This is not a chapter, but in fact just a little press meeting I am throwing together, but please read it, it is relevant to the story and requires user input to make Fated Death the story everybody and their mother loves.
Hello everyone, I'm sorry for the delay in posting Chapter 4 for Fated Death, however I really feel that this will be the best way to get some things cleared up before I proceed to get back into the groove. So if you will all just sit tight with me as I explain some things, and also will use this as a chance to respond to your reviews thus far.
After taking a lot of things into consideration, I really feel that Senna may not be the best course for Shirou's romantic interests, and thus will chalk up her last appearances as just a comrade, and will slowly work her back into reclusion, because in the end I feel that she is just an already template OC, and I really didn't want to have an OC for Shirou's love interest. What are your thoughts on this?
Next I would like to address the whole Noble Phantasm, Zanpakutō, powers of Shirou thing and just clear everything up that has been bugging me about it. One reviewer had pointed out that even though Shirou's traces are downgraded a rank, they are still more than a match for most Bankai. Forgive my ignorance in that part, I have been just sizing up my Noble Phantasms based on looks. For instance, Excalibur Galatine has an unknown rank, but based upon its attack (I pulled the animation from Fate/Extra, it seems like a worthy match for Senna's Shikai. Most of the canon NP from Nasuverse are extremely powerful or just so one-hit KO (Excalibur and Gae Bulg respectively). I don't really like having to use plug-n-play NP from other series or make them up based on other mythological items all the time. Thus the NP will stay as they are, however if you have one you want featured drop me a line and I'll see to it. Also Broken Phantasms…bunker buster a few tiers below deploying Unlimited Blade Works. Not going to spam these, but…Shirou might show off every once in a while.
Next is Nanika. She is the embodiment of Shirou's true power, Unlimited Blade Works. No she won't be shooting swords like it's nobody's business or be able to trace things herself (If I ever do a sword beasts arc like the anime, then maybe). I still am in the pre-alpha stages of how her copy abilities will work. Essentially I have the basics down, and individual things will come later on…so let's begin. Also Nanika's sealed state is a Chinese Liuyedao, Google this if you want a good image.
Shikai: I'm stuck on the release incantation, initially I was going with "Answer My Summons" in homage to the Holy Grail War, however something else might work. Shout out some ideas or inbox them to me. Anyhow, Nanika's Shikai ability is simply to shift herself into the Shikai forms of any other Zanpakutō. Shirou needs to have seen and know the release command to unleash this. She will be downgrade just like the NP Shirou traces in one way or another. An attack that launches four whatever would launch two, or something along those lines. I think maybe a side power for it is just a beam attack or some other energy based attack. Nothing else happens in Shikai. The form of this is a Chinese Jian, a much slimmer, double edged blade.
Bankai [Tier 1]: I don't know if the word tier is appropriate, but some Bankai seem to have multiple levels to them, at any rate we could just call it Tier 1 for the fact that it is the first step in Nanika's Bankai powers. This is the most basic of her Bankai powers. It creates multiple copies of her blade, just like that launch attack Shirou uses to ward off the Gates of Babylon in his faceoff with Gilgamesh. The number is unlimited, but copies are weaker than the original for obvious power check reasons. This will be the primary Bankai move.
Bankai [Tier 2]: The power to copy the other Bankai. Had to have this, although it will take more than simply willing Nanika into Bankai to achieve, I feel a few set of rules will keep this power in check. First, Shirou needs to have obviously seen said Bankai to use it. Next, Shirou fuels this power with od due to Bankai already being a release, pouring more reiryoku seemed counter-intuitive. It is taxing on his Circuits even with the Archer arm and my "Ciel-training", which I will actually reveal in flashback sometime in the future. Second he needs to have the Shikai in his Zanpakutō-side of the Blade Works…I know I'll run into issues with Zangetsu down the road there. Other than that nothing more for Tier 2.
Bankai [Tier 3]: Shirou's super-saiyan bunker buster ultimate, make UBW look like a pea-shooter next to a .50 Caliber Rifle, attack of ultimate doom. I will not divulge anything on Tier 3 except the following: It will be used in conjuncture with all or parts of Unlimited Blade Works, haven't decided. It will be unveiled in the most badass of ways, and you might piece together how and why later. Lastly, Nanika's form only shifts to its final form in Tier 3. I will explain below on her forms.
