Disclaimer: The works of Type-Moon and Jō Taketsuki are their own despite my most fervent wishes. This is a fan work and if anyone does pay me for it the only thing it will accomplish is to get me into trouble. This is being done purely for fun, constructive criticism is welcome, and flames will be ignored. Please be gentle though, this is the first fanfic I've put on the net.
Well here's my next chapter, I'm actually quite pleased at how fast it's come out, despite me suffering from a rather unpleasant stomach bug half way through. My original plan was for this chapter to go from just after Shirou and Luo Hao being sealed up to just before the climactic fight, however as it turned out my own writing didn't want to agree with my plans. The result felt extremely rushed and didn't give the characters enough time to properly be themselves, if you know what I mean. As a result I've decide to split this chapter in two, meaning that the Four Kings arc will have five chapters rather than four. My apologies that this delays the approach of my biggest fight scene to date, but if I'm going to write this fic then I'm going to do it as well as I can.
Now onto my answers, comments and spoilers.
Several people have commented on my stats for Godou, more specifically about his Warrior Authority being EX rank, so please allow me to explain my reasoning.
The Golden Sword is an Authority that will sever a divinity regardless of its strength. Hence if I had ranked it as an A+ then it wouldn't have been able to sever a divinity ranked A++. The EX rank means only that its rank can't really be established because it doesn't really have one. Let me be clear, even though it's EX rank that doesn't mean it's an automatic win card, sort of like how Argo Coin is EX rank but would only have elevated Caster to middle tier rather than making her the strongest in the war. It needs Godou to be extremely knowledgeable about his targets nature and origin for it to work, and even after he manifests it it's only able to affect a single divinity or Authority. It can be reforged to affect a second divinity if it's similar enough to the first, but such an occurrence is rare. Also the Golden Sword will quickly become blunt and lose its power if a foe can hold it off long enough. However despite this it will invariably sever a divinity that it can strike.
I hope that explains my reasoning behind the EX rank.
Another thing plenty of people have commented on is that Shirou should have used Rule-Breaker on Hikari. There are two points that I'd like to bring up in response to this. The first is that Shirou really didn't have much time to think through his options since things went straight from him being told the situation to him getting the Ruyi staff cannoning into his stomach. The second is that I don't think Rule-Breaker would be too useful in this situation. As I understand it Rule-Breaker is a blade of betrayal able to negate any sort of connection, bond or contract. However unlike Sakura, who was being possessed by Angra Mainyu through their contract, Sun Wukong doesn't have any sort of contract with Hikari, he essentially possesses her through the use of his unique skills. Since there is no contract to sever I don't think Rule-Breaker would be of much use in this case. Aside from anything else I think the Monkey King might be a bit too strong for it to handle.
Also I have had quite a few people expressing their disappointment that Shirou seems to have been somewhat marginalized in my story lately, so I thought I'd explain my reasoning.
Originally I planned for Shirou to arrive after Luo Hao had been sealed and aid Godou's group to escape. However as I worked on that I realized that such a plot would to all intents and purposes drive the Chinese Campione out of the story. With three Kings available they'd be able to move against Sun Wukong and his brothers that much sooner and probably take them out before Luo Hao freed herself.
That was when I decided to enter a fourth god so that all the Campione would have enemies, however with three God Slayers running about I couldn't get the plot to properly flow, plus it marginalized Luo Hao so much that she only ended up appearing at the end as a sort of afterthought. Since she was one of the characters in the Campioneverse that I find to be the most interesting I didn't find that acceptable.
That's when I got the idea of sealing Shirou up with her, it gives them time to interact and ensures that the original pace of the story is kept, though by the use of Illya and the two maids I can alter that as I see fit.
Rest assured that Shirou will soon get the chance to retake centre stage; one of the things that the Gathering of the Four Kings is intended for is for him to establish his reputation on an international level.
Another thing I was asked is whether or not Shirou could use the same method Illya used to create her puppet Berserker to make his own version of Saber or even resurrect her. I'm afraid to say that the answer is no, he can't. Illya was able to pull it off because of a number of factors, but mainly because she's a much more skilled magus than Shirou. Added to that she has spent far more time as Berserker's master than any other Master in the history of the Holy Grail War. That let her become far more aware of how his spiritual body was put together, enough so that she was able to recreate it at least in part. Even with his additional memories Shirou doesn't know Saber's 'construction' well enough and lack the skill needed to recreate it even if he did.
Incidentally, I would like to give my thanks to Third Fang who was kind enough to let me use his idea of EMIYA gaining Waver Velvet's memories of the Fourth Holy Grail War. If you haven't read his fic 'From Fake Dreams' then I suggest you make it your next reading project because it's AWESOME.
SPOILERS
In this chapter I've showcased several of my original Noble Phantasms; I hope that they meet with general approval. I've included a full break down of them at the bottom of the chapter, if anyone would like to send me their own to see if I can use them in the future I would appreciate it.
Also I hope everyone enjoys the interaction between Shirou and Luo Hao, she's a bit hard to write but I'm fairly pleased with how the scene turned out. The way I see it is that she'd take the chance to 'educate' a fellow king if they were caught in that position, especially if he was respectful.
If anyone is wondering why Princess Alice was able to stick around for longer than in the canon plot it is because in this story she didn't need to exhaust her energy covering Godou and his harem's retreat. Since she had the chance she chose to stick around a bit longer in order to gain more info. I'm actually quite pleased with how the talk between her and Illya went, I'm thinking of them forming an alliance in future chapters.
I've also taken a few liberties with Luo Hao's history. Since there's nothing in the Campione! novels I've written my own story for how she became a God Slayer as part of a future plotline. I know it sounds as though she had an easy time of it, but I felt her personality was the type that would have downplayed just how desperate a battle it was for her. Anyway I figured that if Salvatore could defeat a sword god with a sword then it was reasonable to portray a martial god being defeated with martial arts.
I've also finally revealed part of the identity of one of the Divine Ancestors that have been stalking Shirou. This isn't her true name, simply one that she's taken in her reduced state, but it is a pretty huge clue as to her true identity.
[-]
God Slaying Blade Works: Chapter Ten: The Four Kings Part 2
Kusanagi Godou could not say that he'd been having a good day.
It had all started so simply, this was meant to be a sort of weekend holiday combined with doing a favour for Mariya Yuri's younger sister, Hikari. This was meant to be just a chance for her to 'try out' what the role of Shrine Maiden to the Divine Monarch would be like. If she liked it then she could assure Kuhoudzuka-san that she would take up the duties when she was ready, which would also hopefully get him off her back until that time. If she didn't like it then she could say so and he'd use his authority as a Campione to get the young man to drop the matter.
All in all it had seemed to be a win-win situation, he'd help Hikari, have a pleasant weekend holiday and finally get some use out of his troublesome title as a King.
Unfortunately things had started to go wrong just after he, Yuri and Hikari had entered the Netherworld to meet the Divine Monarch. There they met the captured deity who turned out to be the Monkey King and learned that Hikari was supposed to watch over him and act as a playmate if she agreed to serve at this shrine in the future.
That was when Luo Hao had suddenly appeared, having apparently slipped in using the form of a lizard, and stated her intentions to free the god and fight him. Due to Godou and Luo Hao disagreement right from the start, they ended up engaging each other in combat. However it quickly emerged that the Chinese Campione possessed an overwhelming advantage over the more junior King. Her combination of martial arts mastery and powerful Authorities proved to be overwhelming. When Godou was finally cornered, he somehow managed to escape deeper into the Netherworld along with the Mariya sisters.
They later escaped from there with a little help from a young woman named Alice whom the sisters identified as a very important person among the associations of Europe. She'd saved them from the servants of the Monkey King and bought them the time Yuri needed to endow Godou with knowledge about Luo Hao's Authorities. It had been shortly thereafter that he'd used his Gust Authority to answer the summoning from Erica carrying them all out of the Netherworld. Upon returning to the living world again, the seventh Campione had requested Erica to stand back and Princess Alice to take care of the Mariya sisters while he engaged Luo Hao in combat again. The battled had been fierce and caused no small amount of damage, but it ended as a draw, though the elder Devil King claimed it to be her loss.
However right after the battle ended, the Monkey King had shown up, having somehow taken over Hikari's body. He'd then proudly announced his true identity as Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
It had been at that point that Emiya Shirou had shown up, seemingly out of nowhere and attacked the possessed young girl. The exchange had only been brief, though that was largely due to Godou having distracted the eighth Campione by revealing Hikari's status as a possessed victim. Perhaps it had been his distraction, but the Great Sage had managed to score a great blow upon the red haired teen, one strong enough to leave him stunned and immobilized for the time it took the Monkey King to seal all three of the God Slayers in some sort of spell.
After that the three Kings had spoken briefly while sinking into the seal and the other two had elected to return Godou to the surface.
This was what led to him being held in the jaws of a flying white tiger. There were days when he honestly wished he'd never gotten out of bed.
Still, regardless of the depression assailing its charge the white tiger flew upwards fulfilling the will of its creator.
The flight probably lasted only a couple dozen seconds, it was hard to tell in the strange world of liquid stone that behaved like air, but suddenly he had left the darkness and returned to the surface.
This was the area of Toushouguu Okusha, which had been turned to stone by the Heretic god's first spell. Still possessing the stolen body of Mariya Hikari, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven continued to casually ride his cloud.
On the ground, Liliana was in a battle stance, wielding a naginata that Godou had never seen before, while Erica endured her injuries to hold Cuore di Leone and Lu Yinghua extended his palms. Off to the other side of the area were Emiya-san's sister, who was wielding a naginata of her own and looking positively murderous, and two . . . maids? He actually did a double take to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
What on Earth were maids doing here? Never mind, he'd find out later, right now he had other things to worry about.
Everyone's gazes were drawn to the returned Godou.
Having accomplished its mission of bringing the young King back to the mortal plane, the white tiger disappeared like a puff of smoke.
"Godou, you came back safely! But where are Her Eminence Luo Hao and Emiya-sama?"
"They fell down in order to save me, but Emiya said he'd be alright and Luo Hao said she will escape by her own power."
Godou answered Erica's question simply.
Since he was still in his immobilized condition from having overused the Raptor, the act of speaking took great effort. With an understanding expression, Lu Yinghua nodded at Godou.
"That's very like one of Master's typical excuses. She probably thought that if she abandoned Kusanagi-sama and Emiya-sama and came back alone, unpleasant rumours would spread about her in the field."
Apparently the young teen was quite knowledgeable about his master's personality; Lu Yinghua's answer was completely correct.
