Chapter 24: Unlimited Blade Works

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Light returned as a faint glow within the darkness. Emiya felt his eyes adjust to the soft flickers of orange candle light. The glow came from a wooden desk with its bulk taken by an old typewriter. He wasn't alone.

A person sat on the chair. His fingers rested on the faded keys. No armour, a simple long shirt. Well kept black hair, silver rimmed glasses. Not a warrior. Not a threat, yet.

Emiya met the man's dark eyes. "Who are you?"

Said man lifted his weathered hands and clasped them. "Archer, Archer. Welcome to my humble abode."

Kansho projected and stopped by the man's neck. "Answer the question."

The man studied the blade before raising a finger. "I am not your Creator, that's one." He leaned back against the chair. A calm visage glistened across youthful features. "You'll figure it out."

Emiya recalled prior events. Altair succeeded to destroy reality. "Hell, you can't be God."

"Close but no cigar. That title would be stretching it too far and rather undeserving."

Emiya paused to contemplate. Pieces of the puzzle fit into place. So that's who he is. He chuckled. "Quite an irony for you to be pulling the strings behind the scenes."

The puppeteer nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, it is. Nevertheless, it remains fact that I have undertaken this endeavour for some time." He gestured to their surroundings. Much of the room reminded Emiya of the Tohsaka residence. "Fancy the aesthetics? Its made based on your preference. At least what I thought it would be."

"Too dark for my liking. The world was about to end. Now, tell me what happened."

"Your assumptions are correct. Technically, Altair would've destroyed reality at the current rate. Right now, we're in a separate bubble of frozen time." A chuckle. "Come to think of it, a curious thing to ponder whether this situation we stand in would be called a Deus Ex Machina."

Said term was unrecognisable to the Archer. "If you have such vast powers, why didn't you interfere before?"

"What makes you think I hadn't? My clues are already there." Puppeteer placed a hand on the typewriter, operating the clickety-clack machine as he continued. "My ability is limited."

"You call freezing time limited?" A shrug in response. "What are your intentions with me?"

"Not mine but rather yours. As of now, you're a very important person."

"How so?"

"You are fighting for the survival of reality. One of the few remaining existences yet to be destroyed. You have two choices at hand." He raised a freehand, a flaming green orb burst to life. "The first is a chance to start anew. Achieve your original goal. Flee the battle and enjoy a life of peace and paradise that you yearned for."

Fingers snapped and the orb twisted into fiery red. "Second would be to continue the fight. Try to defeat against a force that even readers of this story find it a tremendous feat."

"There is no point to fight when you could just hogwash it away." Emiya raised Kanshou to eye level. "How about a third? I make you change everything in this story."

"Yes. Maybe. No as well." Puppeteer closed his eyes. "Sound reasoning. Avoid the conflict, remove the problem in its entirety using the easiest means possible. However, the rules do not work that way."

"Screw the rules."

"Screw it or not, they wouldn't work even if I tried. Perhaps more downtime with Matsubara would've given you that understanding."

"Perhaps I could just kill you instead. That way, nothing can move and all will be left hanging."

"Quite a sadist. Do you want to put everyone else through what you've endured as a Counter Guardian?" Emiya raised a brow. "My death has no value in this picture."

Emiya studied the man's face. Gauging for intentions well hidden behind a cold wall of flesh. Nothing. He lowered the blade. "What happens if I choose the former?"

"Reality will be destroyed. Everyone including me will die. The story will be left hanging and end. However, even when the world disappears, you will get what you want."

"I find it asinine to believe that."

"Moments however brief lasts a lifetime. Wouldn't it be enough after enduring so much?"

"Tell me what happens in the second option."

The Creator slid fresh parchment into the typewriter. "Time will be reversed to just moments before. You will face Altair in battle again. Once then, your actions decide fate of everything and everyone."

Emiya shook his head with a sigh. "Looks like you are out to get me on a limb on this one."

"Your stories are amongst the best of course. It had been great pleasure working with you."

"Story, story, story. Another story among countless many." A second was all it took for Emiya to lift the man and slam him against the closet. "What a cynical maniac you are to force all of us into this farce of a story. For entertainment's purpose of saving the world is such a sadistic hypocrisy."

Crestfallen smile from the younger youth. "I know. Alas it remains an inevitable fate. Thus better for it to be someone sympathetic to the cause."

"You are no Saint. With your power, things could have been much smoother to avoid this situation in the first place."

"Granted, I could. I should have. Yet, it didn't." Their eyes met in a long gaze. One filled with anger. Another with weary.

Cold silence broken by the rickety clicks of the typewriter. Emiya glanced over his shoulder towards the machine that was moving on its own.

The Counter Guardian watched the typewriter clack on its own. Living machine akin to Golems of the Clock Tower. He followed the text on the parchment as clicks and clacks moved the paper further.

Emiya tore his eyes away from the machine. "Hell of a joke you got there." Red began to grow on the man's shirt. Emiya knew the all too familiar smell. "You're bleeding."

The man nodded with a wince. "Quite aware of it, thank you for your concern. Altair had been rather painful. Truly she hadn't been letting up on me even now." The back of his hand split open, blood trickled from the fresh cut.

