A/N: I'm having a 2814 crossover with Overmaster's 'Unequally Rational and Emotional'. The crossover is entirely self-contained, and UR&E is absolutely WONDERFUL by itself. I suggest you read it.
...
Takamachi Nanoha of 2814
by Shadow Crystal Mage
Chapter 24: The Dark Knight
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. If I did… well, this would all be canon. WARNING: MAY CAUSE HEAD EXPLOSION!
...
24/12- Earlier
All right, this was getting uncomfortable.
Gilgamesh had been a novelty yesterday, a male that, against all previous historical precedent, wasn't out to steal Mamoru away from Usagi; wasn't out to steal Usagi from Mamoru; wasn't out to steal Hearts, Soul, Star Seeds, Dreams, Fantasies, or kitchen sinks; wasn't here to destroy or dominate the world (though, granted, there was a bit of a question mark regarding the latter) and had, for good or ill, seemed to have absolutely no interest in the girls whatsoever. It was kinda freaky, actually. They weren't sure how to handle associating with men who weren't up to anything.
This probably said bad things about their social development.
Gilgamesh had appeared that morning outside of Mamoru's apartment like a creepy stalker (which at least was slightly familiar territory: again, see social development), and had set himself to following Mamoru around. From what Ami had managed to put together from what little Gilgamesh would volunteer, Mamoru's quite frankly nearly non-existent recollections which by his own admission might possibly be confused with indigestion dreams and Artemis and Luna's only slightly more reliable swiss-cheesed recollections, Gilgamesh was acting as Mamoru's self-appointed 'attendant', since Usagi was always accompanied by her attendants (namely, the Senshi), out of some strange sense of etiquette. Or something. It was kinda vague.
What followed was a filler-episode's worth of zany hijinks as the Senshi, at Usagi's cock-blocked request, tried to keep Gilgamesh occupied long enough so that Usagi could get a little sugar, with similar filler episode hilarity ensuing. Haruka and Michiru seemed to find the activities amusing, Makoto and Minako dived into it with fervent enthusiasm, Setsuna with alcohol withdrawn single-mindedness, Rei had of course been exasperated, and Ami and Hotaru had wisely kept their heads down. The only thing missing had been some kind of monster attack from their latest enemy.
A pity that. It would have given everyone something to take their frustrations out on.
When, after a frustrating day of said zany hijinks, they arrived at Crown to find their favorite table was occupied…
Usagi, Ami, Rei, Minako, Makoto and Mamoru all felt slightly disturbed déjà vu vibes as they saw the pink-haired girl, a teenager wearing, strangely enough, a nurse's outfit..
Then she'd smiled at them, and recognition had come crashing down like a broken piñata. "Hi, minna-san! It's been a while."
"Chibi-Usa!"
The group hug that followed had resulted in several bruises from being squashed against the edge of the table.
Gilgamesh frowned. "Who is this?"
...
24/12- Fuyuki City. Now.
Kuro was making inappropriate advances at Shiro under Luvia and Rin's fuming gazes when she felt a sudden choking sensation at her neck. She stumbled back in surprise from the uncomfortable Shiro, clutching at her shirt's collar, only for the pressure to suddenly ease.
"W-what…?" she said in surprise. "The hell?"
Shiro blushed. "Kuro-chan, you shouldn't–"
Kuro didn't catch the rest of his words as she suddenly lost her sense of balance, tumbling to the floor in confusion as she felt like she was being pummeled on all sides, before this also stopped abruptly. She barely managed to get off the floor when her shoulder suddenly exploded in pain.
"AH!" she cried, more surprised than hurt, clutching at the pained segment. "What the hell is going on?-!"
Then her eyes widened, and she turned to Miyu, who'd been dragged along to the house my Luvia. "Miyu… Where's Illya?"
The magical girl maid's eyes widened.
Kuro swore.
...
24/12- Here. Now.
Shamal ignored Nanoha for the time being. The girl's Linker Core had already been harvested, and was now useless to them. There was no need to bother with her. She focused on the blonde, lying collapsed on the ground, her glowing wings gone, her nearly non-existent barrier jacket useless. Her Linker Core was still untaken, and would likely provide excellent power. Shamal raised the book before her…
…and that's when someone threw a car at her.
There was no shadow in her peripheral vision, no movement out of the corner of her eye to warn her. One minute she was stalking to her pray, the next she was hit by the full force of a small compact sedan made for fuel efficiency. Her Knight Armor and Klarwind's auto protect system kept her from serious harm, but it still felt like… well, like someone had thrown a car at her.
She whirled, golden eyes scanning, but the darkness revealed nothing… including a marked lack of Magical Girls. Her eyes narrowed, and she raised a hand, preparing to cast a search spell…
… and that's when she got hit in the face by a ball that exploded in a cloud of tear gas.
Her cries of pain echoed through the night.
...
Beneath his mask, Berserker smiled grimly at the distant sound as he laid the three girls on the ground, hidden from view and a long way off. Illya's eyes were half-closed, and she looked like she was in shock, and slightly delirious. She was still so small, so young, so innocent. Why did it have to be like this? Damn, but he hated time travel.
"Berserker… save us…" Illya mumbled, eyes unfocused.
Gently, he pried open her fingers, taking Ruby from their failing grip.
"Hey, what do you think you–" Ruby said, then cut off as Berserker's Noble Phantasm, Knight of Justice, took effect, taking control of the wand-shaped Mystic Code. For a moment, he felt a pang of guilt at compromising the wand's personality, but it was a distant thing, sealed away by the walls of will raised by his Noble Phantasm, Oath Against All Evil, that kept back the mind-destroying nature of the Berserker class. Black lines began to grow and twist along the Kaleidostick's length from the point of contact, slowly lengthening it and changing its shape and color as he stuck it in his belt, the Noble Phantasm opening up and making a space for the new acquisition as he took Illya's Class Cards.
She stirred slightly, legs twitching. "Onii-chan…" she muttered dreamily, lips smiling. "Miyu-chan…"
Berserker's eyebrow twitched. Even after all these years, he was NEVER going to get used to that particular arrangement.
Straightening hurriedly, he turned towards the other two sleeping Magical Girls. It was jarring not to see Fate in bright yellow. She'd worn the color for most of when he'd known her. He made himself relax as he approached Nanoha. There was no chance she'd suddenly regain consciousness and start hissing and snarling about her preciousss and her High Priestess, not yet, not now. Still, reflexes of several years were hard to shrug off, especially for him. Most of his reflexes were life-preserving. Kneeling down next to the, he got to work…
...
