Wrought Iron Cross
A tale written by Bubbajack, sustained by the mad ramblings of Nix's Warden, Eternal Nothingness, and the fine people on the Court of the Devil Kings forum; and proofread by Diller and WhiteFang15
Disclaimer: I don't own FSN or Campione last time I checked...nope still I don't, damn...
Ch.7: The Abduction pt.3: The Demons' Hubris and the Swords' Lament.
Somewhere in Balkan Territory, Place and time unknown...
Yuri Mariya sat on the small cot that was provided for her in a dank dark cell that also housed several other Hime-Miko like herself. It was made of old stone which was chilly at all times, yet she and the others had little in the way of comforts to waive off the cold or the dreariness of their situation. Yuri watched as her fellow Hime-Mikos' whispered fearfully amongst themselves or cried in terror openly, wanting to go home. She however was unafraid, unlike the rest of her fellow Hime-Miko's who were also abducted from around the world. Yuri was not afraid for two very important reasons. One, because she felt she needed to be brave for the younger children here, and two; she knew without a doubt that Kusanagi Godou was likely already on his way to save her.
'Godou-kun is not the type of man to take something like this lying down. No doubt he will be here to rescue me and wreck his vengeance on Voban in short order. All I have to do is just wait for him to arrive.' She thought as she calmly sat on her provided cot.
Yes, in the past year Yuri had learned much about Japan's resident Campione. She knew he had some kind of tragically dark past, likely associated with war, or at least combat. It was obvious in the way he carried himself, primed, on edge, and always aware of his surroundings, that he was a hardened combatant. His somewhat caustic attitude was simply the byproduct of seeing many, many terrible things. She also assumed that he was older than he looked, as one simply cannot gain the amount of skill he possesses at his current age.
She also knew he was fiercely protective of people close to him even though he tried to hide it behind sarcastic and sometimes outright mean or rude remarks. Yuri picked up a subtle yet noticeable difference to the way he treated them after she and the others swore their lives to him. He was still sarcastic and distant, yet before he possessed this feeling of being almost unapproachable; as if he was pointing as sword at your throat just by looking at you. When Yuri swore her life to him, she felt that feeling gradually go away to the point of nonexistence over the past year. She took this as a sign that he trusted them. Outright loved them? No probably not, but he trusted them enough to let his guard down around them. He considered them his friends.
He was the type of man who would fight tooth nail and claw to protect his friends and get back anything that was taken from him. But, that wasn't the only thing she learned from Kusanagi Godou.
She also learned that the world is often times unfair and that there is no point in complaining about it, that you must accept it and move on and that sometimes, sometimes life just sucked. But she also learned to never give up no matter how bleak a situation becomes she should persevere. Just like Godou did. Yuri could see it, what ever happened to him bent him, twisted him, and possibly even crushed him, but it didn't break him. To survive whatever he had and not break...
'I could not rightly call myself his vassal if I couldn't do the same in at least this situation.' She thought to herself repeatedly since she'd been brought to...wherever this place was.
So, that's why, when the door to her cell opened and none other than Sasha Voban himself and his "assistant" on loan from the Bronze Black Cross Liliana Kranjcar, entered the cell where she and eleven others were being kept she was the only one who dared look the ancient Devil King in the eye. Never let it be said that being around a former Counter Guardian doesn't have its benefits.
"Lord Voban, Miss Kranjcar, what can we do for in our currently very humble abode?" She asked, making it impossible to miss the hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Let it also be known that she may be hanging around Archer a bit too much.
Chuckling slightly the ancient Demon of the Balkans replied "I must say I find your cheek refreshing." A pause before he finished with a bit of steel, "To a point" Before he continued "I've merely come to ask you something."
"What do you wish to know Lord Voban?"
"Why do you not despair like these other miserable retches?" Voban asked looked at the other Hime-Miko as if they were insects.
"Do you mean to ask is why I'm not afraid of you? I simply see no reason to fear a man who will likely be dead soon." Yuri replied simply, while staring the Marquis directly in his eyes.
This statement caused all the other Hime-Miko to look at her as if she was insane. Even Liliana looked at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head. One simply did not speak that way to a Campione.
Voban however? He merely threw his head back and laughed, as if he had just been told the world's funniest joke.
"Is that so my dear? So, tell me; who will be my slayer?" He asked humoring her.
"His name is Kusanagi Godou and he is the Campione of Japan and my sworn Lord." Yuri responded with pride entering her voice.
"Ah yes, Kusanagi Godou. The same man who failed to stop me from taking you in the first place? You'll forgive me if I'm not intimidated won't you?" Voban asked, clearly mocking the youngest Campione.
"I came with you willingly Lord Voban to protect my friends, and knowing that my Godslayer would come for me." Yuri said resolutely.
"Is that so, then I had best prepare to entertain my guest. It wouldn't do to be a bad host afterall." Voban commented as an excited smile slowly grew across his face before he swiftly left the cell.
The Great Knight of the Bronze Black Cross stared at Yuri in amazement for a moment before she shook herself out of her daze and asked "Do you really think this Kusanagi Godou will come all this way just to save you?"
Yuri knew there was no malice in her question just simple curiosity, which is why she nodded and responded "Oh yes, Godou-kun is very protective of his vassals. Even though he doesn't act like it most of the time, he cares about people close to him..."
"But?" Liliana asked.
Yuri's face became thoughtful and she put her hand on her chin in thought for a moment before she replied "He is also a warrior, and he has his pride. As such I know will come for me, not only to save me to defend his pride, as he swore to protect me when I swore my life to him. And, knowing him like I do; he will likely tear apart anything and anyone who gets in his way. I suggest you think long and hard about whether or not you're on the right side in the coming conflict Kranjcar-san." Yuri said seriously.
"I-I'll keep that in mind." Lilli said, her face paling as she gulped before she fled the room as quickly as she could and closing the heavy iron door behind her with a clang before she headed off to her quarters which were only slightly better than those of the Hime-Miko, her thoughts racing as she plopped down on her provided cot as she assessed her options.
Liliana was torn, and her thoughts reflected as such.
'On a personal level I despised Lord Voban and what he is planning could cost the Hime-Miko their lives, but Grandfather has loaned me out to this Campione in the hopes of having him endorse the Bronze Iron Black Cross. Thus, my sword is at his service and it would be dishonorable for me to betray him no matter what my thoughts on him may be personally.' She reasoned with herself, only to think back to Mariya Yuri's earlier warning and begin the internal struggle anew.
'On the other hand, if I continue serving Lord Voban I will likely be slain along with him when this other Campione; Kusanagi Godou shows up. There is no doubt he will indeed show up. Mariya Yuri was far too certain of that for me to doubt her. Oh, what do I do?' the "Fairy Knight" thought despairingly, before she buried her head in her pillow in frustration. It was many hours of tossing and turning later that she finally fell into an uneasy slumber...
Alec blearily opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that, he woke up at all. The second thing he noticed was that, he expected to feel some kind of pain but was surprised to feel nothing of the sort. In fact; he didn't feel any kind of drain on his magical reserves at all which was odd.
'What's going on?'
"Ah, well it looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake."
Alec turned his head to the direction of the sarcastic voice to find none other than the very man who beat him, Kusanagi Godou; staring down at him with that same damn smirk on his face.
"Why didn't you kill me?" Alec asked while getting up from the ground where he lay.
"You're more useful to me alive and good to no one dead. Here put these on." He responded while throwing him a pair of loose black pants.
It was then that Alec realized his usually immaculate suit was in tatters and was barely covering his modesty.
Shooting the younger Campione a glare of annoyance, he quickly put the pants on over his tattered remains of clothing.
"What exactly do you want from me?" Alec asked after he was finished.
He now stood across from his junior eyeing him warily from across the paved stones of the courtyard thinking 'What's his angle?'
"Voban, I want his head on a spear. But first; I need to find him. Do your people have any clue where his base might be?" Archer inquired.
Alec scoffed and raised his hand dramatically before saying "And what makes you think Royal Arsenal knows anything like that?"
Archer simply quirked an eyebrow in response and said "Simple, if someone really wants to know something they should ask either the poor or the downtrodden as for the right price, they'll tell you whatever you want to know. So, Beggar King; where is Vobans' base?" Archer asked steel reentering his voice.
