Feels like forever since I was able to actually do a series chapter for this story. Not saying that the Mother's Day special wasn't fun to write, quite the opposite. Right about here is where we start wrapping up the Grass' Villages troubles and turn the spotlight back to the central family of three…and set the stage for the next hurdle the Kishinami Clan is going to have to face.
I own nothing.
Fox Tails and Whirlpools
Chapter 17 - About Barking and Biting
After the war ended, Kakashi thought he'd be able to immediately bury most of the uneasy and bad memories he'd felt regarding the Land of Mushrooms. It hadn't been that easy; during the first few weeks, he'd get flashbacks if he stopped and stared at the giant greenery that littered the country. He couldn't say that the wounds of time eventually healed, more like they simply became more bearable. Until moments like this came up.
At the end of the Third Shinobi World War, the people of the Village Hidden in Grass had done everything in their power to ensure that another war didn't ravage their country. That meant mastering the art of diplomacy more so than they already had. For a time, it seemed to have worked. But times had changed, the world of ninja now had…visitors from another world; most of whom had arrived here unexpectedly. And brought their personal quarrels with them.
Hōzuki Castle was burning. Arguably one of the most secure prisons in the ninja world had been turned into an out and out warzone, its intimates the combatants on one side. On the other, from what Kakashi understood were more criminals, the mafia, as they were called in their homeworld. Both sides were bands of hardened convicts, thugs, and criminal scum of every assortment.
And they were all killing each other in such droves it was near impossible to tell who was winning. Not that Kakashi truly cared much at heart. From the closest treetop possible, he watched in cold interest as the two sides angrily tore into each other. The castle itself was burning like a candle, the flames coloring the dark night sky crimson as well as casting an eerie glow upon the lake beneath it. Every few minutes the castle itself shook, pieces of the cliff breaking off into the water below. There was little doubt in Kakashi's mind that the castle was going to collapse into the lake, rather or not it took all of its prisoners with it was still up in the air.
Speaking of the air, it seemed a battle in the skies was taking place. With his Sharingan, he was able to just barely make out the combatants - a hideous bird-like monstrosity that possessed no head but a mouth on its abdomen…and a man with flowing red hair.
He must be one of those Servants. Concluded the Copy Ninja, watching the ancient play out. Somehow, the man was holding his own, dare he say it, gaining an advantage over the bird-like creature. That object in his hands…it's some sort of…bow? Archer, is that what he is? Archery meant long-range combat, which generally implied stellar eyesight. Kakashi's senses went on high alert as he now realized that if the redhead turned his attention in his direction, then there as a chance that-
THUNK!
The tree he was on was about to topple down. Ceasing his train of thought, Kakashi bolted from his perch point. His ears perked up at the sound of distinctive lupine howls. Something was coming.
That something jetted out of the forest and was hovering in the air in front of him. Kakashi did a silent double-take on what he saw - a human-shaped mass of fur and claws and a canine mouth full of sharpened teeth. Blood-red eyes looked back at him with pure murderous intent. A right hand was reared back then swung forward.
KLANG!
Heh, just like in the movies, you still bleed like a normal man, and you can probably still be killed. He wasn't sure that silver was kept in the Anbu's armory. Perhaps in a vampire hunter's or such, but they were ninja, not monster hunters. Something tells me that's about to change, soon. Rather than waste time in shock, Kakashi ran his electrified blade through the neck of the werewolf as they began to descend downward. For a moment it thrashed about, only to cease once he turned up the voltage and drove the blade deeper. The man-beast was dead as they began to crash through the branches. Kakashi used the corpse to cushion his fall.
Removing his sword, he stood up, his ears buzzing with the sounds of footsteps. Looking straight ahead, he saw a group of men approaching him dressed in dark clothing. In their arms were the strangest weapons he'd ever seen. They looked like some sleek form of firearms, but more advanced than any he'd ever seen.
"There he-merde!" Screamed one of them, catching sight of the corpse at Kakashi's feet. "H-He…"
"Bastardo! Futtuto bastardo!" Screeched a second man, holding up one of the firearms.
Kakashi counted six of the men in total. Every single one of them froze once they got a good look at his Sharingan. Sweat dripped down their brows as he glared down each and every last one of them. Behind the silver-haired ninja came a familiar thumping along with another canine howl. He broke into a run toward the still paralyzed gunmen, jumping right over them. His pursuer, another werewolf, outright crashed right through them, snapping them out of his genjutsu. As he ran, Kakashi broke into a series of hand signs. Skidding to a stop, he turned around and slammed his palm into the grass. Beneath him and his approaching attacker, the ground shook.
The werewolf was so bloodied by its bloodlust, it probably ignored its instincts thus fell prey to the ninja's trap. A sinkhole opened beneath its four paws casting it down into a rocky abyss, it immediately began to fight out of. Pressing his hand deeper into the ground, Kakashi caused the hole to close up. Sweat immediately began to form on his forehead as the act took more strength than he'd originally intended. The man-beast fought against the rocky coffin, Kakashi fought harder.
CRUNCH!
Even if the werewolf wasn't dead then it was at least severely wounded, enough so it wouldn't give chase to him. He hoped.
"These things are killable, but I can't get bogged down, especially not in a place like this." Noted the scar-faced ninja as he looked back at the forest ahead of him. Even if he was on the outskirts of the forest, he could still hear it, the sounds of war. There were likely more werewolves down there at the prison, fighting it out with the inmates. How the fight was still going on Kakashi could only wonder. From what he understood, these Servants were far beyond what normal humans were capable of in terms of powers and abilities; as for these "wizards", or magi, it was more of an even match. Against common criminals, the fight should have been over already.
But then again, nothing in life was ever simple, nor did it go the way one expected it to.
Behind him, the ground shook like a small earthquake. A wave of dread washed over Kakashi, putting him on instant guard. Something was in his immediate area, something powerful and unnatural.
You still blame yourself for his death. Yes, the shame and guilt of that day still weigh on your mind. You fear it. You fear of failing him, more than you already did.
The voice was natural yet unnatural at the same time, the words themselves penetrating deep into Kakashi's core. For a moment, the Copy Ninja froze stiff, just as the mafia from earlier had.
From the darkness of the forest it came, the unnatural winged-entity from before. How it'd gotten from the skies of the Blood Prison to the outer forest one could only guess. Its purpose, on the other hand, was clear, it was hungry. A gaping black jaw framed by two tusk-like teeth opened as it zoomed through the trees.
