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Chapter 10
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Blearily Shirou opened his eyes and swung his arm toward the alarm clock and missed the side table entirely. He flailed about for a moment before his hand came to rest against the front of the table. Using it as a path he traced it back to the top. Swiping his arm across the table he found nothing.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Rolling onto his side he peered at the table through bleary eyes. It lacked an alarm clock. Blinking he turned to the other side of his bed but there wasn't even a side table on that side.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
He threw off his blankets and swung himself from his bed. As his feet reached the smooth floor a shiver ran up his spine at just how cold it was.
He started to search for the alarm clock but the action was over as quickly as it had begun. The clock had fallen between the table and the bed. Slipping his arm into the gap he fished out the electronic device and settled it onto the table.
BEEP BE—.
Raising his arms he stretched as he walked from the room.
He started to call for Miyu before realizing that it was Saturday, so she'd a chance to sleep in and he wasn't going to ruin that.
"Wait, she's at her friend's isn't she?"
He looked about the room. It was far too quiet.
Making his way over he flicked on the television's power and trudged toward the kitchen. He began going through ideas of what he was going to enjoy for breakfast and suddenly came to a decision.
Frittata.
"Looters have all but emptied the Better Buy! T.V. microwaves, video games, consoles, there's not a single one left in the store!"
Huh, it looked like the tv had been left on the news channel.
He quickly set to work. Preheating the oven and readying his skillet. Beating eggs, dicing tomatoes and scallions, and shredding cheese.
"Officer's on scene have been trapped in their squad cars by the sheer amount of people surrounding them."
He glanced at the screen, it was a view from a helicopter looking down on the Better Buy parking lot. A sea of people surrounded the four police cars and it looked like a number of them were attempting to turn the vehicles over.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"It seems the police have opened fire. Please bear with us as we attempt to identify the cause."
He worked in a blur of motion. As is often the case with cooking, it was ninety percent preparation and nine percent patience. The last one percent was trusting the process.
Thus fifteen minutes later, he was pulling the finished product from the oven. Once he turned the device off he made his way over to the dining table and set the skillet down on to a large oven mitt and turned his attention back to the screen.
It was flipping between three vantage points, maybe four, though that might have been a secondary angle on the third.
"It seems we may be heading toward a full-scale city-wide riot. People are taking to the streets with baseball bats, planks of wood, broomsticks with nails driven through the handles, anything they might be able to use as weapons really."
"That's right Tom." The image flipped to a young woman standing on the corner of Mainstreet while the cameraman switched from focusing on her to peeking around the corner. When he did so, he showed men and women ramming themselves through store windows and tossing Molotov Cocktails into the street.
"To those just tuning in, the images shown may not be suitable for minors." The newscaster said. "We must ask all viewers to stay in their homes. This may be an attack on the city. Please stay in your homes, do not subject yourself to whatever is afflicting these people."
The camera turned to show the cameraman, a very scruffy-looking person with square glasses.
"Darren, you're supposed to keep the camera on the street."
Darren began to laugh. "Shut up you evil bi—"
The feed died suddenly, and Shirou's attention was immediately upon the anchor.
"It seems we're experiencing technical difficulties, but allow me to sum up, we believe some form of chemical has been released and is spreading across the city. A—"
Spreading across the city? Miyu. He needed to get to Miyu.
Stumbling out the door he forced his feet into his shoes and slammed the door behind him.
Pulling out his phone he struck the call button. Miyu's smiling face covered his screen but there was no answer.
"Come on Miyu." He grunted as he called again. "Come on."
Still no answer.
He started for the door when his phone vibrated in his hand then began to wail. He struck the accept button and held it to his ear.
"Miyu?" He couldn't keep the relief from his voice.
"Shirou!" It wasn't Miyu, it was Cassie. "Are you okay? Has the chemical made it to you yet?"
"I'm fine. I'm on my way to get Miyu now."
"Where is she? I'll meet you there?"
He bit his lip. Was that a good idea? Could she have been affected by the gas?
He cut that line of thinking off. "1212 North Boliver."
"I'll be there as soon as I can. Be safe."
Shirou nodded before realizing she couldn't see him. "You too."
He struck the end call option and glanced down just long enough to make sure he was queueing up Miyu and not a pizza place. Pressing the call button he waited.
She answered on the third ring.
"Shirou, what's wrong? It's barely seven?" Miyu mumbled.
"Miyu! You need to get your friend and whoever you can and hide."
"Wha?" She asked.
He thought he heard her yawn.