In the time it had taken for these short exchanges to take place Illya-san had shot across the stone clearing, blithely ignoring the Monkey King, and was now standing in front of the dark haired teen with an expression on her face that was actually quite scary despite how cute it looked.
"You! Where's Shirou?"
"Er, we were trapped and only one of us could leave, so he decided to stay so I could return. He told me to tell you that he's safe and will return soon."
A number of different emotions chased each other across the snow haired girl's face. Irritation, concern, resignation and finally a sort of weary acceptance.
"Ho — escaping alone? Looks like you guys are just as difficult to handle as I expected."
The exchange was interrupted as the Monkey King finally seemed to grow bored with watching them and finally spoke up.
Liliana face grew hard with concentration as she ran over to Godou's side.
"Everyone gather together! We are flying to the foot of the mountain to meet up with Mariya Yuri and the rest!"
Godou guessed she was planning to use her technique of high speed Flight.
But did it have a hope of success? Could she carry so many of them? Would they even have a chance at escape? One really couldn't expect Sun Wukong's legendary flying cloud to be slower than witchcraft.
"Hmph, trying to escape is futile. Old Sun here is very confident in my lightning speed. Even far into the distance, a hundred and eight thousand li away, I can cover it with a single leap — hmm!?"
On his cloud, the Great Sage suddenly grabbed his/her knees and screamed as if suffering from some sort of invisible attack.
Though the pressure of his overwhelming divine power remained, smothering the area like some heavy blanket, his body was not acting under his control.
"I am not sure what is going on, but here is our chance!"
Seeing the Great Sage undergoing some unexpected change, Liliana held Godou's body in her arms.
Erica, Lu Yinghua, Illya-san and the two maids also gathered around and the entire group began to fly, surrounded by the blue light of the silver haired girl's magic.
Godou knew a little about the spell Liliana was using, he'd once asked her in mild interest after the camping trip and had received a small but enthusiastic lecture about it. Most of it had gone over his head, but a bit had stuck. If he remembered right once the destination was decided, flight magic had to immediately take effect and couldn't travel to an unfamiliar destination.
Though it had many restrictions it was still a very convenient magical technique. The group passed through Tougshouguu's main and worship halls, and then flew over Karamon Gate and the divine stable. From up above they could see that Toushouguu, Futaarasan Shrine, and Rinnou-ji's buildings, cedar forest, land, vegetation and springs had all been turned into stone.
As they landed on the visiting path at the foot of the mountain, Yuri and Princess Alice ran over to them.
"Mariya! I'm sorry; Hikari was taken by that monkey... The Great Sage Equalling Heaven stole her body..."
"Yes, I already know. The Princess used ecto — that method to watch Godou-san and Her Eminence's fight, and told me what just happened."
Just as Godou wanted to apologize, Yuri interrupted him.
The Princess skilled in spirit body separation also nodded at him.
"The entire mountain has been invaded by immense divine power as a result of the Great Sage transforming it into a stone prison for sealing Her Eminence Luo Hao, Emiya-sama and Kusanagi-sama away. If the spell is not dispelled in a few months or perhaps a few years, Her Eminence and the other King of Japan may very well be trapped forever. "
Alice's words made everyone take a look at their surroundings, where petrification had already reached the foot of the mountain.
Everything that they could see had turned into stone, with their group apparently being the sole exception.
"But... How come you don't seem worried about your master?"
Erica asked Lu Yinghua.
"Indeed," commented Liliana glancing at Illya, "You do not seem to be too concerned with your brother either. Are you so confident in his abilities?"
Everyone else looked worried, but he and the snowy haired girl were the only ones who seemed completely calm. Granted Illya-san looked to be a bit on the irritated side, but there wasn't any fear in her expression. The Disciple of Luo Hao on the other had seemed to be utterly unruffled.
"I'm not too worried about Shirou; onii-chan's way too stubborn to die that easily, I'm absolutely sure he'll be fine."
The young girl that often made Godou think of a snow fairy spoke with a calm surety that was slightly unnerving in its strength. It seemed that she really possessed unshakable faith in her adopted brother.
"As for my master, she is just imprisoned, not dead. Assuming that is the case, let us gamble and see if Master can find a way to free herself alone."
The proper-looking handsome youth scratched his head with poor manners as he answered in a disinterested tone.
"Right," agreed Illya, "There's no point in assuming they're dead, and even if you showed me Shirou's broken corpse I'd still believe he'd come back. Let's not get bogged down by that, because right now we've got more than enough problems without looking for more."
"K-Kaida-san? Manaka-san? What are you doing dressed like that?"
It seemed that Mariya Yuri had finally recognized the two maids accompanying the young Einzbern. It was obvious to anyone that their current state of dress had caught her by considerable surprise.
"There weren't any available openings on Emiya-sama's staff except for maids when we applied," answered the darker haired of the pair, "It's been an interesting experience to say the least."
"While I'm sure it'll be interesting for you to catch up later I think we may have other problems on our plate at the moment. I've been curious about this for a while now . . . where have all the people, who were here this evening, gone to now? There were no people at all in the area near Master and Kusanagi-sama's battle."
Lu Yinghua's observation prompted Godou to look around for the first time. The young martial artist was right, there should have been people around, the victims of the earlier life force draining, however now the entire area was empty. There was no sign of any humans other than themselves.
But as that thought crossed his mind he felt a presence approaching.
Out of the shadows of the petrified cedar forest, a group of small animals were approaching — monkeys.
There were almost a hundred of them. Many of the monkeys hid in the petrified tree, and were watching Godou's group from amongst the branches they had climbed up onto.
"What's with these guys? Did the Great Sage summon wild monkeys?"
"If he did, then there are too many. I have a bad feeling about this."
Yuri was the one to answer Godou's question, her eyes faintly glowing as her natural power of spirit vision stirred.
"These monkeys . . . No, they were originally humans, transformed into monkeys by the Great Sage's divine power. I am wondering if they are the tourists and people on the streets who had stayed in Nikkou mountain just now . . ."
The Hime-Miko explained in a trembling voice. This was the result of the appearance of the Heretic God Sun Wukong. Before he was a sage, before he was a warrior and even before he was a trickster he was a monkey. With his appearance on the mortal plane his influence had manifested by changing the mortals in the area into his subjects, into monkeys.
As Godou was left speechless by the revelation the voice of the Monkey King could be heard booming through the pitch dark night.
"People of my kingdom, listen well! My enemy the god-slayer and his group have escaped! I will reward well the one who catches them!"
It was Hikari's voice, but definitely the Great Sage from the tone being used.
The monkeys began to whoop and shout as the words of their god died down, then they turned their gaze to the group, their eyes full of murderous intent.
"If they were to attack, as knights... We cannot hit them recklessly. This is not good."
"Very true, try not to harm them and simply make them lose the ability to fight."
As Erica complained, Liliana spoke gloomily.
"I can immobilize quite a few of them," commented Illya, "But there are so many, I'm not sure I can hold against such numbers without killing some."
"I have the same problem," the brown haired maid that Yuri had called Manaka-san agreed, "I know several spells of restraint, but against so many I doubt they would be enough."
On the other hand Lu Yinghua looked very relaxed when compared to the female combatants of the group.
"I won't feel sorrow even if I kill them, but there'd still be a shred of guilt. How about letting me prepare us a car to escape?"
"Prepare a . . . Did you guys come here by car?"
The young master of the Lu family smiled at Godou in a way that could only be described as 'malicious'.
"Of course not, but right now in the nearby parking lot over there, aren't there many cars with owners who had been turned into monkeys? We can have our free pick. Luckily the Lu family has many subordinates with talents in this area, and I picked up a bit of skill from them. Opening locks and driving are not a problem."
"Ah, so you're a criminal, onii-chan told me to be careful around people like you," Illya commented brightly as she pointed at the Chinese youth, "Next you'll probably try to sell me stolen goods or something like that."
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the growing sound of the monkeys, as everyone in the group turned to look at the snow haired girl.
"I think that perhaps you all have misconceptions about this guy, so let me clarify." Said Erica, "It is rumoured that the ancestors of the Lu family have roots in triads, or in other words, you can call them the likes of gangsters and robbers directly."
"Hah! So I was right!" The eighth Campione's sister declared in triumph.
"Really, Erica-neesan, please use something a little more classy like 'heroic outlaws', OK?"
Lu Yinghua turned a slightly amused face to Illya as he continued.
"Probably like the Three Heroes and the Five Gallants or the Outlaws of the Marsh, those who call themselves heroes or martial artists often have their roots as outlaws. Tracing back the exploits of the ancestors, they did take part in activities like "thievery", but the Lu family prides itself for never having a member who turned out to be an evil villain."
"Ah," the young Einzbern nodded her head in understanding, "You mean like Robin Hood and his Merry Men right? Outlaws who were heroic, rebels rather than simple brigands?"
Before the short debate could continue Liliana broke in with her own opinion.
"Though the current situation is dire, if given a choice we should not deliberately break the law. . . Erica, I will use flight magic once more. Help me stall for time."
"Got it. Please find us a safe hiding place."
As Erica nodded, Liliana closed her eyes. Godou remembered what she had said about this kind of magic, when using it in an unfamiliar land it was necessary to use vision spells to confirm the destination.
"Embers cast into the black metal cauldron. May the essence of the red wheel appear above my hand!"
Erica chanted spell words, and fire surrounded Godou and the rest of the group.
The one-metre tall flames blocked the gaze and murderous intent of the monkeys like a wall. This was a move intended to restrain and defend against the monkey army.
A few particularly vigorous monkeys tried to make a leap, but the fire wall's height instantly doubled. Burnt by the dancing tongues of fire, the monkeys beat a noisy retreat back to their group. Several climbed up into the petrified trees and seemed to be preparing to either hurl stones at their targets or jump down over the flames. Illya seemed to just glare at the transformed humans who then seemed to freeze and then slump in place. The seventh Campione wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but it seemed to be restraining the primates without hurting them so he didn't have any problem with it.
"Oh... You realized that my servants are actually your fellow humans? How clever! Then I must prepare even more interesting tricks to handle you guys."
It was Hikari's voice once again . . . No, it was the voice of the Great Sage. He seemed to be planning more trouble for them, but did not sound like he was going to attack. Perhaps he/she couldn't fight personally at the moment, whatever had incapacitated him earlier might still be in effect.
As those thoughts ran through Godou's head Yuri tried to survey the surroundings.
"Yuri, did your spirit vision see something?" Erica's voice was, as always, confident and unruffled.
"Yes Erica-san! Something very dangerous is approaching, a threat that requires high alert, it should be here soon . . . everyone, look up!"