Zafira was getting concerned. He'd lost telepathic contact with the others, which wasn't necessarily a bad sign, but it was worrying. The city-wide isolation barrier wasn't helping, even it if was one of their spells. That strange, pale-haired woman they'd encountered before fighting Archer had been able to cast Ancient Belkan spells as well. Could this be her doing? It was enough to start growing the seed of worry as he sought out the other Wolkenritter.
The giant green things in the sky weren't helping either. Wasn't that the marshmallow thing from a few days ago, when all those giant monsters suddenly appeared?
The constructs stopped, and there were several a few large spells. A crack of thunder, a stream of light, and then nothing. He wasn't sure if that boded well of not.
When he arrived at the battle sight, or what had been the battle sight, all was still. Demolished buildings stood silent and forlorn, and a few discarded clothes clapped and tumbled about in the night breeze. There was no sign of anyone, enemy or friend. The hair on the back of his neck wanted to crawl off, but he forced it down, inhaling deeply, trying to get a scent.
He nearly gagged at a strange, unholy scent of corruption… behind him.
Zafira whirled, foot lashing out with a cry of "ZAFIRA KICK!", aiming for a dark, crimson-etched shadow standing behind him. The shadow stumbled back, moving from the patch of shadow and into the relative brightness of the street closer to the lights.
"Zafira, you fool, it's me," Shamal growled.
Zafira froze, taking it in. Black armor. Crimson lines. Golden eyes.
"So, it has taken you too," he said. His eyes drifted to the book that floated over her hand, now colored along the same theme. "And the Book. And Archer-san is no longer here…"
"Oh, he is still with us in spirit, Zafira," Shamal said, golden eyes hooded. She raised her hand. "Trace–"
With a growl, Zafira tackled her, form shifting from man to beast in a confused blur, tackling the blonde knight. Shamal hissed, and the shadows beneath her writhed, turning into a surging mass the slammed into the Guardian Beast from below, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying back. He caught himself in midair, darting sideways as the shadows continued upward like a hammer. Not daring to push of from it, he streaked forward, crafting a shield in front of him like a battering ram. More shadows leapt to meet him, and brute force fought brute force. The shadows flowed around the shield, parting like a length of reed.
Shamal darted back, free arm waving wide as the Book of Darkness pulsed, a strange, dark liquid flowing from it down Shamal's arm. A ball of brilliant light coalesced before her and with a cry of "Deep Submerge!", the attack streaked at Zafira. He caught it on his shield, which broke like so much sugar glass. It slammed hard into him, throwing him back, the shadows behind him untangling and catching him in its threads. He flailed about, attacking it with a will. Bright spikes of light erupted along the length of the shadows and out of the ground, but the shadows just seemed to multiply, more and more threads coming together, trapping him. They wrapped around him, capturing his limbs, binding his muzzle. Soon, the Soei-jutsu had him trapped, unable to move.
Shamal slowly came forward, making a show of flicking lint off her armor. "Another traitor," she announced coldly. "You attack me, just as Vita and Signum did. You have allowed yourselves to be drawn away from Hayate-sama's service. Your usefulness has ended. Your life will be sacrificed for the greater glory of our queen."
Zafira snarled, screaming in full telepathy. WOULD YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF, SHAMAL?-!-?-!-? he cried. Something's wrong with you! Since when have you called her 'Hayate-sama'?
Shamal paused. For a moment, just a moment, her eyes flickered from gold to their usual color.
The Book of Darkness pulsed, its crimson lines glowing, the strange, thick liquid flowing from it seeming to shudder as it oozed onto Shamal's hand, seemingly bonding to her flesh, absorbed. Her eyes became gold once more. "Your disrespect reveals itself. Perish now, traitor. Download."
The Book turned, and Zafira gave a muffled scream as his Linker Core was extracted, the little point of light rising from his flesh…
…Shamal barely turned in time to raise a shield as a lamppost was swung at her. The end of the post shattered, shrapnel flying everywhere as it was destroyed with its own force.
"I am not so unintelligent to fall for the same tactic twice," Shamal said, turning towards her attacker. Even with the light from her spells and the little ambient city light within the barrier, the being holding the other end of the post was nearly impossible to see, a vague, night-colored blob at the other end of the impromptu weapon. "Nanoha's simple search spell was sufficient for keeping watch around m–"
And that was when the street beneath her exploded, the blast shooting force and shrapnel at her and away from Zafira as shaped charges in the sewers under her feet did their work. The altered knight was flung back, even as Zafira faded away, not even leaving a pile of clothes behind.
Shamal bounced, the Book of Darkness never leaving her hand, sliding slightly on the rubble. Her face was lacerated, and blood was pouring freely across her face, though her armor's aura had protected her from the worst of the damage. Her glare was murderous. One hand thrust into the air. "Practe Biginar! Hekatontakis Kai Kiliakis Astrapsato! KILIPL ASTRAPE!" The entire area was leveled as the anti-army lightning spell ripped its way outward, buildings exploding, the ground around Shamal literally melting under the magical assault. Molten asphalt flowed, and the street caught fire as the tar was melted and ignited.
Flames billowed around her, but she didn't care, her armor protecting her from the heat just as Nanoha's had. She hovered over the burning street, everything around her clear as far as the eye could see. Buildings had been leveled, and those further back had either collapsed, were on fire, had huge gaping holes from either the shockwave or parts of other buildings crashing through them, or some combination of all three. There was no longer any cover to be had, and flames all over the place provided brighter light then the city light had.
Not far away, in the midst of this, a lone figure stood, clad in unnatural black, flickering back into existence. Hit tall, horned helm with its strange, eye-wrenching curves and spikes did not gleam in the firelight, the metal dulled, somehow seeming to eat the light.
"You are becoming quite an irritation," Shamal snarled, the crimson lines of her dress pulsing.
Berserker said nothing, body still except for the way his cape was blown about by the fire's heat.
Shamal's yes narrowed. "I believe your core will be sufficient to complete the Book at last."
"Yes…" Berserker rumbled, and delicately balanced masonry fell over as his voice reverberated through hthe night. "It will…"
"Surrender, and it shall be painless," Shamal said, then pausing, a cruel smile playing on her lips, made all the more eerie by the curtain of blood on her face. "Mostly."
Silence.
For a moment, the two stared at each other in the light of the flames.
Then they attacked.
...