"Miyu, wake up your friends' parents and tell them you need to hide! If they don't believe me, turn on the tv."
"What's going on?" She sounded far more awake.
"Just do what I say. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Drawing the Caster card from his pocket he closed his eyes. "Install."
He waited for the rush of energy, the flood of knowledge, the power of a hero, but it never came. Narrowing his eyes he inspected the card but there was no difference that he could see. The front still held the same wizard-like figure that it always had.
"Install!" He snapped again. Again nothing changed. But that was fine, not ideal but fine. The lancer would get him there.
He fished the card from his pocket, switching it for the Caster, though even as he did he couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong.
"Install." There was as much of a flash of energy and change as there was with the caster. As in none. He clenched his teeth.
The image of the gun formed in his mind and the hammer shot downward. The circuit-like lines spread across his skin and he threw himself forward with all the force he could muster.
Feeling the blacktop give way beneath him with every step Shirou tore his way down the road. In a matter of minutes he crossed the distance and stood at the edge of the business sector.
Shirou wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. He was expecting people to be beating the crap out of one another, breaking things, or even just stealing whatever they could get their hands on. However, as he turned down a footpath that led into the suburbs he found that wasn't the case.
A group of people had chosen to make love, not war. They were a tangled mass of moaning, gyrating limbs. None even looked up toward him as he skirted around them and continued.
"Die!"
Shirou felt something strike his back and looking over his shoulder found a blond teen wearing football gear and wielding a hockey stick, or a broken hockey stick at least. He raised the busted tool into the air again.
Shirou turned and slammed an open hand into the youths stomach, dropping him to the ground. While he was trying to get his breath back Shirou lifted him by the shoulder pads, jerked the stick from his hands and, after sending it through a round of reinforcement to strengthen it, shoved the stick through the plastic shoulder pads and into a wall.
"Good luck," Shirou grumbled as he began running down the road again.
He didn't get far before he came to an issue he just couldn't ignore. A dozen men and women in a crescent formation backing a kid wielding a pair of scissors towards a wall. Several of them held a bench that looked as if it'd been ripped from the concrete, half their attention seemed to be on pulling it from each other's hands while the other half seemed to be one weaponizing it against the kid.
What had the kid done to deserve that?
Sliding to a stop Shirou traced a blunted training sword and brought it around striking it against the ribs of the attackers. Just like that their attention shifted to him. He sidestepped a wild swing of a businessman's fire axe. Striking the man in the chin Shirou took the axe and even as he reared back reinforced it, a moment later it was buried in the asphalt. Stomping on the handle Shirou sent wooden shards bouncing across the sidewalk and backhanded his newest attacker. He ducked beneath a lunging man whose front was stained with what looked like coffee and jumped back a few steps to get some distance.
The group with the bench was en route and shouting like raging fools.
Shirou stepped back and the bench shattered the concrete where he'd been standing. Without missing a beat, he took hold of the bench and, turning it sideways, shoved his way forward catching six rioters between the bench's legs. He drove them up onto the sidewalk and then buried the metal legs into the concrete wall.
As he turned about a fist caught him in the jaw but it felt as if it were thrown by a toddler. Rearing back he belted the man in the jaw sending him to the ground. He stepped over the man and caught the golf club swinging toward his family jewels.
Pulling the rod from his hand Shirou hooked it behind his leg and jerked forward. The man fell over almost comically. A presence appeared behind him and Shirou turned, club raised, finding himself looking at a boy who looked younger than Miyu. He carried a teddy bear under one arm and sported glowing yellow eyes.
"I want." He said as he pulled a pair of scissors from his pocket. "I want everything."
Shirou shuddered. There was no way he was knocking a kid around. He turned to the side as the boy tried to stab him and stepped back to avoid the follow-up swipe.
"Gimme!" He roared.
Tracing a copy of a black key, Shirou impaled the boy's shadow. "What am I supposed to do with you?"
"GIMME!" The boy howled.
"No!" Shirou answered. Stepping forward he plucked the scissors from the kids hand. Turning he heaved them into the ground breaking them and grabbing the boy dragged him over to a dumpster and tossed him inside. After tracing a dagger and using it to pin the lid shut he was on the move again.
People ran down streets trampling on others in their need to get to wherever they were going. Bodies were quickly piling up. He wanted to do something, but time wasn't on his side. Miyu needed him.
With one last glance at a group of the trampled who crawled toward one another screaming like feral hogs lost as they were to their rage, Shirou slipped into the alley and stopped.
He couldn't leave them.