"Why is it so important to you to find the Devil of the Balkans?" Alec asked, dropping all false pretenses.
"He took someone important from me, I intend to get her back; and make sure he knows never to make this mistake again."
Alec had to suppress the urges to both shiver and take a step back at the dark tone in which his junior spoke his last line. Composing himself, he decided to test the youngest Campiones resolve.
"I see, and if I refuse?"
"Then we would have to have a repeat performance of our little fight."
Alec looked into the steel grey eyes of the younger Campione and he saw only resolve tempered by the flames of anger, resulting in a weapon known to many as vengeance.
"Tch, I suppose you can consider this information your reward for being able to beat me in a fight. From what my people have learned, Sasha Voban has a castle on the slopes of Mt. Musala in Bulgaria. The place is often covered in snow and protected by his [Wolf Divine Beast] summons which he gained from killing Apollo according to rumor."
"I see, you've been very helpful, thank you." Archer told him before he stared walking off.
Alec watched him leave, but he had one more question "Wait a minute."
Archer turned around and gave Alec a curious look.
"Yes?"
"Did you really almost lose everything to your fathers' ideals?" Alec asked seriously
Archer's face became a mix of serious and solemn when he answered "I didn't almost lose everything I lost everything, then when I saw the chance to undo all my mistakes I lost everything again taking that chance, and wound up here."
Both were quiet for a moment. Nothing but the wind blowing gently through the trees was making any sound.
"If you want to keep chasing the Grail do so because you want to, not because some dead man asked you to. Do it on your terms, for your own reasons, and no one else's. It's your life afterall." Archer told him, breaking the silence before walking off.
'My own reasons huh?' Alec thought before he disappeared in a flash of black lightning.
Archer returned inside to the waiting crowd, which included several kiss-ass nobles and artists, Lord Goddodin, and Ena. Pointedly ignoring the suck-ups trying to smooze him into joining their organization, Archer marched right up to Lord Goddodin and Ena. He looked around when he noticed someone was missing and asked "Where's Alice?"
"She went to make herself presentable as currently..." Lord Goddodin said letting the sentence hang.
"Ah, right."
Archer looked around the hall at the stone lined walls that gave way to high arching windows, the polished wooden floors, the...ceiling that mimicked the one outside?
'Ok, now I know this place is a Hogwarts ripoff...still, not something you see every day.' He thought to himself.
"Speaking of my daughter, you have my sincerest thanks and gratitude King Kusanagi. If there is ever anything you need, if there is any favor I can grant that is within my power, let me know at any time and I shall do my best to see it fulfilled." He said earnestly, drawing the Campione back to the present.
"Lord Goddodin-"he began only to stop when said lord raised his hand and said "Please son, after what you did for me today, I think you can call me Augustus if you want."
"Augustus, you don't owe me anything, I simply did it because it needed to be done. Afterall, you couldn't really expect me to just leave her there like that if it's within my power to do something about it right...What?" he asked when he saw the man looking at him strangely.
"You'll have to forgive my father Lord Kusanagi, but the only other real contact we've had with a Campione has been with Lords Voban far in the past and that rude Prince Aleixandre, both of whom are quite selfish individuals."
Archer turned around to quite a stunning sight. Alice was walking towards him in a gown that was primarily black and red being fringed and embroidered in gold vines. Her hair was done up in an elegant knot and she wore a simple golden chained necklace around her neck that held an ankh with an emerald set in its hole. In her arms she carried his folded up jacket.
"Looking good there kiddo." Archer commented slyly while taking in her form.
'She still looks kinda pale, after I get Yuri back I'm definitely going to stop by here and give her another round of treatment.' He thought.
"I told you, I'm twenty-three!" she responded with a bit of fire.
"Right, sorry, sorry. But I gotta say..." Archer paused and leaned in close before whispering "I think I like you better in my coat, and nothing else." He said before he took the modified shroud back from the heavily blushing and stuttering Alice.
'Teasing her is just too much fun, probably because it's too easy.' He thought to himself as he chuckled before turning to Ena and saying "C'mon Ena, I know where we need to go next."
"Wait Lord Kusanagi! Before you go, please accept this as a token of my gratitude." Alice said taking the necklace off from around her neck and presenting it to him.
"Alice, surely you don't mean to-"Lord Goddodin stopped talking at a pointed look from his daughter.
"Thanks Alice, but I'm not really one for jewelry." Archer responded.
"Lord Kusanagi, I implore you to make an exception in this case." Lord Goddodin said motioning toward his dejected looking daughter.
"Then again, my friends always told me I have no fashion sense so what do I know about jewelry? Thanks Alice." He said accepting the pendant from the now beaming girl.
"You are most welcome Lord Kusanagi. Now, do you know where to head next?" she asked, while shooing of the aristocrats like they were annoying flies or attention seeking dogs.
"Yes we need to get to Mt. Musala in Bulgaria as soon as possible Alice."
"I see; I'll arrange for a private jet to take you to Turkey where you can cross into Bulgaria's border if that is to your liking?" she asked batting her eyelashes at him.
"That would be great thank you Alice."
"No thank you Lord Kusanagi." Alice then glomped him before saying in a much quieter emotion filled voice "Thank you so very much for being a true king, an exemplar to the title, unlike all these other so-called charlatans around the world. Know this, if nothing else you have my support in your future endeavors, whatever they may be."
"Thank you Alice Louise Goddodin; you have no idea how much your words mean to me." He said in an equally quiet whisper before speaking up saying "Alas, parting is such sweet sorrow, but you can't expect the dragon to return the distressed damsel can you?"
"No, no you cannot. Now, go forth Sir Emiya and rescue fair maiden!" Alice said jovially as a Rolls Royce pulled up, being driven by none other than Barnaby Smalls.
As the car drove away Alice's father came and stood next to his daughter. Putting a hand on her shoulder he said "I hope you know what you're doing my dear, giving him that."
"I know what it means, and I'm sure I made the right decision picking him of all people."
"Let us hope your right my dear." Lord Goddodin chuckled before saying "I wonder what your mother would think of this, if she were still with us?"
"Of me, choosing a Campione of all people? Nothing good Father nothing good at all I expect." She said before they both headed back indoors, with Alice thinking 'May the Goddess keep you safe Lord Kusanagi.'
Marquise Voban's chambers, a room that was Spartan yet lavish all the same. Mounted on the walls were the heads of numerous monstrous creatures, the floor was covered in rich woods and rugs made of animal pelts, a large four-poster bed sat in a far corner of the room next to several solid oak dressers. And a roaring stone fireplace currently blazed that cast it all in half shadows, making the place seem more hostile than inviting.
It was here that Voban paced around, debating with himself on how to handle this coming Campione and whether or not it will affect his planned hunt. He walked over to his dresser on top of which sat a small wooden box, and gently opened it. Inside on a blue velvet cushion laid the summoning catalyst he intended to use. It was a hexagon shaped crystal roughly two feet long with pointed ends on both the top and bottom. It was found in the depths of Africa and it was the strangest crystal he had ever seen.
It was clear, yet no light was able to pass through it. It was harder than even a diamond, and seemed to shift, and moved almost like fog in the wind at times. In truth, in all his three hundred years of life Sasha Voban had never come across such an odd, borderline alien substance.
"Yet I am sure if I use this as a catalyst, I shall summon worthy prey, Hades, King Midas, or Hermes perhaps?"
'Yet, with this...guest coming soon, he could possibly ruin my hunt.' Voban mused while stroking his chin
"That simply cannot be allowed." Voban said to himself as he took his catalyst in hand and left his quarters began something that would later be equated to the pebble that set off the avalanche.
Somewhere else...
"Do you have the Message?" a booming voice asked, his face obscured by thunderclouds.
"Yes my Lord." Another figure said in answer as he bowed. His head lowered in reverence.
"Very well, see that it is delivered to him then."
"I shall leave at once." The kneeling figure said, before he disappeared in a flash of golden light.
The place the messenger had just left was a place not shaken by winds nor ever wet with rain, nor did snow fall upon it, but the air outspread clear and cloudless, and over it hovered a radiant whiteness. This place was known as Olympus. A grand temple made of white marble floated within the vast whiteness, its inside was built like the roman coliseum several rows of high backed chairs sinking downwards to form an amphitheater of sorts.
