you notice? The hunting horn, the Tatsu, even the deer antler, or the Qilin... every door has led us to a place that has been relevant to our actions since the beginning of the quest."
Shirou frowned.
"You mean it's not a coincidence?"
"What do you think, moron? What are the chances that randomly collected objects can be useful on worlds that may be millions of light years away from Earth or in parallel worlds?"
Shirou stepped back. He smiles clumsily while rubbing the back of his head.
"You mean the 8 Gates Tournament started before we got to the Center of the Universe?"
Saber's question made Rin think, but she shook her head before lifting a finger, in a very professorial pose.
"The Center of the Universe is a kind of crossroads. Only the door to the Out of Time Arena is permanent. I think the other gates are determined during the invocation ritual... Much like a catalyzer allows you to choose a Servant during a Grail War."
"I don't really understand," said Shirou.
As Rin turned to him to mock his stupidity once more, the redhead hastened to speak.
"Well, if, more or less... one of the doors led to the prehistoric steppe because Saber had the silver horn and that horn was related to the sabertooth tiger. It's the same for the antler and the serpent. And I even understand the dragon king of Biwa, because we met him. But I don't understand why the door led us to the Qilin and the phoenix!"
"Because, as always, you understand only what is absurdly obvious."
Archer's answer earned him a cold look from Saber. But the Wrought Iron Hero shrugged his shoulders and winked at her.
"I don't even insult my stupid version, I only say the truth. Shirou, why did one of the doors open on the world where the Tatsu had fled after his defeat?"
The redhead frowned, uneasy.
"Uh... I guess it was because we met him, Saber, and I."
"The ritual opens doors to places where we can find allies, provided we win an event. But this trial had already taken place in the case of the dragon king of Biwa."
"The riddles," replied Saber figuring out what Archer was getting at.
"Exactly! You failed so the Tatsu became our enemy."
Shirou jolted, a little annoyed.
"But I understood this! It was for the Qilin and the..."
The redhead stopped suddenly.
"Oh, I understand... The Qilin has agreed to help us because our quest is right. But I felt he was judging us. If we had abandoned people along the way, refused to help them, or been indifferent to their suffering, he would have refused to help us. For the phoenix, we probably missed an object or an action that would have allowed us to recruit him..."
Archer replied with a simple nod.
The Tohsaka heiress spoke again. She had just examined the magic wand she was still holding.
"The wand can be used to summon our new ally... With the big cat..." She pointed out the sabertooth tiger that was still following Saber. "... the Qilin and now the snake in the wand... we have the seven fighters required, it's time to open the eighth door."
They returned to the Center of the World before crossing the Eighth Gate.
Rin Tohsaka, Artoria Pendragon, Shirou Emiya, and EMIYA appeared in a lodge overlooking a huge arena reminiscent of Roman circuses. The ground was covered with sand. Around the arena itself, the bleachers housed a crowd that greeted them with shouts and insults... with their unique horns in the middle of the forehead, and their twisted legs, these monsters were easy to recognize. They were Onis. On both sides of their lodge, the stone benches accommodated several thousand Onis... maybe fifty thousand Onis.
The sabertooth tiger had accompanied Saber since they had recruited him in the first word over the gate and according to his promise the Qilin appeared in the arena at the same time.
As the silver door that had led them to these places disappeared, a similar door materialized in a lodge on the other side of the arena. Seven creatures came out.
Saber and Shirou recognized the immense bronze statue whose eyes were balls of fire, the gigantic praying mantis, and even the giant toad they had faced in the plain of Biwa. At that time, they accompanied the Dai-Oni always under his samurai appearance. But the last three opponents were total strangers.
The first had a fairly classic demon appearance. Huge, humanoid, it had bat wings and two twisted horns on its forehead. His skin was dark grey, bumpy with many protuberances, and looked like the skin of a rhinoceros. The face was rough with yellow eyes without pupils.
Then there was a monstrosity as if made of burning rock, crossed by lava veins that shone with a scarlet glow. The legs were those of a goat. The monster had a forked tail. His arms looked like those of Popeye. The head was particularly hideous, similar to that of a lip-less shark with thin teeth like stalactites. The worst was the back... hunchbacked and covered with eyes that looked everywhere.
The last opponent had a magnificent appearance. It was a huge snake covered with scales that seemed really made of gold. With each movement, his scales shone and clicked. His eyes were a warm brown.
As they were still watching their opponents, a tinkling of bells raised their eyes. A face appeared in the sky. He was an incredibly old-looking man with white hair and eyes without pupils.
"I'm the referee for the 8 Gates Tournament. I'll spell out the rules. They're very simple. Every fight is a one-on-one duel. It is forbidden to intervene for or against one of the combatants. Combatants are forbidden to leave the arena. All blows are allowed: weapons, magic, low blow. Every fight ends when a combatant surrender, can no longer fight, or dies. A defeated combatant cannot present himself for another battle. At the end of each fight, the winning fighter can return to his team's lodge and be healed. It is obviously permissible to switch fighters between fights. Do you have any questions?"
Only silence answered.
"All right, let the first pair of fighters come forward."