Growling under his breath he turned back to them scanning through the vast repertoire of weapons he held.
Yet no matter how he searched and the large number of possibilities there was one issue he just couldn't get around. He couldn't just pin them and leave them. Not with a rampaging mob moving about.
The Black Keys would only work if he could get them all. The Trap of Argalia would render them unable to walk but that wouldn't stop them from crawling, and crawling targets were not something that would be difficult to hit. Pairing either with Tizona wouldn't work either, it would likely lead to them being traumatized.
Unless he could keep them from seeing the sword…
He shook his head and tore his attention from the people, yes they needed him but Miyu needed him more. He'd be back for them once he was sure they were safe.
Leaning forward he burst into a run, tearing his way across the pavement.
It was strange what a difference a few streets made. It was enough of a distance that if it weren't for the smoke drifting into the air no one would know something was happening.
He rushed up the stairs as he pulled his phone from his pocket and struck the redial option.
"Shirou?"
"I'm at the front door." To emphasize his point he rapped his knuckles twice on the door.
"We're on our way." The line went dead.
Shirou turned and scanned the street and the sky looking for any signs of possible enemies.
The door creaked open revealing the pale face of Mr. Whitlock.
"Mr. Emiya." He intoned as he opened the door wider, revealing his wife who held a rather large shotgun in her hands and didn't look afraid to use it. As evidenced when she leveled it at him.
"Mr. Emiya, were you aware you were glowing?" She asked carefully as if it were a real possibility that he hadn't noticed.
Shirou nodded. "I do that from time to time." He looked at Miyu who was looking at him with pride. Damnit.
"Now are you coming with us or staying here?"
Slowly her gun lowered. "You're saying you'd be willing to protect us?"
Shirou nodded. That it was because he didn't want to disappoint his sister was besides the point. Although moving them all was going to be far more of an issue, he could just leave them behind if worse came to worse.
"Mama! I think he's a whackaman!"
Shirou winced. Of course.
"So do you have a bunker or something?" Mr. Whitlock asked.
Shirou shook his head. "No, but I assure you, no one will be able to get into my place."
A statement that was more than a little untrue and he knew it. Against say Starfire, his attempt to secure his home wouldn't matter much. Not unless the skeletons somehow managed to get lucky.
If they did, would a Starfire skeleton have the ability to fly or use any of her other powers? Probably not.
"Care to explain how that works?" Mrs. Whitlock asked.
"No."
"You expect us to just trust you?"
Shirou glared, didn't they understand the situation? Did they really think it was the time to be suspicious? "You can stay here if you want. I'm not going to try and convince you. Come on Miyu."
"But onii-chan." She whispered, she looked back to her friend and then at her friends parents.
"I can't force them and I won't explain the defenses to someone I don't trust."
"You trusted us to look after Miyu." Mr. Whitlock challenged and Shirou shook his head.
"I didn't and I don't. Miyu is a smart girl equipped with a cellphone and capable of calling for help herself. What's more, when it was decided Miyu was going to be staying with you, I made several passes through the neighborhood. Its the old woman driving the pink scooter from down the block that's stealing your paper in the mornings by the way."
Mr. Whitlock turned to his wife. "That's your mother."
"Not the time Brad!" She hissed back.
Seeing as they were devolving into an argument Shirou took that as his cue to leave. Taking Miyu by the hand he started for the door and stopped. Miyu pulled back until her hand slipped free.
"Shirou we can't leave them!"
Gritting his teeth he turned to the other adults in the room. The two were obviously terrified, not that he could blame them. That they hadn't been affected was a miracle, maybe it was because they weren't outside?
The house was far from airtight. So maybe it wasn't a gas attack. But then why were people going nuts?
Shirou shook himself from his thoughts, and turning he made his way over to the door. There was just no good answer. Which meant he was just going to have to work with the best bad answer he could think of.
"Shirou where are you going?"
He paused and turned to look back at his sister. "You don't want to leave them, so I'm setting up some protections. Stay inside."
She nodded. "Okay."
"I don't recommend watching."
He began to trace before he even made it out the door and as he pulled it open they appeared. Five swords fell a few feet to the ground and buried themselves into the stone as if they'd fallen into a mass of butter. Four of them were identical straight blades with ornate handles, copies of the same blades he'd used in town. Tizona.
Those he placed strategically around the house so that should any try and approach they couldn't be avoided.