Godou turned his gaze upwards and then felt his mouth drop open in shock.
A monkey was descending from the pitch black darkness of the sky, its fur had a copper colour with a shade of orange, with the body size far exceeding normal monkeys.
Roughly twelve, thirteen metres in height, it had a strongly-built physique, long arms and short legs, and a stout and giant body resembling something in between a gorilla or an ape. Simply put, it looked like King Kong's long lost cousin.
Needless to say Erica's wall of flames was pretty much useless against such a being.
"This is not like the monkeys we saw before, it's a divine beast! A divine monkey beast that serves the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, it could have strength that rivals dragons, and be unimaginably powerful!"
Warning them all Erica kept her ready stance and carefully watched the huge creature's movements. Godou looked at Liliana but saw that her flight magic wasn't ready yet, however as he did so he noticed that a rather scary smile had spread across Illya's face.
Yet another giant monkey fell from the sky. Even for Erica and the rest, divine beasts were challenging opponents. For two enemies like that to appear, it looked like they had just managed to run into even deeper trouble.
-()-
Illya gazed at the two huge monkeys before her and allowed a somewhat feral smile to cross her lips.
On the one hand she knew she was now facing Divine Beasts, shards of a god's power given autonomous form. Back in her own world such creatures were regarded as being almost on par with one of the True Magics by virtue of their very existence. Naturally their strength varied, but the strongest ones could be regarded as being on par with Servants. That in mind it seemed almost lunatic to be pleased to face them.
On the other hand these weren't transformed innocents, which made them viable, if dangerous, targets.
Hearing the Chinese boy saying that he'd lead one of them off the young Einzbern decided to speak up once more.
"If you can distract one of them then I'll be able to take care of the other."
Pretty much everyone in the group turned and blinked at her after she said that. However it was the blonde young woman that didn't feel quite right to her senses that voiced what was surely the prevalent opinion.
"That's not something a human can safely confront, are you sure?"
Illya's answer was accompanied by a smile that wouldn't have been out of place on a crocodile that had just seen a nice fatted pig fall into the water.
"Then I won't confront it with a human."
The young martial artist was as good as his word, in a few seconds he had shot off taking one of the giant simians and the majority of the transformed humans with him as they gave chase. The lone remaining goliath monkey seemed to be overcoming its remaining reluctance to brave Erica's flames and was shambling forwards.
"Berserker!"
As she spoke the word she willed her magnificent but flawed creation out of its immaterial state and into the world of flesh and blood. As her gigantic servitor manifested she directed it to release a roar of challenge.
"▂▃▃▄▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄!"
As the wordless bellow of mindless aggression echoed off the nearby trees the effects were easy to see.
Every single monkey that had once been a human had fled, the only sign that they had ever been here was the fading echoes of their terrified screeching as they had run, jumped or swung away. Even the giant ape seemed to be taken aback by the sheer menace that was pouring off her puppet.
Behind her she heard several gasps, but she paid them no mind. All her attention was on the huge divine monkey in front of her.
"Kill."
The single word was spoken quietly, but with the dreadful authority of the judge giving orders to the headsman at the block.
There was no hesitation in the huge puppet's steps, how could there be? It was in many regards a near perfect weapon, one directed solely by her will. The giant ape responded immediately, despite the speed of the false Servant's charge, and swung an arm with more mass than a car at its attacker.
However that could be regarded as possibly the worst move the Divine Beast could have made.
A shrieking wail of pain echoed off the petrified trees as the huge simian recoiled while clutching at the stump where its left arm had once been. The cry of its anguish drew the eyes of all present save for Liliana who was still concentrating on her magic.
Illya could understand their shock. Her servitor was now wielding a Traced copy of the stone Axe-Sword that her Servant had used in the Holy Grail War, a weapon provided by Shirou at her request. Holding the enormous weapon, that now dripped blood down its length, in only one hand and towering taller than any human could ever hope to match her creation was a sight to behold.
"Wh-What is-"
She didn't know who had spoken, but whoever it was their question was cut off by the now enraged roar of the giant ape. It had recovered somewhat, its wound having scabbed over at great speed and the flow of blood having been staunched. It now glared at the puppet Berserker with maddened red eyes filled with hate and anger.
In a single movement it reached out with its remaining arm and seized hold of one of the petrified trees that stood next to the path. Muscles rippled and bulged under its fur as it strained, then with a thunderous CRACK the stone trunk snapped in two just above the ground. The tree was large, but when held by the enormous form of the godly beast it looked as though it had uprooted a trimmed bush rather than a tree.
Now that both of the inhuman combatants were armed with stone weapons an odd kind of hush descended upon the path. Her servitor stood eerily still, like a statue, while the great ape shuffled from side to side and snorted as it brandished its new weapon.
"How close are you to having your spell ready?" Illya asked quietly as she kept her eyes on the ape.
"Almost there . . ." answered Liliana without opening her eyes.
"Then I'll kill it now so it can't attack us later." The white haired girl's words were a calm statement, a decision that she had come to by logical reasoning and would now go through with.
"▄▄▅▃▂▃▃▄▅▂▂▃▄!"
With another wordless roar that seemed to shake the very earth beneath them the false Servant once more charged. The Divine Beast answered with its own roar and swung the huge mass of rock leaves, twigs and branches that had once been a living tree. Any other foe would have been forced to dodge; any other foe would have been lacerated or shredded by being flayed with such a weapon. The stone foliage and branches would have snapped into sharp points and become a thousand raking claws, hundreds of stone blades. Anything mortal enduring such an attack would have been either slain or heavily wounded.
But the puppet Berserker was not mortal, so it didn't dodge. It charged right into the mass of stone leafs and limbs smashing through them as though they were made of nothing but sugar paper.
Why should he fear? Why should she fear? Those were the thoughts that passed though Illya's mind as she watched her creation tear through her enemy's weapon. Even if it wasn't the equal of the original her servitor still possessed a copy of the God Hand Noble Phantasm that her Servant had borne. Certainly it couldn't protect the puppet from attacks as strong as those the true Berserker had endured, but it was more than sufficient to endure this assault.
Her false Berserker came smashing through the remains of the improvised weapon, emerging in a cloud of rock dust right in front of the shocked Divine Beast. It let out a sort of strangled shriek as its hand let go of the remnants of the stone trunk so as to direct a frantic slap at its attacker. It was a desperate and instinctual act, but given its sheer size it may have been enough to divert the black maned giant, had Illya not spotted it in time.
In response to its mistress's mental commands the puppet twisted in midair, reached out with its free hand and latched onto the giant ape's hand as it impacted on it. The blow struck the young Einzbern's creation, but failed to knock it away as its fingers dug into the flesh of the giant palm that had delivered the blow.
Before the godly ape could react the false Servant swung his huge weapon in another cruel arc and severed the huge limb at its elbow. Screaming in pain the giant ape stumbled back, but this time the dark giant pursued it relentlessly.
From someone else's perspective Illya supposed that the sight might have been darkly comical in a way. The giant ape was nearly five times the size of her puppet, yet it was retreating as though faced with a foe even larger than itself. However at her mental orders the puppet Berserker was offering no quarter. A slash to its legs nearly cut one of its feet off and halted its retreat. A following blow to its belly tore it open in a fountain of gore. As the Divine Beast wailed in pain a final overhead chop caught it on the neck silencing it forever and nearly cutting through it entirely.
"Dear Heavens protect us."
That had been Manaka-san, her voice hushed with awe and fear. Before them the blood spattered form of her creation turned away from the slaughtered carcass of the huge monkey, its form already dissolving into sparkles of light that in turn faded.
With a wave of her hand the snowy haired girl dismissed her tool back into its astral form
"Now we can go." She said evenly.
-()-
Shirou sat on a stone and looked about his confines.
The 'Stone Mountain's Rocky Caves' was apparently a recreation of the cave in which the Monkey King had been trapped by the Buddha. To him it was a large underground cave about the size of a school classroom. A few boulders were lying about, and that was pretty much it.
Of course for most people the more pressing concern wouldn't have been its lack of excitement, but rather the fact that since the cave was totally buried there was a pressing limit on such resources as light, water and, most importantly, air. No, had it been two normal people that had been caught in here he was pretty sure that they wouldn't have lasted very long.
However the current two occupants of the cave were not what could be called ordinary by any stretch of the imagination.
The young Emiya had been quite impressed by his fellow Campione. Upon their arrival in this cave Luo Hao had immediately gone into a meditative trance that seemed to be of extremely high level. Archer's memories had supplied him with knowledge of this kind of thing, martial artists that chose to train their spirits by allowing themselves to be buried alive. Through sheer willpower and discipline they could slow their body's functions so that they could subsist on absurdly small amounts of air and go for weeks without food or water. It was a dangerous training method, but those who succeeded gained phenomenal control over their bodies and spirits.
Shirou had absolutely no doubt that the Ruler of the Martial Realm could have comfortably survived here on her own for months had she needed to.
He himself didn't have such talent available to him. Even with the skills he'd gained from EMIYA he knew his physical control wasn't near to the level necessary to manage such a feat. Instead he'd taken another route to ensure his survival.
To manage this he had Traced four Noble Phantasms and put them to use.
The first had been the Sword of Yao, a D rank Noble Phantasm that he had stabbed into the ceiling. In response to the light it had begun to shine, clearly illuminating the entire underground chamber. It was perhaps a bit irreverent to reduce such a weapon to the function of a light bulb, but it certainly did the job well.
Next he had recreated one of the Wind-and-Fire wheels that had been wielded by the Chinese immortal Nezha and stabbed it into the wall. Unlike his other weapon its abilities weren't passive, so he had to feed it a minor but steady stream of Prana for it to accomplish the task he set it. When used at its full power the circular bladed weapon could conjure up tempests strong enough to demolish buildings, now though he used it simply to circulate the air in the chamber with a light breeze.
He'd then attached a Traced wire cord to the ceiling of the cave, next to where he had embedded the Sword of Yao, and used it to hang his third Traced Noble Phantasm, Íonú Domhanda. The simply forged iron blade was suspended directly in the path of the breeze produced by the Wind Wheel, and purified the air that passed it, restoring its freshness again and again thus eliminating the threat of suffocation.
Lastly he'd Traced a large metal basin, almost a small bathtub, and set the last of his Traced Swords in it.
This sword was Thuan Thien, a powerful A+ rank sword which could be regarded as the Excalibur of Vietnam. Despite its rank it was not too expensive a Noble Phantasm to Trace, actually activating its abilities on the other hand would have been very costly.
Fortunately it wasn't the blade's active abilities that he wanted to use, rather it was its passive effect that was of interest.