Okay so a reviewer actually gave me the idea to make Nanika's powers revolve around some kind of insecurity along with it mimicking Shirou's innate tracing skills. In her sealed form, she is a rather proud looking blade, glad to be the only blade used by Shirou. In Shikai, and the first two steps of Bankai, she becomes a much thinner Chinese Jian…a reflection of her insecurities that her powers make her shift into essentially other beings than rather allow her to be herself with Shirou. Her Tier 3 Bankai mode is a Chinese Miao Dao, which is the big brother to the Liuyedao. The blade stands at a whopping 1.2 meters (nearly 4 feet) length, and the hilt adds maybe another quarter of a meter. Nanika shifts into a grander version of her sealed state, because in tier 3 there is no copying. Just as UBW with Shirou, this is her true power, no mimicking or copying other Zanpakutōs, this is all her and she's going to let you know it! (Sorry got a bit carried away).
Finally before I move onto the reviewer responses for Chapter 3, I would like to ask a few favors of all of you. I am going to be posting a few polls on my profile that will determine the course of this story, please go there. I am making them Blind Polls so that only I may see the results. I will post two polls. One is in regards to Shirou's romantic interest, which will be closed a week from the posting of this article. Next is in regards to the Division that Shirou will join. That will be closed a week and a half (10 days) after this has been posted. After such time I will begin the fourth chapter of the story and will use that time in between to read any more "reviews" posted on this article and take them into consideration.
Response to Reviews (These are only reviews addressed to Chapter 3…unless it is important to reply)
Sanddrake111: Interesting chapter. As for the squad and seat I believe that squad 3 or squad 9 would be a suitable choice considering how much room you have on expanding the squad background. As for seating...that's up to you. Finally, still waiting for . P.S, do you think that Shirou will catch the attention from the SWA or whatever it was spelt?
Response: I feel that 3 or 9 would be good for the expansion factor of that as well, but the poll results will decide. I will count any reviews as tallies for the voting, but go ahead and vote again. Still waiting for what, unless you mean the SWA will see him. In all likelihood, yes they will.
Pandawa: Well i see you make workaround regarding shirou's zanpakutou and his arsenal. I hope it will works. For this chapter i think's good enough for me but i have some thoughts. First about the law for i read it will restrict many NP's like excalibur,durandal,rule breaker and other that have anti-army upwards or dangerous for feudal govt to tracing them is forbidden. Then about attack to capt. is treason, correct me if wrong, kenpachi become capt. because he challenged the last capt. and win. Then about same zanpakutou must fight for supremacy law how it will work when his always copy others shikai and even bankai.
Response: I never considered how much of a stink Central 46 would raise when they learn the true nature of Noble Phantasms that are anti-army in nature. Perhaps a workaround seeing as he swore upon the laws and he would receive a sanction after he is placed in a Division, however I doubt that will stop him from using a NP, but at the same time I doubt I will give them too much action before the training completion. The way that a new Captain of the Eleventh was chosen is by attacking the Captain, and inheriting the surname of Kenpachi along with leadership. Essentially…his Zanpakutō will always be Nanika. If Nanika were to assume Sode no Shirayuki, she's not becoming the spirit just the form of the blade and similar powers, same principal as tracing…just a bit more complex.
Aviman12: Good story so far however I noticed one major flaw. Zaraki never learned Zanjustu the captain commander tried to teach him but he gave up after the first day
Response: Thank you. Actually according to the Bleach Wiki, Zanjutsu is essentially just the name of the swordsmanship skills the Shinigami display. Zaraki is listed both in his profile and the Zanjutsu lists as a "master" of the skill. He is there to train Shirou to wield Nanika in her blade style. Nanika & Shirou will be on their own to master the powers since they are so different aside from her Shikai power that is an energy attack.
BukkakeNoJutsu: It would be funny if Nanika's false power is copying stuff only since she's a little jealous of shirou using other blades besides her. "Oh Shirou, I um can do that too."
Response: Your penname…just is hilarious. Secondly you are one of the inspirations for the reasoning behind the Nanika powers. Thank you!
ImagineBreaker7: Awesome chapter but I disagree with the people who want Shirou to copy Zanpakto I mean Zanpakto have would inside them and are in tune with their owners also that would make Shirou a little cheap in my opinion. Well I am sure you can make a good story either way so I look forward to your next story.
Response: Thanks. I know that a lot of people feel that Zanpakutō spam will become a habit, but as I described above, there are checks to this whole process and hopefully will keep the power within reasonable boundaries.