Fate Testarossa was having a very nice dream. She wasn't quite sure as to the details, but it involved being married to Nanoha and having a cute little kid, a girl, who called them both 'Mama', and being a family, so that was all right.
"Fate-chan…"
Fate smacked her lips unconsciously, smiling despite the cold as, in her dreams, Nanoha made her lunch wearing nothing but an apron…
"Fate-chan…"
"Nanoha-chan…" Fate muttered in her sleep as Nanoha cutely tripped, spilling sauce all over herself.
"Fate-chan…"
Fate, being the good wife that she was, helped Nanoha out of the apron while their daughter– who looked strangely like Vivio-chan, which was weird, because she hadn't thought of the 'Power Ranger' in a while– went off to save the world with her friends, helping her get the sauce off…
"Fate-chan!"
"Hmm, Nanoha-chan…" Fate murmured. "Oh, the floor's clean… we can–"
"YO! REAPER-CHAN!" Poke!
Fate jerked awake, nearly braining Illya on the forehead as she rose. The other magical girl yelped, falling back and landing on her butt.
A long way away, Kuro winced as pain lanced through her rear. "If she's getting kinky-spanked without me…" she grumbled.
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha said, clutching a length of pipe. She looked dusty, as if she'd been through a construction site during a windy day. "Good, you're up."
"Blergh?" Fate said intelligently, rubbing her head where it ached from lying on the ground. Then she blinked. "Nanoha-chan? Why aren't you wearing your uniform?"
Nanoha held up her left hand. Fate stared. "That's bad, isn't it?" the blonde said.
Nanoha nodded grimly, hefting her length of pipe. "And that's not the only thing that's gone."
It took Fate a moment to realize. "Bardiche?" she called out, looking around, as if she'd just misplaced the Device. "Bardiche?-!"
"Gone," Illya said, picking up another length of pipe, swinging it with rather wilder abandon than Nanoha had, nearly hitting the Green Lantern. "Er, sorry. So is Ruby, my Class Cards and Raging Heart." Illya winced. "Rin is SO going to kill me…!"
Fate blinked. "But… what?"
At that moment, the world seemed to end. A solid wall of sound attacked Fate's eardrums, but before she could clamp her hands over her ears, an enormous shockwave passed over them, making the buildings creak, things to fall, and knocking Nanoha and Illya off their feet. She could feel the rumbling in her bones, feel the stone under her vibrating beneath her. It went on an on, going for seconds before subsiding, leaving an eerie silence behind. She knew those vibrations, had made them herself, though never so much.
Someone had just unleashed a ton of lightning. And the nagging thing was, she'd thought she'd heard this particular spell before. Her lingering heterosexuality beat the rest of her to the punch, pulling up a card prominently labeled 'Negi Springfield Trivia'. "That… that sounded like Negi's Thousand Bolts spell!" she said.
"What?" Illya yelled, one finger stuck in her ear, trying to clear it. "I can't hear you!"
"What?" Nanoha yelled, puffing out her cheeks as she tried to get her ears to pop. "I can't hear you! I think I've gone deaf! Wasn't that Negi's Thousand Bolts spell?"
"What?-!" Fate cried. "Sorry, I can't hear you, I think I've gone deaf! Can you speak louder?"
"Sorry, what was that?-!" Illya yelled. "Can you speak louder? I think I've gone deaf!"
Kuro winced, puffing out her cheeks and sticking her finger in her ears. "Hey, can you all speak a little louder?-!" she suddenly yelled, making everyone jump. "I think Illya's just gone deaf!"
After a while of yelling at each other like idiots, Fate slapped herself on the forehead. Hey, can you hear this? she sent telepathically.
"YES!" Nanoha and Illya yelled.
I think that was Negi's Thousand Bolts spell, Fate said.
Nanoha frowned and concentrated. It was much, much harder to do this without Raging Heart, but she hadn't gotten her ring because she gave up when things got tough. I think so too, she sent as Illya looked at them expectantly. But… it seems a bit too soon for backup.
Who else could it be? Fate sent.
I don't know, Nanoha said. That's what worries me.
"EXCUSE ME!" Illya cried, startling them as they finally heard it. "BUT NOT EVERYONE HERE IS TELEPATHIC!"
Both Magical Girls blushed. Sorry, they murmured.
Fate looked around, noticing a third length of pipe lying on the ground. She picked it up, hefting it and finding it to her liking. It was no scythe, but it would do as a melee weapon. Can either of you fly? she asked.
Illya shook her head. Nanoha frowned, her forehead furrowing in concentration. Near her feet, pink light flickered, and a circle appeared beneath her. Little points of light coalesced near her ankles, but they flickered and died. Nanoha soon shook her head. Sorry. It's too hard for me to do without Raging Heart. Maybe you can give me tips after all this is over, Fate-chan. You seem to do it so easily!
It'll be my pleasure, Fate responded, smiling.
Next to them, Illya smirked, and began whistling a grade-school song about sitting in trees and K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Fortunately for Fate and her blushes, both were still too deaf to hear it.
We need to find Shamal, see what happened,, Nanoha continued, looking up. I think we're still inside the barrier, and according to my cell phone, it hasn't been that long. Fate-chan, can you fly above us, scout out the area?
Fate nodded. She spun her pipe. It's awfully convenient there were these pipes lying around.
"CONVENIENT NOTHING!" Illya yelled. "BERSERKER LEFT THEM! HE CAN DO THINGS LIKE THAT! HAS A NOBLE PHANTASM FOR IT!"
Nanoha stuck a finger in her ears. "I think we can start talking normally again, Illya-chan," she said, only a little bit louder than usual.
"Oh. Sorry."
Nanoha nodded. "Let's go. Lead on, Fate-chan. Illya-chan, stay behind me and watch our backs. Yell right away if you see any movement."
Illya looked around the ghost town that surrounded them. "No problem there," she said. "Let's get out of the woods and find the Blair Witch, shall we?"
They moved, Fate floating above and reporting through telepathy as Nanoha gathered what power she could into three Divine Shooters, stalking through the empty city…
...
Alisa and Suzuka picked themselves off the ground where the shockwave had thrown them.
"I swear, this city is getting weirder and weirder," Alisa said.
"WHAT?" Suzuka cried, sticking her finger in her ear and puffing out her cheeks. "SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU! I THINK I'VE GONE DEAF!"
"WHAT WAS THAT?" Alisa cried. "SORRY, I'VE GONE DEAF! WHAT DID YOU SAY?-!"
...
The pain was intense.