"Bullshit. You had no reason to be injured." Otherwise his own Creator would've been dead ages ago.

"Natural expectations. But wouldn't it mean that one cannot believe the true reality of such world?" The Creator pressed a hand at the red stain. "Every author has believe into their work, no matter how little or feeble it can be. We suffer joy and pain through others, our characters or even ourselves so that others can enjoy the fruits of labour."

Emiya let go, dropping the man onto the floor. "Point being?"

Puppeteer placed a hand on his chest. "I work within the laid rules, even when they kill me." He stood up as a part of his shirt ripped open from an invisible blade. "Precisely why I offer you a choice. A man that had been selfless in his pursuit for justice. An Anti Hero that wanted to remove his own existence. Both options ripe for the taking."

"My words mean nothing when you can decide everything."

Puppeteer rose to his feet. "To some, there is point. To others, there is something else behind it. A form of authenticity. Beside the backlash of the rules of course."

Emiya took a deep breath. This man is insane. Why did he always have to deal with the troublesome ones?

"Archer, I cannot control you. For who you are, your decisions and what you will be."

"Fine. I'll think about it."

Blood trickled down the man's left eye. "You don't have long. Altair gets stronger the longer you ponder."

"Damn it all."

"My role is to play the messenger, nothing else."

All of this was crazy. Both options were shitty. A moment of peace before disappearing for good. His original goal once. Did it matter now when the stakes are so high? Do those stakes even matter to him? After all, he wanted to vanish and thus it wasn't necessarily a problem worth caring.

Would you continue to save?

He hated that memory. He hated the hopes that rested on his shoulders. Shirou Emiya wasn't the strongest hero in existence, yet all is pined on him. "Very well, I've decided."

Puppeteer nodded. "Indeed." The author pointed towards a wall. Part of the wooden pieces crumbled to reveal a brown door. "Step through this gate and the gears of the world will resume."

Emiya stepped towards the door. "Extra help by any chance?"

"You've already helped yourself."

The gentle pull of the handle drew ire of whirlwind. Unperturbed by the sudden gale, he watched the path beyond. A blue portal that gleamed with white energies. Emiya held onto the door handle before stepping through. The last he heard was.

Win this fight, for all of us Archer. Show us the true might that we are hoping for.

Flash of light. Emiya blinked as the world returned. Structural grasp satiated his need for information. They were back in the Bird Cage. Profound difference for GAIA's strength was restored to full. What reversed the situation?

A groan from the side. Hoshikawa rose up from her side. "What happened?"

"The world isn't destroyed?" Kanoya glanced around. Battle damage remained existent in the city. Faint smell of prana in the air despite reinforcement.

Grunt from the detective, snapping the revolver's chamber open. "Quite a headache."

Altair hovered in the air, her expression told him she didn't know what happened as well. "How dare you." Her face twisted into a banshee towards the night sky. "How dare you to stop my victory. Your meddling has gone on far enough!"

Here we go again.

Blue light speared the sky. Altair snarled with the glowing weapon in hand. "I've already achieved it once. I can do it again." GAIA trembled under the immense tearing. Staring at the beam blotted pain in his head. Structural Grasp tried to comprehend scrambled reality, piecing together swirls of black flickering static.

Seconds later, it stopped. Another counteracting force. Those lads are at it now. Emiya asked. "Meteora, do you see what I'm seeing?"

"Yes Archer. We're getting the readings now. The other are uniting to counteract Altair."

"It won't be long before she figures it out." On second thought, she just did. Blue light intensified but it was matched equal in turn. Emiya projected Kanshou and Bakuya. "With the cage in place, she has to deal with us first before she can get rid of them."

Altair turned. "You pests are far too resilient for your own good. I will leave this place and destroy every fence in between." She narrowed her eyes. "Meteora, to think you'd use that and force my hand."

Bird Cage was working as intended. Emiya took a deep breath and focused within. Fresh od coursed through nerves like a smooth wave of water. The reset had restored his strength. He said towards the floating girl. "Are you sure about that? We have unfinished business after all."

Meteora's voice carried the weight of the world. "Archer, how are you going to beat her? The Holopsicon is fighting off everything we have thrown at her."

"I'll find out a way. I always do." Emiya felt the prerequisites already prepared. Just one line remained. Pressing a hand to his chest, he told her. "All that matters is that we keep trying and not waste the opportunity sacrificed for us."

So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works

Sota saw the world flash by his eyes. Alien and separated. Weightless vertigo within a vast plane of the unknown. Flickering images flew by, belonging to something he couldn't comprehend. Emotionless, watching the view as a spectator even if he did see himself inside.

A time of life far more peaceful. Yuya Mirokuji wasn't dead. Rui Kanoya didn't end up in the hospital. Matsubara wasn't kidnapped. Marine wasn't shot. Everything bad turned away along some path of good fortune.

Another flash led to massacre. Heroes fallen in painful and horrible ways. Creators murdered by their very own fiction. Uncountable dead, all scattered and stacked atop another like a hill of rotting flesh.

A time where there was unity before the Elimination Chamber. Everything went to plan. All was prepared for the final trial and tribulations. New heroes from other realms of fiction.