Pandora, who was sitting upon one of the thrones made of marble in between both her mother and father commented to the shrouded figure "I still don't see how this is necessary Lord Zeus."
"Lady Pandora, please be reasonable. We know nothing about this man. The Memories of the Void tell us nothing. Even you yourself know nothing about this man, this Campione, yet you choose to lay claim to him as your betrothed?" Zeus asked as the storm clouds lifted revealing his face.
The King of the Greek Gods had the appearance of an old, if incredibly fit and muscular, white haired man possessing an equally white braided beard. His eyes were pure white, and he wore a white toga and golden armguards on both of his arms.
"Know your place King of Greece, and watch you do not overstep your bounds!" Pandora warned, her voice ringing with power and warning before she continued in her normal tone "I may not know much about him, but I know that Kusanagi Godou is a good person way, way, WAY, deep down inside. What I meant was, is it really necassary to send Hermes?"
"You worry too much Lady Pandora. It is a great honor to be sent an a message by us, and with Hermes being the messenger no less." Zues said dismissivly.
'Yeah, I highly doubt Kusanagi-kun will see it like such a great honor.' Pandora thought sarcastically.
"Lady Pandora, if I may ask a question?" A white haired purple eyed young girl inquired.
"Yes Athena-chan, what is it?"
"I am curious, what do you see in this Campione?"
"Kusanagi is...well, it is very hard to describe. It's like, it's like he has this inner steel to him like he's a warrior of old almost. A warrior who has seen too much yet still refused to break. It has made him cynical, and abrasive, but underneath that I sense he is still a kind person. I can see it in the way he treats both me and others he comes into contact with regularly." The True Goddess resonded.
"My Daughter speaks the truth. Kusanagi Godou...has much steel in him. So much so, that at first I mistook him for a God of Steel when he answered his door a year back." Hephaestus chimed in backing up his "daughter's" statement.
"Surely you jest Hephaestus? No mortal; not even a Campione, could be mistaken for a Steel God surely?" Asked a golden haired youth; his eyes aglow with the color of the setting sun, his toga being made of a black wolves' pelt.
"I know what I felt Apollo, and I felt Steel and much of it. Or did you forget that I am a craftsman?"
"I have not forgotten old friend, but for a human, Campione or no, to possess such a strong affinity for Steel is...worrisome to say the least." The Sun God said with a frown.
"Indeed, this is why I have sent Hermes to bring him here so we might get to the bottom of this." Zeus commented.
"Speaking of the Messenger, why is he not back yet? It doesn't usually take him this long to complete any given task." Athena commented.
Pandora's eyes suddenly widened in surprise before she quickly said "That would be because Godou is attempting to kill him at the moment!"
"WHAT?!" Zeus boomed before he waved his hand and the floor of the amphitheater swirled and was replaced by a birds' eye view of a fight already taking place between the Messenger God and Pandora's betrothed.
Several Minutes Earlier, Human World, Near the Balkan-Turkey border...
Archer and Ena decided to approach the Balkans from Turkey, as it would lead directly into Bulgaria and from there, Mt. Musala and Voban's base. They had just made it through customs when Archer felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with a man around the same age as him. He was fair skinned, had dark brown hair, and light blue eyes and his face had angular features. He wore a winged bronze helmet as well as sandals on his feet. In his left hand he carried a scepter that depicted two twining serpents along with a pair of wings cast in bronze.
Archer's eyes served him well now, as once he glanced as the man's helm, shoes, and staff he knew who he was...and some of what he was capable of. Ena too, seemed to realize that this man was not human, and watched him silently, her eyes filled with wary trepidation.
"I'm not sure what the Greek God of Messengers wants with me, but if you've come to cause trouble you would've attacked already. So, I can only assume you're here to deliver a message. However, it will have to wait, as I'm busy." Archer responded before he turned...only to find Hermes right in front of him smiling slightly.
"Now, now, Lord Kusanagi; I don't get sent out for just any reason you know. This is important. Surely, you don't want to anger all of Olympus?"
"Kusanagi-sama..." Ena said warningly.
"I could care less Hermes." Archer said ignoring his Vassals plea.
"Eh, you can't be serious?!"
"You heard me; I have more important things to do right now than attend to the whims of Gods. Now, if you'll excuse me." He said before slipping past the still shell-shocked god.
...Only for Hermes to grab his shoulder as he walked past.
"Kusanagi, apparently you don't understand the gravity of the situation here. They sent ME, a GOD, to come and escort you to Olympus itself! Do you understand what and honor your being granted?"
"Is that so? Well I hate to disappoint you, but I can't attend your little get together right now, someone needs me. She's waiting for me to save her. It would be rude to keep a lady waiting."
"It's even ruder not to mention borderline stupid to keep a god, not to mention an entire pantheon waiting Kusanagi. Now come we must-"Hermes was cut off by a sudden feeling of razor hot blades being raked across his right arm, the one on the Godslayers' shoulder.
"Apparently you didn't hear me properly messenger. Perhaps all those centuries of shouting the gods' orders have deafened you? I'll speak up then. I Don't Have Time For This. Now, let me go before things get ugly."
"I can't do that Kusanagi, I have my orders."
"And I have my duty...and you're in the way of that." Archer said before he spun on his heel and sucker punched the god, sending him flying into a wall...only for him to phase through it.
'Well, this could be troublesome.' Archer noted as he summoned his signature swords Kanshou and Bakuya to his hands and prepared to defend himself.
"Ena, stay back, see if you can't keep the civilians away." Archer called, only to find the girl already several yards away, watching the wall, a strange barrier glowing on the ground keeping the normal people away.
"You just had to be difficult didn't you? Very well then; if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you shall have." The resigned voice of Hermes...came from behind Archer.
The white haired Campione turned around just in time to be slugged in the face, with enough force behind the blow to make it feel akin to a sledgehammer.
'Ouch, that hurt. Hermes wasn't known for his strength...what's going on here?' Archer thought as he spat out a glob of blood from his mouth before charging at the god.
He swung at him with Bakuya, only for the white blade to phase through his body and for him to deliver yet another punishing strike with his fist. This time to Archer's chest, knocking the wind out of him.
"Are you done? Can I escort you to Olympus now?" Hermes asked.
"No." Archer grunted out before he jumped backwards and summoned his bow, along with a Broken Hrunting, and fired it at the fleet-footed god.
Only for him to once again to phase through the attack...this is exactly what Archer wanted.
"I am the bone of my sword, Caladbolg II." He chanted before firing the False Spiral Sword, its rapid rotations tearing through space.
Sensing danger, Hermes dodged to the side and managed to avoid the spiraling sword, but not without injury. Hermes let out a hiss of pain as he looked as his left shoulder, stripped to the bone of flesh and bleeding profusely. He then raised his fist and punched behind him, destroying the returning Hrunting without so much as a scratch, before turning to the Campione who managed to wound him and asked "What was that weapon? Surely it was no arrow as it was capable of wounding a god."
"Indeed it wasn't, that was the legendary Caladbolg sword of Fergus mac Róich."
"It didn't look like a legendary Irish sword."
"Well, you'll find I'm full of surprises, much like you yourself Lord of Boundaries'."
"Ah, so you figured it out then?"
Archer nodded "I was confused at first. Nowhere in your legends are you known for great strength. Then, it came to me. You weren't becoming stronger you were making yourself denser via an authority, I'm assuming this same authority allows you to pass through objects?"
Hermes chuckled besides himself. Never before had he met such an interesting human.
'No wonder Lady Pandora was drawn to him, he is a true enigma.'
"Indeed Lord Kusanagi, that and so much more. But now that you know this; surely you realize that defeating me will be quite difficult?"
"On the contrary, I have just the blade for you. Cut only that which needs to be cut, Yawarakai-Te." He intoned summoning a new blade to his hand.
It was a simple and elegant katana style blade that gleamed in the sunlight; its handle was wrapped in white silk with a guard cast in bronze in the shape of the imperial seal of japan and matching fittings. It spoke of beauty, functionality and simplicity, this was Yawarakai-Te the sword forged by the legendary smith Masamune.
Archer admired the master workmanship of Yawarakai for a moment, before turning to Hermes who was looking at the blade warily and saying "Let's continue, shall we?"
With that, the two charged each other anew, "round two" had begun...