Hayate clutched at her chest and struggled not to cry. Her insides were… she couldn't think of a good enough metaphor for the agony. Clamps, vices, fires, lava and such didn't seem up to it, though 'being forced to read Twilight' probably came close.
The pain was everything. It filled her world. No, it defined it, marking out all there was. She didn't notice how the hospital had gone oddly silent, didn't notice the flashes of light out her window, and barely heard the sound of not-so-distant thunder. There was only the pain…
...
The instant they moved, Shamal nearly destroyed Berserker instantly.
"Trace, on! Gae Bolg!"
The crimson spear came into being, cause and effect already bent over on its lap and being spanked like the bitch it was as the weapon relentlessly sought Berserker's heart. It streaked forward, flying straight and true, and Berserker's armor crumpled in front, tearing as a way to his heart was punched through.
Berserker's gauntleted fist swept, catching Gae Bolg's head in his fist bare inches from his chest, twisting to absorb the energy. Cause and effect reassessed the situation, leaving Berserker unharmed as he flipped the spear over in his hands, its form already changing as his Noble Phantasm, Knight of Justice, claimed the weapon for himself, his prana pouring into the weapon, veins growing on it, altering it. Already, it began to grow black, twists and thorns growing on it.
The spear spun in his hand, its butt tracing a wide, scything arc that coincided with Shamal's head. Shamal's head jerked back, ki and magic flowing through her as power gathered in her hands, which she slammed together in front of her. "Kankaho! Super Iaiken!"
Berserker blurred, flickering across the field as the enormous blast of the chi-reinforced attack passed through where he'd been, Gae Bolg spinning in his hands. he lunged, the point aiming for the Book of Darkness. Shamal reacted instantly, blurring herself with a cry of "Shundo!", skidding to one side. Berserker never lost momentum, the spearpoint swinging to slash into the ground, tearing and sending up a huge wave of rocky debris flying at her exposed back. Shadows surged upwards, the threads weaving themselves into a defensive shield, protecting her.
Berserker reversed his grip on the weapon, throwing the spear with a cry of "Gae Bolg: Lance of Death Flight!". It pierced through the shadows like a bullet through butter, slamming into the ground on the other side and exploding. The blast wave was strangely muted somehow, softer in a strange way.
Shamal was nowhere in range.
Something besides firelight lit up the field.
Berserker looked up.
"Sagitta Magica!" Shamal intoned. "Convergentia Fulguralis!"
A thousand and one lightning arrows streaked downwards. Berserker's hand flashed to his belt.
Everything within a hundred yards of him exploded in lightning.
"Sagitta Magica! Convergentia Fulguralis!"
More lightning. More destruction.
"Sagitta Magica! Convergentia Fulguralis!"
The air screamed. Static crackled in the air as raw power struck.
"SAGITTA MAGICA! CONVERGENTIA FULGURALIS!"
Sewer gas caught fire as the destruction penetrated deep into the Earth, expanding the zone of destruction.
Shamal lowered her hands, panting with exertion, the dark fluid flowing from the Book of Darkness pulsing where it bonded to her, feeding her dark power.
From within the dust cloud raised, a brilliant ray of shining navy blue light suddenly blazed, and a deep, resonant voice cried through the night, making Shamal's sternum vibrate, her very bones shake. "Lyrical! Magical! Divine Buster… MAXIMUM POWER!"
The dust cloud exploded outward as a line of light tore through the sky, lighting the city bright as day as it screamed up at Shamal. It struck even as she raised her hands to defend, the eruption of colliding forces bursting into a spray across the sky.
The beam died, and Shamal was finally able to lower the Silence Wall she had barely raised in time.
At ground zero, Berserker stood, a bright blue Mid-Childan magic circle slowly turning beneath him. In his gauntleted hands lay Raging Heart, the Device's form longer now, surface veined with dark lines, even as it's central gem shined with power.
"Target remains," Raging Heart reported. "Reacquiring targeting lock. Preparing for maximum power output!"
Berserker lowered the staff. "Switch to standby mode…" he ordered as he hung the device from his belt. "Ring, flight mode…"
"Command acknowledged," Ring-chan said, shining on one of Berserker's fingers, dark lines also covering it in a fine array. "User is unauthorized, but command is acknowledged. Stupid psycho-reactive plasmic-energy hi-jacking my functions…"
"Magic," Raging Heart corrected.
"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC!" Ring-chan asserted. "I'm filing a complaint with the Guardians about this, this must surely be some kind of hardware error…"
Beneath his mask, Berserker's lips twitched. He'd almost forgotten how funny these two were.
An aura of emerald light, solidified Will Power, surrounded him as he took flight, drawing Bardiche from his belt. The dark Device, too, was covered in glowing lines.
"Bardiche…" he ordered. "Zanber Form…"
He rose into the air, even as the Device in his hand changed, his prana altering it into converting his energy into a blue blade as large as he was which erupted from the newly formed hilt…
...
Fate stopped in midair, shading her eyes at the brilliance, as below her Nanoha and Illya did the same.
"What on Earth…?" Nanoha gasped.
"Wow," Illya said. "Looks like someone else likes big deathrays too, Green Lantern-chan."
Nanoha's face set in determination. "Let's go!" she cried, breaking into a run.
Illya sighed, but followed after. "Yeah, let's all run towards where the big explosions are when we have no way to do magic," she muttered. "Yeah, that's a very smart idea…"
...
"Deep… SUBMERGE!" Shamal intoned, launching the shining green ball of light at her opponent.
Berserker dodged, an emerald contrail sparkling behind him, the attack missing him by a wide margin. Glowing green as he did, he no longer faded so completely into the background of the night, but it still wrenched the eyes to look at him, directly or indirectly. Cape spreading behind him like wings of darkness, he charged at Shamal, Bardiche in hand. It was in scythe form now, its haft and metal head bearing spikes, twists and curved angles that hadn't been there before, making it look demonic, its deep blue blade scything through the air as Berserker launched it like a boomerang.
Shamal dodged, shields raised in both hands, and was in time to parry the veritable cloud of small, dark, curved metal blades that had hidden in the luminescence of the thrown scythe. They detonated on her shield in a mix of electrical surges, gouts of flame, bursts of freezing cold, explosions of some kind of goop, clouds of noxious and eye-stinging gases, flashes of intense light and ear-piercing shrieks of sound. She wavered in midair, dazed, as Berserker closed in.