The final blade, Chandrahrasa, was a mystic code in the shape of a long curved sword made with the holy sword of the same name in mind. However, while the original had the ability to cut away all the ills of the world, the mystic code was far less impressive. Though, no less useful. With an infusion of magical energy the blade would absorb all of the impurities in the area and purify them.
Taking it he walked into the house and brushed his way past the adults who were huddling in the corner of the room shivering as they clutched at both Miyu and their daughter. Brad was mumbling about giant frogs while his wife was busy biting at her fingernails.
They'd looked.
At least Miyu and her friend looked fine, if aggravated for being held by the adults.
He sighed. Of course they looked. How could he have expected anything different? Ignoring the fact that humans are naturally curious, more often than not they make bad decisions.
As he reached the center of the room he raised Chandrahasa and speared it into the ceiling. If they had an issue with it they could bring it up with him later.
He pulled Miyu from Mrs. Sutter's arms.
"Look, it's an illusion. It won't hurt you."
Brad looked up at him wild-eyed. "An illusion? What made you think creating an illusion of a giant toad would be a good idea? They'd eat all of us!"
Shirou shook his head and sighed. "It's just to keep people out. Just don't look at it and you'll be fine."
He seemed to waver for a moment before nodding stiffly. "Fine. But you say that as if you wont be here."
"I won't," Shirou answered. "I've got to find the source so I can stop all of this."
Brad shook his head hard enough it elicited a series of pops from his neck. "No chance. Just leave it to the Titans. We need you here."
Reaching up Shirou guided his magical energy into the sword. It didn't look like anything had changed but the faint hint of tobacco had already disappeared from his nose.
He eyed Brad, he wanted to snarl at him, to force him to understand, but that wouldn't do much of anything.
"Do you really think I should sit back and hope for the best? Would you be able to sit back and do nothing if you had the power to do something?"
The man twitched before with a shake of his head he stood. "I'm going with you."
Shirou opened his mouth to tell the man just how much of an idiot he was when he stopped. How was what Brad wanted any different than what he did? Ignoring the man was about as normal as he could be.
Ignoring the fact that Shirou had no intention of spreading the class cards around and creating some sort of super sentai team, the things weren't even working.
No it just wouldn't work. On the upside, as soon as he got out of the house Tizona would do its job and keep him in. Probably.
He shook his head. "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Miyu."
Brad looked at him doubtfully. "I hardly see how I'm a better candidate for that than you or Mrs. Sutter."
Shirou offered the man a smile. "One adult to one kid seems like an ideal situation if the worst happens. Besides, your wife is still pretty out of it."
He gestured to Mrs. Sutter.
After looking at the Missus, Brad 'hmmed' and nodded, paused and nodded again. "Fine. You go and get whatever is going on to stop."
Brad extended a hand. "Don't take too long."
Nodding Shirou took the offered appendage. "I won't."
Before he could do anything else a dark-haired missile plowed into his side. "You're going to do great." She mumbled.
Shirou couldn't help it, he let loose a chuckle. Raising a hand he placed it on her head. "I know. I won't be long."
Slowly he pulled her off of him and left the house. As he reached the street he frowned. How was he supposed to find the source of it all? Even if there was a gas attack and he was really starting to doubt that there was, how was he supposed to find the source?
He could go to the center but something told him that wasn't where the issue was.
His phone began to ring. He quirked an eyebrow and glanced back toward the house. There was no way.
One look at the phone however told him it wasn't in fact Miyu, but Cassie.
He accepted the call. "Cassie, hey—"
"Shirou," she sounded panicked and out of breath. "Shirou I'm surrounded, I need you— Dammit back off!"
She released a short battle cry and there was a moment of silence. Shirou was about to break it, after all Cassie was more than capable of defending herself when Cassie spoke again.
"I'm at First and Lincoln, Come quick." She paused. Maybe something else took her attention?
"Shirou please hurry. I don't have my powers!"
A shiver ran through him. There had been plenty of sights from the day from those on the losing end of the angry mobs. Things he'd rather forget and from the sound of it, Cassie was well on her way to joining them.
"I'm on my way."
Gritting his teeth he took off and since Miyu was protected and he no longer worried about drawing attention he took to the rooftops. Thankfully the buildings were close enough together that moving from one roof to another wasn't an issue in the slightest.
As he crossed the invisible boundary between residential and commercial Shirou found himself looking at two men and a woman screaming as they rammed their skulls into the side of an old video store. Blood poured freely from the wounds they'd created.
Dropping to the sidewalk he struck them in the back of their heads sending them into unconsciousness. He was about to return to his run when visions of what could happen to the three filled his head.