Thuan Thien was a sword that had belonged to the Dragon King of a great lake. Due to this strong tie to water the blade of the sword constanly released a thin flow of fesh water as long as it was unsheathed. Right now the basin was catching that flow and soon there'd be more than enough water in it to sustain Shirou and Luo Hao, should it be necessary, for days if needed.
His lips curved into a smile again as he realized that he'd done it again. He'd turned the sword of one emperor into a light bulb and the sword of another into a water tap.
Well, it might be irreverant but it was effective. Through the use of these Noble Phantasms he'd elimianted any risk of suffocation or dying of thirst. Granted he didn't have any way to provide himself with food, but he was fairly confident that he'd be able to get himself out of here before that became an issue.
Of course that might be a bit optomistic, he thought. The fact was that this method of imprisionment was fairly simple, but also quite effective. The spells around the cave not only acted to keep them in but also to support the rocks about them, should they tamper with those spells then they might risk getting imediately buried alive. It was this same predicament that kept him from Tracing a copy of Excalibur and simply blasting his way out.
The sword of Saber certainly had more than enough power to break through the spells and bore a path through all the way to the surface. The problem was that doing so would no doubt also trigger a cave in that he was unlikely to survive regardless of how much his Authority reinforced him. What he needed was a way to create a path straight out of the mountain that wouldn't end up with multiple thousands of tonnes of rock coming crashing down on him.
The problem was that he had literally thousands of Noble Phantasms at his disposal, and even with Archer's memories integrated into his own it would take him a while to mentally sort through them as well as work out which could be used in concert to do what. That was what his preparations were about, ensuring he had enough time to sort through his options.
"King Emiya, when you said you would be able to manage something I confess that this was not what I was expecting."
Shirou almost jumped as Luo Hao spoke for the first time since they had arrived in the cave. Glancing over at the dark haired beauty he saw that she hadn't changed position, merely opened her eyes to look at him.
"Sempai, I confess I wasn't expecting to hear form you so soon, I thought you'd require more time in meditation."
"Normally that would be the case," She answered, "However with your own preparations I need no longer focus upon using my ascetic training. All I need do now is circulate my internal energies to aid my recovery of my Qi. To do so I do not even require remaining still, this Luo Cuilian has long since surpassed such limitations."
There it was again, a sense of overwhelming self assurance that reminded him slightly of Gilgamesh. There were differences though, some indefinable quality that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
For the first time since meeting her the young Campione took the time to take a good look at the Chinese King. She was beautiful, unquestionably so. Shirou had been privileged to meet such supernatural beauties as Rider and Caster; even Saber had possessed her own loveliness when it wasn't overshadowed by her stern regality. EMIYA had encountered others in his life whose beauty had entered into the supernatural realms and those memories were now his. Mentally reviewing all these incarnations of fairness he found that the young appearing Chinese woman before him could have compared well against many of them if she so chose.
Giving himself a mental shake Shirou reminded himself that there were more pressing concerns at the moment than admiring his fellow God Slayer.
"It's fortunate that we can converse, can you tell me what led to you and Kusanagi-san fighting? And how did Sun Wukong manage to escape the spells keeping him beneath control? As I understand it they've held him for centuries, what caused them to fail now?"
"You certainly have many questions King Emiya, still it is only right that the ignorant should seek to enlighten themselves by seeking answers from those more knowledgeable. Very well I shall answer your questions and dispel your ignorance."
Once again she radiated that sense of titanic ego. What was it that made it so dissimilar to that of the Golden King? Was it . . . yes, that was it. The best way that he could think to describe it would be 'innocent'. Gilgamesh had been utterly convinced of his own superiority and the total worthlessness of all others in comparison to himself. To be fair the King of Heroes had been an existence that had towered over practically all others, but he had not even acknowledged other Heroic Spirits despite their own statuses as legends.
By contrast Luo Hao's own ego seemed to be based upon her own self image as being heroic or elevated due to her accomplishments. Simply put Gilgamesh felt himself above all others because they were so far beneath him whereas Luo Cuilian felt herself to be above all other because she had climbed to heights far above them. It was a subtle distinction, but it was one that made the difference and made it easier to speak to her than would have been the case with the King of Heroes. Naturally he'd need to get to know her a bit better if he wanted to confirm his hypothesis, but he was fairly sure he'd got it more or less right.
Putting such thoughts to the side he instead concentrated upon listening to the martial artist's explanation.
"I had learnt that the god of Steel Sun Wukong, with whom I once battled but was unable to reach a conclusion with, was being held in this land. Having learnt of the conditions needed in order to free him and restore his full power I sent my disciple to ensure that my will was carried out and the Great Sage Equalling Heaven would be released.
"However due to chance King Kusanagi accompanied the priestess that would loosen the spells holding the Monkey King. We encountered each other within the Palace of the Divine Monarch and came to blows due to a disagreement between us. I was able to subdue him with my martial splendour; however he was cunning and able to escape me. He later returned to duel me again and was able to achieve a draw against me that I have declared to be his victory."
A rather fond little smile crossed her lips as she declared her defeat.
"I was most surprised that such a young Rakshasa Raja was able to attain such a victory over me. Still, it is most heartening to see such young talent emerge."
The eighth Campione was frowning though, his mind on something else that she'd said.
"It was your actions that led to the Monkey King's release? You are responsible for his freedom?"
"Indeed," Luo Hao answered without a trace of guilt or remorse, "Such was necessary for me to once again face the Great Sage and exterminate him."
"But . . . to release a Heretic God upon the world would be to invite disaster upon the innocent populous in the immediate area."
"I see that you are a young King with morals like those of King Kusanagi. I shall tell you what I told him. My will is the will of the heavens and the truth of the earth. However, in my view, humans are undeserving of mercy or benevolence. From the perspective of the earth and the sky, it is debatable whether human existence is good or bad. Therefore I hold no such concerns."
Totally devoid of malice and without a hint of evil the Ruler of the Martial Realm delivered her reasons for not caring about the regular people that might be caught in catastrophe due to her actions.
For a moment Shirou genuinely considered attacking her right then and there. From a purely cold blooded point of view now was probably the best opportunity he'd ever have, she was weakened from her battle with Kusanagi and her internal energies were only a step of two away from total exhaustion. By contrast he was at peak strength and had recovered from the Monkey King's strike. He probably wouldn't even have to use one of his Authorities; he could just imitate Gilgamesh and rain Traced Noble Phantasms down on her until there was nothing left.
Then it struck him that he had actually considering cold blooded murder.
With a deliberate effort of will he relaxed the muscles he hadn't realized that he'd tensed. He would not go down that road; he would not give in to a baseless instinct.
He'd first noticed it when he'd met Kusanagi for the second time, the first time that he'd knowingly met another Campione. It was a small thing, a tiny seed of emotion that would otherwise have been missed had he not been examining his own feelings during the encounter. It hadn't been antagonism or aggression; rather it had been . . . competitiveness, perhaps even rivalry. It was akin to when two master swordsmen met in friendly circumstances. They could both be kind and courteous, but underneath it all, right at the back of their minds, was a little voice asking a very awkward question; 'which of us is stronger?' it would say.
He supposed it was similar with God Slayers, when two such impossible existences encountered one another it only made sense that there would be some sort of rivalry.
It seemed that that sense of competition had entwined with his flash of anger at her cool disregard for innocent bystanders to produce his brief murderous thought. Granted it wasn't something he'd honestly taken seriously, but it had been a thought he'd given genuine attention.
Aside from anything else though he knew that he couldn't afford to kill her, even if he had wanted to. The number of Campione in the world was always low, not once in all recorded history had it ever gone over ten at once. By contrast the world was a very large place, and there were many many gods and legends that were always waiting to return. If he were to kill or even severely wound her that would leave the area that had previously been her territory vulnerable to any whim from a Heretic God that might manifest there.
No, no matter how much she might infuriate him he'd have to grit his teeth and retain control since it looked as though she was the lesser of two evils in this case.
"So then, it would seem that we will not exchange blows this day King Emiya."
The voice of his fellow King brought him out of his thoughts and his attention back to her. She was standing in a casual pose, but the memories of his older self let him notice the subtle way her balance was set, the almost imperceptible ways her muscles were tensed.
"You noticed then?" There was no need to say of what he spoke, it was clear that she'd sensed his momentary surge of killing intent.
"Of course, to the Ruler of the Martial Realm the task of detecting such blatant intent is the simplest of feats. You do not guard your thoughts enough King Emiya." The beautiful God Slayer stood proudly and placed both her hands on her hips, "Still I take no insult at your thoughts, to take down a foe that is beyond you by waiting until she has exhausted herself against another, some may call this contemptible, but in the world of battle it is merely sound strategy."
She paused for a second before continuing.
"Though I, Luo Hao, have long since reached the pinnacle of martial perfection and thus need not use such methods."
Honestly he didn't know what to make of her, one minute she was saying that such a method should not be frowned upon, the next she was hastily adding that she'd never employ such means herself.
"I would still hear why you would direct such murderous intent at me and then dismiss it."
Shirou leaned against a large boulder on his right and regarded his fellow King. Her words could be taken as a request, but at the same time they carried the authority of a command. This was a woman as used to command as she was to breathing.
"I think . . . that we have a different view upon our rights to Kingship." He answered slowly. "I have my own path, and your casual disregard for those threatened by your actions is an affront to that path."
"Oh, and what path would that be King of Wakoku?"
"I would hear your own path first," the young Emiya replied, quietly amazed at how easy it was to talk to her like this. All he really had to do was think to himself of what Saber or Gilgamesh might say and then use that as a reference for the development of his own answers.
"Naturally my path of Kingship is the Road of Domination. I have achieved this through my authority and martial arts. It is as I said to King Kusanagi; Luo Cuilian can slaughter thousands of soldiers with a simple punch or kick, and slay tens of thousands with just a wave of a blade or a spear. Were I to display the true essence of martial arts, mighty armies of millions will be turned into mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. All lands will be wiped out, leaving nothing but mountains and rivers."
Shirou blinked at that, momentarily overwhelmed by the absolute faith the beautiful fighter had in her martial skills.
"So the entire basis of your rule is your strength?"
"Of course not. I am one that walks the path of chivalry and heroism for every step of my life. I have subdued monsters and gods, safeguarded cities from devastation with my prowess. I have reached the pinnacle of achievement and surpassed all rulers and emperors before me. As a result it is only natural that I should enjoy greater privilege than they. If an emperor in the past could sacrifice a dozen innocents in the advancement of their goals then it is only natural that I should be able to sacrifice dozens of thousands. This is what is known as hierarchy."