The shadow-constructs appeared out of the darkness itself, androgynous humanoid forms seemingly wearing dark cloaks and pale white masks. They leapt at Berserker in the dozens, hands tipped with claws, swarming him, ripping, tearing.
They were… underwhelming.
A slash from Bardiche tore all the closest ones apart, giving him some breathing room to swing the chains wrapped around his forearms. The silent, thorned chain on his left arm whirled, threshing shadow constructs as if they were grain, tracing complicated arcs through the night air, destroying anything it passed through. Sheer numbers meant some still made it through, yet their claws scrambled ineffectually at Berserker's armor, which repelled them with laughable ease. Yet there were dozens of them, and despite how easily they were destroyed, sheer force of mass pushed Berserker back away from Shamal, who was recovering from his attack.
Designs began to trace themselves on her skin on top of the crimson lines of the corruption, and her face twisted in agony. She didn't stop however, her arms moving through forms in midair. "Actus Noctis Erebea!" she cried, both a declaration and a scream of pain as her skin darkened, brilliant swirling designs growing from the backs of her hands and down her arms. With another cry, she cast, the spell leaving her with a pained cry of "Death Reborn Revolution!". It was perfectly silent as it erupted, the ribbons collapsing into an invisible ball of energy that was absorbed into Shamal's form. Her body rippled, changing as it took on the shear entropic power, glowing deep purple at the edges of her outline, trailing streamers of ribbon-like energy trailing from her body at every movement.
With a snarl, she leapt at Berserker even as one hand snapped down to his belt, seeking ribbons erupting from her outstretched right arm. The ribbons leapt at him, curling to either side as if to encompass him, only to trap nothing but empty air as he seemed to fade out into the night itself.
"Contract Established!" a voice cried out, and Shamal whirled, trying to seek it. "Compact Full Open! Expanding Connection to Alternate Realities!"
There was a burst of light, wind and power as the air filled with rainbow-colored sparkles
"The New Kaleido Ruby!" Ruby declared loudly. "Mahou Servant Prisma Berserker!"
Berserker floated in midair, the lines of his claimed weapons now glowing with rainbow light. He looked more streamlined somehow, more… knightly? His hand, the one not holding Ruby, returned Bardiche to his belt, drawing out a card. An enormous magical array erupted beneath him, lighting the sky.
"Class Card, Archer!" Berserker called out, voice no longer so rough, instead ringing loud and clear, a resonant beacon. "Install!"
There was light.
Ruby faded away becoming a part of his form, channeling the power of the Class Card, opening a way to the Throne of Heroes to call forth the power one soul from it, one hero…
Shamal ignored the light, surging forward, ribbons, so many ribbons bursting from her, coming in all directions...
"Trace, ON!"
A sword came into being, swinging in a wide, efficient arc that tore through the ribbons as if they were mere cloth. Ensis Exsequence wove in graceful arcs, negating the threat of the magical attack cold. Berserker made a complicated flick of his wrist, wrapping several ribbons around the blade and rendering them inert and harmless. He drew back, pulling Shamal to him even as he spun and kicked, the ribbons tearing on his sword's edge as he sent her flying back. Ribbons tugged briefly on his foot before they too were cut by the magic-canceling blade, and there was nothing to stop Shamal from flying several hundred feet into the top of a building.
The light from the transformation faded, and Berserker floated in the sky, armor changed once more. His cape was split in two, and crimson accents covered his arms and legs. The helm was slightly open now, the bottom half bare, revealing the shape of his jaw and mouth, which was set in a grim, satisfied line.
The Magia Erebea collapsed as Shamal got back to her feet, breathing hard, the crimson lines on her armor pulsing urgently in time with the stream of dark fluid connecting her to the Book of Darkness.
For a moment, they both stared at each other across the distance, eyes seeming to meet.
Then they both acted.
Through the night, twin voices rose in incantation.
"I AM THE BONE OF MY SWORD!"
The cry rang through the city, strong and echoing with power.
"STEEL IS MY BODY, AND FIRE IS MY BLOOD!"
...
Illya looked up, face paling– paling more than usual, that is– as she heard the words echoing through the sky. "Oh…" she said, voice very small. "That's never a good sign…"
"I HAVE CREATED OVER A THOUSAND BLADES!"
"Illya-chan?" Nanoha said.
Illya swallowed. "We might be in trouble."
"UNAWARE OF LOSS, NOT AWARE OF GAIN!"
...
"That can't be good," Alisa commented as the voices rang through the city.
"WITHSTOOD PAIN TO CREATE MANY WEAPONS!"
"I believe it is coming from that direction," Suzuka said, turning and pointing.
Alisa frowned. "Why is that important?"
"Because I intend to run that way as fast as my feet can take me," Suzuka said, pointing behind her.
The two exchanged glances. Then they turned and ran…
"I HAVE NO REGRETS, THIS IS THE ONLY PATH OF A HERO!"
...
In her hospital bed, Hayate curled up in her blankets and tried not to pass out from the agony…
...
Fire began to build around their feet as they finished the last line of the aria.
"My whole life was… UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!"
The world began to change in a wave of fire as the Reality Marble began to take hold, overwriting this portion of realities with its own rules, the copy of a soul of a true Hero of the Throne made manifest. The two opposing Reality Marbles clashed as their wave fronts met, the space in between writhing as two wills fought for control.
There was a crack of thunder as Shamal lost the battle, falling before a superior will. Fire washed over her as the world changed around her.
"Trace, ON! Rulebreaker!"
Her kankaho-boosted reflexes barely got her out of the way of the strange dagger, her feet kicking off, only to find her way blocked as swords exploded out of the ground. She stumbled, back slamming into the flats of the blades.
A moment later, the dagger plunged into her arms, and she cried out in pain. Within her, her soul turned to fire and she felt like she was being hollowed out, emptied. The blackness on her armor seemed to quiver, shaking and trembling, the crimson lines flickering. With a final burst of agony, her armor seemed to explode, reweaving over her body in its usual minty green tones as the Book of Darkness, no longer connected to her by a dark sludgy stream, was suddenly thrown away from her, its crimson lines pulsing.
Shamal's eyes snapped open, her mind now finally blessedly clear. Her eyes were no longer gold. Something in her was screaming, screaming… "Hayate-chan!" she cried. "Hayate-chan! She needs me!"
Berserker growled, the swords dissolving as he turned to face the Book of Darkness, Rulebreaker in hand. Shamal scrambled back, clutching the wound in her arm.