With Aoko
"Was that really necessary Saber?" Aoko asked as the purple clothed knight sheathed his blade upon his back, having just finished killing a Shirou form a different universe, this one called Shirou Kotomine.
"Indeed it was my dear. Even though this person clearly wasn't my son to let something as powerful as he was roam freely... " Sparda replied letting the sentence hang.
Aoko just sighed in response. "I suppose you have a point, We probably did this world a favor by killing him instead of leaving him alive. C'mon Saber, we're done here."
With that, the Magician and her Servant walked back through the portal behind them.
"Any luck?" Rin asked.
"No, but we did bump into that universes Shirou."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, it turns out it was a false alarm. At first I thought he was raised by that damn priest Kotomine."
This response caused Rin to involuntarily gag.
"P-please tell me you're kidding?" She practically begged after she got herself under control.
"No, I'm not. But he's no longer a problem."
"Why's that?" Dante asked.
"I killed him." Sparda said stiffly.
"WHAT THE HELL OLD MAN?!" the red coated half-devil shouted.
"Calm down Dante, as Aoko said it was a false alarm...that person, he was not your brother, not my son. He was someone who had no care for anything or anyone who got in the way of his goals; I did the right thing, killing him."
Vergil shifted uncomfortably in his seat hearing his own father say that.
"Actually he was lot like Emiya, now that I think about it." Aoko mused.
"He was? Sparda asked.
"Yeah, Emiya when he was a Counter Guardian did whatever it took to protect humanity as a whole, even if that meant killing hundreds of thousands of people so that trillions of others could live. Young, old, women or children. That's what it meant to be a Counter Guardian to kill both the innocent and the guilty." Aoko took a long shuddering breath before she said "Anyway, we've narrowed it down right Old Man?"
"Why yes Miss Blue, indeed we have." Zelretch responded.
"Did I say we? I meant I've narrowed it down since I'm doing all the leg work." She responded with a smile worthy of Rin.
"Alright, that's enough you two. Master Zelretch, if you would be so kind as to continue?" Sparda asked.
"Ahem, yes, well at least you have some manners Sparda. It's more than I can say for Miss Emiya here. Anyway moving on, yes indeed we have narrowed down the search field quite a bit. We could find Emiya in as little as twelve hours now." The Dead Apostle Ancestor surmised.
"Twelve hours huh; in that case I have an errand to run. C'mon Saber; I may need your help." Aoko said before she made her way towards the portal that led to Emiya, Sakura's, and Rin's home dimension.
"Sempai, where are you going?"
"Nowhere important Sakura, I'm just picking up a few important things. In fact, you and Rin should probably head out and get anything of value from your houses; it may be awhile before we come back here."
"There is nothing I value where I live Sempai."
"I'm sorry Sakura I didn't mean to-"Only for said girl to interrupt saying "No need to apologize Sempai."
"Regardless you're going to need more than just the clothes on your back, Rin?"
"Yes Aoko-sama?"
"It's just Aoko Rin, just Aoko. Could you please take your sister shopping while I'm out running my errands?" the redheaded magician asked before pulling a wad of yen out of her pocket.
"Right, sorry. What do you say Sakura...would that be ok with you?"
"Shopping with my older sister? That sounds like fun." She said with a small smile.
"Alright then, you girls and Dante have fun. Sparda said happily.
"Huh, why am I going?"
"Well you didn't expect two ladies to carry their own bags all across town now did you son?"
"...Yeah, I kinda did."
"You heard him you lazy bum, you're coming with us so get up off your ass and maybe if your good we'll treat you to some ice-cream." Rin said haughtily.
"Please Dante-san?" Sakura asked using her secret weapon...the puppy-dog eyes of doom.
"Well when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" he said before he got up from where he was sitting with his feet on Zelretch's desk.
"So while I'm being treated as a pack mule, what's he going to be doing?" Dante asked pointing his thumb at his older brother.
"He'll be waiting here to inform us if Master Zelretch finishes early. Now, I believe everyone has something they should be doing, yes?" Sparda asked in a way that said "Get a move on."
"Vergil I'd like a word with you please." Sparda asked nodding towards a corner of the room
"Yes father?" Vergil asked though he had a feeling he knew what this was about already.
"I would like to know exactly what you were thinking raising the Temen-ni-gru? His father said disapprovingly.
'No point in hiding it.' Vergil thought so he answered honestly, saying "I wanted power."
"Why?"
"So I would never have to fear anything again, like I did when Eve died."
Sparda sighed and rubbed his non-monocled eye before he said "Vergil, son, let me tell you something important in regards to power. At the end of the day, it's not how much power you have that matters, if you use it or seek to obtain it for the wrong reasons." Sparda said cryptically.
"What does that mean?" Vergil asked.
"I can't tell you everything son. Something's have to be sought to be fully understood." Sparda said before he left in search of his daughter in law.
With that, Zelretch's office cleared out except for Vergil and The Old Man of the Jewels himself, both of whom stared at each other for a moment before Zelretch reached into his desk and pulled out half a bottle of Grey Goose and asked "Drink?"
With Aoko
Aoko walked alone through the woods, seemingly searching for something. She suddenly stopped as if finding it. She then raised her fist and gave a swift jab completely shattering the Einzbern bounded fields in the process. She then continued on towards the lavish mansion in the middle of the forest.
"I bet that got their attention. Well, speak of the devil." Aoko said as a young seemingly twelve year old girl along with two maids, apparently in their thirties respectively, on either side of her. All three were looking at her in surprise.
"What, were you expecting Caster?" she joked.
Illya blinked, then shook herself lightly and said with a bit of authority "Well, quite frankly yes we were Miss Aozaki. I certainly did not expect to run into the Fifth Magician here of all places."
Then, one of the other maids, a rather stern looking one said disapprovingly "More importantly what have we done to anger a Magician?"
"Sella calm down."
"Mistress with all due respect you seem to fail to recognize the severity of the situation. A Magus has attacked and destroyed our bounded fields, and not just any magus but a Magician no less! This could technically be considered an act of war on the entire Einzbern family from Clan Aozaki considering she herself is the current Head. A war we would most likely lose seeing as we no longer possess the Third."
"Are you quite finished?" Aoko asked.
"Yes." Sella responded quietly.
"Good then I can tell you that I have no intention of "declaring war" on the Einzberns' not that it would be much of a war if I did. As you said; I have the Fifth while you have..."
"A giant, berserk, semi-immortal demigod?" Illya offered while materializing Hercules behind her in all his bestial, sub-human glory.
"Well, yes, there's that; anyway, seeing as I have Magic and you don't I could completely tear the Einzbern Family apart within a day or less most likely." Aoko mused.
"S-surely you jest?!" Sella asked fearfully.
"Nope, to be honest, when it comes to spells besides the Fifth I completely fail at anything above the most basic of spells. But when it comes to destruction..."
A high pitched vibrating suddenly filled the clearing where the four were, signifying that Aoko had activated her magic circuits. She then turned faced a rather large boulder that roughly the size of berserker sitting in the clearing and said "Missiles fire."
With just those two words, more than a dozen blue-white beams of light flew out from Aoko and completely decimated the Hercules-sized boulder, leaving not even pebbles behind. She then deactivated her circuits and turned back to the impressed homunculi saying "You were saying Sella-san?"
Silence reigned in the clearing until Illya cleared her throat apparently finally having regained her wits enough to speak. "As impressive as that was, why are you here Miss Aozaki?"
"I came to offer you a proposition on the behalf of my husband."
"You're married?" Illya said wistfully.
Only Sella and Leysritt knew this, but Illyas' greatest dream was to get married. All three of them knew it was a foolish dream to have however as for one, Illya was forever trapped in the form of a twelve year old girl, something only a pedophile would find appealing. For another she was meant to die to bring the Holy Grail and thus the Third Magic back to the Einzbern family. Finally, Illya knew if she somehow survived, she was likely not meant to live past the Grail War, her purpose being served.
"Who's your husband can I see your ring what was the wedding like? Illya asked in rapid fire.
"Woah, woah, calm down Illyasviel." Aoko said with a laugh.
"Please, call me Illya Miss?"
"Aoko Emiya."
"Oh I see Emiya...EMIYA! You- you mean you married my papa?!" Illya said becoming angry.
"No, I married the young man your father rescued from the fires caused by the end of the Fourth Grail War. Also, before you ask, the reason your father never came back for you is because Acht wouldn't let him past the Einzbern Family bounded fields for "betraying" his family during the last war."
