I am the King of the people who walk the fair and righteous path.
Thunder loomed in the horizon, a great storm threatening to unleash hell upon the earth. The tides receded and violently rushed forth, creating massive waves of water that jeopradized the safety of the cities anywhere near or at the coastal embankments of Sardinia. Many smaller islands were already submerged beneath sea water, and it was on one such island that Shirou stood his ground.
The water beneath Shirou's feet repelled under the the blow of a heavy fist, his arms raised to block the offensive strike.
"Foolish," Melquart drew back his fist. "How foolish of me to not have noticed a fellow god. But even more foolish," Melquart's eyes narrowed. "Is you who would interrupt my battle with a conceited enemy. What say you in your defence?!"
Melquarts voice boomed for all to hear. As if in response, the very sky itself split in two and reigned down lightning. Melquart, the tutelary god of the Phoenician city of Tyre, was angry.
"You would have jeopardized the lives of the people living in peaceful ignorance." Shirou raised his hand, Kanshou forming in tiny mots of blue light. "And that I can not allow."
"For the sake of the humans?" Melquart stood perplexed for a moment before glaring at Shirou. "Do you not see what they have done? Do you not see the filth in which they have desecrated the oceans that I rule with? Those who would condone such actions are nothing more than wretched ilk upon the earth. So what if they die?"
Great tidal waves rose from the oceans, creating overlapping waves that traveled inland towards the coast. Sooner or later a tsunami would form.
Shirou glared at Melquart.
"They are your people, the ones who have prayed to you for salvation for decades past." Shirou argued.
Melquart's eyes softened, but didn't lose their ferocity.
"And yet many of them don't remember the old ways. Many do not even know of me, of my blessings which have protected these lands for centuries." Melquart said in restrained outrage. "I must rectify this mistake by purging the blasphemus, and sparing the few who know of my name."
Shirou shook his head.
"I can't allow that." Shirou said once again.
Shirou's eyes drifted to the violence wreaking havoc around him. Sooner or later, it would cause too much damage, too much casualties. Shirou tightened his grip around Kanshou and traced Bakuya at his other hand.
With a blade in my hand and valor in my blood, I pursued an endless dream.
"Pity. A fellow God such as yourself can not see the pest these humans are, but I grow curious." Melquart said as he lowered his stance, his front foot stretching forward. "Why do you protect them?"
Shirou locked eyes with Melquart, his gaze resolute.
"Because I made a promise." Shirou said as he raised Kanshou and Bakuya into a defensive stance. "A promise to be a Hero of Justice."
Melquart widened his eyes and bellowed loudly.
"HAhahaha." Melquart chuckled. "Truly, I was not wrong to assume you to be another God of Steel." Melquart raised an arm and laid it across his chest before bowing his head in recognition. "I respect your resolution," Melquart gazed squarely at Shirou. "And will meet it with unrivaled force!"
A shiver ran down Shirou's spine as Melquart let loose his blood lust upon the earth.
Steel was my body and fire was my might.
Shirou reinforced his body, his muscles bulging, veins popping by his eyes.
"Oh Wind, Oh Rain, Oh Thunder!' Melquart's voice boomed across the wind, mixing along with the sounds of striking thunder; the noise becoming deafening to the point that mortal ears would begin to bleed. "By Melqart's true name of Baal Hadad, I beckon thee! Oh Storm, listen to the calls of the cloud rider, make haste and come!"
The very sky parted, the clouds splitting and filtering the blessed light of the sun upon the earth.
Gold radiant beams of light illuminated the form of two twin war clubs decending down upon the battle field as if heralding the beginning of the end.
"Yagarish the Chaser," Melquart said as he caught the handle of the war club enveloped in gale force winds. "And Ayamari the Driver." Moments later, the second war club enveloped in unrestrained lightning landed within Melquart's other hand. Melquart brandished both in front of Shirou.
Melquart took a step forward.
"Then let us begin."