"Dammit."
Scanning the area he found another dumpster a hundred yards down the alley. He hardly gave them a look before taking hold of their legs and dragging them over to it. One by one he threw them into the bin. Then he dropped the lid.
It wasn't as secure as pinning them with black keys but he was just going to have to hope they stayed unconscious until the problem was solved.
Turning, he prepared to continue his trek when he found himself looking at a blonde woman carrying a bundle. She was watching him terror shining in her eyes.
Shirou pointed toward the residential area.
"Go!" He snapped.
Using the dumpster as a springboard Shirou bounded up to the fire escape and quickly scaled the building.
Narrowing his eyes he scoured the city locking on to several key points and from what he could see he was on eighth, maybe ninth ave.
As he took to the next building, Shirou found that since his last pass even more people had managed to join the festivities. There were entire sections of the streets filled with nothing but brawling bodies, but there was nothing he could do for them. Or almost nothing.
As he sailed over the street Shirou traced a mystic code and slung it into the building above them. Though he continued to run he began counting down from five and when he hit one a huge flash erupted behind him.
As far as mystic codes went, Solaris was considered a massive failure as while it did release a blinding light it would do it again and again and the user would be just as affected as the target. It had been one of the many weapons he'd seen in memories of the hero Emiya.
But while the average magus would consider it useless, Shirou knew otherwise. After all, hitting something or someone you couldn't see, while possible in a crowd such size, was that much harder.
He'd just have to hope that any blindness the things caused would be temporary.
He repeated the process several times as the distance to his destination shrank.
He found himself staring at Cassie who was using a golf club to great effect from her perch atop the burnt wreckage of several car piles up. Though she was doing great, she didn't look in the best shape. A few cuts lined her arms and her right leg looked like it was one big bruise. That she was still fighting was amazing.
It was as he descended from the building that she seemed to catch sight of him. But, Shirou's attention had been pulled from her to the form making its way into the mass of humans.
There, in the center of the street, was a demon throwing people around as if they were ragdolls. He laughed as their battered bodies bounced across the pavement.
It was the demon he'd slain in the old library, or would calling it a secret dungeon be better?
Shirou shook his head. There wasn't time for musings. He needed to focus on getting Cassie out of the area. But when he looked for her she was gone.
Not that he had long to look.
"Raaah!"
He leaned to the side avoiding the first punch and met the second with his own. He allowed the third to push him back as he crossed his arms in front of his chest to take the last as he traced Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands.
He swept them down and the demon stepped back and punched the side of the blade, shattering it.
Shirou lurched to the side and carved diagonally upward to split the demon from hip to shoulder, but the hulking teen jumped back to gain some distance.
Well, that was fine. He needed answers and the demon in front of him seemed to be just the sort to give them.
"I thought I killed you already."
The demon chortled as he threw himself at Shirou. "You humans are easy to fool!"
He tried to grab Shirou around the torso, but Shirou stepped around him and pulled Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands. He swung.
The demon's closed fist met the side of the blade pushing it downward. He wasn't fast enough to stop Kanshou however. The blade bit deeply into his arm creating a spray of blood.
It didn't seem to bother him, however, as he swung again and again, each swing sending fresh gouts of blood into the air.
Shirou ducked underneath a fist and brought Bakuya up to shield his eyes from the coming blood but it didn't come. He took a step back and focused his attention on the demon's arm.
Gone was the wound and in its place a chorded scar.
The demon laughed.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?
Gritting his teeth Shirou searched for the weapon he needed and he didn't have to look for long.
Judging the concept of creation,
A holy sword to be wielded by a grand knight
Sympathizing the basic structure.
80 cm and double-edged, the blade is ornamented with silver.
Duplicating the composition material.
Forged from steel, ornamented in silver, and bathed in waters anointed by the pope himself.
Imitating the skill of its forging
Created by the royal smith to be worthy of a king.
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.
A weapon used to consolidate Reconquista. Man and wolf alike fell at its edge.
Reproducing the accumulated years.
Excelling every manufacturing process
"Lobera!" He announced. In the presence of a demon, the holy runes began to shine and Shirou began the fight anew.
He lunged and drew the blade upwards, trying to cleave the demon's head in two, but he missed. He followed by swinging down toward its legs. The demon attempted to dodge but it was too slow and Lobera cut deep into his leg.
It howled in pain.
Bringing Lobera around he sliced into the demon's arm and ducked the retaliatory swipe. The battle was over and they both knew it. The only question that remained was how damaged Shirou would be before he managed to finish the job.