Kakashi could see it coming at him in slow motion. His brain screamed for his body to move yet his heart weighed him down. He fought like hell to listen to his brain, doing his best to push the fear out of his body.
A second later and the struggle was rendered meaningless as the air before him exploded, literally.
Falling back, the winged monster shrieked and screamed in annoyance and pain as several lacerations appeared across its body. First, it tucked its wings in, then spread them out sending the sharpened feathers in all directions. There was a soft hum, then the feathers themselves were sliced to pieces.
"Trying to flee is pointless, demon. There is nowhere beneath this star-studded sky that you can fly so that I may not hit you. Your resist is futile." Came the soft, sullen, but still very male voice. While minutes ago the air grew heavy with dread, it now lightened considerably.
Free of his paralysis, Kakashi searched the surrounding landscape only to stop once he caught sight of the voice's owner. He stood out in sharp contrast to the darkness of the forest around him, gleaming black and silver armor adorned with a fur-lined cape. His red hair effortless flew down his back while his eyes remained closed; Kakashi sensed that didn't mean a thing. In the darkness of the forest, illuminated by the faint light of the moon, the mysterious newcomer seemed grossly out of place. He looked like he belonged in some storybook fantasy.
The winged demon looked to the redhead even though it had no eyes. "Slay me if you wish, Archer, for it will do you no good. For am I merely an extension of that which sits at the bottom of the Blood Prison. You and I are the same, both puppets on strings." Somehow, the voice was even more disturbing once spoken aloud instead of just being mental. The fact that the mouth was located on the abdomen of the monster only added to the unearthly nature of the voice. It looked at the Archer with a disturbing teeth-grin. "The difference between us is my strings will be restrung and renewed when cut…yours will not."
Suddenly the air grew heavy again as the bow-user's eyes opened. They were as golden as the sun itself. "Be that as it may, your strings will be cut here and now. Return to that wretched box from which you came." Though it was barely spoken above a whisper, there was no denying the undercut of sheer contempt the mysterious man held for the winged creature.
It let loose one monstrous howl as its wings flapped out, blowing a mighty gale through the forest. Jaws wide, it flew toward the man. In turn, he held up his bow. Now that he could get a good look at it, Kakashi realized it looked more like a harp than an actual bow with its multiple strings. The strange man pulled on those strings, which were humming with mystical blue light.
What happened next was hard for Kakashi to accurately describe. The best he could do was comparing the sudden and violent burst of air to the strongest of Wind Style jutsu, the sort that turned the air itself into a bomb or myriad of razor-sharp storm blades that left no traces of the target. That was the fate that befell the winged demon, cut to pieces in a flash of blue and white that lasted for little more than a few seconds at best. Normally, Kakashi would have taken a moment longer to marvel at the sight, but he knew that with the winged demon gone that just left the archer and him.
He immediately went on a defensive stance.
"Please, at ease, ninja. You are not my target tonight, at least, not if I can help it." Declared the man, dropping from the tree onto the ground. He now stood almost six feet from Kakashi.
"What do you mean if you can help it?" Cautiously challenged the silver-haired ninja.
"If I could, I would take my bow and slay every member of the Basilone Family where they stood, my own Master included. Alas, the bonds that tie me to them are strong rendering my attempts at rebellion mute at best." A humorless laugh escaped the bowman. "I cannot even commit suicide properly. Such a sad fate, wouldn't you say?"
Kakashi didn't let down his guard, but he did ease up if only by a hair. He sensed no hostility from this man, only a great air of sadness. It felt…familiar, almost comforting in a dark way. "Who are you?"
"My name is Tristan, former Knight of the Round Table. I would tell you more, but we are rather pressed for time." As if to prove his point, another series of explosions and tremors shook the ground beneath them. Another chorus of screams and battle cries reached up into the night. "Soon, I will have to wade back into that fray. I would respectfully ask you to do your best to avoid it."
"As smart a thing as that would be, it isn't going to happen. What's happening tonight is going to have a ripple effect across the surrounding nations. Not to mention, it may spill over into my village, and I can't have that happening." Kakashi responded.
The man now identified as Tristan remained silent. He looked at Kakashi with a gaze that almost seemed to express admiration. Quick as a flash, he reached to his waist then flicked his wrist outward. What landed at Kakashi's feet appeared to be some sort of dagger. It caught the light of the moon as the clouds passed over, giving it a near holy shine.
"Amongst the Basilone Family's Servants, there is one. Lycaon, a Berserker. He is the King of Werewolves."
"And you're going to tell me he's weak to silver just like in the movies?" Jabbed the masked ninja.
For a moment, a smirk seemed to form on Tristan's lips. "This kind of silver in particular. To control him and those afflicted by his curse, the Basilones created special silver weaponry such as that dagger. If you choose to wade into this battle, keep that dagger on hand. Also, be wary of using your electrical powers. Lycaon was cursed by a god of thunder to be what he is, any who wield the power of Zeus or even remind him of the King of the Gods will become a target for his primal wrath."
Even if he didn't exactly understand every word said, he got the general gist of what Tristan was speaking. It seemed that the man wasn't an enemy, at least not one out to cause him or the Leaf serious harm. He kneeled down and picked up the dagger, examining the details on the weapon. If what the Archer had said was true then he was going to be needing the weapon.
"Ninja," called the caped warrior with his back turned to him. Kakashi noticed how he seemed to be struggling against some unseen force, it showed in his voice. "You…are…from the Leaf Village, correct?"
"Yes," Answered the Anbu going on guard. "What of it?"
"I hear…there is a Master-Servant pair living in your village, Hakuno Kishinami and Tamamo…Tamamo-no-Mae, Caster, correct?"
"…Yes, do you know them?"
Hm, how sad, indeed, fate is such a cruel thing. But…not one that man cannot raise his hand against. Electrical sparks were dancing around him now. He was in visible pain as he turned around to face Kakashi. "T-Then…I…I ask that you deliver a message for me! Please!"
Across the forest, craters and arrows were beginning to outnumber plant life-nay, overtake it. Fires were beginning to rage in several places. If left only they would grow into mighty blazes.
More flames were spreading courtesy of the dozens of arrows that were continuously deflected via the edge of a refined blade that glittered in the light of the moon. Not all of the arrows were being deflected though, as a testament to the bow-wielder's skill, four of his arrows currently stuck out of his opponent's armored form. Across the armor lay a series of cuts and scratches and gashes showing that not even the samurai's skill had been enough to tip the battle in a one-sided direction. Far from it.