Melquart swung Yagarish forward, and the sea behind him swelled and rushed forth in a torrent of unrelenting water. Sea foam shot into the air, dousing the area with clumps of thick bubbles that fully enveloped Melquart, obscuring his form from vision.
As the seas surrounded Shirou in its azure hues, he jumped. Twisting his body to remain vertical he soared through the air before tossing Kanshou and Bakuya. Two spinning arcs struck to the origin, cutting through the ocean's surface like a knife to butter. The water parted in their path, the speed and vibration of the rotating blades, displacing the water and drizzling it into the air.
Shirou traced a new pair of Kanshou and Bakuya within his hands.
Having created over a thousand blades seeking neither victory nor defeat, I was unknown to death, nor known to life.
Melquart's eyes widened, momentarily surprised that his location had already been compromised. Raising Yagarish once again, he batted Kanshou away before he began to twist his body in an attempt to escape the range of Bakuya who trailed slightly behind Kanshou. Unexpectedly, it wasn't Bakuya that Melquart had to prioritize, it was Kanshou who curved back within a hair's breadth.
Surprise written across his features, Melquart, rather than choosing to deflect either blade, shot to the surface of the ocean to escape the unrelenting onslaught of the twin blades. However, his gaze met the form of familiar steel.
Shirou's second copy of Kanshou and Bakuya ripped through the air, creating a sonic boom as the blades shot faster than the speed of sound. From beneath the water, Shirou's first pair of Kanshou and Bakuya ascended towards the surface, attracted by the resonance of steel from the other pair of Kanshou and Bakuya.
With a shout, Malquart was struck by both copies of Kanshou and Bakuya as the sky rained down tendrils of white lightning that blotted out the horizon.
Shirou unconsciously shielded his eyes with left his fore arm, the intensity of the light burning into his retinas.
Yet my hands will never hold anything.
Shirou drew back his arm and surveyed the battle field. Suddenly the water rippled beneath him, erupting in a fissure like spiral that pressed against his back and propelled him stupendously high into the air. Grimacing, Shirou immediately readied himself to trace several dozen noble phantasms into the air, but the heavy scent of ozone altered his priorities.
"Rho Aias!"
Once again, the seven petal shield of the hero Aias bloomed to life, its iridescent seven layers deflecting the hail of lightning above Shirou; each bolt of lightning exploding into fragmented shards that sparked violently as they fell harmlessly past Shirou.
The torrent against Shirou's back pushed him harder, forcing Shirou to take immediate action. Twisting his body, Kanshou ripped clean a segment of the spire of water propelling him. Shifting his center of gravity, he traced a nameless blade beneath him and used it as leverage to kick off before the water beneath him could once again resume its relentless assault.
Falling. Falling. Falling. Shirou felt his stomach tighten, the sensation of weightlessness further fueling the adrenaline running through his body.
Melquart was fast approaching, Ayamari the Driver, poised to strike within Melquart's white knuckled grip; the lightning around the war club dispersing in arcs of high voltage electricity.
Structural analysis verified the thought that was flowing through Shirou's mind- Dangerous. War clubs are weapons employed to deal blunt damage criticals to foes, grinding their bones to dust and hemorrhaging vital organs like the brain, heart, and liver. However, Ayamari the Driver, was different. Like the high frequency light of a laser able to melt straight through high density solid steel, the dispersed lightning condensed together and formed a rod of light that stretched towards the heavens, vaporizing all in its path.
Kanshou and Bakuya wouldn't be able to block it. Rho Aias did as much damage to him for every petal destroyed. Shirou searched within his mind for a means to avoid injury, all within the span of a few milliseconds.
A golden hilt appeared in the air, its grip covered by an elegant ring guard that shone a dull light. Shirou willed for the rest of the blade to form.
Durendal, the Peerless Sword, emerged from within the depths of the Unlimited Bladeworks, its holy aura illuminating the world in a pale yellow.