The Book of Darkness… was floating. It was open, its pages pointed at them. Shamal stared at it, wide-eyed. "It… it shouldn't be able to do that. Not enough of its pages have been filled…"
"The Grail Corruption is giving it power…" Berserker said, letting Rulebreaker dissolve. "Stay behind–"
Shamal screamed again.
Berserker whirled, only to be slammed by a dark mass as shadows ripped themselves out of the ground, wrapping around Shamal holding her in place. He growled, the talons on the tips of his gauntlets ripping through the shadows that tried to wrap themselves around him. "Trace, on!" he cried, and Ensis Exsequence came into his hands, sweeping and tearing through the shadows. They came at him regardless, massing into huge blobs, foregoing any sort of structure in favor of pure mass to try to hold him back. He cut through them flawlessly, relentless, each sweep making an opening, yet the shadows surged on, blocking the openings, even as the Book of Darkness swooped towards a trapped Shamal…
A glowing star of green light rose from her chest as her scream echoed through the night…
Berserker let out a howl, prana burning through his body as he tore through the shadows. Swords fell from the air, Black Keys striking the shadows into immobility. A final slash, and the way between him and the Book of Darkness was clear just as Shamal's clothes fell away from the confines of her bonds, empty. Anger surged through him, threatening to break his will, to let thought the waves of madness held at bay. The sword in his hand quivered, and he longed to let it plunged, let it destroy, to break this machine that had taken a child's family away from her, leaving her alone…
Berseker grew still. Then, with a deep, shuddering breath, he straightened. The Reality Marble around him began to burn away as he released his hold on Ruby, on Raging Heart, on Bardiche, Ensis Exsequence disappearing from his hands. He faced the Book of Darkness, which hovered in the air before him.
"Do it quickly…" he growled as he found himself standing on the edge of the building's roof.
The Book of Darkness paused a moment, as if unsure…
Then it struck.
He hated time travel.
...
Illya stumbled as her Command Seal began to burn. The length of pipe she'd been holding clattered to the ground as she fell to her knees, waves of agony coursing through her. Inside, something she hadn't really been aware had been there shriveled and died.
Nanoha was by her side a few moments later. "Illya-chan?" she said, concerned.
"I think…" Illya said, eyes staring, "something happened to Berserker…"
"Watch out!" Fate cried from above.
There was a thump as a dark-armored form fell on the ground behind them.
...
On the plane back to Gotham, Bruce Wayne shuddered…
...
"NO!" Illya cried as she ran to her fallen Servant's side. "Berserker! Berserker, don't die! You can't die! You're a hero! HEROES DON'T DIE!"
"Of… c-course we d-do," a quiet voice said from beneath Berserker's helmet. "How else do we become h-heroes?"
"Berserker!" Illya exclaimed. "You're… how… no, don't talk! Stay still! We'll get you help! Nanoha-chan. Fate-chan, help him!"
"N-no," Berserker said, weakly. His voice was soft now, not gravel incarnate. "I remember this. Death is coming for me again, Illya. She is coming…"
"Berserker…" Illya sobbed, trying to support the enormous Servant's head on her lap, trying to do what she could to make him comfortable. "Wh-what happened?-!"
"Linker Core… The Book has it now…"
Fate and Nanoha exchanged looks over Illya's head. The blonde took to the air again, while Nanoha moved closer to Illya, kneeling down to offer what comfort she could.
"I'll take it down…" Illya swore, eyes clenched tight, voice cracking. "I swear, Berserker, I'll take it down. I'll get vengeance for you!"
"No…" Berserker hissed. "Not vengeance… never vengeance. Justice. Master…"
Illya smiled wanly. "I think that's the first time you've called me that…"
Berserker's head shifted slightly, and the shadows changed shape enough that one could almost say they'd seen a smile on his blank helmet. "Yes… it feels so strange… to be on this end of that word. Master… Illya…" the name was spoken like a familiar, delicate antique, cared for but long-unused. "Promise me… not vengeance. Justice. They did what they did with the best of intentions… to save a child like you…I give them my core freely… please, see that they get what they deserve. Not what will make you feel better… it was all… according to… plan…"
Fumbling, Illya reached for his massive hand, and squeezed. He squeezed back gently, yet with quiet strength "Yes… I promise. Justice, Berserker." She shook her head. "I… I don't even know your name… just your Class…"
Berserker's head shifted slightly, and the shadows changed shape enough that one could almost say they'd seen a smile on his blank helmet. "Does it matter now?"
"Please…" Illya said softly, dashing at her eyes with her arm. "Please, tell me your name. Tell me so I can remember you… tell me what you were called in life…"
"I…" Berserker said hesitantly, voice weak. "I'm not sure it was ever my name to begin with."
"Please, a name, anything!" Illya cried. "Someone needs to remember… you're owned that much. Who are you, my Berserker? What were you in life?"
"I… I…"
"Yes?" Illya breathed.
"I was the terror that flew through the darkened skies…"
"Berserker…" Illya said, touching his helm, feeling the horns digging into her legs.
"I was justice from the shadows…"
She could feel him growing weaker, his grip slackening in her grasp.
"I was darkness. I was vengeance," Berserker said quietly, some of his old strength and gravel returning even as his Grail-given life flowed away. "I was the Knight. I… was… w-was… B-b–…" A shudder went through him and he lay still.
Illya's tears fell like rain as she cradled his face, shaking her head in denial. "No…" she muttered. "No… no… no…! BERSERKER!"
Nanoha watched, still as death, silent witness to a young girl's pain and the end of a hero as Berserker's body faded away. There were quiet rings as Bardiche, Ruby and Raging Heart fell from his belt.
From where his hand had been, there was a brilliant flash of green, and a stream of light rose into the air, circling. "Takamachi Nanoha of Earth… You have the ability to overcome great fear…"
Nanoha felt Ring-chan slipping into her finger, the familiar tingle in her mind as she became one with her ring again.
"Welcome to the Green Lantern Corp."
...
Download, complete.
666 pages, loaded.
Energy-siphon form host, aborted.
Initiating full Unison…
Commencing
...
Hayate opened her eyes, tired and panting. She felt… strange.
The pain was gone. After so long, it seemed bizarre.
Beneath her bed, light began to glow.
She had only a moment to cry out in surprise before the pain began anew…
...
In the distance, a hollow boom echoed. Nanoha looked up. Where did that come from? She sent to Fate.
Fate pointed. There, she sent.
Nanoha pushed her will into the ring, reveling in the familiar sensation. The past few minutes had been… nerve-wracking. Her visor fell over her eyes, the HUD editing out the buildings in front of her as she turned to look where Fate had pointed, images appearing as interpreted by her ring's scans.