Nobumasa could only laugh at the aching pain gradually racing across his body. He knew what Philoctetes was up to, he didn't need to land a direct hit on him, only continuously wear him down until he hit his knees. The samurai didn't fear of getting an arrow to the face once that happened, what he feared more was getting chewed out by his Master, who was watching from the sidelines. No, it wouldn't be right to call it fear, annoyance was a better fit. To keep either of the two outcomes from happening, he pressed on, watching the flashes of light in the darkness. While Philoctetes was playing the time game, so he was. In the illumination of an explosion borne from a deflected arrow, he grinned like the devil he was born from.
As his left foot came down, Philoctetes grunted in annoyance, and pain. Gods dammit it all! I'm approaching my limit! I have to finish this before this accursed ankle starts catching up to me! In a battle with a close-combat geared Servant like Oda Nobumasa, he'd lose, especially if his foot was weighing him down. Gnashing his teeth, he notched his next three arrows and let them fly. His opponent sensed something amiss about them and wisely rolled to the side just as the three arrows piercing the dirt. It immediately began to dissolve and the grass begins to rot. I can do this, but it's going to be close.
Close? Hm, sounds like we're going to be…cutting it down to the wire this time, huh? Sounded his Master. Philoctetes couldn't help but note the series of coughs and wheezing in his Master's mental voice. Ryūzetsu and I are almost out of the area, granted it hasn't been easy. Wolves all over the place!
Several blasts of razor wind came bursting out of the bushes. The Greek Archer jumped upward, silently noting how the mass of trees behind him was cut down at the base thus began to fall. Grabbing one falling tree, he used all of his might to hurl the near thirty-foot-tall tree in the direction of his opponent. Afterwards, he took aim at the sides, where Leron and the others lay. Fulvio, don't push yourself. You know that your body is…
On the other end, there was a fit of coughing and wheezing. Blood was being expelled. Thank you for the concern, but with all due respect my good friend, we both know my time has long since passed. My era is over, the torch has fallen to a little girl such as this one in my arms to make the future burn bright. Her…and you.
The brown-haired Servant could only bite his lip in solemn acceptance of his Master's words.
"Hey! If you're conversing with your Master, I'd get the last words out now! Odds are, one or both of you are going to be dead by sunrise!"
At first, Philoctetes thought about lobbing an insult back at the Japanese Servant; the chill that ran down his spine told him that such a thing was not what he needed to do, he had to prepare himself. Stabbing his golden bow into the dirt, he summoned four arrows then drove them into the ground around him, forming a rough square. Each arrow glistened with golden light that grew and connected with one another. Within seconds, a dome of translucent golden-light had formed around Philoctetes.
Outside of his dome, the forest seemed to grow darker and colder. An unearthly chill rushed through the leaves, sending leaves and embers dancing through the air. His superhuman ears heard the sudden roar of the flames that had begun to dot the landscape. His eyes saw as some of them turned ghostly blue.
"Philoctetes, though it pains me…Odysseus is right."
"Are you really going to argue with us? Look at your ankle! Nay, smell it! By the gods, the smell alone will give us away!"
"Please, Philoctetes, you must understand, this war will perhaps be the bloodiest affair of the era. I…I want to return to my wife! Please, understand where I'm coming from!"
"So what if you can still use a bow, what of when the enemy is upon us? What then? Consider this a blessing as at least you'll live through this mess. Unlike most of us."
"It won't just stop at your ankle or foot; the poison will race up your body and cripple you at the worst possible time. It's better this way."
"You have my sympathies, Philoctetes."
With every word, the Greek Servant felt his anger building and building. His vision, formerly clear and focused was rapidly turning red from the rage and hatred bumbling within him. The bow in his hands howled with radiant energy, the bowstring practically calling for him to pull it back, arrows notched and let fly his centuries-old hate. Around him formed the vestiges of his so-called allies, the men who'd abandoned him on that island. With each passing second, his grip on the bow grew tighter and tighter. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as he gazed around him, finding the familiar set of faces. It was when he turned to his right did he find the most reviled of them all.
He looked just as Philoctetes remembered, dirty blonde hair bordering on being outright brown in coloration. His curly hair lightly splayed in the nightly wind that blew through the forest. Cold and sorrowful copper colored eyes looked at him with a mixture of petty and dismissiveness.
"Philoctetes," began the phantom. "What we did had to be done for the good of the fleet."
"To hell if it was!" Screamed the Archer, jumping to his feet, eyes ablaze with righteous fury. "By Zeus' thunder, Odysseus, I could have fought! I fought when you came crawling back to me! I fought when I had every right to refuse! I fought even as I observed what a forsaken slaughter the war had-"
PHIL, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR IL CULO, NOW!
If he made it through the night, Philoctetes made a mental note to thank his Master. Tearing his eyes away from the illusion, he looked straight ahead. Ahead was what was coming at him, a demon head, red-faced with a jaw opened wide and brimming with clashing blue flames. Philoctetes cursed as he attempted to move, only to stop as pain shot up his left leg.
Behind the fiery curtain, he could see Nobumasa grinning.
No! This will not be how it ends! Acting quickly, the Greek took aim with his bow and fired.
Arcs of blue lightning-laced one arrow while the other festered with a poisonous glow. First, the lightning arrow struck the ground before the approaching specter creating an explosion of lightning and dirt, then the second poison arrow struck. A literal wall of grass and rock exploded, the flaming head reared back in anger, but it didn't vanish completely.
Instead, it merely condensed itself into the blade of the blade wielded by its maker. Blood was pouring from the lips of the black-haired samurai. Beneath his armor, sickening green growths were beginning to spread. In spite of it all, he smiled viciously at the Archer. "No need to prolong this, Phil! Really, look at us, just pale imitations of the big-namers I'm sure the audience would love to see them fight!" The myriad of flames encircled Nobumasa's katana, giving it a ghastly appearance - an eight-foot mass of swirling earthly and unearthly flames that were swung directly at Philoctetes' exposed side.
While he could have run, the Archer decided to do something else - stand firm. Holding up his bow, he poured all of his strength into the weapon, causing its golden luster to erupt. Beneath his feet, the ground splintered and ultimately cracked as the two weapons collided. "Even if I'm not a big-namer, I still have my pride!" Roared the green-eyed man, bracing his feet against the broken earth. "While I may not be Hercules, I am still Philoctetes, one of the Ten Great Bowmen of Greece! In the name of my patron god, in the name of my friend, I shall not allow you or your cohorts to pass, Oda Nobumasa!"