Another led to destruction, death and chaos. Fires, smoke, weapons of mass destruction exploding. Pure villains running rampant with cackles that struck fear.

A time where Magane survived. Sneering eyes towards him at the very same stage. Her words that changed the bonds of reality that helped towards their goal.

Another showed where she became a villain, taking over everything alongside Altair. Her desires unfathomable and at a whim. Fear, horrors that killed, maimed and bled blood. All for the sake of fun and pleasure.

A time where Hideaki entered the Bird Cage as Master. Altair almost defeated by a trump card prepared by Matsubara. Both of them ended up getting stabbed by Altair and into critical condition.

Another showed the opposite. Hideaki bludgeoned to death by Lancelot, costing Siegfried's life in the process.

A time where Archer rescued them and fought to buy time. Unleashing every ability granted upon him, pushing him towards superman levels similar to Altair. Battle between Gods of fiction.

Another that led to his death, betrayed by his own weapons and ideals. Corruption that bled into him by machinations of Alter and his own hypocrisy. Purged machination into a humanoid of white steel that made a Berserker's roar before his heart was ripped out in a tangential mess of liquid metal.

A time where Setsuna appeared into reality. Trying to win Altair's heart and save the world. Another where she betrayed her creation, resulting in her avatar burned into dust of deceit. Each time was unsuccessful.

Realities were destroyed. Some others survived but at great cost. Worlds were destroyed, either real or fiction. Some, twisted and distorted into a black miasma of despair, hate and fury.

He didn't know where these come from. Only certain that they weren't his. All of these images were memories. Countless possibilities.

The flashes stopped. Sota felt a fading image in the background. Alas he couldn't know what it was supposed to be. Was it an end? A beginning?

Soft muted voice entered his head. One said by a man, probably.

For every path, there is possibility.

For every ending, there is a new beginning.

Some with pain and despair.

Others with hope and redemption.

Last chance for the greatest price

Go forth

Stop Altair

The sad tone in the echoes struck the most. Words that spoke about the last chance. Such vague words that his poor mind couldn't comprehend any of it. Was it a supposed to be a good thing? Is the delusion something he rather preferred to see?

Sota turned towards Meteora. Everyone was fixated towards the battle on the screen. Confusion blanketed his mind. Watching the battle unfold once again, it struck a chord inside his beating heart.

Archer, Shirou Emiya is now the last hope for this world.

So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works

Ring of fire burst to throw them into his world. Emiya stared at the gears in the sky, working the core of his Reality Marble. Swords rested in their graves, awaiting the summon once again. A flick of the wrist and the cloud would be filled with countless weapon. Not that it mattered against the woman standing in front of him.

Altair sighed as new rings formed a defensive shield. "Here we are again once more. Why do you not see the folly of your ways?"

His reply was to smirk in return. "Heroes are born as idiots. They never give up even against the odds."

Altair's defence was not without merit. "Countless examples have already been shown. How do you think for even now that there is hope to defeat me?"

"You are restless, aren't you? That someone had managed to get one up over you just now."

"The only thing above me is the level of your snide."

"I am honoured to hear that. It took a lot of practice to refine it to that limit," Emiya said.

"His efforts are in vain, only delaying the inevitable fate," Altair said with her head held high, eyes sharp and strong.

Emiya voiced to the unseen. "Alaya, still there?"

We exist.

"Give me everything you got." Magic Circuits primed as prana filled it to the brim. Command Seals formed along his forearms. Twenty in total. Useful superchargers of power. Branches of memories, past, present and future went by his thoughts. New graves formed to receive these new experiences.

"Very well. Prepare yourself again, Shirou Emiya." Altair summoned her violin. "Let this world vanish."

Fighting her for the seventieth time, Emiya took a different approach. Swords soared to fight Altair's defence. Some held back, shielding him from the bulk of Altair's own attacks. Sprinting parallel to the girl, he called upon his trusted pair.

Kanshou

Bakuya

Familiar weights in hand, he set them free. A second pair came to hand. Then a third. Continuous in motion, a weaving cage of white and black. Married blades of Gan Jiang that never wavered in protecting their master.

Sand scattered from his steps to circle around Altair. Her weapons continued to rain towards the shield. Emiya picked up weapons from their graves. A dance of metal, repelling the onslaught with every step closer.

Beams of light from above. Walls of sword rose from the ground, sacrificing themselves. A pair rose, stepping stone to reach the air. Twisting himself upside down, avoiding a sword coming too close for comfort. Their eyes met as Emiya drew upon his bow.

Sixteen swords flying towards him. A quick breathe before he fired. Sixteen shots in time beyond man. They met end to end, exploding in particles of red light. Swords of his arsenal pounced on the opening.

Altair turned to defence, blocking the incoming waves. Emiya felt ground before twisting around. Hand behind his back, he projected a cursed weapon.

Emiya felt ground before twisting around. Hand behind his back, he projected a cursed weapon.

Demonic red spear formed in his hand. Decades of experience travelled into his circuits. Movements refined by war for dozens of years. An Irish hero that killed his own son in the ways of battle. The blue haired man he fought countless times in an unbreakable rivalry.