That was it, her reasoning and innocent callousness stemmed for that unshakable feeling of self worth. She honestly saw herself as being so far above others that for her not to act in such a manner would be a betrayal of her position and of those beneath her. He had to acknowledge that there was a certain logic to her claims, after all a great deal of the authority a ruler could possess was based upon their military strength. When looked at from that point of view it was unquestionable that the Chinese beauty possessed martial power that probably surpassed the armies of Rome at their empire's height.
Quite simply put her reasoning wasn't that of a modern person, rather it was something that belonged centuries in the past.
This was actually rather ironically understandable given that Luo Hao was more than two centuries old. Was that the simple truth behind her reasoning? Was that the explanation for her oddly callous innocence? It was almost pitiable in a way, that she should be so . . . out of her time.
On the other hand he doubted that she was too distressed by it, from what he could tell this wasn't someone that would be brought down by something so simple.
"And what of you King Emiya, what path of Kingship do you follow?"
Now that was an interesting question, one that he'd been thinking about a good deal since Illya's kidnapping and her acquisition of her 'minions'. It had become increasingly clear that he was going to have to take a more . . . active role in the world of magic practioners. Whether it was his intention or not his power and influence were growing at a considerable rate. Yusuke was well on his way to turning the failing business empire of the Circle into a minor powerhouse that would only grow in profit and size. The Committee continued to send him more scrolls and books and promises of good will. His own mastery of his Authorities grew at a considerable rate.
All in all it was adding up to the fact that pretty soon he'd be a King in more than mere name. It had been that realization that had led him to think more about the two Kings that he'd encountered, as well as about the king that he'd learnt about.
EMIYA had done many things in his life to ensure he could add more Noble Phantasms to his arsenal. After all the more weapons he had at his disposal the more effective he'd be in a fight and the better he'd be able to pursue his dream. To that end he'd gone to obscure museums, cut deals with various magi families and sought out long forgotten stores of weapons.
And of course he'd made it a point to meet with the last living participant of the Fourth Holy Grail War
Lord El-Melloi II, Waver Velvet, was one of the people that the version of Emiya Shirou had been eager to meet. While that version of himself had not been Saber's lover he had come to care for her a great deal and had been eager to gain new memories of her. After some negotiation the elder magus had agreed to share all his memories of the war he had taken part in with EMIYA in exchange for certain future aid.
As a result the future Archer had gained several new Noble Phantasms, recollections not his own of several battles and all of Waver Velvet's memories of his unofficial liege, Iskander the King of Conquerors.
So in the final analysis Shirou found himself with three prime examples of kingship to take as examples. It had been from those examples that he'd begun to put together the basic concepts of his 'rule'.
"I believe that as Kings we loom far over those that are our subjects. We hold greater power, greater authority, we may do as we wish and they have no means by which to defy us." He paused and glanced over to Luo Hao who was nodding in agreement. "But I feel that Kings that enjoy such privileges have responsibilities of equal weight. We must serve as the champions of our subjects, rule in such a way that their safety and prosperity is assured. They grant us supreme power over them; it is only equivalent exchange that we employ that power to support them in return. To do otherwise is not Kingship, but tyranny."
Ultimately his envisioned rule was based on the simple concept of 'you do right by me and I'll do right by you', an almost juvenile way of approaching it, but it was honestly the best he thought he could do.
Had he still held to his former ideal he might have tried to emulate the self sacrificing rule of Saber, abandoning everything, even his very humanity, in order to safeguard his people. But after having cast that dream aside he didn't think he could follow such a path. The road of conquest that the Rider of the Fourth Heaven's Feel had followed had a certain appeal with its grandness and embrace of humanity. But honestly conquest and dominion held little interest to Shirou and he knew himself well enough to know he lacked the charismatic personality needed to pull it off. As for him trying to follow Gilgamesh's despotic rule of Absolute Dominion, well the less said of that the better.
In the end the rule he had chosen to attempt was small when compared to the Kingships of the three Kings of the Fourth Holy Grail War, but it was one he felt suited his personality and abilities.
"So you would follow the path of a 'Just' King? Well it is the prerogative of a monarch to choose how they should rule. I shall wait to see how this path will develop for you King Emiya."
Far from being offended by the implication that Shirou viewed her as a tyrant the beautiful Campione seemed to be honestly intrigued as well as amused by the eighth King's decisions and resolve.
"If one intends to follow a path to its end then it's best to choose an interesting path, would you not agree?"
As he spoke those words the eighth Campione felt a rather wry smile tug at his lips.
Luo Hao blinked in surprise, as though having expected some other response to her pronouncement, then a smile of pure good humour spread across her face.
"A fine answer indeed," she declared, "I confess that my initial impression of you was not the most favourable King Emiya. A surprise attack that was so easily countered and which followed by you leaving such a careless opening, one that led to your swift imprisonment. At first I thought that you might have deliberately allowed yourself to be caught in the Great Sage's trap simply because you feared doing battle with him, that you had allowed King Kusanagi to return to the surface so that you wouldn't have to face the Monkey King."
The beautiful martial artist spoke blithely on while remaining completely oblivious to the dark cloud of depression that was gathering around the younger King's head as she listed his errors and shortcoming in the short time since they'd met. Shirou might not be the most sensitive of people, but it was very disheartening to hear how just a few slips on his part, foolish though they had been, had led to such a poor impression.
"Still, I am pleased to find that such an impression was incorrect. No craven coward would dare to speak to Luo Cuilian as you have done, they would cower and grovel before me. Also such a one would never have directed that surge of killing intent towards me, no matter how brief it may have been. And of course no such weakling could muster the courage to contest Kingship with me. I am most pleased to find that you have surpassed my initial notion of your character."
"My thanks for your kind words," Shirou said as he felt the cloud of gloom start to fade somewhat, "But I think we should move to a more pressing topic, namely how are we going to get out of here?"
Luo Hao glanced around the cave and then fixed her eyes upon the ceiling.
"Indeed it may prove difficult to destroy this prison, the Daoist arts of the Monkey King are impressive to have so casually have created this confine." She looked over at her fellow captive as she ran a hand over one wall.
"Do you not have an Authority that would allow you to escape from here? Surely one who can slay a god would possess such power."
"I have a number of options available to me," he confirmed, "However anything that could destroy the spells around this place would also bring the whole mountain down on our heads. I don't know about you but I don't think being buried alive would count as a successful escape."
The look that the Ruler of the Martial Realm directed at him was both lofty and indulgent, the look of a teacher addressing an enthusiastic but somewhat slow student.
"Allow me to impart a piece of wisdom that I have gained over the course of more than two centauries. Campione, as we are widely known, are the Kings of this world. There is no prison that can hold us, no chains that can bind us, no force that can control us. This cave we are caught in might seem daunting to you, but I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that it is destined to fall before my martial splendour. And if this mountain should also try to confine me, well, then the mountain shall simply share the same fate."
It was inspiring in a way, such absolute confidence in oneself that there was no doubt whatsoever that reality itself would bow to fulfil her expectations. To speak so casually of brushing a mountain, a mountain, out of her way, and to completely and utterly mean it, it defied all rational sense.
But then again she was a Campione, and every document that he'd read about the God Slaying Devil King agreed on one thing.
Common rationality doesn't apply when it comes to the Kings.
"To me it is a simple matter of waiting until such time as my Qi has recovered enough and my Authorities. Once my strength has been fully restored I shall smash this prison and march proudly out through its ruined gates."
Against his better judgement Shirou felt a small spark of competitiveness start to burn within him. This wasn't anything combative; it was more along the nature of wanting to race someone to see who is the faster in a friendly contest.
"Well then Sempai, I'll have to step up my own efforts if I do not wish to allow my senior to show me up."
"Hah, very well then," declared the beautiful martial artist with a smile, "Let us see if you can demonstrate a talent that will let you impress me."
Well at least it was a decent motivation to work with.
-()-
The Divine Ancestor known as Guinevere used her magic to observe the developing situation and frowned in irritation.
It would seem that the god imprisoned here wasn't the one that she had searched for. Oh the Monkey King was unquestionably a powerful god of Steel, of that there could be no doubt. However he wasn't the god she sought.
On the other hand it wasn't unknown for gods to change in both form and character over time. Their legend would alter as the ages passed, sometimes absorbing other legends into itself or having new elements added. She supposed it was possible that her Lord's legend had somehow been merged with that of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Unlikely, but possible.
So she stayed where she was, upon the peak of Nantaisan, and continued to use her magic to observe the situation. So far it seemed that the Monkey King was far from fully manifested, he was still using that young Hime-Miko's body and still seemed to be partly bound by the enchantments that had held him for so many decades. Perhaps when she saw him fully released she'd be able to tell whether or not he was the one she sought.
"So, thou still seekest to return to thy Lord's side Guinevere."
She was a former goddess, a Divine Ancestor of such wisdom and power that she was known by the title of Witch Queen. She was the bearer of the Holy Grail and the beloved ward of Sir Lancelot of the Lake. In her quest to revive her liege she had faced mortals, Campione and gods.
Therefore she did not squeak and jump in surprise as she turned . . .
Really.
Well . . . alright, maybe she did release a somewhat undignified exclamation of startlement. But she did not squeak.
Still she had reason to be so . . . surprised. As a person with many enemies she habitually surrounded herself with many spells of warding and detection. With them in place she should have been able to sense the approach of anyone coming close to her well before they had entered speaking range.
Yet this voice had come from right behind her.
All these thoughts flashed through her mind as she completed her turn, before she even laid eyes upon the one who had spoken to her. When she did set eyes upon him she felt the blood drain from her face and her fingers clench into fists.
She knew that she'd recognized that voice, she simply hadn't been able to quite place it. The sight of that titanic form and black armour were all the clues that she needed to immediately realize to whom she was speaking.
"Mordred!"
It was quite remarkable how much hatred and rage one could load into a single word. Despite her sweet features and gentle voice the Divine Ancestor was able to load enough venom onto the name that it was a wonder her lips didn't melt.
"Ah, tis good that thou hast not forgotten me after thy fall from true divinity. Truly I had feared that thy diminishment might have stripped thy memories of our time together." As always his voice was oddly charming and pleasant, totally in contrast o his fearsome appearance.
"Would that Guinevere had been so fortunate," the Divine Witch Queen replied, the venom in her voice impossibly growing even more caustic, "I still remember your betrayal of our Lord, how your actions broke our circle and led to his decent back into the earth."
The huge black helmet seemed to tilt ever so slightly to the side, as though in puzzlement, as the burning red shapes of eyes shone out through the visor's slitted opening.