Illya shook her head in denial "Grandpapa wouldn't..."
'Yes he would!' she realized.
Jubstacheit von Einzbern would do anything to obtain the Third Magic for the Einzbern family again...including sacrificing his own granddaughter to obtain it. Some even spoke in whispers that obtaining the Third was the only thing keeping him alive.
'If Grandpa- no, Acht willing to go that far to obtain the Third, what would stop him from not letting Papa come get me?' Illya thought.
Answer: Nothing.
Upon realizing that she had been used for the last nineteen years Illya did the only thing she could...she broke down and cried. She cried for her mother, for her father, for the fact that she was raised to hate her father, and led like a lamb to the slaughter. She felt two arms wrap around her comfortingly, and she gripped onto the person as if they were a lifeline, which for her, they were.
"It'll be ok Illya I promise it'll be ok..." the voice said before she drifted off into a deep sleep.
Aoko pick Illya up after she cried herself to sleep in her arms and then motioned to the identical looking maids to lead onwards toward Einzbern Mansion.
Back with Archer things were faring better than in his first bout with Hermes; though one would have to look close to see it as Archer's face was covered in blood from a broken nose and there was a bleeding cut just above his right eye, hampering his vision as Hermes managed to get in a few sucker punches early on. The divine messenger however, unlike before; was now warily hanging back, just out of reach of the Campiones' projected blade, he also was wobbling slightly on his right leg, and his left arm hung limply at his side. Yet there were no obvious wounds to account for any of these obvious signs of injury.
That was thanks to the special ability of Yawarakai-Te, the Sword of Masamune, and the sword that cut only what needed to be cut according to myth. What that equates to is a sword that phases through all except what needed to be cut as per its legend; allowing it to phase through the skin of the God and cut the flesh and bone underneath. But, even more so, it was also able to harm Hermes even when he attempted to phase through it himself.
"Would you like to give up? You still can you know." Archer quipped.
"No. No, I don't think I will."
"It's your funeral then."
With that Archer leapt at the Psychopomp god yet again and this time swung vertically for his head, only for Hermes to phase through the floor making him miss spectacularly. He then assumed a defensive stance with Yawarakai-Te held out loosely in front of him and his legs bent slightly as he muttered
"Come forth from the darkness, and charge from the shadows.
Carve a bloody swath through the night.
May heedless cries for mercy herald you're coming, and may silence mark you're passing.
Cover all I see before me in darkness.
Trample all under hoof, and sheathe your weapons in the bodies of the usurpers!
Rise up now and ride ten thousand strong, Army of Darkness!"
Causing his shadow to lengthen and for some of his demonic armies to rise, in all their dark glory.
"My Lord, I did not expect to be needed again so soon, not that I'm complaining." Arshad commented upon being brought forth along with three hundred others of his kind.
"Alright men listen up! Our enemy is Hermes of the Greek Gods. From what I can tell he has an authority that lets him change his density, allowing him to phase through objects or gain a form of super strength. He may have other authorities as well so be careful." Archer commented.
"What was his last known location sire?" Arshad asked.
"He phased into the floor when I tried to slice off his head."
Arshad then gave three short clicks followed by what could only be described to archer as a whinny and the rest of the herd immediately reacted, by forming a circular formation around him with all of them taking out their bows, nocking their arrows and taking aim at either the ceiling, one of the walls, or in some cases the floor.
"Impressive." Archer commented at length.
"What did you expect from an Equesterdraconin legion sire?"
"I'm not sure what to expect for the lot of you honestly."
"Then prepare to be amazed." Arshad said before he let out a few more clicks, before his men aimed as one towards the ceiling and loosened a hail of wickedly barbed arrows- where Hermes appeared only moments later, too fatigued from his earlier bouts with Archer to avoid the barrage; thus turning him into a pincushion before he fell heavily to the terminal floor.
"Something not right, that was too easy..." Archer said uneasily before h made his way towards the downed figure...only to see Ena in place of the divine messenger.
"ENA!" Archer rushed to his vassals' side and quickly knelt and gathered her in his arms saying "Come on Seishuuin say something! Hell, say anything!" he asked shaking her lightly.
"K-Kusanagi-sama?" she managed to get out weakly.
"Yeah Ena, what is it?" he said, temporarily forgetting to be sarcastic in light of the situation.
"If Ena doesn't make it out of this alive, can you apologize to Yuri for me?"
'Even now at a time like this she's worrying about that?'
"Don't worry about that right now Ena. Right now, you just need to lie down and rest ok?"
"Rest sounds good Kusanagi-sama." Ena said before she slowly closed her eyes.
Archer quickly moved the girl within the ring of warriors before summoning several copies of Woundhealer and plunging them into his sworn servant, while silently berating himself for not doing so sooner. He then looked at his hands...they were covered in her blood.
"How symbolically ironic." He muttered to himself as he thought of the gallons of innocent blood spilled by his hands, before he turned to Arshad and said "Arshad, you and some of your men are to say here and guard Ena as she recovers. The rest of you herd these people out of here, this building is coming down."
"My Lord, surely you cannot think to take this one on without an authority?" Arshad asked incredulously.
"You presume that summoning you is the only authority I have Arshad. Watch and learn-"he said before he intoned
"Earth, Steel, Fire, and Wind;
These make up your being.
From the Earth, you come,
From Steel you are forged,
Fire; shapes you,
And Wind? Wind breathes life into your cooling forms.
Arise now and crush my foes!"
Chanting this aria, Archer summoned four thirty-six foot tall golems made of steel. Their collective forms looked identical. All of them roughly hewn out of solid metal looking as if they were carved almost from rock with golden phosphorescent runes covering their shoulders, forearms, and thighs. Each of the golems had a massive hammer where their left hands should've been, it too was also covered in golden glowing runes. Their eyes glowed with life and a limited form of intelligence flickered in their collective eyes each the color of burning coals.
"Alright listen up you blockheads! Somewhere hiding in these walls is an enemy! I don't care if you have to tear this place apart, but I want his broken body brought to me understood?!"
"-!" the golems said in response before they started smashing down the walls with their hammers, fists, and their bodies in general in an attempt to find their foe.
"Kusanagi, stop this madness!"
"I'm not the one who started this Hermes, you were." Archer said coolly as he turned around to find Hermes floating only inches off the ground twenty feet behind him.
"If you had just come with me, none of this would've had to have happen boy!" the god retorted.
Archers' face contorted in rage as he spat "I'm not talking about Olympus anymore Hermes!"
"Then why in the gods names are we still fighting?!" the god asked with a confused look on his face.
"We're still fighting, because the moment you involved Ena in our fight, this became personal. And when things become personal with me, I tend to do borderline impossible things that are usually considered insane by others...like this for example."
"Wha-"
That was all Hermes had time to say before he had to dodge to the side as a gigantic steel hammer came up through the floor, followed by another, and still another. Yet, because of his myth endowed speed, he managed to avoid all of them before he glanced at the Campione saying "You summoned four golems above ground to draw me out of hiding, and three below to act the real attack; very clever Kusanagi." He praised.
"Thanks but your wrong about one thing." Archer commented while smirking.
Hermes had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach when he asked "And what might that be?"
"Those golems weren't attacking you...they were leading you." Archer told him.
It took just a moment for Hermes to figure out what the red clad Campione meant. One moment too many, as by the time he did, all he had time for was a look of surprise to dawn on his face before he was utterly crushed beneath several tons of sentient steel in the form of a golem landing on him from roughly sixty-thousand feet; sending both him and the living projectile crashing into the basement where three more golems awaited, hammers at the ready.
"I love it when a plan comes together." Archer quipped before jumping down into the massive hole created by the golems landing.
He walked through the dust and debris to come upon an almost comical sight. There sat his golem with Hermes trying desperately to get out from underneath him to no avail.
'It's like two kids wrestling on a playground and the bigger kid winning by simply sitting on the smaller one.' Archer mused as he made his way over to the still struggling Hermes.
"Well, looks like I won't be going with you afterall huh divine messenger?"
"Think...about what...you're doing...you fool! If you don't come back...with me...you risk angering...an entire pantheon of gods!" Hermes said between grunts of exertion as he attempted to get out from under the golem.