Adrian11: Essentially corrections to Chapter 3, I will not post them all here.
Response: Thank you for the watchful eye. They have been corrected.
Reishin Amara: ... i thought when i red the summary that you would be following memories of face it...shirou vs valley of screams...answer...Ea: "Enuma Elish"!
Response: Alas I am not following the Bleach Movie 01 plot line. Also that would never work. Shirou's abilities alone won't let him trace Ea, as the materials are not from the planet Earth.
GaijinSamurai: Interesting story. Though Shirou/Senna seems pretty random to me. Especially since Senna was merely a being composed of numerous memories and not exactly a true person. At least...from what I remember. And if the events of the movie didn't happen, and Senna isn't a being composed of memories, then that would make her an OC with the name Senna. Meh... Anyway, it's an interesting story.
Response: I know it seems random, hence the new polls I am putting up, just to let people vote. You are actually the reason I really did think long about the pairing I would use for this story if any at all. Thanks again.
Selias: He already found out his Zanpakuto's name? Fitting name, though, considering his abilities.
Response: Yup. For those of you who didn't know what Nanika means, it can be translated as 'anything'. Thanks for reading!
Phantasms[Guest]: I agree that Shirou's tracing a weapon does suffer a rank down aside from avalon though in my opinion Shirou was holding back with excalibur galatine. Mainly, it's because of the fact that Shirou can easily use broken phantasms which bring it back up to a rank without any problems because he can just retrace the weapons that he breaks unlike a heroic spirit. The only way I can see for him to get access to the more powerful bankais as some have been lost would be to have dreams about the swords or the past. The very few bankais that have been revealed in the past have been lost like Gins, Tosens, etc... The rank down can be supplemented through him just breaking it and using it all full potential. Anyway, it's a nice start for the story.
Response: Thank you for your insights into the mechanics of the Noble Phantasms, it helped me shape up the powers of Nanika quite nicely. As for the "lost" Bankai, well I will figure something out to up Shirou's repertoire, as I know he received Caliburn (not sure if I spelled that correctly) from the dream sequences he shared with Arturia in Fate.
Older than Time: Your story is coming along great. The characters are rather true to their Canon-selves and Shirou's personality is almost exactly as it is in Fate/stay Night, just less whiny. My only real peeve in the story is Shirou's almost easy acceptance of his death at the hands of Rukia. I know for a fact that if someone killed me, I'd hate them with my entire being; especially if they did it because of their holier-than-thou attitude and unwillingness to listen to others.
Response: [First I want to note to all readers I truncated this review to the part I felt I should respond to.] I know I know! Gah I keep hitting myself for making their relationship so…unrealistic. Please bear with me as I attempt to bring this to a more…standoffish relationship with Shirou and Rukia. She is not going to assume Heroine of my story, but I still have plans, but I admit that his response was so lackluster and even a bit OOC. Rukia will be toned down a bit too…just need to work on these characters. I have never written Bleach before so Rukia and everyone else is new to me. Thanks again!
Foxofninetails: I think this story has a decent premise. Your explanation on why Shirou cannot copy zanpakuto is good. However, I feel that you are downPlaying the power of Noble Phantasms. They are the weapons of Heroes, themselves ascended into legend. They possess Authority that nothing besides a Noble Phantasm or skill that breaks the laws of physics and infringes on the First and Second True Magics (False Assassin). They are not to be called out so easily, and when they are, they should be a match with a equivolnt level Divinity at full power. As the Traced Excalibur Galantine is a C-rank weapon representing the flames of the sun, it should be a match for many Bankai. Consider, Rule Breaker has the ability to sever any contract with no harmful backlash and it is a C rank. Gae Bolg reverses the laws of casualty and it is a B rank. Food for thought.
Response: You are the other reviewer I would like to thank for putting these mechanics of the NP into perspective for me. The food was delicious.
Alright that's it for me. Now it's on you guys. Work for Chapter 4 begins on Saturday March 23, 2013 around noon CST. Please go vote for your division and romantic interest favorites, leave reviews to this little blurb to let me know anything else I should include, if you want to drop me a PM if you have questions, suggestions, or just want to yell at me. Whatever works guys! Thank you for your support and hopefully together we can build a story that we all love.
PS. Only one poll made it too my account. I will set up a forum which is linked into my account near the top. you can also access both polls and future polls from there. Thanks and remember to vote!
Signing out,
PsychoInnovations