"In truth I have always been vexed by thy claim that mine challenge to Artus was some act of base betrayal. I didst not stab him from behind and I did not seek battle when he was weakened and tired. I faced him honourably, face to face."
Guinevere let out a most unladylike snort of derision in response to the Heretic God's words and crossed her arms in unafraid defiance.
"Choose your words as you see fit, it will not change the truth, you stayed our Lord's ally only until he lost his greatest defence. Once you saw that weakness you abandoned your oaths and turned your sword upon him."
The black armoured giant didn't even try to refute her words; he simply spread his as though in question.
"What other outcome couldst there be? I was drawn to Artus by his splendour of war, both his strength and the strength of his foes was intoxicating. To be in the presence of such power, such strength. Is it so strange that admiration shouldst change to covetousness? That I shouldst come to desire to claim that strength for mine own?"
He turned from her and waved a hand at the city that could be seen from their vantage point.
"And for this thou hast sullied mine name through the ages, naming me the great betrayer of our lord. Dost that grant thee pleasure? Dost that grant thee satisfaction?"
She'd forgotten how eloquent and charming he could be when he wanted, how he could twist words and make the meanings of actions and deeds until the most heinous of crimes seemed to be a completely reasonable act. She must not allow herself to be caught in his words lest he beguile her away to his side.
"Say what you will, since the day you broke your oaths you have been the enemy of my Lord and so my enemy as well. Is that why you are here? Do you seek to slay Guinevere?"
The Divine Ancestor freely admitted that it was unlike her to be this confrontational. Normally her nature was more playful but slightly timid, like when she had confronted the Black Prince. However this was the one person she would never show weakness before, the one person she could never forgive.
It didn't matter if it led to her capture, it didn't matter if it led to her injury it didn't matter even if it led to her death. Mordred the Betrayer was not someone to whom she could give an inch and still claim to remain loyal to her Lord.
Not that she intended to die of course. On her lips waited the words that would summon her protector, the one in whom she placed all her trust. The highest and most perfect knight and the only one of Artus' servants that had been a match for Mordred. Lancelot du Lac. If any could protect her from the traitor's wrath it was him.
However instead of showing anger the black titan actually chuckled as he turned back to face her.
"Slay thee Guinevere? Why wouldst I do such a thing? To do so wouldst only delay mine long awaited second battle with thy King."
The childish Queen's mouth dropped open in surprise at his response.
"Wh-What do you mean by that?"
"Tis something that occurred to me when I returned to this Plane after recovering from mine defeat at Artus' blade," the armoured giant explained, "When I fought him it was because I sought to face the strongest, however that was no longer enough. Mine desire is no longer to face the strongest, but to become the strongest.
"Thus I chose to emulate thy Lord, seeking out the bastard children of Pandora and vanquishing them. To mine shame at first I was defeated and barely escaped with mine life. But those defeats made me stronger, and in time I returned and slew mine defeater.
"From there I followed a rumour that hinted at the return of Thy Lord to these isles. On my way I faced another of the Devil Kings and slew him too. When I camest to these shores I found no hint of Artus though. Being fatigued from mine battles I chose to emulate him once more and slept within the earth to regain mine strength.
"However mortal mages found me in mine slumber and cast enchantments to ensure mine sleep would be most long, deep and undisturbed. However now I am awake once more and I have learnt that there are many of Pandora's children in this era.
"Mine quest shall continue, I shall vanquish the children here and then seek out the others and vanquish them in turn. Thee I shall leave undisturbed to continue thy search, indeed I shall slay all that try to impede thee. Thou efforts shall once more raise up Artus, and when he strides the earth once more I shall be there to face him, battle him and slay him.
"Thus shall thou serve my ends and thus shall I wrest the title of the strongest from him."
Guinevere found herself unable to breathe. The absolute certainty with which he spoke of his mad design was overwhelming. This was not merely the rantings of a god gone mad, this was something he intended to force to come to pass through sheer will if needs be.
"You . . . you can't defeat him. You can't."
Her words sounded weak even to herself. In the face of his burning resolution her own faith in her beloved Lord seemed to be such a small thing.
"Art thou so certain? King Arthur shall fall by Morderd's blade, this is the legend that thou hast carefully propagated around the world is it not?"
His paused a second as she knew surprise flashed across her features.
"Oh yes, mine allies in this era have been most forthcoming about thine activities. To think that thy efforts would be so successful that thou wouldst inadvertently birth a new god."
He leaned towards her and his voice grew softer, almost honeyed.
"But dost thou think that such was enough to sever the legend? That the fate of Arthur meanest that Artus be safe from it? I do not; I believe that in thy efforts thou hast only ensured that when I once more face thy Lord that the advantage will be mine. Thinkest thou upon that as thou continue in thy efforts to raise Artus from the earth's embrace."
With a laugh that was both triumphant and mocking the towering knight turned from her and strode away.
Guinevere did not see him go, she wasn't even looking up. As the full meaning of his words had come down upon her legs had lost all strength and she'd collapsed into the dirt at her feet, unmindful of how it stained her pristine dress.
Was it true? Had all her efforts into reviving her beloved King at the End of Eras only ensured her Lord's death upon his return? Had she inadvertently lent her aid to the one god that she despised above all others? Surely that could not be true; surely the fates would not be so cruel to her.
No!
No, she would not accept that.
Guinevere might be childish in her behaviour and sometimes fearful enough to shy away from danger, but beneath it all was a core of iron determination and will that would do a god of Steel proud. She would not meekly accept this and lead her dear Lord to his potential slaughter. If Mordred was a threat to her Lord then the obvious answer was to eliminate him.
The title of Witch Queen was not merely some name she had assumed as a vanity, it was a name earned many times over by her skill and power. Among the many feats she was capable of that had allowed her to earn that title was the ability to sense the presence of Campione.
She could feel them now, one close by, free but weakened, two more locked away within some sort of spell, one weak but regaining strength and the other strong already, and away in the distance she could feel one more. That one approaching swiftly.
Four Campione, four of the Devil Kings. Though she had lived a long time in this life and had lived twice before that never had she heard of such a convergence of the supreme Rulers.
Perhaps one among them would be able to face her foe for her. All that would be needed would be to choose the most likely to succeed and to aid them as she could.
-()-
Illya looked off the porch of the small wooden cabin she was staying in and glanced over at the one in which Godou and his harem were staying in.
After they'd escaped the Monkey King's servants Liliana's magic had carried them here, to a camping site on the Kirifuri Plateau. Here the tourists had continued their lives completely unaware of the crisis that was taking place so nearby. At first she'd been concerned that those here might stumble into the domain now claimed by the Great Sage, but Yuri had assured her that the History Compilation Committee had measures prepared that would prevent further involvement by innocent citizens.
The entire area claimed by Sun Wukong would be completely cordoned off using a mix of official methods, hypnosis and various other memory manipulation techniques. For the time being at least the influence of the Heretic God was, if not contained, then at least isolated.
The evening had been spent largely allowing Godou to rest and heal while his trio of women prepared the meal and got the rooms in the cabin ready. Apparently Yuri had been able to use some magic to retrieve the lost luggage of her group; however Illya, Kaida and Manaka had brought no such preparations other than the simple change of clothes the warrior witch had brought for herself and her charge. Still that hadn't proven to be too much of a hindrance, camping sites like these always had small shops to supply those things that tourists had forgotten, lighters, clothes, sleeping bags or even entire tents.
The young Einzbern had the credit card that Yusuke had supplied her with and consequently had access to enough money to buy the entire contents of the store if she so chose.
Not that it had been needed to pay for that much, other than three sleeping bags and a few things like toothbrushes and toothpaste Erica had been able to charm it out of the camp ground owners. In all truth the snowy haired girl had felt a good bit of awe at the physically older girl's suave talking skills. Illya had been prepared to pay for the evening meal, since she'd seen that none of Godou's group had foodstuffs with them. Instead, after chatting to the owners for ten minutes, she'd not only managed to obtain the main ingredients for a supper but also desserts and fruit.
The rest of the evening had been spent mostly with Illya quietly enjoying the comedic entertainment of the antics of Godou and his Harem and listening to their discussion about Sun Wukong. From what she could determine the seventh Campione had some sort of Authority that depended upon possessing knowledge of his foe. However she hadn't known any information that would have been of much use, so she'd stayed quiet.
That had seemed to suit pretty much everyone present. She'd noticed that that'd been the way of it for most of the day. They hadn't been rude or unpleasant, but she got the distinct impression that they didn't quite know how to deal with her.
In the end she had just begun to feel a bit on the resentful side when Alice had taken her aside for some private words.
Flashback to earlier that evening.
"Ah, Miss Einzbern, could I have a word?"
Illya looked up to see that the unknown blonde woman that had been accompanying Yuri earlier was standing next to her. She was a beautiful young woman in her early twenties with long blonde hair and sea blue eyes. Her ancestry was clearly European and she carried herself with a certain authority, as though used to her words carrying weight. This was offset somewhat by her personality, which from what she had seen could be described as 'bright and bubbly', which gave her the illusion of being younger than she was.
"Can I help you?" she asked in return, wondering why this stranger was addressing her.
"I'm Alice Goddodin, speaker of the Witenagemot. Could I speak to you privately for a bit? I'm afraid I don't have much time."
The white haired girl looked at her closer, focussing her mystic senses as she did so. There was something distinctly off about this woman, something not quite right. It wasn't anything particularly threatening; rather it was as though she wasn't properly . . .
"You're not really here, are you?"
The European magus shook her head in agreement.
"Would you look at that, two people in the same day have found me out so quickly, that's really amazing, Campione keep such talented company. No I'm afraid I'm not. Due to various circumstances I've got to use this spirit body of ectoplasm so I can interact with people. My real body is safely sleeping in my bed back home in London . . . could you please keep this a secret? If too many people find out it could become most troublesome."
Yes, that was it. Her existence somehow reminded the young Einzbern of a Servant, but only in the crudest and most basic sense. To compare this improvised construct body to the perfection of a Heroic Spirits incarnation was like comparing a brittle twig to a finely carved war staff. Still it was impressive to a degree; the feat of creating an ectoplasmic vessel for her soul was something that came close to the powers of the Heaven's Feel magic.
Quite an impressive achievement, idly Illya wondered if she could learn to do something similar. It would be cool if she could somehow have regained at least part of the lost True Magic before she returned home. That would be something to rub in her grandfather's face if they ever met up again.
Still, now wasn't the time to get lost in such thoughts. She'd been asked a question and it wouldn't be polite to delay her answer.