Noble Phantasm belonging to Ireland's Child of Light. He reared it back, prana bursting forth along the spear's barbed edge as red lightning. Jolts of jubilation as he sent it flying.

Gae Bolg!

Fire trailed the flash of red light. Swords blocked the attack, pushed back by the immense flare. It's demonic flight juked and jagged across the open plain. A full stop before Altair's face, held back by a dozen opponents.

An explosive blast before the spear was flung back. The weapon didn't pierce her. Altair's eye wide expression told him that it worked on something. The one he hoped for.

Gae Bolg, the legend of Cu Chulainn, a weapon that reverses causality. Rather than attempting to pierce the heart, it had already been decided as the heart is already pierced and only needs to make the plays to achieve it.

Keeping out that rule of the Holopsicons was key. A constant contradiction between two sets of causalities would make her more vulnerable to his other methods. Probably.

Altair's surprise diminished, a new extra layer of swords now protecting her. "Well played, Emiya. I've expected you to use it at the beginning."

"I keep my plays flexible." Emiya dismissed the red spear, its use complete. Standalone, it would have been countered far too easily. "Omnipotence does not mean infallible after all." Her reply was to shoot him and reach for her submachine gun of a violin.

"Not on my watch."Emiya launched a full tirade of swords. Large bulky blades, weapons of an alternative dystopia. Upon impact, they broke into six smaller sets. Numbers that multiplied with every closing distance. Dozens into hundreds into thousands.

A string of the violin blasted a wave of white energy across the field. Swords scattered before a small train of daggers struck the edges. Four snapped as the blast halted and collapsed. The remaining one slipped through, blocked by Altair's handheld sword. It couldn't damage Altair, it wasn't even aimed to stab at her. What it needed was just a touch.

Purple sparks flickered against the sword. Magecraft from the Age of Gods enacted, breaking the binds and rules of known magics. Emiya felt a smirk from the weapon. Rule Breaker. Dagger belonging to the Witch of Betrayal.

That should disable her ability to disperse everything. Not permanently but gave a time window to work all the utility available.

Altair grit her teeth before attacking. New weapons sent flying towards him. World war two rifles that barked bullets while the bayonet lower grip. He didn't like them for countering this move set.

Those bullets were as indestructible. Shields formed, creating a phalanx. Each held a valiant defence before cracking under the dozens of rounds apiece. Crane wing copies tattered apart, absorbing the numerous hits.

Bird Cage of Gan Jiang was imminent of collapse. More swords rose to meet the equally difficult problem of mono e mono but they needed time. Two blades for his hands weren't going to cut it.

A bump in his chest. It called for him to use it. Never for once did he receive such emotions. He knew it was the right one. Stretching both hands out to his sides, they came.

The long metal handle carried no blade. A unique sword, made from another galaxy in the far future. A little button on its shaft ignited a Berserker's weapon. Red beams of sprouted from both ends of the shaft in a hum of plasma. Each movement carried a hum that warned of dismemberment and death.

The second copy in hand flickered to life. Two became four. Speed, reach, flexible and light. Electrified humming sought to catch up to the red swirls. Carrying these pairs were a dance. Twist, twirl, spin, tossing them into the air to make moves that were normally difficult. Sparks of light as Emiya continued to charge forward.

Another bump, then multiple more. Emiya felt the change. Subtle, slight but constant. Growth within the world, within his body, within his soul. Shirou Emiya was becoming someone. No, something beyond just a wielder of heroic legends. A faker of Noble Phantasms.

These weapons were calling out. Reaching out to help him in this struggle. He never foreseen them to be sentient. Yet all the more appreciated as memories and power coursed through his circuits. Even stronger and prevalent. Refined closer towards their truest mastery.

Altair continued to watch him closely with a cold visage. The slight movement in her lips was more grievous. Warning bells as he interpreted.

Stella

Emiya raised his head towards the danger. Bright red meteorite crashing through the clouds towards him. A continental weapon of mass destruction. Using such an idea came to a surprise considering the legend of the bowman, a man that sacrificed his life for peace.

The Last Stardust needed equal measure to be defeated. Drawing into Unlimited Blade Works, he focused into ancient memories. Many lifetimes ago, the beginning of his heroic journey. A sword that appeared in land of dreams. Once wielded by a devoted young girl that carried the hope of a nation. Sacrificing everything for lands under threat by the Saxons. Eventually turning into a king that knew no emotions and forged the legend that remained known centuries past.

She was his first partner, fighting for a united goal. A bond of warriors that never bloomed further unlike his alternate selves. Unfortunate for she wasn't able to achieve her desires. Yet she'd grown stronger and moved on.

Projecting the blade was easy. Thinner compared to its successor. Elegant to meet the role of a Holy symbol. Sword of the Victorious. Warmth enveloped his hand as he held it tight in its grip. A voiceless but rather perky cheer, blessing of its owner. The blade glowed in gold, granted its full limits, deeming him worthy of being selected by the sword that defined history.

Red burned from the fiery meteor. Prana flooded into the sleek blade, blossoming white light at the tip. Raising the blade, he called upon its name and swung, unleashing its Noble Phantasm.