Sword met club.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Shirou yelled, the muscles in both his arms rippling as he pushed aside Ayamari with his reinforced strength.
The subsequent shock wave of discharging electricity sent Shirou reeling back to tumble across the water's surface.
Melquart's eyes widened in surprise.
"Rolan-"
Durendal slammed onto the base of Yagarish, dispersing the ferocious winds around it and dislodging it from Melquart's hand. Shirou had righted himself and no sooner was he on the attack.
Ayamari swung back in retaliation, but Shirou shifted his stance and pounced forward; grinding Durendal's serrated steel horizontally against Ayamari, he rendered the attack null. Sparks flew, time seemed to be moving in slow motion as a chill ran down Shirou's back. The scent of morning dew carried by the wind sifted through his nose, his eyes narrowed.
Shirou withdrew his left hand from Durendal's hilt and smashed it against Durendal's pommel. Durendal broke its dead lock against Ayamari. Subsequently, without the leverage of Ayamari holding Shirou in place, his body reacted from the rotational force created near instantly. Spinning in a semi circle, Shirou's eyes caught sight of Yagarish the Chaser just before it grazed him on the shoulder.
Wincing, Shirou withdrew from Melquart and tracked the flying form of Yagarish. Winds had once again enveloped the blade, causing miniature tornadoes to form around it. It was at moments like these that Shirou was thankful for his magical sense. Rin had discovered during the Holy Grail War that Shirou possessed a keen sense of magical tracking with his nose. As demonstrated when Shirou could always tell whenever Rin would try to sneak up on him.
Melquart grabbed Yagarish from out of the air and brandished it in front of Shirou with a battle born smile plastered onto his face.
"So you are Heretic God Roland; the paladin of Charlemagne who was slain by Islamic forces." Melquart stated.
Durendal hung loosely by Shirou's side, its steel unblemished and undented, for within it there resided the power of three miracles. Legends in the 'Song of Roland' herald it as a symbol of power splendidly forged much like Caliburn, having been the emblem of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Not even Roland, on the verge of death itself, could destroy the holy blade.
"Not quite, but time is running short." Shirou locked eyes with Melquart and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but this will have to end in an instant."
"You plan to face Verathragna as well." Melquart logically concluded.
Shirou nodded his head.
"How impertinent! Even for a Heratic God as well known as Roland, striking me down so easily is not something so readily accomplished. You belittle my fighting prowess with your incompetence."
Shirou shook his head.
"No, it wasn't my intention to belittle you. I just possess confidence in my abilities." Shirou clenched his fists and focused within himself, his posture going rigid from the amount of divinity pooling around him. "Prepare yourself, Melquart. I won't be holding back."
"Then come Roland, let us fight till the death!" Melquart yelled in challenge.
Shirou looked stoically at Melquart, his output of energy suddenly halting.
"My name isn't Roland." Shirou said flatly as Bakuya appeared in the grip of his outstretched right arm. "My name, is Shirou Emiya."
And so as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works!
A ring of fire enveloped all in the vicinity, and when next it passed, there was simply nothing but the raging ocean and violent sky.
"What now?" Erica whispered to Godou. "He's not attacking us."
"No," Godou said back. "He's just assessing our capabilities."
Erica frowned. She was not having a good day, but she had already expected it from the moment she languidly got out of her bed. Fact is, she still had yet to truly comprehend why it was that she was not dead yet. God knows how many time that particular question surfaced within her head. Better yet, how was it possible to possess two holy artifacts without any magical community seeing hide nor hair of such an auspicious individual?
Shirou. The name bothered Erica. No record matching Shirou's description existed period. He was an anomaly, someone the very world knows next to nothing about, and that in itself was what was strange. Take for example a child born without a birth certificate to prove it. Even without the birth certificate, records of purchases or a physical description can still be offered to validate the authenticity of the person. Yet Shirou, like what was mentioned before, had none, not a penny to his name.