Moss green orbs flashed with golden light. Nobumasa couldn't help but grin in eager excitement, even as his sword was pushed back and his opponent took a fighting stance with his bow. Rather than shoot directly at him, he aimed towards the group. The string was pulled back and an arrow fired, from the impact point came a mighty gale that shot Philoctetes directly into the sky. Regaining his wits, Nobumasa swung his katana, as well as directed his ghostly allies to attack the now airborne Archer.
From the sky, Philoctetes could get a good view of the surrounding land. Ahead of him, situated atop a massive tree stump sat what he believed to be the Hidden Grass Village. He would have liked to visit it. Some miles away burned the Blood Prison, now a battlefield.
Sadness temporarily overshadowed the bowman's face as he readied his first Noble Phantasm. Wherever you go…it seems there's always war. Now, we bring our wars to this new world. A mere second after the thought, Philoctetes' eyes opened in full, his whole body ablaze with golden light in stark contrast to the bow in his hands. Entwined with the golden glow was sickening green glow. Stretching about around him was a series of serpentine hands that barked and hissed at the end of the bow. Though what appeared in his fingers were four notched arrows, in reality, there were countless more. The green glow overtook the gold, causing the phantom hydra to hiss.
"Tóxo Tou Hydra!"
Down on the ground, Nobumasa cursed.
From the sidelines, Leron and his cohorts screamed as they broke into a mad dash for safety.
The green light concentrated around the four arrows, all of which flashed sickly green as they were released from the bowstring. Four arrows quickly multiplied into eight, then to sixteen, then to thirty-two, and it continued from there until they hit the forested earth below.
Like a paper bomb going off, the explosion was loud and powerful, and impossibly horrendous in terms of smell. Plants withered and died just from toxic wave and not the actual blast that followed shortly after. The greenery that had been cultivated over the course of years vanished in a second instant, all of it swallowed up by the pale emerald glow of the growing dome of poison and fire and grew and grew. The tremors traveled from the epicenter outward, reaching the Hidden Grass Village in seconds.
Amongst the villagers, a collective shudder ran through them as they feared a new threat was upon them.
However, amongst their number was a dark-skinned doctor who looked up from his latest patient. Pushing down his mask, he inhaled a whiff of the lingering odor. Though his face screwed up, his lips curved into a smile.
"Phil…I'm glad that you still stick, you still stick up to the high heaven."
The outside world was a mess, as usual. And as usual, Alecto was doing her best to ignore it completely. It wasn't that hard given she already had something to focus on - bringing her husband back from the cold realm of death.
Surprisingly, Caligula was holding his own against the intruders at the base of the mountain. Indeed, it seemed to send in Nero had allowed him to regain the upper hand. A portion of her mind was still attuned to his, watching the battle and dishing out advice when needed. She hadn't expected to see another samurai and his Master enter the fray. Alecto just vaguely recognized the latter to be one of the Harweys' operatives. What he was doing here she didn't care for, so long as he stayed out there instead of in her hastily constructed lab turned resurrection chamber.
"You bitch, you won't get away with this!" Screeched one of her captives.
She could have graced that accusation with a response, but she had better things to do. Grabbing a vial from one of her many medical sets, she stalked towards the man who'd shouted. His clan members predictably scrambled to get as far from him as possible while he got a look of cold fear on his face. He struggled against his bonds even as Alecto injected the vial into his neck. His eyes dilated, then his body went still. With that done, she snapped her fingers, dismissing the chains that once bound him. At her command, he rose and joined the others around the magical circle she'd drawn.
Alecto had done her homework on the Enoshima Clan, the clan supposedly blessed by the power of dragons. Her knowledge of eastern mythology was enough for her to know that eastern dragons had more positive qualities and connotations than their western counterparts. Fittingly, they looked more like serpents, furthering the similarity to the great Ophion. That's what Alecto was betting on in mixing this world's ninjutsu with her world's revived magecraft.
Almost ten feet in diameter, the circle had taken almost two pain-staking hours to complete. Twelve snakes, three encircling the outer rim of the circle and the other six were directed at the center of the circle. Lying there was the cryo-tube that had been used to sustain the only man she'd ever loved. It was quietly humming along, a faint green glow surrounding it. Standing around the circle aligned with the six serpents. They'd all performed the hand signs and were now holding their arms out, a white glow emitting from their extended palms.
"Now…turn it up a notch! Bring him back, now!" barked Alecto as the entire chamber shook. To her right stood a row of men and women, all freshly pulled from the green storage green that hovered to her left side. They watched the strange ritual with wide eyes. She'd spoken little words, but they'd all gotten the hint of what was going on. "If this succeeds, then the rest of you may go free."
"Go free? Go where?" Scuffed one of the prisoners, a female. Her hair was tinged with dirt and snoot from the earlier battle. Like the rest of her clanmates, her clothes had been torn to shreds.
"You can go wherever you want, I personally don't care." Responded the Greek woman.
Righteous anger filled up the woman's being. "You razed our home! Destroyed it!"
"Yes, partially." Admitted the magus. "But in the end, your own village gave you up. If you seek vengeance on them then I won't stop you." Alecto turned her whole body around so that she could face the ash-haired woman. Seeing the madden determination in her icy blue eyes, the woman's previous rebellious attitude disappeared. "If you choose to come after myself or my husband…then I will kill you myself."
In spite of the threatening aura emitting from the mad doctor, the woman was able to dig deep and find a small shred of courage in order to speak. "S-S-So that's it? Y-You come to our village, uproot all of our lives…and now you're going to sacrifice us to bring back your husband? What the hell…what the hell gives you that right?!"
"Nothing."
"H-Huh?"
Standing still as a statue and just as hard, Alecto looked to the Enoshima clan member. While her body was still, it was the stillness of a snake readying itself to strike. In Alecto's blue eyes danced a twisted flame, one that pushed her to break down any and all walls before her. There was a very real fear that fire was going to burn all of the captured ninja and kunoichi to cinders. "You asked me what gives me the right - nothing. I won't deny that what I've done…can be called monstrous. But I don't care." Her finger shot out toward the technological tube at the center of the chamber and ritual circle. "He is the one that I care about! He is why I will kill every last one of you if I have to! If I have to go back and raze that entire village to the ground, then I will do so! If I have to march to the gates of the underworld, break them down myself, and wrestle Hades himself to the ground to get his soul back, then that is what I will do!"
Her words resounded through the mountain-top chamber like a clap of thunder. The force of her words hit the captives in full force, leaving each and every one of them stunned, in both awe and fear. While some wondered who the "Hades" she was referring to was, they could understand the analogy close enough - this woman was ready to storm hell if it meant resurrecting her husband. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be doing that, all she needed was just to sacrifice them.