Caliburn

Altair watched the burst of yellow light zap across the air above her. Dazzling to the eye, holy in nature. Fire to fire, an explosion followed. Her ears feared no injury from buffeting waves of sound and wind. No light can blind her. By the time the smoke vanished, the meteor had vanished in its entirety.

Centura renewed their attacks on the Counter Guardian. Enfield joined the parlay, adding miniature but rapid lethal firepower to the mix. Each weapon, indestructible to even the most dangerous abilities across the various universes of fiction.

She did not tire. Forms of magic and technology in continued to grow into her arsenal even during battle. Alternative strategies, counters developed on the fly to any approach the hero could improvise. Magical senses studying and comprehending the intricate details of the curses imposed onto her. Matter of time.

Why is it that she cannot beat this man? Those above him had been defeated with far less. This Heroic Spirit was meant to be versatile but far weaker in return. Even now, he had getting a handicap from them. Strange considering she had defeated him multiple times already.

Why is this version of Shirou Emiya so difficult? She understood all his abilities, demonstrated against her dozens of times. His mindset wasn't difficult to comprehend. Difference in capability between the alternates was insignificant. Yet the underdog was keeping pace.

Shirou Emiya of the Counter Force represented her enemy. The only remaining Guardian of the world, of universes. A man without a legend and was making strides towards stopping her.

Her pride raged at the onset. It was the final countdown. Setsuna's sake depended on her to win. Destroying everything would finally set them free. She felt the soft grasp in her heart once. Only to be stopped by that damned fool of a Creator.

Pushing aside the burning embers inside her chest, she delved deeper into the Holopsicon. Cold fluid grip veiled around her thoughts. Parallel lines of mental processing to counteract against the tribulation before her.

The 5th Movement of the Holopsicon had been tampered. The 3rd had been sealed temporarily. Altair was without her most dangerous weapons. No, that was incorrect. Her mind, thoughts and emotions were the powerhouse of this body.

Altair won't hold back anymore. Any possible methods of victory would be used. Just as the man before her. The audience would accept it anyhow, her rules would just demand it so.

Said Counter Guardian remained composed, blank expression betraying nothing. Omnipotence didn't grant mind reading.

14th Movement, Rule change.

Thousands of voices entered her mind. Filtering them through with just a mental wave, she found his and dug deep. Black abyss. Odd for he had rather poor magic resistance. Ah, Eye of the mind. A sword went by closer than comfort. "That's quite a niche to depend so much on your weapons."

Counter Guardian narrowed his eyes. "I am not much of a hero with special powers. I borrow them. In his words, I am just a Faker."

"That's right." Altair replied. She had faced against said man. A tandem battle between owners of weapons. It carried an interesting air of pride.

Shirou Emiya, an anomaly. A paradigm of heroism. And she is all too glad to play the villain.

Come on you silly old man. Get her already! Boy, he knew Mordred was trouble but to be fussy even in a fight like this. Red lightning sparked as Emiya deflected a pair of swords aimed for his neck before swinging Clarent Blood Arthur.

Red thunder met silver thunderstorm as Emiya fended off another intrusion into his mind. Tangling roots digging into brain matter. Pain spiked in his ankle as a bullet pierced clean through. Fresh od healed the wound but it kept him from advancing towards Altair the third time. Swords of Boudica fired little beams of light, protecting him from the rest of the rain.

Emiya felt the pulsing heartbeat deep in his chest. Pumping blood at a calm but rapid pace. Exhaustion hovered wary over his body, ready to take over. A spark carried on beneath the dark cloak. Excitement of battle.

How long had it been since he fought all out like this? Tethering along the limits of the Counter Force. Beyond world, time and space. Fighting beings meant to destroy humanity, now the world. Cliched. Yet it is, what made him, him. A Hero.

Tremor under his skin when the running flood of precious prana was cut short. Full stop and silent. He called towards the Counter Force. No response. Troublesome, always at the worst moment. At this rate, he'd be combat able for twenty minutes. Unlimited Blade Works made projecting them cost efficient but the more prominent Noble Phantasms were energy guzzlers. Now he had to break Altair's defence for the third time.

Altair had arranged multiple layers of swords to defend herself. Another layer of rifles as dedicated active point defence. Grinding through one layer was nightmare. Four of them, without the easiest sealing noble phantasms are going to need more creative ingenuity.

Stepping aside from a line of swords, he called for Caladbolg. Breaking it before firing. An explosion scattered smoke as he dived through. It wouldn't hide his actions. A tight cluster of swords coming right through the smoke. Emiya counterattacked through, calling the sword of a Roman Emperor.

I came, I saw, I conquer

Crocea Mors moved in rapid succession, each strike carrying a wave of consequent attacks. One Command spell faded from his arm. Six blows, E rank luck chafing far too much into the ability's potential. Od flushed dry before a Command Seal restored reserves to full.

Blood red spears burst from the ground, an attack from below. Step two. They spread barbed hooks, catching the second layer into a tug of war. Dozens of Hrunting dived from the sky, hounding the third group.