And low and behold, he appears out of nowhere with not one holy artifact, but two. Furthermore, he gives said holy artifact not to her, but to one who does not know how to use it.
Erica stared critically at Godou. The shield in his hands was Rho Aias, the shield of the Heratic God Aias of the Trojan War, and the only shield capable of stopping the javelin of the great hero Hector. Godou didn't understand how to use it, let alone understand the burden that Shirou had laid upon them both. They were tasked to stop a god, albeit for only five minutes, but it was a god as renowned as Verethragna.
"Well?" Verethragna asked. "Aren't you going to do something?"
Godou buckled under Verethragna's gaze, but smiled fiercely nonetheless.
"It seems my choice was not wrong." Verethragna said. "To think you would smile at the face of death, truly a warrior worthy of my attention." Verethragna sneered and lifted a hand towards Godou. "Now lets have some fun!"
"Erica, catch!"
"G-Godou?!"
Godou tossed Rho Aias at Erica, catching her by surprise before she caught it firmly in her grip.
Without a word, Godou conveyed his intentions to Erica. Godou knew he didn't have a clue as to how to utilize the shield, but he did notice the way Erica was eyeing it. So he took a gamble. Possibly because of his experience, thanks to his grandfather bringing him to many gambling games, his gamble paid off.
Erica without missing a heartbeat, deftly strapped her right arm onto Rho Aias's leather arm straps and prayed to the god Aias. Light shimmered around her as she spoke with purpose, Rho Aias acting as a conduit towards the Heretic god in which she prayed to.
"Hero Aias, I pray thee for your power, for your protection! Oh hero of Troy, bring down upon us your radiance!" Erica yelled.
The turbulent sky over head parted, streaming a solar ray that shone upon Erica. As suddenly as it came, it disappeared, leaving behind only the slightest inclination that it was even there through the dim glow surrounding Erica's body.
Erica's eyes opened with sudden clarity.
"Rho Aias!"
Erica did not know that she had in-canted the shield's name, rather, the voice that spoke was not her own. For a fraction of a second, unseen by mortal eyes, the true god Aias had descended upon the earth, his gaze shining warmly upon those who would pray so earnestly for his protection. He would not allow them harm. His masked visage gazed upon the battlefield, and with an armoured hand, he poured his very divinity into what he could clearly see was his shield.
Once again, seven petals bloomed into existence, seven translucent petals the size of a fortress wall that were fueled by their very owner's divinity. Flecks of dust and gravel lifted into the air, drawing themselves around the petals and forming the conceptual image of Rho Aias in all its glory.
Verethragna's summoned lightning, did little more than scratch the seven walled fortress of a shield.
His work completed, Aias disappeared back into the netherworld after granting what little protection he could muster from such a prompt summoning, to Erica and Godou.
"Marvelous! Such a thing was possible wasn't it?" Verethragna said in awe. "But I digress, this won't be enough to stop me."
Verethragna made to lunge forward, his golden sword in hand, but suddenly paused as his gaze shifted to the far west.
"It's calm." Verethragna said. "Is their fight already over?"
No matter, either Melquart or the other god could have been defeated, he didn't really care, no; he just wanted a worthy adversary to pit himself against. Since neither has deigned to show up, Verethragna supposed it would be best to eliminate those in front of him, and so Verethragna continued his assault.
It was with such a purpose that Verethragna struck out and stabbed Rho Aias with his Golden sword.
"I-It's breaking." Godou stuttered out. "His golden sword is slicing though it like butter."
Erica gritted her teeth. Verethragna's golden sword proved troublesome indeed as it was bestowed with the power to cut through divinity itself.
"Cut through divinity?" Godou said.
Erica must have muttered her thoughts out loud, but now wasn't the time to care.
"Yes. That Golden sword is the sword that takes away the divinity of a god and renders him to a mere mortal." Erica said.
"Humans that seek to defeat me, entertain me further!" Verethragna yelled for all to hear.
Erica pulled at Godou's arm.