Flicking his wrist Shirou caught the demon's fingers as he passed and, turning, planted Bakuya into his stomach. Rotating again, he stabbed Lobera through his back and into his chest.
The runes flashed and smoke began to pour from the demon's open mouth and ears as his skin lit. His screams lasted only for a few moments before they petered out as his body fell to ash.
Shirou looked down at the ash. There was something wrong. The fight seemed almost choreographed. Which meant the demon wasn't dead.
Turning, he began to search amongst the shadows for the demon. A shadow on the wall peeled away and extended upward until it was massive.
"You think you've succeeded. You'll see soon enough just how badly you've failed." The spindly figure said and began to cackle.
Failed? He'd turned away all of those who'd come after him without issue. So how had he— he wasn't the target.
Which meant Cassie was— and she knew it, which is why she actually ran.
Shirou clenched his teeth.
Damnit!
Turning on his heel he bolted down the road he'd sent her minutes before. Behind him, he could hear the demon's laughter.
About a block away he spotted the first signs of battle. Three men lay unconscious on the ground beside a very dented burnt orange Volkswagen 'Thing'.
He didn't bother slowing to check on them, considering they were in one piece and not bloody. He was willing to bet that Cassie hadn't hit them that hard. The damage grew as he moved down the street.
They'd really done a number on the area. Bent lamp posts, cratered walls, broken fire hydrants, and even fallen trees.
At the pile of bodies lyinglyingh a very cracked and broken wall, he turned again and stopped. There she was, surrounded by a crowd of people all of whom seemed intent on dragging her to the ground.
Cassie picked up a woman who had muscles larger than Shirou's head and threw her into the nearest parked car. The woman dented it as she struck but with an incoherent roar, she pulled herself from the wreck.
"Get away from me already!" Cassie snarled at a man who grabbed her.
She shoved the man away and leaped up into the air. However much to Shirou's surprise, she didn't fall. She floated there, above the clamoring crowd looking at him.
Why did she look so scared?
"Diesel?"
Shirou turned and found a young man standing at the corner watching the scene. He was tall, well-muscled, and had brown hair and dark eyes. No doubt the subject of many young women's fantasies.
He didn't respond to her save for the smirk he threw her way as he crossed his arms.
As Shirou turned back to Cassie, he saw him. The demon that had just died a few minutes prior. He descended from the building above Cassie roaring like a fool as he fell toward her, a large golden cudgel in his hands.
Balance Breaker was its name. Created by a man by the name of John Constantine to negate the activation of magical items of higher rank. A tool to be used against demons. But it had been taken, sold and taken again. The club had only ever taken one life.
It had been wielded by one of the Jokerz and used as the primary weapon in a convenience store robbery before it had been taken again.
The demon raised the club ready to swing it into Cassandra's head.
Which he doubted would have been a problem had the girl not still been wholly focused on the guy she'd called Diesel.
Shirou took hold of the nearest piece of debris, a very dented manhole cover, and heaved it forward like a discus. It didn't fly nearly as well as one but that was fine. It struck the demon in the face moments before he could reach Cassie and sent him crashing into the building behind her.
That she noticed. She looked behind her with wide eyes.
She began to glow as golden armor began to inch by inch spread across her body. The process started slowly and began to grow faster as time went on. After ten seconds the armor had coated both her arms and legs. As the armor reached her chest she began to flail about, the golf club a whirl of motion striking anyone nearby, and not in the controlled way she'd been managing prior. Each swing was accompanied by the cracking of bones and screams of pain.
Clutching at her head with one hand, she slung a red glowing lasso out with the other. It wrapped around the demon's neck as he pulled himself from the wall. She flew higher into the air dragging the demon with her.
It clutched at its neck and at the rope as it slowly began to strangle to death. Every time it managed to take hold of the lasso something seemed to happen to it where it began to shake.
Her hair disappeared beneath the golden helm that grew around her head.
"No!" She roared.
She dropped the lasso and the plate armor began to recede. Soon enough it had all vanished and Cassie slowly began to descend toward the ground looking spent.
Shirou sprinted forward barrelling into the crowd that had begun climbing atop one another to try and reach her. They fell like bowling pins before the ball.
He jumped into the air and caught her in his arms. He could feel her shiver but her hand remained on her head and her eyes closed.
Shirou was on the move as soon as his feet touched the ground.
'Why do you run from them? They are trying to take from you. It would only take a moment. One phantasm and they'd all be gone.'