If they survived, what would they do? Go back to the village that had offered them up to this mad woman to save themselves?
Some began to weep as they realized they had nowhere to go. Alecto paid them little mind as she directed her attention back to the ritual. The six Enoshima clan members were now glowing pure white, their hands blazing like fire.
The tube's readings were spiraling out of control, which was sweet music to Alecto's ears. Hands at her side, she watched as the light jumped from each person into the tube, the glow growing brighter and brighter with each one.
"It's…it's going to work." Mouthed the black-haired woman, tears gathering at her eyes. All the suffering and insanity she'd been through, all of it was about to pay off. "F-Finally…finally…I can see you again, Nico."
The last body fell, the life force taking the shape of a yawning dragon before jumping into the tube.
BOOM! BOOM!
Shocked to her core, Alecto fell to the ground, as did her captives. On her knees, she looked up at the ceiling, her mouth dropped seeing dozens of cracks beginning to form. Alecto's brain raced and her heart jumped into her throat.
Caligula, what's going on out there?! Mixed grunts and shouts answered her from the other end. She reached out again. Though he was still alive, she now sensed something that Caligula rarely liked showing - fear. C-Caligula?
CROSS! CROSS BEARER! Screeched the Mad Emperor. He sounded frantic, and injured. Alecto, we must withdraw! One of those bastards from the Church is here! Him and one of his flying-
The minute she heard the word "cross", her head snapped to the cryo-tube. Wide-eyed, she watched a singular white serpentine figure coil around the tube, blue eyes staring back at her. A second later and it bit into the pod. Heart thundering in her chest, Alecto ran for it. At her side, her captives saw the storage crystal hovering before them and made a beeline for it. The tears that had been building freely fell from her eyes as she threw her arms out at the figure slowly emerging from the cryo-tube.
Seconds later, countless beams of star-like light tore through the stony chamber, piercing through anything in its path, including people. The cracks multiplied, having spread through the whole of the mountain. Moments later, and the entire mountain started to collapse inward, sending a wave of dust and debris fanning out in all directions.
Well, this is quite a lovely way to spend a Thursday night! Thought the son of the White Fang as he came to a stop at what he felt was a safe place, his heart still pounding against his chest. It wasn't just his heart; his whole body was shaking as well. If he had to guess, he hadn't felt fear this strangling since his brief encounter with Orochimaru some time ago. He didn't know if he'd ever encounter a person-no, a force of evil as malicious as that again.
Kakashi just had. With wide eyes, he'd watched as a massive black and purple shadow rose up, stretching its demonic wings out while the head reared up to the sky, roaring so loudly it seemed to shake the clouds. Watching it, the Sharingan-user noted how similar it looked to a dragon, but not the sort that appeared in paintings and ancient legends. It was more along the lines of what he heard were "western" versions, bat-winged beasts with dark scales and the ability to breath fire from their mouth. The energy dragon did not breath fire, but its roar shook the earth and sky like thunder. Then, it shrunk back down. With his right eye, Kakashi had watched the giant mass of energy condense itself around a person wielding a sword. That sword was swung downward, and from the blade came tearing maelstrom of dark energy that obliterated everything in its path. Had he not jumped, sprinted, as fast he could, Kakashi knew he wouldn't have left behind so much as an atom.
At the end of his emergency sprint, he'd found himself at the rim of the battlefield, a line of scorched earth stretching outward beside him. Kakashi looked at it, then looked ahead, accidentally finding the cause of the blade.
Cloaked by a cloak of dark red and violet energy, the entity had the body shape of a man, but the blood-red eyes of a demon. It even had a matching face to go with it. A break in the dark aura revealed not human skin, but draconic scales that in no way could have belonged to an ordinary human. The sword was raised again and swung, an almost twelve-foot mass of energy jetting out from the tip, cleaving a path through everyone and everything in its way.
It was heading straight for Kakashi, so he did the smart thing and bolted out of the way. He didn't even bother to look back, only listen to the resulting crash and the dying screams that followed. And just HOW MANY of these people are now living amongst us? While he was concerned with staying alive, the hundred or so men around him still seemed intent on killing each other. Several of them took notice of him as he ran without direction.
Naturally, they all tried to kill him in spite of having no idea who he was.
With no choice, Kakashi responded in kind, slashing and punching and kicking at everyone and everything that came his way. His earlier question at how the Blood Prison's inmates had survived was answered when he saw the strange weapons they wielded, weapons that possessed powers of their own. It was from the swing of a mystical-looking axe his Anbu sword snapped in half like a twig. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached behind his back to grab the silver dagger that the Archer from before had gifted him.
KLANG!
Even if it'd be meant for werewolves, it held up well against the glowing axe that his enemy wielded. His face morphed into one of shock as the small weapon held up against his massive blade. Kakashi pushed his body upward, throw off the weapon, then slashing at the man's exposed side. Blood gushed out from the cut.
All they have are weapons, very few of them are wearing any armor or protective clothing. Noted the Copy Ninja as the fighter grew even fiercer. Ahead of him, Hōzuki Castle was shaking nonstop, most of its towers having fallen leaving little more than the citadel and castle walls standing. It was only a matter of time before it fell. Kakashi doubted that the battle would end when it did.
Howls rose up from his left side flank; steeling himself, he spun, his silver knife gleaming red with blood. The werewolf coming at him had been expecting an easy kill. What it got was a silver blade slicing its arm off, causing it to howl in agony. Sharingan narrowed, Kakashi ignited his free left arm and ran the lightning-encased fist directly into the creature's chest. He dragged the arm out, blood gushing from the injury. Rather than take any chances, he slashed at the throat with his dagger.
"Ohoho, not bad, for a cyclops. Hm, let me see, silver hair and a red-right eye, you wouldn't happen to be Sharingan Kakashi of the Leaf Village, would you?"
The familiar sense of dread and fear returned in full force, perhaps even heavier and more suffocating. Lightning arched from his left hand as he slowly turned around to face the dark entity that had carved a massive path of destruction earlier.
The sword had been planted in the ground and the dark aura was dissipating. That said, the scales remained, sticking out from the exposed skin on his hands, neck, and his face. His black hair was spikey and wild, likely a result of his supernatural powers, the same went for his eyes, which were reptilian slits in the color of blood. "Allow me to properly introduce myself, Pedru Degane of Oro Arms and Equipment. Might I perhaps interest you in some weaponry? Something to keep you alive and perhaps save your peaceful little village?"