"I'll take my chances; Oh and Hermes?" he said with a note of finality.
Something in the way the Campione said his name made him look up at him. He found him holding a gigantic slab of jaggedly carved stone easily twice his height, carved into the crude shape of a sword above his head with one hand no less.
"This? This is for Ena." He said before he swung the massive weapon of Hercules, Nine Lives down upon his head splitting it in two before he could even scream.
He then dismissed, both Nine Lives and his Golems before jumping back out of the hole...only to find himself in a large amphitheater-like room with many thrones, all of them occupied by stony-faced people in togas. On three of which were people he recognized.
"Well, Toto I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." That was the first thing to come out of Archer's mouth upon realizing where he was.
With Dante Sakura and Rin
'Well all things considered this could be worse...I could owe these chicks money I'd never be able to pay off.' The Youngest son of Sparda mused as he carried a seeming mountain of bag and parcels that blocked his vision while being told to hurry up by a pigtail tsundere.
"Then again, I could be dead wrong. This ice-cream had better be top shelf." Dante said to himself as he meandered off to the next store.
That is till he heard a woman scream, and not just any woman, but Sakura. This caused Dante to drop all of the packages he was carrying as he raced around the corner, coming face to face with an odd sight.
A punk in a brown school uniform had Sakura by her hair, pulling on it tightly while yelling in her face. Rin yelled obscenities' at the man who was apparently called Shinji while being held in the grip of what looked to be a beautiful purple haired dominatrix wearing a very strange visor over her eyes. Shinji raised his hand to strike Sakura, only to be stopped an inch from her face as someone grabbed his arm and held it in a viselike grip causing him to cry out in pain.
"W-who are you?" Shinji managed to get out through gritted teeth.
"Me? I'm just a pack mule. But even pack mules can kick hard if you piss em off, and buddy, you just pissed me off." Dante said before he lifted Shinji up off the ground with one hand and tossed him into a nearby open dumpster.
He then glanced over at the dominatrix and said "Let her go, unless of course, you wanna go dumpster diving with your friend there."
A small smile played across the woman's lips before she gently let go of Rin, before helping the idiot out of the dumpster.
"You ok girls?" he asked.
"We'd be better if you'd have shown up sooner! But thanks for the rescue I suppose." Rin said.
"Thank you Dante-san." Sakura said as she watched her brother shouting at the purple haired Servant for "Not protecting her master"
"What good is a Servant who doesn't even protect her Master? Honestly, you're useless Rider." Shinji complained as he got out of the dumpster.
"I'm sorry Master, but you instructed me not to let the girl go." Rider responded it was obvious to everyone by the way she said master that she had no respect for the boy.
"You bitch! It's your job to keep me safe you hear, not talk back to me!" Shinji said preparing to strike her...only to once again be stopped by Dante who was now looking at him with something akin to annoyance.
"Kid, you really don't learn do you? The first time you tried to hit a girl in front of me, what happened to you?"
"Oh yeah, well that's not gonna happen this time hero." Shinji mocked before continuing "Because I have a Servant and you're just a normal human. Now, here's what's going to happen; Riders going to kill you then I'm going to go back to showing my useless "sister" the penalty for going missing and after I'm done with her I'm gonna have some fun with Tohsaka over there." He finished with a bit of sadistic glee entering his voice.
"You're not going to lay one hand on me or my sister you damn pervert!" Rin shouted back.
"Rin, this guy you and Sakura's older brother or something?" Dante asked.
"Ugh! Please don't say that again! It makes me gag just thinking about being related to him." Rin said as she shuddered.
Dante raised an eyebrow in inquiry before saying "Huh? But Sakura called you her sister earlier, and he called Sakura his sister so..."
"I was adopted into a different family at a young age Dante-san Rin is by biological sister, while Shinji is my stepbrother." Sakura explained
"Yeah and he's also a foul fucking rapist who deserves to die!" Rin spat angrily.
Dante's grip on Shinji's arm tightened to the point where his bones began to crack under the strain.
"Rin, please don't." Sakura begged but her sister wasn't listening as she continued "That, that piece of human refuse that degenerate of humanity defiled my sister, constantly, for the past several years! He deserves to die!"
Dante turned to Shinji and asked "Is this true?"
When he didn't respond Dante tightened his grip and asked again "Is this true?!"
"Yeah, I raped her. But so what? She should be grateful she was brought into the great Matou family, grateful that she gets to learn our family secrets, GRATEFUL THAT SHE'S IN MY RIGHTFUL PLACE AS HEIR TO THE MATOU POWER!"
"So she should be grateful for the fact that you decide to rape her, is that it?" Dante said coolly.
"Yeah that's right! If it wasn't for the generosity of my Grandfather she wouldn't have a home to begin with, and she's not even a person anyway just some material to be used in one of the old buzzards experiments', according to the old man. So what's wrong with me having some fun with her?"
Dante looked into Shinji Matou's eyes and he didn't see the eyes of a human being. No, instead, he saw the eyes of a Devil who was using a girl as a disposable plaything. Luckily, Dante knew how to handle Devils...
Shinji's eye's widened in surprise as he man Dante reached inside his coat an withdrew a solid black pistol before pointing it at Shinji and saying "Devils Never Cry." shooting him right between the eyes, killing him instantly before he could even scream.
"Why?" Sakura asked as she looked at Shinji's dead body with something akin to apathy.
"Cause he quit being human a long time ago. C'mon you two, let's get outta here. You owe me some ice cream and some solid answers. Like where that purple hair chick disappeared to the moment I took the trash out." Dante said tossing Shinji's body aside, stashing Ebony back in his coat, and walking past the girls to the entrance of the alleyway they were in.
Voban's Estate
Liliana Kranjcar couldn't understand it. She knew it was going to happen of course, but it was happening much earlier than planned. Half an hour ago Lord Voban had her gather up all the Hime-Miko's and lead them all to the basement where, deep, deep underground, a large gladiator like arena pit, filled with sand and walls and a vaulted ceiling made of solid stone awaited them; their only light source coming from flaming brackets of torches on the walls placed every few feet. Set upon a round stone dais on a metal pole topped with a claw sat a strange crystal.
"Have the Hime-Miko form a circle around the gem and the ritual commence!" Voban commanded when she entered with his captives.
'I had hoped King Kusanagi would arrive here soon enough to stop this madness.' She thought half-heartedly as she watched the Hime-Miko began to send all of their power into the strange crystal. She turned away as the first one fell, and showed no signs of life. She flinched everytime she heard the occasional thump as yet another young girl met her demise for a so-called King's pleasure.
She turned however when the sound of ripping fabric met her ears.
...And found not fabric ripping at least not any normal fabric. Within the middle of the dais, just above the crystal a seam a ripped open in the very air itself. The hole gave off a feeling of 'wrongness' as if it and whatever was on the other side of it...didn't belong in this world at all.
This feeling was proven when something on the other side of the hole let out an inhuman screech which was followed up by a thick crystal-like tentacle that was colored every color of the rainbow shooting out of the portal and piercing one of the still living Hime-Miko straight through the chest in a disturbing display of blood before dragging her into the portal. This act was followed by a limb easily big enough to crush a human being, a car, and hell even a tank making its way out of the portal.
'Yes, yes finally! The time for my hunt has come!' Voban thought as a look of sadistic glee spread across his face.
Liliana only thoughts however were saving as many innocents as she could from...whatever the hell that thing was. She ran to the nearest Hime-Miko that was still alive, which happened to be Yuri Mariya and said to her "Listen to me, gather up as many of the others as you can, we're getting out of here!"
Mariya looked dazed for a moment before she shook her head and nodded swiftly saying "Right!"
Thus the two gathered as many as they could and fled, not knowing that the power of the thing Voban summoned, was distant and far reaching...
Mt. Olympus, home of the Greek Gods according to legend, and right now all twelve of them plus a guest were having a stare off with a certain red-coated Campione.
"As nice as it is to see you and your parents again Pandora, I don't have time for this meeting. Yuri is in trouble, and if I don't do something soon she could die." He said looking his purple hair fiancé straight in her emerald green eyes.
"I'm sorry for having to drag you here my betrothed, especially when time is of the essence, but someone insisted on speaking with you." Pandora said while shooting a glare at Zeus.
"I see, well then out with it already. What do you want from me Zeus?"