The whispered words came floating into his head. And they were right. Just one wou—
Shirou shook his head. He could remember that hate, the same hate he felt for Julian, for Shinji. But these people, they weren't anything like either of them. They weren't in the right frame of mind. Like the voice that had been whispering to him had been whispering to them as well.
Turning the corner he found his way blocked by a wall of people.
"Great." Still, a plan already began to form. Rearing back he hurled a sword into the fire hydrant the group was standing beside. It split on impact sending forth a deluge of water that swept the people from their feet and knocked down many of the others like a series of dominos.
"I told you to stay away from her! She's mine!"
A figure clad in red plate armor called as he pointed his massive battle axe at Shirou. He stepped from a building and cleaved his weapon into the building. He slid to the ground with the axe slowly cutting its way through the building.
"You should have listened."
"Diesel?" Cassie whispered, she sounded horrified.
The armored man turned to her. "Yeah, it's me, sweetheart." He spread his arms wide as though he expected her to throw herself into them ignoring the spines extending from said armor.
"You died."
He shook his head. "As if a cave-in would be enough to take me out. A new friend dug me out. Thought it was you at first. I guess I should've known you wouldn't after you double-crossed me."
Cassandra took a step back until she found herself in Shirou's hands and shook her head. "I didn't! The armor was too much for you."
"No. You wanted it for yourself! But that's fine. I have a set of my own. I'll accept your apology as soon as you've earned it."
He tapped on his armor before charging forward raising his axe high above his head.
"You can start right now."
Shirou released Cassie and created the black bow. He brought it up catching the edge of the axe and twisted it to the side. With the axe displaced he jabbed the end into the other man's helm knocking the red warrior back.
As his enemy attempted to reclaim his footing, Shirou pulled Caladbolg II into his hand. He knocked the sword-turned-arrow and, aiming for his enemy's middle, released it. The arrow crossed the distance in less than a blink of the eye, impacting Diesel's chest plate in a shower of sparks and sending him careening backward through the front of a nearby building.
A shiver ran through Shirou as he watched the churning dust. It wasn't over. It didn't matter that Diesel hadn't the time to marshal a defense, or that the altered phantasm had torn its way through Caster's mystic defenses like tissue paper.
He just knew that his crimson-armored enemy had lived.
He was proven right as a figure stalked from the dust with Caladbolg II in his hand, tossing the arrow away. "A cute trick. Not enough, but a cute trick. Let me guess you're a huge fan of the Green Arrow?"
Shirou answered by pulling another copy of the Caladbolg II into his hands.
"Right, it didn't work the first time so you've got to do it again." Diesel said mockingly.
He tapped on his plate. "Come on Robin Hood, take your best shot."
The shadow of a dark bird swept along the ground and from it emerged Raven. "Shirou, what's going on?"
The warrior in red snorted "Hey it's the little goth girl from yesterday. Did you know your boyfriend is two-timing you?"
"Shirou, who's that?" Raven asked, pointing at Diesel.
"My ex." Cassie answered in the steadiest voice Shirou had heard from her since he'd arrived, "And he was just leaving."
A deaf man would have understood the warning in her words. Diesel on the other hand began to laugh.
"If you think I'm gonna run off with my tail between my legs you've got another thing coming." He snarled.
Holding his axe aloft, fire bloomed along its edge. The smell of sulfur filled the air and with a massive war cry Diesel raced toward them.
Without a sound, Shirou moved to meet him. However, instead of catching the blade with his bow Shirou dropped to his back and drawing Caladbold back, fired it into Diesel's chin, the drilling blade launching him into the air.
Cassie was suddenly there waiting for him. Rearing back she punched him in the stomach and sent him flying into the distance.
"So, does anyone want to explain that?" Raven asked.
Cassie shook her head. "Maybe when I understand it."
"Fair enough. Now I've got to go deal with the rioting and whatever's causing it."
Shirou sighed. "I think I have the answer to that."
He explained the words whispering into his head and how it had happened when he'd gotten closer to the demon.
Raven's eyes widened. "Hold on."
Shadow spread along the ground and quickly enveloped the three. The murky shadows receded a moment later and they were in a very neat bedroom filled with occult items. And one purple hedgehog sitting on the bed.
"Is this your room?" Shirou asked.
Raven didn't answer, but she did blush. Instead, she made her way to the door and pulled it open. Standing there with its finger extended was the spindly demon from the last time he was in the tower, his hand coated in blood. Likely from th heart he held in his o,f-hand, which probably belonged to the blonde girl on the floor behind him.