That left the guns, forming the three line formation. Another Command Seal extinguished as Ig-Alima rose in between, absorbing the attacks. Behemoth of a weapon clouded the sky as it fell. Boots clacked along the long blade, using it as a ramp towards Altair.

A new ring fresh off the batter moved to meet him. Stretching his arm, Rho Aias blossomed. Petals cracked and shattered as Sword of Paracelsus formed in one hand. Simple with a wooden guard and pommel. On its own, it wouldn't be able to make a dent against Altair's magic resistance.

Priming it with prana, the blade sparked, cracked and entered the broken state. As the earth quaked from the falling sword of Gods, Emiya raised the broken magic arrow overhead. Cast it down and sent it flying.

Deaf fell to his ears as the sonic boom cracked sound. It didn't hit, striking deep into the ground a step before her.

Altair said. "You missed." One sword snapped the weapon in half before a globe of energy sprouted forth, enveloping everything within three meters.

Unlimited Blade Works shuddered as numbers scrolled into his mind. The archaic quantum computer embedded within the Mystic Code analysed the environment, the very machinations and calculations. And reversed it. The sphere was gone in an eye blink, task complete. It wasn't a blanket seal but he got rid of what he needed to. Her very omniscience.

Altair's energy beams broke through Rho Aias, blasting him into the explosion. A back breaking thud as he skidded across the sand. Choking smoke. Pain, his good friend.

Bones fractured or broken. Flesh torn and shredded. Reforged by a Command seal. Life breathed back into him. Burning arms pushed himself back up as the smoke cleared.

A glimpse of a pink line alongside her cheek. What he had been waiting fingers ripped the torn parts of his cloak, revealing his bare shoulder. He said, tossing it into the wind. "Give it up. You're losing."

His opponent's face betrayed nothing. "Heroes never surrenders. A villain has to keep up with the notion." The cut healed without blemish. Blue magic circles formed around her, uncertain of their purpose.

Six Command Seals flared, supercharging all twenty seven Magic Circuits. Sweat poured as od cycled underneath skin in quick succession. Pulled off all the stops. This would be Emiya's defining moments.

The villain attacked. Energy beams, bullets, swords from all directions. Meteorites fell from the sky by the dozens. Emiya lunged forward, accelerating with every step. Squeeze of a fist sent his metallic army.

Emiya had committed rainfall of blades many times. Now, he sought a tidal wave. Hundreds, thousands, beyond the numbers. Every weapon of all legends and histories. Real, fictional, alternative.

Excalibur Galantines burned the sky against falling doomsdays. Altair's sword had its legend defined. Destined to never be broken. Noble Phantasms flared their ambiance, purporting their legend. Demanding to be used.

He granted their wish. Blades with a history of cutting through anything. Its leader was simple in construction, wielding the power of a Greek Goddess in the metallic shine of Adamant. Engraved on the golden hilt was its name, Chrysaor.

Overpowering against indomitable clashed. Draw for Altair's hangers weren't shattered but they carried a deep incision. His blade cracked from the impact, but he carried an advantage. Speed.

The lines advanced along his end towards Altair whom promptly shook her head in amusement. "Shirou Emiya. I have to commend you for doing so well. You've accomplished more than anyone else had."

"It is not something I like to do, fighting someone who cheated with powers of the world. Even so, you're a one trick pony like Gilgamesh. Many abilities but only one at a time." He has to finish her off within five minutes.

"I've really been giving you too much leeway. What a disappointing time for my character description to appear now."

Instinct screamed. Power levels inside the lithe girl down the field shot straight up. Aura beyond experience. Godlike in comparison. How much handicap had she been giving?

His reply was to charge forward across the open sands. Altair drew a sword in hand before gesturing him to bring it. Swords sought to catch him at the weirdest angles but he had them covered.

Emiya called upon the best weapon, designed to overpower any opponent with flawless technique. Orient of the far east, length nearly matching his size. Larger cousin of the famous katana. The Monohoshi-Zao.

The blade hummed in owner's pleasant surprise. Eight steps away, he pressed his feet down, pulling the weapon behind his shoulder, exposing his back against the girl. A shine of light along the blade's edge before the samurai's hands guided it into the impossible.

Tsubame Gaeshi

Swallow's reversal. Three strikes with a single blade in the same span of time. Technique designed to catch a swallow in mid flight. Spinning tide of light refined only by a man's lifetime's training. All three blows hit. Monohoshi-Zao shattered, and so did hers.

Emiya called for Kanshou as he turned eight into four. Altair tried to step back with wide eyes. Rather couldn't thanks to a trio of Black keys embedded into her shadow. Four steps turned into two. He raised his sword and saw a face he never expected to see.

Black twin tails against her blue eyes. Rin. The pause was enough to send him reeling back after receiving a blow to the face. Something broke.

Rin caught the blade with her hand before swinging a fist. Thumping echo of shock as something else broke. "Why Emiya? Why are you trying to hurt me?"

Even got the voice right. Manipulative little bitch. He let Kanshou fade before reinforcing his fist. Returning the favour, the fake imagery of his beloved friend flew back before landing on her feet. Thanks for the move Rin.