"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT! Zeus thundered quite literally "You dare speak to me, the King of the Greek Pantheon this way?!"
"Yes, as all throughout your myth it is shown you have no honor. You discard your allies when they are no longer useful, you constantly shame your marriage vows, and you refuse to protect any children you may have from these illicit affairs. So go ahead and blow and bluster all you want you damn petulant child. Your temper-tantrums mean nothing to me." Archer said dismissively.
Nobody said anything. They were too shocked at the way this stranger, this godslayer, had for lack of a better term, "Verbally ripped their king a new asshole."
"So, does someone want to tell me why exactly I'm here?" He asked after a moment.
"You...YOU...YOU!" Zeus raged, his temper rising as the clouds around them darkened and boomed with the sound of thunder.
*Thock* *Thock* Thock* only for the sound of three arrows striking their targets to be heard between a clap of thunder. Two landed crisscrossed on either side of Zeus's neck, while the last one landed right in-between his legs.
"Now listen up! The lot of you has five seconds to tell me exactly why I'm here before I treat this place like a shooting range!" Archer said before he summoned several broken versions of Caladbolg that floated aimlessly around the room.
"Now see here." Poseidon, Greek God of the seas who looked more like a middle-aged surfer than a god. He had tan skin, sea-green eyes sun-kissed blonde hair that was held back by a hair tie, a scruffy goatee, and a swimmers physique complete toga that looked like it was made out of seaweed. In his hands was a three pronged trident.
"One."
"If you would just calm down I'm sure we could sort this-"
"Two."
The multiple copies of Caladbolg stopped moving.
"Be reasonable Kusanagi." Artemis who looked like a very beautiful girl about 19 years of age, with long auburn hair, and bright silver eyes, wearing black leather hunters shirt and pants.
"Three."
"I think Lord Kusanagi is beyond reason." Said Dionysus god of revelry, calmly as if he wasn't about to die as he sat on his throne in the form of an elegant man who was dressed in a three piece suit and holding a glass of wine sipping it demurely.
"Why don't we just kill him and be done with it? Ares who was in crimson colored roman lorica with blazing orange hair and beard with a bear-like stature grumbled.
"Four" Archer said before summoning three more broken Caladbolg's and aiming them directly at Ares as the other Caladblogs each locked onto a target.
"Fi-"Archer began only to feel someone's arm on his shoulder. He looked back to find Pandora looking at him pleadingly.
"My beloved, please? I promise we will get right down to business and I will even send you straight to Voban's Castle personally after we are done, but please, don't do this."
Archer stared at her long and hard for a moment, before he let out a sigh and with a wave of his hand dismissed his many broken blades.
"Thank you." Pandora said quietly before giving him a hug.
"What was the hug for?" he asked.
"I didn't get to say hello properly earlier." She responded before she buried her head in his chest and giggled.
"I missed you too Dora." He said rubbing her hair affectionately, which for him was quite something.
"Yay! Kusanagi-kun said he missed me!" She cheered as if he wasn't just about to kill her adopted family as she hugged him tighter.
"Yeah, ok, Pandora...can't breathe!" Archer wheezed out.
"Oh, sorry hehe." She said bashfully before letting him go.
"Right, now why am I here?" he asked after regaining his breath.
"You are here godslayer, for three reasons." Athena said, pausing before she continued. The first, because we wish to know just what Lady Pandora sees in you, the second so we may learn more about you, and the third to inform you if you are not already aware of what it means to be Hephaestus' successor."
"I see, let's get down to it then." Archer said standing there with his hand still on Pandora's head. It made for a very funny sight.
"Let's, but first..." Pandora said before she snapped her fingers and an ornate marble throne appeared behind Archer who she pushed him into before climbing into his lap and made herself comfortable as if she belonged there, placing her arms around his neck while she rested her head on his shoulder with her legs tucked beneath her.
"When did my little girl begin to act so brazen?" Hephaestus asked himself as a river of tears streamed down his face.
"That's my girl." Aphrodite said proudly.
"Let the inquisition begin." Archer said as he wrapped an arm around Pandora to keep her from falling off of her perch. It also had the added benefit of sending an unspoken message saying "Yeah your a pantheon, so what? Do I look intimidated to you?"
"First things first, who or what are you?" Athena asked.
"I'm a Campione isn't it obvious?"
"Husband, please be serious." Pandora said contentedly from her place on his lap.
"I am, if she wants any more than that, she'll need to rephrase the question." He said dryly.
Athena's mouth twitched just a fraction upwards and she thought 'Worthy prey at last? Interesting...'
"Alright then, why can I not get any information from the Memories of the Void pertaining to you from further back than a year?" Athena asked changing tacks.
"Most likely because the person who is Kusanagi Godou now didn't exist till a year ago." He responded nonchalantly.
At this everyone looked at him strangely even Pandora, as the gods and goddesses whispered amongst them.
"What do you mean?" the former wife of Epimetheus asked worriedly.
"Before I reveal this I need an oath from all the gods and goddesses present that they will in no way use the information I am about to reveal against me in any way, nor talk about it to anyone outside this chamber."
The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus looked at one another and nodded, and one by one they gave their oaths. All except Zeus, that is.
"Your oath Sky God or will you prove me right by acting like a stubborn child?" Archer asked as he quirked an eyebrow while Pandora shot him an icy glare that said "You're trying both our patients."
"I, Zeus, Lord of Sky and King of Olympus give my word that I will in no way use nor reveal what is about to be told to me."
"Very well then; to begin, the person, the soul that makes up the consciousness originally known as Kusanagi Godou has long since passed form this world. He died a year ago and my soul was put in his body."
This caused a stir amongst the gods of Olympus as they muttered to one another until Athena continued with her line of questioning.
"Does that have anything to do with why you look the way you do now?"
"Indeed mistress of wisdom, the reason I look the way I do, is because the body must reflect the soul, thus my body is changing to reflect my soul and its experiences." Archer confirmed.
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me Godslayer, next question. Athena said curtly before continuing "Who are you really if Kusanagi Godou is deceased?"
Archer stayed silent for a moment before he said "Me? I am but a humble Archer, nothing more nothing less."
Both Artemis and Apollo perked up at this.
"An archer you say? What kind of bow do you use?" Both asked at the same time.
Archer quirked an eyebrow, but smiled ever so slightly at their enthusiasm before he said dismissively "Here, see for yourselves." Before summoning his Black English Longbow and tossing it to the two.
Apollo, who caught the bow; blinked in surprise by its weight, as it was heavier than any bow wielded by any mortal save a demigod had a right to be.
"Heavy, for a mortal isn't it?" he asked while handing it off to his sister, who looked equally surprised and impressed.
"When you two are done, I'd like to see that." Hephaestus commented excitedly.
While the other deities glanced curiously at the bow, Pandora whispered in her paramour's ear "Even if you are not Kusanagi Godou, do you still care about me?"
"What a stupid question." He responded causing her heart to sink as she thought 'Not again, please not again!'
"Of course I still care about you...Dora-chan." He whispered back.
"What about those projectiles from earlier? They were meant for your bow no doubt, but I've never seen there like before." Artemis asked pulling the two out of their private conversation while handing the bow off to Hephaestus, who accepted it gleefully.
Archer looked at Pandora, who shook her head in answer, before saying to the other gods "My betrothed has no reason to answer that particular question as it has nothing to do with these proceedings."
But Lady Pandora we wish to know more abou-"Athena began only to be cut off by the lilac haired goddess saying "Knowing more about him and knowing his strengths and weaknesses are two different things Athena."
Once all of her fellow gods muttering died down, Pandora nodded happily. Archer decided that he'd spent enough time on Olympus and after clearing his throat stated clearly,
"So, if that's all I really need to get going."
At this announcement, Pandora let out a moan of disappointment and said "Do you have to?"
"Yes Pandora, if I don't Yuri could die." He said as if speaking to a small child.
"Good point." She said as she put her hand on her chin as she "Hmm'd" for a moment, staring off into space.
'That...is absolutely adorable.' Archer admitted privately in his thoughts, before he said "Something on your mind Dora?"
"YES!" she yelled while spontaneously slapping her fist that was previously on her face into the palm of her other hand.
"And what would that be?" her cushion asked drolly.
"Hmm, did you say something Kusanagi-kun?"