Cassie leaped forward and crossed the distance flying like a bullet. She bashed the demon into the wall and kept going. Then through another wall and another until there was the sound of breaking glass.
Shirou gave chase. Though the stank coming from one of the rooms made him seriously consider leaving Cassie to deal with it on her own. In the end, he pinched his nose and stepped through the hole. The room looked like something you'd find in a rat's nest. A mishmash of dirty clothes, rotting food, and a fair number of what looked like cockroaches milling about. He was glad he was holding his nose but it wasn't enough. The sour smell made it through, and Shirou continued on anyway.
Through the next hole, he stepped and then again only stopping at the window as he watched the blonde just pound at the demon relentlessly. Blood poured from his broken face but Shirou could already see the bones shifting to right themselves.
"Why'd you stop?"
Raven asked from behind him.
"Does it look like I can fly?"
Kiss her. You know you want to. Her lips look so soft. Take her, feel her—-
Shirou thrust the feeling aside and scanned the room.
"What?"
"You didn't feel that?"
She quirked an eyebrow as she looked around the room.
"Feel what?" She asked.
"Another whisper. Like the one I felt when fighting the angry demon."
A slow clapping began from the corner of the room and from beside a botted fern stepped a well-built youth with long black hair.
"Well, I've never met anyone who could ignore their lust so easily." He sneered before spitting to the side. "It's actually gross."
"You mean he tried to get you to—?" Raven asked
Shirou nodded.
Dark energy surrounded the mops and buckets, a few chairs, and even some socks that looked stiff as a board. She shoved her hand forward and the items rushed toward the demon.
"Please." He slapped all the items away. "That was pathetic, sister."
"Sister?" Raven seemed equally as surprised as she was bothered by the statement.
The demon grinned showing off his pointy teeth as a symbol appeared on his forehead.
"Yes." He said.
"No." Raven whispered. Though something about the way she said it told him that it was in fact true.
Creating an arrow Shirou placed it against the bow's string and fired. The demon leaped to the side taking cover behind a couch and allowing the arrow to plow into the wall. Not that he was going to let that stop him. He fired arrow after arrow into the couch and he didn't stop for a full minute. When he was done the thing looked more like a pincushion than anything else.
"Wow, I thought only speedy had as much of a hard-on for arrows as the Green Arrow did!" The demon snarked. "Someone should introduce you!"
He popped up, a bolt of dark energy in his hand and as he extended his hand to launch the attack an arrow buried itself in his shoulder. The demon roared in pain as a second delved into his knee and a third ripped into his free shoulder. He hit the ground a moment later.
"You fuck! You shot me! I'm going to fucking gut you and then feed you your own god damned fucking dick!"
The television jumped into the air and shot toward them forcing Shirou and Raven to race out of the way. More items jumped into the air and shot out toward them. Shirou ducked beneath a lamp and quickened his pace.
Circling the couch Shirou knocked another arrow and drew a bead on the demon's terrified face. He leaned to the side allowing a speaker to pass him by and narrowed his eyes.
The demon wasn't even looking at him. Its eyes were closed as it wriggled about. So how was it aiming at him? In fact, the couch should have blocked his sight long before Shirou reached him.
A tingle ran up his spine as realization struck. It was an illusion!
Which meant the bastard was behind him! Turning Shirou knocked the incoming dagger to the side and grimaced as the second grazed his stomach.
"Well, well, well, look who's not just a pretty face." The demon tossed his dagger up sending it end over end before catching it again. "I like that."
Shirou responded by hurling his bow at the demon as he tossed the dagger into the air again and chased after the implement.
The demon swung to knock the bow out of his path but before he could it vanished into dozens of dust-sized motes of light. In that time Shirou closed the distance, a traced sword in his grip. The blade flashed in the low light as it carved upward through the demon's hand, cleaving his digits from his palm and leaving him with a thumb and four stumps.
He didn't get a chance to take another swing as a burst of dark energy wrapped about him and held him to the floor.
Or at least it did at first. A moment later the demon dissolved into the shadow which shot away.
Shirou clenched his fist. "Shit."
Raven moved to stand next to him. "Don't worry, we'll get him soon."
"And how do you know that?"
Raven cracked a thin smile. "Didn't you know? We're the good guys, it's kind of what we do."
Shirou couldn't contain a snort.
"Besides, he didn't seem all that bright. I doubt he'll be able to keep himself from doing something stupid."
That Shirou couldn't help but agree with. He nodded.
"Good. Now I'm setting up a small party next week. Would you and Miyu like to come?"