"No…" Nanoha breathed. "No, no, no…"
On her knees, Illya glanced up. "What is it?" she asked dully.
"Explosion. At the hospital," Nanoha said. "And the barrier is still up. Something is maintaining it. Something's still in here with us."
For a moment, Illya just looked at her blankly. Then the pale-haired girl's eyes fell on Ruby.
Her eyes hardened, and she picked up the wand and the cards fallen next to it. "Compact full open," she said grimly. "Expand connection to alternate realities."
There was a rainbow colored burst of light.
"Kaleido Ruby!" Illya shouted to the heavens. "Mahou Shoujo Prisma Illya!"
Picking up Ragingh Heart and Bardiche, she tossed them both to a startled Nanoha, who caught them reflexively, fumbled, and had to catch them with her ring. "Come on," she snapped. "Let's see if it's the Book. I want to shoot something…"
Fate's cry tore through the night.
They both snapped their gazes upward, to kind Fate dodging a woman wielding an enormous sword. Clad in black, her silver hair trailing like a comet's tail, her arms and face were traced with glowing crimson lines, and eight black wings burst from her back. Merciless golden eyes watched as Fate darted back.
"FATE!" Nanoha cried, kicking off and taking to the air, Raging Heart changing from orb to staff in her hands as Illya kicked off after her.
The woman turned to look at them, face hard. She extended her hand, and a magic circle appeared beneath her, its deep black lines glowing a deep, unearhly purple.
"Diabolic Emission…"
The world was reduced to a black storm of howling death…
...
24/12- Earlier
"Everyone…" Chibi-Usa– or should that be just plain Usagi now? She was no longer quite so chibi– said solemnly after the initial excitement had passed. The sudden seriousness was shocking, considering how lighthearted they knew her to be. "We need to talk. The future depends on it." She paused to consider her words. "Again. And this time it's not my fault!" She gave them all a slightly pouty, defensive look.
"No one said anything, Small Lady," Setsuna said, keeping her face smooth. The corners of her mouth twitching gave her away. Everyone else, except Gilgamesh, was also doing their best to look innocent, with varying degrees of success. Usagi was failing utterly.
Chibi-Usa huffed, then straightened, adopting a serious expression again. "I don't have much time, so I'll get to the point. In a few hours, Green Lantern-oba-chan is going to fight the completed Book of Darkness. If she fails, the Earth is doomed." She paused a beat. "Again. She'll need your help."
They all stared at her.
"That's… strangely more specific than usual…" Ami said. "Usually it's some vague threat, or that we have to find someone or something with absolutely no hint as to what or where, and we just bungle along until the bad guys find it for us… still pretty vague, though."
Chibi-Usa smiled wanly. "I… can't give more specific details than that. Not and avoid predestination, and this is getting dangerously close to it already. But… she'll need your help. Yours most of all." She pointed.
Everyone turned to stare at Gilgamesh, who only raised an eyebrow. He'd taken Mamoru's explanation that this was his daughter from the future with a blank face, and kept quiet as to his thoughts to it. "Me?" he said.
Chibi-Usa nodded, then turned to Mamoru. "Father, permission to order your attendant?"
Mamoru raised an eyebrow at the sudden formality, but nodded.
Chibi-Usa turned an intent stare at the Servant. "Gilgamesh, Archer Class Servant of the 4th Holy Grail War, this I charge to you…"
...
- To be continued...
...
A/N: Archer could have used Rulebreaker as well, but given where he was, it wasn't feasible. Also, Rulebreaker's description says it also undoes curses on top of contracts. I'm interpreting it as being able to be selective. The Wolkenritter aren't contracted to Hayate, per se: they're bound to the Book, and by extension to whoever the book is bonded to.
Yes, the crossover with Shaun Garin's It Could Always Be Worseis still canon. Should make for an interesting StrikerS-era… if I ever get that far…
Kuro and Illya are in a Chained Heat situation. Anything that happens to Illya, Kuro feels as if it's happening to her. If Illya dies, Kuro's system will probably go into shock emulating the symptoms and follow. It's a forgettable, but quite vital facet of their relationship. Consider WHY Kuro likes molesting Illya…
Speaking of whom…
...
OMAKE! From the files of Chao Lingshen, Temporal Renegade
...
Full Name: Kuro von Einbern-Emiya
Known Aliases: Kuro, Kuro Illya, The Kissing Demon, Oh-Crap-It's-That-Crazy-Loli!
Alignment: Chaotic Perverted, Incestous Good
ECL: 9000+
Religion: The Mysteries of Aphrodite and Eros
Sexuality: Incestous, Depraved (but loyal) Bisexual
Family: Irisviel Von Einzbern-Emiya (Mother), Emiya Kiritsugu (Father), Illyasviel von Einzbern-Emiya (Sister), Emiya Shiro (Adopted Brother)
Affiliations: is a founding member of the Fuyuki City Fate Knights, and the United Magical Girl Association.
Background: originally an internalized split personality caused by sealing the memories and supernaturally-accelerated development of the homunculus Illyasviel von Einzbern-Emiya several months after her birth, Kuro was temporarily unleashed when Illya, at ten years of age and wielding the Kaleidoscope-powered Mystic Code Kaleido Ruby as Magical Girl Prisma Illya Kaleido Ruby (yes, there is a lot of redundancy), combined it's power with the 'Archer' Class Card, imbuing herself with the powers of a still-unknown Heroic Spirit qualified to be of the Archer Class. This manifested as a trance-like, out of body experience for Illya as Kuro defeated the Class Card manifestation of a Saber-class Heroic Spirit.
She first materialized a full, independent corporeal body after Kaleido Ruby (Illyasviel von Einzbern-Emiya), Kaleido Sapphire (Edelfelt Miyu), Jewel Red (then just Tohsaka Rin), Blue Blaz (then just Luviagelita Edelfelt) conducted a ritual to stabilize the Earth-pulse in the vicinity of Fuyuki City and the after-effects caused a cave-in. Illya internalized the powers of the Archer Class Card, and a random interaction of disparate forces allowed Kuro to manifest for the first time as a distinct entity. She immediately tried to kill Illya, but was repulsed, and later captured. A magic seal was placed on her, cursing her to be physically affected by everything Illya experienced to prevent her from trying to kill her originator.