In spite of the slight fear still gripping his body, Kakashi held firm, brandishing his dagger. "I'll have to decline as you can see, I already have a weapon of my own."
Pedru burst into laughter seeing the silver weapon. "Ah, I see. One of the Basilone Family's daggers. Me and my partner helped make that, you know. Yes, little toys to help control the wild mutts you see roaming about. It can be a pretty effective weapon in the right hands. Still," his hand moved in the blink of an eye. "If you ever want a little something…more, or your village is in need of some quality equipment, look us up. Oh, and good luck with Fido here. You're gonna need it, Copy Ninja."
Two things. First, Kakashi looked at his hand and found it now contained a business card instead of a shuriken or projectile. Second, when he looked back, Pedru was gone, but something was coming at him. Something big and black. His hands began to weave hand signs, but it was in vain as the creature kicked off the ground, a sonic boom that nearly shattered his ears.
Were it not for his Sharingan, Kakashi knew he would have lost his hand instead of a few strands of his hair. He dodged again, this time just avoiding the pair of claws by less than an inch. From his right-
CRACK!
-Blood sipped through Kakashi's lips and stained his mask as he flew across the ground, bursting through rubble and combatants until hitting the stop along with a pile of debris. Pain exploded from his stomach and chest like he'd just taken a direct hit from a wrecking ball. If he had to guess, he just had. Glancing up, the Anbu ninja saw what the "wrecking ball" was undoubtedly the largest werewolf he'd ever seen. Standing at almost eight-feet-tall, it easily cast a shadow over the other combatants on the field, including its fellow wolves. Blood poured from several open and healing wounds across its body, some of which looked like they might have been fatal had the beast been a product of nature.
One look into the blood-red feral eyes and Kakashi knew this creature was anything but natural. The more he looked at it, the more…human it almost seemed. Except for when it roared, a sound so powerful the air itself shook as the soundwaves traveled across the battlefield. Had he been less disciplined, Kakashi would have covered his ears in a vain attempt to shield them. His combat instincts kept him from doing so; they told him to move. That's exactly what he did as he watched the muscles on the massive werewolf's body tense up.
The beast's claws completely demolished the ground he'd previously been lying on, scattering rock and dirty everywhere. Kakashi weaved the hand signs and launched several fireballs at the man-wolf. All they did was annoy it. Eyes bulging with animalistic fury, it charged straight through the flames, claws stretched out and ready to rip him in two.
He dashed straight into the arms of the beast, his right arm pulled back and gripping the silver dagger.
SLIISH!
The Copy Ninja's ears buzzed as he heard the sound of flesh splitting open; then his heart skipped a beat as he heard the sound of something massive moving through the air. Already in motion, he poured chakra into his feet hoping he'd be fast enough to evade the coming counter attack.
He wasn't. His body screamed in agony, specifically, almost his entire left side. By Kakashi's count, almost all of his left side ribs were either fractured or broken. Dirt and blood bathed his body as he rolled along the ground like a bowling ball before coming to a stop. Hearing the annoyed snarl of the wolf, he quickly began formulating his next plan. Just as the werewolf struck, the copy ninja vanished into the ground. Confused, the giant man-wolf searched the surrounding area. It was a futile effort as blood was every along with the vile scent of toxic gases and other fumes. Hearing, on the other hand, still worked.
A mighty claw came down on the silver-haired ninja that burst from the ground. Just as a sadistic grin grew along the werewolf's jaws, the clone went poof. His anger persisted as he dragged his claw along the ground, raising it as more clones burst forth. Through the hazes of smoke, the werewolf spotted the countless paper-tags with familiar writing.
"I take it you're the werewolf that was described earlier." Came the voice of the Copy Ninja. His vision was dimming and the strength in his legs was starting to fade. A single direct hit and a glancing blow, only those two things and he felt like he was on his last legs. Kakashi theorized the damage had lowered his stamina, which was being pushed to the max so he could keep his Sharingan up. This would likely be his last chance to use it for the night. Meeting his tired eyes were the enraged bloody orbs of the werewolf.
"Mister Kakashi, a moment if you'd please."
Kakashi turned around, surprised to find the fox-eared Caster standing before him, apparently bearing gifts. He'd kept his distance from the mysterious spell-user, partially out of caution and partially out of respect. A solid opinion on the woman had yet to form in his mind, but so far, she was serving as the maternal figure that Naruto's own biological mother had been kept from executing. Tamamo stepped forward, a stack of rectangular sheets of paper, talismans, in her hand. She offered the stack to him.
"These talismans contain a touch of my elemental powers. From what I hear, you like Lord Sarutobi are capable of using all five elements so I believe they will be of some use to you on this mission. Please, take them just in case you find yourself in a situation that requires a…" Her foxy ears twitched, a smirk graced her lips. "Let's say a fox's touch. What do you say?"
Smirking a little himself, he took the stack of talismans from her. Though seemingly ordinary paper, he could sense the magical energy pulsating beneath his fingers. It didn't quite feel like chakra; somehow, it felt a bit more…primal. Darker even. "If it'll help me complete my mission and keep the village safe, that's all the reason I need. Thank you, Tamamo-san. Though I must ask, how exactly do I use these talismans? I'm a ninja, not a spellcaster like you."
"Hehehe, don't worry about that." Behind her waist, the woman's fox tail waved. Kakashi was still getting used to that. "Since coming here, I've made some modifications. You wouldn't believe what this world's done for my Witchcraft! Every second of the day I feel like I'm bursting with energy! Anyways, back to your question. As I've said, I've made some modifications to my talismans so that they will react to the chakra that your ninja use, but you must call out the spell's name. Remember, Mister Kakashi, names and words have power. As for the spells in your hands, their names are as follows…"
"I hear you don't like lightning." Commented the silver-haired ninja, keeping his eyes on his enemy. "Raitei!" Shouted the Anbu, making a one-handed hand sign.
Recognition flashed in the wolf's eyes as the command was spoken. It was screaming a second later, its body encircled by multiple arcs of twisting purple lightning with the Ofuda acting as the epicenter of what quickly became a localized lightning storm. Chunks of the giant werewolf were torn out, the flesh and organs beneath roasted like fish on a grill. Through the pain and muscle spasms, the beast attempted to escape; it was an attempt doomed to fail. Glancing up, it caught saw of a concentrated mass of lightning in one hand of the ninja while in the other he held a glittering silver object. If the pain hadn't widened the eyes of the werewolf, then the silver glow certainly did. Ice-cold fear gripped the man-beast's rapidly beating heart as it watched the Copy Ninja placed his electrified right hand atop the dagger, which was leveled at its chest.