Instinct screamed for him to block. Arms raised as pain spiked everywhere. Arm, chest, legs. His neck and vitals were saved before seeing a beam of energy. Being slammed into the ground broke his spine.

Grunts of bloodied pain as four command seals rushed to treat the injuries. Metal creaked within, reinforcing knitting flesh and resetting bone. Joints, limbs and ankles snapped back to place. Heavy limbs protested as he rose to see Altair back in her normal form.

"That should have killed you outright. My mistake, I shouldn't make you suffer after all." Emiya had to hand it to her for playing the actress.

He cleaned the copper taste in his mouth. Seven miracles left adorned on his shoulders. Their eyes met in long scrutiny. Deep within the girl, he found growing respect. Now he'll tear it. "Your Creator carried so much potential. Such a disappointment to go against her wishes."

"This world betrayed her." Calm, collected as Altair's own creation speed intensified, evening the draw.

"Sure she hated it once but she didn't want the world to be destroyed. Her very words and you're defying her."

"And you've seen the results. They can't accept her even in death." She turned her glance at the horizon. "Hypocritical for them to proclaim acceptance when they oppress the innocent."

"That is why you have your powers. Your Creator, those other people that granted you powers wanted you to exist. Make you strong to beat away all the pain."

"Precisely." Her smile of vindication.

Another seal spent, leaving six. "These people may be receiving unfair treatment. People wonder why they deserve cruel fate to suffer."

"Yes, yes."

"That's where you're wrong. One side of the coin."

"Many failed not because of the pitfalls they face. They've given up against the wall that felt insurmountable. Believing the fact that they cannot fight against fate taking over their life which was never true. That is why they fail."

"In championing their failures, you've done them a disservice. You're the worst of what they are. Altair, you are the symbol of their hatred and weakness, especially your Creators."

"Begone."

He barely had time to blink. Beams congregated into a single blast. Bulk swords rose to protect him. Metal melted red hot before splintering. Emiya leapt back before pain fragmented along skin, shrapnel burning into his skin.

"Is this how you answer me Altair? Begone and that's it? Matters not since it would never validate your hope. That desire to end everything for destroying it is pointless"

"You would never know! The pain inside her as they stung their poisons into her." Altair was screaming by now.

"I don't but I can relate. I've died so many times that even her pain, however large is nothing compared to mine."

Snarl was growing on her lips. "I will make you really suffer that pain again and again."

"Suffer I will for I am Emiya." A pair of black and white blades in hand before moving forward. Born from the far future, carrying a special property. Made to kill all who wields the sword. Wielded by the mysterious Saber killer.

Both blades flared with prana. Leaning forward, a lunge forward and they ignited, turning him into a bullet. Hundred metres in a blink, cross swings reached out towards Altair.

Pain speared into left arm and shoulder. That threw his aim, blocked aside by two fresh swords. Altair grabbed the blade in his shoulder and the world spun. He kissed ground before skidding several times.

Quite a Berserker. Blood trickled down his nostrils and lips. Emiya gave a sneer. "Rather brutal for a soft hearted creator. Setsuna must have been rather sadistic to give you that attribute."

"Shut your mouth!"

"Make me. I can insult her all day." White flash, barely parried by his own weapon. The circles around the girl vanished. "Are you done already? Did she want you to come home whining?"

Altair's ring of swords expanded, multiple layers and growing larger. Boy did he stirred up the hornet's nest. More than anything she had ever used. Red beams collected on the sharp tips.

Instinct warned. Her strongest attack. An instant death that even Rho Aias cannot defend. A whisper in his lips. "Answer."

For a short sword, it carried no grip. The blue ball of a hilt sparked lightning as the circular pommel flared. Sword of the Gods floated into position, aimed for Altair's heart. A weapon that would work only against precise conditions.

A banshee's scream as the beams grew larger. "Disappear from my sight!"

Life flickered before him as death closed onto him. Raising a fist, he slammed into the hilt and sent it flying.

Fragarach

Emiya felt death. Burnt so deep that there was no ash. Nothing remained of Shirou Emiya until causality stopped for the third time. Frozen time twisted before everything was rewritten.

Altair remained standing, a bleeding hole in her chest. Impossible luck to dodge something like that.

"You're not the only one who feels the pain from the world. Every living being feels it. We're the smart ones with emotions."

Her wound was healing. "Whatever they did to her is still wrong! Her story was only beginning but for hers to end in such way is unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable."

"Just as she died, countless others die in many ways. Starvation, murder, sickness and misfortune." His words were caught off guard when a sword struck onto the ground from the sky. One he didn't own. Unremarkable on its own. Intriguing because of the message it carried underneath its blade.

Old man sends his regards, GL HF.

Silver along the blade carried a separate set of inscriptions. One that belonged to another sword. Structural Grasp paused, blacking out at times trying to comprehend the designs. Tiny capillaries hurt from the strain.

Well…thanks. Emiya wrapped his fingers together and concentrated. Rho Aias formed as the hair on his back prickled from energy in the distance. Another shot.

Judging the concept of creation

Nerves hurt, Magic Circuits burned from condensing the prana to forge this Noble Phantasm.