Thus sealed, she proceeded on her secondary, and possibly TRUE objective: resolving all Illya's underlying sexual tension with her brother, Miyu, her classmates, and anyone else Illya may have had the hots for with a full textual upgrade. Her first action was an attempted seduction of Tracer (then only Emiya Shiro), that was interrupted when Illya self-administered pain to disrupt Kuro's actions. She later somehow enrolled in Illya's school where she proceeded to seduce and steal the first kisses of Illya's immediate circle of friends, as well as seduce her homeroom teacher, Fujimura Taiga. When the deception was uncovered by the appearance of the real Illya, Kuro passed herself off as Illya's cousin.
After a violent episode triggered by Illya's momentary angst-ridden statement that she just wanted to be normal, Kuro challenged Miyu to a duel over their personal philosophies regarding Illya. This battle was interrupted by Illya, and, surprisingly, Illya's mother, Irisviel. The truth of Kuro's nature as Illyas suppressed memories that developed into their own personality is revealed, and Illya was able to use her nature as a conduit for the power of the Holy Grail to wish Kuro her own permanent independent existence.
She, along with several Magical Girls who would later become founding members of the Fuyuki Fate Knights, responded to Green Lantern (2814.1)'s plea for aid when she was attacked by the group calling themselves the Wolkenritter, and was actually the one approached by Green Lantern (2814.1) about officially organizing the group that would later become the United Magical Girls (and Boys) Association.
Kuro participated in the defense of Uminari City during the so-called Power Ranger Incident, when the appearance of the dimensionally displaced Power Rangers Vivio Hart Testarossa Oliver, Chrono Harlaown, Yuuno Scrya and Carter Grayson– or more specifically, when the interaction of the so-called 'Morphing Grid' energy they carried and the local universe– caused the manifestation of monsters and the re-emergence of an entity they called 'Lord Zedd' to manifest on the moon. Kuro was part of a strike team beamed to the moon to deal with the entity, and was ultimately responsible for his defeat and capture.
Negotiating with her to let him go and not use him as her own personal font of energy was significantly more difficult.
She participated in 5th and Last Holy Grail War of Fuyuki City, Heaven's Feel, and was instrumental in the defeat of the Invader-converted Kotomine Kirei and the foiling of his plans to use the power of the Holy Grail to manifest ultimate evil upon the world. During this time, she developed an affinity with the Archer of the 5th Holy Grail War (who to this day has remained unidentified), after his apparent death when his Linker Core was removed, despite initial hostilities.
She seems to have a mysterious connection to the Temporal Renegade Chao Lingshen, the nature and extent of which is not yet fully known.
Powers and Abilities: Kuro possesses the abilities of a Heroic Spirit qualified for manifesting as an Archer-class Servant. The identity of this Heroic Spirit is unknown, as its powers do not correspond to any known legend, and seems to possess no identifiable Noble Phantasm, although it appears to be the same Heroic Spirit who appeared in the capacity of the Servant Archer during the 5th Holy Grail War. This Servant was never identified, however, due to his being summoned incorrectly, leading him to develop partial amnesia with regards to his existence as a mortal, most especially in the areas concerning anything that might be able to pinpoint his identity. His most identifying ability, a Reality Marble called Unlimited Blade Works, has spawned several imitators, and is of no use in any attempt at identification.
Kuro possesses a form of Gradation Air dubbed 'Tracing' that allows her to perfectly replicate any sword, mundane or Noble Phantasm, she encounters and has at least seen and observed, touched, or whose internal structure and composition she is familiar with. She can also use it replicate spears to a limited degree, and even a few shield Noble Phantasms. She uses these swords as arrows, essentially allowing her an unlimited supply of High-Energy Noble Phantasm explosive projectiles, often with unique abilities. Kuro is capable of using each weapon as skillfully as any who have possessed and mastered it, including utilizing any special techniques they knew or have used with the weapon she has Traced.
She is also able to generate the Reality Marble "Unlimited Blade Works" despite it not being the manifestation of her soul, as an extension of her possession of the unknown Heroic Spirit's abilities, though this has been hotly debated– though interestingly, never by her.
Kuro is also able to drain energy from anyone she kisses and convert it into prana to maintain her existence or supplement her magical energy. As a Nasurian magecraft-user, she is above average when it comes to physical abilities, when compared to normal non-superpowered people. She can jump off a house and land without injury and fight against foes many times her size or strength, using Reinforcement Magecraft on herself. For a short period of time, she was in posession of a White Power Ring and made good use of it. In addition, the ring also provided a fragmented but detailed accounts of future events, some of which she still remembers after the ring left her posession, though the extent and continued validity of which is unknown.
...
OMAKE 2: Yuuno Scrya's Guide To The Religions Of Unadministered World 97, Earth (Space Sector 2814)
...
The First Church of Sakura
The First Church of Sakura was founded by the eccentric philanthropist Daidouji Tomoyo, who claims she was divinely inspired to establish the church when she was six years old. An eraser is supposedly involved somehow, but the exact circumstances are shrouded in religious dogma, and are difficult to ascertain.
The Church of Sakuraism is based around the worship of the incarnated goddess of all truth and beauty, Kinomoto Sakura. The church's objective is to spread peace, love, tolerance and understanding across the universe, using the life of the supposedly mortal goddess after which it is named as an example. Religious dogma maintains that this goddess has power over the elements of the world, and her very presence can end wars and prevents the end of the world through the end of all love.
While considered at best to be a rather harmless cult, it is gaining popularity, especially among the homosexual and transgendered groups, due to its non-violent tenets, equal treatment of all members with no sexual segregation or proscribed gender roles, emphasis on acceptance and understanding as the eventual basis for peace and love, the option of having the teachings of the church as a personal philosophy of life and therefore not need the convert to switch from his current religion, and the lolicon imagery the church uses as sacred icons. Such icons include the Loli Maid of Service, which teaches that food must be shared to be enjoyed; the Loli Catgirl of Stewardship, which teaches that animals are as important as humans in the overall scheme and must be respected; and the Loli Crossdressing Prince of the Sword, one of the faith's few aggressive images, which teaches that belief must be fought for and defended, but that violence is never truly an option, because the battle for belief happens in the hearts of people.
The rumors that the church is in some way connected to the Church of Blood and the Followers of Scath is completely unfounded.
...
END!
...
Not my best. But hey, next chap has the Nanoha/Fate/Pissed-Off-Illya versus Hayate/Reinforce/Corruption Fight! Can't go wrong there!
Please review, C&C welcome.
Until next time, this is Shadow, signing off.