"Lightning Blade…Silver Streak!"
A single ray of silvery light slammed hard into the twisting wall of purple. From the collision shout out several massive and twisting arcs of lightning like an enraged pack of snakes. At the center of the maelstrom, Kakashi pressed his dagger as deep as he could into the werewolf's chest, he'd penetrated the skin, but not enough for his liking, he had to go deeper. What remained of his chakra was poured into the silver dagger held tightly in his hand. Around him, the purple lightning from the talismans began to twist around and encircle his arm where they quickly raced up the limb into the dagger. Steeling his feet against the ground, the Copy Ninja gave one final roar of effort and poured all that he had left into the small weapon.
Silver and deep violet shot out of the werewolf's backside as a jagged beam that was violently retched to the side, annihilating spiritually composed skin and bone and muscle along the way. Blood exploded from the massive injury, which stretched from the werewolf's chest through its left side. Its heart was gone, having been completely destroyed by the supercharged voltage blade that had been created by the Copy Ninja.
And yet it was still standing.
Kakashi staggered back, his whole body feeling like lead. He knew this was it, he'd hoped his newly-invented attack would be enough to end the battle and kill this monstrosity, but he was wrong. Sensei, Obito…Rin…I…I tried my best.
Pure hatred stared back at the human. Bloody jaws opened, a raspy and inhuman voice exiting, "Ai gamisou…óa psarión tou Zeús!"
And like the many trees Kakashi had seen earlier that night, the werewolf fell to the ground, blood pooling around its corpse.
A curtain of silence fell upon the battlefield, partially because most if not all of the werewolves present suddenly stopped and turned to look at the battle, or rather, the aftermath. One after another, mournful howls went up; some were immediately silenced as the prison inmates cared nothing for the now deceased werewolf. Kakashi actually counted his blessings in that regard as it meant that they'd be too occupied to take revenge for their supposed pack leader. Speaking of said pack leader, Kakashi watched with tired eyes as the body began to dissolve away into an array of golden particles.
So…that's what happens when one of these Servants…dies. Digging at the back of his mind, he remembered the explanation that Servants were merely extremely powerful spirits. In truth, they possessed no "physical body" like living creatures. Kakashi took a painful step back, his stomach and sides flaring up like coal pockets. Spirits or not, the damage that Servants were able to do were very real. He felt himself beginning to fall back.
Someone, or rather, something caught him. Immediately, his nose bristled with the smell of ozone mixed in with the sweet aroma of sakura flowers. Wide-eyed, he turned his head just enough to see the glowing eyes of the mystical fox familiar he'd rode in on.
"Our business here, done. We go. Now."
With the same swiftness that it'd use to carry him from the Leaf to the Land of Grass, the fox took off, sparks bursting as it took to the smog-covered air. Kakashi didn't really argue with it as it began to literally run through the skies with him on its back.
"-you bastard! You bastard! Come back down here and fight me like a man! I said come back down here, you futtuto bastardo!" Came a male voice sounding quite pissed.
Kakashi tried to look back down and make out who it was shouting at him. If he had to guess, probably someone pretty pissed off. He supposed that he now had one more person after his head.
"Hold tight. We go fast. Speed of lightning."
Kakashi could have sworn that he heard the fox snickering. A moment later and he was proven right as the familiar tossed him up, then used its power over the wind to shift him so he fell onto his stomach on the creature's back. Then it accelerated.
Boom!
By sheer reflex, he gripped at the fox's fur. If he hadn't, he surely would have been thrown off as the spiritually-constructed creation created a small sonic boom, zipping across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning. Apparently, the fox hadn't been kidding.
Even as the wind literally whipped at his face, Kakashi looked back as best he could. Finally, Hōzuki Castle came crumbling down, a mass of fire erupting from its underbelly. Practically the entire cliffside it'd been built on collapsed, the pieces sliding into the lake below sending titanic waves slamming into the other side of the shore. He didn't bother continuing to watch. Something in his gut told him there wasn't going to be a winner in the conflict, only a whole lot of corpses.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands of trees and giant plants zoomed past him in the blink of an eye. One minute they were riding the wind, and then the next the ride was over.
"Wait here. They will be here soon. Away from danger. Away from falling stars."
"Falling stars? What are you-"
BOOM!
This time, it didn't quite sound like thunder, it sounded bigger. Exhausted, Kakashi looked to the sky. Behind his mask, his mouth dropped. Glittering in the skies, high enough to practically touch the clouds, a mass of gold and black light was glittering, like a low altitude star. From the star came half a dozen other masses of light, shooting toward the earth like a meteor shower. Or a rain of missiles. A minute later and he felt the ground beneath his feet shaking.
Kakashi turned to the storm fox. "Looks like I owe you one, don't I?"
Cocking its head, the fox snickered.
"Heh, so I see you made it out alive too, huh?"
He barely batted an eye when Chandler and Okada arrived on their own foxes, but what caught his attention was the extra passenger that Chandler had with him. Another man, dressed somewhat similarly to Okada, but his gaze was different. It was hard as stone yet sharp as a razor blade.
"Kakashi, this is Shinmen Munisai, a Fox Catcher, one of Hakuno and Tamamo's allies. He's a Servant of the Saber Class."
"Saber, so he's-"
"A swordsman, yes." Boomed the man, immediately jumping off of the fox and walking to Kakashi. His hawkish gaze had the Anbu going on guard despite his body having little energy left. The Saber-class Servant stopped before the silver-haired ninja. "…Kakashi Hatake, aka the Copy Ninja. A Faker. I hear that eye of yours can copy any jutsu, but it cannot replicate natural ability thus a battle between us…"
SWOSH!
KLANG!
"Would come down to pure skill!" Shouted the samurai, his face a feral smile as his blade grinded against the silver dagger held firm within Kakashi's hand. Though the Copy Ninja's expression was deadly serious, the expressions on the faces of the others were not.
Except for Okada.
"What the hell?! You'll fight him but not me? Admit it, Unrivaled Under the Sun, you are scared of me!" Screamed the Manslayer, stomping his foot.
Munisai sheathed his sword, chuckling all the while. "But that is a fight for another day. A day we shall have to ourselves. In the meantime, I believe we all have places we must be and reports to be made. By the way," he looked to Kakashi's dagger. "That weapon is not of this world, it belongs to the Basilone Family. How exactly did come by it?"