Hypothesising the basic structure

Duplicating the composition material

For a weapon, it looked horrible. A short blade and guard that looked more akin to rocks than metal. Silver, crystalline and rugged, it was not a sword that could cut even a lump of meat well.

Imitating the skills of its making

Sympathising with the experience of its growth

The strength it carried was undeniable. Projecting it to this level burnt through the remaining seals and then into the reserve.

Reproducing the accumulated years

Excelling every manufacturing process

Created by a Dead Apostle. What had been made remained vastly inferior to its original. Stronger than anything he carried. Still, it was the very same. The Sword of Zelretch.

Lifting it over his worn shoulders, light gathered along the tip. A small glow that burned brighter until it blinded the world. Powers of universes in hand, threatening to slip from his grip.

Altair's beam roared, unleashed a second time. He swung, turning the world of red into white.

Everything was white. Roar of winds that echoed, grounds that shook for unfathomable time. A plane where nothing and everything is absolute.

Reality returned. Emiya lived. Altair lived. Both standing on white ground. Freckles of glass fell, covering the white wasteland.

Emiya buckled for a moment, That swing ate everything he had. Except for one. A shaky hand projected Kanshou. Gears of his world stopped shut from the lack of prana. Reinforcement dispelled, turning muscles into jelly.

Altair was regaining her bearings as he grunted forward. Something tore as he applied pressure to a feet in creaking half hanging boot.

Something compelled him to speak as he lunged forward. "Look into every one of our history. We never have happy lives all the time. We struggle. We suffer pain and sorrow. We grow stronger from the trials that come in our paths."

Hope stretched out as Unlimited Blade Works faded away.

"That is what it means to be human."

Emiya felt the cold air of Tokyo night. Back to the Bird Cage. He relaxed his coarse grip of Kanshou. "This is my victory."

"That's right. You've done well." Altair closed her eyes. Her voice remained unchanged in spite of gaping wounds.

"People die when they are killed. It doesn't mean they lost." The softest voice he spoken in a long time. One that would've been used by his younger self. "Let the hate go. Move on and perhaps you can find salvation for your Creator. For Setsuna."

Altair pressed a slick bloodied hand onto her gaping chest. "There is no other way for I cannot die. When I go, I will return and everything else will be turned moot."

"Only if you believe otherwise. I've seen far crazier things. Wherever there's a will, there's always a way. Always."

Kanshou shattered into fragments. The wound glowed in blue as energy burst free. Altair closed her eyes, clutching a fist. She turned towards the sky. "Sota Mizushino. Can you do me a favour?" Blood stained deeper into the black dress.

"Create a new story. A happy one, for both her and I." Her eyes turned to meet Emiya's. One that were filled with hope. "I'm not giving up to protect her. Just another way to fulfil her dream."

The first time he smiled to her. A real one. "If you ever come back, count on me to return and kick your ass back."

"Contemptuous, until the very end." Those were her last words.

Author's Notes: Good day and thank you for reading Beyond Worlds.

Yeah, I skipped the previous notes by intent. I'll include them here together.

For Chapter 23, all the pieces are in place. Sirius doesn't exist in Beyond Worlds. She wouldn't have passed the drawing board for Emiya. Unreliable and prone to faults similar to Hikayu's original case. Which lead to what happened in the original after all.

Setsuna's appearance initially was on the fence for me. Sota's skilled have improved enough to turn it into a summonable entity by Altair. Hence Emiya's attempt to goad her to kill her own motivation. Problem was also clear, a deus ex machina which without Magane's presence caused it to backfire.

She could create a new universe with Setsuna within. However, that would have made her goal irrelevant because the original pursuit was vengeance for Setsuna. She might have been swayed over in the original but they had the time to do it. Here, not so much.

Why did the world end? Because Altair was done playing around. The events around the world made it far more disruptive in this story than the original.

Chapter 24. Yeah, I'm playing with fire here. Fourth wall breaking into this story. Part experiment, part necessity. Altair was so OP that trying to find a solution on their own would be rather difficult. The more powerful beings in the universes would have hard time contending with the insane abilities. Defeating Altair as Emiya was truly a mix masher of multiple things.

Whilst still in the fourth wall, I also had to contend with the rules that Altair imposed upon me. Butterfly effect and also a countering butterfly resistance. Funny, strange but yes.

Sota's part was also forms of my potential branches which I decided to include. Multiple universes and timelines following similar doctrines to Fate Extella. Butterfly of butterflies.

After that, creating the Ultimate Gar Fight was a headache. Multiple OP abilities that she carried. Clairvoyance was even possible if she willed it to happen but it didn't. Just like how Gilgamesh fell to his pride, hers kept her in check.

Closer towards defeat, it was hard for her to accept but it grew onto her to accept it and turn defeating him a priority. Granted Emiya didn't defeat her on the single go. Seventy times to perfect the thing down and that was barely as it is. Yes, that seventieth wasn't a typo.

Why didn't Altair just destroy reality from another universes and realm? Because other heroes and universes continually resisting, turning the entire problem into a single big reality battle royale. I don't know if I managed to bring enough of that context within. I hope to hear more but I wouldn't count on it.

Regards

MarksmanKNG