"Of course, I'd never be so rude as to reveal another's secrets without just cause." Ah, the old good manners came back to her so easily. Living with Shirou might have left her more comfortable with an informal situation, but it seemed that the courtly good manners that the Einzbern family had drilled into her were still lurking beneath the surface waiting to be of use. "Also what was it you wished to speak to me about?"
"In truth I wanted to ask you about yourself Miss Einzbern," the blonde British lady said with a smile, "The Witenagemot has made it a priority to acquire more information on your brother, but in truth I'm even more interested in yourself."
"Oh? Am I so much more interesting than a Campione? You flatter me Princess Alice." Illya returned her words with a bright smile of her own and a deliberate use of the title by which she was more widely know. It was a small thing, one designed to show that she wasn't some unaware innocent, but not threatening enough to be hostile.
"Oh, we're very interested in your brother," answered the soul projecting magus, "For someone to appear out of nowhere and gain so many Authorities so quickly, how could we be anything other than interested? Still he's a Campione, and mighty and important though they are we at least have some idea of what we're dealing with.
"Unlike you."
Both of them were now facing each other, having left the room in which Godou and his girls were still talking. Kaida had turned as though to follow them, but a small wave of Illya's hand had indicated to her to stay put. The two female practioners of the mystic arts now faced each other across the porch of the small log cabin. There was a certain tension between them, nothing hostile or violent, more the wary pacing of two wolves that didn't want to fight but were sizing each other up in case they did.
"At first it was believed that you were some descendant of divinity, maybe one as close as only three or four generations removed from the source. That would have accounted for your power and skill, but now I'm not so sure."
Alice turned her face, still smiling despite the gravity of the situation, away from the younger girl and waved at the lands that the Monkey King had claimed.
"I saw what you did there, what you called and commanded. I really thought that I'd have to use the rest of my strength to cover King Godou's escape, but then you used that . . . thing to tear a Divine Beast apart. Thanks for that by the way, it let this form last until now and gave me more of a chance to observe his majesty.
"Anyway, what it boils down to is that I don't know what you are. At first I thought you might be a Divine Ancestor that had somehow attached herself to King Emiya, but having watched you I'm sure that isn't the case. On the other hand you're simply too powerful to be a normal mage, so I thought that since I don't have much time left with this form I'd go with honesty and just ask you flat out. I know that I do not have any sort of authority to demand answers from you, but might I entreat you to give us an answer? Just what are you Illyasviel Von Einzbern?"
That was an interesting question, and in all honesty one that the white haired girl wasn't entirely sure she knew the answer to. In theory she knew what she was, a modified Einzbern homunculus/human hybrid that had received special modification in preparation to both win the Holy Grail War and act as the vessel for the completed Holy Grail. However since coming to this world things had changed, she'd changed. Her full lifespan had been restored and she'd begun to dabble in experiments verging on True Magic. Her success in the creation of her puppet version of Berserker alone might be enough to earn her some sort of title back in her world. Well, that and probably a Sealing Designation, not that it'd be very easy to enforce given that she had such a protection available to her.
Still now wasn't the time to fall into existentialistic contemplation. She had to think of how she could answer the question. It was part of the plan that her and Shirou had worked out to take what opportunities appeared to spread useful disinformation, and this seemed to be a good such opening. Besides which, refusing to answer might lead to some tension between Shirou and the Witenagemot, something that might prove to be highly inconvenient in the future given their wide sphere of influence. The question was how to answer her without contradicting the story that she and Shirou had put into circulation? On top of that if she gave at least a partial answer then she'd have somebody in the upper echelons of the European magic Circles in her debt.
"How about . . . I answer you and we'll say that you'll owe me a favour in the future?"
The blonde princess seemed to consider the suggestion for a bit, then smiled and nodded.
"I'm . . . what my family made me to be." She declared after a moment's consideration. "I was changed, altered, very early in life to meet the 'requirements' of their expectations. Those changes cost much of my lifespan and would have left me dead less than a year from now. In exchange though they provided me with the power I wield and advanced mental maturation. Then they sent me off to kill Shirou and complete their precious ritual."
She glanced up at the older woman and saw she was watching her closely. Well that was alright, it wasn't as if she'd even said a single lie after all.
"Everything ended up going to Hell, but by the end of it at least I'd learnt that onii-chan wasn't my enemy, he was the only family I could really count on. Shortly after that he became a Campione and we decided to come back to Japan.
"Now I'm not going to die you know? One of Shirou's Authorities was able to reverse the damage done to my body by the changes. Now I've got all the power that the Einzbern's gave me, and I get to live as well. Best of all they can't control me anymore, I'm free of them."
Okay, it was a bit of a spur of the moment ab lib, but it seemed to have the hint of mystery and threat that she wanted.
"I've searched through our records at our headquarters," commented Alice, "I couldn't find any mention of a family by the name of Einzbern."
"They changed their name so as not to associate with the 'tainted'." Illya replied beginning to warm to the game she was playing. "You probably won't hear from them in the future either, they . . . didn't take my intention to stay with Shirou well."
Silence settled onto the porch as the Princess of the Witenagemot read what she would into that statement.
"And your summon?"
"Now now," the snowy haired girl answered as she playfully waved an admonishing finger, "I've told you quite a bit, but I'm not going to give away all my secrets. Where's the fun in that after all?"
Sometimes it was good to look so much younger than she actually was, it let her get away with some things that she wouldn't have been able to manage otherwise.
Alice opened her mouth to ask another question, but halted as some unheard sound seemed to draw her attention.
"Ah, it looks like my times up. Thanks a lot for your answers; I'm sure that lots of the old fuddie duddies back at HQ will have lots of time chasing them about.
"Goodbye then Miss Einzbern, it's been fun!"
With a wave and a wink the beautiful blonde mage vanished from sight. Illya was left wondering just how much of her story the Princess had bought and just how much she was going to pass on. One thing was for sure, the young Einzbern was pretty sure that she'd underestimated the ectoplasm using mage.
End flashback.
The evening had been . . . interesting, to say the least.
Well, now wasn't the time to get lost in thoughts about the recent past. She'd best be getting to bed and getting some sleep if she wanted to be at her best tomorrow.
As she turned to enter the cabin she idly wondered what Shirou was doing right now. That he was alive was a given as far as she was concerned. If Berserker couldn't kill him, if a corrupted Saber couldn't kill him, if jamming the powers of a Heroic Spirit into his body couldn't kill him, if the birth of a god of Evil couldn't kill him then she highly doubted that being trapped like this could manage it.
She dearly loved Shirou, but even if the comparison was a bit unflattering she felt there was some truth to her occasional thought that he was hardier than a cockroach on steroids.
Well, he was probably devoting all his energies to trying to escape.
-()-
The eighth Campione glared down at the Traced sword held in his hands and frowned in irritation. Another dead end, he'd had high hopes for this sword, enough that he'd Traced it into physical existence so as to get a better handle on its capabilities. Unfortunately it wasn't the answer to his difficulties, if he were to use it to try to escape then he'd probably end up drowned in lava rather than simply buried alive. It might protect him from the heat of the molten rock, but he'd still need to breathe.
"That Authority of yours is most interesting King Emiya," Luo Hao's musical voice broke into his thoughts as he allowed the weapon to break back down into Prana, "To be able to manifest so many different weapons of power. Tell me from which God did you usurp it?"
That made the young man blink in surprise. It seemed that the elder King had assumed his ability to produce mystic weapons out of nowhere was actually an Authority. A reasonable assumption he supposed, from what his research had yielded it seemed that weapons on par with Noble Phantasms were quite rare in this world, especially ones that could be wielded by mortals.
Now the question was whether or not he'd allow that continued impression to go on or if he would correct her with the truth. Allowing the mistaken belief to continue would have the advantage of increasing his apparent strength, something that was always a plus when dealing with people of equal or greater power. Granted he wasn't aware of exactly how dangerous an existence the Ruler of the Martial Realm was, but he highly doubted that she was someone that could be taken lightly.
Still, Shirou had to admit that he was beginning to get tired of the false face he was having to put up. Sure he intellectually realized their importance and he might even take a certain pride in how he could pull them off. However at the end of the day beneath all the experience and cunning he'd gained from Archer the red haired teen was, at his core, an awkwardly honest person.
Certainly he didn't plan to simply abandon the persona that he'd constructed, it had its uses after all, but perhaps some honesty wouldn't be a bad thing.
And of course there was the purely practical side to consider. Luo Cuilian was an expert martial artist that had already demonstrated her skills in reading body language, if he did try to lie to her there was a chance that she'd see through him. Aside from cluing her into the fact that he had something to lie about it might also serve to poison the amicable relationship that seemed to be developing so far.
"It's not actually an Authority; it's a form of magic that I've learnt."
"Oh? So you have devoted yourself to the path of the magical arts then? Perhaps you seek to follow a path similar to one of the Great Knights?" The beautiful martial artist's voice sounded mildly curious as to the path that her junior intended to follow.
"Well, not really," Shirou admitted as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "the thing is that even after becoming a Campione I'm not very good at magic. My Element and my Origin aren't aligned in such a way that typical mage craft will work for me. Compared to my sister I'm actually pretty third rate in almost every area you can think of. The thing is that I managed to find the one thing that I excel at above all else, giving form to my mind."
To highlight his statement Shirou held up a hand and Traced a nameless sword, then let it dissipate back into Prana.
"Now would you mind if I ask you a question in turn?" He said, hoping to change the subject somewhat.
"Of course," her tone could only be described as magnanimous, "What ignorance can this Luo Hao dispel for you?"
Unbelievable, she could make the act of agreeing to answer a question sound like a benevolent and heroic act and yet be completely sincere about it.
"I was wondering if you could tell me how you became a Campione in the first place. It's something of an interest of mine, but the only Kings for whom I've been able to find that out have been Kusanagi and Salvatori Doni."
That had been something that had nagged at him, in every era Campione would appear, but the exact method by which they achieved the kill that earned them the title of King was often unknown. Kusanagi's was only known because he'd related it to Mariya-san who had in turn passed it onto the Committee who had passed it on to him. As for Salvatori Doni, well, it seemed that rather than being secretive about it he simply blithely told anyone who asked him.
However that left five other God Slayers out there, and if he wanted to confirm a theory that had been growing in his mind then he'd need to find out that piece of information for at least two more of them.
"A fine tale to choose to here!" declared the elder Campione, "Normally such account would only be revealed to my personal disciples after many years of study, even my Young Hawk has yet to hear it. However if my junior upon the path of Domination asks it of me this Luo Cuilian would be happy to relate it.