"Would you believe me if I told you one of their Servants gave it to me? He said his name was Tristan, Knight of the Round Table, and he said he had a message for me to deliver to Hakuno Kishinami." As he thought, his words were a bombshell that caught the rest of his little group off-guard. Recognition flashed in all of the other-worlders' eyes. "I'll take this knife as proof he was speaking some truth. It did help me take down one of those werewolves, without it I would have been dead."
Chandler looked at how the storm foxes were staring at the dagger, sniffing it like bloodhounds. He recalled the last thing that the werewolves he and the Japanese swordsmen had been doing before bugging out. "Kakashi…this werewolf you fought…was it…larger than average?"
"Matter of fact, yeah, it was. Almost eight-feet tall." Responded the cycloptic ninja, his right eye having been covered by his headband.
Munisai caught the human's train of thought and followed it. "Around its neck, was there jewelry? Golden jewelry?" Seeing the man nod, the makings of a smile formed on his face. "And did the wolf speak unlike the others, specifically a gibberish tongue?"
Okada's face grew pale as the ninja nodded again.
"Yes, yes. I'm assuming it was some language from your world. It sounded quite strange to me. Before, Tristan warned me about him, said he was cursed."
The manslayer's skin was now bleach white. "No."
"He hated lightning, didn't he?" Mused Chandler.
"Yep, and that's how I killed him. Drove this dagger combined with my Lightning Blade through his chest then his heart."
"No!" Screamed the orange-eyed Assassin, his face a delirious mess. "No, no, no, no, no! You're…you're…you're a human! A human! Worse, you're a ninja! There's no way you could have done it! There's no way you could have-"
The other two men burst into soft laughter, with even the storm foxes joining in leaving a confused Kakashi staring at the lot of them.
Chandler moved around and placed a tired hand on the man's shoulder. "Now I truly owe you a drink, mon amie. That giant werewolf you took down was none other than Lycaon, King of Werewolves and the first recorded werewolf in human history. Oh, and a Berserker-Servant! One of the Basilone Family's top hitters as well!"
Kakashi blinked. "Really? Then I-"
"NOOOO!" Screeched the Manslayer, having fallen to his knees and crying comical tears as he is wallowing at the glittering moon high overhead. "THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY MISSION! MY BIG CHANCE, NOT THAT ONE-EYED SCARECROOOOW!"
The three men watched the display with different expressions. Chandler looked at his Servant and rolled his eyes, French curses softly flowing from his lips. He needed a drink, now. Munisai looked at the downtrodden man with complete disinterest. His antics reminded him too much of his son. Lastly, Kakashi stood in quiet bewilderment, wondering if he should apologize or what. He knew one thing - he was definitely keeping the dagger.
As for the storm foxes, they openly snickered in the way unique to their species. Unknown to the three men, miles away in another country, tucked away in her bed and in her the arms of her Master and husband, their creator was laughing. She hugged her brown-haired love a bit tighter, a soft "Mikon" leaving her lips.
Tamamo-no-Mae's dreams turned pleasant, and when she awoke, she had a feeling it was going to be a good day.
Let me just say for the record I love werewolves. Really, I love them more than vampires and wish they could get more spotlight than those bloodsuckers. All that said, this story already has a big bad wolf character and I had to have one Servant go down before we hit Chapter 20 and Lycaon was it. Originally, I was thinking of having Kakashi use his Sharingan to trap him in genjutsu, but then I realized that with his Mad Enchantment it probably wouldn't work thus the ofuda-lightning idea was born.
See, what Tamamo did, handing out her ofuda, is going to be a recurring tactic throughout this story. As she said, her Witchcraft is stronger than it was in the Moon Cell, not to mention its far more flexible in the Naruto-world. Kakashi isn't going to be the only one whipping out some ofuda to set up attacks and traps, so will Naruto and his adoptive siblings and a handful of others who earn Tamamo's trust. The name of the spell Kakashi used, "Raitei" literally means thunderclap and is an actual attack Tamamo can use in Extella/Link (before, it was confined to a cutscene where she shocked Elizabeth). Think of them as similar to Rin's jewels, but much stronger and more versatile.
Regarding Kakashi, he had quite a night, huh? Gets saved by the Knight of Lamentation, gain a snazzy weapon, survives a warzone, and becomes the FIRST ninja to kill a Servant. Not bad for the future Sixth Hokage, huh? I've got plans for the role Kakashi's going to have in this story and it's definitely going to involve him butting heads with Servants, most of whom have him outmatched in terms of power. It is rather symbolic as while I know his animal motif is dogs, I'm going to be having some fun with having him have a connection with wolves and canine-affiliated Servants.
I moved the Blood Prison from a nonexistent ocean to a lake since the country it's located in is NOWHERE near any oceans or beaches. Odds are the directors of Blood Prison probably just threw it in to really add to the hellhole prison feel of the place. As for Satori, while he's able to sense fear and killing intent in order to avoid his attacks, I had Tristan be the one to defeat him since his Failnaught uses the AIR ITSELF to cut the target to pieces. Not exactly a lot of ways to defend against an enemy who uses the air to kill you, even if you can see his fingers moving or sense his killing intent.
Now to the other Archer presented this chapter. For those of you unaware, Philoctetes is from Greek mythology and was both a companion/friend of Hercules and one of the heroes of the Trojan War, though not a lot of people know that second part. When Herc died, Phil was the only one willing to light the funeral bronzer for him thus he was gifted with Hercules' bow and arrows; in the context of the Nasuverse, this means that he possesses the "Bow of Hydra" Noble Phantasm that Rin claimed Hercules would have if summoned as an Archer. It is his primary Noble Phantasm that comes with two functions, it's first "base" function being firing poisoned arrows; the second is a down grounded version of Nine Lives in arrow form. Nobumasa was right when he said that he and Phil were "stand-ins" for their more well-known counterparts. Phil is basically a discount Archer!Hercules, but that doesn't mean he should be counted out.
As for Oda Nobumasa? He's reportedly one of Nobunaga's bastard children. While his name and existence are recorded, his real life contains little to no hard fact as he was a bastard child and his deeds were largely left ambiguous. From what is know, mostly from likely propaganda pieces, he was everything Nobunaga wanted his heir apparent Nobutada to be. Two brothers competing for a father's affection, hm, sound familiar? This leaves plenty of room for me to explore and fill-in-the-blanks as the Nasuverse likes doing from time to time.
Alrighty, next chapter we'll be getting back to some family fluff, fun at the academy, and looking at the fallout of an international event happening literally overnight. Oh, and this chapter officially marks the countdown to a certain...event. Until then, and happy Fourth of July, readers!