Archer let out a long drawn out sigh, the ones he only let out when someone or something was testing his patience.
"I said Dora, what were you thinking about?"
"Oh, I was just debating on whether or not to give you one of Hermes' Authorities is all, and I decided since he was technically a God on Earth that counts as him being a Heretic so you get a new Authority."
This announcement caused uproar of disapproval within the seated gods and goddesses present.
"Lady Pandora; with all due respect, have you lost your damn mind!" Zeus asked borderline rudely while
Hera who was a beautiful dusky skinned, dark haired elegant looking woman with a motherly look about her asked her placed her hand on her husband clam him while he regained his breath, decided to add in her two cents.
"Hermes was sent out as an envoy to this man, which he promptly ignored and then killed our messenger. Surely that deserves some kind of punishment?" she asked raising a pencil thin black eyebrow at her, while her gaze was directed at Archer, full of apology.
"Ok, that is the last time I stand up for you at all." The crimson cloaked Campione responded.
"I am sorry Kusanagi-san and I do appreciate you standing up for me, but I also believe that you did Hermes wrong by slaying him." Hera responded remorsefully.
'Ah I see now, politics. I hate politics.' Archer thought with a grimace.
"I understand." He said at length, causing her to smile till he continued "I understand, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
Hera looked downcast at this, but nodded in understanding.
"Now then if there is nothing else..." Archer said impatience showing in his tone and showing on his face in the way he narrowed his silver eyes.
"Actually, we still need to discuss you being Hephaestus' successor." Athena calmly pointed out.
"You, five seconds, go!" Archer ordered pointing a finger at Hephaestus.
"Basically, what that means lad is, in the event of my death you would gain any potential Authorities I would lose to someone else. If I were to lose them all then you would assume my mantle as God of the Forge."
"I figured as much. Now, if that's all; I really need to get around to rescuing my friend." Archer said making no attempt to disguise he wanted out of the meeting now.
"Beam me down Panny." He said to the pigtailed goddess.
"Aye, aye captain!" She said getting off him and giving him a mock salute with a grin and accompanying wink.
She then became somewhat serious saying "Please be careful my beloved. I do not wish to lose you."
"I'll do my best; oh and before I forget could someone do something with Ena? Please either keep her here or send her to a hospital to get treatment. I don't care which just as long as she's not in danger of getting hurt while the fight's happening."
"I'll take care of it don't worry." Pandora promised, before she snapped her fingers and enveloped him in golden light...
Archer slowly opened his eyes as the golden light died down to find himself on a windswept mountaintop littered with rocks, snow, and pieces of debris?
"Oh shit!" Archer said before he raced up the path as quickly as his Reinforced Body could carry him.
He crested a hilltop to find Yuri and another girl with silver hair running towards his position. The moment Yuri saw hm her eyes lit up, hope filling her.
Kusanagi-kun?!" She yelled happily. However that minute distraction was all that it took for the beast to strike. Which left Archer beholding a gruesome sight that was that of Yuri, impaled through the chest right where her heart would be by a strange crystalline tentacle as the young woman with silver hair, who was dragging her along, fell to the ground looking on in horror, with her hands over her mouth as tears streamed down her distraught face.
In that moment, a part of Archer shut down. His emotions were wiped from him an instant and all that was left in its place was cold hard resolve to kill the thing that killed the person he had failed to protect.
With machine-like precise movements he summoned his bow and Caladbolg II and fired round after round into the appendage of the creature until it broke off, at which point he sprang into action and caught his now deceased vassal and laid her body down gently on the ground before taking off his coat and covering her now still form with it.
"I'm sorry Yuri; I've failed to protect you." He said in a seeming dead emotionless tone as he walked out of the makeshift shelter and, as he walked past the silver-haired girl he said "Girl, I do not know your name nor do I know your involvement in these events, but that doesn't matter now. What matters now is you get out of here as there is nothing you can do here."
"Wh-who are you?" the girl who couldn't have been any more than fifteen asked.
"I, I am a Campione. And that-"He said pausing to point at the one-hundred-forty foot behemoth that seemed to be made out of every gemstone imaginable and formed with its lower half resembling an arachnid and an upper torso a seeming mockery of a human males' while either floating behind it or connected to its back was an object resembling a flying saucer. Jutting from its body in various places were crystalline tentacles that seemed to constantly change shape becoming thin and sharp, or thick and block-like slabs made for crushing.
"-That is an Ultimate One, Type Mercury to be precise, a being also known as ORT."
Liliana stared at him dumbly for a moment before she snapped out of it "You know what that thing is?!" She yelled at him.
'How the hell does he know what that thing is?' she thought.
"Yes, but that's not important right now. I need you to go over there collect the body of Yuri Mariya, and make your way off this mountain, understood?"
"Yes sir!" Liliana said saluting before heading over to the ruined wall and coming out with Yuri's body wrapped in his cloak.
"One more thing before you go girl." Archer said getting her attention, and causing her to stop her preparations to escape the soon to be battlefield.
"Yes Campione-sama?"
"Find that girls' parents, and tell them...tell them I'm sorry. Can you do that for me?"
A look of genuine surprise crossed Liliana's face before she said "Of course sir."
Archer did his best to smile warmly even though it probably came out as more of a grimace and said "Thank you, now get out of here."
The Fairy Knight just nodded in response before she [Jumped] off the mountain.
Seeing she had left safely, Archer turned to ORT and said "You took something from me. Well, I think it's only fair I take something from you in return don't you?" He asked conversationally as he readied his bow and nocked Hrunting.
"You took Yuri from me, and now, I demand your existence as payment for that act!" He yelled before firing the first of many arrows that would be unleashed upon the unnatural monster.
This was no longer about saving Yuri, no that avenue had closed. But avenging her? That was something he could still do. This was why he chose to fight even though he knew it was pointless and he would most likely die in the attempt he had to at least TRY and kill this supposedly insurmountable beast.
"The time draws near." A strange oily voice said.
"Indeed it does. Soon, very soon, our time will come, the Herald will awaken and all will bow down to us! We just need be patient a little longer...Then; all can bask in our majesty, and dance to the tune of madness." A second, far more sinister, conniving and insane voice said.
"As you say my king, as you say." The first voice commented before drifting away as the second voice began laughing manically.
Chapter End
Chapter Length: 13,465
AN: Sweet Jesus, Lord have mercy! The Seventh Chapter is DONE! HAHA! Damn do I feel good right now! Over 13k everyone! I hope to god you enjoy it. Actually you damn well better enjoy it with as much work as me and the guys put into it! Anyway here's Nix
Nix: HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?! I told you there would be Mind Fucks aplenty and I was as right as that piece of shit Shinji is dead. So can anyone else think of someone badass enough to make Zeus his bitch and himself his uncontested pimp? I can't. Also Go ahead and let the flames rain you winy assholes cause I'm cool and comfortable in my fortress of solitude. So I wonder who can bitch about this and next chapter the most? Let's find out.
"And the fact that you won't have to read any of those flames as they won't be clogging up your E-mail has nothing to do with it right Nix?"
Nix: Damn straight!
-_-...Traitor, anyway here's my new prime beta Diller with a few words
Diller: "Welp looks shit just destroyed the fan."
Too right Diller my man, as for WhiteFang he's my secondary beta who is still tweaking the sixth chap at the moment.
Now that that's out of the way I have something semi-important to say Ahem:
Some of you seem to think that this fic, with the inclusion of DMC will become a bad fic. Possibly because you think that Archer will become OP, maybe because you think having Sparta, Dante and Vergil involved would take the spotlight from Archer, I dunno I can't read minds. Regardless of that, I would like to point out that THIS Dante and Vergil are from "Dante's Awakening" so they aren't as powerful they could be, at least Dante isn't to my knowledge.
That said I ask that you at least keep an open mind and allow me to at least attempt to show you what I'm trying to do before you claim as one reviewer put it "Aaaaaaaaaaand this is heading to the shitter where bad fanfic goes to die"
Now, I respect everybody's right to have an opinion, but if you're going to judge something before it is even attempted and be borderline rude to boot, well then, all I have to say is "The exit to this fic is on the top left hand corner of your screen! Thank you and have a pleasant day." To those of you who are still reading this fic after last chapter (And will hopefully still be here after this one) I thank you.
Till next time Team Wrought Iron Cross Out!