"Get away from here Godou!" Erica warned Godou in concern, guilty that she had dragged the innocent boy to his death.
Godou stared at Erica defiantly.
"I'm supposed to be protecting the grimoire. I can't run away without using it."
Erica's eyes widened.
"If a human like you uses it, your body will be destroyed and you'll die!"
"I'll die even if I don't use it!" Godou argued.
In the face of Godou's recklessness, Erica couldn't help but admire Godou's courage and smiled warmly at him.
"You are like Epimetheus." Erica stated.
"Epimetheus?" Godou inquired.
"Doesn't matter, just that he was a fool." Erica looked down at the ground. "Though I suppose I'm an even bigger fool."
"What do yo-"
Erica kissed Godou on the cheek.
"For good luck." Erica said.
Godou smiled, and went to face Verethragna without hesitation.
"The Netherworld? No, it can't be." Melquart muttered as he marveled at the scene before him. "A world of steel."
Swords, axes, spears, weapons of all sorts lined the distance, to the point that the castle atop the distant hill was rendered rudimentary. Its vast castle walls and mortars flagged with the Arthurian coat of arms were off-setted by the sheer number of holy and demonic blades that were tenuously stabbed along side the pole arms which held the flags afloat.
Despite the fact that Melquart knew better than to take his eyes off of his opponent, his eyes wandered around the world. At the dim sky illuminated by a setting sun, and briefly he recounted the tale of king Arthur. Of the the king's tragic end at the battle of Camlann, noticing just how eerily similar the landscape must have appeared. However, something far more important drew his attention.
"Hrunting, Vajra, Gae Bolg," Melquart listed at the back of his mind before he drew a blank. "Yagarish, Ayamari."
Briefly, Melquart peered down at his favoured twin clubs in his hands, and simultaneously glared daggers at the identical pair in front of him.
"What madness is this?" Melquart involuntarily grumbled.
"I too shared the same response when I first lay glimpse of this world." Arthur turned his teal eyes towards Melquart. "But different from you, I do not necessarily mind it. It is a world that any God of steel such as myself can not help but marvel at."
"And you are?" Melquart inquired.
"Arthur Pendragon, king of the castle and barren wasteland you see before you. Although it wasn't always like this, just that this current landscape is more suited for battle." Arthur said as he stood up from the great stone he was leaning against. "I have abstained from the world for too long, but not anymore. It would seem that my help is being requested."
Melquart turned his gaze towards Arthur, but no sooner than he had, his eyes drifted towards the sword stuck hilt deep within the stone behind Arthur. At the sword in which only the strongest should possess.
"Sorry Arthur, but I believed this was the only way to get through to you. Furthermore, I wouldn't have been able to beat Melquart in time to aid Godou and Erica by myself." Shirou said as he appeared beside Arthur, wreathed in similar Arthurian armour of blue and gold.
"No, it was me who was in the wrong." Arthur said as he materialized a helmet over his face. "Then lets get to it. Prepare yourself Melquart!"
Shirou grabbed hold of Durendal and brandished it forward.
"HAhahaha!" Melquart laughed. "You threw me off when you wielded Durendal, even more so when I noticed the vast majority of legendary weapons within this realm, but..." Melquarts eyes remained fixated on the sword in the stone. "That sword's radiance and divinity can only belong to one."
Melquart once again brandished Ayamari and Yagarish into the air, ready for battle.
"Come at me, god of the Strongest Steel! May your death go down in legend under Melquart's true name of Baal Hadad!"
Well there's the chapter. I cut it short since many people seem to like the new story I posted: Fate Stay cooking, and have requested I work on it, at least the first chapter.
I know everyone probably noticed, but I changed the unlimited blade works aria. Because the UBW is a manifestation of the soul, well, Shirou's soul isn't just his anymore so I figured I should make a few changes.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and tell me what you think if I should have Godou defeat Verethragna or Shirou, either way works for me.
Thanks for reading
- Parcasious