"It was back during the last of the great years of the Qing Dynasty. At the time I was still a mere novice on the path of the Martial Arts, but even then I demonstrated my splendour by defeating those years my senior in the Arts. Though the arts of Wushu may not have been as valued as they once were due to the advent of Gunpowder there were still many masters from whom to learn from and I had embarked upon a journey to meet as many as I could and to learn their wisdom."
This sounded like the plot to one of those old seventies Kung Fu films, still he could see it happening. A younger version of the woman in front of him setting out on her adventure determined to improve herself as much as she could. It seemed quite plausible.
"I had already learnt a great many of the secrets to the mundane side of the Arts and was ready to take my first steps into the manipulation of Qi and the spirit. My last instructor had been so impressed by my progress that he'd directed me to seek out his own teacher, a Sage that had mastered many secrets of his own.
"However when I arrived at the temple I found it in ruins and a giant wrathful man tearing it apart.
"Naturally I challenged him upon his actions and he attacked me in response. However though his strength was immense and his skin as hard as diamond I had learnt my own lessons well and was able to counter his ferocity with softness. After several exchanges I earned enough of his recognition that he revealed his identity to be Vajrapani. We battled on for several more passes, but in the ended I was able to subdue him with my martial prowess and claim his Authority of Strength as my own."
Shirou waited for a moment, but it seemed that there would be no more of the story forthcoming.
"So . . . how did you do it?"
"To what do you refer?"
"How did you actually manage to kill him," the red haired teen clarified, "I understand how you could use martial arts to counter his force, but surely that couldn't have let you pierce his skin or choke him or anything like that. How'd you manage to deal the final blow?"
"Oh, is that what confused you? Well it was true that at the time I had no way to harm him, I could use my martial arts to redirect his force against him, but I had no way to harm him. However after failing to strike me several times Vajrapani used his divine power to become a pair of Benevolent Kings in an attempt to trap me. He nearly succeeded in striking me down several times, but in the end I got the better of him. I succeeded in redirecting simultaneous punches from both Kings so that they dealt each other fatal blows. For this Pandora saw fit to adopt me as her child."
Shirou nodded in absent minded acknowledgement as she spoke, but the majority of his focus had turned inwards. Another piece had been added to the puzzle that he was assembling in his mind. It still wasn't conclusive though, he needed at least one more example before he could be sure. Two, if it was at all possible.
"Thank you Sempai," he said as he emerged from his thoughts, "That helps with a question that I've been thinking about for some time now.
"Still I'm thinking of turning in for the night, I think some sleep might be what I need if I'm going to think of a way out of here."
Reaching a hand out to one side he Traced a simple futon and a sleeping bag. That was a convenient skill to have, especially when his normal projections had tended to last about a day in Archer's memories, so long as they were nothing complicated. It certainly made travelling easier when the vast majority of your luggage could be substituted in this way. Granted Shirou could use his far larger Prana reserves to take much greater advantage of it than EMIYA ever could have despite all his finesse. Still, the point remained.
"Would you like one?" He asked his fellow Campione, even though he was already pretty sure what her answer would be.
"No King Emiya," she replied as she sat herself down on one of the boulders in a Lotus position, "My thanks for your offer, but this shall be sufficient for my needs."
With an acknowledging nod of his head Shirou laid the sleeping bag out over the futon and then lay down on top of them both. In all truth he didn't really need the sleeping bag; the cave was warm enough that it wasn't necessary; he was simply using it for a little extra cushioning. Closing his eyes against the light eliminating from the Sword of Yao he soon found himself slipping into a dreamless sleep.
-()-
"So the Great Sage Equal to Heaven sealed him away along with another of the Devil Kings?"
The red and blue haired Divine Ancestor looked up from her work as her blonde ally spoke to her.
"Yes, for the time being he is beyond our reach, however when he emerges Sir Mordred has offered to subdue him and bring him to us for the ritual."
The two hair-toned former goddess glanced over to where the towering knight was resting against one of the walls of the cavern in which they stood. His presence unsettled her and she had no trouble admitting it to herself. In all the millennia of their partnership she had always been the more dominant party between them. Such was to be expected since she was the elder of them and had been the stronger when a goddess. Her golden haired ally had accepted this and never shown any particular dissatisfaction with the arrangement.
Now though the balance of power between them had tipped decidedly in the blonde former goddess's favour. This Sir Mordred was clearly a powerful deity and for the time being he seemed grateful enough to act as her ally's champion. That meant that if she decided to abandon their current efforts and instead pursue their other target there was little that the fallen mother of monsters could do to prevent her.
Their current course was aimed at restoring the blue and red haired Divine Ancestor's full divinity, once that was achieved she would aid her ally to regain her own and together they would take their revenge upon those that had wronged them. Now that she had other options would her golden haired partner alter that plan?
And beyond her concerns about how he would affect her plans was the fear of what the Heretic God himself would do. The infuriating thing about him was that that wretched Authority of anonymity prevented her from divining any of his attributes or aspects. She couldn't even tell if he was truly a god of Steel or not, for all she knew beneath his armour he might be a deity of wine and song, ridiculous as the thought might be.
That was her ally's flaw; her need for revenge often blinded her to the potential risks that she was taking, especially if she thought they would advance her ends. Didn't she see the danger? They were in their current situation because of deities of Steel, then she essentially invited a Heretic God that might well be one to aid them when they were at their most vulnerable.
To the mind of the red and blue haired former goddess that seemed like a risk on par with asking a fox to guard the henhouse.
Still, it seemed as though her partner was still willing to stick to the original plan. If that was the case then the elder fallen deity wasn't about to question her good fortune. She'd still keep a sharp eye upon the Heretic God that was assisting them, but if he could bring the Campione she sought to her then it wouldn't matter. Once she'd regained her full power she'd be far too strong for him to threaten, she'd be far too strong for any to stand against.
She'd spent centuries learning to focus her diminished power for maximum effect; she'd survived far longer than any other Divine Ancestor had ever done. If she could combine that knowledge with her true power then even her former husband would not be able to defeat her.
Abandoning her thoughts she nodded to her ally.
"That would serve our ends well; have him bring the boy here after he has been subdued. With Honoured Athena's aid we'll be able to complete the ritual and restore my divinity before his allies become fully aware of his disappearance."
"T'would be mine pleasure to accomplish this task mine Lady Mistress."
It never ceased to surprise the former mother of monsters of just how much of a contrast there was between the knight's almost brutal appearance and his smooth and charming voice.
"Oh Sir Mordred," her ally smiled charmingly, "There's no need to address me so formally, you are free to use my name."
"Very well then, mine Lady Brynhildr."
(-)
The Sword of Yao: Banisher of Darkness
Type –Support Rank –D Range – 1 No of Targets – 1
A sword forged using the scattered plumage of the sun-birds slain by the god Houyi. Forged for the sage Emperor Yao as thanks for his actions in saving the last of the birds. This weapon is largely ornamental as it was never intended to be used since the emperor was a scholar rather than a fighter. Nonetheless it is strong enough to clash with other Noble Phantasms and not shatter.
When drawn the blade of this sword will shed light that will drive back darkness. This is an automatic ability and will activate in response to any darkness be it natural or supernatural. When confronted with Darkness based magic or Noble Phantasms the light from this sword will reduce the powers by one full rank.
-\-
Wind and Fire Wheels: Wheels that Flash through the Sky
Type-Anti-Army/Support Rank-B Range-1-50 No of Targets-1-50
These two weapons were given to the chinese deity Nezha by his teacher Taiyi Zhenren and were later used as one the tools employed to defeat the Dragon Kings of the land.
Each of these circular weapons has the ability to generate infernos or whirlwinds that are highly concentrated but strong enough to demolish small buildings. However it is when they are used in unison that their true power can be revealed. By using the wind to feed the fire the resulting attack can be regarded as a modest army killer. It should be noted that while the resulting firestorm is excellent for destroying large numbers of weaker targets its overall strength is insufficient to destroy single stronger foes.
The greatest asset of Noble Phantasms isn't when they are used as weapons, but rather when they are used as wheels. By combining their fire and wind while treading upon them Nezha can use them as a form of transport that boosts his Agility by a full rank as well as granting him the power of flight.
It should be noted that while EMIYA and Shirou can use the anti-army powers of these weapons they lack a suitable rank in Divinity as well as the compatible elemental affinity necessary to employ the Support aspect of this Noble Phantasm.
-\-
Íonú Domhanda: The Purification of the World
Type-Anti-unit/Anti-Thaumaturgy Rank-C Range-1 No of Targets-1
This Noble Phantasm takes the form of a crude iron sword and was once used by the ancient Celtic Druids. Blessed by a number of gods its function was to purify areas of foreign pollutions, be they poison, prana or waste. This sword was wielded by a number of nameless heroes through the ages and was eventually cast into the sea as a sacrifice to Nodens.
Crudely forged, dull and fragile this weapon is unsuitable for direct combat and instead is best employed as a thaumatugic tool. Its power is that it will immediately purge any negative contaminations from anything it comes into contact with. Should it be touched to a pool of water that has been contaminated it will purify it until the water is crystal clean. If touched to someone who has been poisoned it will immediately neutralize and purify the toxins. Also since Prana is technically a harmful energy if the user of this sword is skilled enough they can use it to purify the vast majority of the Prana inside an enemy, thus reducing it to the levels that one would normally hold in a peaceful situation.
This effect is passive and constantly active, though should it encounter a target that surpasses its own power it will automatically tap into its wielder's store of Prana and draw as much as is needed in order to fulfil the purification.
-\-
Thuan Thien: The Will of Heaven
Type- Anti-Unit Rank- A+ Range- 1-2 No of Targets- 1
The sword of the Vietnamize emperor Le Loi, granted to him in two part by the Dragon King Long Vuong. This sword granted him victory in battle against the superior chinese armies and allowed him to drive them out and establish his own kingdom. Later in life he returned the sword to a servant of the Dragon King as it had merely been lent rather than given.
A powerful Divine Sword that has its name inscribed upon it in glowing letters. Due to its close ties to Lakes the blade of this sword constantly releases a small flow of fresh water whenever it is unsheathed. This water will never make it rust or dull though. The simple act of wielding this sword provides a bonus to one's luck, however a large amount of Prana is required to activate its true abilities. Once this is done though Thuan Thien causes its wielder to double in height and provides a rank up in Strength, Agility and Endurance parameters.
It should be noted that while EMIYA had this sword in his arsenal he didn't possess sufficient Prana to employ it to best effect. The Shirou of this story does have suitable reserves, but since this is a sword possessing the power of a dragon it is incompatible with Dragon Slaying Hero. Consequently it is more efficient for him to use his Authority rather than this Noble Phantasm.
